Anyone For A Game of I-Spy?!

"I Spy in July" is  a theme being run all this month by the lovely Francesca of "Francesca Writes Here"

Through the month of July, Francesca is asking fellow bloggers to post what they see. A photo is useful but not essential. So keep your peepers open for that flash of inspiration and blog about it.

The only thing that Francesca is asking is that we leave our post linkys with her, so we can blog hop about to read each others.

I really love this idea and have been dying to get round to having a go... So before July slips away; here we go:

I spy with my little eye...


Rain, rain and more rain!

Here is  the view form our bedroom window...

Who would have thought that a month or two a go we had hose pipe bans across the country and the reservoirs where drying up... The weather has gone a little doo-la-lee across the globe this year...

With all this rain, a girl needs a little cheering up. In comes a little retail therapy..



I spy with my little eye...


BARGAINS!

I know it's summer... technically... but I couldn't resist these knitted slipper boots. So warm and cosy... Winter do your worst... Actually, scrap that. You never mess with Mother Nature...

Cute and functional. Half price. Bargain.

Not my usual style of trainer, but these BKs are uber comfy and stylish. Soft denim with a pretty, girly floral pattern on the back. Snazzy... Half price? Oh yes, even better! Another bargain....

With all this footwear, I can't help but wonder if I am purchasing the wrong type all together... Maybe I need to spy a pair of these for my next bargain...

Ha!

Your turn, what do you spy in July?!

Rainy Day Activities

British Summer Time Strikes Again
Britain is in the middle of a deluge, with flash floods and general... Soggy-ness... The washing is piling up as I can't get it dry (no tumble drier here I am afraid) and it feels like OJ is bouncing off the walls.

So it was time to get creative and find ways to pass the rainy days.


Baby Sensory Ring (suitable for approximately 6 months +)

I swear that my cubs have access to some lovely educational toys... but somehow, something that mummy has whipped up seems to be much more appealing!

After observing our baby Zman (8 months) desperately trying to get at daddy's shoelaces, I decided that I would make a baby sensory ring with lots of ribbons and laces to explore.
I bought a Frisbee ring for about 50 pence, and some colourful tape. I wound it around the Frisbee and it makes lovely crinkly noises which Zman loves.
I attached various ribbons and laces to the ring and, hey presto! A basic sensory ring.
This can be added to with large buttons and all sorts. As long as the materials are safely attached and are safe for baby to mouth.

The sensory ring is excellent in promoting:

• Hand-eye co-ordination
• Developing the muscles in the eyes
• Exploration
• Fine motor skills

The sensory ring can also be...
a hat!
(According to OJ who wanted in on the action!)

The Ducky Game (suitable for approximately 2 1/2  years +)

This game is so much fun and can be adapted in so many ways but we used:

• Ball pit
• 12 brightly coloured, rubber ducks
• Number stickers
• A bucket and net

Stick the numbers on the bottom of the ducks and put them in the ball pit. See if child(ren) can scoop them out with a net. Put the collected ducks into the bucket. Encourage child(ren) to look at, and recognise the numbers.

OJ decided there was a much easier way to get the ducks... OJ thinks:To get the ducks, you must first think like a duck and be accepted into their habitat...


Adaptions:

• Older children 4 years + - Use more more ducks and add (+) and (-) signs. Largest number wins!
• Use letters and try to catch the ducks with the letters of their name and or other words (perhaps ones they are learning to spell?)
• Use a small paddling pool, and if using outside in that thing called sunshine (send some this way!), you could have them in water!
• For a miniature Ducky Game use a large cardboard box and sieve!

The Ducky Game encourages a wide range of sill and development depending on what you you do:

• Hand-eye co-ordination
• Colour, number, letter recognition
• Problem solving
• Early maths
• Large motor skills
• Concentration
• A group of children will learn basic social skills  such as turn taking and working together etc

Finger painting (Suitable for 1 year +... Depending on individual development)

A budding Picasso?

This is so easy... and so MESSY! YAAAAAAAY!

Put down a tarpaulin to catch (most of) the mess, get the biggest piece of paper you can get your hands on, set out the finger paints (I used a paper plate so I could just dispose of it, oh yeah, thinking outside of the box!) and let your kiddie get creative!

To save OJ's clothes, I stripped him down to his nappy so he could get right in there on the floor and be one with his art!

For a bonus self-esteem boost, proudly put up the picture for all to see (like I had to tell you that!)

Finger painting promotes:

• Fine and gross motor skills
• Creativity
• Exploration
• Colour recognition
• Concentration
• Emotional development - a sense of achievement
• Can be relaxing and an opportunity to encourage speech/language/conversation skills

If anyone out there has some more rainy ideas, me and OJ would only be happy to check them out! 

Drip, Drip, Drop Little April Showers...



drip drip drop...

Rain, rain, go away...

Ah, the typical English weather... Every time I look out the window today it's been pouring. We shouldn't be complaining as we are close to drought but my eldest has been soooooo restless.

So we have been looking for things to do inside. So far we have had every puzzle out and used animal cutters and number stamps in the playdough. (He is getting great  at recognising numbers, he never ceases to amaze me!)

We stood at the open door listening to the sound of the rain on the decking and watched a black bird looking for worms on the lawn...

Then we found a paper plate and turned it into a cat face with googly eyes and black card ears... which he decided to call Perdy (like one of his TV characters), and took it up with him at nap time to put on his bedside table.

Once I tucked him up, Baby Z needed his feed and laughed at mummy trying to dance to stop him crying... (I obviously could do with some dance lessons cha-cha-chaaaaaaaaa!)

Then I had the house work to do... Why is there always a sock that escapes the wash... ???

As I write this I wonder where all the time has gone today; the clouds are clearing and I swear, I can see a sliver of sunshine... Hmmm, almost sounds like a Disney type of ending reading that back... Sorry...

If you have children; how do you like to spend your rainy days?