Indholdsfortegnelse for August - September 2025 i The Green Parent

If you're a breastfeeding mama, August is all about you! Breastfeeding Month is a time to support, celebrate, and raise awareness about breastfeeding and its benefits for both babies and mothers. Join a support groups to share experiences, get advice, and feel part of a community. Many local groups host special events and picnics. Breastfeeding is demanding, so use this month as a reminder to prioritise rest, hydration, and gentle self-care. Small acts like a relaxing bath, a quiet moment with a book, or a special treat can be restorative.…

In a world that is often too loud, too fast, and too rigid, nature offers something beautifully different-freedom, calm, and connection. For neurodivergent children, whose experiences of the world may differ from their neurotypical peers, time spent outdoors can be truly transformative. Through the Muddy Puddle Teacher Approach, we've seen firsthand how natural resources, and a practical, playful, outdoor curriculum create an inclusive, nurturing environment that supports each learner's unique strengths and needs. Across primary schools, from Early Years to Year 6, this approach is showing how outdoor learning environments can be not only more inclusive for neurodivergent children but also beneficial for neurotypical learners. Everyone thrives when learning meets them where they are. “The rustling of leaves, the smell of fresh earth, the feel of mud between fingers -…

Open the Doors to History This year on Heritage Open Day Weekend (12-21 September), explore some of the hidden historical treasures around the UK for free. ROYAL MUSUEM GREENWICH, LONDON Take a behind-the-scenes look at the stored collections. Teens interested in maritime history, conservation, or museum studies will find this fascinating. rmg.co.uk LYME PARK, CHESHIRE Set on the edge of the Peak District, Lyme Park offers the chance to explore six centuries of history, including the Lyme Missal, the most important printed book in the National Trust's collection. nationaltrust.org.uk CATERAN ECOMUSEUM, PERTHSHIRE AND ANGUS – This museum without walls, offers outdoor heritage experiences through walking and cycling trails. Explore historical sites and learn about local legends. cateranecomuseum.co.uk…

We created the Sensory Herbal Oracle Deck to share the magic and wisdom of herbs that have guided us throughout our lives. We envisioned a tool that could help people integrate herbs into their daily routines - offering comfort, insight, and a deeper connection to the plant world. As magical herbalists with over 25 years of experience, we, the Seed Sistas, infused our herbal knowledge into this unique oracle system, featuring some of our most beloved plants. The vibrant illustrations, brought to life by Belle Benfield - an artist who completed our Sensory Herb Apprenticeship - capture the powerful, creative essence of plant medicine. How the Deck Works Unlike traditional tarot decks, this oracle is designed around five elemental forces: Water, Fire, Air, Earth, and Spirit (or Ether). Each element…

Life on our farm is far from quiet - there's a constant rhythm of planting, tending, harvesting, and caring. But amidst the busy days, there's a grounding simplicity that feels like a retreat from the demands of “normal” modern life. In 2020 we started a smallholding to become self-sufficient - we spent whole days completely remote, immersed in the utter tranquillity and peacefulness of the farm and living at the pace of nature. Since then, we've come a long way - we're not only self-sufficient but we're bringing the joy of owning a smallholding to many others in our community who have the same desire, but don't have the time or resources to raise hens, milk the cows or grow the crops. And while members are gaining access to the…

the Green Parent LOVES 2025 3 Rewilding Projects To Visit Creag Meagaidh, Invernessshire - Large-scale sheep farming and high deer numbers had devastated Creag Meagaidh over centuries. Trees weren't growing here. Today, it's amazing to walk through the growing woodland and hear birdsong on the way to the dramatic Coire Ardair rockface. Burbage and Eastern Moors, Yorkshire - The Moors sit on the fringes of Sheffield, and support a diverse mix of heather moorland, acid grassland, blanket bog and woodland. The Eastern Moors partnership is a joint venture between the National Trust and the RSPB. Knepp Estate, Sussex - Knepp has seen extraordinary increases in wildlife since rewilding began. Extremely rare species such as turtle doves, nightingales, peregrine falcons and purple emperor butterflies are now breeding here. There's also camping,…

