Drawing inspiration from Grandparents

 The kids are lucky to have both sets of Grandparents and two Great Grandmothers too, which is a lot of lovely people looking out for things that they will enjoy.  At Christmas, for example, my folks got the boys the Beano and the Dandy annuals, which fired their enthusiasm for comics.  Then last week their nearby Great Grandmother gave Ollie a cartoon drawing book she had found, which took the comic book appreciation to another level as Ollie realised he could use this when he makes his own books.

Ollie sat at Nan's table with a pencil and box of pastels happily copying images from the book, completely taking us by surprise in how patiently he worked away and how good a copy they were.  We had no idea he would be able to do this - there's always opportunities for making and doing at home, but I hadn't thought to ask him to try to copy something in this way since the 'how to draw dinosaurs' book I got him last year which he showed no interest in.

Very soon he was adding his own dialogue to the cartoons, as in this one where he took the initial image of what he decided was the Giant thinking about Jack (from Jack and the Beanstalk) and added in extras such as Jack hiding in a cupboard with a gold hen (a change from the goose that laid the golden egg).

Having other adults around in a child's life (family or friends) is really valuable for so many reasons, including inspiration for trying new things.  Some of those new things might even be quite old things that you enjoyed yourself as a child, such as the cheeky adventures of Dennis the Mennis.  We've certainly struck gold with these ideas for the kids, so a big thank you to the boys Grand- and Great Grandparents.

Plate monsters

 I haven't been posting recently as I've had my head down at night studying subduction zone geology, but we've still been doing plenty of fun activities during the day.

I intersperse the kids writing and maths work with craft activities, so the crafts we do at these times need to be quick, easy to set up and easy to clear away.

Here's one from a couple of weeks ago.  All you need are paper plates and a selection of bits from your junk box.  If you haven't got a junk box, it's definitely worth starting one.  I save interesting cartons, small boxes, old birthday cards, shiny wrappers, fruit nets and the like.  Even the paper plates aren't really essential as you could use card cut from a cereal packet.

The boys used PVA (white) glue and clear tape to attach the bits and pieces, and added stickers and googly eyes to finish their monsters off.

When finished the boys had great fun stomping around chasing each other with the monsters, which are now blue tacked to the kitchen wall to peer down and make sure everyone eats their dinner.

If you have a go at this with your little monsters, I'd love to see the results, so why not come and join us over at The Maz Shack on Facebook and add your pic.

How to make a paper plate Christmas tree

Here's a lovely idea pinched from a clever friend.

Take one paper plate.

Paint it green.  Leaving the outside edge white produces a snowy effect on the finished piece.

When the paint dries, cut it into quarters.

Arrange into a Christmas Tree shape as shown and glue pieces together.

Add glitter, sequins and any other small decorations you fancy.

Hang up and admire.

Saying thank you (and meaning it)

 I guess we've all been there.  You spent a great deal of time thinking of what you hope is a thoughtful gift for someone, you hunted around for it, perhaps went over budget a bit because you really want it to be special, wrapped it up nicely, handed it over to be added to the pile at the party/wedding/under the tree or sent it off through the post.

 You have a mixture of feelings - happiness because you think you've got something great that they will enjoy, but also worry that they won't like it.

Then you hear nothing.  Did they hate it?  Did they think you just picked the first thing you saw without any thought?  Do they think you're tightfisted and didn't spend enough, even though it was really the best you could do?  Now you're stuck between different emotions - worry you are a terrible gift giver and annoyance that maybe the recipient didn't deserve your effort because how hard is it to text 'cheers for the thing, that was nice'.  Also a little bad that's you're even thinking about it - that's not a very kind way to be thinking about people after all.

I think this is why I try hard to remember to say thank you for the thoughtful things we receive from others, although my profuse apologies to anyone if I have failed to do so and it was thought but not spoken as I am sure I have forgotten to say thank you too many times.

