If your child dreams of falling down the rabbit hole, entering Wonderland and meeting a host of madcap characters much like Lewis Carroll’s intrepid heroine Alice, this fantasy-filled mad hatters tea party at London’s Rib Rooms may prove to be the Cheshire cat’s pyjamas.This East...

1. Selecting seedsDespite the best efforts of Popeye most young children still seem to have an innate aversion to bitter leafy vegetables such as spinach, and probably won’t be particularly enthused about the idea of growing them. Focus instead on sweet fruit and vegetables more ...

Nature Adventures by Mick Manning and Brita Granström (£7.99, Frances Lincoln)A finely detailed guide to the natural life that can be found in various habitats from town to country. The evocative illustrations and comprehensive listings of various flora and fauna make this an abs...

There are many advantages about car travel – the chief one being that you are in charge of your own timetable. Plus there are plenty of opportunities to learn together and bond as a family. A road trip provides opportunities to sing, tell stories, share thoughts, and practise tur...

Plant a sunflowerIf you want a row or two of towering sunflowers in your garden come the end of summer, you have to plan in advance. Fill a flowerpot with compost soil and sow two or three seeds about 1cm deep. Keep the pots in a sunny spot on a windowsill and water regularly. Wh...

Shaker heartA love-filled centrepiece for your table or to hang in your cupboardMaterials 57x50cm striped cotton fabric (such as Forbury Stripe £38 from Laura Ashley)Small amount of linenButtonWadding/dried lavenderWireBay leavesRibbon.How to makeCut out two heart shapes from the...

1. Collect nuts, berries and pinecones to look for signs of feeding. Follow any trails of food and try to identify which animals have been nibbling on them.2. Find a quiet spot in your local woodland to sit and listen to the sounds of the local wildlife. Bird chirping and insects...

1. TouchPlaying with sand is a great way for young children to refine their hand-eye coordination as it is a highly sensory material, with a changeable texture. Encourage your toddler to grab, scoop, sift and dig through sand, adding water or using tools. Feeling weight of the sa...

SnowballsA child’s first instinct when he sees snow is to pick up a handful, pat it together and chuck it at the nearest person. Simple snowballing can actually be developed into a surprisingly complex array of competitive games. One thing you can

Hugo (Entertainment In Video £19.99) 127 mins Set in Gare Montparnasse in Paris, Hugo tells the story of a young orphan, the eponymous Hugo, left to fend for himself after his father’s death (with a short cameo by Jude Law). To honour his father’s memory, Hugo uses all his ingenu...