Category: Activities for Kids

Rainbow Rice For Sensory Play

Rainbow Rice For Sensory Play

Posted on by Rebecca

I often get asked, “but what do you do with rainbow rice”; It may look pretty , but how does one incorporate it into “play”?

First, lets look at how to make it.

It is super easy and you can choose whether to use paint or food colouring. There are two ways to make it, I chose to use paint as my kids are a bit older and I know they won’t “eat” the rice. For younger kids, use the vinegar and food colouring method. I just find the paint makes a more vibrant colour.

1 cup of uncooked rice ( I used 2 for a larger batch)
Sealable bag / container
A blob of paint

Place your rice into the bag, with a good blob of paint and seal your bag. Rub the paint around until all specs of rice are coated (I got the kids to do this). Lay out to dry on a flat tray in a warm area for about 2 hours. You don’t want the paint transferring on your hands.

Vinegar Option
1 cup of rice
1/2 top vinegar
A good few drops of food colouring

Use the same method as above but you may need to dry overnight.

How do you play with it?

Now that you have made it, lets look at all the different things you can do with it, apart from admiring the pretty colours. The benefits of using rice in sensory play are second to none. From an OT point of view its great for kids that have low tactile input, the rice stimulates receptors on the skin so they can interpret sensory input more accurately. It’s the perfect medium for fine motor skill development. For those kids that avoid any tactile input completely (your kids that don’t like to walk barefoot or don’t like to get messy), because they can play in a controlled manner. Place it into a smaller container/ tray lets them control their experience more.

Here’s a couple of ways we use our rainbow rice to give you some idea’s:

Sensory Trays – any rice makes a fantastic base for sensory trays. It’s a bit like sand in that you can grab it, dig in it, scoop it etc. We use rice in a lot of our sensory fun. I have used it in themed sensory bins like our valentine one, or our outer space adventure.

Imagination Play – rice is perfect for “cooking”, making potions and baking. My boys like to stir it about in pots or “sprinkle” onto cupcakes.

Scavenger hunts – using the rice as a base for treasure hunts. Hide their favourite toys or treasures inside and make a checklist for the kids to dig through and find.

Scooping and Pouring activities – Great for fine motor skill development in little ones. Give them a try with the rice and some pouring jugs and let them scoop and pour away.

Letter recognition – add in an extra dimension by chucking in some magnets and a wand, magnetic letters are a great way to start letter recognition. Another exercise is to place the rice on a tray and get your child to “trace” the letters of the alphabet (from pictures), this is a great way to get them used to the shape of letters for recognition and to prepare them for writing.

“I-spy” Bottles – create personalized little “I-spy”bottles like this one over at lalymom.com , these are great for long car or plane journeys to keep little ones entertained.

Use it for art – ever tried sticking rice onto glue? It makes a fantastic piece of artwork for kids. Let them get creative with their glue sticks and create masterpieces with the rice.

Music Makers – If you have babies or young toddlers, you can also put the rainbow rice into bottle or plastic egg. The baby can then shake, shake, shake the bottle like a maracas.

I hope some of these idea’s helped you with some inspiration. The beauty of coloured rice is once you make it you can literally store it in an airtight container for life. We pull ours out quite often. Be careful though, rice does get everywhere. I always put done our messy play mat (a plastic sheet) and take it outside. Happy Playing !

We Are Getting Crafty For World PlayDoh Day + Giveaway

We Are Getting Crafty For World PlayDoh Day + Giveaway

Posted on by Rebecca

Noah McVicker was an absolute genius, I don’t even think he realised the impact he would have on the world. Way back in the 1930’s he created a substance to originally clean soot and dirt off wallpaper! Gradually it was manufactured as a child’s toy and for  more than 60 years this humble piece of dough has changed the lives of parents and children forever. Opening up a world filled with imaginative play, colour and craft-able creations.

The 16th September marks Word Play-Doh Day, like we even need an excuse to whip out our Dough. Its a weekly feature in our house and its used for everything from educational themes to imagination play and even bathtime fun (we tried our hand at making bathtime playdoh.)

Play-Doh is hugely popular in the classroom providing ideal opportunities to practice and nurture
kids critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration and creativity skills.
Engaging toddlers and young children (ages 2-5 years) with sensory, open-ended play activities can
help them prepare for the big, elaborate world. We love creating “invitations to play” or themed “small world” trays for the boys to explore .  Play-Doh activities also provide a fun way to explore all kinds of topics and skills including language, math, science, social studies, and the arts. They make the perfect planets when learning about solar systems.

This World Play-Doh Day open a can of imagination and combine the fun with essential
development and learning benefits:
1. Play-Doh encourages creativity and imagination by providing your child with unlimited moulding
possibilities and the freedom to explore – for inspiration visit the Play-Doh How To store for
ideas on how to create your own Play-Doh astronaut, My Little Pony Rainbow Dash, butterfly
and much more.
2. Creating different shapes or mixing different Play-Doh colours together to uncover a new colour,
can assist children in growing their curiosity, develop cognitive exploration and enhance their
mathematical thinking.
3. All the squishing, rolling, flattening and shaping Play-Doh characters helps to enhance fine
motor skill by developing and strengthening hand muscles, which encourages pre-writing and
other motor skills such as cutting with scissors, using tweezers, holding a pencil etc. The tactile,
hands-on nature of Play-Doh compound can also help encourage development of hand-eye
coordination.


