A playful present project

For me, watching a baby at play is completely magical. I love how they immerse themselves in the experience of busy exploration, instinctively using all their senses to get to grips with whatever they're playing with - whether it's their toes or a toy. I'm a huge fan of heuristic play too - that is to say, discovery play with things that are not necessarily toys - everyday objects and natural materials especially. Putting together little collections of intriguing and baby-safe play-things for open-ended exploration was big round here when my two children were tiny. And how I loved to watch them play.

Recently, we had the opportunity of meeting our friends' baby twins. The babies are just under one year old, and of course, we wanted to get them each a gift - so I went shopping. I found the soft baskets first, and they really inspired me to make the babies each a little treasure basket full of interesting things to explore. As these baskets were gifts, I didn't use home-made and found items; I continued my shopping in search of interesting, open-ended objects and toys. I found some gorgeous silky ribbon, two chunky and smooth mini-scoops, and four hand-size but too-big-for-mouths colourful bouncy balls.

Back at home, I cut the ribbons into lengths of about 15 cm, then snipped the ends into a 'v' shape to prevent them fraying. I washed and dried the bouncy balls and scoops, and then filled the baskets with the goodies - ready to be handed over.

We were lucky to be able to watch the twins open their presents and, rather wonderfully, they started playing straight away. We saw them tipping out the contents of the basket, then putting things back in. We watched them clutch the ribbons and wave them around. They grasped the bouncy balls, they mouthed the scoops and the ribbons, and one of the baskets even became a hat. You could really see them engaging in the serious business of play; and I'm sure you could really see my enjoyment watching them. All in all, a resounding success.

Runner's need

One of the many things I'm enjoying about my children being big kids now - six and eight years old to be precise - is that there are things we can really do together on a level without much, or indeed any, compromise on my part. For example, my son and daughter now play a mean game of knock-out whist, we get to go for proper long family walks and, most recently, I've discovered that they can be with me, and indeed encourage me, while I'm trying something rather new; running.

Now this may not seem like much of a revelation to you, but to me it really is. Quite recently, and somewhat reluctantly, I've begun to run a couple of times a week - inspired mainly by my super-fit husband who just completed the London Marathon in under three and a half hours. I want to see whether I can really ever enjoy it; to get as much physical and mental strength out of it as he does. With no intention of running more than a couple of miles at a time, I began by going out by myself; earphones in, dance music loud. But it didn't get me fired up - and I was beginning to wonder if I'd carry on. However, my recent decision to take the children with me has changed my perception of it entirely. Having them with me has become my new favourite way of getting out there - I'm running, and there alongside me are my children; pedalling away on their bikes.

They're so encouraging as we do our lap around the park, even saying that I'm getting as good as Daddy sometimes. There's always a bit of chit-chat interspersed with one or other of them zooming off ahead, waiting for us at the next corner of the park. Today we covered a variety of topics from there being blossom on the horse-chestnut trees where there were once conkers, to favourite sandwich fillings and ideas for an up-and-coming birthday party. While I'd like them to one day want, and indeed be able, to actually run along with me - as I read about a mother and son doing here - right now I am quite content with how their pedal power complements my jogging pace. Of course this may all change in the months to come; they might get much stronger, fitter and faster - but then again, who knows? -  maybe I will too. In the meantime, we've definitely discovered something that is healthy, fun for all of us, and truly motivating for me; I'm actually looking forward to the next time I go for a run - something I thought you'd never hear me say.

Whistle while you work

It's quite amusing to look back to the beginning of the Easter holidays and remember our plans to spring-clean the entire house. I'd made room-by-room lists of things that needed doing, and stuff that needed purchasing. All so organised but, my goodness, all so ambitious.

The children had swimming lessons every morning and, in the second week, they took part in a drama club. Then there were trips to local museums, the park, visiting friends and so forth which, while essential to making holidays-at-home fun, go some way to explaining how the time for spring-cleaning simply disappeared.

