Homemade Gloop

We made Green Gloop at Playgroup - I had wanted to make this for some time and my first attempt was a complete failure.  I added too much water and the gloop was not gloop at all!  It was more like green runny water.  The next attempt was much better and here is the results...think, oozy, green gloop!

What you will need:-
Cornflour
Water
Food colouring
Mixing bowl

What you will need to do:-
Add a full packet of cornflour to the mixing bowl.  Slowing add water to the cornflour (one tablespoon at a time - VERY IMPORTANT).  Once you have the desired consistency add the food colouring.

The kids can use their fingers and hands to play with the gloop, or use spoons, funnels and spades.

QLD Maroons Supporter Flags

Queenslander! Queenslander! Queenslander!

If you want to get into the State of Origin spirit, create these super easy kids footy supporter flags.

What you will need:-

Felt or Fleece

Foam letter shapes

Foam trophy shapes

Dowel

Cardboard

Scissors

Felt pen

PVA Glue

What you will need to do:-

Free hand draw a triangle onto the cardboard.  Cut out the template flag and lay it onto your fabric.  Trace around the edge and then cut out the fabric.  If you are confident, you can cut the flag out directly onto the fabric.

Arrange the letter and trophy shapes onto the flag and apply with PVA glue.

Attach the length of dowel using the PVA glue.

Coloured Rice @ Playgroup

I took the coloured rice we made at home to Playgroup this week and I really enjoyed watching the kids play.  We added some sand toys so they could scoop and pour the sand.

Its such a cheap, clean and fun idea! Here is my coloured rice recipe.  My next coloured rice project is to create a farmyard - stay tuned for that one!

Ribbon Rings

Even boys have fun with Ribbon Rings!

My mum made a some for our local handmade market and gave us the ones that didn't sell to bring along to Playgroup for all the kids to play with.  Before we got to Playgroup, Lucas had already claimed his Ribbon Ring- he loved waving it around, running, jumping and seeing it follow him.

They are very easy to make, this is what you will need:-

Curtain Rings
7 lengths of different coloured ribbon
Small bells (optional)
Needle and thread

What you will need to do:-
Tie the lengths of ribbon to the ring.  If using the small bells (they really do make a lovely touch), sew one or two to a length of ribbon.

Here are some ideas for using your Ribbon Rings:-
- Gymnastics or ribbon dancing.
- Great as decorations at a birthday party and then can be taken home as a thank you gift.
- Tiggy (pop the ribbon ring in the childrens pockets, kids need to grab the ribbon to be tagged).
- Create shapes and patterns in the air
- Use as a "batton" in a relay race

This is a great activity as kids can help with tying the knots.  We have made basic ones at Playgroup before but I'm happy to say they loved mums ribbon rings too!  Thanks mum!

Tennis Ball Painting

We got the paints out today and did some good old fashioned painting!  I like to use the A-Frame Blackboard and peg the paper on so the kids can stand up to paint.  We also use old egg cartons to keep the colours separate.  

We were painting away and Lucas decided to to see what happened when he covered a tennis ball in paint - mainly to see my reaction I think!  We all joined in and the kids had a blast! Lucas liked rolling the ball in the paint and then seeing it roll across the cardboard.  Joshua loved chasing the ball and bringing it back to Lucas.

The best part for me was Lucas' enthusiasm in cleaning up the "tracks" left behind by the ball.

Coloured Pasta and Rice

Today we got into colouring pasta and rice.  Lucas loved the end result - especially since it's been really cold outside lately and he hasn't been playing in his sandpit.  A bit of indoor digging was just what he liked! :)

I'm going to take the pasta and rice to Playgroup.  The kids will make coloured pasta necklaces and i'll create a sensory bin with the rice - look out for these posts soon!

What you will need:

Rice - I used long grain
Tube pasta - I used three different shaped tube pastas, small, medium and large
Vinegar
Food Colouring
Clip Seal Bag

What you will need to do:

To make the coloured rice I used 1 tablespoon of vinegar to 1 cup of rice.  To make the coloured pasta I used 1 teaspoon of vinegar to 3/4 cup of pasta.

