It’s National Roald Dahl Day next Friday, the 13th of September. So, to help you to celebrate this great writer’s birthday, here are four fun activities you can do with your kids (or ‘chiddlers’, as the BFG would say):
1. Make Willy Wonka-Inspired Chocolatey Treats On Roald Dahl Day
This chocolate fudge recipe is worthy of a Golden Ticket!
You’ll Need:
- 300ml of whole milk
- 350g of caster sugar
- 100g of unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 100g of dark chocolate
The Recipe:
- Start by lining a square or rectangular tin with greaseproof paper.
- Pour the milk, sugar and butter into a pan and gently heat these ingredients until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Don’t forget to keep stirring.
- Keep the pan on the heat until it starts to boil. This should take between 15 and 20 minutes. When bubbles appear, remove it from the heat and keep stirring the mixture until it sinks back down.
- You can then place it back on a low heat and continue stirring. When the temperature of the mixture reaches 115°C, take it off the heat once again, add a pinch of salt and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Leave it to cool for 5 minutes, then stir in the chocolate until it has fully melted. You can then pour the mixture into your tin and leave it to set at room temperature.
2. This Roald Dahl Day, Get Crafty And Dress Up Like Mr.Twit
Get crafty with your little oompa loompas and create a Roald Dahl-inspired dressing up costume. My choice? I’d definitely go for Mr Twit’s beard!
You’ll need:
- A large piece of black card
- White drawing paper
- Colouring pens or pencils
- Cotton or tissue paper (preferably in a brown or black colour)
- Elastic
- Scissors
Step 1: Make Your Beard Template
First, you’ll need to cut out your beard template. On the back of the black card, draw your beard shape. Make sure that it is wide enough to cover your child’s face, and don’t forget to draw a mouth whole.
When you’re happy with the shape, cut out the template and the mouthpiece. Then punch a hole on either side of the beard and thread some elastic through it.
Step 2: Decorate Your Beard
You can then start to decorate your beard. Glue some cotton or strips of tissue paper onto your beard. This will recreate Mr Twit’s wild and erratic facial hair.
Because Mr Twit’s beard is full of food, you can then draw these pieces of food on white paper, cut them out and glue them onto your beard. For added ‘ew-factor’, you can glue pieces of dried pasta or rice onto it, or sprinkle flour, cocoa powder, or sugar over it too.
Step 3: Wear It With Pride
When you’ve decorated the beard and all the pieces have dried, secure the elastic around your child’s head and let them wear their beard with pride.
3. Celebrate Roald Dahl Day With His Classic Tales
I don’t know about you, but my childhood was filled with Roald Dahl’s tales. In fact, his treasury is still one of my most valued possessions. My three favourites are...
The Magic Finger
A little girl has a Magic Finger that takes control when she gets very angry. When her neighbours push her too far, her Magic Finger turns them into birds to teach them a lesson…
James And The Giant Peach
A young boy named James accidentally drops some magic crystals by an old peach tree and causes the peach at the top of the tree to grow as big as a house. When James discovers a secret entranceway into the fruit, he meets wonderful new friends and the adventure begins!
The Enormous Crocodile
The Enormous Crocodile intends to eat as many children as he can, but when the other animals come together to stop him, he learns a lesson he’ll never forget.
4. Watch The Film Version Of The Books
If you fancy a chilled film night, you can’t go wrong with these three films.
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory
Directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp, this is a fantastic adaptation of one of Roald Dahl’s most-loved children's books! It’s witty, imaginative and full of character. You can’t go wrong!
Matilda
This 1996 film basically defined my childhood. I have no doubt that your kids will love it too! I’d particularly recommend showing it to your daughters. A bright young girl who has superpowers, stands up for her friends and gets herself out of an abusive family situation? You can’t find a better role-model.
The BFG
The newest adaptation of one of Roald Dahl’s books, David Spielberg’s The BFG is brilliantly funny. Instead of diving into the darker aspects of the tale, the film focuses on the light-heartedand humorous side of things. I challenge you not to laugh out loud!
And there you have it Glossies, four fun activities to celebrate Roald Dahl Day with your kids! Check out this blogfor more baking ideas and this blog for more family activities. You can also download a full Roald Dahl Party Pack here.
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