5 fun recycling activities

1. Let’s park the car in the shoe box

Take an old shoe box. Cut a square for the entrance and let your toddler use the lid to create a fun ramp! You can even paint the box, stick coloured paper or any other craft supply to build your own garage.

2. Paper Cup Penguin

Let your toddler paint the paper cup black. Cut out a body from the white paper, wings from the black paper (or your toddler could paint some white paper black), feet and beak from the yellow paper (or your toddler could paint some white paper yellow).With the black marker, let your toddler draw the eyes on the white penguin bodies and then stick on the beak – we used sticker back foam for the beaks.Let him stick the body onto the cup, along with the wings and the feet and the penguin is all set to go on an adventure ride with your explorer.

3. Newspaper Bags 

Help your toddler create quirky and fun bags, using the old newspapers lying around the house.

4. From empty soda bottles to adorable planters!

Why not recycle those plastic bottles and make an adorable planter? You just need the bottom half of the bottle and crafty eyes. You can use the lid as the nose, which is an adorable idea. When you have finished decorating, just fill your little pet with dirt and add whatever seedlings you want.

5. Ice Cream Sticks can make  perfect photo frames or earring holders!

Treasured Waste! No

“What are you trying to do with this empty shoe box? Please stop collecting garbage.” As I tried to remove the box, my 3 year old toddler resisted, “No mamma, see garage for the red car.” And I watched in awe as Baby S successfully converted a seemingly useless box that I would have thrown in the garbage can, into an adorable looking garage for his car while using the cover of the shoe box as a ramp to drive the car out of the box. I was amazed at his creativity. Not only had he managed to find a use for a potential waste product but had also used his problem solving skills to create a ramp to drive his car out! While we as adults are constantly trying to increase the quantity of waste and landfill, our babies are not only able to understand but also showcase how simple and fun recycling can be!

While baby S taught me an important lesson in employing some discretion before discarding things that could be recycled, I realised he was probably ready to learn some more value concepts such as cleanliness. My first few attempts of offering long lectures about cleanliness, good citizenship, and accountability had only served as fantastic lullabies. So I decided to follow my son’s practical and more hands on approach. When after repeated attempts my little rebel refused to pick up his toys and place them in the toy box, I decided to let them stay scattered across his room. He remained defiant the first day but by the second day he realised that it was not only inconvenient to cross an obstacle course all day but also impossible to find his favourite car in all the mess. That night, without any threats or yelling, baby S quietly placed all his toys back in the box. I have come to believe that a hands on and practical approach is more powerful than constant nagging.

 Whether I’m trying to explain the concept of sharing or more complex values such as the need to take care of the environment, the above approach has allowed me to instill these values in Baby S without being a dictator and by empowering him to discover their significance.

While I encourage my little one to learn important life lessons and values, I make a conscious effort to offer an enriching and positive environment where he feels empowered to take make those decisions.

5 fun indoor creative activities

With the Weather God playing spoilt sport and not letting us step out, here are some fun indoor activities to keep your little toddler busy and also nurture his creative spirit.

Lets Make Fruit Towers

Ask your little one to pick his favourite summer fruits, cut them into pieces and ask your little chef to help you use the blender to create a thick puree. Help your toddler pour the puree in the ice trays. Place the trays in the freezer to set and in a few hours get ready to build and indulge in colourful and yummy fruit towers! The fun and healthy way to stay cool this summer!

Create your own Winter Wonderland

Take a flat plastic container, spray some shaving foam, mix some cold water and bubble bath solution and you have created your own little snow world! let your toddlers indulge in a snow fight with their favourite dolls or this can be the most fun racing track for your little car racer! You can even mix some colour or glitter.

Building Sandcastles!

In an empty container place some kinetic sand or just place boxes of colourful play dough and let your toddler design his own activity!

 

Water Balloons are always fun!

Fill the inflatable pool with water balloons and let your toddler jump around and enjoy the pop and splash!

Paint wall!