4. Play-Doh offers kids a multi-sensory experience allowing them to learn about their world
through touch, sight and smell. Sitting and squishing Play-Doh is a very calming and soothing
activity, which eases tension, releases extra energy as well as improves focus and concentration.
5. Playing with Play-Doh in a small group and/or with adults presents opportunities for children to
develop social skills such as collaborative problem solving, planning and playing as well as
learning to effectively communicate ideas or discuss what they are making. As well as improving
social skills, children can also learn to effectively engage in individual play sharpening their focus,
patience and concentration skills.

This World Play-Doh day why not join in the challenge and create a Hedgehog?

You will need: Stick matches or spaghetti or toothpicks and a can or two of a favourite Play-
Doh colour.
Method:
Shape the Play-Doh into a hedgehog body (shape of a lightbulb ending in a tip).
Insert the matches, spaghetti or toothpicks into the body.
Use a different colour to form small balls for the eyes and nose.

This is fantastic for developing fine motor skills. Get your little ones to insert the spaghetti or match sticks and add another layer of concentration by getting them to thread cheerios or fruit loops onto the spaghetti towers.

Tip: To test fine motor skill, let your child remove the sticks and challenge them to re-insert in the
same holes.

Play-Doh is available from Toys R Us, ToyZone, Toy Kingdom, Hamleys and other major retailers as
well as Takealot.com.
Visit Play-Doh South Africa at www.hasbro.com/en-za/brands/playdoh;
Facebook: @PlayDohSouthAfrica

GIVEAWAY:

 

To stand a chance to win a fantastic hamper from Play-Doh filled with Play-Doh Rollers & Cutters, drawstring bag and a fridge magnet, simply comment below on some of the ways you use Play-Doh with your children.

This competition will run across Instagram and my Blog, one winner will be drawn, so for an extra chance to win enter on both social media pages.

Competition ends on Wednesday 19th September at 12 noon and the winner will be announced the same day

Open to residents of South Africa only.

Making Learning Fun with Panda Post Learning

Making Learning Fun with Panda Post Learning

Posted on by Rebecca

I love it when I get to work with brands that are so aligned to my parenting style and philosophy. The second I heard from Nina I was so excited to jump on board with Panda Post Learning. My blog has always focused on fun learning ideas and activities to do with your kids. Its more than just chucking an activity in front of them and expecting them to do it, it’s about doing it together and spending time with your kids. I wrote a blog post a little while ago on how being back in an office environment (as opposed to a home office), I was battling with guilt while the kids were on holiday. They are too young to just drop off at holiday classes, and I certainly didn’t want them just watching TV the entire day, so I created a few set up in advance activities for the kids to do in the day.

Enter Panda Post Learning, it’s like Nina read my mind 😊 Panda Post was born to empower parents to make learning through play easy and fun! Helping parents to reduce screen time and increase play time. Each month a new theme is announced. Age appropriate boxes are available for children from 9 months to 6 years old. Select a box according to your child’s’ age (Baby Box,Toddler box, Playschool Box, Preschool box) and receive your box by the 20th of the subscription month, it’s that easy!

Our September box arrived, and the boys thought it was Christmas. They went crazy opening it up before I even got to take a few good pictures. I went for a combination box of both preschool and playschool and the boys are 3 and 4. When you receive your first Panda Post you receive a few “extras” that wont be included every time. Basics like scissors, glue and crayons to get you going on your arts and crafts journey. Our box had a healthy mix of art and crafts coupled with some puzzle games to encourage thinking (my boys are still getting frustrated with lining up the dots) and a fun ball catch kit to encourage gross motor skills.

A thoughtfully typed out description and activity list was included in the box, breaking down the activities step by step, making it super easy for your caregiver or nanny to do if you happen to be at work. Our box was “Spring themed”, so naturally the focus was on flowers, butterflies and birds. I honestly found the box jam packed with different options, we still haven’t gotten through half of them! We have created butterfly shaped suncatchers (something I always wanted to do but always forgot to buy contact paper), peacocks, owls, pet rocks. We have hunted for bugs and butterflies (and now have an earthworm living in sand stored in a container). We’ve spoken about spring and growth, planted seedlings and painted pots!

I only blog about products I believe in, Panda Post Learning is supporting a local, proudly “mumtrepeneur” business and is making my life a whole lot easier. My eldest comes at the weirdest times of day with a head full of ideas of what to craft, Panda Post sends you everything you need. No running to the craft store at inconvenient times because you don’t have one thing that you need.

I have literally just received an SMS from our playschool reminding me about the upcoming October break (yes I had forgotten about it), so guess who is hopping onto the website to order the beach themed October box…

You can find out more about their subscription boxes on their website .

