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The Smaller Explorer

family travel and adventure

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Category:

Spring

30 Days Wild Day 6: Planting wildflowers
EnvironmentSpringSummerWildlife

30 Days Wild Day 6: Planting wildflowers

We got a packet of wildflowers (ox-eye daisies) in our 30 Days Wild pack, so we planted them in two pots today. The kids particularly liked the idea of huge daisies growing, and were excited by the fact that they might attract bees and butterflies.

We dug into our compost and filled up two pots with soil, gave it a little water, sprinkled in the seeds, added a tiny top layer of soil and watered it again.

Planting wildflowers

Planting wildflowers

I’m the first to admit I’m not the best at gardening, so I’ll be amazed if they grow, but the boys are very keen to water the plants every day so crossing fingers they do.

Wildflowers can, of course, be sprinkled in soil in the garden as well, but as we only rent our house we wanted to put them in pots. Once we buy a house I’d love to put in a patch of wildflowers. I’m definitely more of a chaotic gardener rather than a neat and tidy one and the idea of a wilder meadow of flowers definitely makes me feel happy. And even better now that I know a patch of wildflower is hugely beneficial to attracting bees, insects and butterflies.

Some other wildflowers that are really good pollinator species include foxgloves, comfrey, clover, honeysuckle, hellebore and poppies.Here’s some advice from the RSPB about growing a wildflower meadow. 

Planting wildflowers

June 8, 2019 1 comment
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Travel plans for 2019
ActivityAdventureCampingJordanOverseasSeasonsSpringTravel

Travel plans for 2019

Travel planning is one of my favourite things to do in the evening (other than watching The Mummy Diaries. I know. Kill me). Allllll the anticipation of looking at the best countries to visit when, top hotels, adventurous spots, looking for bargainous flights – the works. Many an hour has been lost to it. I have so many family travel ideas in my head, so I thought I’d write it all down.

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December 3, 2018 1 comment
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Mini adventure: Go wild food foraging
AdventureAge rangesAutumnEnvironmentGoing soloPrimarySeasonsSecondarySpringSummerWinterWoodland

Mini adventure: Go wild food foraging

Foraging is a just a fancy word to describe searching for wild food. But if you don’t know what you are doing, going on a foraging course is the ideal way to learn about the wild foods that are safe to eat in the UK, and where to find them.

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October 7, 2018 4 comments
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The secret Isle of Wight campsite you’ll want to visit
ActivityBeachCampingClimbingCyclingNational TrustPrimarySpringSunTeenyTravelUK

The secret Isle of Wight campsite you’ll want to visit

What a weekend. I feel like I’ve just come back from a week abroad. We took a spontaneous trip over to the Isle of Wight on Bank Holiday Saturday as the weather was so perfect. We found the perfect Isle of Wight campsite, went orienteering (aka ‘mountain climbing’ according to my son), splashed at the beach, ate ice cream, and went for a bike ride in the New Forest on the way home. I am now completely in love with the Isle of Wight. Why haven’t I been before?

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May 14, 2018 8 comments
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The top family-friendly festivals
ActivityAge rangesCampingFestivalsPrimarySecondarySpringSummerTeeny

The top family-friendly festivals

Festival season is a-coming and there is plenty of choice for all ages. If you don’t fancy camping, many festivals offer day tickets, or try a midway option and go luxe in a yurt. Many large name festivals now cater for families, such as Camp Bestival and Latitude, and some smaller indie festivals have been set up solely to cater for families, such as the lovely Elderflower Fields. Here is our list of the best family-friendly festivals.

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April 11, 2018 0 comment
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Recipe: Purple sprouting broccoli and wensleydale quiche
Spring

Recipe: Purple sprouting broccoli and wensleydale quiche

Purple sprouting broccoli is a straggly but attractive sister to the round broccoli, and is in season over Easter. Broccoli is packed with nutrients including vitamin C, caretenoids, iron, folic acid, calcium, fibre and vitamin A, and it is thought to have anti-cancer agents too. This recipe is a good one to hide vegetables for small people that might be a bit fussy (who’s isn’t?!) and it’s also a good alternative to a lunch on the move. Move over sandwiches.