Fill empty spray bottles with a mix of washable organic paint and cold water. Invite your toddler’s friends over and let them create their own master piece on one of the walls. If your okay with a little mess you could even let them indulge in a little paint war!

Have a great weekend!

Let’s Keep it Simple Mum!

With the mercury levels rising, and no imminent respite expected from the wrath of the Sun god, it has been a challenge to keep my little monkey indoors. And as a working mum, I am always battling the guilt of being away from my son for hours at end,  and often find myself steering towards the obvious and notorious solution- showering my toddler with expensive  and often unnecessary toys and activity sets. And I am sure there are many other working moms out there who would resonate with my situation.

But recently during one of my presentations, something amazing happened. I had critiqued an elaborate and complex brand model to offer a fairly simple and more targeted alternative. The brand manager remarked, “O wow! Who would have thought the answer was so simple! We can actually do away with all the frills and add so much more value. Huh!” While he was busy mentally calculating and rejoicing about all the costs and effort he was sure to save, I had my own little eureka moment. Every time I felt like I had been away too long, I would buy my son one of those elaborate car racing sets or train tracks, that would take hours to build, lead to a lot of yelling moments as my 3 year old would constantly attempt to help and in the bargain pretty much undo all the work I would put in, and finally after 15 or maybe 20 minutes of play, find itself placed along the never ending line of more such elaborate toy sets that were used pretty much only once every 2 or 3 months if at all! And at the same time, when I would just create some silly word game or nursery rhyme routine, my toddler would love doing that for hours at end and the constant giggles and erupting laughter would only assure me that he was having an amazing time! The answer had been there in front of me all along – all he wanted was some simple mommy time! Instead of wasting the time buying these expensive gifts and getting irritated building them, I could actually spend that time cuddling and bonding with my little pumpkin!

So now instead of buying these elaborate toys sets, I keep some simple supplies such as sand, paints, clay and bubbles always stocked up at home. And the time wasted creating those massive tracks, is spend bonding and creating interesting masterpieces with my little toddler! Not only is this easy on the pocket and loads of fun, but it also gives my son a chance to explore his creative skills and imagination. It also helps develop his fine motor skills and most importantly helps inculcate patience and concentration. As he laboriously tries to place the tiny flag on his sandcastle, he also learns some of the most important life lessons – patience and perseverance.

 

5 simple ideas to make storytelling more fun!

Telling a story with adorable foam figures!

Its a perfect opportunity to allow your child to explore his imagination and design his own version of the story’s characters. All you need is some craft foam, a bunch of paddle pop sticks  and some sparkly decorations. Cut out the shapes you need for each puppet, stick them together and the characters are ready to narrate the story!

Dress up!

Plan a fun play date and ask your toddler’s friends to dress up as the different characters from the story! What can be more fun and entertaining than watching your little drama queens put up an adorable show of the ‘Dear Zoo’ or the ‘Very Hungry Caterpillar’!

Let’s go on a Bear Hunt!

Stories that include searching for a character or an object such as ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ or ‘Where’s Spot’?, can lend themselves to an exciting treasure hunt! Place little notes with parts of the story in different corners around the house and weave the clues into the story itself.

For instance ‘Where’s Spot’ by Eric Hill is a perfect example. Place little notes in all the places where Spot could be hiding – Under the bed, in the basket, laundry hamper (get creative!), and watch your little toddler jump in excitement as he rushes to find the next location on the trail. The final note could have some treat – a small gift or a candy, placed next to it, to let your little explorer know that he has successfully completed his mission.

 

Puppet Away

Telling stories with puppets is always fun, but to make it more exciting you can ask your toddler to actually create the puppet himself. There are many websites with very simple instructions for creating interesting paper or clay puppets. But, if you’re looking for a simple option, just create simple finger puppets or you could simply paint the faces of the characters on your toddler’s fingers using non-toxic organic colours.

 

Once Upon a Time…

And finally, how about letting your toddler create his own story? You can start by introducing the theme or a character and then let your little storyteller weave her own magical tale. You could help her putting it down on paper through creative illustrations and create a keep-sake that you both can treasure for a lifetime!

