Posted on June 5th, 2017 - Fiona
Here at Coombe Mill we love to encourage education that is fun and creative. Our weekly activity hour is based around just this, making the most of the outdoors whilst learning and developing young minds. I have worked with Quarto Kids on many occasions as I know their books are designed to make learning a joy for children. Their nonfiction books always have a clever slant that makes kids want to learn. The latest Lift-The-Flap and colour books have been published in association with the Natural History Museum to inspire young minds about the ocean, jungle, forest and African animals. Each book has 5 scenes to colour and simple facts to read aloud. Lift the flaps on every page to reveal the full story and make learning fun. Read on for your chance to get your hands on a set.
What we thought about the Lift-The-Flap and Colour books
We used the ocean book as part of our water themed activity hour. I first read the story to the children who were all age 2 to 4. It was fast paced enough to capture their imagination
Afterwards they choose which page to colour in together.
The thick black outlines are perfect for little hands just learning dexterity and the art of colouring between the lines and the matt finish is ideal for crayons, felt pens or paint for a careful hand. When the colouring is complete, the black and white pages spring to life.
I’m already lining up a forest themed activity hour with the children here next, taking advantage of animals here on the farm. There is a lovely page about deer which tells you not to go too close, something we are always reminding the children here on the morning tractor rides.
Need to know
| About the Lift-the-flap and colour books | - 5 scenes to read and colour in every book
- Simple facts to accompany every page
- 4 books in the series
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| Suitable from | age 2+ |
| Retail price | £5.99 |
| Available from | Quarto Knows |
| Illustrated by | Alice Bowsher |
| Published in association with | the Natural History Museum |
Win your Lift-The-Flap and colour books from Quarto Kids and Coombe Mill
If you fancy a set of these delightful colour in books just follow the instructions below. Good luck to all taking part.
Lift-the-Flap and Colour Books from Quarto Kids
Disclosure
We were sent our Natural History Lift-the-flap and colour books for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Posted on June 4th, 2017 - Fiona
Welcome to a new month of Trash 2 Treasure. With summer now well and truly with us, we have been taking advantage of nature for our activity hour here on the farm. From flowers to herbs we have been identifying and creating with plenty of learning for little ones too. Below is our DIY cereal box herb worksheets. However my post this month takes advantage of the collection of vintage tea cups and saucers we were given. Whether you are sewing, crafting, cooking or sawing I love to see all your upcycled ideas.
Joining in with Trash 2 Treasure
- Trash 2 Treasure is all about upcycling. Posts should be about making something foraged from nature, household throw away items or low value items you have added value to.
- Posts can take any form, all that matters is that the item made has primarily been upcycled. Whether you cook, sew, make or create I’d love you to join me.
- The linky will run on the 1st Monday of every month and stay open for the full month.
- There is no post limit as the link up is open all month.
- Old posts and new posts welcome.
- Please comment on my host post and at least 2 others and use #Trash2Treasure in the sign off so other’s know where you came from and can pop back to see what you have made too.
- Do remember to pop back during the month to check on later posts linked up. I will share linked posts during the month as a reminder to pop back and as a thank you for joining in.
- Please add my Trash 2 Treasure badge to help others find the link up and to be in with a chance of winning the lovely Duck Tape Colours (see below).
Most of my Trash 2 Treasure tutorials will come from fun keepsakes we have made with the children in our farm activity hour, but sometimes I share bigger upcycling projects from the farm too. I hope through the linky to acquire some new ideas from you.
A little extra from the awesome folk at Duck Tape Colours
Trash to Treasure is sponsored by Duck Tape Colours, makers of colourful tape to add pattern and sparkle to all your upcycling projects. My favourite upcycling post each month will receive 3 colourful rolls of tape to inspire their next project (UK delivery only). Do check out the website for plenty of creative ideas.
