This one requires some forward planning so I am posting it now in the hope you can complete it some time in spring! I just LOVE the colours and shapes in these amazing garden sculptures made by lids of all shapes and sizes! This is recycling at it’s best.
Start saving your lids now, plan your design, glue together (using suitable glue to bond plastics and survive outdoors) then voila!
Be sure to send us a photo of your creations.
It’s not quite summer yet but we’ve had a few scorching days here already. So
we are loving these fabulous ideas with ice that are sure to keep the kids
entertained and focussed for hours, all whilst staying cool.
Freeze balloons filled with water and small toys. Cut balloon off and play with eggs outside. Provide spoons for cracking ice and digging treasures out.
This is the same concept on a larger scale! Fill a large tray with plastic animals, dinosaurs or whatever your little one is into! Freeze, then watch them dig away for hours to release the treasure.
Images courtesy of;
http://www.crumbbums.com/?p=2476 (big ice cube)
alittlelearningfortwo.blogspot.com (eggs)
Summer time is officially here so I thought this little gem was worth sharing. My boys can have HOURS of fun with water balloons – filling them, throwing them and, now, using them as a pinata!
Simply fill the balloons with water, attach them to a high string or surface (the washing line is great!) and then bash away with a broomstick until they burst and shower the kids with water. Much better than lollies in my opinion!
Collect leaves and or flowers of all shapes and sizes. Dry for a few days between the pages of a heavy book or in a flower press. If you don’t have time for the drying process, green leaves will also work however may not sit quite as flat on the page.
Play around with the shapes of the leaves until you find a design that works. Glue leaves into place and add details such as eyes, arms or legs. For older kids you can also introduce the writing element to this activity.
And here is the not-so-express version … just in case you want to fill in the afternoon. How fabulous do these look? Love.
This will only take a sec! Grab your roll of aluminium foil, let the kids unroll a loooooong strip, shape it to accommodate a stream of water, add kids and some small boats, animals or cars and off you go! Easy peasy.
image courtesy of amoandbows.com
With the weather warming up here, it’s a great time to get the little ones outside and soaking up some fresh air and sunshine.
Here are some fab ideas to get you started, just in case you are having trouble coming out of hibernation.
courtesy of handmadecharlotte.com
OK, so this home made kids car wash is the deluxe end of DYI but we have lots of easier projects too. All you need for this one is some chalk, a spray bottle of water and a suitable surface. Chalk keeps my kids entertained for hours.
courtesy of playcreateexplore.com
These water walls are both fun to make and use. You can find the tutorial for the first one here. Such a cool way to explore with water!
courtesy of teachpreschool.org
And last but not least (because these two are the absolute easy peasiest ideas you will find!), these recycled milk or drink bottles will keep little ones happy AND they can help water the garden for you. Everyone’s a winner!
courtesy of childhood101.com and journeytodream.blogspot.co.uk
Whatever you do this weekend, soak up Spring (or Autumn for our northern hemisphere friends) and enjoy. x
Check out these little gems made from two loo rolls and some ribbon. Imagine the adventures, both indoor and outdoor, your little one will have with these?
courtesy of cupcakesforclara.com
Whether your little one has their very own collection of special rocks accrued over time or through adventures, they grab a handful from the backyard or buy a pack of shiny river rocks from your local nursery, we have some fab ideas of rock creations and games.
Help kids develop their imagination and storytelling with these ‘story rocks’. Paint a range of pictures onto your rocks then varnish for protection. Kids then randomly pick a rock out of the box or bucket and have to tell their part of the story based on the picture they select. Suits one on one or group play. Courtesy of modernparentsmessykids.com
For these bright sparks you’ll need to grab your brightest paints and a black markers.
The new pet rock – Monsters. To create these crazy monster rocks there are absolutely no rules! (courtesy of minimatisse.blogspot.com)
Hide N Seek – paint rocks however you like and hide them in the garden. Numbers and letters work really well if you are playing with just one child (eg find me numbers 1-10, or find me all the letters in the alphabet) or colours and patterns are great for group play where the goal is to simply find the most number of rocks. Courtesy of http://www.athomewithali.net/
Rock creatures – some tips! Be sure to glue rocks together before painting them, attaching small stone features such as eyes, feet, or beaks to body parts before joining larger parts. Attach whiskers and tails after painting. Cement glue makes the strongest bond but should be used only by parents working in a well-ventilated area. Kid-friendly glues are less durable and are best for rock crafts that will sit on shelves. Image courtesy of marthastewart.com
Footprints – this is a cute way to show who lives in your home! Pop them in your garden or at the front door. Image source unknown
Tic-tac-toe game – use a slate tile with chalk lines as the board. You’ll need a selection of noughts rocks and crosses rocks. These can be painted or also written in chalk however this is, of course, more temporary. Image courtesy of realsimple.com
We included these just because we love them and they are soooo terribly sweet!
Birds – courtesy of http://www.inspirebohemia.com
Sweet little birdy – courtesy of jenniferpaine.tumblr.com
Little owls – courtesy of thecarolinejohansson.com
Here’s another great crafty idea that also helps you recycle your old plastic bottles,cups and lids!
I just LOVE the colours in this and think it would look amazing hanging in the kids outdoor play area, cubby house or deck.
The school holidays are almost upon us here so we are stockpiling crafty ideas to counter any winter holiday cabin fever. One of the first ideas on the list is this awesome jetpack made from old plastic bottles. This tutorial (courtesy of the amazing doodle craft blog) uses soft drink bottles but you could easily adapt it to use milk containers.
May the force be with you. x
rudy and the dodo 