Swing Set PlayGround

Posts Tagged ‘parenting’

School Christmas holidays will soon be here and little kids the world over may soon be chanting, “Mummy! I’m bored!”

So, here are a dozen or so play-time ‘recipes’ to help keep your children entertained this winter.  Learn how to make homespun goop, papier mâché, cinnamon ornaments, soap crayons and much more. Pull out this article and stick it to your fridge – it will be one of your best weapons against the ‘boredom’ gremlins!

Washable window paints
A selection of tempera paints (powdered or premixed)
Clear dishwashing liquid
Mix powdered paints with dishwashing liquid until they resemble house paint. Be sure to line the window sashes with masking tape and spread newspaper under the window area to protect flooring. To erase paint or touch up mistakes just wipe paint away with a dry paper towel.

Home-made coloring books

Go online and download a dozen or so coloring book pages and collate them into a coloring book. Put this aside for rainy days or for long car/train/plane journeys. Little boys love images of cars and trucks while little girls prefer coloring book pictures of fairytales and princesses. At sites like Hello Kitty Coloring Pages you’ll find the best Hello Kitty colouring pages.

Cinnamon Christmas ornaments
3/4-1 cup applesauce
1 (4.12-oz.) bottle of ground cinnamon
Mix applesauce with cinnamon to form a stiff dough. Roll out to 5mm thickness. Cut with cookie cutter and make hole for ribbon using the end of a drinking straw. Carefully put aside to dry for several days – turning occasionally. This recipe makes twelve sweet-smelling ornaments/drawer scenters.

Goop

2 packets of cornflour
2 cups of water
Several drops of food colouring

Place newspaper or plastic sheets on your work surface. Mix the ingredients in a large bowl. Children love goop’s squishy consistency. You can also use coloured or black paper to make goop paintings if you wish. To remove goop from carpets, allow it to dry, then brush vigorously or vacuum. The great thing about goop is that it may be re-used after it has dried out. Crumble it to a powder then restore it to the original consistency by adding water a tablespoonful at a time.

Funny putty
2 tablespoons of white glue
1 tablespoon of liquid starch
Food colouring
Mix glue and desired food colour. Pour starch over top. Swish about so that all the glue is covered. Let this set 5 minutes. Squeeze off extra starch and knead until mixed.

Bubbles
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of glycerine
2 tablespoons of liquid dish soap
Mix water, glycerine and soap. Pour in sugar. Add food colouring if desired.

Papier mâché

1 cup flour
1 cup warm water
1/2 inch strips of newspaper
Balloon/s

In a large bowl, mix flour and water – add more flour is mixture is too sloppy (dripping). Place the newspaper strips into the mixture, then simply smooth onto blown up balloon. Cover balloon completely twice, letting dry in between layers. Do not cover the balloon’s knot. Dry in a warm place for around two or three days then hold the knot and pop the balloon with a pin. Paint, glitter and decorate the balloon as is or cut in half so you have a bowl/hat shape to embellish.

Modelling/play dough
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
water
food colouring

Mix the ingredients and knead to a dough consistency. To speed up the drying process, place the dough artwork in the oven on a low heat.

Soap crayons

1 3/4 cups of soap flakes

50 drops food colouring
1/4 cup water

Mix water and soap flakes together. Add food colouring and put mixture into an ice cube tray. When hardened, pop the ‘ice cubes’ out. These soap crayons are fun to write with on the tub and tiles during bath time. If grouting stains, simply spray with a weak solution of bleach.

Sand dye

Fine sand

Water

Food colouring

Paper cups

Plastic spoons

Fill paper cups half full with sand. Next, add water to the cups to completely cover sand. Add food colouring until you get the desired colour. Stir with a plastic spoon and let set for 15 minutes. Pour off the water, spoon sand onto paper towels and then spread the sand out to dry. Use sand to make pictures (spread glue on paper and sprinkle sand on top) or to fill pretty bottles in layers.

Cornstarch Art/Finger-paint

3 tablespoons of cornstarch

1/4 cup cold water

2 drops of dishwashing liquid

1 cup boiling water

Food colouring

Combine cornstarch and cold water – stir until smooth. Add dishwashing liquid. Pour boiling water into the bowl and stir until the mixture thickens. Add some food colouring and let it cool. Use this exactly as you would use store-bought finger paint.

