Jenga Block Play

 I apologise in advance for this photo heavy post...

 

On a recent Friday afternoon I took out the two boxes of jenga and added a jumbo sized pack of playing cards. I opened the boxes and said to the boys: "How about creating some structures using the cards and blocks". Well, that pretty much set the tone for the next 24 hours. Did I say 24 hours? - 48 easily.

 

I really love blocks. I love that they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and that they are so open-ended, leaving much to the imaginations of young and old alike.

Big One built his first few structures with the cards, but thereafter simply created beautiful "architectural structures" (if I may call them that) with the blocks. Little One seemed to enjoy the block and card combo and continued to create designs using both. Little One was a bit envious of the fact that his brother could make "much cooler" (as he put it) creations. 

Eying his brother's creation...

Little One made these - I think they are super :) 

 

   

And of course, these blocks lend themselves to making tracks...

and to writing your name...

and to making domino effects...

and to making these.

  

It gave me so much joy watching them play and even I was taken by surprise at how this "simple play" held their attention for so long.

Do your children play with blocks? Do you ever add something to the blocks to extend or expand their play? I'd love to hear about it. 

For more fun block ideas and inspiration, check out my Pinterest Blocks Board.

Till next time, happy playing :) 

PS. Sharing our fun at The Weekly Kids Co-Op. 

Green Point Park Outing

 

It's the wonderful three week Winter break in South Africa at the moment and of course parents all over are wondering where to go and what to do with their young folk. Well last Sunday we took our first visit to the Green Point Park, right next to the Cape Town Stadium, which was built for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup. 

I can't believe it's taken us so long to visit - the park is great. It has space, loads of it, and there's lots to explore - the gardens, the play park, an exercise park, a labyrinth, the Biodiversity garden and more. Big One took his skateboard and Little One his bike and they had freedom to safely skate and ride around. The park also has beautiful views of the Stadium, Signal Hill and surrounds and at the one corner, the Mouille Point lighthouse.

Entrance is free and you can take a picnic along and spend the day if you like. If you haven't been, it's a super outing that definitely won't break the bank.

Peacocks, Puppies and some Bears {Glove Craft}

 

To make you need:
gloves (any kind)
batting 
small round containers (mine were recycled cheese containers)
colour cardboard
googly eyes
felt, feathers, ribbon, etc to decorate
craft glue/glue gun (if you have one)
sellotape

 

For the gloves I used wool gloves that I purchased at The Crazy Store and Jet - these were the cheapest I could find. Start the project by pushing the batting into the fingers of the glove. Very little batting is required in the body of the glove, as this is pushed into your container. 

Once the fingers are as fat as you would like them to be, decorate the fingers. This will depend on which animals or creatures you have chosen to make. I decided to make peacocks and Dalmatian puppies and Big One made a family of bears. I used normal craft glue to stick on the eyes and felt and a glue gun to stick the feathers onto the peacocks. Once the glue has dried and your creatures are complete, glue the glove into the container. Lastly, cut some coloured cardboard into a strip to fit around the container and stick it on with sellotape.

I am so thrilled that we finally made these - it's been on my to-do list forever. If you make some, please let me know; I'd love to come and see. 

I was just thinking about my American readers - using this idea, you could make some turkeys instead of peacocks as a nice Thanksgiving craft.

Till next time then, happy crafting. 

PS. I do realise that my peacocks are not the right colour - I used some artistic license ;).

PPS. Linking up to The Weekly KIDS Co-Op and Link and Learn.