puppet show  If you don’t have puppets to hand, then retrieve those fuzzy winter socks from the charity bag and turn them into colourful sock characters. You can do the same with paper bags and even those floppy yellow washing-up gloves. Cut out a large

the playground at Petersham Gate. Visit www.royalparks.org.uk5. Kelmscott, Gloucestershire A picnic on the banks of the Thames near the ancient village of Kelmscott is great on a hot day, because it’s also quite easy to take a little dip in the gentle waters here

and sculptures using cutters or by hand. Dry the shapes in the oven for 10 minutes at 100°C. When cooled, the objects can be painted. 7. Vegetable printing  Cut large potatoes in half. Carve out shapes and patterns, then stamp the vegetables into ink and press

out of Cotswold stone. Tel: 01451 820467; www.bourtoninfo.com6. Bourton-on-the-Water Model Village, Gloucestershire The delightful replica village of Bourton-on-the-Water has been hewn out of Cotswold stone. Tel: 01451 820467 or visit www

a traditional wash day  Lather up an old-fashioned washing tub (an old tin is perfect, but a plastic bucket will do) and give your child a scrubbing board (a big wooden chopping board is ideal), then set them to scrubbing your old, worn-out clothes

. There’s also watersports, fishing, canoeing and waterskiing all available. It’s claimed that on a clear day Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man and 14 counties of England can be seen from the summit of nearby Black Coombe. Visit www.wordsworthcountry.com7

at Fineshade Woods to map out your visit. Tel: 01780 444920 or visit www.forestry.gov.uk3. Thetford Forest, Norfolk This tall pine forest is home to a wide variety of birds including red crossbills, goldfinches and woodlarks. There’s also red deer, roe deer

, and karaoke. Early bird tickets have already sold out, so get in fast for 2010. Visit www.secretgardenparty.co.uk6. JULY 23–25 Womad, Wiltshire This festival offers a world of music with performers from as far afield as Ethiopia, India and New Zealand

-The-Pooh and Goldilocks And The Three Bears are spot on).5. Go on a National Parks day event Visit www.nationalparks.gov.uk and search Events for a date and location that suits you.6. Cloudwatching  Pick a shady tree, roll out your rug, then watch the sky go by. Try

that has the marker and hop and jump all the way to square 8, hop and jump back and stop at square 2 to pick up the marker; hop in square one and then start again, this time tossing the marker into square 2. A player is ‘out’ if the marker lands outside