Oh hey there Autumn, it’s so good to see you! Summer, it has been an absolute blast, but to tell you the truth, we are ready for cosy night’s, munching on homemade s’mores and watching the fireworks light up our sky’s from the comfort of our gardens.
Now I don’t know about you, but many of us parents here at MamGu’s are experiencing that bittersweet feeling now that our little acorns are back in school. However, just because the Summer has come to a halt doesn't mean all the fun has to stop too! Autumn is the best season for after school activities, here are some of a favourite’s for you to try!
Go Foraging
Pick, eat, repeat, eat, pick, repeat…. Foraging is the act of gathering food from the wild, which has become a stable autumnal right of passage for many, many a year. Hedgerows are full of magnificent finds which can be turned into deviously indulgent dishes and drinks such as; Blackberry Pie, apple Jam, elderberry cordial and for the mature foragers, Sloe Gin. It’s important to know your stuff as some berries can be extremely harmful to us humans. The Really Wild Food Emporium is a fantastic source of knowledge on foraged goods and if you are in our neck of the woods (St Davids) you can book onto their day courses and explore nature's edible offerings. 
Make a Leaf Mandala
Head down to your local park or woodland and transform piles of fallen leaves into meditative mandala art! This is a great activity to wind down the kids whilst being educational at the same time! Take a leaf out of nature loving artist Jon Foreman's Sculpt the World to get your creative juices flowing.
[image: Jon Foreman: Sculpt The World]
Look for the Harvest Moon
The Harvest Moon is the first full moon of the autumn equinox and it’s gotten this name from shining bright enough for our farmer friends to harvest their crops late into the night. Moon gazing in your garden with hot chocolate gives out total autumn vibes and this year it’s celebrated on a Saturday (September 10th), so there will be no excuse to not have a moon gazing party!
Make a Mabon Shrine.
Mabon is the name of the first Celebrations of the Autumn Equinox; it usually begins on 21st of September, lasting for a week. The Celebration of Mabon has Welsh roots, deriving from the Mabinogion, the Welsh book of tales. Mabon was the son of the Celtic Earth Goddess Morden, and their story is now celebrated around the world. You can celebrate Mabon by creating a Mabon shrine to display in your windows with autumnal plants and herbs as well as lighting yellow candles as shining belling to all visitors.
Eat Cake and be Happy
It can be a fine-tooth comb balancing act juggling after school activities and bedtime routines throughout the week, whilst also finding the time to get the sprogs fed, read and tucked into bed!
You can’t be a super parent all the time, so why not come find us after school for a cuppa and treat the kids to our September promotion, Welsh Cake Happy Hour! It’s half price welsh cakes for all toddlers to teens from 2 till 4:30 on week days!
Written by Angharad Tudor