Autumn audit

For me, September is the perfect time to get to grips with clutter - the back-to-school vibe gets me every year; new pencils, new shoes, renewed good intentions - that kind of thing. I've been incredibly industrious this week, re-organising, sorting and updating all of my children's things. Above is their newly organised dress-up station, and it's just one outcome of what's become known as the autumn audit. It's been a huge task, but I feel I owe it to my children - to get rid of the broken, to reignite interest in the forgotten and to pass on the outgrown. 

I began by walking round the house, armed with a notebook. I wrote down headings to describe every different type of toy, game and play-thing as I came across them. From this list I was able to see the wood from the trees, and I began to assess how well my children's current interests and needs relate to the quantity, quality and accessibility of their play-things. From there, the hard work really began; re-establishing collections and unearthing long forgotten treasures, removing, or making less accessible, the play-things my children have outgrown, and trying to decrease the sheer volume of stuff we've accumulated.

Now, their bedroom looks a little more grown-up, and it contains all the toys and play-things I consider suitable (and safe) for independent and self-sufficient play. And I hope I've made it a cool place to hang out too; to read, and listen to CDs and audio books, as well as playing with toys.

By the way, that beanbag in the photograph above is full of soft toys. My children still play with them *shhhh* but now the animals and teddies double as a great seat. I saw the idea on a Pinterest board - I can't find it now, otherwise I'd give credit to the genius who thought of it.

Downstairs, there are further shelves laden with children's books and a huge games cupboard with board games, card games and equipment for more active games like skipping ropes, beanbags and juggling balls. There's a help yourself shelf with everyday supplies for writing, drawing, colouring, painting, sticking and cutting. Another set of shelves, pictured above, is a showcase for some of their favourite toys, natural play-things like pebbles, shells and drift wood, investigative equipment and kid-friendly things - on display to amuse, use and inspire.

I tidied my toys too, especially the Aladdin's cave that is the cupboard under the stairs. This is where I stash our rainy-day art/craft kits, most drawing/colouring/activity books, specialist and supervision-required art resources, tinkering tools and supplies, fabrics, wool and our sewing box. Non-toys, kid-friendly kitchen equipment and packaging from the recycling box weren't really part of the audit this time. They are well established play-things in our house, of course, but I keep them as part of the general house stuff - that way they remain different to toys, and therefore irresistible.

The children are delighted with their room's new lay-out, and have enjoyed exploring the house, rediscovering their things. They've even been more positive about helping to clear up at the end of the day; a very refreshing and new-term-like attitude - long may it last.

Glorious garlands

Are you old enough to remember the TV advert where some youthful-looking fingers applied hand-cream to an autumnal leaf? If so, you'll recall how the miracle of the lotion was then demonstrated by a hand scrunching the moisturised leaf into its palm. The cream had kept the leaf so supple and soft that it immediately sprang back to its original state when let go - the presumption being that it would do the same for ageing hands; brilliant.

The crazy idea of moisturising leaves came back to me last week when I wanted the children to try some simple sewing. We had collected a huge pile of beautiful leaves on our Hampstead Heath walk here. I wanted to make autumn garlands with them, but I knew the leaves would turn brittle and crispy before we'd get round to our sewing session.

So that evening I lovingly applied some (out-of-date and cheap) moisturising cream to the leaves. The next day I set them out along with our blunt plastic needles and some embroidery thread for my children to choose leaves and make garlands.

They really enjoyed threading the colourful leaves onto the silky yarn and although they were still quite delicate, the cream had added plenty of moisture. It was a satisfying and easy activity for my two little needlework novices.

I had envisaged the garlands being hung vertically at a window, the sun shining through them, but the children had a different idea.

As you can see, they wanted their garlands to be hung along the edges of their beds. There, of course, they only survived a couple of days; they were repeatedly knocked and tugged and eventually pulled down altogether as the children clambered in and out of bed. But they looked so great while they lasted, and we got to experience the ephemeral beauty of nature for just a bit longer than usual - with a little helping of hand-cream.

Hip Hampstead Heath

On Sunday we had an action-packed visit to Hampstead Heath. My eldest was chief map reader and my youngest was in charge of checking that we were, at all times, headed towards an ice cream vendor. The 3 mile circular walk was from a favourite book of ours - Adventure Walks for Families in and around London - and we completed it in about 3 hours of glorious afternoon sunshine.

First, our walk took us to the top of Parliament Hill (the second highest land point in London) where we spotted famous buildings on the skyline and tried not to step on the young, cool crowd gathered at its summit. There were several kites being flown in the only breeze to be found across the city; thus it brilliantly lived up to its nickname of Kite Hill. But what really caught my children's attention was a nearby twinkling bejewelled tree. On closer inspection we discovered that its spinning decorations were in fact empty drinks cans lovingly suspended from the branches by thin thread; fabulous.

