Showing posts with label keeping children busy in summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label keeping children busy in summer. Show all posts

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Spring/Summer activity with kids: DIY coasters

In case you are wondering where I have been for so many weeks. Since March I have started afternoon creative activities with my son who is now 28 months old and has started showing keen interest in learning new things. So every afternoon we do these activities.It gives me immense pleasure, happiness and creative satisfaction to think and create different creative projects for him.These are on varied topics like maths, science, art, craft and many other. 
I have started writing a personal blog where I store all the creative activities/projects I do with him. By the end of the year I intend to print that blog. I find a blog a good way to write daily and store pictures more like a online private scrapbook. It keeps me busy and fulfills my creative desire to write( a blog). 

Anyways some of my friends&relatives( whose kids are around the same age group)asked me to share some of the projects/activities I do with my little ones. Since the other blog I have lots of personal pictures I do not intend to make it public fearing that my son's pictures will be swimming on the internet. I don't know how mom bloggers do that. Anyways I will be sharing some on activities/DIYs/ projects here on this blog. So here it goes. The first one I have selected to share is a set of clay spring coasters we made.



There are lots of Gulmohar trees all around Dubai. One day when I took Avaneesh(26 months then) to play on the grass. I started gathering flowers while he played. He saw that and he also started gathering flowers in his dump truck. I kept the Gulmohar flowers in the fridge to keep them fresh for a day or two. I had planned to make coasters by pressing flowers in air dry clay to store the memories of spring/summer flowers.

I made two balls of the air dry clay. One for me and one for Avaneesh. I showed Avaneesh how to roll the clay. He did exactly same. Rolling the clay into the base circle by pressing it and later with the rolling pin. It took some time to completely cover the base with the clay. Once done I took out the flowers from the fridge. First we separated the petals from the flowers. Then started placing and pressing the petals on our coasters. 


Then he rolled the coasters with a rolling pin to press the flowers firmly in the coasters.


Then I put it in the sunlight to air dry it. Avaneesh just couldn't stop putting flowers on them. 


Later when he was taking his afternoon nap I put a layer of Moshe podge on them.The clay had air dried by next morning. They make nice coasters.


Using the things made by your kids in daily use increases their confidence. Any child wants to do things to make their parents proud. 

Joining party at BNOP!




Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Gardening activity for toddlers


Just sharing snippets of my life with my lovely readers here..Enjoying the hot Middle eastern summer with my 16 month old. I want to develop love for gardening , good creative outlets for his energy, grow enthusiasm and interest. I believe if children learn to love and take care of plants and trees our planet might be greener in future.


My son is 16 months so he just imitates what I am doing. Children are so good in their observation and want to do exactly what their parents are doing. He watches me planting, watering and taking care of the plants. I love then my plants have flowers. I have home made bird bath.  He plucks the flowers and then drops them in the bird bath. Seems like the decorating bug is in him too:)


It gets windy here in the summer season. He likes to watch and play with the pinwheel go round and round. I have kept a pinwheel indoors as well.



He helps Mommy decorate the garden.. He even tries to pick up  pots:) Tried several places to keep this lantern finally settling on a chair .. Then turned and gave it a another look and nodded..Like now it looks good sort of expression!!


 Oh my god how much the children observe and learn from us.. from what we are doing...Amazing!! So the other day I started reading books while he was playing  just to see that if he would pick up that habit as well.. And just in two days I see that  he is reading his books more and more ..even without me offering to read to him!!! 

wow!! that really made me thinking..what else should I include in my daily life..parenting.. its my chance to get rid of all my  'bad habits' to good habits..like outdoor activities, eating healthy, less internet..more sports..Cultivating good habits is such an important task.. !!!! 


All images are taken by me and are subject to copyright.




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