Seasonal articles

As we all know, Christmas can be incredibly expensive. As much as you might look forward to it, you might also dread it a little too – and that’s a shame. We asked wellbeing author, award-winning blogger and children’s therapist Becky Goddard-Hill to help with advice on how to save money whilst making special Christmas memories.

Learn to read clouds and enjoy some splashy water games in the great outdoors with an extract from Forest School Wild Play by Jane Worroll and Peter Houghton.

Take the whinging out of walking with these great ideas for helping your child enjoy getting out and about.

Even if you have never lit a firework in your life, you might be thinking about putting on your own back-garden display for your family. The Child Accident Prevention Trust offer advice to help you make an informed decision and avoid buying seriously dangerous fireworks, as well as suggesting plenty of ideas for firework-free fun.

Whether your child is just learning to read and print letters or looking for ways to put their creative writing skills to the test, we've rounded up some fantastic resources to help them practise phonics, grammar, story-writing and comic-creating at home. Plus there are loads of different ways to connect with authors and listen to stories.

Make the most of summer with two hands-on experiments from scientist Michelle Dickinson, perfect for long lazy days of uninterrupted sunshine. Make your own ten-minute ice cream to understand state-of-matter changes the delicious way, or harness the power of the sun’s heat to cook biscuits in your own solar-powered oven. Sun-shining science at its best!

Appear on a game show with Charles Dickens, cook dinner in a Tudor kitchen or go carol singing with a choir of polar bears. You're sure to have a fantastically festive adventure this winter with these 101 amazing and educational activities for you and the kids to enjoy together!

Mess about on the river at the family-friendly River & Rowing Museum and explore the many faces and functions of the River Thames. Our family testers loved their day communing with Mole, Ratty, Toad and some friendly local ducks.

Want to keep your child reading over the summer? We take a look at how the popular library Summer Reading Challenge can help.

See the world through an insect’s eyes, take a trip through your own digestive system (yes, really!), or come face-to-face with Robin Hood and his merry men – we've got a whole host of summer adventures for you to enjoy with these 101 amazing and educational activities from across the UK!

British children receive an average of five Easter eggs each year, with 29% of kids getting more than 10! We say it's time to replace some of the sugar with a few delectable reads. Our pick of the best Easter- and chocolate-themed books will ensure your child gets their fill of cocoa beans, bunnies and springtime fun through the printed word. Tuck in!

Never again will you be caught out by a last-minute outfit request from your primary school child with these craft basics. Stock up today!

Witches and werewolves and vampires, oh my! Help your child get into the Halloween spirit with our round-up of the best ghost stories, haunted-house thrillers and supernatural tales for children. Not recommended for after-dark reading...

'Tis the season to be jolly – but if you've got a child at primary school, the Christmas period can be a month-long feat of endurance. Good luck...

A charity membership is a great gift idea for your primary school child that will keep entertaining them – and helping others – all year round. From "adopting" a polar bear with the WWF to finding out how children around the world live with Plan International, we've rounded up our pick of the best.

You'll be spoilt for choice choosing new books for 4-11 year olds this Christmas. As well as the blockbusters in every bookshop window (welcome back Wimpy Kid, Percy Jackson and Ruby Redfort!), we've fallen for this bumper crop of great reads, from picture books to read out loud to scare stories to shiver under the covers with. Whatever your child's reading ability, these stories are unmissable. Happy reading!

Summer is finally here! Make that wonderful, warm globe of loveliness in the sky into a fantastic learning aid with our hands-on activities, perfect for whiling away the hours on a hot afternoon.

Welcome the new season with these spring children's activity ideas from Juno Hollyhock from Learning through Landscapes. Wellies on, gloves off, coats fastened – time to run out into the spring sunshine!

Gardening is part of the National Curriculum framework, so it's vital children understand plants. They'll cover the science in the classroom, but we suggest some fun ways to see the theory in action and get them growing (no garden or green fingers required!).