Bugs and insects are really important for the plants, soil and animals all around us. They help plants to reproduce, keep our soil healthy and provide food for birds and animals. A bug hotel provides a perfect home for insects over autumn and winter.

Autumn is such a wonderful time to get outside and notice the colours as the season changes. You can use some of the colourful fallen leaves to make this beautiful autumn leaf ‘snow’ globe.

Making your own musical instrument is a fun project for kids of all ages and this bottle xylophone is really simple to make. You can also use your bottle xylophone to experiment with sound and how it changes depending on how much water you add to the bottles.

Hanging this garland made from painted acorns and small cones is a really lovely way to decorate your home for Autumn (and, dare I say it, Christmas!). It’s also really fun to make and children will have fun collecting and painting the acorns!

There are so many berries at this time of year in beautiful hues of red, purple and blue and these colourful berries can be turned into fabric dye. For this activity, I’ve used elderberries and blackberries and created patterns using the tie dye method.

Make colourful art using the abundance of leaves around at this time of year! This activity is a twist on the popular leaf rubbing activity with crayons that is great for little ones to do, particularly in autumn when it is so much fun to collect the colourful fallen leaves.

This paper aeroplane catapult is amazing! Not only does it make paper aeroplanes fly really far and really fast, but it also still works on paper aeroplanes that have their noses all squashed and bent - game changer!

This driftwood photo hanger is really easy to make and is a great way to display your beach photos!

This is a simplified recipe for blackberry ice cream that you can make with foraged blackberries. It’s really easy and quick to make and so, so tasty with a really intense blackberry flavour!

Making Elder beads is a really satisfying activity for both children and adults alike. Once you’ve mastered making Elder beads, you can use the beads in lots of different crafts.

These little succulents in recycled glass jars make perfect gifts! Shop-bought succulents are often sold in clumps which are so easy to divide so you can make lots of succulent arrangements with just a few bought plants.

These seashell candles are so pretty and really simple to make. We always collect a few shells on our trips to the beach so it’s a lovely way to use them rather than letting them gather dust somewhere!

Making an insect watering station is a great thing to do in summer when it can be a little harder for insects to find moisture. They’re also really simple to make and provide a great way to start a conversation with little ones about the importance of looking after our insects.

Did you know that companion planting can help your tomato plants stay healthy and increase your harvest?

One of my favourite plants that I like to grow is cherry tomatoes. They are so easy to grow, ripen quicker than normal tomatoes, taste amazingly sweet and are perfect for picking and eating straight off the plant!

These beautiful little pinch pots are so easy to make and are great to store your treasures in!

Making a stick slingshot is a really fun activity to do and they’re so easy to make! Perfect for a sunny day in the garden practising your aiming skills!

Drip sandcastles are such fun to make and the process is really simple and so satisfying!