What you need:

• Half a bagel
• Peanut butter or honey
• Bird seed
• String

You will need to help your child cut a bagel in half. After that, get them to spread peanut butter or honey evenly on one side of the bagel.

Then, pour bird seed on top of the peanut butter/honey so it sticks and covers the spread.

Cut a piece of string, long enough to be tied around the hole of the bagel and tie a knot in the top.

Once you have done this, all that’s left to do is to find a tree outside to hang it on.

Watch the birds fly in to peck at the yummy treat you have made for them!

Top tip – While making the bird feeder with your children, it’s a nice idea to get a bird book, look at the pictures and talk about the types of birds you might see in your garden.

What you need:

• Shells
• Plasticine for children

If you live close to the beach, then this is a great activity.

Take your little ones out for a walk on the beach and get them to find and collect as many different shapes, colours and sized seashells as they can. (You may need to help the younger ones).

Bring them home, wash and dry them.

Roll out the plasticine and then let your little’s print away using the shells. They can turn the shells over and push them down in the plasticine and lift them up to reveal the pretty patterns.

Get them to roll their finger over the pattern to feel how the playdough has changed shape.

Tip – Playdough works just as well. (There is a playdough recipe above.)

Sensory bottles are a great way to engage and entertain young children, they are easy and cheap to make and long lasting. Use recycled materials from around your home.

Here are some different discovery bottle contents:

• Brightly coloured twisted pipe cleaners for visual interest
• Rice, makes a light sound
• Money, makes loud sounds
• Glitter, sparkles for visual interest
• Water and food colouring
• Pompoms for visual interest
• Water and colourful Hama beads for noise, colour and movement
• Ripped up pieces of tin foil, slow movement and reflection of light

Once you have filled the plastic bottles with materials be sure to seal them tightly before allowing children to play with them. Super glue is an easy way to secure the lids on the bottles.

What you need:

• 3 cups plain flour
• 1 cup salt
• 250ml (1 cup) water
• 60ml (1tbsp) vegetable oil
• Food colouring

Mix all the dry ingredients and add oil.
Add the food colouring to the water.
Slowly add the water until the desired consistency is reached.
Kneading the dough will help improve the texture.

Once your children have finished playing with it, roll it into a big ball and put in an airtight Tupperware container. Playdough should keep for 6 months.

Cloud Dough

What you need:

• 2 cups of corn flour
• ½ cup of vegetable oil

Mix together.

Only 2 ingredients needed for this amazing sensory and mark making activity. You can also add glitter to make it sparkle. It is quick and easy to make for the little ones.

Cloud Dough

Cloud Dough