Chapter Forty: play

Showing posts with label play. Show all posts

11.7.12

Drawing on plates

Take a couple of plain white plates, some children on winter school holidays and add a collection of sharpies.

Wait to see what happens...

Then bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 175 degrees. (The plates not the children)

Finished result

A permanent work of art to eat dinner off of, or to give away as a gift, or keepsake from their precious childhood. I have found the plates to be dishwasher proof on the top shelf, and the children to be very proud of themselves.

20.3.12

Crazy about Creationary

It's no secret the Chapter Forty household is a big fan of Lego. We all love the stuff. Sure it can be annoying when it's in the bed or underfoot, but I can forgive is uncomfortable corners as it's just so wonderfully creative, entertaining, imaginative and playful. I thought it couldn't get much better than that really, but then entered the Lego game Creationary. (With thanks to my 23 year old nephew)

You have a box of basic Lego pieces and a deck of cards picturing, vehicles, buildings, natural things and tools of some kind. The idea is that you have to make an item from the card and the other players have to guess what you have created. The cards vary in difficultly and the rules are adaptable, so one person can create or all the players can create at the same time.

It sounds simple enough, but with the box of basic pieces limiting your palette you have to get very creative.

B is really good at Creationary and he wanted to record some of our creations.

Owl

Windmill

Ruler

Seaplane

Microwave

Camera

Butterfly

Stethoscope

Crab

Skier

The sun

Eiffel tower

Drag racer

Tractor

Plane

Park bench

Broadcast van

So now you know what we have been up to lately. It kind of goes without saying that we highly recommend this game.

23.2.12

Exploding rainbows

Wondering what to do with the kids? Here is a simple activity that B and Little Miss called exploding rainbows. Seeing as B can't get enough of anything war or bomb related (hear me cringe) and Little Miss's favourite colour is currently rainbow, this activity went down a treat. I also liked it as I had everything on hand and didn't need to purchase anything special.

To make your own exploding rainbows take a plate of milk

Add some food colouring

Then dip an ear bud into some liquid soap like hand wash and then into the milk. Watch in amazement as the soap changes the surface of the milk and the colours mix together.

I could have talked to the kids about the science of detergents and fats or even prattled on about colour mixing, but I didn't. Instead we just played, they never asked why? So we just enjoyed the magic of their exploding rainbows.

16.12.11

While the cat's back is turned....

The mouse will play with the cat's camera.

The cat then gets an insight into the games a certain mouse likes to play...

Constructive games

Shockingly violent lego games

Spying on mother and sister in garden game

Following sister around game

Tormenting sister game

Locking sister on balcony game

and typing on the computer game.

What the???

Better keep a closer eye on that cheeky mouse!

1.12.11

Rocketing off

When Daddy's capabilities mix with the children's imaginations magic really can happen.
Or in this case cardboard space rockets.

Plans were drawn up by B.