Fun website

We've been having fun exploring this website: activitytv.com
(NB. no link with Activity Village!). There are lots of great videos to check out all aimed at children, and each activity also has printable instructions available. The activities range from crafts to science experiments, juggling to cartooning, with lots more besides.

With Father's Day fast approaching, this card craft might be ideal:

Pop-up Card

The one possible drawback, as with all sites with videos, is that you do need a fairly fast internet connection or playback is very slow or disjointed.

Teddy Mascots - a patriotic craft idea!

Sarah, Jack and Sam have had fun this week kitting out the teddies in their house ready for the Olympics - or any patriotic event of holiday, such as Fourth of July or Canada Day. They have used our flag printables and a bit of imagination and I'm sure you will agree that the result is great! Great fun if you want to hold your own Olympic Games, too.
Teddy Mascots

More Recycling Ideas - journals out of garbage!

NB: Please do not allow your children to browse video sharing sites unsupervised!

Recyling Craft Idea - fun for the weekend?

We liked this clever recycling craft idea from "Nini Makes", which makes use of the plastic lids from fruit containers (the sort you by strawberries in at the supermarket).
Reusing Plastic Packaging

Fathers having fun with the kids!

It is all too easy with our busy lives for working parents to slip in to a tendency of seeing children as ‘work’ rather than people to relax and have fun with. With Father’s Day fast approaching perhaps it is time to encourage dads to have fun with the kids. Hopefully you will find some useful ideas below:
- build a den - blankets, pillows, chairs etc.
- read a story by torchlight
- go for a hike (without mum)
- play a game of cards (see here for card games)
- bake a cake!
- simple woodwork - possibly a balsa wood project, or simple hammer and nails
- set up a town / garage / railway using all the cars, trains, lego, wooden bricks and other bits and pieces you can find
- play marbles
- make a treasure hunt
- set up an obstacle course
- put up a tent in the garden - either a real one or a play one using a clothes line and a large blanket
- play catch, football, baseball - basically any sports
- plan and then put on a puppet show (for Mum?)
- build boats from recycled containers and find somewhere to sail them
- make up a story - children especially enjoy ones which feature themselves as characters, albeit doing extraordinary things!
- play a simple game – Simon Says (or perhaps Dad Says) for example (see here for more ideas).

Or perhaps Dad has some activities he enjoys which might be great for sharing with the children. Does he have a favourite TV show/film – maybe from his childhood - which he could share? Maybe he enjoys quizzes (such as those on-line at www.sporcle.com) or chess – do not assume that kids are too young to join in with these things, they may have lots of fun together.

But don't expect too much. If Dad has had a bad week don't expect him to spend all weekend with the kids. Encourage him to spend a couple of quality hours with them and then maybe send him off for a bit of well earned R&R!

Father's Day Puzzles - Lots NEW!

We have added two new Father's Day word searches and a new Father's Day crytogram - something for the kids to puzzle over!

Father's Day Puzzles and Crytograms

We also have Father's Day Mazes.

Father's Day Printables - Lots NEW!

We've added some new printables for Father's Day - a set of printables for acrostic poems using "Dad", "Daddy" and "Father". We have both ruled and blank versions, with and without the cute illustration you can see above - your child may want to add their own illustration, or just do an illustration and leave out the poem!

Father's Day Printables