20 Outdoor Activities To Do With The Kids

20 Outdoor Activities To Do With The Kids

Posted on by Rebecca

Yaaay for warmer days and longer hours of sunshine. I’ve missed outdoor activities with the boys so much and in the past two weeks every day after work we try to fit in some “play time”.

Most of these can be done in a smaller outdoor area, so if you’re in a high rise with limited balcony space, worry not! You can still get creative.

Here are my favourite outdoor activities to do with kids:

  • First and foremost, I just like to sit back and observe. Let their imaginations work. Get them outside and let them make their own fun. On their own accord they have been countless hours “building” forts, making houses behind trees, turned into imaginary chefs mixing up soup with leaves and their ultimate is to pretend they are gardeners. Whilst I’m a huge advocate of doing things with them, trust me, my absolute number one thing to do is just to let them do their own thing. It’s a magical thing to watch.
  • Set up a “Mud Kitchen”- All kids, no matter what their gender love to spend hours mixing and creating. Give them a couple of old bowls and spoons with a jug of water and some soil and you’ll be amazed at the creations put in front of you to sample.
  • Paint with Ice Lollies – a lot of my outdoor activities include paint, because to be honest, I much prefer the kids painting outdoors than in, in the interest of keeping my walls and floors paint free of course. This is super easy. Mix a little paint with water (you can also use food colouring and water) and pour into an ice container. Once the cubes are partially frozen add in your Popsicle sticks and take out when completely frozen. Yes it’s just paint, but it adds a completely different dimension and texture to painting.

  • Paint with Nature – Spring time with all the flowers out is the perfect time to do this. Grab a few flowers, leaves and sticks and get the kids to paint with them. Observe the patterns they all make and which ones are easier to paint with.
  • Pack up your lunch and take it outside. Most kids adore picnics, so instead of sitting inside to eat, grab a blanket and take it outdoors for a bit of an adventure
  • Set up a mini Olympics – This really doesn’t have to take too much thought or effort. We have used things we have around the house. Examples include: drawing a target circle on the wall outside in chalk, get the kids to try and hit the targets with a ball or bean bag. Tying a hoola hoop onto a tree to create a ring to throw through. Place cones out and create a mini obstacle course to run and jump through.
  • Build a Fairy House – Using popsicle sticks, sticks, matchboxes, moss, leaves, and small items from inside your home to build a fairy-sized house.
  • Build a Bug Hotel – My husband hates this one but the boys love it. Find any interesting artifacts lying around. Old bricks, pipes, pots with holes and rolled up newspaper work really well. Layer with straw and leaves to create mulch and make a really interesting little “hotel” for bugs to make their home in!
  • Go on a bug hunt – Look around said hotel 😊 Take a magnifying glass and create a list of possible bugs in your garden. Encourage the kids to look under pots and logs to try and find the bugs
  • Create a scavenger hunt – I like hiding figurine animals around the garden for this one. You can use a magnifying glass or make a pair of binoculars out of toilet paper rolls. Hide your mini animals all around the garden and let the kids find them.

  • Create a wash station – whatever it is, be it windows or bikes and cars. Get kids involved with a sponge and some soapy water and they are in their element. My boys love washing their bikes, or my windows and ultimately it always turns into a wet, messy affair. You are outside, so its OK 😊 
  • Make some bird feeders – Out of pine cones, peanut butter and bird seed. The kids will love making their own feeders and will often keep checking to see if birds come to feed.
  • Paint Stone Pebbles – My boys loved this ! Collect medium-sized stones and arrange them in the garden. Get your kids to paint the stones with acrylic paints of different colours. They can paint anything they like from shapes, to pets and insects. Mum can come in after and draw in any finer details.

  • Create Giant Bubbles – Bubbles are one thing I despise doing inside. The sticky bubbles pip all over the tiled floors leaving a slippery, sticky mess. Outdoors is the perfect place to create bubbles to your hearts content. To make the giant bubbles add one cup of dishwashing soap to a litre of warm water. An extra two to three tablespoons of glycerine, (makes your super big bubbles). Pour your concoction into a flat, rimmed tray, like a sheet-cake pan, and dip in a large DIY wand, made by bending a wire hanger into a loop. Lift the wand slowly and walk backward to let loose a gigantic bubble. Experiment and try different mediums, a fly swat perhaps with large holes. The crazy store has a lot of possible options to use.
  • Collect flowers and leaves and make a magic potion – Using food colours and petals let your kids mix away and create any “magic potion” they desire. I love the pretend aspect here.
  • Sensory Trays – If you have been following my blog for a while you know I’m a HUGE fan of Sensory boxes. Why not make some foam soap, a slimy swamp or a sandbox sensory tray with cloud dough? The possibilities are endless and being outdoors or on a balcony means easy clean up!