Add your vinegar to the clip seal bag and enough food colouring to get the desired colour.
Add your rice or pasta to the bag and seal.  Combine the contents until all the rice/pasta is coated in the vinegar/food colouring mixture.

Leave the rice/pasta in the clip seal bags for 10 minutes.

Open the bags and place the contents on flat baking trays lined with baking paper.  I let the rice/pasta to dry overnight.

Once dried store in an airtight container for use over and over again!  The end result: 

Coloured pasta tubes

Coloured rice

Cardboard Box Puppet Theatre

I have saved nearly every cardboard box we have used for about 6 months.....cereal boxes, teabag boxes, birthday toy boxes and so on.  I have been wanting to make a puppet theatre for ages and then yesterday we got a package delivered in a box just the right size!

I started by removing all the sticky tape holding the box together, then I cut the box down the short sides, leaving one side flap attached.

I then cut out the "stage" using a Stanley Knife.  We then got to painting which is where Lucas was able to help. 

Side note: From the start this was my activity, (and it showed when I got just a tad frustrated with Lucas' painting - the words "we are never painting again" passed my lips) it took this moment of frustration to pull me back down to earth and realise I was creating this FOR Lucas and if he wanted to paint it multicoloured, well then, that was just fine. :)

Once the paint dried we chose some material to make the curtains.  I tried a few different ways to hang the curtains.  Tacks, tape, blue-tac.  I would have like it if the curtains could be drawn open and closed but I'm just not that handy when it comes to sewing. So, finally we went with the white glue.

All that was left to do was get the puppets out and put on a show!  This worked well in our outdoor area on the table as it's just the right height for Lucas to stand up.  We took the theatre along to Playgroup and it was a bit of a fizzer.  The wind kept blowing it over.  I would suggest if you intend on using this in an outdoor environment, some cardboard supports added to the back panels would work a treat.

What have you made using a cardboard box?  Comment below and attach your photos!

Toilet Roll Craft - Cardboard Tube Necklaces

I have been saving all our cardboard tubes for ever!!  I didnt have a plan on what we were going to use them for and when the basket started overflowing I thought it was time we did something!  I took them along to playgroup and we made these Cardboard Tube Necklaces. 

What you will need: Cardboard tubes (toilet rolls, paper towel rolls, wrapping paper rolls), scissors, felt pens, string/wool/ribbon.

What you will need to do: Cut the cardboard tubes into segments (approx 2.5cm wide). Decorate with the felt pens - draw pictures or names. Thread the tubes onto the ribbon and tie ends.

How do you use up your cardboard tubes?

Colourful Jellyfish - Made from plastic bottles!

I was given loads of empty 2L softdrink bottles for our Playgroup, and I was playing around today with some ideas for craft activities.... this is one I came up with!

What you will need: 2L Softdrink bottle, paint, tissue paper, googly eyes, string, tape, glue, hole punch, Stanley Knife, scissors.

What you will need to do: Cut the softdrink bottle in two using the stanley knife. Paint each portion of the separated bottle (we used orange and purple paints). While the paint is drying cut strips of tissue paper - the more colours you use the better. Once the paint is dry, punch holes in the bottom of each section of bottle. We punched four holes in each. Poke the strips of tissue paper through the bottle sections and secure with tape. Glue on googly eyes. Attach a string to the top of each bottle so the jellyfish can hang.

Rainy Day Activities for Kids

Stuck on what to do with the kids when it's raining?  We've had lots of practice here in Bundy!!  Here are our favourite things to do with kids when it's raining.

Games:
For younger children, classic games such as "Simon says," "heads up, seven up" and "hide-and-seek" can keep their attention. These games require little conversation, so great to play inside.
In Simon says, the children have to follow the directions of the leader, "Simon," whenever he says "Simon says." If he fails to say "Simon says," anyone who follows his directions anyway is out of the game.

