Playtime

Outdoor Painting on Cardboard

Posted by

46

outdoor painting this one

With the weather getting warmer there has been one activity I have been really keen to have a go at with Monkey – outdoor painting! Obviously with it being outdoors, the idea is that kiddies can be a bit freer to get really messy, but in all honesty I was still a bit worried about the mess! With all of the hard work that has gone into making our garden a much nicer place to be, I wasn’t particularly keen on paint going all over our lovely new patio. Even though the paint is supposedly washable, I was concerned about stains – as I know some of Monkey’s clothes have ended up a little stained from them!

Continue reading →

Bretton Water Park, Peterborough

Posted by

48

There is a little outdoor water park in Peterborough (Bretton Water Park) that I have heard about a few times, but not been to before. It doesn’t really have much information online about where it is or how to get there but in photos I had seen on Facebook etc. it looked great, so I decided to give it a go.

Bretton Water Park

 

Continue reading →

Making Play-doh Monsters – 25 months old

Posted by

13

Now I can’t take credit for this idea, but I also can’t remember where I saw it! I read a post about making Play-doh Monsters a while ago and thought it looked fun. I honestly didn’t think any more of it, didn’t plan on doing it with Monkey particularly, but obviously subconsciously filed it away somewhere!

Play-doh is a popular pastime in our house. It is very much confined to the conservatory and is well trodden into the (old) rug in there. Monkey can spend many a happy hour playing play-doh with Mummy, Daddy, or anyone who will play with it with him! Sometimes I try and hide it as I just can’t face playing with it anymore (bad mummy).

Continue reading →

Cardboard Tunnel Fun

Posted by

56

Last weekend, we did something very grown up. We *gasp* bought some garden furniture! The set we had previously hubby had inherited from a friend and it was very weather beaten and wobbly. It didn’t really match our lovely new garden. We have had in mind we wanted some for a while but they have all been so expensive. On a trip to our local garden centre however we found a lovely set, heavily reduced in the sale and, well, we snapped it up!

WP_20140622_12_07_05_Pro

It took a couple of trips to get it home in the car, and hubby had to tie the table in on the last leg as it didn’t quite fit, but we managed and it is now set up and looking lovely in the back garden. I’m not sure why, I mean we have a house, a toddler and a baby on the way, but for some weird reason, buying garden furniture feels like a very grown up thing to do. And I really don’t feel like a grown up!

Anyway, immaturity was soon restored!

Continue reading →

Simple Colour Matching Game – 25 months old

Posted by

25

I’ve been noticing recently that Monkey is doing a bit better with his colours.

He has a set of eggs that he has had since he was tiny and loved. They are great because they are good at various stages. We did have to take them out of use at one point as they just frustrated him, but they are very much back in use lately. They are all different colours with lids that match and I have noticed that lately he has been matching the right lid with the right coloured egg.

Continue reading →

Re-creating the beach at home

Posted by

43

We spent a lot of time enjoying the beach while we were on holiday, and I was loving how much Monkey was enjoying it, and how occupied he was with building in the sand. Now we are home and the nearest beach is over an hour away and too far to go for a day other than as a special event really! So with the sun shining last week I decided to re-create the beach feeling at home.

We got the paddling pool out and filled early in the morning in the hopes it would warm up. Last time we tried the paddling pool the water was just too chilly for Monkey and he didn’t like it. I thought it was worth a try though. I then got out his sand table, which he does love but is a bit small for making castles etc in, and then decided to use our Tuff Spot for added beach style fun.

Continue reading →

Monkey’s Speech at 25 months

Posted by

16

Monkey is a late talker. I know all kids vary and do things in their own time, but this is one of those areas where Monkey has definitely lagged behind slightly. One of my friends’ little boys started talking at around 10 months, and most of the other toddlers we know started pretty early too.

But, judging by other toddlers at the music class Monkey goes too, and his tumble tots class, I have seen that it really is not that unusual for a toddler to not speak much until they are around the age of 2. Because it is something I once worried about (and therefore talked about a lot) I also know of lots of adults who didn’t speak until they were nearly 3 – and it never meant anything detrimental about their development.

Continue reading →

Easy peasy Homemade Thank You Cards – 2 yr old

Posted by

32

I think Thank you cards are so important, especially when kids are little. Friends and relatives can be so generous with their gifts but very often don’t really get to see how much the little ones enjoy them. So a few little words to express how much they like the toy or present are often gratefully received.  Obviously Monkey can’t yet write the words, or even tell me what he would say as a thank you, but by making the cards together I hope we can build a good habit together of thanking people for their kindness and generosity.

Monkey’s crafting abilities are still quite limited though. We have made some lovely birthday cards using his finger paints, but I honestly think I have done that one to death now! We have tried glueing and sticking things but the glue gets everywhere and honestly, I find it all a bit stressful!

Continue reading →

Fun at the seaside – who’s the biggest kid?

Posted by

25

On our holiday last week we spent a lot of time at the seaside. At Gorleston beach to be precise. Just south of Great Yarmouth there is free parking right next to one of the loveliest beaches I have been to in a long time. WP_20140601_09_52_32_Pro WP_20140601_12_35_26_Pro

Continue reading →

Moving up a class at Tumbletots

Posted by

27

With Monkey turning 2 a few weeks ago, it is now time for him to move up to the 2-3 age group at Tumble Tots! We have loved going to Tumble Tots ever since he started walking, at around 11 months and I have to admit I was a little nervous about making the transition.

WP_20140610_14_51_21_Pro

Continue reading →