You may remember that my new year's resolution was to get out and about with the girls at least once a week come rain or shine and outdoor clothing and equipment specialists, Blacks are thinking along the same lines; they're trying to get children out and about to attempt to address the 'nature deficit' we face in the UK.
I think Lara is EXTREMELY lucky to have just started at an amazing school that values outdoor learning as much as classroom learning. In a few short weeks Lara has come home raving about the activities that they have done - from picking plums for plum pie and plum jam that they have made in the classroom to gathering sunflower seeds from the plants they sowed during their taster days back in July and crushing the seeds to make sunflower oil. Lara has always helped me out in the garden with our own vegetables and herbs so I think she has a good grasp of the fundamentals of the natural world but I do often worry that because both myself and Mr. B. work full-time that the girls don't get as many opportunities to go out and explore the wild world at the weekends as I would wish.
I think Lara is EXTREMELY lucky to have just started at an amazing school that values outdoor learning as much as classroom learning. In a few short weeks Lara has come home raving about the activities that they have done - from picking plums for plum pie and plum jam that they have made in the classroom to gathering sunflower seeds from the plants they sowed during their taster days back in July and crushing the seeds to make sunflower oil. Lara has always helped me out in the garden with our own vegetables and herbs so I think she has a good grasp of the fundamentals of the natural world but I do often worry that because both myself and Mr. B. work full-time that the girls don't get as many opportunities to go out and explore the wild world at the weekends as I would wish.
As part of our new year's activities we promised to make the most of a National Trust membership we had been given and I think we have certainly got good value from this. Lara has managed to cross off lots of the NT's list of 50 things to do before you're 11 and 3/4 on weekend trips and holiday visits.
Blacks stock loads of kit for outdoor activities, not least their range of outdoors clothing for children. I often think of 'outdoor activity clothing' in terms of camping, hiking and sailing wear and I almost always dismiss these as adult activities when in fact there is nothing at all that stops them from being family activities - hence the need for kids clothing. But outdoor clothing isn't limited to specialist clothing - simply going for a long autumnal walk requires a little bit of planning for the family if you want to stay warm and dry.
Blacks sent Lara these AWESOME Peter Storm zip-off trousers to review. I say awesome and I mean it. They are not only practical but also very fashionable. The Peter Storm kids trousers have a strong elasticated waist to suit a growing school child (Lara has a thing about button-up and zip-up trousers you see!) and the lower part of the legs zips off to turn them into a pair of long shorts. This is particularly awesome if you are squelching through mud and don't want the trousers to dangle in cowpats. I love the soft fabric - it is a cotton canvas that offers protection from the wind and is also water resistant and which can withstand a hot wash if you need to shift mud off them!
I also blimming LOVE the colour which is about as perfect as you can get for Lara. Paired with her raincoat, Lara really does look the business when we are out for our weekend walks. These trousers come in age 3-10 years and are available in purple or a more traditional beige combat colour. They cost £20 which I think is a bargain as they are a genuinely great quality item.
We have some wonderful weekends planned for the next month or so and I'm hoping Lara will enjoy getting out and about in her trousers from Blacks. Wild walks through the woods at Marwell, chestnut collecting at Virginia Water and more sloe gathering on autumn Sunday afternoons.
