From the monthly archives: May 2014
From the top: Connect Four (via Big W), paint your own cubby (via Mocka), fab spotty book bag to hold your colouring in stuff (via This Grand Life), Pirate puzzle (via Djeco)
We are having a lot of rainy days at the moment, and though I am sure the gardens and trees of Perth are loving the wet weather, it is wearing a little thin on the home front!
Mostly after school and on weekends, when my kids are climbing the walls at times because they are so BORED!
Coupled with my love of tech free days at home, I’ve had to go old school with activities.
Today I thought I’d share a couple of ideas that have worked a treat with my tribe:
- Do a jigsaw puzzles – we love one brand – Djeco the best, the pieces are sturdy, the scenes are quirky, bright and interesting.
- Play a board or card game – our current faves are Connect Four, Scrabble and Uno
- Colour in – we always have a drawstring bag packed with colouring books, blank paper, textas , crayons, great for at home and when you are out and about
- Work together on a mazes, dot-to-dots, and spot the difference (all great for 3-5 year olds) – or for older kids try word searches and crosswords
- Build a city or fort or zoo or paint a cubby! Go as big or small as you like! Start off with some little animals and get the kids to build the jungle/ ocean/ habitat or go large and convert the lounge into a tent city. Add torches and a picnic and BINGO! Kid heaven!
Do you have a favourite rainy day activity?
Enjoy xx
Simply divine – The Invention of Wings
We are a bookish family (ok, you could probably call us geeky!), complete with a room we all call ‘the library room’.
That’s right, one whole room with wall to wall books, comfy couches, cushions and rugs.
For the sole purpose of reading and quiet time.
I noticed this week we have all gone a little out of the box lately, kids progressing to chapter books, Little L ‘reading’ by herself – this usually involves turning the pages and reciting the book, but hey she’s having a good time!
So here are our top picks – also a perfect list of suggestions if you need to find a gift fast!
- I have been voraciously devouring books (see what I did there, it has also resulted in me using GIANT words in everyday life), faves have been The Invention of Wings, The Unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Paris Letters. All involve a journey of sorts and beautiful characters who made me smile and cry (sometimes late at night by the light of my lamp when I should’ve been sleeping, but it was oh so sweet!).
- The lovely Big A has been reading a bunch of books which are part of the Warhammer series which I profess to knowing nothing about other than it is set in the future, is sci-fi, and he LOVES them. Something about Space Marines? Good blokey books by the sounds of it.
- The Mini-Fashionista who is about to turn double figures (10) is switching between gross-out books – hello Andy Griffiths – and girly books – she is loving the English Rose books by Madonna. I love that she is reading widely, but am still, well grossed out by the gross-out books, and really don’t get the jokes. Also in other news, I am feeling OLD.
- Jacko is prolific in his reading. This has the potential to make it really hard and really expensive to keep up with his appetite. He’s smashed his way through the entire Percy Jackson series, Selby the Talking Dog, Big Nate… Luckily his school has a fab librarian and library, we have a brilliant local library and some lovely kind friends who have given the kids a load of books (we love the great circle of passing on books).
- Flashdance, who when he is not grooving to the tunes in his head, is a keen bean on reading, has been taking a leaf out of both the older kids books. Ballerinas? Yes please! Gross-out humour? Sure! He has also discovered a passion for word searches and puzzles…A brilliant alternative to an iPad or iPod if you are stuck in a waiting room or want a quiet occupied kid in a doctor’s surgery.
- Little L has a couple of faves on high rotation, Wendy is still top of the charts, and has now been joined by some witchy tales, Winnie the Witch and the always awesome Meg and Mog (which i remember reading to my gorgeous baby sister when she was little).
Have you read a good book lately?
Enjoy xx
