Family Trampolining Fun at Gravity Northampton

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If you're looking for a full body workout whilst having lots of fun with the family, trampolining is a great activity to try. We headed to the newly opened Gravity situated on the second floor inside Sol Northampton last week and we had a thoroughly enjoyable time, despite being quite exhausted by the end!

Upon arrival you make your way to the desk to check in, pick up your orange socks which are essential for grip, put on your coloured wristbands for your time slot and ensure you've signed the waiver. If you've used the car park below for your visit you can also write your registration into the touch screen pad to receive 2 hours free parking - something which we really appreciated. There are also hand sanitisers on the walls for added peace of mind.

Encouraging Kids to Wash Their Hands - 5 Top Tips

We all know how important it is to wash our hands but little ones can often forget to or deliberately avoid doing so. Whether it's because they are too keen to return to playing with their friends, they're desperate to tuck into their snack or even due to the fact that they have difficulty reaching the taps, it's up to the bigger bunch to ensure that they keep their digits dirt free.

Hopefully these 5 tips will help to encourage your kids to keep their hands clean.

The soap itself
If children are involved with selecting the product themselves, or if you intentionally pick one with a scent or character on that they will really like, they will naturally be more inclined to use it. Opt for something bright, an interesting shape or with a toy inside if necessary. It's all about building good habits and making hand washing more appealing.

Updating Your Home On A Budget

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From time to time I like a little change. It might be a splash of fresh paint on the walls, some new furniture or just rearranging what already exists within a room for an alternative layout. It's a great way to make your home feel a bit different without needing to spend a small fortune.

If you're looking to do similar this summer these tips may be just what you're looking for...

• If your walls are fairly bare and neutral in colour you can make a feature wall as a focal point with some patterned paper or by adding a beautiful mural. These methods save time as you don't need to decorate an entire space and it therefore saves your pennies too. Some websites even allow you to transfer your favourite photos onto paper to pop up so you can really personalise it - which is ideal for children's bedrooms in particular.

10 Family Friendly Things To Do In Northamptonshire This Half Term

It feels like just yesterday the Mini Mes were returning to school after Christmas but now that February has arrived the countdown to half term has officially begun. We are looking to stay local for this one and explore a bit more of Northamptonshire (as I mentioned wanting to do in our bucket list) so I've compiled a little list of ideas to keep the kids occupied - and what's even better is they are all free or low cost!

West Lodge Farm Park situated in Desborough has it's Lambing Festival between 15th and 23rd February. There are opportunities to bottle feed lambs several times a day and with over 100 ewes expecting to give birth it's possible you may even witness one being born! They also have piglet racing, animal handling and plenty of play equipment to enjoy. Tickets start at just £5.75 with carers and under 2's going free - great value for a day out!

If you're planning on a little retail therapy at Rushden Lakes you may wish to pop along to Nene Wetlands, only a minutes drive away, for their Winter Wonders Trail! For just £2 you can pick up a sheet for the family, have a stroll in the fresh air and collect your prize at the end if you spot everything listed. There are also bird feeder, bird box, twigs and willow weaving plus forest school events at the same location if you will be in the area frequently over the week.

WIN a Valentine's Surprise!

With Valentine's Day not far away many people will be picking up purchases for their partners, arranging flower deliveries or booking a table for a romantic evening out. If you would like to get your mitts on a surprise box of goodies, which you may wish to share with a loved one (or just keep to yourself), then you can enter the giveaway below...