It's a good thing to introduce to kids for the sake of the giver feeling thanked, but for the child I think it shouldn't be just done as a thoughtless chore of sending off a thank you note when the they don't remember what it was for.  We want to be getting them to consider what they received and from whom. It's good for us to practice gratitude as part of daily mindfulness, to look for the nice things in each day, and studies have shown it contributes to our own happiness when we do this.  By thinking about the fact that someone was thinking about us, it reinforces the idea that we are loved, and sets our place in our family or amongst our friends.  The size and expense of gift is irrelevant - Ollie was just as pleased with a picture drawn by a young friend for his birthday as he was with bought gifts, and it still has pride of place on the fridge. Most of our friends and family got a verbal thank you after his birthday, but for the Nans and Grandads Ollie wanted to do something more.

So when we sat down to make thank you cards, thinking of the people who the cards were for as he made them was a big part of it.  For his most elderly Nan who has vision problems, he chose to make a card with bright, contrasting colours, and with elements glued on so that there would be a ridge around the shapes that she could feel even if she couldn't see it clearly (he had been learning about the eye and eye disorders thanks to a lovely gift so he was aware of the issues she has).

 He did his biggest, clearest writing for the inside of the card, and since writing isn't his favourite thing this meant as much effort as the actual picture on the front.  Cards for his other Nans and Grandads were equally carefully thought out and written out, then we went to the post office for him to post them himself.

Hopefully the recipients liked them and realised that this was something Ollie had put a great deal of time and effort into because he was genuinely happy and thankful for the gifts they had given.

My yoga teacher friend says that children show us and teach us a great deal, and I think she's right. How many of us, if gently reminded to say thank you, would spend hours making cards and excitedly talking about how happy we were with the things that were chosen for us, appreciating the gifts equally regardless of price or if we even particularly like it, because each represented a thought someone had for us?

So when the kids next hand me some soggy gross thing they found outside as a 'present' for me, I'm hoping I can muster a proper thank you, and mean it, because that slimy leaf represents a thought they had for me (just as much as the book I'm just laying it out there might be a nice Christmas present for me from the hubbie since I was naughty and read the one he got me already and I just got a recommendation for one I'd like today, p.s. it's 'Gut' by Giulia Enders hint hint Matt).

Carpentry for Christmas

A few weeks ago we took a book out of the library called 'Harvey the Carpenter' by Lars Klinting (2005).  In this lovely book the process for making a tool box is explained, along with the tools used and a plan you can use, while the story of the eponymous beaver constructing the toolbox unfolds.  The kids were really impressed.  They had been asking for tools for a while and this book fired their interest in making things from wood.  "Can we make one?" was the inevitable question. "Erm, probably" was my response.  One day while I was home sick and working on a deadline it seemed the perfect opportunity for a bit of Daddy bonding time, so the boys drew up plans for the box using CAD software, with Ollie inputting the dimensions, then they headed off to try to source the materials needed.

Finding hand tools was tough (in the case of hand drills, they aren't stocked by either Wickes or B&Q) and the wood needed wasn't found, so a truly awful piece of MDF substituted for it, but the kids were pleased with their haul of carpentry essentials.  They had fun drawing out the design onto the wood and spent a couple of hours out in the shed creating the box which was to be Ollie's.  They duly painted it his favourite colour and I varnished it for them.

Next it was the turn of Toby's toolbox, which Toby and Ollie helped me make yesterday.  In typically different approaches to things, rather than using the lovely plan they had created and measuring it out, I opted for the quicker option of drawing round things and hoping for the best.  Surprisingly the result isn't much different from the boys first box, and they certainly had a lot of fun making it, and then painting it Toby's favourite colour (he's recently graduated from pink to purple, which caused him a lot of debate when choosing the watch he wanted for Christmas - a pink one with a rainbow on it, or a purple one with a butterfly.  He eventually went for the butterfly).  I also opted for a different approach to the boys first toolbox and did everything in the kitchen, where it was warm, bright and close to the coffee pot and the radio.