To make the pastry, put the flour, ground walnuts and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Add the lemon zest and egg yolk, then pulse, gradually adding the water until the mixture just comes together. Tip out on to a lightly floured surface, bring together with your hands, then knead briefly. Shape into a disc, wrap in cling film, then chill for 15 minutes. Or if you don’t have time for this, use pre-rolled shortcrust pastry.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a pound coin and use to line 20cm quiche dish, pressing the pastry right down into the tins and into the sides. Chill for 10 minutes.

Line the pastry with baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice, then blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans/rice, then bake for 5-10 minutes more until golden. Remove from the oven. Reduce the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas

Meanwhile, blanch the broccoli spears in salted boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain and refresh in ice-cold water. Heat the oil in a pan and gently fry the onion and mushrooms for 10-12 minutes until very soft and golden.

Whisk the eggs, yolks, cream, wensleydale and cream cheese in a jug, then season. Add the mushrooms and onion. Spread the broccoli florets over the base, then pour over the egg mix. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and just set.

Take out of the oven, allow to cool for 5 minutes, then remove from the tins and cool to room temperature. Serve with a few green salad leaves. And follow with some easter eggs.

Recipe adapted from Delicious magazine.

March 29, 2018 0 comment
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The best wildlife to look out for in March
ActivityExploreNatureSpringWildlife

The best wildlife to look out for in March

Hares

The March hare is hopping mad right about now, as it’s breeding season. You might be lucky enough to see them boxing too. This is actually the females fending off unwanted male advances.

Hares are larger and rangier than rabbits, and can be found in open fields or flat grassland in early mornings or at dusk. They are super fast, so you may need some binocular practice beforehand.

The National Trust and BBC Wildlife list some places to up your chances of seeing these shy mammals.

Frogspawn

Frogs and toads come out of hibernation in spring to lay frogspawn, so March is a good month to spot them (with April being the best time to hunt for tadpoles).

Greenwich Ecology Peninsula Park hold an annual frogs day every March (20th March in 2018), where families can get up close to frogspawn, have a go at pond dipping, see some newts and get all crafty making amphibian-related pictures and paintings.

Don’t foget to tick off a #50things if you see frogspawn, as it is on the National Trust’s list of 50 things kids should do before they are 11 3/4. The National Trust also list many places where you may be able to see frogspawn.

Puffins

One of our favourite birds, the comical puffin arrives back at breeding colonies from March, until mid August. Puffins are actually teeny tiny at under 30cm long, but they are super hardy seabirds.

Most puffins breed on islands –

1 Hermaness and Sumburgh Head, Shetland

2 Lunga, off Isle of Mull

3 Fowlsheugh RSPB, Aberdeenshire

4 Isle of May and Craigleith Island, Fife

5 Farne Islands, Northumberland

6 Bempton Cliffs RSPB, Yorkshire

7 South Stack Cliffs RSPB, Anglesey

8 Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire

9 Rathlin Island, County Antrim

10 Great Saltee, County Wexford

Going on a boat trip to see pint-sized puffins is an adventure in itself, though Bullers of Buchan north of Aberdeen and Bempton cliffs in Yorkshire are two mainland places where you may see them too.

March 17, 2018 0 comment
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for families who like to explore

The Smaller Explorer is a blog for adventurous families. I search out the best of what's out there that's fun for kids AND adults (and maybe a bit of a break from the norm), plus provide lots of achievable ideas for exploring and having adventures in the UK and overseas.

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the smaller explorer is an online magazine for adventurous parents. We search out the best of what's out there that's fun for kids AND adults, plus provide lots of achievable ideas for exploring and having adventures in the UK and overseas.

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