Easter at Home this April

Gardening

Here's a few ideas from our Parks and Gardens Team of how to make the most of the garden or any outdoor personal space you may have over the Bank Holiday.

• Cut the Grass

  We just love the smell of freshly mown grass!  Don't cut it too low though – it weakens the grass and lets moss flourish. 

   

  If you find you are leaving plenty of daisies for the bees, then that’s just about the right height of cut for a good family lawn.

   

• Grow your Own
  

  Fruit trees will be flowering soon and hopefully we won’t have any late frosts.

   

  It’s almost time to plant out any seedling tomatoes, courgettes, herbs as the weathers looking so settled.  These are great as they can also be grown in pots and window boxes if you have them. As long as you have some sort of outside area, even if it’s not a garden you can get stuck in.  

   

   

  As garden centres are closed, it can be tricky to get plants, but you might still be able to get pots of herbs from the supermarkets. These pots can be split (as they are always thickly planted) and you will probably get enough for another 3 or 4 pot fulls out of each one.

• Weeding

  Do a bit of weeding, but don't forget to but leave a decent patch for wildlife, this can help create a nesting/hibernation areas for hedgehogs. 

   

  Not sure what's a weed and what's not? Gardeners World have put together a handy guide of the most common weeds:

   

  Garden weed seedling identifier

• Wildflowers

  It's now the perfect time to prepare the ground and sow any wildflower seed you may have.

   

  Try and remove any weeds and prepare the soil. Mixing the fine seeds with some dry sand makes it easier to see where you’ve been when sowing.  A gentle rake to settle them in and then leave them be.

   

   

• Sunflower Competition

  Looking for something to keep the whole family entertained? Why not have a sunflower competition, now is the perfect time to get started! 

   

   

   

  How to grow sunflowers from seed

For more gardening tips and ideas please visit:

Create your own Easter Egg Hunt

Keep kids entertained by creating your very own egg hunt around the house and garden.

You’ll need to write some clues and get your children to gather them up before reaching the treasure at the end.

What you need to do:

• Plan your route

• Write some clues, each clue should direct them to the next clue

• Hide the clues

• Hide your treasure (Don’t forget to hide your treasure somewhere safe and out of any pet’s reach)

• Let the hunt begin!

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Clue: You’re getting tired and feeling sleepy, time to rest your head and go to…… 
  Answer: Bed

• Clue: You’re feeling thirsty and need drink, grab a glass and go to the...

  Answer: Kitchen sink

• Clue: The washing is clean and ready to dry, don’t waste time, hang it on the…..
  Answer: Washing line

Holiday from home!

Visit the world's most iconic landmarks, trawl prestigious galleries and even take a trip to outer space. Virtual tours are a great way for you to travel the globe, without leaving your house.

Get active

Exercise benefits both our physical and mental well-being. Access hundreds of classes and videos online to help you stay fit at home.

The Leisure Centre app

From HIIT, dance fitness workouts and martial arts to mindfulness, children's workouts and post-partum exercises. You can stream over 100 different videos directly to your mobile phone.

 

The Leisure Centre app

Exercise Referral Team Videos 

Our Exercise Referral Team have filmed a variety of easy-to-follow exercise videos. They're designed to help keep you mobile with no or minimal equipment.

 

Exercise Referral Team Videos

P.E. with Joe Wicks

A favourite with children and adults alike. The Body Coach's YouTube account has over 250 free HIIT-style workouts. Joe also hosts a live-stream P.E. class at 9am each morning!

 

P.E. with Joe Wicks

Above all, get creative!

Now is the time to indulge your inner artist, filmmaker, bookworm or detective.