But the wonderful, and surprising, thing about the holidays was that I did do some spring-cleaning in the end. Not my spring-cleaning, sadly, but spring-cleaning nonetheless. I led some museum sessions for tots and their carers at the Geffrye Museum and one of them, called Whistle While You Work, was all about housework. It was such fun devising the spring-cleaning activities and, with a merry band of nearly twenty littlies in each session, I found a very jolly team of housework fans through play, stories, songs, making and movement; they were so enthusiastic.

With a list of four housework chores written in large print on a clipboard, I easily enlisted everyone's help to sweep the floor, wash-up, finish the laundry and dust away the cobwebs.

First we examined a selection of historic household equipment and those that wanted to had a turn with the washing dolly, the broom and the carpet beater. Then we took a close look at a 1930's vacuum cleaner. It was great for them to get their hands on these artefacts and, by trying them out, imagine what hard work it must have been to do household chores in the olden days.

Then we swept the floor using a new broom, and a dust-pan and brush, and I taught them a song to help them remember the best order to tackle the task. Then with several bowls of warm soapy water, plastic crockery, sponges and water sprays for rinsing, they began the next job; washing up. After that they pegged out all the clean laundry - damp dolls' clothes and soggy socks - along a washing line set up at just the right height for them. Everyone helped, and everyone loved taking part.

Finally it was time to do some dusting. They all took a turn at touching the museum's old-fashioned feather duster and I taught them the song Tickle-bird - great for practising the action of dusting, or tickling, away cobwebs. Then everyone made their own tickle-bird. This was quite an ambitious craft for this age group, but by laying out lengths of brightly coloured tape - about 75 cm long and sticky side up, secured underneath with a little blob of blu-tac at each end - we made it an achievable, fun and creative activity for them. The children chose lots of colourful feathers and soft cloth strips and pressed the ends of each onto their sticky tape in any order they liked. The babies simply enjoyed the sensory experience of touching the feathers, of course. Parents and carers helped with the next bit; rolling and pressing the stick all the way along the feathery and cloth-covered tape to create a wonderful flourish of feathers and cloth strips at one end - so soft, and so tickly.

We finished the session with more songs - including Tickle-bird again of course, and then a story - Mrs Mopple's Washing Line by Anita Hewett.

As the children left the session I could see some of them cleaning the air with their feather-duster, and singing Tickle-bird as they went. It was a great reminder of the enthusiasm the under-fives have for housework; how they love to be busy, and how they definitely have the enviable innate ability to whistle while they work.

Activity bags: the inside story

We've just returned from visiting family in Suffolk and, as usual when we go on a trip, my children took with them a few prized possessions and some things to do in an activity bag - a doing bag, as my auntie would have it. Bud and Daisy are getting so grown-up that they're now very keen to - and quite capable of - deciding what to take all by themselves. 

There are lots of reasons why we always pack an activity bag if we're going on a trip. It can: 

• break the ice if meeting new children
• be a conversation starter between a child and a grown-up friend 
• provide a safety net, if a child is shy
• be a source of inspiration for a child to find something to occupy themselves
• be a comforting link with home
• be the perfect 'boredom buster', for long journeys, time in a queue and the like
• an alternative - for parents - to handing over the smart phone

The contents of our two activity bags are quite an accurate and, I think, sweet insight into Bud and Daisy's interests and personalities at the moment.

Here's what I found in Daisy's bag:

1. travel comb and brush

2.Easter chick

3. lip balm

4. mini horses and jump

5. fairy wand

6. bangles

7. felt tip pens and a pencil

8. writing and drawing paper

9. line and pattern-faced die

10. book - The Queens' Knickers

11. fairy doll

12. glittery nail polish

Here's what I found in Buddy's bag:

1. playing cards

2. racing car

3. chess set

4. whoopee cushion

5. Woodstock soft toy

6. drawing and writing paper

7. pencil case

8. Lotus Esprit (from the Spy Who Loved Me)

9. remote-controlled Batmobile

10. two Formula 1 cars

11. two audio books: The Enormous Crocodile and Winnie the Pooh

12. three books - two Mr Gums and Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Crafty things to bring on Spring

Even though many schools have just finished for the Easter holidays, they have done so in a flurry of snow and sub-zero temperatures. This seems very strange. And very wrong. Where is Spring? We've been on a bit of a mission to find it; replacing anything vaguely wintry around the house with things we associate with the elusive season - from flowers and bunnies to chicks and, of course, eggs. 

