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Go play! Showcase: The Madhouse

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Welcome to the first in our new series of posts showcasing great playful sites around the web. Starting us off is Jen, who blogs over at The Madhouse, where she writes about raising two boys in a playful, crafty, baking household.

Tell us about yourself

I am Jen or MummyMad and I blog at www.muminthemadhouse.com.  I have two very energetic boys Maxi and Mini aged 4 and 5, who keep me on my toes and who awakened my love of art and crafts.  I adore crafting with the boys, I love the fact that they are so open and creative in the way that they look at things – they teach me something new everyday.

What’s your play philosophy?

I am a great believer in the fact that you do not need to always have an end goal with play or that is should be structured.  When I craft with the boys I make sure that I do not go into it with preconceived ideas or a set end product, so that they can dictate the pace and put their own style on the projects.
I have always believed that behavior breeds behavior and this has only been confirmed as even more important to me as the boys have gotten older.  I made sure that we had miniature versions of things for the boys.  They had cleaning supplies, a play kitchen and other small world toys and they learned by copying what I did, which has always meant for a harmonious home.
Inspire us!
Jen created an art corner in her kitchen: a perfect space for getting crafty
She’s passionate about home cooking and encouraging children to get baking.
And her Children’s Craft Showcase is full of great ideas you can use at home with your own children. These Christmas angels are lovely!
Pop over to The Madhouse to read more of Jen’s inspiring ideas.

Are you passionate about children’s play and crafts? Would you like to have your blog or website featured here? E-mail me to say hi and tell me about your site: Cathy (at) nurturestore (dot) co (dot) uk for more details

Pine cone crafts

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pine cone birds

I love putting out some goodies for the girls to pounce on when they come home from school and then seeing what they come up with. Last week  they had a selection of wool, pine cones, ribbons and feathers – and they decided to make some birds. They used craft glue to stick their materials to the pine cone and here are their creations.

We tied B’s bird to the end of our number line, which happens to hang over the radiator in the kitchen – the perfect place for our cat to sit and make swipes at the pine cone bird. L, ever since she started imaginative play, has always centred it around families so I wasn’t surprised she made a nest full of birds.

I like to see how they both take the same materials but add their own spin to what they make. It’s also great to see that 4 year old L is starting to conceive an idea and is now able, all by herself, to put together the bits and pieces she needs to bring her design to life.

What have you got lying around the house and garden that your children could make with?

And don’t forget it’s the Messy Play Carnival here on Friday – come and link a post!

happily shared with We Play at Childhood 101 and ABCand123 and Upcycled Awesome

Autumn nature table

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autumn nature table

Do you create a seasonal nature table with your children? It’s so easy to do as the kids will probably be collecting conkers and acorns while they’re out and about anyway. We included some autumnal coloured flowers and some pumpkins and we’ll keep adding to it over the next few weeks.

A nature table lets the children connect with the changing seasons and provides lots of interesting textures for them to explore. The most important thing I think is to have this as a discovery table: not a decorative centre piece the children have to keep their hands off, but a place for them to explore. Let them touch and smell and manipulate the materials, and let them take things away from the table to use in their play too.

Do you let your babies and very young children play with natural materials? Whilst you need to be watchful as they will of course put everything in their mouth, it’s such a missed opportunity if you only let them have plastic toys to play with. The pumpkins will make an wonderfully interesting toy for them to explore, and the pine cones and conkers are so tactile and great for sensory play.

What’s on your nature table this month?

happily shared with No Time for Flash Cards and ABCand123

Playing outdoors in all weathers

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play outdoors
I’m writing this at one o’clock in the afternoon and the sky is grey and the rain is tumbling down. It’s making me think about how the weather affects our play, and particularly I’m thinking about how much time we spend outdoors in autumn and winter. I don’t think there’s any question that playing outside is wonderful for children: the fresh air, the feeling of space, the sensory benefits of being in nature. I certainly know with my own two girls, and all the children I’ve looked after, that if we’re having a grumpy sort of day, getting outside – in the garden, park or just for a walk – most often is all that’s needed to lighten everyone’s mood.

But it’s getting colder now, and windy and rainy and dark. If you’re the type who is happy to be outside all the time in all weathers, I really do salute you. I however am naturally inclined to prefer a hot cup of coffee and a warm blanket inside! We do play outside everyday, whatever the weather, but there’s no denying we play outdoors less in winter – which I’m guessing is the same for lots of you? So, I’m resolving to put more thought into getting out there and planning on bringing you some posts over the next few months that inspire us to venture out. I’d also like to invite you to share your ideas too. The Play Academy carnival on Friday is open to any of your posts and I’d also love to hear from you if you’d like to write a guest post here. (On any play subject in fact, not just on playing outside. You can e-mail me cathy (at) nurturestore (dot) co (dot) uk if you have an idea you’d like to write about).

To start us off, my top three tips for getting outside, whatever the weather are…

  1. Keep yourself warm. If you’re wearing the right clothes, you’re much more likely to enjoy your time outside. Pretty much all the children I know don’t care if it’s cold, windy or raining – they are active kids and just love being outside. So, to help everyone enjoy themselves outside, and to stop you cutting short the children’s outdoor fun because you’ve had enough, my first tip is to make sure you are wearing the right clothes. Layer up, don’t forget your hat and gloves and make sure you are cosy.
  2. Get active. We’re going to shift our outdoor play away from fairy gardens and dinosaur world’s and include lots more active games. Hopscotch, skipping, what’s the time Mr. Wolf are great fun and will keep everyone on the move.
  3. Audit your outdoor space. Now is a good time to review your garden and get it ready for the colder months. Think about what you play outside and re-locate things or make changes to suit the weather. We’ll move the sandpit and den to under our covered area and make sure there are lots of props outside ready to spark active play (bikes, balls, kites, hula hoops). We’re not likely to do as much water play outside, so I’ll be thinking of ways to bring this inside.

What about you – are you an all weather family? How do you promote lots of outdoor play, whatever the weather?

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