Serum GOLD Virajati Illuminate Facial Serum, £39 moksa.co.uk “I adore this, it has a real spa like smell to it. I used a few drops in my hands to apply to my face and so meant my hands feel the benefit too. My skin felt instantly hydrated and glowing and continued to feel moisturised.” Stacey T SILVER Pure Face Serum, €67 zenzorganicshop.com BRONZE 3B Blue Elixir Bio-Retinol Face Oil Serum, £23.99 beautycleanseskincare.com GOLD Eye Cream GOLD Simply Refine Overnight Super Serum, £34.67 justbenatural.co.uk “I try to incorporate some face massage and yoga into my daily routine and this serum is great for that. It's like an oil and makes massaging around my eyes so easy and relaxing.” Hester VH SILVER Hyaluronic Eye Serum, £19 evolvebeauty.com BRONZE Pure Eye Cream, $41 zenzorganicshop.com GOLD GOLD Day…

GOLD Bath Product GOLD Rinse & Retreat Sensitive Body Wash, £10 tropicskincare.com “I really like this body wash which is specially formulated for use during pregnancy. I am being cautious of what products I use while pregnant so it's been great to use a product that I can trust won't irritate my skin in any way. The smell is lovely and fresh and so nice in my morning shower, and my skin feels really soft and nourished afterwards and stays that way throughout the day.” Abby R Breast Care GOLD Kit & Kin Breast Balm, £11.99 kitandkin.com “This product is an absolute must for any new mum. It's labelled as a nipple balm but can be used for use on baby or any area with dry skin. Really soothing balm, that…

1 Brilliant Body Oil, £34.95 kinvaraskincare.com “A silky and absorbent body oil enriched with cold-pressed organic oils that helps to soothe, soften and hydrate your skin, leaving it feeling revitalised and nourished.” 2 Glowing All Over, £35 nuzest.co.uk “This pea protein supplement is packed with vitamins, minerals, berries, and Dermaval – a complex scientifically shown to help protect against collagen and elastin degradation.” 3 Wild Rose & White Tea Smoothing Day Cream, £22.95 weleda.co.uk “Luxurious daily formula, which provides an immediate moisture that lasts all day. Expect luminous complexion and visibly smoother, healthier-looking skin.” 4 Rose and Sandalwood Facial Serum, £14.95 shaloahskincare.co.uk “Formulated with rosehip, jojoba, apricot and almond plant oils and enriched with rose and sandalwood essential oils, this face serum delivers vitamins and minerals deep into the skin.” 5…

Through the Portal The Lion's Gate Portal peaks on August 8 each year and is considered a powerful time for spiritual growth and manifestation. It aligns with the rising of the star Sirius, the Sun in Leo, and numerological significance of 8/8, symbolizing abundance, strength, and cosmic energy. Use this time to set clear intentions for personal growth and future goals. Journal Prompt What are you harvesting in your life right now? Clear Out This Simplify Your Life Week from 3- 9 August, get the whole family involved. Pick one shared space (like the living room or kitchen) and work as a team to declutter. Sort items into keep, donate, and recycle piles. And move it on! Plan to do one joyful thing each day that week. Create Community National…

“I teach photography at Nottingham College; a further education college with over 25,000 students over eight campuses. Nottingham isn't known for the high standard of secondary school education, and we have a lot of students from deprived, inner city areas. We get a lot of students who've slipped through the cracks at school. A charity, Students Organising for Sustainability (SOS-UK) and the National Lottery had some funding to run a project that would bring biodiversity to educational establishments. We were accepted as the further education college on the project. I work one day a week on the project. When I started, the campuses were mostly weedkiller-drenched, municipal dead zones. With one exception; a campus where a volunteer puts up bird boxes and so on in his own time. Further education…

the Green Parent LOVES 2025 A NICU Story When tiny Noah entered the world, he was in a hurry. Born at just 29 weeks, his cries were soft but determined. The delivery room quickly became a hive of urgency as the neonatal team worked with calm precision, whisking Noah into the warmth of an incubator. His parents, Emma and Jake, watched with hearts tangled in fear and hope as their little boy was connected to beeping monitors and breathing tubes. The NICU became their new home - a world of tiny hats, soft blankets, and nurses whose hands seemed to hold magic. Each day was a small victory: the first time Noah opened his eyes, the moment he gripped his mum's finger, the day his breathing support was lowered. Emma…

