Team Tag – Simple Cars and Crayons

Today I have a little surprise for you. The contributors to Childhood 101 are playing a team tag game where we are sending readers on a journey through the blogosphere. So it is with great pleasure that I introduce to you fellow contributor, Kate from Picklebums. Today you can find me over at Octavia and Vicky with an energetic improvisation game for kids.

Kate is  an early childhood educator and Mum of four, who lives on a small property called ‘The Pickle Farm’ in rural Australia. Kate writes about all sorts of wonderful things from gentle parenting, gardening, family food to fun printables for the kids. Thanks for being here today Kate. (follow the link at the bottom of the post to join our game of tag)
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There are times when I need a quick and easy activity to engage one or two of my kids while I attend to something, or someone else. I don't have time to set up a fancy art activity, or create an elaborate imaginative play scene. What I need is something that is quick to set up, easy to clean up and that even my toddler can do independently. And sometimes, these quick and easy, spare of the moment activities turn out to be really great... this was one of those times!

I just needed ten minutes to have a sane, adult, phone conversation. I needed something new and interesting to engage my five year old and something the toddler could also join in with. It had to be an activity where they could work side by side, together, but still with enough space to do their own thing. 

I thought for a moment... what is one thing they both like right now? And how can I present that in a different, but easy to set up way? Then I had a brainwave!

I got out the long roll of paper and spread it right along our large dining table, from end to end. 

I grabbed the big box of pastels and dumped them in the middle of the paper.

I grabbed a handful of cars and popped them on the paper too.

Then I drew a road down the middle of the paper as the boys watched me.

That was it.

It didn't take the boys long to get in on the action...

Noah (who is two) drove cars up and down the road, while Morgan (who is five) drew car parking spaces, trees and an airport.

After I'd made my phone call and wandered back in I discovered both boys busy drawing their own roads and other items, creating elaborate imaginative play scenarios, making car noises and playing together happily.

I tucked this super simple idea away in a corner of my brain and have used it a few times since. We revisited the cars idea and also had lots of fun with drawing things for our wooden people. Even the big girls (nine year old twins) got in on the action when we combined Lego with the drawing.

I'd love to hear your ideas for super simple play that really hits the spot for your kids!

(You can find Kate on her blog, facebook, pinterest and twitter.)

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Thanks so much Kate for your super simple and fun idea. To keep the team tag going pop over and visit me at Octavia and Vicky. I have been dying to share our improvisation game.... exploring creativity in a different way. And then keep going and visit all the blogs in the team tag. There might be a new one to discover! Cheers Ali xx

Paper Plate Christmas Wreaths

Our paper plate Christmas wreaths were so much fun to make. Both kids loved them and made them their own..... and they spent ages at the craft table, which always makes me happy. The girls were so excited about this wreath craft that they insisted their Dad join them and make one too – he normally stays well away from the glue and sparkles.

There is nothing terribly complicated about this craft. I did do some preparation when the kids were asleep but it didn't take long. I cut the middle out of a stack of paper plates to use as the base of our wreaths. I also cut up Christmas scrapbooking paper into strips... and that was it for the pre-prep.

When the kids were ready to craft I handed over my stack of pre-cut bits, added some tubs of pva glue and paintbrushes and found some Christmassy sparkles. Then I let the kids go for it while I sat down and made my own wreath.... I wasn't going to miss out on all the fun!!

This craft suited both girls, they made their wreaths to suit their age and level. Boo (2.5) glued a little bit of decoration onto a lot of paper plate wreaths. Cakey (4.5) spent more time gluing a lot of decoration onto a few wreaths.

Clockwise: Cakey's wreath, Chris' wreath, my wreath and Boo's wreath

While we waited for the glue to dry, Cakey and I threaded bells onto gold cord. We wanted the bell to dangle in the middle so we punched a hole at the top and taped the cord in place on the back of each wreath. I have displayed them on our mantle piece so Santa can get a good look at them on his way down the chimney.

For more wreath ideas have a look at Easy Toddlers Christmas Wreaths by Mummy Musings and Mayhem.

If this is your first visit to At home with Ali – welcome. If you like it, you can follow along via email, RSS or facebook. You can also find me on Pinterest and Instagram. Cheers Ali



Linked to Kids Get Crafty and Tuesday Tots

Craft for kids using recycled materials

My kids go through a tonne of art and craft supplies. Keeping them stocked in pipe-cleaners, pom poms and sticky tape can get expensive.... which is why I love it when the kids use recycled materials for craft.

