Ready Steady Sleep by Sarah Clark

We can help our children learn about the animal kingdom at this time of year, as we watch what they do to prepare for winter and try to relate it to our own human lives.

DEEP SLEEP

ANIMALS - Some animals, like hedgehogs, use the autumn to prepare for a special deep sleep for the winter months. During hibernation, an animal's heartbeat slows down and it breathes more slowly until the warm weather wakes it up to the fresh food of spring.

PEOPLE - Teenagers can seem like they're hibernating sometimes! Little children are intrigued by the concept, even if they still wake up at 6am. As you tuck them into bed on a frosty night, talk to them about how cold it is outside and how nice and warm it is in bed. Imagine if you didn't wake up until after Christmas!

STAY WARM

ANIMALS - Some animals grow more fur at this time of year, and some birds grow more feathers to keep warm. Some domestic dogs do this too, which is why they often shed more fur on your carpets in early spring. Although you are unlikely to see them out of your Cheshire window, arctic foxes and some weasels and rabbits grow white fur in the winter to camouflage them in the snow.

PEOPLE-  People change their clothes in the autumn too! If you put away flip flops and summer dresses for the winter, get your children to help - and they will be thrilled to see the box of gloves and woolly hats come down from the loft. Children need to understand that outdoor pets like rabbits and guinea pigs need help in the cold, with extra bedding or by moving them into a garage or shed for shelter.

EAT PLENTY

ANIMALS - Look out for squirrels in the garden, woods or park. During the autumn you can see them searching for extra food to gorge on - they need to store fat for the cold months ahead. Some animals stockpile secret supplies of nuts and other food to nibble on during the winter.

PEOPLE This is a good time to remind our beloveds how lucky we are to have full tummies and food in our cupboards! For people, supermarkets are fully stocked in winter, but some poor creatures can't find anything to eat until spring. Leaving food out for garden birds (out of reach of cats and squirrels) is fun - they like stale cake, bread, sultanas, seeds, bacon rind and cooked rice. Clean water is essential, for birds to drink and bathe in.