These November days are dark and cold, and we’ve just had a weekend full of friends and filming – yes, filming, not films! In the last few months Leon has enjoyed making his own films with an old video camera. He takes the whole process very seriously, and although the films often need a little [...]
Archive for the ‘Building and discovery’ Category
Hot Buttered Toast, Hot Chocolate & Homemade Films
Posted in Building and discovery, Everyday things.. on November 23, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
A Little Village
Posted in Arts and Crafts, Building and discovery, Role play on November 18, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
We used half a cardboard milk carton for a house and a stable, and yoghurt pots to represent teepees, and after painting them brown, we stuck on windows on the house and stable, and dried grass heads on the teepees.
We set out a dark green towel, some broken pieces of an old brown sponge for [...]
Milk Carton Mayflower
Posted in Arts and Crafts, Building and discovery, Seasonal on November 12, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
I have discovered that calendar dates and Wikipedia are a fantastic, and somewhat complimentary learning resource!
On the 11th November the Mayflower Compact was signed. I talked to Leon and Maya about the pilgrims leaving England for America on the Mayflower ship, about how many of them died during that cold winter, about how those who [...]
Therapeutic Lego
Posted in Building and discovery on November 11, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Yes, it really is! Poor Alfie has had a high fever for the past two days, and he felt great happiness in relaxing on my lap while we all built with lego. Leon and I made a joint effort – I saw it as a Greek hotel, imagining long hot days in the sun, but [...]
Learning about Skeletons
Posted in Building and discovery, Nature on November 4, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
In Sweden at the end of October it is a tradition that people take lit candles to the graveyards where friends or relatives are buried, to show their respect. As one of Maya’s friend’s family was going to do this, and therefore couldn’t attend the Halloween party, the kids obviously asked a few questions.
I explained [...]
Homemade Advent Calendars
Posted in Arts and Crafts, Building and discovery, Seasonal on November 4, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Having seen a very exciting Lego advent calendar in a shop – and having seen the price (!) – Leon decided to make his own!
He had an amazing way of constructing the calendar by cutting cardboard strips , and slotting them into each other to make a criss-cross structure with 24 spaces – this was [...]
A Windy Day is for Kites
Posted in Arts and Crafts, Building and discovery on November 2, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Today it has been so windy outside, so we decided to use the weather for some kite making!
We drew, decorated and cut out a diamond shape …
We stuck some straws on the back to make it stronger, and added strips of crepe paper at the bottom …
And then they were ready to fly!
They flew fantastically!
Good Dinosaur Books
Posted in Arts and Crafts, Books, Building and discovery on October 29, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
… For small people!
‘How do dinosaurs say goodnight?’ and ‘How do dinosaurs get well soon?’ (Jane Yolen & Mark Teague) are funny rhyming books for young children – and much enjoyed! However, Alfie’s all time favourite right now has to be ‘Dinosaur Roar!’ (Paul & Henrietta Stickland) – a fun rhyming book, full of opposites [...]
Walking with Dinosaurs
Posted in Building and discovery, Journeys and Trips, Role play on October 28, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
This weekend we went to see the BBC stage production of ‘Walking with Dinosaurs‘. It was totally fantastic! What would be termed ‘life size’ robotic models of dinosaurs on the stage, some wonderful plant and volcano effects, and an excellent ’story teller’ (albeit in Swedish!) who steers away from the ‘fear factor’ and concentrates on [...]
Natural History Museum (Stockholm)
Posted in Building and discovery, Journeys and Trips, Nature, Uncategorized on October 17, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
It was a rainy Saturday so we decided to head to the Natural History Museum. It’s a huge museum just outside of Stockholm, with some amazing exhibitions. We started with the dinosaurs (Leon was particularly taken with the fossils), went on to the prehistoric man exhibition, and onto the endangered species and the polar world. [...]