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Congratulations to Fiona from Saw it, Pinned it, Did it who is my chosen post for May with this lovely post about turning a sheet into a pretty lampshade cover. |
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Trash 2 Treasure Communities
Please use the hashtag #Trash2Treasure for your makes, I’ll find you and promote your post or picture on
If you link up below to Trash 2 Treasure March I’ll also send you an invite to pin on the Trash 2 Treasure Pinterest board
Please grab the badge and join the #Trash2Treasure linky
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Posted on June 4th, 2017 - Fiona
We saw this idea on a market stall in Sussex. There was a stall filled with different bird feeders but one really took our eye. It was made from a teacup and saucer. We bought it and took it home with us. As luck would have it we were staying with Farmer Nick’s Mum who has an antiques business. She kindly gave us a box full of her odd china which wasn’t worthy of her shop. Nick bought the rods from a DIY store and had the bolts already and back in Cornwall we set about repurposing the old china. I had a plan forming in my mind for where to put the bird feeders so that all our holiday guests could enjoy them too.
What you’ll need
- Rod with screw grooves
- 2 bolts
- 2 washers
- Tea Cup and saucer
- Drill with tile drill piece
- Silicon
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Method for Making a Tea Cup and Saucer Bird Feeder
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Drill a hole in the saucer the width of the rod |
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Drill a hole in base of the tea cup |
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Place a washer and bolt onto the rod |
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Add the saucer and cup silicone each layer as you go |
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 | Add the final washer and bolt and tighten |
| Leave the silicon to dry |  |
 | Push the rod into the ground and fill the cup with water and the saucer with bird food got pic |
A few alternatives you could try.
You can make it without the silicone, which was how we saw ours for sale and offer two forms of food instead of water and food.
If you don’t have the facilities to drill the tea cup you could glue it and hang it from the tea cup in a tree.
We made a trail of 8 bird feeders along our old welly walk filling each with different goodies for the birds. The children made toilet roll binoculars to go on a stealth walk and see what they could spot.
Nb: Although food is plentiful for the birds in summer, by winter I think they will be glad of our bird feeders.
Short Video Tutorial on how to make a tea cup and saucer bird feeder
Posted on June 3rd, 2017 - Fiona
Earlier in the year we were under government restrictions for our chickens and ducks. Farmer Nick spent his Christmas holidays building a luxury hen house and we even gave them a nature filled toy to keep them entertained. For chickens living indoors, life didn’t get much better than this. Our ducks on the other hand were more squished in the old Peacock enclosure and as soon as the ban was lifted they were straight back into the field to enjoy the space and their pond. With the ducks and geese turning broody we delayed letting the hens back into the field and kept egg hunting with the children to the chicken house for spring. However with our ducklings now thriving and geese abandoning their nest as usual, the chickens returned to join them in time for half term.
All change with a new hen house
In their winter hen house, the chickens had been laying better than ever before; we soon figured out this was because the crows couldn’t find their way in and steel the eggs ahead of our morning visit. Before we released the chickens Farmer Nick built a tall laying hen house within the field to look just like the laying section of the winter chicken home. The hope was that instead of laying eggs in patches of stinging nettles and letting the crows steel them they would use the new mini hen house in the field. I’m thrilled to say the theory is working and the children have more eggs to run in and collect than they know what to do with; even on a busy half term holiday week.
Egg collecting is a morning treat
It’s fair to say not everything is pleased to see the children back in the field
But our sociable chickens are more than happy to be cuddled
Or even exposed to a few test flights with their newly clipped wings
Mummy duck kicks up a fuss as we coo over her babies but they are soon all reunited.
It has been a wonderful half term here, not only are the ducks and chickens happy in their free range field again, but we had a surprise end of season lamb born and the older children loved helping out with moving the alpaca to a new field for fresh grazing.
I hope your half term has been a happy one too.
Posted on June 2nd, 2017 - Fiona
Welcome to Country Kids from Coombe Mill
Country Kids is the original outdoor family fun linky designed to:
“Encourage family fun outdoors, in an age where technology and screens are such a draw to a sedentary indoor life”
Welcome back if you are a regular to Country Kids and if you are new please join in. You will find plenty of inspiration for enjoying outdoor space and please do share your own adventures. We support the National Trust #30DaysWild along with all other ideas for family fun outside.
