Making spongy sponge cakes

Today we decided to make pretend play food.  This was an idea that I got from the Tiger who came to tea exhibition as there were some cakes on the table that had been made this way.  When looking through our box of scrap I realised that we had loads of sponge so I set to work cutting it down and added the foam on top (which looked like the icing on the cake) I did this as I thought it was best to use the hot glue gun.

This then meant that Little Boo could decorate the pretend cakes.

Little Boo soon got very busy with cutting and sticking and adding glitter! 

Little Boo decided that some of the cakes could  have pen decorations

It did not take long for the desk to be very full of all the decorations Little Boo asked for.

Little Boo was very impressed with the end result which took one day to dry properly we then used them in a few activities which I will share with you in a few days.

Let's go fly a kite

Today we have been thinking again about weather and focusing on wind.  We have therefore made the most simple kite but Little Boo loved making it then playing with it in the house!

All you need is

• Paper bag 
• Lolly stick 
• wool 
• decorative items such as paper, stickers, sequins, felts and stamps. 
• Glue
• scissors (if you wish this to be an exercise for practising cutting)
• Ribbon or crepe paper

Here is how we made ours 

Decorate the bag however you like

Little Boo is LOVING cutting everything at the moment so this was a great activity to practise! 

Place a hole in the bottom of the bag in the centre.  I did this by folding the bag and punching half a hole. 

wrap some wool around a lolly pop stick and secure with tape on the stick, then thread through the hole. (the lolly pop stick just helps to reinforce and secure the wool)

We then placed some ribbon on the top of the bag just to make it look extra pretty! you can also use crepe paper. 

All that is left is to fly your kite! 

Hope that you enjoy making these we hoped to go outside and play with this afterwards but it started to rain really badly so played in the house instead.  Hope we can go outside and play tomorrow.

Practising using scissors

Boo loves to use her scissors I feel that it is really important to encourage this and to assist her in improving her skills after all this helps her fine motor skills.  Here are some activities that we do did to practice.

Making a collage 


One evening I got ready loads of different textured papers and items that I knew Little Boo would be able to cut up.  In the morning we then made these into a massive collage Little Boo doing most the cutting and me the gluing it was a great team effort.

Items that we used 

• Up-cycled art work 
• bubble wrap
• straws
• string
• tissue paper
• cake cases
• wrapping paper 
• Magazines
• funky foam 
• Sparkly contact

The cup cases were the favourites 

This paper was brilliant at encouraging Little Boo to cut straight. 

Some of the collage 

We then made a Dolls House 


This was a plan of the Dolls house.   We used a Argos book and looked for all the items to fill the house with.  I started off by drawing around the objects for Little Boo so she had a guide where to cut but Little Boo wanted to also take over this activity. So she was busy thinking what she wanted, finding it in the book (with Mommy's help), drawing around it, then cutting it out.  It could be a really good activity for older children to learn how to use an index as well.

Drawing around the objects 

I want this cooker

 dolls house nearly finished  

Cutting play dough


Cutting up play dough is a great start activity to develop cutting skills as the play dough is soft and fun to cut.  Little Boo has this play dough hair cutting toy and it is great fun.

Cutting straws

I know that this sounds strange but Little Boo loves cutting straws! I think she likes to watch the pieces fly off in different directions.  The great thing is is that the cut up straws can be used for collages or for threading afterwards.

Fathers day present!

For Fathers Day I have been thinking around the topic of favourite things! Me and Little Boo have been talking about what Daddy likes! It was actually a funny conversation as a lot of it centred around crisps! As apparently "daddy really likes them" which I must admit is true. This is where the thought of making a hamper of "daddy's favourite things" came from. It has been really fun choosing the things. 

I was considering a way of containing the items, then whilst in our local pound shop (again) I found a plastic tub which looked ideal. I did not want to leave it like this so set to work customising it with Little Boo. We got a pile of old photographs and one of Little Boos paintings. The idea was to collage the tub with photographs of Little Boo and Daddy. Due to the tub being plastic I went over it initially with sandpaper to make a rough surface to sick to.

Little Boo has a fascination with cutting at the moment so this activity was brilliant! Here she is cutting up the art work that she made.

After a few minutes of cutting.  She also wanted to cut up a few pictures.  These were stuck to the container with normal glue stick but then we had to go over the top with a few layers of PVA glue and it looked great!

Our own shredded tissue made with up cycled art work.  It looks fantastic and sounds nice too.

Daddy's hamper granted not the most healthy but it is fathers day after all! He deserves a big treat. I later covered it with some cellophane so it all stayed together.

I hope that you like the idea it could be used for birthdays as well.  There is always the thought that the hamper could contain all home made items for the recipient.
I hope that you all have a wonderful day tomorrow it is not just "Fathers Day" at work we tend to think of "A Special Man" I hope that you all have the opportunity to thank a special man in your life tomorrow.

Birthday card for Nanny

I wanted to share with you a craft that we have been doing since Little Boo was ten months. It is making contact pictures, it is wonderful as I have seen how the pictures have improved with time.  Nannies Birthday is today so we decided to make her a card using our contact picture.

All that is needed is

• Two pieces of contact paper (Usually used to cover books) whatever size required.
• Whatever is wanted to fill it with. (We have used sequins, foam shapes, and pieces of magazines, tissue paper)

First of all lay the contact paper sticky side up.  I remember when Little Boo was younger even this was funny as she would just keep on touching it.

Add what is wanted

Little Boo wanted to cut some pieces of paper as well to  place on there

The finished contact with a printed message. Now place another piece of contact on top of this to sandwich everything together.

We made ours into a card for Nannies Birthday so I made a border on a card

Then attached it inside.

The possibilities are endless with these contact pictures.

The upcycle pig

Little Boo loved the up cycling activity, so much so that we had to do some more today (think she likes playing with the sequins).  Yesterday it was very funny as there was a lid on the table and she put one of the milk bottle lids inside then some eyes and said "it is a piggy mommy".  How amazing I thought it definitely could be a pig (she always comes up with the best ideas).  So the pig creation started...

Glue was put into the lid.  Little Boo enjoyed squeezing this in.

Sequins and googly eyes added.  There is also a milk bottle top

I drew some ears and Little Boo wanted to cut them out.  She can not cut on the lines yet but it is all good practise!

Double sided sticky tape was placed on the back of the foam paper.  Little Boo loves peeling this off.

And then the completed piggy!

I am actually considering using this as a magnetic memo pad as I will put some paper to the back of it with a few magnets. 

Engaging children in letters and numbers

After purchasing some 3D numbers for little Boo to paint I decided to try and make her name from 3D letters. I am hoping that this will be a good way of her learning the letters that spell her name. I thought that making them may be a bit difficult for her to join in. However, she really enjoyed spreading the glue on the pieces of newspaper used to cover the letters and then asked for scissors so she could "cut out the paper" just shows how I should never underestimate her many talents! I am hoping the letters will be all dry and ready to paint in time for Easter holidays will be a great activity.