Painting
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Dry leaves
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Stones/rocks
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Pinecones
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Tree trunks
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Toilet rolls (start collecting these for many other things we will do)
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Egg boxes are fun
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Any box of any sort - oats, cereal boxes etc
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Tins
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Any packaging
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Plant pots
Mud kitchen
This is very easy to set up even if you a small balcony. A bench plus all your kitchen goods:
Pots , pans, trays, spoons, sieves, jugs, baking anything… the list is endless.
A bucket of sand and a bucket of water and let them play!
Flower pressing
Today we went hunting in the garden for flowers. We all chose some, popped them in a tupperware then headed back to find our biggest book. (If you don’t have a garden make a mental note to grab some flowers on your way to the shops).
Place flowers on a tissue in the center of the book (if you don’t have a very big book then just use a lot of books to pile on top).
Cover the flowers with more tissues.
Say goodbye and close.
Leave them for 10 days to dry then open.
Make a picture or just marvel at them. Both our 2 and 4 year old enjoyed this. The patience though now is a bit tricky so consider hiding the book so it is not in plain sight. Those naughty fingers cannot resist having “a look”.
Enjoy.
Baking
Today we made butter cookies.
Baking is enjoyed by ALL ages and it can be a bit messy but does not matter. That is half the fun. Try and let go the control if you can. It`s not much fun to watch mom bake. It’s a lot more fun to get those little hands dirty and see what comes out.
This is a great recipe that works well – you don’t have to make the icing they are pretty darn yummy just as is. If you do not have cookie cutters simply roll little balls and smash with a fork.
Have fun!
Toy organisation ideas
- Open shelves with smaller baskets work well, as does some big drawers.We use a book shelf.
- Divide things into their categories: animals in one basket, puzzles in another, cars and trains in one, coloring and art stuff together, dolls and clothes in another etc.
- Pack away a set of things, bring out another set and place them in view on shelves or open baskets.
- After a week or three, pack those away and bring out another set of things. Kids find new uses for things they have not seen in three weeks.
Build a ramp
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Baking (round two) plus a picnic
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Smoothie making
Kids love to prepare food and can do so from a very young age. Having a sense of duty is important for little ones. It builds confidence and helps them feel they have a part to play in all of this (which they do). Also, doing things together builds a very solid relationship for you and her and helps define boundaries which children definitely thrive off.Â
Little ones are very capable of cutting soft fruits and throwing it into a bowl as well as cleaning up and throwing away the peels. If you do not have any child friendly knives, a blunt butter knife is safe.Â
We made watermelon, banana, blueberry and pineapple smoothies.
Nice cream
Today we made NICE CREAMS. These make a very tasty and a healthy snack.
Strawberries, banana, blue berries and water melon and a bit of water. Blend it all up with a can of coconut milk and a big spoon of raw honey.
Blend any fruit - always try and add bananas as they are a great base.Â
Enjoy!