Track Painting

Rascal is really enjoying drawing and painting at the moment. As it is more about the process rather than the product for him right now, I decided to try a little track painting using some finger paints and toy cars. Both the boys had lots of fun and I was surprised how much Junior still enjoyed just messing about with the paint as well.

Do you have a favourite toddler art activity? “Come over and play at the Childhood 101We Play link up”

March Teach/Learn - Imagination

This month we jointed in the new Teach/Learn. Here are some of the posts bloggers across Australia and the world have come up with on this month’s theme, ‘Imagination.’

• ‘Imagine that …’ with Leechbabe at Stuff With Thing, learning through our search for fairies and dinosaurs, a child’s world is a wonderful place to be.
• ‘Imagination Towers’ with Catherine from Adventures With Kids, use your imagination to draw what’s happening inside the windows of the tower.
• ‘The Power of Imagination,’ Monique from Your Cheeky Monkey had a look through some of our family photos to show you some of the things my sons get up to in their imaginary play.
• ‘Imagine’ with Deb from Science@home looking for the science in children’s fiction, especially ones that ask ‘what if?’
• ‘See Rascal Play’ at Tales of an Aussie Mum, her two year old’s imaginative play is blossoming – see some of the things he is currently loving.
• ‘Imaginative Play at Home’ by Katepickle of Picklebums, Imaginative play doesn’t have to be difficult or time consuming to set up. So I’m kicking myself in the bum and with inspiration from the Teach/Learn Carnival, getting back on the imaginative play band wagon with these ideas…
• ‘Unleash Your Child’s Imagination’ with Colin Wee at SuperParents, find out how I gained a powerful imagination from associating with some dodgy brothers – and takeaway lessons so parents can let children do the same whilst avoiding having to deal with shady individuals!
• Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now writes ‘Dr Seuss With a Touch of Montessori’ to explore the imagination and whimsy of Dr Seuss.
• The Planning Queen has been writing about ‘Recycled Creations’ at Planning with Kids, letting kids imagination run wild choosing and creating from recycled materials.

Check out some of these blogs for inspiring and imaginative posts.

Fish and Chips in the Park

This weekend I'm very grateful for fish and chips in the park on a day when I really don't feel like cooking!

For more weekend grateful pop over to Maxabella and tell us what you are grateful for.

Wordless Wednesday - Climbing

The boys just love climbing the trees at our local park.

See Rascal Play

Junior has always had quite an imagination but now Rascal is starting to enjoying lots of imaginative play as well. He loves having a Teddy bears picnic or serving up brunch to his toys.

This morning he was helping his Snuggy Bear to draw ...

... and he loves creating little nests for his toys to go to sleep in.

He makes snakes out of play dough that slither and hiss and he even asked me to make Enoch the Emu out of play dough which he then patted and chatted to.

He helped me build a leprechaun house in the sand at the park and chatted away to them quite happily.

And he loves to rockets around the house in his superman cape following his big brother.

It is so lovely to watch his imaginative play blossoming! How do you encourage your childs imaginative play? “Come over and play at the Childhood 101We Play link up”

This post is part of the Teach/Learn Carnival. March's theme is Imagination. Please join in or check back at the end of the month for the links to lots of great posts.

Sculpture by the Sea

This weekend I'm grateful for free, easily accessible public art.
This weekend the whole family had a lovely walk around the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition at Cottesloe beach.

For more weekend grateful pop over to Maxabella and tell us what you are grateful for.

Puffy paint revisited

It has been quite some time since we played with a little puffy paint in the Aussie household so I decided it might be time to give it another go.

Rascal has been enjoying lots of drawing and painting recently so I though he might like it and he did. In fact both the boys enjoyed it so much they got out the puffy paints again the next day as well.

I use this recipe from The Artful Parent but if you mix equal portions of flour, salt and water I'm sure you could also colour it with food colouring or different types of paint.

Perhaps it is time to revisit some spin art or marble painting as well?

Wordless Wednesday - Baby Model

Puggle modelling a friends hand knitted jumper. They are both so talented!

Birthday presents for girls

Junior has been invited to a double birthday party this week for two girls in his pre-primary class. Having three boys I'm a little clueless as to what to get for little girls so I asked a friend who has two gorgeous girls of her own.

Her standby for school birthday presents is a nice book and a library bag, so last night I whipped up a couple of library bags and I added two of our favorite books - Imagine and the Magic Beach.

Junior made a couple of birthday card this morning so we are all set for the party this afternoon. Hope they like them. Do you have a favorite present for school birthday parties?

Small world beach

Since both my big boys enjoyed playing with the dinosaur small world I set out a few weeks ago, I have tried a few different variations including;

insects,

and cars - but they definitely like the dinosaurs the best.

This weekend I set up a beach scene which they both really enjoyed.

The two little people on the beach had a picnic,

made sand castles,

went for a swim (and predictably for boys) were attached by the shark!

“Come over and play at the Childhood 101We Play link up”

Grateful for three healthy boys

This week I have been touched by stories of two families with young boys that have been seriously unwell, so I'm very grateful for my three healthy little men.

For more weekend grateful pop over to Maxabella and tell us what you are grateful for.

Rascal loves ....

At almost two and a quarter, Rascal loves;

The beach, ....

Play dough, .....

Drawing, ....

Nesting, .....

Building, ...

Water play, ...

Wearing everybody else's shoes (but never his own), ...

Motorbikes, Cruskits and eating on the run!

Exploring the Treasure Basket.

Puggle isn't quite sitting up but he is very mobile and enjoying exploring my kitchen cupboards. He quickly gets board with his toys so I decided to make him a little treasure basket.

When I put it out he heads straight for it and is very interested in what he finds inside. Who would have thought a wooden spoon or a whisk could be so interesting but he loves the different textures and shapes he discovers.I will change the contents periodically to keep him happy and exploring and add more things as they are developmentally appropriate. I found a great list of ideas for treasure basket contents here.

What things do your babies love playing with? “Come over and play at the Childhood 101We Play link up”

6 Months old!

Last week Puggle was 6 months old. I just don't know where the time has gone. He is still a happy little man most of the time and is quite capable of telling you when he is not.

He is not quite sitting up but he is very mobile - rolling, scooting on his back or commando crawling to reach whatever takes his fancy.
He loves getting into the kitchen cupboards, scooting off the mat at the park or beach and eating sand, grass, leaves and anything else he can get his hands on.He has two little teeth and puts everything in his mouth. He has started on a little bit of solids - mainly a little fruit and vegetable puree and some rice cereal but he would love to get his hands on a big piece of watermelon or some strawberries (Rascals favorite food).
He is too busy to feed much during the daytime but loves keeping mum up all night to catchup! Despite this he is the cutest baby ever and we love him to bits!