In "heads up, seven up," seven children are "it." All of the others put their heads down and close their eyes, while each child who is it taps someone on the shoulder. Those who are tapped have to guess who tapped them. If they guess correctly, the two switch places.

In "hide-and-seek," one child closes his eyes while the others hide. He then has to find them in their hiding places. The last child found wins, and gets to look for the others in the next round.

Board Games:

For older children, board games are a great way to keep them engaged. There are lots of simple games that children as young as kindergarten can enjoy. Classic games includes chess, checkers, Connect Four, Battleship, Mancala, Othello, Mastermind and backgammon. Group games include Sorry, Trouble, Candy Land, and Chutes and Ladders. Older children might enjoy strategy board games such as Risk, Monopoly or Settlers of Catan.Card Games:

Card games are also a great indoor game. "Go fish," for two to four players, is one of the easiest to learn and play. Seven cards are distributed to each player, while the rest of the deck stays in a pile face-down in the middle. Each player takes turns asking a player of his choice whether she has any of a particular set of cards, such as queens or threes. If so, she must hand them over, and the player gets another turn. The object is to make as many sets of four as possible; whenever a set is made, the player who collected it sets it aside. If the player asks for a card but the other person does not have it, the player has to "go fish" and draw a card from the middle. Play continues around the circle until all of the cards are used.

Other Card Games include “war," "slap Jack," "old maid" and "crazy 8s." More complex games for older players are "hearts," "spades," "pinochle" and "rummy." As an alternative, some children enjoy specialty trading card games such as Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! These games work best when players bring their own cards.

Computer/IPad and Video Games:
Many parents and caregivers might be hesitant to encourage children to sit in front of a screen, but a number of computer games are educational and build skills. Websites such as FunBrain.com and PBSkids.org offer games that help kids work on subjects like language, math, logic and science. Not every video game is created equal, so do your research if the quality of the education matters to you. Check out our blog on great IPad apps for kids.
Head to your local Indoor Play Centre or Shopping Centre. There is usually lots to do!

The local bowling ally is a great place to head in the raining weather. Our local is fantastic with lots of activities to keep you enterained for the entire day.

Library - Your local has lots of things to see and do.

Head to the cimemas.
Hire a movie for the kids. Take them with you to choose, it might take a bit longer but they will have fun.

Have a tea party or indoor picnic

Build a rainy day box, full of craft bits and pieces

Have a fashion parade, include the teddies!

Make some finger paints and get painting

Make your own playdough and get creative

Straw painting.. combine straws, food colouring and dishwashing detergent!

Marble painting…combine marbles, paint and a container

Play indoor bowling tin cans from the pantry and a ball

Enjoy a bubble bath and splash in the water

Try some indoor fort building

Try Skating

Make a sock puppet and host a puppet show!

Have fun on the computer together

Make homemade musical instruments

Make potato prints in paint

Make paper planes and fly them around the house

Play “What’s the time Mr Wolf!”

Build a castle from blocks

Toy hunt: hide toys around the house, close the curtains and search for them with a torch

Write an email or a letter to someone special

Head outside and jump in the puddles

Blow up some balloons

Cook some piklets

Get out pens and paper and draw

Make necklaces from pasta, food colouring and string

Play “Hide and Seek”

Use old cardboard boxes to make cities and car garages

Make roads on the carpet with masking tape

Cutting and pasting from magazines

Make a mud pie kitchen!

Do puzzles

Play music and dance!

Read books

Make a book!

Make a bingo board - with colours, numbers or letters!

Go outside and watch the rain and talk about it.. take some tins and catch the rain and listen to the different sounds

Get stuck into the colouring books

Make your own pizzas

Get out the camera and take funny pictures

Play shop!

Set up a doctors surgery with the first aid box (or a vets)

Make some masks from paper plates or cardboard

Paint some rocks

Make some monster men from toilet rolls

Make gingerbread people and decorate them

Show them their baby books- fill them in!

Make some phone calls

Play indoor hopscotch

Play hairdresser

Do some yoga with your Wide Bay Kid

Play restaurants

Host a teddy bear picnic or birthday party for a teddy

Make some papermache

Dye some rice and then play with itPlay “Musical statues”Make a time capsule

Do collage!

