Stuck for ideas on what to do with the kids this Easter?

Celebrity Mum of two Kim Wilde has teamed up with kitchen expert Magnet to show how to go wild in the kitchen this Easter.

Forget theme parks this Easter, there’s a whole host of exciting activities in your kitchen according to celebrity Mum Kim Wilde, who has teamed up with kitchen expert Magnet to help Mums banish boredom and keep children entertained without the dreaded TV or
Xbox!

Mum of two, Kim Wilde loves to get creative in the kitchen – with activities from crafts to
cooking – to teach kids new experiences, as well as having fun. As the heart of the home, Kim believes the kitchen should be a creative hub where kids can go wild and get messy, decorate and cook up some family Easter treats.

Kim has put together her five favourite fun kitchen activities for Easter and, as most of the items needed to carry them out can be found in the home or garden shed, they won’t break the bank either.

1. Create a ‘garden for the kitchen’

You will need: plastic seed tray, items from the garden – feathers, stones, twigs, seed heads, twigs, decoration – e.g. toys

Miniature gardens for the kitchen are great fun to stimulate the imagination, as children try their hand at becoming budding landscape gardeners. First, get children to hunt in the garden for snail shells, seed heads, feathers, stones, wood and anything else of
interest. Then, use a plastic seed tray, fill it with garden soil and plant away.

Small leaved plants work best such as rock garden plants, while shells provide a perfect water feature. Willow branches can be weaved to make small fences and pieces of wood made into benches, dens or garden sculpture!

Try to let children come up with their own design solutions, gently encouraging rather than taking over (I mention this from personal experience). Favourite miniature toys can be added such as dinosaurs, fairies or – like my son’s latest craze – wrestlers!

2. Bring the outdoors in with a ‘kitchen garden’

You will need: packet of sunflower and pumpkin seeds, small pots, labels, compost

Sowing seeds on a windowsill in the kitchen is a great way to encourage children to get involved in gardening and be inspired by nature. Simply pack the compost in the small pots and plant the seeds. Grow them inside on a sunny windowsill in the kitchen giving them plenty of water, and once they’re getting too big for the kitchen – and the warmer weather comes – plant them outside in a sunny, well-prepared area.
Sunflowers can grow very tall and will fill your child with awe especially if you instigate a tallest sunflower competition with siblings or friends. Pumpkins make great lanterns for
Halloween and the carved out flesh can be combined with apples to make a delicious soup.

3. Get cooking in the kitchen: Easter nest cakes

You will need: 2 tablespoons golden syrup, 6 tablespoons of butter, 2 tablespoons of dried milk, block of cooking chocolate, 4 cups of cornflakes and mini sugar eggs

Easter wouldn’t be Easter without some chocolate and nest cakes are great fun to eat and make, even if you do get a little messy! Heat the butter and the syrup or chocolate in a saucepan until the butter melts (adults only here). Remove from the heat and stir in the dried milk and stir until it dissolves. Mix in the cornflakes. Put tablespoonfuls of the mix onto a plate shaping them until they resemble little nests. Put in the fridge and chill for two hours (try and distract your children during this time as they tend to get impatient!) and to serve, place three mini eggs in each nest.

Alternatively use decorative
mini chicks.

4. Accessorise your kitchen ‘Easter style’

You will need: paper, stapler, scissors, pens, glitter

Decorations shouldn’t just be for Christmas. Easter paper chains are a great way to dress up your kitchen for a proper celebration and are easy to make. Cut out 25 strips (about 25cm x 5cm) of paper in various colours, I like pastels at Easter for a springtime
theme. Children can decorate these strips with glitter, shapes or even write Easter messages. Then staple or glue the strip into a loop and thread the remaining strips through to make a chain. It can then be used to hang over doorways, placed on plants or hung round paintings.

5. Design a Magnet mini egg to co-ordinate with your kitchen

You will need: eggs, acrylic paint, pva glue, paper / decorations like glitter, stickers or magazine pictures

This traditional Easter craft activity encourages children to really get artistic and the decorated eggs can make an ideal place setting or Easter gift for another family member or friend. To ensure eggs last or don’t go everywhere if dropped, the contents need to blown out – which is best done by an adult before! Use a pin to pierce the eggshell at both ends. Gently blow out the contents of the egg into a bowl then wash and dry the egg (as well as hands and mouth). The eggs are now ready for decorating.

Paint and decorate the eggs and allow to dry. Why not try sticking pictures from magazines or tinfoil on the eggs for a textured feel. Simply cut small sections out and stick on with the glue and voila!

The family kitchen expert

Magnet is the family kitchen expert and leaders in innovation. Magnet recommends the following gadgets for making your kitchen family-proof so you can cook, get creative with crafts or get messy in safety!

Remote locking system
Keeps cupboard contents safe from little fingers. With two modes included, all cupboards and drawers lock and unlock at the touch of a button.

Hob guard
Prevents pans being pulled off your hob

Lockable bleach cage
Keeps harmful cleaning products away from little fingers

Soft close drawers
All Magnet drawers are soft close as standard so fingers won’t get trapped no matter how hard you slam them!

For further information visit www.magnet.co.uk or call 0845 123 6789