Reviewed by
Roxie
Mud & Bloom is a monthly subscription box full of seasonal activities, materials and ideas to inspire and encourage children to connect with nature. Boxes are recommended for ages 3-8 and are delivered through your letterbox at the beginning of each month. Each box contains materials for four planting, exploration and crafting projects as well as quizzes and activities designed to teach children about seasons, plants, insects, birds, soil and rainfall.
Every box includes monthly nature news (October’s news included information about animals preparing for hibernation and the ‘Tree of the Month’ – the Oak), a quiz and an eye-spy type activity encouraging children to spot different types of leaves. All seeds are certified organic and biodynamic. Plus, Mud & Bloom provides organic peat-free compost pellets to enable subscribers to get planting immediately, even if you don’t have a garden! Also, you don’t need plant pots you can recycle old yogurt pots.
Activities have been created by qualified teachers and support the national curriculum with influence from Forest School, Steiner and Montessori education. This month’s activities included:
Make your own… autumn leaf window transparencies – Using the wax paper and glue provided children are encouraged to collect some colourful autumn leaves and create beautiful window decorations. Penny loved squishing the leaves between books to flatten them down.
Make your own… wriggly conker snake – This activity requires lots of adult supervision but it’s a brilliant way to use all the conkers my girls collected at the park. Simply use a need to thread the conkers together and use the high-quality gouache paints to paint on eyes to make a wiggly creature.
Make your own… spooky leaf ghosts – Simply use the paints provided as well as the embroidery thread to create hanging ghost decorations! This is such a simple yet fun activity
Grow your own… narcissi – I’m not very ‘green fingered’ but Mud & Bloom always gives great advice and recommendations. This month they supplied us with some Narcissi bulbs which can be planted now as a treat for spring. These dwarf daffodils can be planted directly in the ground between now and the end of November. The box also contains plant labels and soil.
Grow your own… winter giant spinach – This month’s box also contained spinach seeds. This hardy variety even grows in frost and snow so they are the perfect addition to our October box.
By Mary 
