Tuesday 09 August 2011
I have long had the idea of putting an actual letterbox in the backyard for the kids to use. FINALLY I got around to it.
Letter writing is such a great, purposeful literacy activity. It provides a reason to write, and an incentive to write well because you want the recipient to be able to read their letter when they receive it!
I picked up this letterbox from our local (big green) hardware store for around $12. It’s nothing fancy, but it does the job perfectly and we don’t need to worry about it being able to withstand the conditions outside. We simply screwed it to a low,...
Thursday 28 July 2011 -
21 Comments »
I have seen some beautiful examples of teepees around online, including a gorgeous one you can buy the pattern for at Childhood101 for a grand $5! (This is not an affiiliate link.)
Sewing isn’t really my thing though. I’m more of a “let’s see what we’ve got and throw something together” kind of mum. Using three long sticks, a piece of string and an old sheer curtain, we made our own...
Friday 15 July 2011 -
29 Comments »
It was almost a year ago that I heard about creating outdoor mud or dirt kitchens, and decided to create one for the kids in our backyard. In my first post about Dirt Kitchens I wrote:
We looked around to see what we had already that might work for our kitchen, and found an old painted box from my classroom days, as well as the piece of laminate chopped out of our real kitchen to make way for the sink. Perfect. ...
Monday 04 July 2011 -
12 Comments »
There are lots of reasons why I love this activity, and why you should try it with your kids!
It’s easy to set up.
It’s exciting!
It gets kids outside.
It provides a purposeful reading opportunity.
It can be modified for a range of ages.
Monday 20 June 2011 -
47 Comments »
Lately I’ve been hearing a message I really dislike: Keep your kids out of the winter weather. I’m not sure where the message is coming from, or why. Of course we have to make allowances for weather, but there is no need to keep kids indoors. Outdoor play is an important part of a child’s day – every day.
Almost a year ago to the day, I wrote here on the blog about Playing Whatever the...
Friday 20 May 2011 -
16 Comments »
It’s such a simple piece of equipment: two ropes, five bits of wood, and a ring at the top to hold it all together. But this unassuming rope ladder has provided the kids with wonderful physical and cognitive challenges, and loads of fun!
There is quite a lot of skill involved in climbing a rope ladder. Where do you put your hands? Where do you put your feet? Where do you look? How do you get to the next rung? ...
Monday 25 April 2011 -
11 Comments »
Where do you and your family go when you really need to get away from it all? For us it’s the rainforest. When I’m there my heart rate slows down, my brain stops buzzing quite so loudly, and feel like I can breathe. We have just returned from a wonderful week away at Springbrook. Here’s what a fun but refreshing family holiday looks like for us.
Bushwalking together (Miss 4 walked 4.6km on her...
Thursday 07 April 2011 -
6 Comments »
Spray bottles are a regular play item in our backyard during the warmer months, but with Autumn in the air it’s been a little too cool for this:
So instead I’ve been encouraging the kids to use the spray bottles differently. They’ve enjoyed using them to water in new plants, and lightly mist delicate fern leaves. They’ve had fun squirting them high into the air. Most of all, we’ve enjoyed...
Tuesday 29 March 2011 -
34 Comments »
My daughter has only just embarked on her 13yr school journey – and already I am over chocolate drive fundraisers! I am always interested to hear about unique fundraising ideas, and this has to be one of the best I’ve seen. Educational? Check. Australian? Check. Profitable? Check. Ethical? Check.
Monday 14 March 2011 -
4 Comments »
A story in pictures…
Whoa. Check out this big branch that fell down!
I’m going to move it up there to build a cubby with it.
All. By. Myself.