Puffy Paint

Flour

Salt

Water

Tempera paint

Mix equal parts of flour, salt and water in a bowl. Add a tiny amount of tempera paint to the mixture and pour into a small plastic squeezy bottle. Repeat this over and over to make as many colours as you wish. Squeeze liberally onto heavy paper or even cardboard to make designs. Mixture will look great when it hardens into puffy shapes.

Colourful Salt

1/2 cup salt

5 to 6 drops of food colouring

Add food colouring to salt. Stir well. Cook in microwave for 1-2 minutes or spread on waxed paper and let salt air dry. Store in an airtight container and use as you would glitter.

Encourage creativity in your children by providing them with the time, resources, encouragement and the space for making art. Try to set aside interruption-free time for drawing, in a mess-proof zone – so that their creativity can run wild. Make sure you cover all surfaces so that any splashes of paint or scribbles of crayon are ‘caught’ – because  nothing squishes creativity more so than a parent saying “Don’t make a mess” every 2 minutes.

Choose the right drawing materials too as this is very  important. Many craft materials can be improvised (think of kitchen roll tubes, yogurt pots etc) but when drawing tools and paper are required, opt for a small selection of good quality age-appropriate products, rather than loads of inferior products. Be sure to check safety information and follow instructions. Young children should always be surpervised during arts and crafts activities because many necessary materials – such as crayons – pose a choking hazard.

Surroundings:As with writing or working at a computer, good posture and a comfortable position are important for drawing. A child sized table and chair is actually preferable to an easel. If the chair is a little high, provide a phone book for a footrest. An inexpensive plastic chair  set in front of a coffee table works well. A small kitchen storage trolley is perfect for containing supplies, or if space does not allow, a portable fishing tackle box is a great option too. Messy toddlers may need a drop-cloth and supervision to avoid ink-stained walls, as even ‘washable’ pens often don’t deliver on that promise!

Art Materials:Avoid cheap markers, too-hard pencils and thin paints – these types of materials are discouraging to the child and therefore  a waste of money. Provide many sheets of blank paper to inspire their creativity and occasionally invest in a canvas so that your child can paint something and chances are you’ll want to hang it on your wall!Provide coloring books as well or coloring pages which are bountiful online. True – coloring pages are not so great for creativity, however they do provide children with the chance to practice their fine motor skills – plus sometimes it’s very relaxing and just what they need. They can simply color in without feeling the ‘pressure’ about WHAT to draw.  Little boys typically enjoy coloring pictures of cars and trucks while little girls usually enjoy colouring images of princesses and fairies - however you can’t go wrong with Disney characters and at sites like Disney Coloring Pages you’ll find the best Mickey Mouse coloring.

When it comes to drawing and coloring, at each age/stage of your child’s life provide….

Toddlers:

• Child-safe markers and wipe-off boards
• Chalk boards and safe chalk
• Plain paper and coloring pages

Juniors:

• Sketchbook
• Student colored pencils
• Washable Markers
• Oil pastels
• Plain paper and coloring pages

Middle School:

• Sketchbook  or scrapbook
• Graphite Pencils
• Watercolor sketch paper
• Watercolor pencils
• Marker pens, marker paper
• Plain paper and coloring pages

High School

• Sketchbook  or scrapbook
• Quality drawing papers and boards
• Graphite Pencils
• Artists’ quality colored pencils
• Illustration markers, marker paper
• Pastel paper and hard pastels if liked
• Plain paper and canvases to work on

All ages:

• Safe sharpeners, erasers, dusters, stencils and rulers
• A  folder for storing large pieces
• Storage boxes for smaller pieces
• Consider photographing or scanning pieces for a permanent record.

When the kids get home from school in the afternoon and say ‘I’m bored’, at least you can point them towards doing their homework – however – when it’s the week-end or school holidays – you know that it won’t be long until you hear ‘I’m bored’ several times a day!

Times are tough economically but entertaining kids has never been an expensive enterprise -  so here are eight ideas to keep your children busy, creative and active during these long summer months.

Milk Jug Bird Feeders – Rinse out an empty plastic gallon milk jug with lid. Cut a window in the front of the jug, and make two small poke holes for the perches. Insert sticks for perches and fill the bottom of the jug with bird seed suitable to the birds in your area. Depending on the ages of the child, let them problem solve and figure out the best way to secure the perch and if they wish they can decorate the birdfeeder before hanging it on the balcony or in the garden.

