 Who else has a pile of delivery boxes building up? We certainly do, so this week we thought we'd see how all those boxes could be put to good use with a few creative play ideas. Here are 7 things, 1 a day, that you can create with your stockpile of cardboard delivery boxes.  Create your very own little monster pet like these cuties from @cardboardfolk Then practice some motor control skills by feeding your monster all sort of different size and shaped treats by posting toys into their hungry mouth.  Zoom, zoom, zoom into space in your very own rocket! Rockets are great fun to build and they can be as simple or elaborate as you like. Just gather up your largest boxes to make the rectangular body of the rocket. Cut out 1 or 2 circular windows. Then make a pointed cone for the top of the rocket - cover in tin foil if you're wanting to go super authentic. Draw in some control switches on the inside and get ready to blast off!  Or how about sailing "in and out of weeks, through a night and day to where the wild things are" in a little cardboard box sailing boat, complete with paper sail!  If you're feeling particularly creative, why not build a little dolls house or a doll's room like this amazing one from @cardboardfolk or perhaps a bug hotel for the garden like this one from @recycleandplay  If you're tired of your old puzzles, why not make some new ones in your favourite shapes, like these little hearts from @get.creative.with and bunnies from @littlebuttondiaries  Thinking about preschool home schooling ideas as we head back to 'home' school next week, why not build those gross motor skills, with a simple circus style throwing game like this one from @zara_play_tribe  Or help little ones work on their letter recognition, with a multi sensory approach, by filling cardboard letter shapes with textures like rice, beans or sand.
Alternatively get your little ones to paint through pre writing shapes so they can start to get a feel for how letters are formed. For preschoolers the pre-writing shape targets are: vertical line (|) 2 years, horizontal line (-) 2.5 years, circle (o) 3 years and a cross (+) by 3.5yrs. A quick COVID safety note, current research has found that the virus can live on cardboard for up to 24 hours, so to be on the safe side, leave any boxes aside for this period before getting creative. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/04/how-long-does-coronavirus-live-on-different-surfaces Happy creating and don't forget to share your creations with us xx
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 Hurray, we’ve made it through week 2 of lock down, but cabin fever is really starting to set in, isn’t it. If your little energizer bunnies need some contained energy burning activities, we’ve got a few ideas that might help. Obstacle courses, of any form, provide an amazing wealth of skill & strength development opportunities, as well as releasing pent up energy in a controlled way. Here are 5 great benefits that come from doing obstacle courses:
 BACK GARDEN OBSTACLE COURSEIf you have a bit of space & a few props, a back garden obstacle course is a great way to encourage kids, of all ages, to get off the sofa & get some fresh air! And if you can get them involved in creating the course their creativity can go wild & they’ll be much more likely to spend more time on this activity. You can make the course as complex or as simple as you like. A few simple strips of masking & a sequence of star jumps, sprints and balancing is all you need. But if you do have some other props to add into the course to create high & low levels as well as using difference muscle groups – such crawling vs sprinting – the greater the benefits. Here are some ideas of things you could use to create an outdoor obstacle course: Masking tape (your new best friend!) ELC Egg & spoon race set Pop up tunnels & tents Hoops Cones Jumping sacks Printable foot & handprints Bouncers Beanie bags For more inspiration why not checkout these links: https://playtivities.com/obstacle-courses-for-kids/ https://theinspiredtreehouse.com/creative-obstacle-course-ideas-kids/ Also check out our local @chalkboard.biz for props you could add to your course.  THE FLOOR IS LAVA! INDOOR OBSTACLEImagine the floor is a bubble sea of lava & there is only one safe path through. You can create a 'safe' course out of anything you have to hand, but it works best if you have a range of high and low points, also if you can incorporate different textures it makes it more fun & varied. Printable hand & footprints are also great for creating 'safe' stepping-stones or to incorporate 'Animal walks' (see below) into your course. The floor is lava is a great (but slow paced) energy burner that can keep kids occupied for ages! Not to mention building gross motor skills, core strength, cognitive planning & sequencing, as well as team work if they are doing the course with a sibling! Just remember, whatever you do, DON'T TOUCH THE FLOOR! Here are some ideas of things you could use to create your own course: Yoga mats Cushions Beanbags Foam squares Step stools & chairs Printable foot & handprints Gonge River Stones (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gonge-1137385-River-Stones/dp/B000ANIVRG)  CHALK COURSEA pavement chalk course is super quick and easy to set up & there's no mess to clear up either, as good dose of rain or the street sweeper will do that for you. Also by creating your course