I never intended to breastfeed both my children well beyond babyhood. I imagine I am probably in the very small percentage of mothers who did it for so long, whilst not having loved the journey. As an active advocate of natural parenting and prioritising connection with my kids over and above everything else - this has been hard on me. Avy, my first born, took to breastfeeding immediately. From the moment she was laid on my chest, she nestled up, started rooting and her love affair with my boobs began. I do remember the first few days being toe curlingly sore whilst the milk came in, but that was really short lived. One visit to the chemist to gather products and natural remedies to support my raw nipples seemed to…

Stash your Cache Geocaching is a fun outdoor activity that's like a real-world treasure hunt using GPS to find hidden containers (geocaches). Here's how to get started. Go to geocaching.com and create an account. Use filters to find caches rated easy for difficulty and terrain. Look for larger containers (regular or large size), which often contain trinkets or toys. Read the cache description and logs to see if it's suitable for kids. Many caches have small toys or items. Bring small toys or trinkets to trade - if you take something, leave something of equal or greater value. Put the cache back exactly as you found it. Some families make it a goal to find a cache in every park they visit! CELEBRATE STORYTELLING the Green Parent LOVES 2025 The…

As parents, we're the architects of our family's daily lives. We build a structure for those we love by what we choose to do together, and how we do it. We determine the rhythms of our days; we set a pace. There are certainly limits to our control… ask any parent of a teenager. And it often feels that our lives are controlling us, caught as we are in a mad rush from one responsibility to another. Yet the unique way that we perform this dance of daily activities says a lot about who we are as a family. You can see what a family holds dear from the pattern of their everyday lives. I've been trained to do so as a counsellor and educator, but children need no such…

TAKE TIME TO UNWIND National Relaxation Day is celebrated every year on 15 August, encouraging everyone to slow down, unwind, and take a break from the hustle of daily life. For busy parents, it's a perfect reminder to prioritise self-care and enjoy small moments of peace. Set aside tech-free time to enjoy a calm walk, practicing mindfulness or gentle yoga, or indulging in a favourite book or hobby. Simple pleasures like a family picnic, an at-home spa evening, or even a shared nap with little ones can be restorative. It's also a chance to teach children the importance of rest and balance through quiet family activities like storytelling, breathing exercises, or nature watching. Find a way to mark it that suits your family's rhythm.…

“Elias bought Bakkelund about ten years ago. Back then, there was only the main house and a garage. Since then, he has built 17 more structures! These include an outdoor toilet, three greenhouses, the Tea Garden cabin, the larger Skogsbad cabin, and - working with tree specialists – a treetop cabin, which is eleven metres above the ground, and took a year to complete. There are also wood sheds, a stage, outdoor kitchen, outdoor shower, a garden boat with a built over roof, yoga platform, barbecue hut, stick house, two saunas and more. I grew up in Riga, Latvia. As a kid, I spent all my vacations and free time visiting my grandparents in the countryside. Those were my happiest times - running barefoot through the grass, picking wildflowers, helping…

GREEN SPACE Royal Victoria Park This huge, 57-acre park is bliss in high summer, but has enough to keep wild kids occupied, even on a blustery or wet day. Head to the skate park, play crazy golf, or run through wild meadows. The playground is particularly good fun. If you're feeling particularly adventurous, balloon tours set sail from the meadows to the north. Botanical Gardens A magical 9-acre garden nestles in Royal Victoria Park. It feels like a secret paradise; find the temple to the goddess Minerva surrounded by a stream, a rock garden, a hidden tree sculpture, ponds, roses and cherry blossom. The evenmore-secret pocket, Great Dell, lies over the road, and has a fun treetop walkway, and hidden statues of Jupiter and William Shakespeare. Free. bathnes.gov.uk Bath City…

