Hi Everyone! Uri Guide Dog here, the new doggie bloggist taking over from my big bro Arnie, who’s now retired. I’ve been getting to know National Museum Cardiff very well as it’s one of my mum’s favourite places EVER!

We went to the Museum’s audio tour about Victorian art recently. The paintings and sculptures were beautifully described by the human guides. I was listening intently, even if it did look like I was having a little snooze next to mum. That’s just my listening face.

Anyway I had the chance to meet up with a few colleagues, Guide Dogs Ruby and Alfie, who were also keeping their two-leggeds safe. But we were surprised to find other dogs at the Museum!

I should have known something was up as soon as I arrived… Outside, after a doggie relief moment, I bumped into a colourful dog just sitting on the grass! A beauty, too! I couldn’t believe my luck! But she didn't respond to my waggy tail or my friendly bow. Rude, I thought, but I took a sneaky selfie anyway. Then, inside, I was even more surprised to find a whole pack of multi-coloured pups! I met Oakly, Abi, Smileosaur, Percy and Doris.

Mum explained these are ‘Snowdogs’, and that just like me these are helping dogs too. Except they are made of fiberglass, not fur. They have been made as part of an appeal to help Tŷ Hafan, the children’s hospice in Wales. These sculptural dogs have been decorated by local artists, schools and community groups, and you can follow the Snowdogs: Tails in Wales trail to find them all around Cardiff and the Vale!

As we sat next to the dogs a little girl came up to say hello. She gave me a cuddle and said she was from Marlborough Primary School and had actually helped decorate Percy the pup! Everyone in her class had put a fingerprint on a red background to create a flower pattern on their dog. She was very proud of their work. I told her Percy is PAW-SOME. He really is.

Apparently the Snowdog was chosen because it features in a film, based on a character created by Raymond Briggs. The Snowdog helps a boy deal with the loss of his pet dog by taking him on a magical adventure.

The pack of Snowdogs are going to be sold at auction after the public exhibition and trail finishes. The money raised will help support lots of children and their families, proving that Guide Dogs are not the only dogs who change lives. Good job guys! 

The Museum's next Audio Description Tour takes place on 7^th December

We have been working hard over the last few years to make our museums more welcoming for visitors with visual impairments, but most of our efforts to date have been aimed at adults. That is until a few weeks ago, when we held our first ever fun day for families supporting a loved one with a visual impairment. The dinosaur-themed event, organised in association with the Children and Young People Services team at Guide Dogs Cymru, proved a roaring success.

We began the day with our popular Sounds of the Dinosaurs workshop. This gave everyone a chance to hold some real dinosaur fossils and get a basic introduction to the topic. Once the scene was set, everyone took part in our noisy dinosaur story, Albie the Adventurer. Using recorders, shakers and trumpets, the children had lots of fun recreating the sounds of the prehistoric forest.

Once we finished the story (and our ears stopped ringing), we paused for tea and cake before venturing out into the galleries. Heading straight to the Dinosaur Babies exhibition, we were joined by museum staff who gave a special sensory guided tour. As the exhibition is full of touchable dinosaur bones and eggs (both replica and real), it made for the perfect tour. Visitors even got to compare an Apatosaurus leg bone with a cow's, and listen to the scary roars of the animatronic dinosaur!   

After the tour, we visited the activity area at the back of the exhibition. There, the children made dinosaur artworks, completed a jigsaw and even dressed up as a T. rex! Finally, everyone got the chance to become a palaeontologist and explore the dig pit. One young visitor even proclaimed, "I wish we could all live in the museum so we could play every day!"

We're still learning about events like this, but thanks to everyone at Guide Dogs Cymru, the day ran very smoothly. We're hoping to do more family days in the future, so if anyone has any ideas, or would like to take part, please get in touch! If you’re unfamiliar with our work to make our museums more accessible, find more information on the blog. There are posts on staff training, work with our youth forum, and of course our friends Arnie and Uri, the blogging guide dogs.

The programme of learning activities for Dinosaur Babies is generously supported by Western Power Distribution.

Local shops in the St.Fagans area are probably wondering why their stock of swedes have been running so low lately!  Before the pumpkin, made popular by the American love of the festival, we had the humble swede. Although smaller, with its gnarled appearance and hairy roots, it did the job well and was traditionally carved and used as a lantern just like a pumpkin today.

The flesh of a swede is harder than a pumpkin so a bit more effort had to be put into removing it. After a little experimentation, the kitchen utensil of choice turned out to be the apple corer.   A scary face could then be easily carved with a knife.

What to do with all that swede! Traditionally it would have been thrown into the cooking pot, but an alternative recipe comes from Poland.  A swede tastes like radish when eaten raw. Sliced very thinly, seasoned with salt and pepper then mixed with chopped spring onion, parsley and a drop of olive oil, it makes a very light and refreshing salad. A phrase I've never applied to a swede before!

A big thank you to our conservation volunteers who worked so hard to recreate our traditional Jack O’ Lanterns. 31 were made in all, so if you're coming along to our spooktacular Halloween festival this year, keep an eye out for them, they are likely to jump out and scare you at any time.

