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Thursday, 19 March 2020

Shut in with the children - things to do

SO, in light of the current situation around the UK linked to Coronavirus Covid-19, you have found your self on isolation with the children and you don't know what to do. I  have added some ideas below, not all are mine but some have been copied from posts on Facebook and other sites (I will credit where this is due.) They also don't include them being on technology (bonus). Many can be done with things you have around the house so wont cost anything.

The following items are things i have on a chart from school holiday activities for my children to do.
I hope that the above is readable.

The following lego ideas were taken off a page on Facebook (no idea of the original creator). They do seem a bit hard for some children, but you could alter them to the age of your children.
Also with lego you could make a model and then explain to your children how to make it without them actually seeing your model. EG you need a red piece with 8 raised dots, fix that to the bottom of a green 8piece so you have an "L" shape. this can be a fun activity as you get a wide range of models made.

  • Pinterest is a godsend for ideas of things to do and you can find many for different ages.

  • Teachers pay teachers website has worksheets if you want to do school type work (there are many free sheets as well as paid ones)

  • twinkle has a good selection of worksheets and activities, as does activity village, some are free some are not.


There are many other ideas on my blog, please take a look for some ideas.

Take this time stuck at home to enjoy your children, make it a fun time to take their mind off the worries linked to the virus.


Wednesday, 5 February 2020

competitions

i like to enter competitions (i dont win many) but maybe thats because i only enter certain ones - eg of prizes i can use or are relevant to me and my family.

i was reading a post online where this lady enters every competition she can and she then sells prizes that are of no use to her. i personally think this is unfair on those whose genuinely want the prize.

yes it limits my chances but there is no point me entering to win a weeks cruise when 1.i get sea sick, 2.i dont have a passport. and this applies to holidays abroad as well. also no point in me entering baby comps as my youngest is 10years old.

it just got me thinking as to why people do it. and my answer is greed!

Tuesday, 14 March 2017

Making of a gruffalo outfit

This year for halloween wea re having a monsters and aliens theme, not a problem halloween is ages away.  Lil man says he wants to go as the gruffalo, so I had a look and there wasn't any in his size, so I said I would make him one.
Skip forward a week and he brings home a letter about world book day and decides he wants to go as the gruffalo!!!  Errrrr we have no outfit.....You can make me one......from what????

THINK Amy THINK!!!

2days later this arrives through the post:
1 brown furry monkey onesie.  After some "minor surgery" the monkey looked like this:
I then set about making the face for the gruffalo from pieces of felt - big orange eyes, white fangs for teeth and a green pom pom as the spot on his nose:
Next came the horns on its head, these were made from a white sock, cut and stuffed:
I then started to make purple spikes for its back from an old purple fleece:
lil man was so pleased with his gruffalo outfit.  He wore it for book day and has worn it around the house since and will wear it for halloween as well.




Thursday, 18 August 2016

counting to 10 doesn't work.....

can't you tell it's the summer holidays - kids are fighting, winding each other up, winding me up and them ending up in tears.  I've tried counting to 10 and it doesn't work!!!  I'm sure i'm no the only parent that is having one of those days!

Sunday, 15 May 2016

I've joined Amzreviewtrader......

I have recently joined the Amazon review website - Amzreviewtrader.  This means that I request to view  products/items that I am interested in.  The seller than decides if they are happy to let me be a reviewer of their product.

Some of the products are free to try others are at a discounted price and all you have to do is try it and review it and state that you recieved the product for free or at a discount.   How simple is that?

SO I find items that me and my family can use or want or need, request them and if selected use it and review it, which also helps other buyers.


Wednesday, 24 February 2016

February 24th 2016 - Harry Potter party - part 4 - general stuff

There are lots of other options you could do for the Halloween party linked to Harry potter (HP), the ideas are below:

*Ask all guests to dress up as a Witch/Wizard or character from Harry Potter
*Buy proper HP plates, bowls, cups etc
*cover your ceiling to look like a starry night
*turn different rooms in your house to different rooms from the HP films
*use the outside space as well for games like quidditch etc (not suitable for evening parties)
*hire a proper Wizard for entertainment
*have just 1 Hogwarts house for the theme and use only those colours
*make spells and potions as an activity
*have loads of stuffed animals about like the magical creatures
*play HP music in background

February 24th 2016 - Harry Potter Party - Part 3 - games/activities

As per my previous post about Halloween preparation for the Harry Potter Party (HP) I am hosting this year for Halloween here is part three - games/activities for Harry Potter.  I shall add to this as and when I find new ideas/possiblilites for the night that are linked to Harry Potter, witches/Wizards etc.


