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
Orchard Toys: What a Performance!
NurtureStore is 1 year old today!
365 days since our very first post we’ve shared 226 ideas and had 1231 comments. We’ve been kittens, grown sunflowers, made peg dolls and sung you songs. The most enjoyable part of NurtureStore for me is being part of the play community, sharing ideas with you all and getting lots of inspiration from you. I love the Play Academy we host each Friday as I get to see what you have all been up to during the week and I love hearing from you when you leave a comment here or on our Facebook page.
******************Prize Giveaway******************To celebrate our birthday, Orchard Toys sent us a lovely present: a What a Performance! game. It’s a really fun game and has had us pretending to be frogs, pulling funny faces and squawking like a parrot. B loves the magic spy glass which you have to use to reveal the hidden forfeits and A likes to be officially in charge of the spinner. Like all Orchard Toys there is a good educational element to the game too as it includes counting, language, creativity and turn taking practise. It’s a great family game and perfect for enjoying together with your kids.
And to share the birthday cheer Orchard Toys are giving away a copy of the game to one of you too.
To enter the competition (UK only):
Pop over to the Orchard Toys website to find the answer to the prize question and leave a comment on this blog post with your answer.
Prize question: When was Orchard Toys founded?
You have until next Thursday 14th October 2010 to enter and a winner will be picked at random from the comments on this post.
Thank you for being part of NurtureStore and helping us have a great first year. Cathy x
Here are the rules:
1. The giveaway is open to readers in the UK only. Each person is allowed one entry.
2. To enter you need to leave a comment on this post telling me when Orchard Toys was founded. Make sure you leave your correct e-mail address when you comment.
3. The competition is open until Thursday 14th October 2010 at midnight (GMT).
4. One winner will be chosen by random.org
5. The winner will be announced on Friday 15th October 2010. Once they have sent their address I’ll pass their details to Orchard Toys who will send the game out to them.
Pre-school science ideas
Science doesn’t start at high school with Bunsen burners and litmus paper. Babies, toddlers and pre-school are natural scientists, exploring and testing out their world. Creating a play-friendly environment and giving them time to investigate what catches their interest is the first step towards developing enquiring minds. Try these ideas for more child friendly science experiments.
Tip #1 Encourage experiments: ask kids to predict, observe & explore with this guide from ScienceMum
Tip #2 Use baking to test weights, emulsification, heat, liquids…Gingerbread is a good place to start
Tip #3 Try biology with an experiment to see what seeds need to grow
Tip #4 Combine physics and engineering with this pendulum activity from Irresistible Ideas for Play Based Learning
Tip #5 Use simple props like ice cubes and experiment to find out what makes things melt faster
Tip #6 Create some art and explore the properties of sunlight with this idea from Paint Cut Paste
Tip #7 What happens when you combine bicarbonate of soda and vinegar? Jen at TheMadHouse knows!
Tip #8 Bring physics into play with Teacher Tom’s Full Body Physics trials
Tip #9 A really easy one to try a home is this sink or float test from No Time For Flash Cards
Tip #10 Mini beast bingo is great for budding entomologists
What science play do your children enjoy?
***These #goplayTwitter Tips are tweeted each Friday at 8.30pm – follow @nurturestore or the #goplay hashtag to share
View the Twitter Tips on playdough, water play, travelling with kids, junk modeling , balancing school and play and encouraging reading and writing
happily shared with Top Ten Tuesday and Wearethatfamily
Does starting school mean the end of play?
Back in January I resolved to make 2010 our Year of Play. I’ve been thinking about this again this month as L has started at school. In last week’s Play Academy link-up I talked about wanting to make sure the girls still have lots of opportunity for playing, as well as schooling. So this weeks Twitter Tips are dedicated to having a playful return to school. The Twitter Tips get tweeted on a Friday at 8.30pm and in previous weeks they’ve started great twitter conversations, with people swapping ideas. The main thing I love about blogging is it being a forum to get inspiration and encouragement from others, so please feel free to add your own ideas in the comments or on our Facebook page. Join in, swap ideas, go play!