on the pavement outside, means your neighbours & passers by can enjoy it too (one at a time & at a safe distance). It’s really nice for the kids to see friends, from their windows, enjoying the course too. A chalk course can be adapted to any age group, but a good mix of running, jumping, hopping & balancing always work well. Also a variety of fast & slow pace is great for energy burning & motor control. For other chalk games, check out this: https://www.connectionsacademy.com/support/resources/article/fill-a-summer-of-fun-with-sidewalk-chalk-activities  This is a really fun & creative way to burn some energy in a small space with no additional props, regardless of the weather. Kids love pretending to act like their favourite animals and it’s a brilliant way to develop gross motor skills and core strength, as well as turn taking skills. They can also be a great addition to an obstacle course as they can provide a greater range of movement & muscle use. These exercises also have a calming effect as the animal walks help kids receive deep pressure to their joints and limbs, which help strengthen their sense of balance, and develop body awareness. To set up your game, you can either make a picture spinner like the one’ Tools to Grow OT’ have used (above) & take turns spinning to see what animal you land on. Alternatively you can print out pictures of your chosen animals & turn one over at a time & do the corresponding animal walk. For more Animal Walk inspiration take a look at this article from Pathways: https://pathways.org/help-your-childs-gross-motor-skills-with-these-animal-walks/  YOGA FOR KIDSIf you need something instant, Cosmic kids yoga (on YouTube) is great with loads of theme routines - everything from the Hungry Caterpillar to Disney movies, there's even a series of Star Wars routines! Alternatively, if you're looking to reduce screen time there are some great printable kids flow cards. We love the Garden & Spring sequences (above) from Childhood 101 & Kids Yoga Stories. https://www.kidsyogastories.com/yoga-for-spring https://childhood101.com/yoga-for-kids-a-walk-through-the-garden COSMIC KIDS: https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga  AFTERNOON DISCOParticularly great on grey, rainy days, when it’s a bit darker in the afternoon. Put together a little playlist of your little ones favourite tunes or use one of the readymade play lists on Amazon Music (everything from nursery favourites to Disney theme tunes).
If you have a little plug in disco light even better! (We have one included on our Amazon ideas list: http://amzn.eu/edWLwqz ) Also bubbles are always a welcome edition! Head to the darkest room in your home, switch of all the lights & dance like no one is watching! Both brilliant for burning energy as well as lifting the mood – its very hard to feel down or frustrated when your dancing your heart out to a Disney classic! Enjoy x  Wow what a week! Full of emotion and uncertainty for all of us, but do not stress the Little Starlings family is here ❤ Whilst we have had to temporarily close our Little Starlings doors for now and say goodbye to some of our truly amazing children earlier than anticipated, we will be back as soon as we are able and stronger than ever! In the meantime, we are putting together a whole bunch of awesome activities for you to do at home for the time being. And not forgetting the importance of getting out in the fresh air, we are also sharing some exercise ideas and outdoor activates to help burn off some of the pent up energy. We hope you have fun on this unexpected adventure and stay safe.  Image credit: @simplemostsite ANIMAL SHADOW DRAWING Get outside in the sun and draw around some animals and dinosaur shadows. Easy peasy and will keep them entertained for a while. Be brave and get out some paints so they can be really creative!! Fingers crossed the sun shines or the shadows won't come out to play.  Image credits: www.stylemotivation.com & IG:@messylittlemonster Rock painting is a craze that everyone is talking about & there is also a really lovely local campaign going on #TCRox which is perfect for encouraging children to get out on our local common, find painted rocks & leave own little ‘stones of cheer’ for others to find. Something we all need a bit more of at the moment.
You simply paint a rock or pebble and leave it somewhere for someone to find. A simple, but brilliant idea! Don’t forget to share photos of your creations on the @tcroxlondon Instagram page using the #TCRox & #GetOutside hashtags. TIPS FOR PAINTING ROCKS Rocks or Pebbles can be purchased from hardware stores and garden centres - please do not take them from beaches or river beds as this is illegal and adds to coastal erosion. 1. Smooth rocks are the best to work with 2. Wash your pebbles in a mild detergent and leave to dry 3. Use acrylic paint, nail varnish or permanent marker pens 4. Make-up brushes are good to use and can be found in pound shops 5. Protect your finished designs with a layer of PVA glue 6. Don’t forget share a photo on the @tcroxlondon Instagram page This really is a great activity for all the family young and small. Happy painting! Don't forget to keep checking back on our wonderful new Little Starlings Family Facebook group, along with out Facebook and Instagram pages for upcoming news, information, fun and activities. Keep safe and see you all soon. |
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