I don’t like sticky, messy things. I’m not even fond of kneading dough or mixing cake. And as a young child, Small was much the same.
It’s not fair though, to let that impact on the younger two. So since Christmas I’ve been making a real effort to get crafty and messy with them. We’ve been helped in that quest by our latest bundle from Baker Ross.
This is the bundle I decided we’d use this week. Card, a large selection of different brushes and sponges and some acrylic paint.
First of all we made butterflies.
Then I just let them loose with the paints.
Turns out both my younger two subscribe to the more is more school of thought, your painting is only complete when the card can’t actually absorb any more paint.
I did a bit of colour mixing with Smallest, with Tigerboy I just marveled at how much he was enjoying it.
It made for two very happy children. Tomorrow we’re going to have a go at decorating the craft frames we were sent, and we might get a few googly eyes out as well.
What with craft, bubble blowing and book reading I’m almost beginning to feel like a real home educator again ๐
Whispers To Myself says
I am equally not really a messy crafty kind of parent, but want to make more effort with my 2yo aside from drenching the bathroom by squirting water at each other at bathtime. If anyone can steer me to some good ideas online I’d be grateful. Acrylic paint sounds like a good option to start with.
Jax Blunt says
I’m going to be doing a few posts on a new blog soon, but off the top of my head, maxi hama beads are pretty good (you can thread them on pipe cleaners, spoon them, even stack them as well as making pictures from them on peg boards.) Superclay is really good – soft and reusable but not as euch as some play doughs can be. And I’ve got a neat trick coming up with pom poms and double sided sticky tape ๐
jan says
Love the animation ๐
Jax Blunt says
It’s auto awesome from Google. Does it all for you!
Anne-Marie says
I love the animation too ๐ I am not so keen on messy play. I used to try harder than I do now, and I have pictures of nappied children covered head to foot in paint, or washing in a plastic tub in the garden after being covered head to foot in paint, but I seem to have no patience any more and messy play is practically non-existent now. I should try harder. I also feel guilty when I put ‘pictures’ that are nothing more than paint-saturated paper (brown/grey paint because everything was mixed together) into the bin/recycling… I like pencils and crayons. My children like paint, pens, and pastels. The messy stuff. Uck!
Jax Blunt says
It’s hard when you don’t enjoy it isn’t it? I’m currently wondering what to do with 6 pom pom pictures of caterpillars. Wish my parents lived a bit nearer and we could palm a few off on them ๐
I do get rid of paint saturated pictures, and I feel a little less guilty because I take lots of pictures of the process, so we’ve got those memories captured. Tigerboy is a particular fan of anything messy that he can draw on himself with. Won’t your guys be getting at least some of it at school? I do feel I’ve got to fill in for the bits they miss out on by not going to nursery/ school to do this stuff.
Anne-Marie says
Oh yes, I do use school as an excuse not to do too much! DG came home with a stick with mud (clay?) stuck on it today that she made at forest school. Actually, she gave her stick-and-mud to her BFF and we’ve got the BFF’s one as they said they made them for each other. Four year olds – awwww ๐
Jax Blunt says
That’s cute. Really ought to explore forest school again, it was just so far away.
Hannah says
Well done Jax, looks like the little ones had a lot of fun. Even though I like messy play, I do have to be in the right mood and we haven’t done as much recently as usual. Much easier in the garden in the summer!
Jax Blunt says
Oh yes, I much prefer outdoor messiness!
Midlife Singlemum says
I have to say that one of the things I love about kindergarten is that DD does all that messy stuff there. I don’t feel at all guilty that we don’t do arty crafty things at home as she does it every day over someone else’s furniture and floors. And they clear up afterwards. ๐
Jax Blunt says
Yes, there are benefits to out of home childcare
Jo Middleton says
I remember making card butterflies when I was younger, so much fun for little ones.