What I was really impressed with was how helpful the kids were, especially when in both cases one of them knew the finished product was not for them.  Ollie persisted and completed painting the box after Toby had lost interest (and started gluing glitter to a piece of paper).  Ollie also took the dustpan and brush and cleaned up the sawdust without being asked, and both took turns in handing me nails and using the hammer and saw without squabbling.  They even filed the rough edges off the shapes without filing the kitchen furniture or each other.  Those of you with daughters may not understand how surprising these things are to a parent of small boys.

A seasoned carpenter would laugh at our wonky efforts, but it's more than just a finished product that the boys are proud of (and me too - it's a long time since I built something that wasn't flat packed).  The kids enjoyed the long period of sustained attention to something for them and with them, the shared goal of producing something together and the opportunity to take time to make a gift for each other.  Of all the bits and pieces they have asked for this Christmas (watches, extra train track, torches) I think it will be these gifts to each other that will mean the most to them.

Safety bit: use your best judgement about when your kids are ready for using sharp tools, do it with extreme and constant supervision and read safety info on paints and varnishes.  Keep tools well out of reach/locked up when not in use if there is any chance your kids will go looking for them to do a little  unsupervised DIY of their own. We painted with kids ready-made poster paint (mixed with PVA glue for the first coat), and I followed the instructions on the varnish and applied it in a well ventilated space, using gloves and well away from the kids.

Themed activities day - Australia

This month the lovely storyteller at the Delaware Pavilion in Bexhill was an Australian and used Australian animals as props in her session.  This gave us a great opportunity to theme the rest of the days activities around learning about Australia.

We pulled out our new Atlas and book of World Flags, both by Collins, and had fun finding the animals that had been in the storyteller's tales.  There was an image of Sydney Opera House in one of the books which the boys recognised from the film Finding Nemo.  Then we looked at the flag of Australia and how it was similar and different to some other flags such as the British flag and the New Zealand flag.

I gave the boys the option to then either try to paint an Australian flag, or to make up one of their own. They decided to make up their own and we spent a fun afternoon making up flags and names of countries, plus where in the world our new countries would be and what they would be like.  We also practiced writing the word 'flag'.

We read 'A bigger digger' by Brett Avison and Craig Smith because it is based on a farm in Australia where a boy and his dog discover a dinosaur skeleton.

At bedtime we finished off our themed day by reading an Australian creation story about the Sun Mother from our 'Barefoot Book of Earth Tales'.

We obviously just scraped the surface of all the Australia based activities we could have done, but other things we could investigate include Australian art, food, history and much more about the wildlife.  The boys certainly had a lot of fun and went to bed singing the 'g'day' song the storyteller had taught them.

The benefit of having a themed day is that it makes working out activities for the day easy, and so many learning areas and skills can be covered without it feeling like you are sitting down at a lesson.  We developed fine motor skills and creativity in our painting, did some writing and lots of reading together, sang, danced and learned about geography, wildlife and culture all with no more preparation than the idea that we would theme our day around whatever we found the storyteller was basing their activities on, a box of craft materials and well stocked book shelves.

Vikings at Abbotsbury Children's Farm

 This weekend we were being Vikings at Abbotsbury Children's Farm in Dorset.  The heavens opened as we set off, and the weather warnings made us wonder if we were doing the right thing, then ten minutes out of Abbotsbury the rain stopped so we could pitch our tent in the camping field without getting everything soaked.  Abbotsbury is one of our favourite shows, but this is the first time we've attended as re-enactors.  Last year we paid to get in and visited our friends as MOPs (members of the public).

 The children's farm is a fantastic place to visit even when there are no Vikings present, with pony rides and a petting corner, a huge play barn and lots to see on a small footprint of land so it's easy to keep track of little ones.  Historically it's a really interesting site, with old monastic buildings and the massive tithe barn having been ruined and eventually re-purposed after the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII.

I spent most of the day demonstrating nalbinding socks for the kids while the boys defended their straw bale fort with the help of enthusiastic viking and MOP kids working together to repel the invading force of Matt.  I really enjoyed listening to the talks given to the public on weapons, armour and clothing given by the hugely knowledgeable Chad the Grym who was positioned opposite me.  Re-enactors are not just people dressed up in funny clothes, every one of them is a mine of information on different areas of history.  Some are combat experts, others can tell you everything that is currently known about diet and cooking, and since most people make their own kit there are a lot of craft skills to learn from each other and from research.

