We are currently number one in the ebuzzing charts for crafts, which is a major achievement in anyone's book, let alone mine so holidays with a craft accents, certainly piqued our interest.

We all like to take souvenirs home with us as permanent reminders of our trips (or if you are like my girls, every single outing means collecting something). But, they don’t have to be as ubiquitous or generic as a fridge magnet or a tea towel. There are lots of holiday destinations where you can craft or make your own mementos to take home to keep or give as gifts to family and friends. If you are still trying to decide where to take your little ones during the summer holiday or October half term, here are just a few of the best places to get your family’s creative juices flowing.

Painting pots in Northumberland

 

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Combining quirky accommodation with the chance to make your own pottery, Berwick’s Pot-a-doodle do wigwam village on the Northumberland coast offers a unique holiday experience. There’s an art centre where you can try your hand at a range of crafts from painting pots to making mosaics and glass painting. The glazing process takes two days so it’s the perfect excuse to stay for a break in a wigwam while you wait for your design to be ready to take home. My family originates from Northumberland so it would be a great chance to visit my heritage while keeping the girls amused too!

Knitting in Wales

 

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So many traditional skills have been lost but Wales’ National Wool Museum is doing its bit to keep the arts of knitting and spinning alive for the next generation. There are lots of hands-on activities for children all year round, including making blanket-stitch cards – perfect if a loved one has a birthday or special event coming up. During every school holiday, there’s an even bigger events programme, including an art cart, activities and trails. The museum is based in Carmarthenshire, so you could combine a day of crafting with some time at the beach. Pendine Sands caravan park is a good accommodation option because it sits just minutes from the beach of the same name, so you can spend mornings or early evenings walking on the sand, enjoying a picnic tea and watching the kite buggies whizz across the bay.

Make your own Gaudi masterpiece in Barcelona

 

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If you want to go a little further afield, Barcelona is renowned for the Gaudi architecture which dots the city. And, while you won’t be able to afford your own Gaudi artwork, you can have a go at making a piece in a similar style. The Mosaiccos centre allows you to make your own colourful tile mosaic. There are sessions for children and adults, with participants designing their own creation before being advised on the best way to realise their vision. Results are so impressive you’ll have a hard time persuading loved ones back home that you really did make it yourself.

Bone carving in New Zealand

Bone carving is a large part of New Zealand’s cultural heritage. You’ll see beautifully carved necklaces in swirling designs and Maori carvings adorning earrings and bracelets. You’ll find several studios dotted around the country which offer you the chance to carve your very own piece of bone jewellery. The Nelson Bone Carving Studio offers a full day workshop for around $80. At the end, you should have your own wearable creation. Now that is a souvenir!!

 Making incense in Japan

 

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They say smell is the sense which most evokes the most memories. So, making a souvenir which smells of your holiday is surely one of the loveliest ways to continue your holiday once you get back home. In Japan, there are lots of rituals involving incense so you’ll smell it everywhere you go. Incense is thought to purify the air, making a more sacred environment for rituals. At most incense factories, you can either watch incense being made or try your hand at making it yourself.

Opting for a holiday where you can make and do is sure to give you plenty of experiences to try as a family, and, you almost get to bring the holiday home with you ...... now where is my passport??

Disclaimer : This is a collaborative post.

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My mum always says that "you never get a second chance to make a first impression" and I have always been mindful of that. Whether I need to be confident (when I am almost definitely not) or if I need to be brave (when my legs are quivering) ... which has been especially prevalent this weekend as I walked into the Britmums Live conference. I had been last year, knew lots of lovely people but that didn't stop the conference nerves.

I was being silly. I knew that.

I needed some attitude. Some confidence and belief in myself.

I reminded myself that I had an amazing sponsor to shout about and it was so easy to do that. Swimming is something every mum wants their child to be able to master and I had great fun sharing our experiences with lots of mums and mums to be.

So when I got home, it seemed only natural for my "babies" to be in the water in this glorious sunshine.

I think looking at this photo ..... maybe I need a little of her attitude!

 

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I am absolutely delighted to be able to share with you that Water Babies Midshires are my sponsor for Britmums this year.

It is no secret that we LOVE Water Babies and the skills they have taught not only the little one but us too, so it seems a natural fit for an event where I am going to learn more skills that Water Babies would be my sponsor.

Britmums is a 2 day event that is designed to unite, develop and engage a community of bloggers from all walks of life ..... it is not just about Mums but many do bring babes in arms. Older children are not allowed at the event, as much from a safety perspective (than allowing mums to have time to learn and socialise) but again safety is top priority for Water Babies so it is the perfect partner.

Water Babies say:

Our Water Babies are precious so we take every aspect of their safety very seriously. When it comes to child protection, all the Water Babies teachers are DBS-checked and they are fully insured, making sure they do everything they can to make sure everyone is safe at all times — in, under and out of the water. All of their teachers are qualified life-savers and they’re all trained to carry out infant resuscitation.

Water Babies are huge supporters of National Safety Week and I am thrilled to part of the Water Babies family.

If you see me at Britmums, please come and say hello ...... and feel free to ask me anything about baby swimming!

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Mighty Moments! We have lots of them, whether it is learning to walk or talk, to the smaller things of mastering a word or drawing a smily face so when I saw the competition with Tots100 to celebrate Plum Baby's Mighty Moments Challenge, I knew that the toddler and I wanted to get involved.

The Challenge : To create a superhero with healthy powers.

So, I decided to try and explain what a superhero "might" look like (admitedly I never took art at school). Unfortunately the 2 year old was not so keen on my drawing :

So I asked her what she would like to draw and she talked of strong teeth and sleep.

So her healthy superhero family sleep in the day time (to get their energy of course)

They come out at night time to look after everyone while they sleep. (hence the moon and owl stickers)

They have super strong teeth! She really tried to draw teeth here and we all know that strong teeth and bones come from a healthy diet!

They all have magic wands (what 2 year old girl doesn't think everything can be fixed with a magic wand).

 

The Snappy Happy Superhero Family have been born ..... they never bite off a challenge that they can't chew!

 

This picture is our entry into the Tots100/Plum Baby Mighty Moments challenge but we have had a magic moment creating the Snappy Happy Superhero Family.

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