Imaginative Play

I have started once a week to create an imagination station for the children.  After lunch they have quiet time, some reading time on their bed and then some,usually, quiet play alone in their room.  It gives us all a break from each other and refreshes us to play nicely together.  Though sometimes, like today, the children request play together in one of their rooms, so after reading time Emily went to play in Alexander’s room and it means sometimes quiet time goes longer than the allotted time.

 

During this quiet time I try and set up stations around the room of different activities for them to choose to play together or seperately.

One week I got out their dress up clothes and the cash register and make a clothing store.  Not much trying on of clothes went on but a lot of shopping happened.

One week I tried to make a doctor’s office, inspired by the vet office on No Time for FlashCards.  I lined up the dollys and teddies.  I got out the clipboards and the doctor’s kit and made a checklist for the children to go through and check the health of their patients.

I say tried because Emily kibboshed it all and said they weren’t sick and didn’t need a check up.  She likes to use the doctor’s kit on her cousins and not on her toys.

Today at lunch time I created a menu for the children to “choose” lunch from.  They enjoyed that and having mum as their “Server” that I decided to make a cafe in the play room today.  I will see how it goes.

Table with menu (on white board so we can change the menu on other days)

Boxes with food, plates and cooking utensils

Now to see what happens.  I forgot the forks and spoons.  Will have to add them and children when they are tired of playing in their room since officially in room time finished about 10 minutes ago but gave mum time to finish these last 3 posts.

C is for Crocodile

We’ve been doing lots of crafting of letters but I’ve been doing very little posting.

 

We’ve made a mouse and a boat and a Bee.

We had fun making this craft and it was interesting how the children interpretated it. I envisioned the triangles as teeth but Emily wanted spikes on the crocodile’s back too.  An easy craft.  I traced the letter C and the children chose colours they thought crocodiles came in and traced the bubble letter a few times.  I cut out the C and glued it on a piece of paper and then the children glued the triangles on the crocodile.  Then we chose some eyes.

 

The other Noah’s Ark

I realised that I said Emily received two Noah’s Arks for her birthday and only showed the cake.

I made this sort of following the pattern out of a book, sort of following my own pattern so some of the pockets are a little baggy.  I need to start making the animals to fill the pockets.  I have been a little lazy there because I am going to have to hand sew them, unlike the wall hanging which I used my new sewing machine for.  It was a lot of work but I am pleased with how it turned out.

Mr and Mrs Noah were very easy to make.  Make a ball of stuffing and then wrap tightly in light material and sew up the back.  Pull the top front to the back and sew up edges to form head.  Wrap thread tightly around the base of the head to make the neck.  Sew on face.

To make the body I used felt to create a cylinder, sew up the back, turn inside out so seam on inside.  Place head inside cylinder and gather and sew.  Stuff body full of stuffing.  Cut a disc of card and a disc of felt.  Place and bottom and sew so it can stand up.  I used unspun sheep’s wool to make hair and beard.  You can make clothing for them and perhaps in the future I will.