Aluminum Can Crafts – Paint an empty, rinsed out tuna can with acrylic paint or spray paint.Decorate with glitter, glue, buttons, stickers and any other odds and ends you might find.Once completed these make cute little holders for hair accessories, paper clips, rubber bands, keys, jewelry etc. Apply the same idea to an empty soup can to make a pen or pencil holder. These are great to give to fathers to take into the office.

Coloring in – Coloring in was the staple activity of many summer holidays when I was la litle girl. If you have access to the internet and a printer, it means you don’t even have to pay for a coloring book. When it comes to coloring pictures, you really can’t go wrong with Disney and at sites like Disney Coloring Pages you’ll find the best Disney coloring book pages

Coffee Can Stilts – Using two 1-pound coffee cans, turn each can upside down so that the plastic lid is on the bottom. Using a scredriver, an adult should poke two holes – one each side of the can. Using some rope, thread through holes in the cans. Tie off inside the can and practice walking on them. Kids can decorate the cans if they so wish to make them more personal.

Jar Candles – Keep aside the stubs of candles. When you have saved several, melt them all together using a double boiler. Color the wax by adding small pieces of wax crayon to the mixture. Pour the wax into glass jelly or mason jars or metal cans. Use cotton string for wicks and decorate the outside of the candle holder with acrylic paints. Once the sun sets – light your candle…but always make sure that you surpervise your children around flames!

Paper Towel Rain Makers – Young kids love noise makers such as maracas. Color, paint and decorate paper towel rolls. Cover one end of a paper towel roll with waxed paper (for extra noise!) and close it off with a rubber band or three. Pour a handful or three of dried beans or split peas in the open end and close the open end the same way as the other. Poke toothpicks through the rolls at different intervals to add a ‘rain shaker’ sound – like the ones the aboriginal people of Australia create.

Paper Towel Tube Holders – Decorate a discarded paper towel tube with paint, markers, stickers and crayons. Once decorated this is  a colorful carrying tube. Roll up drawings and put them inside the tube to take them to their teacher, grandparents, friends or relatives.

Pet Rocks – Pet rocks have stood the test of time and any rock can be turned into a pet rock with a lick of paint and some googly eyes. First, find smooth, flat or round rocks. Be sure to clean off any mud or sand and dry completely before starting. Painting with acrylic paints. Decorate faces by adding yarn for hair, googly eyes, glitter and any other bits and pieces you like. I always put freckles on mine!

Enjoy the summer holidays!

A family focused on a common goal, works together, problem solves and talks together. Family projects bring all family members closer. Whether you choose to create a garden, watch the night sky together or put together a time capsule, you will enjoy the camaraderie and conversation that develops.

Here are some great family project ideas that you might want to adopt – and who knows, some of these may well become a family tradition before too long.

SPOTTING SATELLITES

Did you know that there are over eight thousand artificial objects orbiting Earth? Over 2,500 are satellites, operative and inoperative while the remaining objects are orbital debris: parts such as nosecone shrouds, lenses, hatch covers, rocket bodies, and even objects that ‘escape’ from manned spacecraft during operations.

To spot satellites, grab a few lawn chairs and head for the garden. Depending on the evening you choose, you will see from one of many satellites passing overhead. These could range from communications satellites, to simply space trash. They look somewhat like really bright stars, passing overhead in a straight path. Those in the know state that the first hour or so after sun down is the best time to spot them. There still has to be enough light in the sky for the satellites to reflect it – so dusk is the best time. When you spot a satellite log what you see and keep a family record.

MAKE A COLORING BOOK

Make coloring books together. Print coloring pages from the Internet and create coloring books for relatives, friends, nephews, nieces or even for yourselves to be put away for a rainy day. You could also keep a book or two aside as something for younger children to do when they visit your home.

You really can’t go wrong if you create a Disney coloring book because children of all ages love the many Disney characters from Mulan to Mickey Mouse and from Goofy to Mowgli. To get you started, at sites like Disney Coloring Pages you’ll find many Disney print and color to print and collate.

Next, create a cover sheet that reads something like, ‘The Smith Family Coloring Book’ and perhaps add ‘To’ and ‘From’ if you plan to give it as a gift.