Let them just play whatever they want to!

Make a fun car ramp

Make a Cereal Box Sidewalk!

Make an Egg Carton Bus!

Play Bean Bag Toss
Create an Indoor Wall Garden with printouts
Make Hands and Feet from cutouts
Create a Toddler City

Go Laundry Basket Shopping
Play Toddler MTV and Music Moves!

Paper Plate Animals

One of my favourite craft activities is Paper Plate Craft for Kids!  Here are a few from our animal paper plate craft collection.


Snake Paper Plate

What you will need: Large paper plate, yellow paint, silver card, small googly eyes, red card, glue, scissors and pencil.

What you need to do: Paint the large paper plate with the yellow paint. Allow to dry. Draw a large swirl (in shape of snake) onto the plate and cut out with scissors. Glue eyes onto snakes head. Cut a tongue shape from the red card and glue to snakes head. Cut out diamond and triangle shapes from the silver card and glue to the snake.


Fish Paper Plate

What you will need: Large paper plate, black nico pen, glue, scissors, sticky tape, and a variety of textured papers and card, cellophane, tissue paper (what ever you have at home).

What you need to do: Cut a triangle shape out of the paperplate and attach to the plate to make a fish tail (see pic). Cut or rip paper, card, cellophane etc and glue to the plate. Draw an eye.



Frog Paper Plate

What you will need: Small paper plate, green paint, red and green card, googly eyes, scissors, tape, glue.

What you will need to do: Paint the paper plate green and allow to dry. Fold plate in half. Cut out two arms and two legs from the green card and attach to the bottom side of the frog with tape. Cut a tongue from the red card and attach to the inside of the upper plate. Glue on the eyes.


Lion Paper Plate

What you will need: Large paper plate, orange paint, black nico pen, black pipe cleaner, black and white cards, scissors, glue.

What you will need to do: Paint the paper plate orange and wait to dry. Cut around the edge of the plate to create a mane. Draw on the eyes. Cut out a nose from the black and white card and attach with glue. Cut up the pipe cleaner and attach to the nose to make whiskers. Draw on the mouth.


Butterfly Paper Plate

See our Paper Plate Butterflies HERE.

Salt Painting!

This is MAGIC!  The kids will love watching the paint shoot along the salt and glue lines spread across the paper. Get all the instructions on how to create this great kids painting activitiy over here!

What you will need:

§       Water colour paints
§       Coloured paper
§       Eye/Medicine Dropper
§       Table salt
§       White glue
§       A baking tray

What you will need to do:

 

Place your paper on the tray and pour the glue onto your page in one continuous line.  draw a picture or just make patterns.

Pour the table salt all over the glue – add lots of salt!  Once the glue is covered in salt, shake off the excess.

Using the dropper, add the paint onto the salt.  You only need a small amount of colour.  Drop several different colours in different spots across the paper. 

Then, its time for FUN!  Watch as the magic happens - the colours run along the salt lines….the kids will love it!

 

Paper Plate Butterflies

We went to our local Shopping Centre this week and made Paper Plate animals with the kids.  They all enjoyed making the butterflies, especially punching the holes and covering with cellophane.

What you will need: Paper plate, pieces of coloured/textured paper, Pop stick, hole punch, cellophane, glue, sticky tape.

What you will need to do: Cut the paper plate into quarters. Using two of the quarters sticky tape them together, making the butterfly wings. Use the glue to attach the pop stick to the wings.  Punch holes in the wings using the hole punch.  Glue cellophane over the holes (on the back side).  Using pieces of coloured paper or card, alfoil, tissue paper etc, decorate your butterfly.

 

 

You may also like Paper Plate Snakes, Paper Plate Frogs, Paper Plate Lions, Paper Plate Frogs and our Craft Butterfly collection: Paper (Magaine) Butterflies, Popstick Butterflies, Stencil Drawing Butterflies, Papertowel Butterflies.