Keeping-Kids-Happy

At the beginning of December our eldest son, Jacob, was four.

Now if you are a preschooler your fourth birthday is a momentous occasion, with daily reminders (am I four today?) for many weeks and a state of volcanic excitement slowly building to explosion pitch.

So, being indulgent parents, we agreed to have a party. This was especially as Jacob now has lots of little friends from preschool, and a party seemed a good way to get to know them, and their parents, a little bit better.

Under the somewhat contrasting influences of Captain Feathersword (from the Wiggles) and Captain Hook (from Peter Pan) the decision was made to hold a pirate party in the local community centre.

Party invites shaped like treasure maps were sent out asking all the little shipmates to come along dressed appropriately, and the preparations began…

Now, despite all my best intentions, I’ve never been particularly organised, my life is usually full of looming deadlines and last minute shopping trips. But this time, I did try to get most things planned in advance - although the day before the party I was still waiting for several items I had bought off Ebay to arrive…

It was easy to find all sorts of pirate party supplies, from plates and cups to skull & crossbones bunting and black balloons on Ebay and other party websites.

The prospect of entertaining thirty children for a couple of hours was definitely quite daunting. So the next thing was to work out what they would actually do. The hall we hired was quite large and so we were able to take along a couple of boxes of toys and some little bikes and walker/trolley thingies for them to charge around with. However, we also needed several party games to keep them amused.

After a bit of Internet research and asking around, I realised that we could put a new twist on traditional party games and easily adapt them to a pirate party.

The first of these, and the one that took the most preparing was Musical Islands. This is a variation of the musical chairs theme just using islands. The children pretend to row a boat or swim as the music plays and then when it stops you shout “Shipwreck” and they all have to get on an island.

What took up the time was actually making the islands. Basically, we just cut up cardboard boxes and painted islands on them, as you can see below the boys enjoyed helping out, although they quickly got bored and it was left to the adults (me, Kev and nanny Jean) to paint islands every evening for about a week!

Still, it was well worth the effort, as the game went down a storm at the party and the kids all really enjoyed it, although it has to be said that most of them didn’t really play by the rules and we did get quite a bit of island sharing and island hogging.

Another game that went down well was that old favourite, Treasure Hunt. We made a couple of hundred silver coins out of card and silver foil which were then hidden around the room. The coins were in fairly visible places and the kids had to collect ten coins each. Then they had to find me (dressed appropriately as the Pirate Captain) and exchange their booty for one special chocolate coin out of my treasure box. They all loved looking for the coins and screamed and giggled when I went up to them rattling my box of chocolate treasure.

After all that running around all our little shipmates were hungry and so a feast fit for a hundred pirates was served up including the usual party grub of sandwiches, rolls, crisps, currants.

Once the food was eaten, the pirates and princesses were ready for more fun. Lots of running around and chasing each other ensued and all the toys and balloons we took along kept them well and truly amused. Indeed, it had not occurred to me until then that the long thin shaped balloons that we had spent ages blowing up were ideal to use for pirate swashbuckling and sword fighting!

The time went really quickly and I think the mixture of organised games, food and time to themselves to run around and imagine their own games worked really well. I did have a few more games planned but we run out of time, which in itself is a sign that the kids all enjoyed themselves.

So having survived the experience of our first big kids party, I can’t wait until the next one!

Top tips for party success (not in any order!)
1. Organise as much as you can in advance, but on the day be relaxed and go with the flow of what the kids want to do. It’s their party and the aim is for them to enjoy themselves whatever they are doing.

2. When ordering things from the Internet leave plenty of leeway for delivery times.

3. Always plan for a few more children than you have actually invited. Quite often little siblings come along and it is great to be able to include them as well.

4. Get involved at the kids’ level. If it is a fancy dress party then get a costume as well. Kids love adults to be interested and join in with what they are doing. Although, a word of warning, you need to tread carefully as they get older and find the line between being a cool parent and an embarrassment!

5. Get plenty of adult help on the day. It is an impossible task to be the host, organise games, sort out the food, put up the decoration etc. all at once. So get other family members along to help and give them specific jobs. This will not only ease the pressure on you, but your birthday boy/girl will be delighted that other relatives made an effort on their special day.

Shiver me timbers - Pirate Birthday Cake!

Jakey and Mikey, my two little pirates

Hungry Pirates!

Two Fairy princesses

Pirate Zak

Blowing out four candles

Over the last couple of weeks I have read a number of claims that our traditional Christmas is under threat from the PC brigade. One story even said that teachers are being told by our government to protect children from 'Scary Santas'

In truth, the article about 'scary santa' which provoked the outcry was only advising teachers on what to do if some children were particularly bewildered or anxious about Christmas outings, changes in routine or meeting a strange old man with a beard - all
completely reasonable reactions if you think about it logically.

Infact, as many parents already know, a lot of very young children are scared of Father Christmas - and why not? To ask a small child to go up to and sit on the knee of a strange old man is not something we would even consider at any other time of the year.

Nevertheless, Father Christmas or Santa Claus has become the human face of the festive season. The image of an old man with long white beard, red coat, and sack of toys is everywhere.

