By Kate Hodges
02nd August 2018
EVENT Simply The Breast
It’s World Breastfeeding Week – time to take a stand and support mothers to do what’s best for their child. Find an event near you here, or find your local La Leche League online for more happenings. This weekend, join the Big Latch On – a global event where people gather at registered locations around the world and offer peer support to each other – locations this year include coffee shops, children’s centres, the Royal Festival Hall, and Knowsley Safari Park!
MAKE Limpet Games
Have you been to the beach yet this year? We have a little bucket of shells we’ve collected, perfect for creative play. Try making a mandala – a great way to learn about art and maths, or blob crayons on heated shells. Hang these seashell-covered letters on your walls, and be reminded of holidays every time you see them or make this seashell-encrusted wreath for cool coastal style. Head here for more beautiful and cute ideas - we love their shell necklaces and driftwood weavings.
EVENT South Bank Summer
London’s south bank is a wonderful place to spend lazy summer days – run through Jeppe Hein’s cooling Appearing Rooms fountains, explore the beach and chill in the Queen Elizabeth Hall Roof Garden. Every Wednesday night, there’s a free, bicycle-powered film screening. Weekends for the next month are being taken over by arts collectives – this Saturday and Sunday Peckham’s CRXSS PLATFXRM bring you street artists, DJs, storytelling, experimental hip hop dance battles and R&B musicians. While you’re in the area, pop down to the National Theatre to check out what’s happening on their free, curated, outdoor River Stage.
RECIPE and FORAGE Berry Good
Rowan trees have deep mythical roots; a rowan is said to have saved the life of Thor, the tree is enmeshed in Greek mythology, and, in the UK, is said to protect against enchantment and witchcraft – crosses made from the tree are still to be found over the lintels of houses in the Isle of Man. Find out more here. It might seem that summer has only just started, but rowan berries are just starting to come into season – pick the reddest, softest ones your can find on your summer woodland walks. We’re going to use ours for making jelly, chutney, and wine. Freeze yours first to make them sweeter.
EVENT Beyond The Fringe
Every August, the streets of Edinburgh are filled with crazily dressed performers, music and laughter, as the Edinburgh Festival and Fringe Festival spring into life. The Fringe is perhaps best known for its adult comedy offerings, but there’s also lots going on for younger culture vultures. This year expect world-class circus performances at Underbelly’s Circus Hub from Circolombia’s Acéléré to Circus Abyssinia: Ethiopian Dreams, a child-friendly (but still spooky) wander through Edinburgh’s underground vaults, plus dozens more storytelling sessions, puppet shows, dance spectaculars and workshops. This year, the Fringe Society will provide free sensory backpacks for people with autism. Find out more here