Happy Storytelling!

When Pigs Fly…

The favourite part of my day is coming home from work and asking my little toddler about his day. Hearing him recount his adventures with the most adorable expressions, lets me know just how quickly time has flown. I still remember holding my barely few days old son, who just about managed to give me a teeny weeny smile that slowly developed into a heart melting giggle, which soon gave way to the cutest coohs and aahs.  And now my little toddler is framing complete sentences with the most adorable facial expressions and voice modulations. Most of these stories are extensions of his imaginations. I’m sure his favorite teacher didn’t really bring her pet Unicorn for show-and-tell  to school, nor did he enjoy a ride on the digger or a bull dozer at school, but just watching him recount these adventures with such excitement and conviction, allows me to actually be a part of his fantasy world – full of magic and possibilities. In fact, for those few minutes, a part of me actually joins him in his little adventure. I could stop him and ask him to tell me what really happened in school. But, then again, is this little creative digression really causing any harm? Yes, I have to depend on school reports to know what he is actually doing in school, but that’ a very small price to pay for the  pure bliss and innocence that we both experience during my son’s little theatrical display every evening.

We’ve also developed a fun routine, where every day we pick one book to read, but instead of reading the entire book to him, I stop mid story and ask my little storyteller to tell me what he thinks happens next.  Sometimes the car develops wings to become a plane and decides to fly in the sky, and sometimes the cow decides to leave the farm and go swimming with him in the toddler pool! While I’m left grinning and sometimes laughing uncontrollably at his adorable interpretations and creative endings, my son flashes a big grin to showcase his achievement. And yes, it is an achievement! How many of us can make pigs fly, not just as an expression but actually imagine and believe that they can sprout wings and soar in the sky?  Well, these little superstars have the extraordinary ability to do that and as mums we have the choice to either nurture this creative ability or worry about identifying ways to force them to recount the day or a story in its exact narrative! They will get there. There will come a time, when we will have to be content with the ‘happily ever’ end to every story without any cows swimming or pigs flying, but till then let’s allow our little ones to freely live and enjoy  in the creative world of their imagination. And maybe if we’re lucky, we might get the rare opportunity to once again experience the forgotten magic of our own childhood. Trust me it’s the best stress buster at the end of a long day.

Besides, reading books and regular story telling sessions are great ways to fuel our kid’s imagination.

Simple Yet Super Fun Summer Activity Ideas

Let’s go fishing

Fill a shallow bucket with water, add soap to create foam and now place some small plastic or foam, sea creatures in the bucket. Give your little angel a hand sieve to lift the fish from the bucket and just like that we’re all set for a fishing trip! To turn it into a game, you can also join her with a hand sieve and see who manages to find the most fish in the least time. To add more fun and drama, you could even dress up your little angel in cute fishing gear. For older kids, it could also be a great opportunity to teach them about the various sea animals. But most of all, splashing through cold foam water together, definitely promises a lot of  fun and cute moments to treasure.

Pop Squirt Paint Repeat!

Place bubble wrap across the floor and and fill a few bowls with colourful paints.  Dip your toddler’s feet in one of the bowls and ask him to run across the bubble wrap. Watch the excitement on your toddlers face as the bubbles burst and crackle under his paint covered feet! Let him dip his hands in the paint bowls as well and create his own rules and nurture his imagination.

 

Let’s cook up a yummy storm

Dress up your little chef in a cute apron and work on a table that’s easy for her to reach. Hand her some Marie biscuit and ask her to crush them into little pieces. Watch her eyes light up as she gets your permission to indulge in her most fun activity – making a mess! Next prepare a mix of 1 cup of pre-melted chocolate, half a cup of butter and half a cup of granulated sugar and ask your little chef to help whisk the mixture. Once it reaches a creamy consistency, help your toddler pour it over the biscuit base and finish off with a sprinkle of some colourful gems. Pat your backs for a job well done and enjoy some yummy gems while you wait for the pudding to set in the freezer.