He is seen as a jolly, friendly soul who lives in the North Pole making toys and then, with the help of flying reindeer, a large sleigh and a lot of magic, he brings presents to all children on the night before Christmas (or in some countries on St Nicholas Day - 6th December)

Most children up to the about 8 years old really believe this is true, and it does bring a magical side to the stress and increasing commercialism of the whole season.

The idea of bringing gifts at Christmas time can be traced back to the nativity story and indeed before, with the Roman celebration of Saturnalia.

Father Christmas himself was originally part of an old English midwinter festival, and he was then dressed in green, a sign of the returning spring. The man we dipict today is also based on Santa Claus who became known in England during the 1870's. His name comes from the Dutch name for St. Nicholas which is Sinter Klaas.

St. Nicholas was a 4th Century Christian saint from the area of Myra (modern day Turkey). He was a very shy man and wanted to give money to poor people without them knowing about it. One day he climbed onto the roof of a house and dropped a purse of money down the chimney, apparently it landed in a stocking which had been put to dry by the fire. This may explain the belief that Father Christmas comes down the chimney and places gifts in children's stockings.

Alongside the stories of St Nicholas, we get a lot of today's Father Christmas traditions from American ideas from the 19th Century. One particular poem, written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1822, describes more or less exactly what many of us imagine as Father Christmas.

The poem is often called 'The Night Before Christmas', but it was originally titled 'A Visit from St Nicholas':

" He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot, and his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, and he looked like a pedlar just opening his sack.
His eyes how they twinkled! his dimples how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry;
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, and the beard on his chin was as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, and the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face, and a little round belly that shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump,--a right jolly old elf-- And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself. "

This all shows that the tradition of Father Christmas is a strong and historic one which had adapted to suit different people and times throughout recent centuries.

So, as long as we remember to treat our children with respect and act accordingly if they are scared, then I am sure that Father Christmas will become become a much loved figure who will enchant them for many years to come.

Notes:

These photographs of Father Christmas come from: http://www.christmas-graphics-plus.com/free/santa-clipart.html

Some of the facts and the extract from the 'A visit from St Nicholas' come from: http: www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Xmas/ -

Shock News – Fabric Tiles are the toy of the year!

Hamley’s, the famous London toystop held it’s annual prize yesterday and the prize for Overall Best Toy went to creAtiles, a low-tech creative play set made by a small London firm.

It is based on the simple idea of different sized tiles which fit together to let the little ones use their imagination to construct and create architectural masterpieces.

I think this is a great result as in my limited experience it is precisely these simple, old fashioned toys that become perennial favourites as they are played with in ever more imaginative ways.

The truth value of such toys became obvious to me last March when it was my youngest son Michael’s first birthday. We really couldn’t decide what present to get him, especially as his brother, Jacob, is only two years older and so their bedroom, and indeed the rest of the house were already full to the brim with baby and toddler toys.

Lots of shiny, primary coloured plastic and different shaped things that light-up, play music, move long the floor etc. etc. etc. In fact, our house could bring a whole new way of thinking to interior design based around ‘An Explosion in a Toyshop’.

Anyway, to cut a long story short I was looking in the charity shop and I came across an old-fashioned hoop toy – the one with a stick and several different coloured hoops of different sizes. It only cost 50p and so I got it and wrapped it up alongside his other presents.

On his birthday he absolutely loved it. He slowly realised that he could put the rings on and that it dawned on him that he had to put them on in order of size. It was great to see him work it out and he was extremely pleased with himself.

It is now a perennial favourite. He can easily put the rings on in order now but he often plays with them in different ways, at the moment he loves to try and roll them across the room and he loves cooking them in a large pan.

Don’t get me wrong, I am all for some technology in our kids lives. My older son, now almost four, has just discovered the joys of the computer and he has a couple of games featuring his favourite characters – Thomas the Tank Engine and Bob the Builder – which are not only great fun, but help him to learn mouse skills and understand computers which is essential.

All I am saying is that in the hectic run up to Christmas, maybe we should all think about adding good old fashioned toys to the current hi-tech favourites.

Many people think that today’s children are too sophisticated for the toys they remember from their own childhood. But, just cast your mind back to all the fun you had, why not give today's children the time and imagination to create their own magical worlds too.

Notes:

For more information about creAtiles go to: http://www.fiestacrafts.co.uk/hamleys.php

For more information about the winners of the Hamley’s Toy of the Year Awards go to: http://www.hamleys.com/pcat/hamleysprize

Finally, please do let me know if you agree and tell me your thoughts about what you and your children have found to be long-lasting favourite toys?

The first day at school is an exciting and nerve-wracking time for all children, not to mention their parents.

