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Maybe you're long time campers and you now have a little one joining you? Or perhaps you are trying camping as a family for the first time? You may have been overwhelmed by the number of gadgets and gizmos available out there and don't know where to start. Camping as a family of five, I've found out what's worth having and what isn't - there are a handful of trusted essentials we make sure to pack when we spend our three or four weeks of the year under canvas. So if you're camping with kids, where's what to pack... Contains affiliate links - see disclosure Decent sleeping bag(s) Camping in the UK can mean nights are cold even at the height of Summer. A quality sleeping bag will help your little one (and you) get a better night's sleep - go for high tog and positive reviews over design. Inflatable solar lights Inflatable solar lights pack small and will charge even on a grey day. They are much safer to have in beds as there are no batteries to get lost amongst sleeping bags. Coffee bags / cappuccino sachets It might sound like a bit of a luxury, but you will thank me when you have proper tasting coffee to wake you up in the morning. If you have milk in your coffee, opt for latte/cappuccino sachets, if like me you prefer it black, coffee bags are the way to go. My middle son loving life in mummy's large camping chair - he even spent a few naps here! Comfortable chairs for the grown-ups You don't have to spend a fortune on them but steer clear of the really cheap folding chairs and look for something that offers back and leg support . The cheaper chairs are perfectly fine for little ones but you will need something comfy as camping with kids is tiring! Travel games Choose a handful of age-appropriate games to pack in case of rain or for evening entertainment. We keep ours in a small tub and our current favourites are Uno , Pass the Pigs , Dobble and travel Guess Who . Your own pillows Inflatable pillows may seem like a great idea but they are rarely very comfortable and the cooler air at night can make them deflate. If you are short of space in the car they can sit on laps for the journey. Porta-potty We love our Potette , its invaluable for urgent wees in the night. If you'd prefer not to use plastic bags and have the room to pack, a small portable toilet with green chem and bio loo roll is a great alternative. Instant breakfasts eg brioche rolls, pain au chocolat, waffles While cereal may be your go-to brekky at home, cleaning up spilt milk or washing bowls may not be at the top of your list when camping. Having a selection of 'instant' hands-free breakfasts makes life so much easier in the mornings. Plastic-free wipes Wipes are a total essential when camping with kids - perfect for spills, grubby hands and sticky faces. Look for plastic-free versions which are now available from many supermarket and high street brands. Marshmallows A camping trip wouldn't be complete without toasted marshmallows - you can either take some retractable toasting tongs or do like we do and forage for straight green sticks - just wash them before using. New picture books These don't have to be brand new, you can pay a trip to the local charity shop - if the kids are getting are getting a bit hyper at bedtime a couple of new books can distract and help them settle. Real mugs You will thank me when you are having a warming brew in a proper mug. There is nothing more dissatisfying than a cuppa in plastic! Hanging toiletry holder We have a toiletry holder  hanging by the front door of the tent to store keys, wallets, phones - anything we need to keep safe from little hands but easy for grown-ups to access. iPad/Laptop An iPad or laptop is handy to have should you fancy a family film before bedtime, just make sure it's fully charged before leaving. It's a good idea to download the film at home first, in case the signal on the site is poor. Activity books My camping activity bundle has a fun range of camping-themed worksheets, colouring pages, recipes and activities for you to do together on your next trip. We also like to take a sticker book for the younger ones and crossword book for the grownups. My ultimate camping activity book, full of activities and recipes for kids. Crocs and wellies Crocs are perfect for showers or popping in and out of the tent, and you will need wellies for rainy days. Cool box and ice blocks We like to keep grated cheese, sausages and cooked chicken in ours for easy meals. Most campsites will have a freezer so you can re-freeze your ice blocks when they thaw. Fluorescent drawing board These are such fun for after dark. Use the light pens to draw glow-in-the-dark pictures on the drawing board , let them fade away then draw again. What do you like to take with you when you go camping as a family? For more playful and creative learning ideas visit: Instagram | Pinterest | Howweplayandlearn.com

I love it when we begin to see more birds in the garden again, it really feels like Spring is on it's way and we're moving out of the dark days of winter. In around February time, some birds will start looking for nesting materials ready to build their nests for all the Spring chicks to be born. We always like to feed the birds; fat balls seem to be the favourite in our garden, so we keep them going all year long. But this year I thought it might be a nice idea to also provide some nesting materials for all our winged visitors. We did a little research into what to provide and a safe way to provide them and then made our DIY nesting material dispenser. DIY nesting material dispenser To make your own birds nest dispenser, you will need a wire bird feeder and a selection of natural nesting materials. We had a spare bird feeder that is designed for sunflower seeds, so used that. It is designed with criss cross metal that leaves