Making Playdough

The holidays are almost here and the weather in many parts of the country means that your kids will be playing indoors quite often.

What can you do with them to keep them amused?  What about allowing them to make their own playdough?

This recipe does not involve cooking and all the ingredients are edible so if your child is a nibbler it won’t matter if he or she eats any of it.

The recipe is so simple that any child can do it so they can each make their own batch and choose their own colour.

There’s nothing quite as much fun as playing with something you’ve made yourself, is there?

Keeping Boys Active In Winter

With winter upon us, the cold wet miserable days can make it easy for boys to sit around watching the television or playing video games.  There is no reason why they can’t be just as active during these colder months and here are some ideas:

·       Encourage them to clean up their room by getting them to rearrange their layout.  You could provide a small incentive that you will buy a new piece of furniture or if they have a desk, some desktop items.

·       If you have an exercise routine then get them to join in.  They can try and follow what you do or you can do the exercise at the same time.  Simple exercises such as skipping, jogging on the spot, star jumps and push ups can get the heart pumping and can be fun when done together.

·       Visit an indoor play centre.  These are great places to burn off excess energy and lots of fun to visit with their friends. 

·       Play some indoor games such as charades, hopscotch or Twister.  To get the creative juices going, ask them to create a simple play that they can act out.

·       Even if they continually insist on playing video games, try and allocate an amount of time per day, maybe 60 minutes, where they play games that require physical activity with the need to actively move around.

There are so many more ways to get them active during winter so use your imagination and get them moving.