How to have a playful Back to School
#goplay Twitter Tip #1If you’re using after school clubs check how playful they are: do they offer free play after a structured school day
#goplay Twitter Tip #2Make the school run fun: cycle, scoot or play i-spy. Leave a little earlier to let the kids play a bit before class
#goplay Twitter Tip #3 Set up a play invitation in the morning to entice the kids to play before they switch on the TV
#goplay Twitter Tip #4 Rediscover some old school favourites such as conkers or fortune tellers
#goplay Twitter Tip #5 Consider how many clubs to join so after school play time isn’t lost in a busy schedule.
#goplay Twitter Tip #6 Encourage playground fun by packing a skipping rope in the book bag. Ready for Ten has a great skipping tutuorial
#goplay Twitter Tip #7 Plan family time for the weekend: it doesn’t have to be expensive or extravagant but do make sure it happens.
#goplay Twitter Tip #8 Consider screen time. Could your kids live without TV for an hour, a day, a week? What could they play instead?
#goplay Twitter Tip #9 Locate the park nearest your school and stop off any day day you can on the way home. Enjoy some #playoutdoors
#goplay Twitter Tip#10 Instead of only setting up a homework area set up a play area too. Add untoys & let them #goplay
How do you feel about the balance between school and play time? How do you manage homework at the weekend? Do your kids attend a playful school?
Happily shared with Top Ten Tuesday.
Save the Children in Bangladesh
Sunday 29th August 2010
Two girls, not a care in the world, playing in the garden and enjoying the sunshine.
Sand, flower pots, matchsticks, shells.
On the same day three mummy bloggers, Sian, Josie and Eva flew to Bangladesh with Save the Children to see what life is like for children living there. Please take a moment to visit the Save the Children site and find out about the campaign.
Makes me think what childhood my girls would be having had they by chance been born somewhere else.
This post is shared with the Gallery at Sticky Fingers which this week is taking a snapshot of life on August 29th 2010
Children’s favourite un toys
This week’s #goplay Twitter Tips are all about un – toys : the favourite things to play with which you won’t find in the toy shops, the alternative to plastic, battery-operated toys.
#goplay Twitter Tip #1 Consider what makes a great toy: fun, stimulating, open-ended, multi-use, still interesting as the child grows
#goplay Twitter Tip #2 What’s an un-toy? Natural materials & everyday objects: an alternative to plastic, battery-operated, one-purpose toys
#goplay Twitter Tip #3 I find children play longer & with more concentration with un-toys: they’re versatile & offer more play opportunities
#goplay Twitter Tip #4 Some un-toys we love: sticks, boxes, shells, pots & pans, wooden spoons, bottle tops, button, fircones, food packets
#goplay Twitter Tip #5 There’s no ‘right way’ to play with un-toys: let your child’s imagination decide & watch each child play differently
#goplay Twitter Tip #6 Did you know the stick and the cardboard box have both been inducted into the Toy Hall Of Fame? https://www.museumofplay.org/nthof/toys/index.php?toy=cardboard_box
#goplay Twitter Tip #7 A cardboard box can become a train , a story tent or a house
#goplay Twitter Tip #8 How about collecting some pebbles this weekend and making a set of story stones?
#goplay Twitter Tip #9 How about providing some un-toys for dressing up? fabric, scarves, ribbons so children can create their own costumes?
#goplay Twitter Tip #10 Why not try some un-toys & see what your child thinks: have fun, #goplay, go green, be creative, use your imagination!
*These #goplayTwitter Tips are tweeted each Friday at 8.30pm – follow @nurturestore or the #goplay hashtag to share
View the Twitter Tips on playdough, water play, travelling with kids junk modeling and encouraging reading and writing
Happily shared with…
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