Light-Box Play

I received a very exciting gift from my in-laws this Christmas- my very own light-box. My father in-law made it and I am very grateful. I wanted one for my illustration pursuits but once it was safe at home I realised that a light box could be a source of fun and learning for the kids as well.

We tried a wide array of objects from around the house on the light-box but it's official, our extensive button collection was by far the most interesting. We spent some time sorting the buttons which were opaque from the ones which were not and discussing why they either shone brightly or appeared to become black when placed against the light. I'm sure you'll be seeing more light-box experiments from us in the future.

How to Make Your Own Play Kitchen

I have been dying to make a play kitchen for over a year now. I even turned down a brand-new one from my mum as I was convinced that home made would be better. About four months ago, I bought this peculiar piece of furniture from an op-shop.  It has no front or back. You can walk all the way around it and it has cupboards on both sides that go all the way through. You really have to get creative with what you've got.

During the weeks leading up to Christmas, we slowly assembled our masterpiece and I was right, home made is better.

We had so much fun creating this Christmas surprise. We began by moving the hinges on one of the cupboards from the side to the bottom and it became an an oven with a stove top. We turned the other side into a fridge and sink with some bench space. Here's a brief illustration of how it all came together.

We were so exited to reveal Miss 2's new kitchen to her, we could barely contain ourselves. It has already paid for itself in the time she has spent playing house. She is making me some 'tea' as we speak.

More Story Stones and an Easy Doily Draw-String Bag

Miss 2 enjoyed her story stones so much, I decided they might make a good gift idea for my niece. Here are some of the 20 or so stones I made for her. They were slightly larger this time and I coated them in an enamel spray to make them a little more durable. 

I like to keep our stones in a draw-string bag but since I didn't have a spare one lying around and I don't own a sewing machine, here is my no-sew solution.

First I went to an op-shop and found a large doily, about 30cm in diameter. I threaded my draw-string around the doily weaving between every third hole, leaving about 3cm around the edge of the doily.

Once I had woven the whole way around I pulled the strings taught creating a 'sack'. I threaded both ends of the string through this fairly unusual button so they would stay together and tied a knot in each end. This was a quick and simple way to make a bag for our gift. I hope she'll enjoy them as much as we do.

Merry Christmas

These were our Christmas cards this year- thrown together on Christmas eve. I got the idea from Squidoo via Pinterest. Fingerprint cards are fun to make so I'm sure we'll do more.

This year we hand-made most of our gifts and received some lovely hand-made gifts in return. I can't wait to share some of them in the coming week but in the mean time enjoy your holidays!

Summer Solstice

Since starting a family we have been working towards creating our own family traditions. We have formed many weekly and daily rituals that we hope will instill a sense of belonging in our children but we have struggled when it comes to meaningful annual holiday traditions.

Christmas has been particularly problematic. Little of the holiday resonates with us or our values. I realise most people love christmas but we have found the commercialism and over indulgence don't appeal to us. My husband and I are both former Christians so the holiday has too many ties to religion for our liking. Also, Christmas day is so chock-a-block with extended family gatherings and there is scarce opportunity for us to form our own traditions.

Enter the Summer Solstice! The Summer Solstice is a special time of year when we can appreciate nature and spend some quality time together before the hoopla of Christmas begins. It is also is a great opportunity for learning about the science of the solstice as well as the history behind our cultures most beloved holiday. On 21st of December, the Southern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun- making it the longest day of the year for us and the longest and darkest night of the year for those people living in the Northern hemisphere. In the Northern hemisphere the winter solstice has been celebrated in December by many different cultures for thousands of years. Feasting, gift-giving, decorating with lights, trees and other greenery all have pagan origins. The early Christian leaders added a Christian meaning to these festivals and over the years carols, Christmas cards, Santa, The North Pole and flying deer have all made their way into the mix as well. There is a rich history there, waiting to be explored.

In the lead up to Christmas this year we decided to mark the longest day of the year with some small celebrations of our own. We have started with some simple activities that we would like to become traditions in our family. The consensus was that we needed o plant something and to spend some time outdoors enjoying the sun. Luckily it was our Landcare day so that killed two birds with one stone. We also did some seed collecting which I thought was fitting for the occasion.

Before our special solstice dinner, Priya and I decided to make use of seasonal flowers for decoration. 'Christmas Bush' flowers at this time of year, hence the name. We threaded the beautiful pinkish red flowers into a wreath and some woven cane balls. This activity was fairly age appropriate for a young child.

Later we enjoyed a lovely candle lit meal, made by Daddy.

Our goal is to make this an occasion that we can all look forward to. In the years to come, our solstice tradition may develop and we won't limit ourselves to what we have done this year.  Some ideas that I have come across include:

• Watching the sun rise or set  
• Listening to a sun filled play list which includes 'Here Comes the Sun' by The Beatles or some Polyphonic Spree.
• Enjoying the sun at the beach
• Making ice blocks
• Doing sun crafts
• Making a sun dial
• Cooking with the sun
• Doing art with the sun
• Making daisy chains or crowns
• Having a bon fire
• Eating seasonal and local fruit and vegetables.

Do you celebrate the Summer Solstice? I'd love to hear about your own traditions.

Nature Basket

This morning we went for a little walk in a local reserve with a nature basket we made ourselves. After collecting some bark and leaves we had a little play in the park.We made our basket by paper mache-ing half a small ballon. Miss P helped me do two layers of newspaper followed by two layers of torn doilies. We left them to dry over night. In the morning she was sad that the balloon had to be popped but impressed with what we had accomplished. I made a hole on either side, tied some ribbon on and we were good to go.

Garden Sunday

Yesterday, while Daddy stayed home to make a garden bed, Priya and I went to some local markets with my mum where we picked up two punnets of herbs, baby spinach and cherry tomato seedlings. We planted them after dinner. 

We are hoping that Priya will benefit from helping to nurture a small garden. Gardening is a productive way of promoting a healthy lifestyle and a sense of responsibility.  It is also a great way to learn about science, cause and effect, botany and nutrition, all while having fun. Perhaps I will finally be able to convince her to try tomato once the fruit starts to grow.

Crayon Rubbings

Earlier this week, I decided to show Priya what happens when you place textured objects under a sheet of paper. I did the doily and then I let her reveal what shape I had cut out of the sandpaper. It was fun and we had a nice time experimenting.

Cookie Cutter Printing

Today we did some stamping with our cookie cutters. I got the idea from my sister-in-law who made cute christmas wrapping paper, using cookie cutters recently.

Dress-up Find

Growing up, my brother, sister and I would dress up frequently. Those are some of my favorite memories of us together. Recently, Priya and I have been going on outings to second-hand stores hoping to stock our dress-up box with some more exciting items. Last week, I found a piece of my childhood...

We had a fuzzy wuzzy bear costume just like this when we were kids. I rushed Priya home in it to surprise Daddy, who fell to the ground laughing. Once he'd settled down and taken about 80 photos, I searched my old photographs for a picture of the old bear suit and found this adorable one of my brother who is now 20. It seems my memory failed me. They really aren't all that similar but it was still worth every penny. We still have years of dress-up fun ahead of us. Yippee!