• Kids' Crafts and Activities

    An Invitation to Play – Compost Tray, Found Objects from Nature and Toys

    If you saw our post on Pre-Writing Skills yesterday you may have seen Doodles using a tray full of compost/Peat Moss to practice his writing in.  I knew that he would be dying to get his hands on this tray when we had finished our writing activities so I had gathered lots of bits and pieces so that he could have lots of fun.  I laid everything out on the table and encouraged him to create a small world with all of the materials.  Oodles was anxious to be involved too so I had a smaller tray ready for her too.  You may know by now that Doodles is construction…

  • Kids' Crafts and Activities

    Fun Pre Writing Activities – Early Literacy & Fine Motor Skills Development

    Over the past few weeks we have been having quite a bit of fun developing our fine motor skills, in particular we have been working of prewriting activities.  Doodles is starting school in September and is very eager to do homework at the moment (let’s hope he maintains that enthusiasm in the years to come!!!). Activity 1 – Writing Trays Using a Variety of Materials: Sand Compost/Peat Moss Flour Rice Paint Linseed What do you need: Trays, baking sheets Flour Rice Sand Compost/peat moss Coloured paper/card Paint Paint brushes Lolly pop sticks Pencils Both Doodles and Oodles love this activity and it is so easy to set up.  Simply add…

  • Kids' Crafts and Activities

    Construction Play Outdoors – Using Garden Cuttings!

    My 4 year old son Doodles is absolutely obsessed with all things building and construction related.  I f he’s quiet then I know not to worry as he is probably playing with Lego or bricks or pieces of recycled rubbish and building some sort of a contraption!!!!  I even had to ask his preschool teacher to discourage him from playing in the construction corner at school all the day everyday and encourage to him to do other activities! Construction Play Obsessed – Lego, Blocks, Cubes, Tent Building – you name it Doodles loves it! (and so does his little sister!) We have been cutting back all of our hedges and…