CONTAINER GARDENS

Container (terrarium) gardens are an ideal project for families living in the Gulf – indoor gardening is much more bearable than the outdoor variety at this time of year. Shopping for plants together on a cool evening and choosing a suitable container are all part of the fun. Because terrariums recycle their moisture, they need very little ‘gardening’ and care – and they actually thrive on neglect!

Any clear container can be made into a terrarium; the main requirement is that it be watertight. Choose something that is large enough to accommodate the plants, and has a cover or lid to keep the moisture from escaping. Jars, bottles and aquariums are some of the more common containers used. To begin your garden place a 2cm layer of small gravel on the bottom of the container and top it with a good potting soil. The number of plants you place in the garden will depend on the size of the receptacle and the plants. Plants such as miniature African violets, Aeschynanthus, Podocarpus and Fittonia thrive in containers, as do very small ferns and creeping figs. Try not to over plant and leave space for the plants to grow. Water your garden lightly and stand back to admire your work.  

PRESERVE THE PAST

A time capsule can be a great family project to commemorate a special occasion. Fill it with photographs and mementos and then decide how long you would like to put it away for. For instance, is it something you’ll want to look at in 5 or 15 years time? The next step is to choose a container and a good location for said box. 

Any waterproof, airtight and preferably fireproof container will do, there are even websites that will ship custom-made time capsules to you. If your stay at your current location is temporary (if for example you are staying in a rental property) then it is understood that the time capsule is best not buried in the garden! Ask everyone in the family to contribute a few items – clippings, photographs, drawings, hand prints, letters, arts and crafts, toys or just about anything else that fits into the capsule. Mark everything clearly so you or others will know where each item came from and who included it.Finally, fill the capsule, seal it, and then make sure you put it out of sight and out of mind.

PAINT!

From an arts and craft supplier purchase a large canvas and a set of acrylic paints. Divide the canvas into 4, 5 or more areas depending on the number of people in your family. Use masking tape to ‘fence off’ each area and mark each square or rectangle lightly in pencil with the name of the artist for that area, for example Mum, Dad, etc.

So that you don’t crowd each other, it’s best that just two family members paint at a time. If only four complementing colors are used, the effect is striking. Also, if each person fills their area completely with paint, using stripes, zigzags, dots or whatever pattern they like best. When the painting is complete, and this may take more than one week-end, ensure it is dry before removing the masking tape – then marvel at your modern art and hang!

FOSTER A PUPPY OR KITTEN

Our family has done this many times and we all have fond and happy memories of each little guest. Animal Welfare Charities the world over are always in need of foster homes and are happy when puppies and kittens go to families with children because to say that an animal has lived in a family environment is a great ‘selling’ point when a permanent home is sought.

TRACE YOUR FAMILY TREE

If you have little knowledge about your ancestors, a few old photographs and a consuming curiosity, make tracing your family tree a family project.

Enter your ancestor information at www.familytreesearcher.com and it will search family trees at eight online databases. This free service will create the best family tree searches based on your ancestry – the site also includes hints for researching your family tree further.

SLOW FOOD

Instead of heading for your favorite fast-food restaurant this week-end, stay home and prepare some slow-food together. If you really want to make it into a project you could even shop for the groceries together.

Even the youngest family member can help prepare a meal – a toddler can shake a salad mix together, wash potatoes and other vegetables and even help to set the table.

GAMES NIGHT

Take the phone off the hook, turn off the television, bring out a board game and what do you have? An evening of fun, learning and laughter that brings the whole family closer together. Family game nights are a great way to spend some quality time together and create a family tradition that you and your kids will remember and cherish for years to come.To make it extra special, add snacks, invite other guests such as family friends or relatives, hold tournaments and always display the winner’s name on the fridge! 

Here are some favorite games to consider:

Ages 6-8: Sorry!, Monopoly Jr., Clue Jr., Scrabble Jr. and brilliant, easy and fun card games such as UNO.

Ages 8-10: All the above plus the Game of Life, Monopoly, Jenga and Frustration.

Ages 10-12: All the above plus Scrabble, Yahtzee, Cluedo and Pictionary.

Ages 13 and up: All the above plus Boggle, Atmosfear (teenagers love this DVD board game), Risk, Trivial Pursuit and card games such as Rummy.

School, work, phones, homework, playstations, internet, television, friends – let’s be honest – every family gets pulled in a million directions. Set aside some family time and pull yourselves together! Talk with each other and keep your precious family connected!