(or windows, balconies) an you transform a pile of

www.n-kesteven.gov.uk/creative

Spring is a time for hope and renewal, and as we move away from the hardships of 2020, it’s the perfect time to show that NK is full of the joys of spring.

Council Chairman Susannah Barker-Milan wants to help us celebrate all things springtime, so we’ve got 10 ideas to see you through the Easter holidays while helping to spread joy to others in our communities.

When you try any of our activities, please share pics with us by posting on our social channels and/or using #JoysOfSpring

Contents:

2. Reminder of all 10 activities

3. Egg Team—how to

4. World Traditions—inspiration

5. Bake Off—links to recipes

6. Nature Spotting—spring nature bingo sheet

7. Easter Hats/Bonnets—how to

Bonus:

8. War-time rationing puzzles

10. Easter colouring sheets


The Great Big Art Exhibition

Some of these ideas would be perfect contribution to the Great Big Art Exhibition, which runs until 7 May. Firstsite, a UK arts centre, are encouraging people anywhere in the UK to create their own piece of art and display it in their windows, balconies, or anywhere it will be visible to others. You can then share it with them on social media – remember to tag us too, we don’t want to miss out! Find out more at www.firstsite.uk

1 Recycled Garden Décor (or windows, balconies) Can you transform a pile of recycling into something beautiful? We reckon you can. Rummage through your recycling and see what you can make. Then display it in your front garden, window, balcony – wherever – to show your neighbours that spring is here! Ideas: giant flowers, chicks, bunnies, Easter eggs, bunting, mobiles… *Ideal for the Great Big Art Exhibition

2 Egg Team Turn an egg – or several – into a posse of people. You could make them look like fantasy characters, your favourite pop group, or maybe some lockdown heroes. Anyone who inspires you! Display in your window, hang on a tree, or post online #JoysOfSpring and we’ll share them too.

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3 World Traditions Spring and Easter are celebrated in fun and surprising ways around the world. Why not try some new traditions and see if you like them? Examples include kite flying (Bermuda), decorating pavements with ‘carpets’ (Guatemala) and sending paper cuttings (like paper snowflakes) to friends and family (Denmark).

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4 Bake Off Try a twist on an Easter recipe, such as simnel cookies, or sample European Easter favourites such as babka, colomba di pasqua, or koulrakia. Maybe make some to share with friends or neighbours and spread that joy.

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5 Plant for colour, plant for bees These seeds can be planted right now, straight into the soil. They’ll provide spring and summer colour and be yummy for bees and pollinators. Seed-bombing in neglected corners of your local area will provide smiles for others too as nature takes hold.

Phlox, Poppies, Snapdragons, Lupins, Sweet peas, Lavatera, Viola, Scabious, Echium, Sweet William, Cornflowers, Salvia, Calendula, Borage, Aquilegia

6 Nature Spotting See how many spring things you can spot – daffodils, bluebells, lambs, first leaf, blossom, catkins... Lots of fun to be had on your daily exercise. Or use our Spring Bingo sheet and share your progress #JoysOfSpring

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7 Door wreath Wreaths aren’t just for Christmas – create an Easter or spring-themed ring for your front door. Maybe you can recycle materials or make it out of plants and greenery? Remember to post a photo on social media so we can see!

8 Volunteering Which causes in your area need support? What could you do to make a difference in your community? From litter-picking to helping with a food bank or being a volunteer driver, you can help. Visit voluntarycentreservices.org.uk to offer support.

9 Easter hats/bonnets It’s a fading tradition, but a fun one, so let’s revive it! Make an Easter hat or bonnet and wear it while on your daily exercise or running essential errands. Show others that it’s spring and time to feel cheerful. We’d love to see your creations on social media. #JoysOfSpring

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10 Turn it into a trail Get in touch with friends, family or others in your community (via the parish council or local Facebook groups) to turn your efforts into a trail! A simple map of your town or village, or a list of places people can see your creative and joyful efforts. And of course, tell us about them too.


