Create your own sustainable summer!
Friday 22 July 2022
As the cost of living continues to rise, the prospect of ‘fun in the sun’ this summer, may in-fact feel more like dark cloud looming.
With a weekend in Devon priced on par with a trip to Spain, and not to mention the extortionate petrol prices, the idea of a holiday this year is farfetched for the many. In reality, the surge in costs has left numerous households and families with no choice but to seriously cut down on all those non-essential luxuries.
Here at Livat Hammersmith, we want to help you have a summer to remember - for all the right reasons. With family time together at the heart of each, we have listed a few low-cost activities, making use of materials you have hanging around the home. Not only is it gentle on the purse strings, but also the environment, and not to mention a whole lot of fun!
Kids cookery class:
How many times have you heard a child ask, ‘can I do it?’ or ‘can I hold it?’ One thing kids seem to love is ‘adulting’ - in other words, doing jobs they aren’t considered old enough to do. Why not make the most of this and feed this endearing desire (quite literally) by putting on an ‘official’ kids cookery class at home!
IKEA understand that it’s the small details that make a big difference when your child wants to help. Their grip-friendly peeler and a knife with protection, will not only make things easier, but also give the little ones their own independence.
Safety first, but style second…
Complete your mini masterchef with their very own apron, and get them stuck in by crafting their personalised chef’s hats for the occasion!
Don’t already have this at home? No problem, Wilko have all that you need at a super low cost:
Potty Planting:
A wonderful and whacky way to get kids into gardening!
Make great use of those empty plastic bottles cluttering your kitchen cupboards, with IKEA’s DIY Live Lagom plant pot.
Open their eyes to a new (healthier) version of pick and mix! Take a trip to Wilko and discover an amazing array of seeds to plant at home. No garden? No problem – IKEA Hammersmith has a great range of low cost plant pots to home your little ones project
Create artwork that truly rocks! Go on a family scavenger hunt to find large flat stones from the garden, the woods, or a beach nearby. Each stone can become its own masterpiece, using IKEA’s MALA Paintbrushes and paint, or even chalk.
Sustainable Slime!
Whether it's green, glittery, sticky or stretchy, there’s no denying that slime provides hours of gooey fun!
At Livat Hammersmith we’re all about eco friendly fun, so, unlike the traditional slime recipes, sustainable slime uses only non-toxic, biodegradable, natural ingredients!
What you need:
60g of cornflour
230 ml of water
Natural food colouring
Natural food decorations (we suggest cupcake sprinkles, edible glitter or edible silver balls)
Plastic container with a lid
Spoon and knife for mixing
Measuring jug
Scales
Newspaper/old sheets/table cloth
Biodegradable wet wipes (for those mucky hands!)
Step 1: Prepare an area that you don’t mind getting messy, covering surfaces and floors with newspaper, old sheets or tablecloths.
Step 2: Measure out the cornflour and tip this into your plastic container.
Step 3: Measure out the water in the measuring jug and add a few drops of food colouring (the more you add, the stronger the colour!).
Step 4: Add about 10 spoons of the coloured water to the cornflour. Give it a good mix using a knife or spoon.
Step 5: Your mixture should now be rather crumbly. Slowly add some more coloured water to the mixture, one spoonful at a time, until you reach a gooey slimy consistency. You need to mix it after each spoon of water is added. If the slime is too watery, just add a little more cornflour. If it becomes too dry or crumbly, add a splash more water.
Step 6: Time to decorate! Add in your edible decoration to complete your sustainable slime.
Find all that you need from the below stores at Livat Hammersmith: