Here are some ideas.
Den building
Create a den outside /inside depending upon the weather. All you need is lots of stuff and kids with imagination!
- Get together a basic structure to begin the den building...2 chairs, a table, a clothes dryer...anything that will provide a basic structure to cover.
- Supply them with sheets, blankets and clothes to drape
- Some clothes pegs to hold it all in place
- Cushions and clothes to put inside
Now watch them create...
Children love to have a space of their own! You may need to help first time but once they get the idea let them get on with it because it's the making themselves that gives the most pleasure.
Mud kitchens!
All children need is outside space, lots of pots, pans and spoons and the permission to make a mess! Make sure you supply a bowl of warm soapy water at the backdoor for them to use before coming inside! Here's a mud kitchen my husband made in an afternoon with spare bits of wood and an old container. He painted it pink for our granddaughter Honey as she loves anything pink!
Green fingers
Mud kitchens!
All children need is outside space, lots of pots, pans and spoons and the permission to make a mess! Make sure you supply a bowl of warm soapy water at the backdoor for them to use before coming inside! Here's a mud kitchen my husband made in an afternoon with spare bits of wood and an old container. He painted it pink for our granddaughter Honey as she loves anything pink!
Green fingers
Make their own little garden in a bowl, a planter or on a tray. Using sunlight and water to turn a dull looking seed into a living, growing plant is a source of endless pleasure. Choose seeds that will grow quickly though because children like quick results. You could make it into a fairy garden
Memories Box
Well this is certainly going to be a Spring and Summer to remember so why not create a memory box and collect photos and special things that will help you look back at the positive things that happened during this 'corona time'. It's important to make sure they are positive too because we need to look at the good things that can come out of this very scary, upside down time!
Choose a medium sized cardboard box and decorate it with colourful images...an obvious choice would be rainbows! Personalise your box and don't forget to date it perhaps on the bottom so we never forget this time and all we have learnt from it! Be really creative about what you place in your memory box...things that will evoke not only memories but feelings. The first thing I would include is a photo of my street clapping to the NHS and other key workers! Google kids time capsules for more ideas because that is what a memory box is...a way of capturing memories for the future!
Introduce a Colour Themed Day with the kids. Lets try GREEN. Tell the children when they get up that they are going to have a green day (or what ever colour you fancy) Use your creative skills to make the day as exciting as you can.
Paint some stones
Using acrylic paint let them decorate washed pebbles and stones either with patterns, words or making them into characters. If you paint or spray a little clear varnish on them they will last longer.
Jam jar symphony
Find some old glass jam jars or bottles (remind them of the safety aspects of using glass containers) Pour different amounts of water in each to create different notes...add food colouring if you have any.
Using wooden paintbrushes, chopsticks, pencils or spoons for the drum sticks let them make sweet music to entertain themselves and others.
Create a cafe'
As all cafe's are temporarily closed get the kids to create their own at home either inside or out. All you need is a table and chairs, table cloth, cups, saucers and plates, a table decoration perhaps and some food to serve. The food can be play food but wouldn't it be nice to make it real!
They could make their own menu...be creative and think afternoon tea, lunch or dinner and let them decide what to serve.
It could be sandwiches, pizza, cakes...anything that they can help prepare. It's important to let them do as much as they can towards it so that they feel a sense of achievement.
The customers can be their teddies or the rest of the family if you are all in the house together. Let them be the waiter and the one who takes the order and serves the food. They could even greet you at the door and escort their customers to their table!
If you don't want to make real food use playdough and pretend...we are never too old to play pretend.
Map making
Using a large sheet of paper or card, a supply of pencils, crayons and felt tips help your child to take a simple journey - just one or two streets and make a map to represent it. you could include roads, parks, even a spooky forest and include landmarks such as shops, a church, bridges over a river, school...anything they want to include. you might want to help them make some 3 D landmarks to place on their map. When finished the children can create their own story using mini people or animals toys.
Making jewels
Young children love to create their own necklaces and bracelets. using strong thread or elastic use painted pasta shapes to create their own necklaces/bracelets. It's rather messy so wear an apron and paint one side, let it dry and then the other side.. Acrylic paint can be used and you may have some of those metallic colours that would add a bit of sparkle. You could also use old beads or home made modelling clay beads.
Transitional Art (see my separate post )
An easy pom pom monster
So simple to make-take 2 toilet roll middles,
Cutting and sticking
Children just love to cut and stick, using all sorts of scrap materials to create their own collage pictures. You may need to give some help with applying just the right amount of glue but give them creative space to use their own imaginations. Often it's the doing that is important not the finished result.
Making a candle holder
Camp outdoors
Memories Box
Well this is certainly going to be a Spring and Summer to remember so why not create a memory box and collect photos and special things that will help you look back at the positive things that happened during this 'corona time'. It's important to make sure they are positive too because we need to look at the good things that can come out of this very scary, upside down time!
Choose a medium sized cardboard box and decorate it with colourful images...an obvious choice would be rainbows! Personalise your box and don't forget to date it perhaps on the bottom so we never forget this time and all we have learnt from it! Be really creative about what you place in your memory box...things that will evoke not only memories but feelings. The first thing I would include is a photo of my street clapping to the NHS and other key workers! Google kids time capsules for more ideas because that is what a memory box is...a way of capturing memories for the future!
Collect tiny things
This is one of my favourite activities as I love tiny things! Fill a matchbox or small container with as many tiny things you can find…no duplicates. Challenge a friend on face time to do the same and compare your finds.
Introduce a Colour Themed Day with the kids. Lets try GREEN. Tell the children when they get up that they are going to have a green day (or what ever colour you fancy) Use your creative skills to make the day as exciting as you can.
- Serve green milk with their cereal (add a little food colouring to normal milk)
- Give a selection of green foods for lunch, tea and snacks
- Choose green clothes for them to wear (don't forget you need to join in)
- Do some green cooking...green cakes with green icing, green jelly, apple pie, avocado dips
- Play with green play dough
- Go for a walk in the park and search for different shades of green (use paint sample charts from the local DIY store to match different greens in the park)
- Make a green collage using a variety of materials e.g. buttons, paper, card, tissue paper, magazine pictures.
- Play with green balloons
- Paint a green picture
- Photograph green things such as doors, curtains, toys.
- Read Green Eggs and Ham at bedtime
Have a rainbow day
Just go mad with rainbows!
- Dress in as many colours as you can find
- Paint, collage, print and colour rainbows
- Make a rainbow sun catcher
- Make a rainbow den using as many different coloured scarves, cloths, clothes, old curtains as you can find
- Tape a rainbow of crayons together and draw with them
- Sing rainbow songs...make one up yourself!
- Google how to create a rainbow...I have an amazing prism I use with Messy Church
- Draw a rainbow and add pictures and objects on to it either following the colours or to match the first letter of each colour e.g. everything you can find beginning with R and Y and G etc.
- Learn the colours of the rainbow using Richard of York gave battle in vain...red orange yellow green blue indigo violet
- Use the traditional french knitting doll to make a rainbow cord that can be made into all sorts of things like scarves for dolls, mats or hats for dolls. (see picture below)
- the rest is up to you...be as creative as possible!
This is an activity that older children can do. How did I make this? I drew a rainbow, coloured it with fabric crayons, ironed to fix the colour, machined the outlines of the colours, embellished and then added a backing. It can be used as purely decorative or as a tactile lap mat for children / adults who need sensory fidget type aids. (see also my multi sensory resources for adults section)
You can create the same idea using paper and collage embellishments , which would be easier to create with younger children.
Using acrylic paint let them decorate washed pebbles and stones either with patterns, words or making them into characters. If you paint or spray a little clear varnish on them they will last longer.
Jam jar symphony
Find some old glass jam jars or bottles (remind them of the safety aspects of using glass containers) Pour different amounts of water in each to create different notes...add food colouring if you have any.
Using wooden paintbrushes, chopsticks, pencils or spoons for the drum sticks let them make sweet music to entertain themselves and others.
Create a cafe'
As all cafe's are temporarily closed get the kids to create their own at home either inside or out. All you need is a table and chairs, table cloth, cups, saucers and plates, a table decoration perhaps and some food to serve. The food can be play food but wouldn't it be nice to make it real!
They could make their own menu...be creative and think afternoon tea, lunch or dinner and let them decide what to serve.
It could be sandwiches, pizza, cakes...anything that they can help prepare. It's important to let them do as much as they can towards it so that they feel a sense of achievement.
The customers can be their teddies or the rest of the family if you are all in the house together. Let them be the waiter and the one who takes the order and serves the food. They could even greet you at the door and escort their customers to their table!
If you don't want to make real food use playdough and pretend...we are never too old to play pretend.
Map making
Using a large sheet of paper or card, a supply of pencils, crayons and felt tips help your child to take a simple journey - just one or two streets and make a map to represent it. you could include roads, parks, even a spooky forest and include landmarks such as shops, a church, bridges over a river, school...anything they want to include. you might want to help them make some 3 D landmarks to place on their map. When finished the children can create their own story using mini people or animals toys.
Making jewels
Young children love to create their own necklaces and bracelets. using strong thread or elastic use painted pasta shapes to create their own necklaces/bracelets. It's rather messy so wear an apron and paint one side, let it dry and then the other side.. Acrylic paint can be used and you may have some of those metallic colours that would add a bit of sparkle. You could also use old beads or home made modelling clay beads.
Transitional Art (see my separate post )
An easy pom pom monster
So simple to make-take 2 toilet roll middles,
- tie them together, wind wool around them to make a ball shape
- wrap doubled over wool string between the 2 toilet rolls
- pull really tight to tie together (the tighter the better)
- pull out the rolls and cut each edge
- fluff out and glue on eyes
Cutting and sticking
Children just love to cut and stick, using all sorts of scrap materials to create their own collage pictures. You may need to give some help with applying just the right amount of glue but give them creative space to use their own imaginations. Often it's the doing that is important not the finished result.
Making a candle holder
Create a pretty candle holder using
·
A jar / tissue paper, pretty napkins / watery
acrylic glue
·
Coat the jar, where you want to decorate, with glue
·
Paste on multi coloured tissue or single layer
napkins
·
Re-paste to ensure tissue stays in place
·
Leave to dry
For safety sake use a battery candle.
I am putting my candle jar in the window at night to say thank you to all those who are working during the Corona Virus period
Camp outdoors
Whether your wilderness in your own back garden ... camping outdoors is really fun. It doesn’t matter if it’s warm and sunny or cold, or rainy. Always camp with an adult. Don't forget to take some treats to eat as a midnight feast is part of the fun!
Create some wild art
When it comes to creating wild art, the only limit is your imagination. What will you use, and how? There's so much to choose from in the natural world, but make sure you're not making your art from another creature's home. Rather than saving it, photograph your finished masterpiece and return everything to nature.
I call this my 'creation station'
Take a look at my Summer Holiday section as there are more ideas such as Invitational Play I know some of the ideas expect families to be out and about but you may be able to adapt some to suit the 2020 Spring Summer lock down.
CD Spinner
Found this idea in a children's book
Take an old CD - glue gun a marble in the centre - turn it over and glue gun a bottle top over the centre hole and smaller part of marble - cut a circle of paper, plus a hole for bottle top and decorate it and glue it onto bottle top side...hey presto you have a spinner that spins for ages!
Make a few and have competitions for longest spin...what can you achieve whilst it is still spinning...how many can you get spinning at the same time?
Have fun!
Hope my blog is useful!
CD Spinner
Found this idea in a children's book
Take an old CD - glue gun a marble in the centre - turn it over and glue gun a bottle top over the centre hole and smaller part of marble - cut a circle of paper, plus a hole for bottle top and decorate it and glue it onto bottle top side...hey presto you have a spinner that spins for ages!
Have fun!
Hope my blog is useful!
No comments:
Post a Comment