A few days ago I set up an invitation to create a Spring garland and Daisy seized the opportunity. I thought she might make some egg shapes from the jolly pastel-coloured paper as I'd found an oval stencil but, as is often her way, she just used my initial prompt to get started and it took off in her own direction. So we have, as well as eggs, bunnies, hatching chicks, and Easter baskets - all arranged symmetrically. 

Daisy also wanted to make an Easter display. So I dug out our rather dusty decorations and she did the rest. She allowed her brother to hang some of the eggs on the tree but he wasn't much interested in helping with the rest of display. He went back to his Lego building project - much to her relief, I think. 

Daisy put the finishing touches to the display and I was allowed to take a photograph of it; she really did enjoy putting it together all by herself. She has since gone back to it, and made a sign for the shelf that, rather surreally, says Happy Easter! Pick eggs when ripe. And she found a spring-like picture in one of our colouring books and, as well as adding some colour with felt-tipped pens, she drew six eggs hidden in the scene. This is now proudly displayed next to the Easter tree. 

If this little lot doesn't bring on Spring I'll eat my hat; my warm woolly hat, that is - I really shouldn't be needing it now anyway.

Hands-on play: still beating high-tech hands-down?

As far as play is concerned, I've always tried to say yes to my children, however elaborate, crazy, messy or parentally time-consuming their ideas might be.

This week alone they've wanted to:


build a den - which turned into a fairy grotto...

make a fresh batch of play dough which became a special treat for Snuffy the bear...

concoct a superhero-creating potion from kitchen store cupboard basics...

show each other new cycling routes around the park...

play Pictionary...

lay out a huge train track - which is still taking up the entire floor of their room...

...and to design me a new hat at Daisy's boutique.

Whether they want to get out all their books to design a road system, to put on a show with props and costumes, to carry out a science experiment involving many different liquids or to make light-sabers - I try to say yes. I do this because every day they come up with these fabulous ideas is a day that their imaginations and creativity are still flowing. 

   

   

It's a day when they are not screen-fixated; inert and reliant on another's creativity for their entertainment. I know these playful, energetic days are numbered. I sense the lure of technology, I see their excitement and enjoyment of screen-based games. Of course they already have their share of screen-time; they watch TV occasionally, we love a good film and we have just bought a Wii, for example. But we will not just give up and give in to the screen. We have strict rules about how much TV and computer time they get. I'm desperate for play in the real world, in real time, to be their default activity for as long as possible. 

I like to think that their ability and desire to still be brilliantly imaginative in their play is, in part, due to them knowing that we have always tried to say yes, and that we always will. Long live hands-on play.

Dr Dog's Hospital

In our house the arrival of a cardboard box equals an opportunity to get creative; a large cardboard box has even more potential. So today I set up an invitation to create for the children - a big box, some card, some tape and scissors, and our box of fancy scrap paper.

I felt like making a dolls' house but when my daughter came home, nose in a book, she was quite clear on the box's destiny. She decided we would make it into a hospital for the main character of the story she was reading - Babette Cole's Dr Dog.

And that's how we came to make our box into a hospital for children. I was instructed to make it as white as possible - because that's how hospitals are, apparently. My job was to cover as much of it as I could in white paper. Meanwhile Daisy wanted the hospital to have an operating theatre, necessitating a curtain - so she concertina-folded a piece of paper, we punched holes in the top, threaded through some cotton and then secured the ends of the cotton to the walls with a little sticky tape. Then we made beds for the ward, and a playroom for those children who were well enough to be up and about, or who were waiting to see the doctor.

I love how Doctor Dog got a surgical mask, and how Daisy put everyone in the hospital to bed before she went up to hers - even the rabbit family, whose children just needed eye tests. They were all happy to stay overnight so they could collect the bunnies' glasses in the morning; what a hospitable hospital.