What you’ll need:

Eggs (whatever size you have) Bowl, Pin Glue, Crafty bits (card, pens, fluffy bits, felt, glitter etc) Inspiration pictures might be helpful

Instructions:

There are three options when making your egg characters. - Hard boil your eggs—makes them solid to work with, but they’ll go off after a while. - Use a raw egg—a bit more fragile (especially if you drop them!) and will go off eventually. - ‘Blow’ the eggs—this gets the runny stuff out and means you can keep your egg team for longer, but you’ll have to be extra careful with the shells which will be fragile.

To blow the eggs: use a pin (or get an adult to help with a sharp knife) and make a hole in the top and bottom of the egg. Holding it over a bowl, blow through one of the holes until all of the egg yolk and white has come out. You can use the egg yolk and white for cooking. Rinse out the shell with water and leave to dry somewhere very safe! The egg is now very fragile.

Now the fun part!

Use your crafty bits to colour in the faces on the eggs, and to make hair, hands and feet, even little clothes and accessories! Let your imagination run wild! Look at your inspiration pictures for ideas.

Display in a window, hang on a tree, or post online using #JoysOfSpring, and we’ll share them too.

Some tips

A section of toilet roll tube makes a good stand for your egg—glue it on and make it look like legs. Some furry material or wool glued to the top makes great hair! Got any old dolls clothes or accessories? Use these to instantly dress up your egg.



Germany

In Germany, families hang decorated eggs in trees and bushes to turn them into Easter egg trees. It’s like Christmas tree baubles, but for spring! Have you got a tree you could decorate for spring?

Norway

Mystery stories are a big tradition—probably started quite recently—at Easter. Called paskekrim, they even feature on special milk cartons! Agatha Christie sto-ries are especially popular— join in and watch some Poirot films!

Denmark

Danish families follow the gækkebrev tradition of sending relatives and friends anonymous creative paper cuttings, often featuring a snowdrop and a rhyme. If you can guess who sent the cutting, then the sender owes you an Easter egg! They’re made in the same way you might make a paper snowflake.

Bermuda

In this island nation, one favourite Easter traditions is making and flying kites. Meant to symbolise Jesus ascending into heaven, it can be enjoyed by anyone of any religion and is a great excuse to get out and have fun. Can you make a kite? Burmudians also traditionally eat fish cakes at this time of year!

Guatemala

In southern Guatemala the streets are covered in colourful ‘carpets ‘ throughout Easter. The carpets are made from flowers, coloured sawdust, fruits, vegetables and sand. Could you decorate a pavement with chalk drawings?

When you try any of our activities, please share pics with us by posting on our

social channels and/or using #JoysOfSpring


Simnel Cookies (UK—sort-of) You might have had a traditional simnel cake before, (a fruit cake with marzipan on top) but how about trying these simnel cookies, for a quicker and lighter bake? They look yummy! Recipe: https://bit.ly/2NDrWfV

Babka (Eastern Europe) A versatile bake, a babka might be more like cake or bread, but it’s always yeasted. Here’s a really pretty version which promises to be easy and authentic. Recipe: https://bit.ly/3cQAbOm

Colomba di Pasqua (Italy) This is similar to a pannettone which you might have eaten at Christmas (or in an Ital-ian-style coffee shop chain!) It’s meant to look like a dove (‘colomba’ in Italian). Recipe: https://bit.ly/3raEWr2

Koulourakia (Greek) These Greek biscuits include sesame seeds and orange. Traditionally moulded into S shapes or braids, but you could make any shape you like. Bunnies perhaps? Recipe: https://bit.ly/3cdmXwd

Kugelis (Lithuania) In Lithuania it wouldn’t be Easter without some kugelis. It’s a potato dish served alongside a main meal, and includes bacon, onion and evaporated milk. Recipe: https://bit.ly/3tW7E0X

Torta Pascualina (Argentina) Literally translated to ‘Eastertime Tart’ this luscious pie includes ricotta, hard boiled eggs, spinach and artichoke. Recipe: https://bit.ly/3c9TLWJ Note—we haven’t tested these recipes and lots of different versions are available. If you don’t like one of them, or you’re missing an ingredient, just search online for other recipes with the same name.



Tick off the signs of spring as you spot them!

