The Music And Theatre Museum

Yesterday we went on a trip to the ‘Music And Theatre Museum’ – ‘Musik och Teater museet’ in Stockholm. We’ve visited many times before, and each time is as good as the last – so much to see and do.

Now they’ve extended it to be officially a theatre museum, as well as music, and they have a wonderful space dedicated to this.

The shadow puppets were popular – and very effective..

Maya loved playing the harp…

Alfie experimented with drum sounds…

…and Maya took a visual drum lesson..

Everyone just loved the ‘kitchen accompaniment’, with a short film on people who made kitchen music…

Leon enjoyed the big wooden xylophone..

..and all three older kids loved experimenting in the ‘Klåjnk’ music area..

Leon enjoyed the exhibition on street theatre..

…and mummy enjoyed dressing up as a street entertainer! 😉

If you get a chance to visit, do! It’s fantastic! 🙂

‘We’re Going To The Moon’

Last weekend I was ill, at the beginning of the week it was Maya, and now Alfie is coming out of the last dregs of it! Not very exciting – but there’s always an UP side! 🙂

My ‘up’ side is that extended time at home together, with uninterrupted play, means for happy creative children…

Today Alfie and Ted went flying on their spaceships…

Of course, spaceships need dashboards to steer the ship..

I’m not sure where the pumpkins came into it, but evidently they were very important……..
……and then there were torches. To see in the dark when you’re up in space, because it’s all black you see – and “if you throw a black sock up there, you won’t be able to see it”…

3-2-1 Blast Off!

🙂

Triple Rainbow Fun!

Lately I’ve been looking out more for open ended activities for Alfie and Ted – particularly art based ones. Something that is easy for Ted, and yet holds Alfie’s interest too – perfect for the 3 – 7 year old set! 😉

This is one that was very successful! I just taped three crayons together…a few times….

….and taped some big pieces of paper to the table…

Then the boys got scribbling! This was such a great gross motor exercise, particularly for Ted, with big arm movements – and clasping a group of crayons in each hand – something I didn’t expect them to do!

They scribbled..

..and scribbled…

…and sometimes smelled…

…and scribbled some more….

…until they ended up with some truly colourful pictures…

Open-ended – and fun! 🙂

Feathers And Eyes And Playdough

It was pure delight for Ted to make these! I had found some random plastic eyes in a sale bin at a local book store – I’m not sure what they’re supposed to be used for – but I just knew they’d come in useful! The feathers are left over from last Easter.

I’ve ironically seen similar ideas on the internet recently, making ‘turkeys’ for Thanksgiving. This wasn’t my intention, but as both Maya and Ted had recently been on an adventure walk in the forest where they had climbed on a wooden wild turkey, and learnt about them on the nature trail, there was immediate comparison! 🙂
Alfie and Maya soon came to join in…

..and here are their creations. Alfie’s first…

..and his second, which took the form of a robot…

…and Maya’s slightly more advanced caterpillar…

Ted was thrilled with his creations. THRILLED!

Yet he still wanted to add more to them..

…and yet another one, probably inspired by Maya’s, was made…

In fact he loved these guys so much he started to carry them around with him…

…so we had to find them their own special living space in the living room…

🙂

Hot Lemon Drink For Coughs, Colds And Sneezes!

So November is traditionally a month for coughs, colds and sneezes – and it seems to me that we’re having our fair share!

So here is a ‘Hot Lemonade’ recipe that Maya and I tried out today, to make ourselves feel better….

Take some fresh lemons, some whole cloves, some honey and some cinnamon..

Squeeze in a lemon….and drop in 2 to 3 cloves…and as much honey as you like (within reason!)…..

…pour in hot water and a sprinkling of cinnamon…

….and drink from your favourite cup…!

It was delicious – and very funny to hear all three older kids discuss, in all seriousness, the benefits of all the ingredients on a sore throat – “better than medicine” they agreed!
🙂

Sorting The Letters From The Numbers

“Can’t you see there’s more letters than numbers here mummy?” he said as I walked in the door – in a tone which assumed I didn’t understand anything in life… 🙂

That was my first introduction to Alfie’s categorisation activity at 8 o’clock this morning…

Yes. He had been very busy. Sorting the numbers from the letters, and the different texts in to piles..

It had become a search. For letters. And numbers…
Of course, letters and numbers are everywhere – on keyboards, and on food cartons and jars..

…on notes, remote controls, calendar tabs – and even hard hats…!

…magazines and birthday cards and game boxes…..

….and of course, not to forget clocks!

Yes indeed. Letters and numbers are everywhere!
Another wonderful child initiated activity!
🙂

The Age Gap – And Togetherness…

It does baffle me that my 12 year old can play with my almost 6 year old so well.

When I mention this to people, they smile and say that obviously the older child is appeasing the younger child.

But no. They really play. They truly enjoy each other’s company. They laugh and share interests. And as they get older, this can go on for hours…

Lately they’ve been making up a game, it involves maps, and drawing their own villages on the maps…

There are rules, and there is a sharing of amenities…

I’m not sure what the rules are, but I know it involves boats, and travelling to each other’s villages across the islands of Stockholm…

Of course Alfie is as proud as punch that he and his older brother can share this game – ‘their game’…

…but there is togetherness. Definite togetherness – and joy..

🙂

Playing Hairdressers

The ‘hairdressers’ was set up entirely by Maya. Such a lovely lovely sight to come out of the bathroom to this…..

It made me smile all over! 🙂
So beautifully set up, with mirror…

….and accessories…..

Ted just LOVED having his hair done – “again, again” he kept saying…

…in fact he liked it so much, he even tried to do his own hair…

Of course, the ‘tables’ had to be changed…

…and it wasn’t long before another little man got involved…

…and he REALLY enjoyed it! They played for ages…!

…and of course, when I was invited to have my hair done, I just HAD to say yes – complete with tea and magazines!

😉

A ‘Soap Factory’

It seems that both Alfie and Ted were so enthused by the water play at the table the other day, so I set up another, similar activity – this time with small cups of soap, bubble bath and shampoo, and tiny spoons to spoon it with.

Let’s call it our ‘soap factory’!

Similar tools to last time were added, such as whisks, measuring spoons – and coloured water…

The boys got straight in….

The experimenting varied according to age. Ted quite simply dumped it all in, in one go, and did a little whisking…

Alfie on the other hand took his time to measure, carefully pour, and make separate colours – he was making ‘real’ soap he told me…

….but in the end, they both ended up in the same place….

🙂

A Hungry Caterpillar Party!

Teddy’s ‘Hungry Caterpillar’ party went well – a lot of fun to prepare.
We used Hungry Caterpillar wrapping paper for decorations – cutting out the caterpillars and sticking them on the paper plates..

…and the apples were stuck on the party bags (which contained butterfly stickers, a butterfly shaped bead plate, a few sweets and some bubbles)…

There were small green and red paper chain ‘caterpillars’ at each place …

…and the kids had crayons and a ‘Hungry Caterpillar’ colouring sheet each….

It looked very pretty with the kids homemade tablecloth…

…and the balloon ‘Hungry Caterpillar’ which I love! Idea from Pinterest.

We had caterpillar cucumber snacks…

…and caterpillar grape snacks…

..with caterpillar sandwiches…

…with a caterpillar cake (of course!)…

It was a simple and sweet party, joined by his many siblings and the neighbourhood kids…

…and Ted was a very happy boy!

🙂