A Strawberry Picking Adventure with Barny

One of summer's greatest yet simplest of pleasures is to enjoy delicious, sun-ripened soft fruits picked straight from the plants.  I remember strawberry picking as a child and now I get to relive the fun with my own children. Nothing beats the taste of a sun warmed strawberry picked and popped straight into the mouth.

Mumnet sent us some strawberry flavoured Barny snacks, which are individually wrapped teddy bear shaped sponges with a tasty hidden centre!  They challenged us to have a little adventure with our family so a strawberry picking adventure with Barny seemed very apt!

It was really interesting for Freddy to learn all about how strawberries grow. We chatted about the things that plants need and he was very interested in how the berries turned from green to red.  Children love nature and it's a lovely way for some hands-on learning.

Our strawberry picking adventure wasn't just for Freddy's enjoyment. The older children loved being in the beautiful countryside enjoying the sunshine.  Picking berries is a very therapeutic pastime and we all made plans for recipe ideas using our fruity haul...Summer Berry Crumble anyone??

Freddy remembered one of his favourite stories, "The Little Mouse, the Red, Ripe Strawberry and the Big, Hungry Bear."  We had fun thinking of all the ways in which the mouse could keep the bear from eating his strawberry. We hoped that Barny wouldn't try and eat all of our strawberries!

We picked some lovely fresh fruit which everyone enjoyed!  Fruit that has been freshly picked is just so superior to supermarket fruit that has been picked before it is fully ripened.  It's lovely for little ones to taste fruit how it should be enjoyed - sun-warmed and sweet.

Freddy enjoyed a delicious snack of a strawberry Barny and some lovely red, ripe strawberries to accompany it!  Barny sponges are free from artificial preservatives and colours and are made from real ingredients such as wheatflour, eggs, milk and sugar.  In addition to the strawberry flavour, there are apple, chocolate and milk varieties.  They make great little snacks for children, and as they are individually packaged they are perfect for lunchboxes or when out and about on adventures.

A Little Outdoor Winter Adventure

It's been cold and wet this winter, and we've suffered from an extensive list of minor ailments that has made me think I should just hibernate my family away until springtime.  The start to 2014 has on a whole been quite glum, but for the first time I have had a glimmer of hope for brighter days and better health.  After the onslaught of storm after storm after storm, something magical happened this weekend.  The wind dropped, the rain stopped and the sun shone again.  Not only was mother nature being kind with the weather, she also saw it upon herself to allow myself and the kids to feel well after weeks of battling various viruses and spreading germs among ourselves in an elaborate game of pathogenic pass the parcel.

It's amazing how a little winter sun can lift the spirits and energise the soul.  So, dressed in our cosiest woollies and armed with some snacks to keep us going, we headed off to have some much overdue family fun in the great outdoors.  

Freddy has only just got himself back on track after struggling with a nasty virus that lead to a secondary infection and a problem with his glands.  But in the last few days, we've seen him go from strength to strength and a day in the sunshine proved the perfect tonic!  His big sisters also benefitted from getting away from being stuck indoors and had great fun unleashing their inner child and getting down to some fun and games.  You are never too old to simply get back to basics, put away your electronic gadgets and devices and enjoy enjoy the simple pleasure of being outdoors.

Days out don't have to be elaborate or expensive.  Simply being outside sparks a child's imagination, giving them the freedom to explore, challenge themselves physically and look at their surroundings with their natural curiosity.  Little ones can discover mini-beasts that scurry away when their leafy homes are disturbed.  They can spot little plants pushing up through the soil and buds bursting from the branches of once dormant trees.  They can splash in muddy puddles, emulating  the favourite pastime of Peppa Pig, and watch as they create little waves and ripples around their feet.  Simply feeling the sun on your skin and the gentle breeze tickling your face is a joy, and something that we have all greatly missed.  

Freddy was free to embrace his little outdoor winter adventure and he loved every minute of it!

And when all that playing, exploring, discovering and challenging left the kids feeling a little peckish, a quick Barny cake bar filled with apple or strawberry filled them up sufficiently and gave them the energy to play some more!

“This post is an entry for BritMums ‘Winter Little Adventures Challenge’ sponsored by Barny, individually wrapped bear-shaped sponges with a hidden filling. Find out more about Barny here.”

Freddy - My Little Adventurer

Freddy is now my little schoolboy and takes a packed lunch everyday.  As part of his lunchbox, he has a Barny bear shaped sponge snack that has a hidden, chocolatey centre.  He loves them.  So much so that I stocked up with loads of multi-packs when they were on offer at our local supermarket.

When I saw Britmums were running a linky in conjunction with Barny about the adventures that our little ones enjoy, I just had to join in.  I wasn't quick enough to get a free sample, but as I had my stockpile, I wasn't too upset - after all we'd aready discovered the exciting world of Barny!

Freddy is my Little Adventurer, a 4 year old on a mission to discover, explore and enjoy the environment around him.  He loves to climb on things, run through things, jump over things, swing on things, look at things and pick up things!

We are so lucky to have a local community farm just a few minutes away from our house.  There are some wonderful walks and discovery trails where he can explore the flora and fauna of the countryside.  He loves being with his family and going on an adventure.  He finds sticks that he pretends are wands and casts Harry Potter style spells on us all, turning us into frogs.  Then the stick becomes a pirate's sword for some swashbuckling action, while fallen logs become planks to walk.  He builds dens, goes on a 'bear hunt' or searches for Grufalo.  The trees are a magical woodland full of mystery and with his imagination anything is possible.

He fills his pockets with leaves, twigs, stones and flowers.  Sometimes I think he's starting his own mini-compost heap!  If I remember, pockets are emptied out and the bountiful contents are examined.  If I forget, the washing machine gets a few extra bits in the laundry.

I love to watch my Little Adventurer at play.  Packing an individually wrapped Barny and a drink in my bag for an emergency snack gives him the energy he needs to keep going on his exciting, outdoor adventures.

This post is an entry for BritMums ‘Little AdventuresChallenge’ in partnership with Barny, the bear-shaped snack providing a little discovery in every bite. Find out more about Barny here”