To celebrate their 2nd anniversary the Yellow-Lighted bookshop in Tetbury, Gloucestershire put together a small programme of events in May. They asked us to run a "Going Wild" event with a few activities from our latest book "Make it Wild". Unlike many other book signings or meet the author events we decided to get the audience really involved and run a hands on activity outside!
On a wonderful spring morning last week about 20 families gathered in a beautiful little park in Chalford. Bounded on two sides by streams surrounded by woods full or flowering wild garlic , it definitely had a "wild" feel about it. We signed books, drank tea and ate delicious cakes then set children and adults to work making fantastic stick men made from clay,twigs and leaves. They decorated them with natural pigments made from chalk and red earth and designed and built intricate rafts and crafts made from natural materials to transport their people on journeys to foreign shores down stream. There was a wonderful shallow area ideal to test out their creations and see if they floated then, for added excitement (and there was lots) we challenged everyone to a boat race. Excited children (and adults) lined the banks and many unable to contain their enthusiasm made a plunge for the icy water! So many boats lined the start line that we had to run two heats, however no one really worried too much about who won they were having such fun running behind their boats getting totally drenched!
Luckily parents had suspected how it might end up and had bought plenty of spare clothes and everyone settled down to a glorious picnic lunch warmed by the May sunshine. Everyone seemed to have had a perfect day "Going Wild"!
On a wonderful spring morning last week about 20 families gathered in a beautiful little park in Chalford. Bounded on two sides by streams surrounded by woods full or flowering wild garlic , it definitely had a "wild" feel about it. We signed books, drank tea and ate delicious cakes then set children and adults to work making fantastic stick men made from clay,twigs and leaves. They decorated them with natural pigments made from chalk and red earth and designed and built intricate rafts and crafts made from natural materials to transport their people on journeys to foreign shores down stream. There was a wonderful shallow area ideal to test out their creations and see if they floated then, for added excitement (and there was lots) we challenged everyone to a boat race. Excited children (and adults) lined the banks and many unable to contain their enthusiasm made a plunge for the icy water! So many boats lined the start line that we had to run two heats, however no one really worried too much about who won they were having such fun running behind their boats getting totally drenched!
Luckily parents had suspected how it might end up and had bought plenty of spare clothes and everyone settled down to a glorious picnic lunch warmed by the May sunshine. Everyone seemed to have had a perfect day "Going Wild"!