Activities

*Make wands for the guests - this could be done before the party or as an activity for them to do (depending on their ages and the time you have).  There are many different ways to actually make them - paper rolled and glued, paper marche, chop sticks, bamboo squewers, tree sticks.  You can use hot glue to make patterns on them, glue beads to them, rice and pasta etc.  Then you can paint them (acrylic is best) or even use nail varnish/polish.

*Wand Sorting - In HP the wand selects its owner, therefore if you are not making at the party you can use this activity.  Place all the made wands on a table/chair/surface etc and blindfold the guests 1 at a time.  Let them run their hands over the wands and they pick the 1 they "like".  Then I would tie a small label to it so you know whose is whose. (HP)


*Sorting hat - Have a proper "sorting hat" and get guests to put it on.  Using a dice with the HP houses on and each guest rolls it and then get an ID badge for that house.  OR using the sorting hat and clips from the sorting process in HP films place hat on head, play a clip and thats their house.

*Colouring pages linked to Halloween/Harry Potter etc

* Potions class - find ways to make simple potions for them to make (outdoors be better). (HP)


*pinata with gifts inside

*Quiz - this could be on any theme but best  linked to the party.  You can make the questions age dependent.  (HP)


*Photo booth/props - linked to theme but could be used as an extra gift to take home.



Games

*Pass the pumpkin/skull/hat etc - buy a cheap, small platic pumpkin, skull, hat and fill with sweets.  The game is played in the way of "pass the parcel" as in you pass the object round when the music plays and "do something" when it stops.  However, instead of unwrapping a parcel you take a sweet out of the object.  We go round at least once so that everyone gets at least one sweet.  Then once everyone has had a turn the last go the player who it stops on gets to take the whole object of sweets home.


*Pin the eyeball on the monster - pre-make or buy a monster image that's quite large and some eyeball stickers.  Each player has an eyeball with their name on and they get blindfolded, spun around and pointed towards the monster.  They need to place their eye on the image where they think it should be.  The winner is the person who gets closet to the eye.

*Pin the sock on dobby/scar on Harry - pre make or buy an image of dobby or Harry.  Depending on which you use you will need sock stickers for dobby or scars for Harry that have space to write names on.   They get blindfolded, spun around and pointed towards the image.  They need to place their sticker on the image where they think it should be.  The winner is the person who gets closet to the sock or scar. (HP)


*Bob for apples - using a big bucket filled with water place the apples in it and the guests must use only their mouth to retrieve an apple.


*Spider egg burst - Place sweets and confetti inside black balloons and inflate them and tie off.  Place on floor.  The guests need to burst the spider eggs to get the goodies, they can only do this by bouncing on them on their bottoms.

*Crystal Ball Fortunes - Using silver or white balloons place in sweets, confetti and a pre-written fortune, inflate and tie off the balloons.  In order to get their fortunes the guests need to burst the "crystals" y bouncing on them on their bottoms. (HP)


*Mummy Wrapping - working in pairs with a couple of toilet rolls (cheap ones).  On go they need to start wrapping their partner to look like a mummy.  Faces MUST be kept clear so that they can breathe.  The pair that get 1 of them wrapped the quickest wins.  You can make this harder by then saying they need to unwrap the mummy and using the same toilet roll the mummy then wraps their partner who wrapped them.  This is hard as the toilet roll usually gets ripped off the mummy.


*Guess the number of beans - Fill a jar with jelly beans an make a note of how many are in it.  Guests then write down their names and how many beans they think are in it.  The person with the correct guess (or closest if not exact) wins the jar of beans to take home.  (HP)


*Guess the flavour of the beans - You need a pre-printed sheet with numbers down 1 side and space to write their flavour.  You also need the same of amount of jelly beans in the same flavours for each guest (could be expensive if you have lots coming).  You also need to know what each flavour is so 1 = pineapple, 2 = vomit etc).  Pre-sort them into tubs rto make easier,  Give each guest 1 bean at a time and ask them to write down what they think its flavour is.  Repeat for all beans.  The person who gets the most flavours right wins a prize. (HP)


*Wingardium Leviosa - Give each guest a balloon and their wand and tell them on go they have to say "winguardium leviosa" and using only their wand keep the balloon afloat.  if they use anything else eg hand they are out and if it hits the floor they are out. Winner is last person with a balloon afloat. (HP)


*4 corners game - label each corner with a different halloween object or HP house.  Guests stand in the middle of the room and on go they choose a corner each.  A selected person then calls out one of the corner names and anyone in that corner is out.  The guests then choose another one and again one is called out and anyone there is out.  winner is last person in game.  (HP)


*Name the muggle - there are lots of muggles, squibs and half bloods in HP.  Print out pictures of them and the guests must write down who they think it is.  The winner is guest who got the most correct. (HP)