Half term fun from the farm
We began our half term with the most spectacular overnight Thunderstorm I think I’ve ever seen. It was great right up until the point I released it had taken out the WiFi in time for changeover. Thank goodness for paper back up or I’d have had no idea who was arriving or where! We were back online late afternoon and since then we have enjoyed a mostly dry and really quite warm week here on the farm. Our chickens are back free ranging with the ducks ( more about that tomorrow on the blog) we had an unexpected new born lamb and my own children have been hanging out down by the river with the older guests staying. I hope your half term has been a happy one with a few adventures to share on the link up below.
Guidelines for Joining in:
- Post must be predominantly outdoors such as in the garden, the park, the woods or the beach with crafting, learning, exploring or playing.
- Despite the title, both countryside and urban outdoor adventures are welcome.
- Unheated covered areas like a barn or tent count as outdoors.
- Please comment on my host post and a minimum of 3 others of your choice.
- If you use #CountryKids when commenting the post owner will know where your found them and hopefully come back to visit your post.
- Please take my badge, without it you won’t be considered for winning the lovely Rockfish Wellies.
- Linked posts should be written and made live within the last 2 months.
- I understand sometimes you need to do catch up posts and write about something from a couple of months ago but the publish date should be within 2 months.
- By joining in with Country Kids you’re giving me permission to email you weekly as a reminder.
- There is no restriction on the number of posts that can be linked up, however please be sensible, if you have more than 3 consider linking over a few weeks.
My top commenters from last week:
- Helena from The Queen of Collage who commented on 17 posts.
- Merlinda from Glimmer of Hope who commented on 16 posts.
- Louise from Little Hearts Big Love & Dean from Mothers Little Steps who commented on 10 posts.
We have no bloggers link dumping this week, although do remember I comment count on Thursday after lunch so get your comments in before then if you want them to be counted.
Rockfish kindly sponsor Country Kids
Win a pair of wellies from Rockfish Monthly
I am delighted to have Rockfish as the sponsor for Country Kids. Rockfish are a local Cornish company specializing in stylish quality wellingtons for all the family. We have been offering their country wellies in our borrow room here on the farm for over a year and they are always popular for their style, comfort and durability.
Each week my favourite #CountryKids posts, which include my badge or a link back here, will be considered for a free pair of Rockfish Wellies at the end of the month; the perfect way to enjoy the outdoors whatever the weather throws your way. Keep your posts coming, it could be you winning next!
For more more information on the Rockfish Wellies on offer with us and terms and conditions to win see here.
May Welly Winner
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Congratulations to Sonia from the Mammaschool, who always embraces outdoor learning and fun and has been top commenter last month with this lovely post about calming everyone with a beach trip. Sonia please email or DM me your choice of wellies showing in stock from the amazing Rockfish selection and a UK delivery address. |
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Favourite posts from last week added to the shortlist for winning the June Rockfish Wellies:
Top Commenter: Helena from Queen of Collage
West Country Mum has been studying the ocean with a lovely beach trip and a visit to the Sealife Centre
Learning about Buoyancy led to an afternoon of garden fun in the sun with Little hearts Big Love
Country Kids Communities
I’d love you to join me:
Pin on the Pinterest Board Just ask for an invite to pin and include Country Kids on your pins for me to stop by on your boards too.
Follow Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays’s board Country Kids from Coombe Mill on Pinterest.
Join the growing Country Kids Instagram Community with #CountryKidsFun.
I'll like and comment on all and share my favourites from the week with a tag on a Friday on Instagram and Twitter. With over 4150 posts this community is flourishing with outdoors photos.
My favourite photos from the week came from @mummy_and_the_mexicans @him_me_three@jollyjilly58 @ladybirdsadventures . Please do check out these lovely folk on Instagram if you are not already following
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