Light up 2021 with our glow lantern craft classes

January is a long dark month at the best of times, but this year it has the added edge of being in Lockdown #3. We're missing friends, family and trips out (beyond our local areas) and, we're especially missing the Christmas lights that made our afternoon strolls so magical. There is even some science behind why Christmas lights make us happy:

"Although there could be a number of symptomatic reasons why someone would want to obsessively put up decorations early, most commonly for nostalgic reasons either to relive the magic or to compensate for past neglect.

In a world full of stress and anxiety people like to associate to things that make them happy and Christmas decorations evoke those strong feelings of the childhood.

Decorations are simply an anchor or pathway to those old childhood magical emotions of excitement. So putting up those Christmas decorations early extend the excitement!"

- Steve McKeown, Psychoanalyst, founder of MindFixers and owner of The McKeown Clinic

And on that note, we feel that leaving them up longer (or in this case, re-using them and keeping those happy warm glows in our homes) will extend our dopamine hits that little bit longer!

With that in mind, we've created five light up craft video classes to get your children involved in, to light up 2021. Hang them in your windows, put them on the mantlepiece, or gift them to someone you love - but let's get together and put a warm sparkly glow into the start of this year with our battery operated magic lanterns! To get an idea of the classes, we've put together a little teaser for you to watch below:

1. Shadow Puppet Theatre

Age: 3+

Materials

• Large cardboard box

• Paper

• Sticks

• Tape

• Scissors

• Marker pen

• Mark making materials

• Optional: Tissue Paper

• A torch

2. Nature Lantern

Age: 1+ (younger children will need guidance)

Materials

• Milk Carton

• Scissors

• Glue

• Leaves/flowers/anything natural!

• A battery powered tea light

3. Morrocan inspired Lantern

Age: 2+

Materials:

• Jar

• Foil

• PVA glue

• Tissue Paper

• A battery powered tea light

4. Paper Bag Lanterns

Age: 1+ (younger children will need guidance)

Materials

• Paper bag

• Scissors

• Paper

• Mark making materials

• Glue

• A battery powered tea light

5. Light up Landmarks

Age: 3+

Materials

• Large piece of cardboard

• Scissors

• Marker pen

• Fairy lights

• Tape/glue

• Optional: Outline of your favourite monument to draw around

read on...

3 ways to make your own Winter Windowland snowflakes

Things to do indoors during lockdown that are definitely NOT boring!

15 things that are saving our sanity every day