Posted on August 25th, 2017 - Fiona
There are so many of my activities with the children that vary from week to week, but a few are steeped in tradition and fixed to certain weeks of the year. The Nature raft Race is one such event created years ago with The Boy and Me who has stayed with us on the same summer week for years. Thanks to quite a bit of rain this summer and the river running higher than usual I suspected that, apart from my own children, we wouldn’t have too many in the river at the end this year. However I had another surprise up my sleeve to make the afternoon fun and memorable for everyone.
What is a Nature Raft Race?
The idea is to build a mini raft entirely from nature and then have a race from one bridge to the next. It is rather like a giant game of pooh sticks but with plenty of care and competition in the raft building process too.
Our first job once the rules were clear and my example raft shown, was to go off on a nature hunt to gather the resources. Family, friendship and individual teams all ventured off in search of the perfect materials.
Building nature rafts
There was a buzz of excitement as the teams set to work designing, building and creating. Welding joints using just grass and bendy branches isn’t easy, but patients paid off and each team had their own unique raft coming together.
Raft business can be hungry work so I had a fresh batch of marshmallow cakes on hand for everyone to dip into. This certainly spurred on little helpers.
Finished family team nature raft
My secret surprise
Finally each team added their decorative and technical final touches while Amber and I, as judges, filled out certificates. We had a little awards ceremony with everything from most creative raft to best teamwork covered and the children were thrilled with their certificates.
Ready to Race
Carefully the teams made their way to the starting line stopping for a quick photo before taking their positions on the bridge.
Like pros the race began with no false start and no cheating. Instantly excitement flooded the air as the children raced down the river bank to see who would be the winner.
All credit goes to Jed and Clio, two of my teens who waded down the river after the rafts to ensure none were caught on rocks and lost to the river fairies!
Watching the first rafts over the winning line is like standing on the finishing line at the races. There was much shouting and cheering.
Winning rafts
To complete our nature raft race we had held back 4 certificates to honour the winning rafts. It was all done in great sporting fun and enjoyed by all.
If you have a local park with a river this could be a great activity to do there. It can be quite impromptu using just the nature around you.
Posted on August 18th, 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 100 things to do before you are 11¾ along with all other ideas for family fun outside.
August Holiday Fun
The summer holidays are marching on characterized by sunny bursts and sporadic downpours here in Cornwall. The weather forecasters can’t get it right but it hasn’t stopped the fun here on the farm and I hope the same can be said for you. If you have an outdoor adventure to share, please join me 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:
- Louise from Little Hearts Big Love who commented on 17 posts.
- Becky from Brightside Blog who commented on 16 posts.
- Anne from Raisie Bay who commented on 13 posts.
We had 2 bloggers link dumping this week, so please 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.
Favourite posts from last week added to the shortlist for winning the August Rockfish Wellies:
Top Commenter : Louise from Little Hearts Big Love.
Flip Flops or Wellies explored the Tamar Valley from a different perspective as they canoed along the River Tamar.
Mud glorious mud, Truly Madly Kids know how to embrace messy play!
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 5715 posts this community is flourishing with outdoors photos.
My favourite photos from the week came from @themumzilla, @trulymadlykidsuk, @michelletwinmum & @talking_mums. Please do check out these lovely folk on Instagram if you are not already following
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Posted on August 18th, 2017 - Fiona
We have been experiencing a summer of sunshine and showers here in Cornwall. I thought we might take advantage of the changes in the weather and try our hand at some weather studies. It turned into a good beach day and many of the older children stayed out till late, but I had two eager younger visitors keen to learn and play for activity hour.
Bring the weather alive challenge
We began with a series of weather experiments which was just right for the children. They were full of curiosity and intrigue by all the things we had laid out and couldn’t wait to get started. At each station they had an activity to do and a weather type to guess. I think the rain and clouds were their favourites which they repeated over and over just for the fun of it. The tornado was a new concept to them but seeing the water swish in the bottle they soon understood how it could happen.
