Summer means swapping the classroom for the great outdoors. So why not get creative?

“A lovely activity with children is creating a pressed wildflower clay decoration,” says forest school leader and art therapist, Kerry Walker

(< I>@thenaturehubireland).

“Take some time to go for a wander near your home and see what wildflowers you can spot. A great book for this is The Wildflowers of Ireland by Zoe Devlin. It is colour-coded and so easy for the little ones to identity flowers. When picking the flowers, just be mindful to not pick too many from one spot and always leave some behind for the hungry bees.”

Method

1. Gather some wildflowers and press them in a book or a flower press for a few days.

2. Get some air-drying clay (available in any craft shop) and roll a palm-sized amount onto some cardboard.

3. Arrange your flowers onto the clay and gently press them into the clay.

4. Make a hole at the top with a pencil so that when it is dry, you can put some twine in it to hang up.

5. Leave to dry for 24 hours and then you can hang it up.

6. It will look lovely as it is – or, if you want to continue the creativity, you can spend some time painting it.

7. You can also lightly brush it with some PVA glue once it has dried.

Get crafty

Does your child love to sew? Crafty queen Michelle Fallon (@michellemadethis) shares this super scrunchie project, which is ideal for using up scraps of old fabric.

All you need is:

Fabric (cotton is best; you can also upcycle an old shirt or dress)

Elastic (¼ inch)

Needle and thread (or use your sewing machine)

Scissors

Measuring tape/ruler

Fabric pen or a pencil

Safety pin

Method

1. Cut a length of fabric 50cm x 9cm wide.

2. Cut a length of elastic 26cm long.

3. Fold the fabric lengthwise so the right sides are together.

4. Sew along the long edge of the fabric leaving ¼ inch seam allowance.

5. Turn the fabric right side out and press with an iron; ask an adult for help.

6. Insert the safety pin in one end of the elastic and thread it through the fabric, making sure not to pull it all the way through.

7. Secure both ends of elastic with a knot.

8. Fold in the edges of the fabric, and tuck one opening over the other. Top stitch to join the two sides.

9. If you need a little extra guidance, you can also watch a tutorial here: michellemadethis.com/diy-hair-scrunchie/

Ice Ice Baby

Summer equals ice pops. But getting kids to make their own is a clever way to introduce simple skills, while creating a delicious, tasty and nutritious snack. Deirdre Doyle of the Cool Food School (@thecoolfoodschool) teaches cooking and food education to children from pre-school up to transition year. She shares her super-easy recipe for her strawberries and cream ice pops, which are high in vitamin C, protein and calcium.

“This is a very accessible recipe,” she says. “Children from two upwards can chop strawberries, as they are soft. They could also make this up as a smoothie and then freeze the leftovers as ice-pops.”

All you need is:

1 cup Irish strawberries, washed

1 cup Irish Greek-style natural yoghurt, e.g. Glenilen or Glenisk

1 tsp maple syrup

2 tsp chia seeds (optional, but high in protein)

You will also need a blender, chopping board, child-safe knife and ice pop moulds

Method

1. Blend everything in your blender.

2. Pop into your ice pop moulds and freeze overnight.

Love your library

When was the last time you stepped inside your local library? “We are such a community space now, rather than somewhere where we’re chasing people to bring their books back; and shushing,” laughs Lori Moriarty, a library assistant based in Abbeyleix, Co Laois.

Over the holidays, librarians like Lori will be facilitating the nationwide ‘Summer Stars’ reading challenge. Children who register receive rewards as they read, with the libraries also putting on fun – and free – events to encourage engagement.

“There could be things like craft tables or a local farm bringing in pet animals,” says Lori, who adds that there is also a family reading challenge for younger children.

Of course, the library is free to join, with members allowed to check out up to 12 items (including DVDs and audiobooks) at a time. Many also have designated areas for children with additional sensory needs.

Lori has seen a huge surge in children reading comic-style novels. For those aged seven plus, she recommends Pablo and Splash by Sheena Dempsey, while younger readers will love The Wilderness by Steve McCarthy. Alternatively, check out discoveririshkidsbooks.ie for more great recommendations.