CD plant protectors

Being a gardener you need to be an optimist - you plant things in the hope that they will germinate and grow. No mean feat with all the things that eat young plants on our allotment- not only do we have the usual slugs and birds, we also have rabbits and deer - its a wonder anything survives!.

After our bean crop was decimated, I decided I needed to take action. We looked at all the other allotment plots I could see CDs worked well to scare birds. So we visited the pound shop to buy some. I asked the 'The Fairy' if she wanted to jazz them up - she suggested making flowers.

Sorting out which colours she wanted where

Sticking

The finished product (don't look too closely at the bed below - most of the beans have already been eaten and the bed needed weeding when I took the photo!)

20 books in 2012

No doubt if you live in the UK and have a child you'll be aware of  Bookstart.  They are a national programme that encourages all parents and carers to enjoy books with their children from as early an age as possible. Their aim is to 'give every child the priceless gift of becoming a reader for life'.

To celebrate 20 years of the programme the charity are asking that you pledge to share 20 books in 2012. You get to enjoy sharing books with your child at the same time as showing your support to this brilliant cause.

Making a pledge is really easy - you can either pop along to your local library and fill in the special 'Bookstart 20' post card or visit the 'Bookstart 20' web page and sign up on line.

Happy book sharing and Happy birthday Bookstart!

Say cheese!

Since I have started blogging I have been taking more photos. 'The Fairy' has noticed this and really wanted a turn.... So I gave her our old camera and off she went to point and click.

She had a great time. Here are a selection of some of her results (there were lots of blurred ones too - but hey, that's the joy of digital photography!)

She loved seeing the pictures she had taken uploaded onto our computer and was very keen to tell me which ones she liked.

Red, white and blue

After seeing a picture of the Queen in the paper 'The Fairy' was very inquisitive about the Jubilee. This lead to a very long conversation about who the Queen was, where she lives, the Union Jack, crowns and jewels. A perfect idea for some sensory exploration....

Union Jack pulses (pearl barley dyed blue and red with white rice). I prepared the sensory box whilst the children were having a nap -I'm glad they were, as it took alot of concentration to get the Union Jack pattern.

We added 'jewels' (glass beads - we didn't have any real diamonds) and some 'gold' corrugated cardboard crowns. Later on we some coins and red/silver and blue stars at 'The Fairy's request.

Quickly the Union Jack had disappeared!

There was lots of hiding of the treasure.

Her 'Royal family' came to play.

Making 'A stepping' (when I asked, 'Do you mean stepping stones?') She replied - 'No. A stepping Mummy ... you know a path!')

 I'm sure there will be some more Diamond Jubilee play before the end of the Summer...

Fingerprint blossom

Having enjoyed the hand print dragon we thought we should continue with the theme of painting with our hands. On the way to pre school there is an amazing tree currently in full bloom - so we took inspiration from there.

I drew some branches

'The Fairy' got to work with her fingers printing - I love how the pink and white have mixed to create a mottled effect.

The finished article complete with a thumb print butterfly

Collecting flowers

'The Fairy' loves gathering and transporting  things... I'm forever finding little bags filled with pebbles and hair clips or pots with shells and bricks (it worries me that she may develop a habit of collecting things like her Papa - but that's a whole other story!) Because of this I try to provide her with a range of collecting receptacles (old handbags/ purses/ pots/muffin and bun tins etc)

Today I wasn't feeling very well so I was relived that she was busy occupying her self. I thought I should probably check that she was OK and I found her collecting and sorting flowers and leaves with 'her' bun tin (and one she had 'borrowed' from the kitchen!)

I asked her to 'tell me about them' (I once went on a training course that suggested to ask a child this rather than 'What are you making/doing?' as 'can you tell me all about it' was more open ended and encouraged communication).

'I'm collecting flowers for my Mum, just like Goldilocks... they are decorations'. She must have noticed I was feeling poorly! As I've already blogged we are trying to expand our Spanish/ English book selection and have recently borrowed this great book from the library. It starts with Goldilocks collecting flowers in the wood before discovering the house of the 3 bears. I also love it because it rhymes (in English). Developing rhyming skills are important in developing early language and literacy skills.

We brought them inside and she used her small world people to 'have a party' (we've had lots of birthday parties lately so obviously a theme on her mind currently!)

Language Focus:
Vocabulary: prepositions (in)
Other rhyme (if you read the lovely Goldilocks book!)

Mint playdough

This play dough is perfect for spring, it smells and looks fresh.

We made some peppermint play dough using our usual recipe 

Then added some fresh mint (from Grandmas garden) 'The Fairy' thought it looked like trees

She then wanted to make a house. The holes are 'windows' and the mint is now people looking out of them

Language Focus
Vocabulary: push, squeeze, press, poke, green, mint, leaf, tree, house, window
Other skills: imaginative play

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