  • Go crazy with chalk – I must admit I LOVE chalk. It’s the one time my boys are allowed to draw all over the walls and floor. If we are outside of course. We love to colour in bricks and then find things around the garden to match the shade of brick, or just graffiti the driveway up. Whatever it is, it only takes a rain shower or sprinkler to wash away. Easy clean up!
  • Create a Nature Weave – We have been meaning to try this for ages and it looks pretty simple! You will need to find 4 pretty straight twigs to bind together into a square shape. Take some string (or you could even use bits of palm leaf) and weave close together to form a weave. The kids can find flowers, leaves or any interesting objects in the garden to thread through the “dream catcher” or “Nature Weave”.
  • Make a Water Wall – We have done this a number of ways and its so easy and very educational for little toddlers. The easy way would be to cut out scoops from the middle of plastic bottles. (I used 500 ml water bottles as well as 1l and 2l soda bottles. Attached them to the wall in a descending order, I just used tape as It was a makeshift one. Give your kids a scoop or jug to pour water into the top container and watch in amazement as the water flows through ! My dad then got involved and make the most awesome water wall out of PVC piping for the boys. If you have a good hardware store close by it shouldn’t be too hard. Place a tub underneath to collect all the water and let them play!

  • Make Ice Fossils – One of our all time favourite activities. Take any small figurines you may have around the house; we have used “dinosaurs” for dino eggs as well as marine life. Put them into an empty water balloon, fill with water and tie. Freeze the balloons overnight and then cut off the balloon cover. Place out bottles with water, plastic syringes and chipping hammers and let the kids try to uncover their fossils in the ice !

Up-Cycle with NutriStart Active

Up-Cycle with NutriStart Active

Posted on by Rebecca

A little while ago I was approached by NutriStart to work on an “up-cycle” project for their cereal containers. With the whole world finally stepping up to take notice of our consumer footprint, plastic is suddenly a hot topic. While it serves its purpose in some area’s I feel it’s absolutely on us as consumers to fight the good fight and be aware of our effects on the world around us.

NutriStart offers some pretty darn handy containers for some of their cereal range, but how could we reuse them afterward?

Before I dive into my thoughts there, let me start by saying, it was an absolute treat to sample their full range of cereals. My boys were so excited to try their “special new cereal”, and fought every morning over whose turn it was to try which cereal. Our absolute favourite has to be the Granola range, whether its plain, spiced dukkah (yep in a cereal), berries or chocolate; the granola to me was just the right balance of healthy and sweet. Free of artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colourants & additives; NutriStart is one of the healthiest breakfasts available.

The “Active in a cup” and “Oats in a cup” range is perfectly proportioned and is a brilliant on the go option for camping weekends, work, late school runs or anything where your breakfast is “on the go” and, as I have discovered, the containers prove to be the perfect size for a good few things.

I had grand plans for this project, which didn’t turn out exactly as I had panned out as I underestimated how difficult it is to paint detailed designs on plastic. I had visions of sea green and gold designs which ended up being more basic sea green because when I tried to tape of certain sections to be gold the paint would pull off. Although I know if I had done a little more searching there would have been a more appropriate paint. I used a spray paint with a primer for these.

My first and most obvious choice for the containers would be for potted plants and herbs. Once you have created your choice of design on the container cut small holes into the bottom to allow for easy drainage and air to flow through the soil. I love the fact that I can custom colour my herb garden.

Here are some of the other ways we have reused our pots:

They are perfect for Imaginary play! The boys making their own potions, soups, science projects and gardens with their little tubs. The insisted on painting and colouring their own, I may not have let them use spray paint, but they decorated their own pots with good old crayon and acrylic paints.

We turned a few of them into playdough pots, the containers are literally the perfect size for a new batch of dough. They also are great for storing arts and crafts materials. Pom Poms, Crayons, Feathers; they have made a great addition to our arts and crafts shelf.

I’ve also used the pots post school run. Running out of time for lunch, on he way back to work, the pots are super convenient in housing 2 minute noodles, pasta or a salad for when you are on the go.

My husband always jokes that he is living in a house filled with Zimbabweans. While we have British heritage my parents and I were born in Zim, and they grew up in an era of war. Naturally, they had to reuse and recycle most things and my house is one of those houses that if you open up a margarine container in the fridge you may not find margarine 🙂 Containers such as ice cream tubs and margarine containers were never thrown away but were reused as fantastic storage units. 2l ice cream tubs are perfect for “padkoss” on long journeys across Southern Africa.

There is great deal to learn from generations before us on reusing things. We have grown into a very “disposable” society, using things once and throwing them away and sadly our planet is starting to feel the effects. So thank you Nutristart for opening my eyes to this fantastic project, and for giving the kids and I a new reason to get excited for crafting.

 

How would you use your Nutristart containers?

My Top Family Friendly Parks + Picnic Spots in Johannesburg

My Top Family Friendly Parks + Picnic Spots in Johannesburg

Posted on by Rebecca

The weather is warming up and the first blooms are showing signs of flowering.  Bring on warmer weather and long summer days. Living in the city I try to get out into nature most weekends, my soul craves it and its one of my biggest challenges with living in Joburg.

I’ve put together a list of my absolute favourite Parks and Picnic Spots around Gauteng to maximise those beautiful warm days heading our way. Only once I compiled the list did I realise just how many options there are, so to make it a bit easier I have separated the lists into Johannesburg and Pretoria.

To kick off let’s have a look at some of Johannesburg’s glorious garden spots:

Emmarentia Dam and Johannesburg Botanical Gardens

One of our favourite spots to ride bikes and take in the view. This park is particularly popular with joggers, bike riders and rowers. The Park offers different sections, in the northern section, take a pleasant stroll through a rose garden, indigenous herb patch, or view an amazing collection of succulents at the Johannesburg Botanic Gardens. The gardens have terraced ponds and fountains and a Shakespearean garden, with herbs and roses. In the North east section is the dam which is popular with canoeists and families feeding the ducks.

Zoo Lake, Forest Town

Joburgs backyard forest. Our family (and a large portion of Johannesburg) have been visiting Zoo Lake for years. Popular with families for braais, picnics and birthday parties on the weekend. The park also has probably one of the biggest Moyo’s in it and is a firm favourite when entertaining foreign visitors in Joburg. Rent out a boat to row on the lake or enjoy a picnic under the shady trees. Watch out for the VERY friendly ducks and geese 🙂

Mushroom Park (Our hidden gem), Sandton

Right in the heart of Sandton, surrounded by cloud touching sky scrapers, mushroom park offers a beautiful reprieve from big city life. It has a lovely little river running through it, an outdoor gym and about 5 different jungle gyms.

Delta Park, Randburg

Probably one of the largest parks in Joburg extending right the way from Craighall Park to Randburg. Delta Park is offers a beautiful 104 hectares to explore. It has a fantastic kiddies play area and extensive nature trails, including bird hides. The Environmental Centre offers a fantastic range of nature related courses for children and adults alike.

Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens, Roodeport

Absolutely breathtaking and well worth the short drive to Roodepoort. The best place to get back to nature in Joburg. The Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens offers beautiful surrounds, a glorious waterfall and if you are lucky you may even spot a pair of Verreaux Eagles. There is a small entrance fee to maintain upkeep of the gardens

The Wilds, Killarney

I have to say, I lived in Killarney for a number of years and at the time I would never have considered stepping foot in this park. I always longed to explore it but never felt safe. That’s all changed due to a recent revamp by the community. There are 67 owl sculptures across the park alongside fountains and sundials. Ramble across the hillsides with views of the city from various sides, mixing urban life with local vegetation.

Lonehill Park, Lonehill

Another one of our favourites. Lonehill park is exceptionally well maintained and safe, with a security guard on duty patrolling the area. There is a fenced off kiddies play area that my boys adore and of course a dam where you can fish on a catch and release policy. Its home to bass, barbell and carp  This is one of the best kept secrets for those who want to take a walk or are just looking to get some open air.

 

Gillooly’s Farm, Bedfordview

Gillooly’s Farm is another very popular picnic spot. Beautiful views of the lake with several braai area’s available as well. The large grassland is perfect for soaking up the sun (whether in Summer or Winter), braai areas are available and there is a memorable amount of bird life at the lake.

Golden Harvest Park, Randburg

This was a new one for me, you see even after so many years of exploring I still stumble across new gems.  A great park with unspoiled indigenous bushveld, ideal for walking dogs, walking trails and a peaceful picnic.  The park was established in 1972 and offers forms of recreation such as walking/jogging, fishing, mountain biking, various sports including beach soccer, and bird watching. If you are a bird love apparently the park offers over 60 species of birds, and its dam is home to geese, carp, barbel, crabs, frogs, otters and mongoose !You do need to be aware of your surrounds and go at busier times, but it has had a revival of sorts and there is a parkrun that runs through.

Sandton Field and Study, Sandton

An age old favourite in the Sandton area and popular with dog walkers. The park offers a number of different braai area’s along the river and a nice kids play area. You can also take a pony ride through the equestrian centre or enjoy a cappuccino at River Café.

Florida Lake, Roodeport

Situated in suburban Roodepoort, this lake and park promises a fun family-day outing. It has a putt-putt course, an Olympic size swimming pool as well as a playpark for kids. There is an incredible Bird Park next door.

Rietfontein Nature Reserve, Paulshof

This 25 hectare nature reserve in the heart of the Northern Suburbs.  The indigenous green area, with a quartzite koppie, has walking trails and beautiful lawns for an idyllic family picnic. The reserve hosts an array of birds as well as blesbok, duiker, klipspringer and steenbok. The reserve is open every day from 6 am – 6 pm. Entrance is free, but please note that no dogs are allowed in the reserve. There is a short and relatively easy walking trail in the reserve – suitable for kids – which takes visitors to the top of the ridge with great views of Sandton.

Rietvlei Zoo Farm

Rietvlei offers a jam packed day filled with family fun. Enjoy a picnic under the shade of the large willow and oak trees or partake in a round of putt-putt, then have a look at the farm animals, or take a ride on the steam train or tractor. Rietvlei offers beautiful natural wetlands and well maintained gardens.

Nirox Sculpture Park – Krugersdorp

A little piece of heaven on earth in my opinion. A privately funded park but open to visitors every weekend. Standard entrance fees are R100 per adult and R50 for kids under 12. The sculpture park comprises of cultivated landscape and water ways designed to showcase sculptures. It is located within a privately owned nature reserve which has more than 40 kilometers of walking, cycling and game drive trails through unspoiled grasslands, natural fountains and indigenous forests.

Bartlett Park/Boskruin Koppie, Boskruin

The Boskruin Koppie is one of the protected areas in the city, alongside the famous Melville Koppies Nature Reserve, Delta Park, Emmarentia Dam, the Johannesburg Botanical Garden and Golden Harvest Park. The Park is a beautiful safe green strip hidden in amongst a residential area. It has wild bunnies for the kids to feed so be sure to take some carrots and keep an eye out for the feisty rock dassies !

Walkhaven, Muldersdrift

Walkhaven is situated in the Muldersdrift area right next to the Cradle of Humankind on 22 hectares of rolling grassland. It has a fully stocked dam surrounde by wetlands and is home to a number of bird life. Braai and picnic facilities are strategically placed throughout the park should you wish to bring your own refreshments. The park was initially started as a dog park and is a popular outing for the entire family. There is a small entrance fee of R20 but its open daily from 7am.

Brookwood Estate, Cradle of Human Kind

Technically not a park, but Brookwood Estate is a peaceful retreat and the perfect picnic spot! Its situated an hour outside of Johannesburg.The farm offers 5 stock dams for the fishing enthusiasts among you and their picnic site, right next to the Blaaubank Spruit river, is well looked after. Braai facilities are available as well.

DIY Bathtime Playdough

DIY Bathtime Playdough

Posted on by Rebecca

Any lush fans in the house? Since we made our own bath bombs ,I’ve really been enjoying reading up on the various different bath options we can create. If you are a lush fan you’ll be familiar with their “bath time playdough”, we’ve had the rainbow one a couple of times, and I never realised just how easy it could be to create! These are literally two of the greatest things in the world colliding into one ball of awesomeness. Playdough and Bath time are my boys absolute favourites, and this was just so much fun.

You’ll need 3 simple ingredients:

Cornstarch

Your kids body wash/ Castille soap

Food colouring

Essential Oils (optional)

This does require a fair bit of kneading before it gets to a manageable consistency. I did the initial mixing an then let the boys get stuck in. Simply start with 2 parts cornstarch to 1 part body wash. I started with 2/3 cups cornstarch and 1/3 cup body wash. Stir the mixture together until it’s all combined. If the resulting mixture is too solid, add a bit more body wash and vice versa. If you are using food colouring, mix it in with the body wash first (I didnt, and it created a slight marbled effect).

 

Let them have fun and play in the bath. Roll off a small amount of the dough (about a tablespoon). You don’t want to use it all in one bath session. It will disintegrate in the water but stay solid as they rub it on their bodies. It smells amazing and they’ll get clean while they play! You coul also use it in sensory play, as part of a water table, for your kids to use when cleaning toys, or as a dry playdough.

Making this playdough is also a fantastic sensory experience and fine motor strengthening activity.

Have you tried making your own bathtime playdough? I’ve seen a couple of variations on the recipe and would love to hear how you made yours.

Cloud Dough Sensory Tray

Cloud Dough Sensory Tray

Posted on by Rebecca

Its been a while since I’ve posted a sensory craft and to be honest I’ve missed the time with my boys. They get so excited when mama pulls out the activity tray and want to help with everything.

At a recent Prima Toy Event on of my favourite toys that launched (stay tuned for a full list of my favourites), was the Treasure X box. A little box filled with adventure and you have to try and retrieve the “lost” bits and pieces by digging through the “soft brick” around it. It reminded me of the some of the sensory activities Id done with the boys around dino excavations and got me thinking it was time to do something new.

Cloud Dough is a perfect base for sensory trays. It’s both mouldable and crumbly at the same time. It has a silky soft consistency perfect for little hands. You can see my previous recipe here, but generally I take about 8 cups of flour to one cup oil (vegetable or baby), this time I added in a few drops of essential lavender oil to add in a calming scent. The mixture of flour and oil is mixed to the consistency of a wet beach sand. It’s the perfect exploratory material for toddlers to play with and is 100% taste safe! The boys are at a fun age where I can start making sensory trays a little more challenging. So with this one, inspired by Treasure X, I made it a pirate theme and hid bits of metallic treasure into the “sand”, they had to find the treasures with a magnetic wand. Add in a couple of scoops and forks and use little shells or containers to mould your shapes. To create a pirate theme i took “treasure” from around the house, glass pebbles and sparkly pom poms as “gems”, plastic beads, gold coins, old treasure chests and pirate figurines.

Most of the time was spent burying their own treasure chests in the sand, acting out with the pirates before creating sand castles and shapes with the easily mouldable cloud dough. After about 45 minutes of beach play we packed away our cloud dough into an airtight container to be played with another day. Cloud dough typically has quite a long shelf life if stored correctly.

 

Have fun with your little pirates and never be afraid to get a little messy xx

10 “At Home” Activities For Kids To Do During The Holidays

10 “At Home” Activities For Kids To Do During The Holidays

Posted on by Rebecca

Previously holiday breaks during the school term were never a big thing, because I worked from home and had my mornings free, it meant that I was on hand to entertain the kids. We would adventure, we would play, we would explore. Fast-forward a few years and now I’m not at home, I’m in an office, (like 80% of South African mothers), and my “mom guilt” is going into overdrive that my kids are sitting watching TV all day. I now fully understand “holiday clubs” at school.

So, I’ve been thinking…. thinking of activities to set up for the boys that they can play with limited supervision. I’m lucky enough to have a fantastic nanny to take care of them so they can enjoy a bit of a break from school, but, she has other work to do and is not on hand every single second to supervise activities. Enter good old “google”, and I am shocked. Almost all the “holiday activities” designed for children require mom to be around or set up… Scrap that plan. So, I do what I do best and get to thinking of crafts to keep them busy. That’s why I enjoy crafts so much, they stimulate kids but they also don’t require much supervision. So, they can get on with sticking, creating and crafting and everyone else can get on with their work too.

So here is my top 10 list of crafts (Ok there are 11 but I couldnt choose) to keep your kids entertained these school holidays. These do require some forward-thinking mums and dads. Setting up the night before and putting the crafts out, it shouldn’t take longer than 10 minutes and are ideally suited to children up to the age of about 7.

Paint and Play Day

Set up some paint and a variety of materials for the kids to paint on and play with. Sponges, brushes, flowers and stamps make great tools for the kids to explore with and play with different texture canvases such as foil, cardboard and bubble wrap. Make sure you place a suitable ground cover down to stop the paint from getting all over your floors.

Create a Collage

Cut up a big piece of cardboard from a leftover box to use as a nice big canvas for little hands. Gather up a variety of items, ribbons, stickers, magazine cut outs, paper doilies, muffin cases, pomp oms, anything your heart desires. Better still I normally do a craft cupboard stock up at CNA before the holidays start. You could get creative and chose specific colours. Kids love nothing more than gluing and sticking. Trust me, it’s a winner every time! Lay out all the materials on a tray for them with the glue and canvas and let them stick to their hearts content.

Create a Scavenger Hunt around the house

Hide a few objects around the house (choose distinctive things or specific pictures). Draw up a list of all the things hidden and tell the kids to go on a treasure hunt! Once they tick everything off their list tell your caregiver he/she can give them a small treat.

Clay Play

Get some good old fashioned air dry clay OR modelling clay. I prefer air dry clay as I can keep their creations forever. You can find this at any stationery store like CNA or your plastic-land/ Westpack stores. Make up a bowl yourself the night before, I often find if I am not there it is easier for my kids to see what to do when they have an example to follow. Ask your caregiver (if you aren’t home) to place down a floor protector and give each child a nice fist sized amount of clay. Let them create to their hearts content and let the final product dry in the sun. Once dry (probably by the time you are home), let them paint it.

Movie Day

I’m pretty sure this is one we have all done before. Surprise them by renting their favourite movie, or download it on Netflix. Layout some blankets and pillows (or a tent if you have one) in the lounge and pre- make some popcorn before you go to work. Let them stay in their PJ’s for the morning and watch their favourite Netflix while snuggling up with some popcorn and hot chocolate.

Create a mini activity centre

This could be done in or outside the house dependent on your situation. Create a “bean bag” toss – put a strip of tape down as the standing line and some “Hoola-Hoops”. The aim is to try and get the bag into the target area. Bowling – If you done have tenpin pins at home grab some paper cups and stack them together in a triangle shape. Using a ball or a bean bag, let your child try to knock down the cups. Golf putting – Simply take a plastic cup to use as your “hole”, the kids must try and put their ball into the cup to sink it. The possibilities are endless here.

Have a baking day

Yes, this is possible, even If you aren’t home. If your caregiver knows how to cook buy some pre- mixes from snowflake or Pillsbury. Easy ones like muffins or brownies. Lay out the ingredients the night before and the kids can mix away and then whoever is home can pop it into the oven. OR if you aren’t comfortable with the “baking” aspect they could ice some Marie Biscuits (Just make up the icing the evening before), or make some Jelly.

Montessori inspired Activities

Have a look at my blog post on my favourite Montessori activities for toddlers around the house. Most of these are independent and allow for easy clean up. Another great “keep busy” one is a good old peg board! Developing those fine motor skills while keeping them focused.

Sidewalk chalk

Buy a pack of good old sidewalk chalk from your local stationery store or plastic land. Let them draw their masterpieces wherever they feel free (outside of course). It’s the only time my boys are allowed to draw all over the walls, and the pavement outside. A quick rinse with the hose, or a rain shower will leave absolutely no trace of Picasso’s masterpiece.

Playdough invitation to play trays

My only disclaimer here would be, if your kids are younger and they will be playing partially unsupervised, maybe make your own playdough. I have a super quick recipe here. That way you can have peace of mind that it is non-toxic and “safe” if they decide to swallow a mouthful. Set out the playdough on a tray and put individual items of interest in separate containers around it. You could theme it, for example; construction you could make a brown dough, add in a few toy diggers and some “stones” (fake or real), some sticks and tools. Let them create their own little universe. Alternatively, pre- order some carefully thought out themed packs from party play dough.