I keep a plastic tub filled with empty grocery boxes, cardboard rolls and bottle tops. This tub is positioned on the bottom shelf of our toy unit for easy access. The sticky tape and scissors are also kept within reach. All the recycled materials in the tub are for open-ended creating and it is well used. I am constantly topping it up and sometimes it even runs dry. I got this idea after reading Raising a Creative Kid by Jillian Riley.

Cakey attaches pipe-cleaners to make a moving ramp, Boo watches

Cakey makes use of this box more than Boo. Cakey is older and her craft skills are more advanced. I am amazed at some of the things she makes completely independently. The beauty of having an easily accessible recycled materials tub is that when she is in a creative mood she can get straight to work... no need to ask me for help.

This is a castle

This is a robot

I do not know what this is

This is also a castle but this one has a working ramp

Don't get me wrong, Boo does make use of the tub – just in a different way. She sorts through the boxes, finds one she likes, stuffs it full of pom poms or whatever and carries it with her all day.

I know Cakey and Boo have art and craft in their blood, they love it just like me. I also credit a particular book with Cakey's desire to experiment, invent and create. We picked up a second hand copy of Ingenious Jean written by Susan Chandler and illustrated by Kate Leake. It is about a girl who invents things using the toys and objects she has around her – we have read this book many times. I recently overheard Cakey say to her sister "let me help you, I am ingenious".

The downside of all this creativity is a storage issue. Until quite recently, Cakey quickly forgot about her creations once they has been made and played with. This meant I could make them 'disappear' after a week or so. She is now getting attached to each and every creation and I don't know what to do with them.... I think I might be in trouble...

For some inspiration have a look at my Recycled materials for craft Pinterest board

If this is your first visit to At home with Ali – welcome. If you like it, you can follow along via email, RSS or facebook. You can also find me on Pinterest and Instagram. Cheers Ali



Linked to It's Playtime, The Kids Co-op and Kids Get Crafty

10 things to do with a 2 year old

Sometimes I don't feel like going out.... but it is hard work entertaining a 2 year old at home all day. My 2 year old has a short attention span and wants to be active all the time... and I am pretty sure all 2 year olds are the same (correct me if I'm wrong).

So, I have written a list of my 2 year old's 10 favourite things to do at home... and I would love to know what your kids love to do at home too.

1. Threading cut-up toilet paper rolls onto ribbon

2. Gluing with a tub of watered-down pva glue and a paintbrush

3. Playing in a homemade fort

4. Using puffy stickers that can be stuck down and pulled off over and over

5. Helping in the garden by cutting herbs or digging holes for planting

6. Gluing different materials like cotton balls and fabric with a gluestick

7. Painting anything... paper, rocks, cardboard, her hands

8. Playing with playdough

9. Pretend cooking with a mixture of flour and water

10. Practising scissor skills

What do you think of this list? What are your kids' favourite things to do at home?

A few more resources for keeping toddlers busy and entertained:

• For the littlies Pinterest board
• Mummy Musings and Mayhem – a great blog full of practical ways to entertain toddlers
• A Toddler's World Pinterest board
• Nurturestore – tonnes of playdough ideas
• Playdough magic Pinterest board
• The Toddler Years Bucket List by Creative with Kids
• Sensory play is so much fun Pinterest board
• Growing A Jeweled Rose – sensory play ideas
• Hands on: as we grow – lots of toddler play ideas

If this is your first visit to at home with Ali – welcome. If you like it, you can follow along via email, RSS or facebook. You can also find me on Pinterest and my new love – Instagram. Cheers Ali



Linked to It's Playtime, The Kids Co-op and Finished Friday

Collage with contact paper

There are some things we do once and there are some things we do over and over. Collage with contact paper is one activity that never seems to fail.

I keep a box of cut-up paper for collage, this makes it easy to set up a quick collage activity. When the kids are painting I will often sit down with them and paint too. Most of the time I end up using their leftover paint. I save my paintings and cut them up. I also cut up some of Boo's paintings – she is so prolific she does not notice if a few go missing. I never cut up Cakey's paintings. She gets mightily offended if she finds them in the collage box.

The windows need cleaning, sigh!

If you haven't tried this before, collage with contact paper is easy. Stick the contact paper with the sticky side facing out to a window or wall with sticky tape. Supply a container of cut-up paper or straws or pom poms or bottle tops or whatever you have. Until recently, Boo would stick things on and then pull them off until the contact paper had lost all stickiness.