Explore, imagine and create

Allow your little one to imagine and create his own farm or the solar system using play dough. A great activity to develop motor skills as well as learn about animals, solar system or just about any topic in a fun and engaging manner!

Splash and Dunk

And finally, the one activity that always generates loads of excitement is a trip to the pool. Plan a fun evening at the poolside with lots of beach balls, water slides and colourful floats. You can also carry a few things from your beach set, like the small bucket, sieve and any other fun water toys. This is one activity that needs very little planning and promises lots of excitement and laughter!

 

Hope you enjoy these activities with your little angel! Would love to hear about your experiences …

Creating memories one messy card at a time

Last evening, as I was rushing through my list of errands at a nearby mall, I noticed the overcrowded display windows of gift shops, filled with mugs and posters to celebrate Mother’s Day. Realising that it’s just around the corner, I immediately ran in to pick up a card for my mum. As I impatiently waited in line for the cashier, it suddenly struck me, that an elaborate greeting card, filled with some stranger’s words, picked up as a result of an impossible-to-miss- reminder by the store’s garish display window and hurriedly mailed to my mum, felt more like a habit than a genuine gesture! And I’m sure there are many others who would resonate with this feeling. As I walked down memory lane I remembered how different this day would be for me as a child. It was not about stores offering reminders or ready-made options. The preparations would begin weeks in advance. Long hours would be spent deciding and designing a gift and then actually creating that gift, rather than the one minute spent to swipe the credit card to buy greeting cards written by strangers.
The best part of the day would be the big proud smile on my mum’s face as she would proudly place my messy craft-work on her dresser. Though the gifts were messy and the cards barely spelt out ‘Happy Mother’s Day’, somehow they managed to express so much more than the eloquently written and beautifully printed greeting cards from an Archie’s or Hallmark. The innocence and pure, untouched emotions of those handmade cards could never be matched by the card clutched in my hands. I immediately placed the card back on the stands and rushed to the nearest store to pick up my art supplies! I know my card will probably never make it to mum on Mother’s Day but I can only imagine the look of surprise and joy on her face when she opens the envelope to find memories of her little daughter’s childhood neatly painted with the strokes of love and gratitude.

Somehow as we grow older, days like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day stop holding as much meaning or significance as they did when we little kids. We get so busy with our lives that we almost forget to acknowledge the 2 most special and important people in our lives. But now as we step into their shoes, we suddenly realize how important it is for us to let them know that we still love and need them every step of the way. And more importantly, we realise that our actions or the lack of become the benchmark for our kids. If we spend a total of 5 minutes to celebrate the endless unconditional love showered on us by our mums, then that is exactly what we should expect from our little toddlers as well! For all those delicious lunch boxes that magically appeared at lunch break, the perfectly matched birthday outfits, the night long hugs while we sniffed and sneezed and the patient hearing out of all our little issues, the least we owe them is a sincere thank you and a gesture that shows at least some effort on our part! And more importantly, by placing a ready-made card in our toddlers’ hands to celebrate every occasion, are we not robbing them of the satisfaction and joy of creating their own unique expressions of love and memories that we still cherish as adults? So while I am extremely thankful for the conveniences and quick remedies that are easily available, this one time I’m going to give it a miss to celebrate this day in its true spirit and cherish the 2 most important bonds in my life – that of a daughter as well as that of a mum.
I picked up 2 set of art supplies, for me and my little toddler and decided to plan a messy weekend of fun and excitement.  I’m really excited to spend a fun afternoon, exploring, creating and learning, and just having loads of fun with my little toddler. Can’t ask for a better Mother’s Day gift!
I know my son can barely write a single alphabet so any tear-jerking lines or poems are completely out of question. But I also know that the barely symmetrical and completely messy card will mean so much more than the most exclusive gift in the world. Given, the high-tech world we now live in, I should probably brace myself for a simple Happy Mother’s Day whatsapp from my grown up son, but till the time that I still have a say, I’m going to let go of the easy and ready-made store options for a more meaningful gift of a lifetime of memories that I can proudly place on my dresser.