? Although sand will stick together effectively if you mix anywhere between one and 20 per cent water by volume with the sand (this is known because German scientists spent many months studying a pile of sand using a special miniature CAT scanner

with young children. Heat the oven to 210°C, then grease a baking tray. Sift 1 cup of flour into a bowl, add a generous pinch of salt. Meanwhile, combine 30g of melted butter, a splash of milk and a splash of water. Make a well in the centre of the flour

boughs, branches, spring flowers, bunnies, eggs, chicks and ducks can all be displayed. Find a spring branch with budding flowers and crush the bottom with a hammer so it will absorb water better. Place in a tall vase of water and decorate with tiny

it is mixed and leave to sit for five minutes. Use your hands to mix it all up until it all comes together.3. Make raisins dance  Pour one third of a glass of water into a clear container; add one third of a cup of white vinegar and one tablespoon baking soda

of pleases and thank-yous.2. ‘Paint' the fence  A bucket of water and a big wide paintbrush will be all your preschooler needs to set off on the man-size task of ‘painting’ the fence.3. Make a daisy chain  Pluck the flowers so you have nice long stems

(and perhaps a big plastic bucket for a bass drum); create a water glass xylophone – line up at least five glasses filled with water to different levels to create different tones; chimes – pull out a set of picnic cutlery and just set one piece on each

Trust will be our guide today for a walk around Treraven's ancient woodland and salt-water meadows and, if time allows, a visit to the RHS's National Bamboo Collection. 3 - 4 hours leisurely 4 to 5 miles. Well behaved dogs on leads, boots or walking

. Children love to play with sparklers but they should always be supervised, wear thick gloves and dispose of them in a bucket of sand or water, and children under five should never handle sparklers by themselves. Beware the bangsOne of the lesser known