CRAFT INSPIRATION from @paperstories_play
We often find ourselves doing crafts, activities and play when we've been out exploring. It sparks not just mine, but the children's imaginations.
The day before we began our second lock down we went to the NMA, and as we were leaving our three year old let out a shriek. When I turned to see, he was clutching a small plush turtle, the size of both his hands pressed together. He came home with us and became the new loved cuddly.
After a few days our son came up and asked me if I could make his turtle, now named 'Bubble' a house, and so the seed was planted.
To be honest I didn't give it much thought until we went for a stroll along the beach and then I knew exactly what activity we could do.
I tend to pull together various resources, but what I hate is consuming mass products that sit around gathering dust or end up being passed on or discarded.
The way I avoid buying unnecessary things for play is by using what we have around us already. I salvage what I can from recycling, scout the garden, rummage the draws and look to our local area for supplies.
Superstores are great for cardboard, if you ask there's often a few sheets or boxes waiting out back to be baled.
Feathers, pinecones, sticks, stones, leaves... There's not much that can't be used.
For this activity we used an old egg carton, our eldest had painted the inside blue, ready for our twins to decorate with some stickers from @yuvalzommer 'Big Book of the Blue'.
We have also been in receipt of a subscription box from @peasandpodbox.
In this months box was a tortoise activity using a template and a walnut shell. I adapted this idea and simply exchanged the walnut for a common limpet shell from our local beach and card I cut from the box those activities arrived in. Less waste and no need to spend money on craft supplies.
We went to the beach the morning of this activity and collected things we found, including washed up plastics. I rinsed what I could off once we arrived home and left them to dry in the airing cupboard before letting the children decide what they'd put into their carton.
While we waited we looked at some wildlife books to see what you'd expect to find as a turtle. We also used the opportunity to discuss why the cleanliness of our seas is so important.
Once the egg box was filled, they put their turtles in, and they looked right at home.
This was a day long activity, the outing, the painting, the studying and the building. Stressless, cheap, eco friendly and most importantly engaging.
Connect to the things around you, life has got so busy that we no longer see the simple things or often brush them away as trivial things, but this is unnatural. We are connected to nature and for health and mind that connection should be strong.
Love Jade x