GOLD Foundation GOLD Liquid Radiance Adaptogen Serum Foundation, £38 tropicskincare.com “This is a beautiful soft, slinky foundation that looked great on. It glided on effortlessly. I tried it with a brush to build layers but preferred applying it with my fingers. It's quite subtle and not at all heavy, it covered my skin evenly and my skin felt soft and smooth after using it. It has a nice scent and so easy to use and apply. It was easy to remove at the end of the day and didn't clog my pores like my regular foundation does. I was really impressed that it had so many natural ingredients in it too.” Amy M SILVER Mineral Foundation, £15 honeypieminerals.com BRONZE Classic Foundation, £49 englishmineralmakeup.co.uk GOLD Eye Shadow GOLD Golden Goddess Eye Shadow Palette,…

SELINA BROWN Founder of the Black British Book Festival, Selina is an author of three children's books. At 16 she became the Youth MP for Nottingham, her love for words gained her two degrees and a masters at 21 years old. After living and working in New York, Jamaica, Kenya and Gambia, Selina founded Little Miss Creative, a Female Development Agency that empowers girls in schools across the UK. The Black British Book Festival @bbbookfestival is an annual event, which aims to celebrate new and emerging Black British authors across all genres of literature. Read her story on page 41. LOTTIE BEGG Mother of three, Lottie started Lemon Jelly Press to celebrate creativity, nurture new voices, and offer a home for stories that deserve to be heard. This small press…

Celebrate Wisdom This Grandparent's Day on 7 September honour the wisdom and love of the older generation with storytelling - encourage kids to spend time with their grandparents, listening to stories about their lives, which can strengthen family bonds and provide valuable life lessons. Or cook together – a great chance to share family recipes. Or organize a family outing to a park, museum, or garden, creating new memories together. Go Organic A month-long campaign in the UK, Organic September promotes the benefits of organic food and farming for our health, the environment, and wildlife. Take a family trip to a local organic farm. Many offer open days with tours, pickyour-own, animal encounters, and more. Swap one everyday item to an organic alternative each week this month, such as milk,…

Summer Holiday Project Rainbows capture children's imaginations and prove a useful hook into scientific investigation in the early years and beyond. Even as an adult, seeing a rainbow in the wild is an exciting and uplifting experience – and with a little know-how, you can create your own. White light is made up of all the colours of the rainbow. The colour that you see is dependent upon the amount of light, and its colour, being reflected or absorbed by an object. Each colour that we are able to see with the human eye has a different wavelength and energy. Within the eye is the retina, which has two kinds of receptors – rods and cones – for perceiving light. Rods help us to see objects in dim lighting, and…

In a world that spins faster every day, finding small, anchoring rituals can feel like discovering treasure. One of the most powerful I've found for myself, my children, and the readers I work with, is the simple act of reading by moonlight. It's not always literal, of course. But there is something undeniably enchanting about stories read slowly at the end of the day, lit by a lamp or nightlight, while the moon rises outside. These moments are quiet acts of magic, soothing, connective, and grounding. Even the shortest stories can carry surprising weight. A few carefully chosen words, shared slowly in a quiet space, can offer a sense of calm, connection, and emotional release, both for children and for adults. These brief reading moments act as small acts of…

QUEEN OF ROSES BATH MILK Float away as the Queen of Roses amidst strewn rose petals & emerge from your bathing ritual. Delight in intensely nourished velvety skin, from a creamy buttermilk, shea butter & cocoa butter fragrant blend. £79.25 lolasapothecary.com ORGANIC ROSE WATER Rose Hydrolat helps with skin hydration, skin regeneration and is soothing. Recommended for mature and normal/ combination skin types. £14 conscious-skincare.com WILD ROSE GLOW DAY CREAM This lightweight moisturiser with organic wild rosehip seed oil visibly enhances radiance and is enriched with hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture £35, nealsyardremedies.com WILD ROSE SPRAY DEODORANT Stay fresh and rosy with a spritz of essential oils to neutralise body odours. Contains no aluminium salts. £16.50 weleda.co.uk ROSE QUARTZ CRYSTAL GUA SHA Crafted from premium rose quartz crystal, this…

