Mixing the colours of the Playdough

Mixing the colours of playdough - is it really THAT bad? Why do so many struggle with this and are we actually missing out on important learning opportunities by forbidding this to happen??

 

A couple of years ago, Hannah from hi baby blog shared a Facebook photo by Tom Fletcher showing an image of playdough that had been squeezed and mixed together, and the reaction from most parents was that of utter horrification. The need to keep the colours separate appears to be very, very real and the calming down techniques needed when it all inevitably ends up in one big colourful heap are vast.

I'm going to lay my cards on the table early - I love everything that the metaphorical mixing of playdough colours stands for. Not just the metaphorical mind you, the ACTUAL mixing of colours too. I'm not going to sit here and wax lyrical about the parallels we can draw between colour mixing playdough and other, much bigger issues in the world relating to race, religion, politics etc whilst refusing to actually let my children mix the colours of their own playdough - they can genuinely mix all they want....but the focus of this post is why should you let them, and why does it matter??

Playing Catch Up | Helping With Your Primary School Child’s ‘Lost Learning’

“Lost learning” is a term that has been thrown around a lot for the past year. Since being in lockdown, the government have been very keen to stress how important it is to help the millions of children catch up on the lost hours in the class room. A lot of valuable time has been lost and this generation, particularly the younger ones, have suffered setbacks in their academic progress, their social development and most importantly their mental health.

 

Whilst most of my regular readers will know and understand the importance of learning through play, planning to children's interests  and making sure that we are planning and teaching creatively in a child-led way in order to make learning fun, (and therefore more memorable!) rather than focusing on rote learning and memorising of facts - it is part and parcel of the current education system that there are certain skills that children will need in order to progress smoothly throughout their school life. 

Today, we have a guest post from Daniel Grabowski, a qualified Teaching Assistant who is currently working alongside primary aged  children in the aftermath of the covid lockdowns, helping them to make sure that they are having positive learning experiences at school without unnecessary added pressures. In this post, Daniel discusses how you can help your child at home....

Planning a gallery wall with Desenio

I’ve always loved a good gallery wall! We have had a range of frames on the wall climbing the stairs in our house for many years now - a montage of black and white photos of relatives and special friends, in varying frame sizes but all with the same mount and border. I was keen to do something similar on the wall above our sofa in the lounge, but with some cool, calming prints in muted tones to create a gorgeous gallery wall which would create a relaxing and inspiring space after a long day.

 

  Disclosure: Paid partnership with Desenio. Pints were sent in return for an honest review. 

Planning a gallery wall can often be the tricky part, trying to imagine how all of your images might fit together, whether the sizes will work next to each other and then of course, finding the right sized prints to fit the frame! This is where the Desenio’s gallery wall tool makes it super easy to plan your wall art. Read on for more info on how we used the tool to plan our gallery wall and how this compares in real life too!

Facts About An Effective Laser Hair Removal Treatment

Hair removal is an aesthetic ritual that nearly every one of us does on a regular basis. However, a lot of people find waxing and shaving to be inconvenient because these are temporary and relatively short-lived. Nowadays, laser hair removal treatment has become a common method to eliminate hair growth. After being thoroughly tested, professionals do the process, and it is clinically proven to reduce or remove hair quickly. As a result, we can get the expected and more effective results without affecting the skin at minimal or no downtime. Laser hair treatment has become quite cost-effective and the most effective way of getting rid of unwanted hairs for longer terms.

 

This is a collaborative post

Are you looking for an effective laser hair removal treatment? These fascinating facts will give
you some helpful insight to have a clear understanding of this treatment...

How to Choose the Best Flooring for Play Rooms

When it comes to choosing the best floor for your play room, there is a lot to think about. Safety, comfort, and durability are the three main factors you’ll want to focus on. The space should be a fun, safe place for your child to play.

 

So, which type of flooring is best? Leeds based retailer Stories Flooring, reveals some of the best types of floors you can use in your child’s play room below.

Learning through play Ideas with Jaques of London | Review

In this blog post I will be showing you some simple 'learning through play' activity ideas using the Double Nine Dominoes and the Teaching Clock from Jaques of London who specialise in Toys for Kids with multiple benefits - particularly educational. These items were gifted for the purpose of this review but all words, ideas and opinions are my own.  

Disclosure: Ad - paid partnership with Jaques of London

The play ideas within this post can easily be adapted to suit your child and your own resources at home, but should you wish to purchase your own products from Jaques of London, I can offer 15% off for my readers here.

How many of us have been left with stretch marks after the birth of our children, and despite knowing that they are there to show the journey our body has been on, we still wish them away?

This short poem aims to put the meaning back into each little mark, and highlights the importance of each one, and the job it may have done. By thinking about what you would have to 'trade in' for each mark, it may help you to see their true value...

A poem about stretch-marks 

What if every mark is just a symbol for the parts of you that grew...

Dutch products in the UK | Bringing a piece of Holland Home

What do you imagine when you think of Holland? Tulips…windmills…clogs…canals…hundreds of bicycles?

Disclosure: Paid partnership with DutchGrown

My husband was born and raised in Noord-Holland, in a small town called Bergen, where my parents-in-law still live. I spent every Xmas between 2005-2013 there (halted only by my first child being due on the 23rd Dec 2014, and then making us wait another 2 weeks before arrival!) plus some special occasions in-between, such as, Lichtes Avond, Sinterklaas and Koningsdag. 

 My husband proposed to me at the Ruinekerk – not his original plan, it should have been in the sand dunes - but I’ll tell you about that story another time! I visited wedding dress designers, Dutch cheese markets and shipped home tiny little love heart shaped sweets and Wilhelmina mints as wedding favours. Although I’m terrible at languages, and no amount of books, CDs and ‘only speak Dutch’ days have helped me – there are some words I only know in Dutch, having learnt them first in Holland! Imagine my confusion when attempting to buy a new blade for my shower screen wiper and referring to it as a ‘trekker’ in the UK (for those confused as to why I didn’t learn this word before, I grew up with just a bath at home, no shower. I met my husband at University which is when I left home).

Tips for getting ready to sell your home

Preparing for putting your house on the market? Maybe you are getting ready to sell your house, or maybe you are looking to buy a new home. Whatever the case may be, you will want to make sure that your house is in good condition and is looking its best. Here are some tips for getting your house ready for sale...
 

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post

Selling your house is a big decision. The process can be time-consuming and stressful, but it's worth it when you find the perfect buyer.Homeowners are often surprised by the amount of time and money it takes to get a house ready for selling, but the time you spend preparing your house for sale can save you money in the long run, and get you more money when it sells.

Before you list, here are some things to do to make your house stand out from the rest, and a few things to check before you take the decision to sell your house...

September 2021 - update

It's a new academic year and lots has happened in the last couple of months! There have been some highs and some lows...

From buying/selling houses, to illnesses, birthdays and new school starters we have crammed quite a few emotions into the last few week...