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Happy spring time !

Happy spring time !

Yey, Spring time is here! Hopefully wherever you are, you can see a change in the season too ! The birds are singing, the daylight hours are getting longer and the flowers are starting to bloom. I have been busy creating online courses with the sister company to Crafty Souls together – The Stillness Coach. Come along and join us, if you fancy enjoying some relaxing therapeutic creative…

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Terrarium worlds

Yey its half term, the kids have finished school for the week. For our family personally it means no screen time ! If the children have been doing distance learning online from school, its essential that they have time away from any glaring screens. It’s a perfect opportunity to get back into nature, to use the senses of smell taste and touch. Get baking in the kitchen on rainy days. Going…

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Creative minds with cardboard

Creative minds with cardboard

Its still rather chilly and wet for little ones to get outside at the moment. Have a root round the house, or when you are next out near some shops, find yourself some cardboard boxes. If you can find a variety of sizes. Come up with a theme that your child is currently interested in, or you could prompt them with films, cartoons, animals, imagination creatures. Then ask them to draw a sketch on…

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Indoor theatre - with materials from around your home.

Indoor theatre – with materials from around your home.

Lockdown is a struggle for everyone especially when we can’t get to the craft shops to buy materials! Waiting for a delivery of craft activity can be a long wait or even a disappointment, as the activity only lasts a short time. This project can take hours, days or even weeks, depending on your child’s imagination! I always find that creating with what we have around us, is so much more fun for…

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Ice art

Brrrrr…. It certainly has been a chilly few days here in North Wales. We have had some lovely snowfalls, coating the earth with a beautiful white sparkly layer, with lots of fun creative opportunities for building in the snow. If you are able to get out into the snow and icy weather, a fun activity is to create an some ‘Ice art’. All you need is a shallow dish or tray, some pieces of nature,…

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Welcome to 2021.

Welcome to 2021. I hope this year is a good one for you. I think I can say that 2020 has been a wild and crazy journey hasn’t it? We have all learnt a lot from all our experiences. Hopefully it will all come to an end and we can move on with our new lives. I have created a fun little FREE printable for you to print off and enjoy. It is suitable for all ages. You can pop it in your time capsule,…

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Knitted little pixies boots for cold toes in winter

Knitted little pixies boots for cold toes in winter

Ohh I had such fun creating these adorable little slippers for my children for winter time. They are so much better than the ones you can buy in the shops. I added some little extra bells to go on the end to give it some character. If you would like the pattern please PM Me.  

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Christmas crafts and days out.

Christmas crafts and days out.

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Decorated Christmas baubles

Are you ever wondering what to do for your very young children around Christmas time? Then how about trying out decorating some Christmas baubles.  You can pick up some old bargains in a charity shop, or ask around friends and family, so they don’t go in the landfill. Using some foam or felt cut out some circles, for the body then let them draw on images such as snowmen, people or penguins or…

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Air drying clay gift tags

Air drying clay gift tags

How about making some lovely gift tags to go on a gift to make it extra special? I used some air drying clay that I go from my local Hobbycraft store. Roll it out until its around 1 cm thick. Then use cookie cutters, or a round glass, or if you want square ones use a ruler and cut them in straight lines. I then pushed in some childrens stamps that I had, you could use your finger, or make…

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I always find it fascinating the way children are naturally drawn to creating mathematical concepts during their play time.   Self learning and non judgement encourages a child to be creative and teach themselves about what can and can’t be created.

The concept of most mathematical questions can be solved and explained physically – so super logical !!

The children were given a pile of magnextic, its a puzzle that you stick together using magnets. (This is aimed at older children as there is a chocking hazard)

They made bridges out of cocktail sticks and ladders seeing how far they could protrude them over a desk before the would collapse.

Sometimes when I see a child playing mathematically I try to explain the mathematical process of what they are doing. (then real maths lessons can become fun and understandable)

So next time you see your child playing and creating a mathematical structure, try to step in and explain what you see.  Even take a photograph and relate it to buildings, or structures you see around you.

Unqualified self inspried maths I always find it fascinating the way children are naturally drawn to creating mathematical concepts during their play time.  

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Tissue pyramid lanterns

How about lighting up the darker nights that are coming in and make some fantastic autumn lanterns with your children?

All you need is some specialist lantern paper, and willow which you can buy on line.

Make sure you soak your willow first of all.

We made these beautiful pyramid shape lanterns and stuck them together with glue.

You could illuminate them with glow sticks or battery operated…

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How about creating these adorable corn shaped hearts with your children this summer time.

Select 3 pieces of corn (make sure its been soaked in water first of all )

First of all you tie the neck of the sheaf with the cotton

  Next you plait the corn, once you get to the end bend it over so it joins to the beggining where you originally attached the string.

Finally you bend the loop in half so that it creates a heart shape

Corn heart shaped gifts How about creating these adorable corn shaped hearts with your children this summer time. Select 3 pieces of corn (make sure its been soaked in water first of all )

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A great fun craft for children is needle felting.  I would only allow children over 9 to do this.  The needles are sharp and can hurt, and a child could stab themselves.

The child needs to be able to concentrate on their work.  I would recommend working in silence. (listening to calm music really helps)

If they want to talk or look up , they must put their needle into the foam for safety reasons.

Have some spares on the ready as they are bound to snap some of them.

Using a square piece of thick foam as your base and some canvas material, with a selection of wool roving, let your child be free to create what ever they wish.

  Needle felting with your children A great fun craft for children is needle felting.  I would only allow children over 9 to do this.  

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Pond dipping

How about grabbing a picnic and heading down to a local pond for a spot of pond dipping with your children.  Have a full day out experiencing nature together.

Under the water there’s an unseen world of amazing wildlife ready to be discovered. There are all sorts of interesting creatures living in even the smallest of ponds.

The basic supplies you would need are:-

An identification book or chart…

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We had great fun doing this fun art unit study of Joan Miro. Miro was from Barcelona  he was a surrealist  painter, sculptist and ceramist. He enjoyed making re-creations of childlike creations.

Miró didn’t do well in school, his parents wanted him to go into business.  He went to Barcelona art school at 19 and created his dream life.

We studied his history and his art pictures and decided to have a go ourselves we researched some of his artworks and created our own crazy ideas !! Why not have a go yourself and see what you can come up with!

Joan Miro art unit study We had great fun doing this fun art unit study of Joan Miro. Miro was from Barcelona  he was a surrealist  painter, sculptist and ceramist.

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We found a great opportunity to borrow some high quality microscopes from the Royal Microscopical Society  with their free offer of microscope activity kits.

The children had to follow a step by step workbook, encouraging them find items to look at under the microscope, as well as what they had provided. They had to do some detective work.

It’s a great way to encourage children to describe what they see. Whether it is the intricate criss-cross detail of a piece of woven cloth, or the snowy landscape of table-salt, they will want to tell you all about it.

It was well worth the 1 year wait to borrow them for the month.

Microscope work We found a great opportunity to borrow some high quality microscopes from the Royal Microscopical Society