TRY THIS A STITCH IN TIME Sewing is a perfect activity for slowing down and passing down skills to the next generation. Here's how to teach a child to sew. Start with Hand Sewing: Introduce basic stitches like running stitch and whip stitch using blunt-tipped needles and thick thread or embroidery floss. Use Felt or Burlap: These fabrics are sturdy and easy for little hands to work with. Keep Projects Short and Fun: Quick wins like sewing a felt shape, decorating with buttons, or making a simple pouch keep kids motivated. Progress to Simple Machine Sewing: For older children, supervised use of a sewing machine with scrap fabrics builds confidence. Celebrate Mistakes: Show them that wonky stitches are part of learning and every mistake is a chance to improve. To…

Frog Bikes Frog Bikes offers lightweight, premium kids’ bikes designed in Great Britain with child-specific components for safety and easy riding. Tailored to various age groups, these research-led bikes promote confidence and fun. Environmentally conscious, they use sustainable materials and exceed safety standards. www.frogbikes.com CY&A Psychology We offer support tailored to your unique family and needs. Our clinicians are trained in a range of evidencebased therapies for children, teens and families. Based in Marylebone, London www.cya-psychology.co.uk Elephant Box Everything we make is useful, durable & stylish. A whole range of things for a sustainable home. From lunchboxes to drinkware, plus our bestselling washing up bowl. The best thing? Everything is built to last. elephantbox.co.uk Natracare Natracare's New First Period Kits Help prepare for a child's first period with a kit…

Head Chef Takeover Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day is celebrated annually on September 13, inviting children and teens to step into the role of head chef for the day. Founded by the Young Chefs Academy in 2011, this initiative aims to empower young people with essential culinary skills, promote healthy eating habits, and foster family bonding. Hand over the meal planning. Encourage your children to choose recipes for the day. Shop together to gather the ingredients for their planned meals. Assign age-appropriate tasks. Embrace the mess and make the clear-up a combined effort.…

Camp Out Global Sleep Under the Stars Night is celebrated on August 8, inviting families worldwide to connect with nature by spending a night under the open sky. You can make it really simple and transform your garden into a cosy campsite with a tent, or just lay out sleeping bags and blankets. Use a stargazing app to identify constellations like Sagittarius and Lyra. August is also prime time for the Perseid meteor shower, peaking around August 11–13, offering a chance to spot shooting stars. Encourage mindfulness by listening to nocturnal sounds, feeling the cool night air, and observing the gradual changes in the sky. Such moments can foster a sense of peace and connection to the environment. Have fun!…

Plant.Eat.Licious My favourite vegan café in Bath serves a crispy barbeque cauliflower poke bowl that is to die for. The café is below the Chapel Arts Centre, where we had our wedding reception many moons ago. planteatlicious.com The Egg Theatre A family friendly venue, which is part of the Theatre Royal. They put on amazing shows and there's a soundproofed room known as “the cooler” which allows parents to sit with a noisy baby or disruptive toddler and continue to watch and hear the play without disturbing other audience members. theatreroyal.org.uk Alice Park This park on the outskirts of Bath, just beyond Larkhall, has lots to do for children including a large sandpit and a mini cycling track. Round off your visit with a smoothie at the Cafe With Soul.…

Body Scrub GOLD Body Smooth Refreshing Polish, £28 tropicskincare.com “This body polish smells sweet and a little bit citrusy, reminding me of lemon meringue pie - mmm! It contains exfoliating sea salts, making it a good body scrub. It's also a bit oily, which makes it feel very nourishing.” Hester VH SILVER The Ritual of Sakura Sugar Body Polish, £18.90 rituals.com GOLD Deodorant GOLD Natural Deodorant - Orange & Patchouli, £7.25 kutis-skincare.co.uk “The smell is amazing and lasts all day. Goes on very smooth and silky. Really effective and I love it! Great paper packaging and is sturdy and easy to use” Jennifer R SILVER Fragrance Free Crystal Deo, £5.20 urtekram.com BRONZE Eucalyptus & Peppermint Solid Deodorant Stick, £8.95 weleda.co.uk GOLD GOLD Bath Treat GOLD Bath Soak, £29 inlightbeauty.co.uk “Deep, nourishment, rich, earthy……