Bluebells

White blossom

Catkins

Primroses

Lambs

Bird building a nest

Birds eggs

(you mustn’t disturb a nest, so

you’ll need to look out for shells

on the ground)

Frogspawn

Daffodils

Wild garlic

Grape hyacinth

First butterfly

Pink blossom

Bees

First leaf

Ducklings


What you’ll need

A hat you can stick or sew things onto OR Some cardboard to make a hat Ribbon or string Glue and/or tape Sewing thread and needle Easter themed bits and pieces!

Instructions

Pick your hat—you can use anything from a bobble hat to a straw sun hat! If you don’t have a hat you can use, you can make one with cardboard—you’ll need a circle, a long rectangle and a ring shape (to make the brim). Try https://bit.ly/3f2Ezwh or look for other patterns online.

2. You might want to glue or sew pieces of ribbon or string on either side of the brim, on the inside, so you can tie them under your chin and secure the hat.

3. Next, sew or glue a wide ribbon all around the hat—it’ll make it easier to attach other items.

4. Time to decorate! Get creative with fluffy chicks, Easter eggs, flowers, lambs, feathers… Sew, tape, tie or glue them on. Your only limit is your imagination.



War-time Rationing Puzzles

From Cranwell Aviation Heritage Museum

Between January 1940 and June 1954 some food items were rationed in the UK as food supplies were low. Rationing meant that a person could only buy a limited amount of these things with coupons. So for instance, items that most children like, such as sweets could not be bought whenever they wanted.

Everyone in the country was given a ration book. An adult ration book had a buff-coloured cover, and the cover of a child’s ration book was blue. They all had coupons or tokens inside for things like meat, cheese, eggs, clothes and, of course, sweets.

People had to register with their chosen shops, and then when shopping was purchased the tokens were exchanged for rationed items—the shopkeeper would cross off a coupon in the book. Once the tokens had been used up, you would have to wait to buy more of those items until the next ration books were issued.

This meant that many people in Britain found ways to make their rations go further. Gardens were used to grow fruit and vegetables. Some people used their gardens to keep chickens, rabbits and pigs for food. People would trade food items with friends, family and neighbours.

What would I have been given as rations each week?

The ration for children was half of the adult ration, with the exception that children received a larger milk ration. This is the amount of rationed food items that Billy could have each week: Margarine: 50g (2oz)

Bacon and ham: 50g (2oz)

Butter: 25g (1oz)

Sugar: 100g (4oz)

Meat: To the value of 1s.2d (one shilling and six pence per week. That is about 6p today)

Milk: 1.5 pints (900ml) occasionally dropping to 1 pint (600ml)

Tea: 25g (1oz)

Eggs: 1 fresh egg a week

Cheese: 25g (1oz)

Jam: 200g (8oz) every 8 weeks

Dried eggs: 1 packet every four weeks

Sweets: 150g (6oz) every four weeks


War-time Rationing Puzzles—continued

Using Billy’s list of rations to help you, and remembering that trading food and stretching out rationed items involved maths, can you use your problem-solving skills to solve these questions?

Problem 1: Hannah has some spare eggs. She needs some butter and margarine. Billy agrees to trade all his margarine and butter ration for eggs. Hannah agrees to give him one egg for each 25g. How many eggs will Billy get?

Problem 2: Billy likes drinking tea. He wants to make his tea ration last for 5 days. How many grams of tea can he use each day?

Problem 3: Hannah’s chickens each lay 2 eggs a week. Each week, Hannah keeps 2 eggs for herself and has 8 eggs to trade. How many chickens does Hannah have?

Problem 4: Billy eats a quarter of his jam ration in the first week. How much jam does he have left?

Problem 5: Billy decides to save all of his sweet rations for the 12 weeks before Christmas. How many grams of sweets will he have got to enjoy at Christmas?

Problem 6: Billy has found some blackberries in the lane and he wants to make some jam. His mum says he needs 400g of fruit and 400g of sugar to make 800g of jam. How many weeks ration of sugar would Billy need to save if he wanted to make 200g of jam?



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(or windows, balconies) an you transform a pile of