gaps large enough for materials to be pulled out - you could also use a peanut feeder as they are a similar design. You can either go on a hunt for materials when you make your dispenser, or you can spend some time collecting things - either way, what you choose to give to your birds must be clean and dry, with no synthetic materials or dye. Some ideas on what you can provide for nesting: Plain wool Dried grass Dried leaves Small thin sticks Twine, in 2" lengths Pine needles Feathers Straw Moss We used sheeps wool, sticks, dried leaves and dried grass for our nesting dispenser Invite your child to fill the dispenser with materials. We chose to alternative ours, putting it in layers. You might needs to give them a hand pushing twigs etc down so that you don't leave any large gaps. One your dispenser is totally full, hang it up nice and high, ideally in a tree, but it can also be hung from a hook on a fence or shed (for example) - just make sure your birds won't be vulnerable to attacks from cats, as this will put them off. We used a hook to attach our feeder to a fruit tree in the garden (I think this is from a kitchen hook set by IKEA). This is where we normally hang our feeders, so I'm hoping that when they visit for food they will notice the nesting materials as well. If you don't have a garden, you can always take these activities to a friend's garden or a local park. Enjoy watching your feathered friends helping themselves to all your nesting goodies! It may take a little while for your local birds to find it; in the UK some birds start nesting in February, but the busiest months are from March until July. Whilst you're enjoying the birds in your garden, you can sit with your little one and do this garden bird scavenger hunt together. For more fun bird ideas check out my post on creative bird activities. Do you enjoy watching birds together? What's your favourite bird? Let me know in the comments! For more playful and creative learning ideas visit:   Instagram  | Pinterest  | Howweplayandlearn.com

We've been spending a lot of time in the garden recently, and with Earth Day just around the corner, we thought these seeds bombs would be the perfect activity. They are so simple to make - you just need paper, water and seeds! If you're plating in Spring time or around Earth Day like us, you can plant these cute little seed bombs straight away, ready for beautiful flowers all summer long. They also keep for quite a long time, so you can make them in advance and plant when the risk of frost has passed, or give them as a lovely eco gift. You can even try 'guerilla gardening' and pop your seed bombs in a public space for everyone to enjoy. *Contains affiliate links to products we own (or similar) - see our disclosure We thought it would be fun to make our seed bombs look like cute mini Planet Earths, so we used some blue, white and green coloured paper leftover from our crafts. You can use any paper as long as it doesn't contain plastic so it will break down properly in the soil. To make the seed bombs you will need: Coloured paper ( we used blue, white and green ) Packets of wildflower seeds Water Bowls Blender Start by tearing up the paper and putting into three separate bowls. Cover with water and leave to absorb for about half an hour. A grown-up is needed for the next step - put one colour of paper into a blender and blitz thoroughly until it forms a wet pulp. If you find it doesn't blend very well you can always add a little more water. Do this for each of the colours and put them in separate bowls. The mixture might try to separate a little but don't worry, you can always squeeze out any excess water. Choose which seeds you want to add to your seed bomb mix. We used bee-friendly seeds in ours, including cornflower, borage and poached egg plant. We want to encourage lots of wildlife into our garden so we can enjoy spotting all the mini beasts in the summer. Tip your seed mixture into the blue bowl and mix thoroughly. While you're getting your hands messy this is a great chance to talk about seeds and how they turn into flowers. Have you tried our sprouting seedling craft ? It's perfect for learning how plants grow! Scoop up a small amount of the blue pulp and seed mixture (around the size of a large marble) and form it into balls. Take smaller pieces of the green and white pulp and press them onto the surface to create the continents and the ice caps. To give them an even finish, roll the balls gently between the palms of your hands. Our continents weren't really in the right places (that was far too tricky for Mr 5) but we tried to pop white at the top and the bottom to show the north and south poles. Celebrate Earth Day with our activity pack You can plant your seed bombs in the ground straight away, just make sure you follow the instructions on the seed packets. If you need to wait to plant them, you can leave them to dry, just make sure you give them a good soak when it comes to planting time! Plant your seed bombs about 1" deep in some new compost, water well and put in a sunny spot. You can also plant them in existing borders, or even wasteland (if you are guerilla gardening) - the great thing about wildflowers is they don't need too many nutrients to thrive. This is such a fun way to getting children involved in gardening - giving them hands-on activities such as planting seeds is not only very rewarding but it's a great demonstration of the life cycle of flowers. Want to have more Earth Day fun ? Check out our Earth Day activity book . Celebrate Earth Day with our activity pack of scavenger hunt, colouring pages and fun worksheets! More ideas for you to try: Sprouting seedling craft We're going on a sound hunt 10 ways to play with sticks For more playful learning, creative inspiration and crafts, visit us at: | Instagram | Pinterest | Howweplayandlearn.com |