Messy Snow Joke Summer Fun

We have been continuing to have fun and develop PJ's sensory needs in our play activities - the latest fun we have had has been with shaving foam - ideas for summer snow can be found at growing a jeweled rose - we danced in it, squidged it, added food colouring and watched new colours transform it, we froze some and made summer snow and did the same - and then, before not too long, PJ added her favourite activity - pouring - more and more water until, finally, it was just watery liquid to be poured and poured.

Summer Holidays Fun Days

We have been having fun dressing up as pirates at a local Fun Day!
A brilliantly run drop in day, with lots of activities to try and to join in with.
I didn't have to plan anything.
I just went with the flow.
We went with friends and had a picnic in the park.
And it was free.
And no tidying up to do.
Yippee!
Brilliant.

Royal Garden for a Prince or a Princess

Pj loves gardening. Well, she loves digging, to be precise. We went to a local Gardening club and came home with this lovely wee garden that we made together!
It has a cardboard turret tower covered with foil, which is then decorated with a permanent marker pen.
We put soil in the base of the seed tray and then placed our tower into the garden.
We added some ivy for the princess ladder and another flowering plant in the garden.
We used gravel to make a gravel path and added some bark chips and some grass seed.
PJ loved the digging and adding the soil and needed a lot of persuasion to complete the rest.
It is fit for a Prince or a Princess.
Beware of the dragons, though!

Watch this space and I will try and post a photo of the garden as it grows!

Royal Baby #Memory Box

I was, along with many in the nation and indeed the world, waiting with bated breath for the news of the birth of the new Royal baby last week. I couldn't help but to keep my ear to the ground and to listen for the announcement on the radio. The next day, I also couldn't resist the urge to turn the telly on every now and then in the hope for that first glimpse of  Kate and William and their new baby to leave the hospital. I remembered when Diana and Prince Charles had left with their tiny bundle, William, those years ago and how it had impacted me and so was delighted when I sat on the sofa with PJ and told her that we were about to see a new baby, who would one day be a king.
She sat still with interest and we waited and watched and then the moment came.
Is that the new baby Mummy?
Is the new baby king now?
No, not yet, this baby is tiny and has just been born, but one day this baby will be a king.
As the camera zoomed in on the baby wrapped up in a bundle and was held in his proud new Mummy and Daddy's arms, I said to her:
If you had been my tiny baby and if I had had you as a tiny baby, I would have held you like that in a tiny blanket and I would have held you all wrapped up nice and safe and all snug bug, just like that tiny baby that has just been born. You were born in hospital too and if I had had you I would have carried you out of hospital just like that baby. ( well minus all the zillion photographers!)
Really?
Yes, I would.
Can you carry me like that now?
She crawled onto my lap and lay in my arms.
I carried her in my arms upstairs, cradled in my arms, like a tiny baby.
The next day, she said:
Is the new baby a king now?

Easter Egg Tree

An Easter egg Tree?
Well, why not?
We have had fun decorating our tree together with bunnies, eggs, a lamb, a Easter Fairy, some chicks and ribbons and some rafia, after a lovely blustery spring Easter Holiday walk to collect some twigs to make a tree.
Ta Da!

Easter Egg Nests

Easy Peasy to make and delicious to eat and perfect for Easter Holiday snacks and treats and quick picnic deserts.

They are quick to make too and not too fiddly, which is great for baking activities with children with limited concentration.

I do put the chocolate, syrup and butter in a pan and weigh out the cornflakes before calling PJ into the kitchen, which helps!

PJ loves to select the colours of the cake cases - and to mix it in - and she loves to lick the spoon!
She did very well at adding the mini eggs to the nests.

We used 300g chocolate
150 g butter
6 tblspns syrup

Melt these ingredients in a saucepan on a slow and gentle heat.
Add 300g cornflakes.

All join in stirring!
Put 2 spoons of nest egg cornflake chocolate mix into each paper case.
Gently press down and add chocolate mini eggs into each egg nest.

We made about 25-30

and there aren't many left!

World Book Day Idea!

I have been reading so many tales of woe with the lead up to World Book Day, I thought I would share with you a "here's one I made earlier" world book day costume idea - and all you need is a load of brown paper and tape!

The book? The Paper Bag Princess!

 

For those of you who are not sure what World book day is, let me enlighten you a little:

Imagine choosing a favourite character from a book and then making a costume to dress up in for a day to celebrate and encourage a love of  books with numerous children.
We had Anne Frank, Harry Potter, Woody, Spiderman, Batman, Harrison Ford, Fairies, Alice in Wonderland, Princesses, Dr. Doolittle, Pirates, Snowmen, Handa from Handa's Surprise, Cruella, Little Red Riding Hood, Mr.Bond and a Granny to name but a few!

I chose to dress up as "The Paper Bag Princess" a character from the story book by Robert N. Munsch with fabulous line drawn illustrations by Michael Martchenko.

If you don't know this fun children's story then I will unravel the plot to you...

This is no ordinary dragon and princess tale but rather this has a fiery fun twist in the dragons tail! This feisty princess has her home destroyed by the dragon and she has nothing to wear to try and meet her prince. She makes a dress from a paper bag and tricks the dragon to show off his fiery prowess by setting fire to anything and everything on their way to find the prince. When the prince and princess meet, the dragon has no fire left! Does she marry the prince though? What does the prince think to his creative and resourceful and sassy princess? Do they live happily ever after?
Well of course, that would spoil the ending if I told you!
You will, of course, have to read the story to find out.
Look here for ideas of where to buy and see the front cover!

Anyway, back to my World Book Day:
I made my costume from brown paper on Wednesday evening. The cat "Smudge" kept skidding excitedly on the rolled out brown paper and diving into it and chewing edges.
He, at least, thought it was great!


I made my "dress" as a simple skirt and top 2 piece. I did a simple top with straps and tied loops with twine to tie it around me in the morning. I made a simple skirt in two pieces. I folded the main part of the skirt into zig zags or pleats and then taped them inside a large folded over panel piece for the belt.
Simple!
 I made a few more loops with twine to simply tie it on in the morning.
It was a bit crinkly and during the day the twine kept snapping away from the paper -so tape was never far away from me!
I wore a simple wire headband fit for a princess and carried along my dragon for the day. Perfect paper bag Princess!
Some thought I was Hiawatha or Pocahontas but one said they thought I was just a bag!
At least they didn't call me "old".

Happy World Book Day!