Easy Kite to Make

It's so very windy today and so we made a very easy kite this evening and tried it out.  So simple all you need is a plastic carrier bag of any size and some wool or string.  Tie one end of the string or wool to the handles of the bag and, hey presto, kite finished!

Add some wind and you have a really easy activity which can spark plenty of questions about scientific topics such as weather, speed, flying, capacity.  Besides which kites are loads of fun and there is something very exhilarating about the wind which children seem to enjoy.

Teddy's Wash Day

We are taking care of Barney, the pre school bear, this week.  This morning we decided that Barney's clothes needed washing so we headed out to the garden to wash his things.

Warm water and soap solution are all we needed.  Both children had fun scrubbing his clothes.

And then wringing them out.

Then they realised they could use the clothes like sponges to transport water from the water tray to a watering can a few metres away.

Then to throw water across the garden.

Then they hung them out to dry in the sun.

Barney just sat and watched!

This is something I remember doing as a child.  Washing dolls clothes in the garden.  Water play and role play combined.
We are recording all the things we do with Barney to write into his book of adventures.  Boy only has two weeks left at nursery before he leaves for good to go on to primary school so he's very keen to give Barney a great time.  So far he's been shopping, played mini golf and helped to build some shelves with Daddy.

Camping!

We have spent the last week camping on the Yorkshire Coast near Scarborough.  Camping in itself is a brilliant activity for young children.  They love the opportunity to be outdoors for long periods of time and sleeping in a tent is very exciting!

We spent a fair amount of time playing on the beaches at Filey and Scarborough.  Sand castles, ice cream, rock pools and digging big holes!

The view from the camping field was stunning on a clear day.  We spent some time looking for pirate ships on the sea!

We visited Scarborough Castle and went on a treasure hunt around the grounds.  We also joined in with some pirate games, which was lots of fun!

Boy and Girl enjoyed playing and getting dirty and not having to wash (much!).  If you get the chance to go camping with your children, go for it!  It really is worthwhile and they get a great deal out of it.

Cleaning and Brushing

Boy was feeling a little off colour earlier this week and had a little nap during the afternoon.  Girl and I went to play outside to give him some peace and quiet.  Girl loves playing with water and it isn't so often that we get to play just the two of us so it was a nice opportunity to let her do her own thing instead of being led by her brother's play, which is often what happens.

She began by just playing with the squeezy bottles and a couple of bowls and jugs.  I put some washing up liquid into the water and she smiled and said 'bubble.'  I brought out a scrubbing brush and a dish brush for her to play with and the play quickly became based around cleaning and brushing different parts of the garden.

First the steps.  She walked over saying 'dep, dep.'  She poured water onto the step and then used the brush to clean it.  It put me in mind of my grandmother's era when housewives would scrub their doorsteps regularly in this way.

Then she turned her attention to the paving on the patio.

Then she found the yard brush and began using this, although I think she found it too tricky because she quickly moved back to the scrubbing brush.

Then she removed her sandals and began washing her feet.  Not with the brushes this time though!

She had a great time and was very upset when she had to come in for dinner.  Simple household items can be the best toys.  All she used were old washing up liquid bottles, a mixing bowl, plastic measuring jug and some cleaning brushes.

Glorious Mud!

In celebration of International Mud Day on 29th June 2011 and of the really glorious weather here today we have been doing some muddy play!

 

I provided tools, mud, sand, buckets, a wheelbarrow and some sticks.  The children made their own decisions about what to do with the equipment.

First they worked together using the trowels to put mud into an empty bucket.  Then they added some sand.

Then some water and mixed it up into a muddy soup!

Boy said 'it's too runny - we need some more mud to make it thick!'  And he began adding more mud to the mixture until a thick paste was formed.  Fantastic stuff!

Then they chose to work separately.  Girl took her trowel and placed small piles of the mud paste in different parts of the garden.

In the herb garden.

On top of the outdoor drum kit - which is currently out of use since we discovered a Hedgehog nesting in the bushes behind it.  We are being careful not to disturb it's sleep!

Behind the trampoline too!

She enjoyed using the wheelbarrow to transport the mud paste around the garden.

Boy did something altogether different which I hadn't imagined he would do!  I like it when he does surprising and interesting things though.  He carried trowel fulls of mud paste over to one of the paving slabs on the patio and splatted them onto the ground.

He carried on until the whole square was covered (enveloping schema!).

Then he carefully smoothed it down and patted it so it was level.  Then I asked what he was going to do with it and he said.  'Decorate it with flowers and leaves and stuff, you know?'  He went off and picked some things from the garden.

Girl and I went off to play something else and we left him to it to be creative alone.

This is his creation.  A sort of mud and natural material collage I guess.  Interesting to see what happens when children have a chance to do their own thing!

How will you join in in celebrating Mud Day?