Sensory Trays

Limited supervision required depending on the route you take. I often post up our sensory tray adventures on Instagram and then forget to post them on the blog, so if you are looking for ideas make sure you follow my Instagram account here. Ideas to do could include a winter wonderland (with snow made from Bicarbonate of Soda and white conditioner), an undersea adventure, either made with jelly, cornflour and water or sludge, or an outer space galaxy made with some painted black rice, marbles, stars and figurines.

You can have a look at my sensory mud tray here or a cloud dough experience here.

 

So there are some activities to get you going, now that I’ve started I have a couple more up my sleeve. Sometimes you just have to write things out a little to get your mind going! I hope I’ve inspired you in some way. The “Mom Guilt” will never subside but we can make ourselves feel a little better.

Family Fun These Holidays At Fourways Mall

Family Fun These Holidays At Fourways Mall

Posted on by Rebecca

Eeeeeek ! It’s the first day of the Winter holidays here in South Africa. 3 whole weeks of school kids being at home and craving entertainment. As a parent I know one of my biggest questions is “what can I do with the kids”, “where can I take them”. If you are still looking for places around Johannesburg to take your kids you can see my favourites list here, or if your looking for child friendly restaurants have a look here .

These holidays I officially have one more place to add onto that list. Fourways Mall is the place to be these winter holidays, with a range of specially created and curated fun experiences adding to the centre’s already exciting mix of entertainment offerings for the whole family. Whilst it is under construction, with some even more exciting kid friendly additions (KidZania I am counting the days), the mall is still very much open!

Over and above the firm favourites such as BOUNCE, Adventure Golf and The Fun Company (including Tenpin Bowling and SpinZone Bumper Cars), the Mall has created 14 popup entertainment stations along the shopper’s journey, giving kids and adults alike the opportunity to take a breather whilst shopping.

 

The #FourwaysFun popup stations include activations such as ‘A Spot of Fun’, where kids (and maybe mums and dads!) are encouraged to stick coloured dots anywhere and everywhere, all over the walls and furniture too. For younger kids this is a chance to break all the rules and stick stickers where ever they want!

Instagrammable opportunities abound, from the Snow Globe selfie station to the Thought and Speech Bubbles corridor that adds a social twist to the passage to the bathrooms. Magnetic walls and colouring in opportunities create the Bucket List Wall outside Mr Price Home, along with a giant selfie frame to finish off that perfect shot.

Play-Doh has also jumped on board with an interactive Pop up “Play-Doh Town”. Journey through the interactive Play-Doh world and with a purchase from the stand and join the Play-Doh jamming section, where a modelling artist will be on hand to guide kids while they play, sculpt and mold their unique creations. On Friday June 22nd come and meet Childhood development expert and owner of the Pikanini Brand, Una van Staden. While the tots play, moms will get some great advice and tips on how to get the most out of playtime and inspiring imagination with Play-Doh.

The Mall will also be home to a baby grand piano – next to Foschini, seemingly held afloat by a cloud of balloons, and shoppers are invited to tickle the ivories for a touch of whimsy mid shopping journey. Get involved with creating art by trying your hand at the “Yarn bombing”, creating unique pieces of art with wool and pins.

The Emoji Mojo Corner offers a themed backdrop and endless emojis and other props to make the most of emoji moments, from ( 😀 ) to (hearteyes), (kiss), and of course (stareyes). This along with the Selfie Station filled with emoji balls may have just been the highlight for my boys.

 

For those that find shopping a little stressful, three pillars throughout the Mall are wrapped in bubble wrap, with shoppers invited to pop as many bubbles as they can. Can you say toddler heaven?

The Fun Factory offers Tenpin bowling, Spin Zone Bumper Cars, and a X-Rider 4 D Theatre, all in addition to its thrilling arcade games, making it the perfect destination to round off a busy day at the Mall. The beauty of this is that the bumper cars are “safer” for younger kids. I’ve taken my boys on some seriously rough bumper car rides before, where the impact was too rough for their little 4 year old bodies. This one however, with the boys safely on mom or dads lap was perfect for them.

What kid doesn’t love trampolines? BOUNCE is running a holiday programme in venue all day, every day of the school holidays and BOUNCE Epic Passes are available for anyone who wants all day access. For the more adventurous they also offer the first its kind wall climbing area called Clip ‘n Climb, as well as an adventure X-Park with an aerial runway.

Without a doubt my kids favourite stop at the Mall is Adventure Golf. Its Yusuf’s request every weekend to go and play a few rounds. At Fourways Mall the setting is so serene with waterfalls and tropical trees, it’s a treat for everyone!

While the 14 #FourwaysFun installations will only be in place from 22 June to 1 July 2018, they hint at the full “shoppertainment” offering that will be on offer once the Mall’s refurbishment is complete. New venues in the pipeline include KidZania, a massive children’s educational city, a Panarotti’s family restaurant on the lower food court level, and a new French Taco (Mezzanine Level) among others.

Fourways Mall has something for every member of the family, these holidays make a challenge out of it and see if you can spot all 14 of the #FourwaysFun installations. Its my number one family friendly mall!