Cakey is an old hand at this, she had filled her contact paper within minutes. She wanted to fill the gaps between the square pieces of patterned paper. I cut up some strips of pink tissue paper and she created a very nice stained glass effect.

Boo's sticky contact collage

Cakey's sticky contact collage with a stained glass effect

We love to use all sorts of materials for contact paper collages, you can read more here. You can also find more ideas for using sticky contact paper at Learn with Play @ home.

If this is your first visit to at home with Ali – welcome. If you like it, you can follow along through our facebook page or subscribe via email or RSS. Cheers Ali



Linked to Kids Get Crafty and It's Playtime

Leaf people

This was an after dinner craft.... a rare thing in our household. Craft before bed generally ends badly but this did not. I had a large pile of magnolia leaves left over from a flower bouquet. The kids caught me bundling them into a container ready for bath time. I thought they would make excellent lily pads in the bath. The girls wanted to make leaf people with them instead.

Magnolia leaves are lovely – glossy green on one side and dusty brown on the other. I gave the kids a permanent marker each and they quickly figured out that the markers would only work on the brown side. Cakey drew very happy faces and Boo made lots of marks.

I pulled out our stack of plain coloured circle stickers to create faces on the glossy green side of the leaves. Cakey got very busy and made a stack of leaf people – some happy and some sad. Boo over-handles stickers and they lose their stickiness by the time she gets them into position. I gave her a tub of glue and she happily glued her stickers to the leaves.

The kids wanted their leaf people to 'hold hands'. I helped staple them together to create lovely leaf families.

For another way to use plain shape stickers have a look at our sticker monsters.

If this is your first visit to at home with Ali – welcome. If you like it, you can follow along through our facebook page or subscribe via email or RSS. Cheers Ali



Linked to Cheerios and Lattes, It's Playtime, The Kids Co-op and Kids Get Crafty

Glitter sticks

Sticks are awesome! We regularly come back from the park with a collection of them.... sometimes the sticks are released back into the garden and sometimes we make them 'pretty'. This time we decided to make a glittery stick forest with our latest collection.

The kids love air drying clay and this was the perfect opportunity to use it again. We propped up our sticks in lumps of air drying clay – it is much sturdier than playdough. It would have been good to let the air drying clay dry before painting but the girls would not wait. They wanted a pink and purple stick forest so out came the paintbrushes and paint tubs. Once the paint was applied they went crazy with the glitter shakers and the sticks became 'pretty'.

When the paint was dry the kids set up their glittery stick forest up in our laneway fairy garden.

If this is your first visit to at home with Ali – welcome. If you like it, you can follow along through our facebook page or subscribe via email or RSS. Cheers Ali



Linked to It's Playtime and The Kids Coop

Peaceful Cloud Craft

I find clouds so peaceful. The girls and I like to look for animals and shapes in the clouds. Their dad likes to talk to them about the different cloud formations. I think we strike a good balance between imagination and science!

One morning our cloud talk translated into some cloud craft – all very simple... but lovely and peaceful. I lay out a couple of glue sticks, some light blue paper and a big bowl of soft cotton wool balls. As a kid I always thought that clouds would feel just like cotton wool!

The girls created their cloudy sky pictures with the cotton balls while I cut up strips of paper that I had painted with a watercolour wash (in a previous painting session with the kids). These were in soft hues of blue, pink, orange and yellow – perfect to decorate sunrise/sunset skies.

Cakey added a drawing of a rainbow. She also opened up the hole puncher and used the 'holes' as 'sun sparkles'. Boo kept it simple. She happily glued on her cotton wool balls and added a few favourite feltie pieces to her cloud picture.

And if you like clouds, you may also like The Cloud Appreciation Society. Their facebook page is regularly updated with some spectacular cloud photos.

If this is your first visit to at home with Ali – welcome. If you like it, you can follow along through our facebook page or subscribe via email or RSS. Cheers Ali



Linked to TGIF, The Kids Co-op and Kids Get Crafty

Guest post at JDaniel4's Mom

Today I am thrilled to be guest posting over at JDaniel4's Mom as part of her wonderful Taking Time to Play series. If you have a moment pop on over and have a look.

I am taking a mini break from posting, I will be back sometime next week with some party posts and maybe some gardening.......

Cheers
Ali

If this is your first visit to at home with Ali – welcome. If you like it, you can follow along through our facebook page or subscribe via email or RSS. Cheers Ali