Then we started our descent, down a grassy path towards the ponds. With around twenty-five ponds on the Heath, built about 300 years ago to supply London with water*, they now each have a different use. On our walk we passed the men's bathing pond...

...and the model boating pond (sadly, there were no boats afloat).

Although our route led us away from the women's bathing pond, where I would have happily plunged - it was incredibly hot by now, it did provide us with some welcome shade in the ancient oak woods of the Iveagh Bequest. At this point the boys and their map got slightly ahead of us girls, but we didn't mind; Daisy was in a fairy-inspired reverie by now. Every tree and nook was part of fairyland apparently, and she sang to herself as we strolled through the shady dell...

I see the moon and the moon sees me

Over the head of the old oak tree.

Why do the stars all shine on me?

Shine on the one I love.

Out of the woods and into the heat of the sun we caught up with the boys. Daisy checked (again) that we were definitely en route to ice cream - she was seriously flagging now. Kenwood House peeped over the horizon in the nick of time and helped us motivate Daisy ice cream-wards - up the grassy, well-manicured bank towards its cafe.

After a long rest, water, ice creams of course, and a quick game of frisbee, we headed back. Our route took us past a fabulous Henry Moore sculpture. And this was where Daisy decided that she'd had enough walking. She was finished. I can't remember how we got her moving again but I do remember there were tears, a tantrum, a cooling down period, a deal struck, then hugs and finally reluctant compliance. Oh dear. Happily her spirits lifted suddenly when we walked through the amazing birch wood made golden by the setting sun (pictured at the top). Buddy and Daddy led us up our final ascent of the day - Kite Hill again - in time for a last look at the fast-sinking sun along with all the achingly hip dudes with their guitars, cigarettes and alcohol.

As we finished our walk, striding downhill towards the station, we could see the city's skyline burnished gold, reflecting the sunset. It was a particularly cool way, according to Buddy, to finish our exciting outing. So cool in fact, I'm glad I tried out the 'hipstamatic' camera App on my phone for the photos - I think it captures hip Hampstead Heath rather well.

* from Adventure Walks with Families in and around London by Becky Jones and Clare Lewis.

Autumn art

Yesterday our Sunday stroll was enhanced by a simple game - collecting nature. The only rule was that we shouldn't pick anything that was still growing; it had to have already fallen to the ground.

It was wonderful how quickly our hands - and then my bag - filled with leaves of every shape and hue, jewel-like berries, patterned bark and lots of interesting seed cases. The range of colours was just amazing, and the children noted that you could really tell it was autumn now.

With so many fabulous colours and textures in our collection, there was really no need to do anything further with our bounty other than to simply look at it and enjoy it. However, having made summer nature-bangles just a few months ago, we thought we'd try making some more with our autumn collection.

So, using a strip of masking tape fixed in a loose loop around our wrists - sticky side out - we created gorgeous, decorative bands of autumnal colour by pressing some of our collected nature onto the tape. Easy, quick and beautiful outside art - we definitely made the best of that autumn sunshine yesterday.

Down to earth

Buddy and Daisy's school celebrated Harvest Festival yesterday; we sent in tins and packets of food for the The Salvation Army to distribute to the elderly, homeless and those in need in our local area. I couldn't attend the assembly myself but apparently Buddy's class sang a harvest song:

Push the trolley with the basket

Down between the rows of shelves.

See the tins and jars and packets

This is how we serve ourselves.

Not quite Keats then.

I asked whether the song went on explain the source of the tins and packets but he said he didn't think there were any other words. While I'm sure it must have gone on to cover the growing and harvesting of crops it got me thinking about how children living in an urban environment are often far removed from that aspect of Autumn. So in an attempt to get Buddy and Daisy thinking, I dug out these photos taken just over a month ago when they helped 'bring in the harvest' from my aunt's huge and bountiful allotment.

We discovered giant runner beans hiding in the beanstalks.

We searched the soft soil to reveal treasure of the potato kind.

And after picking sunshine yellow courgettes and crimson red tomatoes, we pulled onions out of the earth by their straggly stalks (as the top picture shows). These were tumbled into a bowl destined for the kitchen where all the vegetables were transformed into a rather delicious vegetable soup.

Tomorrow, I will try sharing Keats' poem To Autumn with Buddy and Daisy. After all, it is the quintessential description of those halcyon days of a rural harvest. You never know, it might even remind them of some other verses to that school song.

From John Keats' To Autumn:

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,

Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;

Conspiring with him how to load and bless

With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;

To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,

And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;

To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells

With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,

And still more, later flowers for the bees,

Until they think warm days will never cease,

For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.