By Kate Hodges
13th October 2021
EVENT THE LONG WALK
Little Amal has come a long way this summer. The 3.5m-tall living artwork of a young Syrian refugee child has walked across Europe this summer focussing attention on the urgent needs of young refugees. Next Tuesday, she comes to the shores of the UK. On her first day here, she’ll be wandering alone in Folkestone, until she happens upon a crowd of singers in an abandoned railway station.
From there she travels through Dover, Canterbury, London, Oxford, Coventry Birmingham, Sheffield, Barnsley and Manchester, where she will encounter dancers, take part in parades, and even be a special guest at two raucous hip-hop and dance-oriented birthday parties in Trafalgar Square and the Roundhouse in London. Join her on her thought-provoking, boundary-breaking, uplifting journey.
RECIPE I SHOULD COCOA
It’s Chocolate Week! A couple of squares of the dark stuff help to keep your heart healthy and contain vital minerals; find our favourite ethical brands here. Kids love cooking with chocolate as it’s quick, easy and produces decadent treats; try our recipes for Chocolate Chestnut Truffles, Paleo Chocolate Bark, Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake, and superfood-packed Mexican Hot Chocolate.
EVENT LIFE IN SQUARES
The (mostly free) Bloomsbury festival is one of the highlights of our year – the area is a great place to visit, with its strange museums and odd little nooks and crannies, and is steeped in the history of literature and science. It’s even more fun to explore when there are quirky and fun things to do such as watching a parade of tigers along Cromer Street, watching the magical Weather Machine outdoor theatre show, joining a Hetty Feather-themed walk from the Foundling Museum, or enjoying the huge celebration of science at the University of London that includes making paper jewellery, a pop-up planetarium with real scientists to quiz and an interactive look at the workings of the human body! Until October 24. Full line-up here
Acorn cups and nuts are thick on the ground of our parks, streets, and gardens. They make one of our favourite – and free – art materials. They’re super-cute, perfect for fairy hats, canopies for pet rock villages, or tiny, tiny boats. Painted acorns are an easy way to make your house look seasonal; make up a bunch of clay versions for decoration. Find more ideas here.
MAKE AND RECIPE ACE OF CUPS
They’re toxic when raw and tough nuts to use in recipes, but you can make flour, coffee, or roast the kernels to make acorn brittle. You might even use them to make magical ink; find the druidic method here
EVENT ROCK STAR
The story of Mary Anning, the girl from Lyme Regis whose determination led to a greater understanding of fossils and evolution is retold in this weekend’s online musical drama The Fossil Detectives. The live event stars a choir of schoolchildren working with professional performers, and is part of the Sidmouth Science Festival. Free, but book ahead here
WHAT WE’RE READING Sleeping, crying, fighting: Polly Alderton’s lockdown family album – in pictures “British photographer Polly Alderton likes to put her family in the spotlight, capturing every intimate moment from cuddles with the cat to sibling scraps” Read more here
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING How to tackle anxiety with Dr Anna Colton Are you or your child struggling with anxious thoughts? Psychologist Dr Anna Colton explains seven quick, easy and simple techniques that you can try at home, with your child or by yourself, to manage these thoughts and tackle day-to-day anxiety. Watch here
