WE’RE MAKING the most of getting outside during the final few weeks of summer before the schools re-open for the new year.

The Discovery Garden is a family favourite where children can join in with nature weaving to create a work of art using natural materials foraged from the garden floor. Making mud pies, balancing on a log, spotting birds and running through a willow tunnel are just a few of the other things that can be enjoyed.

Our volunteers are running den building sessions every Tuesday and Saturday between 1pm and 3pm until September 2. You can come along and put your construction skills to the test to build the best den ever.

If you enjoy hands-on activities then making butter in the barn is a fun family session that takes place on Sundays August 26 and September 6 at 2pm. You’ll discover the secret of how butter used to be made by hand, and experience how difficult making and keeping butter before the days of electricity, fridges was for the people who once worked at the hall. There’s a £2 per participant cost for this to help cover the cost of materials.

The picturesque gardens are holding onto their cottage garden feeling, with shades of purples, pinks and deep blues.

There are roses galore, fox gloves, hydrangea, phlox, and many more flowers and plants to be enjoyed, including the purple clusters of verbena which will last through into September/October.

If you enjoy spending time getting closer to nature in the gardens, then you may enjoy coming along to one of our natural dyeing sessions to learn more about the plants. Between 1pm and 3pm every Wednesday and Sunday in September we’ll be experimenting with natural dyeing using rainbows of colours from crushed flowers, berries, roots and bark. You can come along to the drop-in session to try this traditional technique for yourself and see what colours you can create.

On Saturdays September 8 and 22 we’ll be running special behind the scene tours to see the house before its open to visitors. You’ll be welcomed into the house by the conservation team and invited to join in the morning routine of waking up the house. You’ll find a little bit out about the house’s history, but this tour focusses on how we look after the building and its collection.

You’ll discover why we choose to flood certain rooms with light and leave others cloaked in darkness, find out why we have the heating on in summer and understand how we balance the conservation and visitor needs. The hour-long tour starts at 9.30am and includes a light breakfast. Tickets are £15 per person and booking is essential - 0344 2491895.

East Riddlesden Hall is open daily at 10.30am between Saturdays and Wednesdays, and will also open on Thursdays in September. Last admission 4pm. For full details please visit nationaltrust.org.uk/riddlesdenhall.