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The Spirited Puddle Jumper

Creative, practical and enjoyable everyday living for modern families.

I wanna be like the Common people…

Posted on March 31, 2014May 2, 2025 By Becky

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On Saturday we had one of the best kinds of afternoons (aside from the sort where you meet up with friends and put the world to rights in a sunny beer garden!). Near us is an old common, the sort you see in TV dramas set circa 1920, where people play village cricket, and sit with wicker picnic hampers. Beyond the common is some of the prettiest woodland around. I forget sometimes how close we are to central London. I mean, you can see Canary Wharf from a certain spot on the common!

After a couple of weeks of family illness (I was last woman standing!), we decided for a fairly chilled weekend, and stayed close to home, taking the children for a stroll through the woods, and then to buy food for a teatime picnic. They had a great time kicking the now dry leaves, and scrabbling around on the woodland floor for pine cones and acorn shells. It’s times like these I realise how little small children need to keep them occupied, and without sounding too sentimental, how getting out and about in nature is good for the soul. I felt really content on Saturday, and it was a bit of a reminder of how much life has changed these last few years (see previous weekly Saturday pastime of beer garden dwelling).

The woods are still fairly bare, reminding us that it’s still only just spring, but with some first signs of new life, as you can see from the pictures. We didn’t find a Gruffalo, or a Treetop House, but we did find a shitload of ‘Logpile Houses’, which kept Freddie and Sasha very happy indeed! After our walk in the woods, we stayed out on the common, playing football and picnicking until nearly bedtime. I think F would have stayed all night if he could. He has so much energy and I really don’t know where he gets it from!

Hope you had a fabulous weekend in the sunshine,

Becky x

Becky Freeman
Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.

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Hi, I’m Becky, a South-East London-based blogger, digital marketer, wife and mum of three. Here you’ll find creative, practical and enjoyable everyday living for modern UK families, including easy recipes, children’s crafts and activities, home inspiration, family life and adventures both in the UK and further afield. Come in and have a look around!

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