Seven ways for kids to go wild in London this autumn

Autumn and winter are two of the best seasons for birdwatching at WWT, as some of the UK's most attractive ducks arrive. Teal, wigeon and shovelers are easy to spot on our main lake. The elusive bitterns are also present on the reserve throughout winter. So grab your binoculars to see what birds are all about.

This is the peak season for fungi, too, so check out the woodland, grassland or woodchip borders in your local park. From big and colourful species such as the wood blewit to the tiny, dainty fairy inkcap – youíre bound to find something at this time of year.

You can help creepy-crawlies get ready for hibernation by creating mini-beast hotels in your back garden. This is the time of year when many insects go for a winter snooze, so don't sweep those leaves away – create little sheltered corners using twigs and other natural materials you can find.

Or you could make a birdfeeder to help small birds such as siskin, finches, tits, sparrows and nuthatch get through the winter.

Why let the wet weather stop you from having fun? We're hosting the London Puddle Jumping Championships at the WWT London Wetland Centre in the February half-term, so grab your anoraks, pull on some wellies and get practising!

Nature crafts are a great way to get kids outdoors. Willow, for example, is brilliant for making decorative crowns and wreaths. Use berries, leaves and seed heads for colour. Or collect autumn leaves and conkers to create earth art. Look out for colourful berries like rowan and hawthorn, and winter evergreen such as ivy and mistletoe.

And finally… The darker nights rolling in over the autumn months mean great stargazing over big wetland skies (you donít even have to stay up too late).