Things to make & do

During lockdown we've all been exploring ways to socialise and keep entertained and so many have organised games and quizzes online. Anne Coates tried out the Whodunnit Murder Mystery games offered by MacMillan Cancer Support to raise funds for this excellent charity.

Little Cooks Co is a monthly subscription based recipe kit that’s posted through the letterbox, direct to kids, in a neat 100 per cent recyclable box with compostable packaging. The box is packed with all the natural and healthy dry ingredients of that month’s delicious and nutritious recipe for kids to bake in the home. Harriet Coates baked Sunny Lemon Biscuits.

Get Ready to Go Wild in June – 30 days of activities to get your children involved in and inspired by nature.

Oti Mabuse will be sashaying onto the CBeebies Channel and BBC iPlayer next week as she presents Oti’s Boogie Beebies from Monday 1 June, 2020.

Without intervention, many animals are being left without the food they rely on. So as lockdown eases and more trips to the park are allowed we can return to a favourite pastime of feeding the ducks on our ponds and waterways.

Casio Music UK, one of the world’s most renowned producers of musical instruments, is hosting FREE virtual keyboard and piano lessons via Facebook Live to help entertain people who are stuck at home.

Dr Mouna Attarha gives her top tips for maintaining an active, healthy brain. 

Join Shaun the Sheep for Interactive Fun for five to nine year-olds courtesy of Woolmark.

At a time where social distancing is prevalent, schools are closed and children are stuck at home all day following government advice, boredom can set in and it can be difficult for parents to constantly think of new play ideas for children. This is where the Make Time 2 Play campaign comes in handy.

As part of its Christmas campaign Gifts for your gut, Bowel & Cancer Research, together with chef Tonia Buxton, The Gut Stuff founders The Mac Twins, and expert nutritionist and Bowel & Cancer Research ambassador, Lily Soutter, have compiled the ultimate gut-friendly ‘Alternative Christmas Dinner’. Here is Tonia Buxton's recipe for a Winter Warmer Soup.

Seasonal Shindig – a celebration of autumn in the Geffrye Museum's gardens Saturday  26 October, 2019 12 to 4pm. Free. All ages

Underbelly & MEI Theatrical presents Twirlywoos Live!, the beloved BBC TV show,Underbelly Southbank this August running from 3 to 31 August 2019. Our young reviewers were entranced.

The Wildlife Trusts annual challenge – 30 Days Wild – calling on everyone to go wild every day in June starts this weekend. In its fifth year, 30 Days Wild has had a marked impact on the thousands of people taking part – people have reported feeling healthier, more connected to nature and more likely to take action to help wildlife. Sign up here for your free pack.

So many us have grown up with "painting by numbers" and here we have the concept brought into the modern day as “bling by numbers” with "Toy of the Year" award nominee DIY Crystal Card Kit. Harriet Coates loved making her special Christmas card.

Soft and light, buttery brioche is a classic French bread. This one is golden and rich, with fruity conserve and a pinch of sea salt. Delicious and easy to pull apart, it's best enjoyed with extra conserve, crème fraîche and friends.

The National Young Writers’ Awards are now open and world renowned best-selling children’s author David Walliams has been named judge for 2018.

With the My Fairy Garden range, children can imagine, create, nurture and grow their own fairy garden. My Fairy Garden encourages interaction with nature through play. Harriet adored hers.

A specially adapted production of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale is running at the National Theatre until 28 February. Anne Coates reviews.