On a roll

Following this spot of Harry Potter toilet-paper roll craft, 5-year-old Bargy had a stroke of genuis: a bathroom emergency requiring 100 sheets of 2-ply.

Apparently we needed a Hagrid.


Activity from the delightful Lotta Magazine for Children
Contains art, craft, cooking, storytelling, creative writing, drawing, gardening, games,play & colouring. Ages 5 - 10.

Collage

Every term break, I try and be a good mum and bring out an array of craft projects for Argy and Bargy's amusement. Every term break, I am reminded of what a deluded optimist I am.

Today, for example, we tried collage. I laid out stacks of brightly coloured paper, newsprint, luminous pencils, glue, scissors and tape.

The boys quickly got to work. It took no time to see their preference for mixed media collage. I do mean mixed media in the sense of trawling coloured pencils through glue, sticky-taping scissors closed and adhering things to the floor.

Avant-garde? Or masters of wanton destruction?

I'll leave you to decide. Perhaps some of their previous arts and crafts ventures will assist?


Misunderstanding where the artist should stand in relation to the easel


Creating a masking tape installation whilst parental attention is diverted


Thinking too far out of the square about how to decorate a satchel

Oh well, at least I had a lovely time with my red and blue assemblage (pictured, top). I've stuck it on the fridge.

An afternoon of arts and crafts ... or how my children are acing business school (Blogtoberfest day 9)

Hello girls and boys. Welcome back to Business School for Shrewd Preschoolers. Today we will be continuing with the topic of delegation.

As you know children, successful delegation is the handing over of both the responsibility and authority for completing a particular task. Let's see how much you remember.

Let's say Argy and Bargy's mummy has set up a table of art and craft. There are some large sheets of paper that need to be drawn on. What should Argy and Bargy do after 10 minutes of polite scribbling?

That's right. They should say: "Mum can yooooou draw a picture? Can you? Can you?". This is rule #1: Delegate the whole task to one person.

Now what should they do next?

Correct; it is best if they say: "We want a picture of a teddy. Oh, go on. Please Mum. Pleeeeeeaaaase. In orange. And blue." This is rule #2: Clearly specify your preferred results.

And finally?

Very good, yes. Rule #3 is Don't hover; independence is important.

Once their mummy is fully engaged in the task, Argy and Bargy should clear off.

She should be left to draw quietly until such time that she realises that a pleasant afternoon of arts-and-crafts has turned into someone-drew-with-orange-crayon-on-their-bedroom-wall and how-did-the-cat's-drinking-water-end-up-on-your-brother.


Next week: Managing upwards - how to make your parents do what you want.

Brought to you as part of Tinniegirl's Blogtoberfest - a post a day in October.

Contemporary artwork

Fall
c. 2009
Poster paint & foliage on a bit of paper
Private collection

This piece is typical of the short-lived Deciduous Art Movement. (The artist and his mother had a good time sticking the leaves on).

Little stitches

Never too young to start.
Sewing with lace-up cards is great fun.
Even when you are only 2.

Lovely reproduction vintage sewing cards available here.

The accident and the plaster

Poor Argy dented his beautiful smile yesterday.

As one might suspect, three-year-old teeth are no match for a vitreous china basin. A piece of a front tooth was sheared clean off in a fleeting bathroom mishap. Actually, when I say clean, that is not strictly true. We both recoiled in horror at the growing sanguineous mess - Argy asking thickly through a cut lip .... mum, what's all that red stuff?

I guess Argy's lack of familiarity with the red stuff, means that we have been remarkably lucky: no bloody accidents to date. Casting my mind back, there has been one quite bloodless accident involving a dislocated elbow and nothing more than the occasional scrapped knee. I know this run of luck can't last forever though. The sticking plasters and antiseptic remain firmly in the forefront of the first aid kit.

But back to the dented smile. We decided it best to get Argy's mouth checked. Luckily Maisy, Charley and the Wobbly Tooth, has been a high rotation storybook here at Chez Hoppo Bumpo. Armed with a detailed knowledge about the dentist's office, Argy duly sat in the large chair and made big ahhhh noises while the dentist poked gently about in his mouth. And I don't even think the dentist minded too much being referred to as Dr Biteright. (Personally I would be more inclined to call him Dr ScareThePantsOffYou with his remote-worst-case-scenario talk of nerve damage and pediatric root canal work.)

So nothing more to do for the time being other than wait and see how the tooth fares. In the meantime, Argy and I recovered with a little craft project.

If you are looking for the mother of all messy projects to try with a 3 year-old, do try plaster.



We used a fun product called Sculpture Wrap Plaster Cloth. The blurb on the packaging promises it to be quick drying. Indeed it was. It dried quickly on the floor, on our clothes, on several door handles and in my hair. I do believe a little bit of it might have even dried quite quickly as I was doing the washing-up in the kitchen sink (but please don't remind Mr HB of this the next time we have an inexplicable drain blockage).



So we made a tunnel and dried it according to instructions in the oven for 15 minutes. Its all ready for a light sand and some nice acrylic paint. According to Argy, its going to be red. Clearly the colour of the day.