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Making it rain through plastic cups with holes |
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Simulating wind blowing into a windmill |
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Spotting the rainbow reflected through the water in a glass |
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Spotting the rainbow reflected through the bubbles |
| Feeling fluffy clouds from alpaca fleece |  |
 | Watching bubble clouds |
| Creating a sun shadow with a torch and a sheet |  |
 | Simulating a tornado with water swished at speed in a bottle |
A DIY Rain Gauge for the farm
After working their way through all our interactive weather studies we set about making rain gauges together, taking inspiration from a post linked to my #Trash2Treasure linky from Charlie Moos. We used some colourful duck tape colours over the top of our cut plastic bottles so there were no sharp edges to hurt little fingers and used felt tip on pieces of paper to make the measurement guide which we taped to the side of the bottle.
Delighted with the finished results they decided they wanted to leave them in the fairy garden and pop back to check on them there each day as rain was in the forecast for the following day.
Creative hand painting
Back at the craft table we had a messy painting activity to show rain. By painting their hands grey and adding spots of blue down their fingers they created some beautiful printed rain pictures to keep.
Fair Weather Games
With a ready paddling pool of now bubbly water from our rain and bubble cloud experiments the children were able to wash off all the paint ready to end our afternoon with some fair weather games.
I already have an idea forming to expand my weather studies activity when we have a group of older children looking at weather forecasting, cloud formation and making a weather diary for the week.
Posted on August 11th, 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 100 things to do before you are 11¾ along with all other ideas for family fun outside.
Lie in or early riser?
I hope your summer holidays are going well. I can’t believe we are half way through already. Personally I’m loving the morning lie in, though if you have young children this will feel like an alien concept. Whether you are up early or taking things leisurely, I hope you’ll have 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:
- Kim from Northumberland Mam who commented on 20 posts.
- Joy from Pinkoddy who commented on 18 posts.
- Michelle from Mummy From the Heart who commented on 16 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.
Favourite posts from last week added to the shortlist for winning the August Rockfish Wellies:
Top Commenter : Kim from Northumberland Mam
The little Pip took advantage of an organised rockpool ramble at my local beach, Polzeath and came up with plenty of interesting finds.
I’ve seen lots of lovely posts from a soggy but fun Camp Bestival but my favourite was this one from Dear Mummy Blog.
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 5540 posts this community is flourishing with outdoors photos.
My favourite photos from the week came from @packetmixmum, @zenbabytravel, @peacockfeather & @mumfriendlyjo. Please do check out these lovely folk on Instagram if you are not already following
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Posted on August 11th, 2017 - Fiona
We may not have cattle here on the farm, but that never stopped a good adventure. I was admiring a post from Little hearts Big Love on Country Kids a few weeks ago where the girls had a lovely time in a DIY garden teepee and it reminded me I’d been meaning to do something Wild West themed for ages. The forecast was dry and I had a crowd of eager children keen to get involved as cowboys and cowgirls.
I planned to take a few bamboo canes from the Welly Walk tunnel to make the frame, but I suddenly thought there might be something sturdier in the den building zone. Right over the entrance was the perfect wigwam of branches. I added a couple more to make our teepee larger and knew this would be stable and perfect for what I had in mind.
Cowboy and cowgirl costumes.
As everyone arrived and I explained the Wild West theme the children dug into my box of dressing up clothes, I had a few cowboy jackets and added some fairy dresses, there has to be a little poetic licence with little ones after all!
We set to work making our cowboys and cowgirls hats with sheriff badges. I was thrilled with the results just from cut up cereal boxes and the kids loved them.
Making the Teepee.
Our cowboys and cowgirls were all ready and eager to decorate the teepee I had prepared from a super-king duvet cover saved from our marked linen collection. As all our business bedding is plain white it was perfect for adding some paint. From cactus plants to cowboy hats, smiley faces to hand prints; the kids relished the messy play on a big scale.
We lifted the giant decorated cover and wrapped it around the frame I had embellished earlier, adding our Brug inside to make cosy seating. The kids soon piled in to listen to a story about the hungry beast of the Wild West.
Talking of food made us all a little peckish; I had anticipated this and was armed with a batch of freshly baked cookies from my oven for everyone which went down a treat.
Refreshed, the children spotted my musical logs and began to create their own cowboy music.
Back in the tent a caterpillar caught the attention of others as it climbed the trunk of the teepee.
We left the children playing in and out of the tepee to enjoy the rest of the afternoon together. I was thrilled to see one little boy still wearing his cowboy hat as he left Coombe Mill the following day.
When the cowboys and cowgirls came to Coombe Mill.
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