After a gloriously sunny day (and a cheeky ice cream in the cafe) we waved goodbye to the visitors and headed for an evening walk up to the atmospheric St Catherine's Chapel which sits on top of what looks like an iron age hill fort before heading back to our tent for the night.  The storm then hit pretty hard, but we were snug in our tent and the rain stopped for an hour in the morning to let us pack up our tent and head off.  Good times, good friends and a dry tent - what more could we want from a weekend.

Weekend box review part two

 Regulars will remember I promised a part two to my review of the great pack sent to us by The Weekend Box Club last week because there was just so much to cover.  I was super excited to find that when I just Googled 'weekend box club' to check if there were any changes or updates to include on today's review that my last blog review was the second entry on the Google list!

For folks who haven't read my previous post, very briefly the Weekend Box Club is a fantastic concept for kids.  Every fortnight you get posted a box containing everything you need for four fun activities, including something to cook, something to make, something to explore and something green.  The box also contains clear instructions cards and stickers to add to each completed activity.  If you love doing fun and educational activities with your kids and are looking for an easy way to expand your repertoire, the Weekend Box Club is perfect.

Anyhow, here's how we got on with the second half of the box.  First up we tried out the Sound Explorer activity, which had a great lead in to finding out about sounds and useful literacy building activities on the information card.  There was also a web link provided to a video of possibly the coolest thing I've seen in a long time - a man using just a balloon and some straws to change his voice into a robot voice.  We had a lot of fun doing the first part of this activity and cutting straws to make reeds to blow and make funny noises.  Then Ollie got hold of the balloon and the activity changed direction as he found it was really entertaining to blow it up and then watch it whizz off.  When it whizzed down the back of the fridge we had to abandon the activity until we have a chance to restock on balloons.  If you want to see what we were trying to make it's on YouTube under 'Robot Voice Talk Box'.  For little ones the learning here is more about trying out new things, but for slightly older ones it is a great introduction into ideas about vocal cords and sound wave vibrations.

The final activity was a super cute crafting opportunity.  The objective is to make a rocking bird using card, powder paint, feathers, sugar paper and googly eyes and a glue stick, all of which are supplied in the pack.  This activity is a lovely way to let little ones create something really effective looking.  I'm a big fan of freestyle art work as a way of nurturing creative talents, but there is also a real sense of achievement to be gained from learning how to follow simple instructions so that your creation looks a lot like the one in the example.  Ollie did all the elements for this activity himself, selecting a round shape to draw around that fit on the card supplied, mixing the paint, painting in the circle and so on.  The only bit he didn't do was cutting out the circle since his cutting is more enthusiastic than accurate at the moment.  Making his bird was a good way for Ollie to work on hand-eye co-ordination, fine motor skills and his listening and comprehension skills.  In cutting up the paper for the tail plumes it also gave him a chance to use his scissors, always a big hit.  I liked watching how he extended the activity to paint a nest for the bird to sit in too.

We had some paper and paint left over from making the bird, including the paper envelope that the materials came in, so we teamed them up with a paper plate to make something else.  Ollie decided to paint the sea using his left over poster paint.  I cut out some fish for him from the paper envelope.  Ollie cut more spare sugar paper strips to make sea week, stuck it all on and drew eyes, smiley mouths and bubbles on.  I then told him the letters he needed to write the word 'sea' into the biggest bubble at his request.

One of the things I love about the Weekend Box Club is that as well as being 100% re-usable or recyclable, and made from 95% recycled materials, each activity lends itself to being extended using the child's own imagination and the materials provided can often be used again.  For example we have used the coins provided in the Pot 'o gold activity to play treasure maps as well as repeating the original activity several times.

If anyone wants to try a first box for free, visit https://www.weekendboxclub.com/ and enter the promotional code  MARIANNE59