Medieval Storytelling, Muffins and Meatballs!

Today's activities were sponsored by the letter M! We kicked things off in the car on our way out by spotting as much as we could that started with an M. When we got to Oystermouth Castle in (Mumbles of course!) it was time for a quick snack, some home made muffins:

Then we enjoyed a Junior Park Ranger activity; Medieval Storytelling at Oystermouth Castle. All 4 kids aged 2 - 7 LOVED it. I can't praise Junior Park Rangers enough...I just wish we'd discovered them earlier, all their remaining summer holiday activities are now booked up but they'll be a huge part of our next summer holidays for sure.

It was lunch time when we got back so what else could we have but Meatballs?!

I had a number of letter/M related indoor activities planned (playdoh with letter cookie cutters, a letter M puzzle, books starting with the letter M etc etc) but the weather improved so we decamped to the garden and I had to improvise a little. First up, the big 2 drew chalk Ms and the smaller 2 erased them with a water spray:

Then we dug out some letter 'buried treasure' from the sandpit:

I also hid a number of objects round the garden that started with the letter M. Next week is A!

We're going on a Bug Hunt, we're going to catch a big one!

Today we went to our first Junior Park Ranger activity and we were very impressed! It was a Bug Hunt at Coed Gwilym Park in Clydach and it was really well organised and well attended. The Rangers had lots of great equipment for catching bugs, this one you used the green pipe to suck up little tiny bugs into the pot, perfect for younger children who tend to squish small bugs between their fingers! :

 

 Here's 2 year old Elin inspecting the wood louse she caught:

This might look like a big pile of sticks but is, in fact, a 'Beetle Castle', the Rangers had apparently built it as part of another Junior Park Ranger activity. We found all kinds of mini beasts here; beetles, aphids, slugs, worms, spiders and wood lice. Lovely! A big recommendation for Junior Park Rangers from Hobbsy's House. Make sure you book though, these activities are not surprisingly very popular!