Happy Halloween everyone

Helo Cyfeillion y Gwanwyn,

Mae'n bron diwrnod plannu! Ydych chi'n barod? Dyma rai adnoddau defnyddiol i'ch paratoi ar gyfer plannu eich bylbiau a gofalu amdanynt dros y misoedd nesaf! Mae'r rhain hefyd ar wefan Bylbiau'r Gwanwyn i Ysgolion: https://amgueddfa.cymru/bylbiau-gwanwyn/

Dylech ddarllen y dogfennau hyn:

• Llythyr oddi wrth Athro'r Ardd (cyflwyniad i'r prosiect)

• Mabwysiadu eich Bwlb (trosolwg o’r gofal fydd angen ar eich Bylbiau)

• Plannu eich bylbiau (canllawiau ar gyfer sicrhau arbrawf teg)

A chwblhewch y gweithgareddau hyn:

• Tystysgrif Mabwysiadu Bylbiau

• Creu Labelai Bylbiau

Mae'n bwysig eich bod yn darllen y rhain oherwydd maent yn cynnwys gwybodaeth bwysig! Er enghraifft, ydych chi'n gwybod pa mor ddwfn mae angen i chi blannu eich bylbiau? Neu sut i labelu fel mae’n glir lle mae'r Cennin Pedr a Chrocws wedi eu plannu?

Cofiwch dynnu lluniau o'ch diwrnod plannu i gystadlu yn y Gystadleuaeth Ffotograffydd Diwrnod Plannu!

Cadwch lygad ar dudalen Twitter Athro'r Ardd i weld lluniau o ysgolion eraill: https://twitter.com/professor_plant

Pob lwc! Gadewch i ni wybod sut mae'n mynd!

Athro'r Ardd a Bwlb Bychan

Mae e-lyfr newydd ‘Amser Golchi’ yn trafod golchi dillad yng Nghymru cyn dyfodiad y peiriant golchi. Mae wedi ei gynllunio ar gyfer plant, ac mae’n cynnwys gemau bach a deunydd archif er mwyn rhoi cyd-destun gweladwy i’r broses. Mae gan blant ysgol gyfle i ddod i’n hamgueddfeydd hefyd er mwyn profi sut beth oedd gwneud y ‘golch’ â llaw, fel oedd yn digwydd ymhell i mewn i’r 20fed ganrif.

Y Golch

Os ydych chi weithiau’n laru ar roi tomen o ddillad drwy’r golch a mynd trwy’r rigma-rôl o’u sychu, ddim ond iddynt gael eu gwisgo a glanio yn y fasged olchi unwaith eto, dychmygwch hynny i gyd heb beiriant!

Fel hwylusydd yn chwarae rhan Beti Bwt sydd yn gwneud y ‘Golch’ yn Sain Ffagan gyda grwpiau ysgol, ‘dwi’n dod ar draws sawl athro neu athrawes gydag atgof plentyn o’u neiniau yn golchi heb beiriant, neu o weld offer golchi o gwmpas y lle.

Mae’r e-lyfr hwn yn cyd-fynd gyda gweithdai golchi dillad yn Sain Ffagan, Amgueddfa Lechi Cymru, a Big Pit, Amgueddfa Lofaol Cymru.

Sut oedd mynd ati:

Cyn peiriannau golchi, roedd gwneud y golch yn broses hir a chaled. Yn y canol oesoedd gallai barau dyddiau, ac roedd yn weithgaredd a ddigwyddai bob mis neu ddau, yn dibynnu ar y cyflenwad o ddillad glân oedd ar gael. Roedd gallu byw heb olchi dillad yn symbol o statws gan ei fod yn golygu fod y tylwyth yn gyfoethocach gyda digon o ddillad wrth gefn.

Erbyn y 19eg ganrif, roedd teclynnau a nwyddau wedi datblygu a daeth y golch yn ddigwyddiad wythnosol, pob dydd Llun i fod mwy penodol. Roedd merched yn aml am y cyntaf i orffen y golch, ac yn ceisio ei gwblhau mewn diwrnod.

Er gwaetha’r teclynnau, roedd gwaith i’w wneud cyn hyd yn oed cychwyn ar y dillad. Doedd dim tapiau mewn llawer o dai ymhell i mewn i’r 20fed ganrif ac felly roedd rhaid ei nôl o ffynnon, afon neu dap cyfagos, cyn ei gynhesu dros y tan.

Yna roedd rhaid rhoi sebon neu soda, yn dibynnu os oedd lliw ar y dillad, yn syth arnynt a’u sgrwbio yn erbyn bwrdd sgrwbio. I’r twba doli â’r dillad wedyn, er mwyn defnyddio’r doli i’w rinsio. Ar ôl eu sychu ar y gwrychoedd neu’r lein, roedd angen eu startsio a’u smwddio gyda haearn wedi ei gynhesu yn y tan.

Y dillad olaf i gael eu golchi oedd y dillad gwaith. Mewn ardaloedd llechi neu lo, roedd y ffustion yn drwch o lwch. Gwrandewch ar y clip sain er mwyn clywed mwy am olchi dillad chwarelwr:

Gallwch lawr lwytho'r e-lyfr oddi ar iTunes trwy ein gwefan, ble gallwch ddod o hyd i fanylion er mwyn archebu lle ar gyfer grwpiau ysgol yn un o’n hamgueddfeydd a chael tro eich hun ar wneud y golch.