Kiddies Perspective

Create an Arctic Animal World

Source: http://whereimaginationgrows.com/2014/12/arctic-animals-small-world-light-table/

It's coming to be the time of year when rain keeps many kids indoors. While a good rain coat, waterproof trousers, and galoshes (rain boots), allow for fun playtime outdoors when the weather isn't the best, sometimes a day inside is just what we need. But that's no reason we can't enjoy the outdoors, while we're inside! 

Depending on the age group of the child/ren, reading arctic-related story books or watching an age-appropriate documentary on arctic animals is a great way to get the creative juices flowing when it comes to learning about new habitats and getting them excited about it. There are a variety of options available, including Arctic Tale,  Frozen Planet,  March of the Penguins,  and many others - just Google it!

To bring an Arctic Animal World into your home, you'll need:

- Ice

- Water

- Containers (dishes from the kitchen work!)

- Blue food colouring

- Arctic Animals (penguins, whales, polar bears, seals, fish, reindeer, foxes, rabbits, walruses, wolves, etc...)

If you don't have many arctic animals in your home or available to you, perhaps you can talk about what types of habitats the animals you do have would prefer to live in!  Get creative - see if you can create a forest habitat or a desert habitat!

Source: http://whereimaginationgrows.com/2014/12/arctic-animals-small-world-light-table/

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A Child's Winter Herb Garden 

The winter is coming and what better activity than to take the indoor time to spend with kids in the adventures of a window sill herb garden? Why not try the season with flavor to add to their culinary playtime?

Start by getting a few small planting pots, potting soil, and a spray bottle that can mist. It is important to decide where you're going to put the pots when you're done well before you start your project because the light and temperature will affect whether or not the plants will do well and grow.

The first excitement starts with deciding what herbs to plant - this is a creative opportunity to spend the time with your kids to talk about flavors, uses, and how to identify them. Generally, it's easiest to go to your local plant nursery to pick out a few packets of seeds. Common herbs used may be basil, thyme, mint, rosemary, sage, and lavender - but you may choose to use any herb you like! Just read the packaging for the nutrient, light, and temperature preferences to suit the location you plan to place your pots.

The second excitement is getting your hands dirty by planting your seeds in the pots, according to the instructions on your seed packet. This can be done inside or outside, but if you do it inside I would recommend using a garbage bag to lay on the floor for easier clean up, or do your potting on a surface that is not carpet. Once your seeds are planted, you can use old plastic containers such as a disposable water bottle or cling-wrap to create a greenhouse effect over the newly planted seeds - this will aid their growth!

Which brings us to the third and most exciting part - watching the plants grow!!! Be sure to water your herbs as directed and suggested on the labeling, but always check the soil; you don't want to over-water. Keep it in a warm and sunny place, and watch the magic of plant growth happen. 

Enjoy!!! 

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 15 Things to Do with Kids in Autumn

1) Go for a hike or walk in the park


2) Play "Match the Leaf" by giving kids a leaf before going outside, then hunt for it!


3) Pick Apples and do taste tests... for the more adventurous, "bob for apples"!


4) Carve, Paint, or Decorate a Pumpkin



5) Enjoy a Campfire and roast some marshmallows


6) Make a "Leaf Man" by collecting your own supplies outside


7) Pine Cone Bowling


8) Dance, Kick, Jump, Throw a pile of leaves -OR- Make a Leaf Maze!



9) Make a "stained" leave window by using small twigs to attach/bind the leaves


10) Make a sailboat with things you find in natures, and watch it float. Even make a contest out of it!


11) Make a leaf crown or garland for decoration outside or inside the house


12) Make Autumn "People" with supplies found indoors and outdoors
 

13) Make Pine Cone Owls - let the kids choose their cones and decorate them


14) Make a Stick Den for story telling, imaginative play-acting, or a picnic


15) Pumpkin Ring Toss using a recycled piece of cardboard, cut out.



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Inspired by Creeping Toad, you can Make Your Own Tidepool

http://creepingtoad.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/make-your-own-ancient-rokpool.html

Source: Creeping Toad via link above

You will need

• a dish - we used waxed card pie dishes (buy in packs from discount stores and supermarkets). Most of our dishes were white but the occasional blakc ones that we found worked well, too!
• acrylic paint - to paint on the waxed card - we use large bottles but you could get some small tubes, or try mixing some poster or redimix paint with PVA glue and see if that works
• paint brushes or sponges
• Plastic plate to squirt the paint onto (easy to clean)
• small sheets of card
• coloured pens or pencils
• sharp scissors
• a small stapler (the smaller the better)
• PVA glue
• scraps of stuff: sponge, wool, carrier bag, felt, glitter, sand.....