The day marks an exciting transition in the child’s life and, with a little thought, parents can ensure that it is also a happy time and that school is seen as a positive and fun place to be…

Some of the best advice for parents includes:
• Be enthusiastic about school. If you are excited and confident, your child will be, too.
• Prepare yourself. Take note of how your child reacts to separation. If possible, visit the new setting with your child. Introduce your child to the new teacher or early childhood professional in advance.
• Try to arrange for your child to play with another child going to the same school, preferably one-on-one, this means they will see a familiar face in the crowd.
• Get your child involved in the preparation for school - packing lunch or laying out clothes. Also, begin an earlier bedtime a few weeks before.
• Put aside extra time, particularly on the first day, for chatting and commuting together. But remember not to prolong the good-bye. If your child cries or clings, staying will only make it harder.
• Always say good-bye to your child. Be firm, but friendly about separating. Never ridicule a child for crying. Instead, make supportive statements like, "it's hard to say good-bye, but you can tell me all about school when I come to pick you up."
• At the end of the work day, put aside your concerns and focus on being a parent.

Above all, remember that school should be a safe and happy environment where you child can grow and learn.

However, the most important element of all children's happiness is the love, support and encouragement of their parents.

So, what happened to all those long sunny summer days? The autumnal weather seems to be upon us already.

Aargh, I hear the sound of harassed parents, and there are still a couple of weeks left of the school summer holidays. What to do with the little ones when you are stuck inside on another rainy afternoon?

Well, no fear, an easy art project that will entertain them for an afternoon is to make butterflies.

They are very simple to do:

1. Pre-cut shapes of butterflies on A4 coloured paper.

2. Get the kids to paint one side of the wing of the butterfly (poster paints are best for this, applied quite thickly).

3. Then fold the butterfly in half and press down from the centre to the tip of the wings. The symmetrical pattern that the children have painted on one side of the wing will magically appear on the opposite side.

Most kids from around three to seven or eight love this idea of symmetry and how it appears on both sides.

Of course, as with any art work it can get pretty messy. Still it is worthwhile to see the looks of delight when the paper is unfolded and a butterfly is revealed.

Young children have an endless curiosity about the creatures that they see around them, so it is great to make butterflies around this time of year as, hopefully, there should be lots of them fluttering around in the garden or park.

To continue the theme of butterflies you could also try reading the classic children’s story ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ by Eric Carle, which always seems to delight.

Of course, you can experiment with this idea and make other animals or shapes. In fact, my son, aged three, decided to just use different blobs of paint, fold them over and then guess what animal he created. This approach was somewhat hit and miss, depended on the amount of paint put on the paper and the pressure of the folding.

Nevertheless, as you can see below, he created a very impressive new species….. a creature that is a cross between an screeching owl and a grumpy bat……..

This year marks the 60th anniversary of Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends.

Every year lots of little people are enchanted with the adventures of these cheeky engines, indeed the happy faces of Thomas and the gang have played a part in many little boy’s (and some little girl’s) dreams.

I’d go as far as saying that the continued popularity of train sets and the affection we all seem to have for trains, despite the dismal record of the real variety, is down to the little blue engine with the big heart.

Whether it is through the TV series, fond memories of a wooden train set or reading the original books, children and adults the world over have fallen under Thomas’s spell.

Anglican clergyman Rev. Wilbert Awdry thought up the original stories. Fascinated with the steam trains he had seen during his own childhood, he imagined they had names and personalities – naughty Thomas, cheeky Percy, moody James, and boastful Gordon. Years later he created stories about their daily adventures to amuse his own son Christopher when he was ill with the measles.

Christopher and the rest of the family loved the stories and, after much persuasion from his wife, the Rev. wrote them down and sent them to a publishing house. The first book in the series ‘The Three Railway Engines’ was published in 1945.

Today, Thomas is a multi-million pound industry with DVD’s, books, films, characters, lunch boxes, towels etc. etc. etc, apparently there is even a Thomas theme park in Japan!

So what is the reason for Thomas’s enduring popularity? Children are fascinated by trains, especially old-fashioned steam trains, combine this with the childlike traits of the characters and you have a group of well loved friends that pre-school children can easily understand.

I have found that Thomas and his friends are great way to teach numbers and colours.

All kids have a great memory when it comes to something they enjoy, and my little one just loves being able to tell me the colours and numbers of all the different trains, and then he very quickly connected that to everyday things saying “that car is green like Percy”.

It has also been shown that the friendly faces of the trains and the bright colours help many children with learning difficulties to understand simple stories and ideas.

So hopefully, Thomas and the gang will be around for another sixty years to delight and educate many more little people.

Notes:
1. Many railways around the country hold ’Thomas’s Day Out’ events which are always great fun for the little ones. Local press usually have the details.

2. For more information about Thomas visit:
http//www.hitentertainment.com/thomasandfriends – Hit Entertainment site
http//www.cawdry.co.uk – The Awdry family's
official site
http//www.iglobal.com/Drew – A fan's personal
site with lots of links

Hello again, well to get started here's a short piece about helping children to succeed at school. Hope readers find it interesting and look forward to receiving comments.....

"As parents, we all want our children to do well at school but are often intimidated by the education system. Often parents can do a lot more then they realise. Always remember that the parent is the first and most powerful teacher of all.

Parental support is crucial to success. With a little extra effort we are able to enrich a child’s learning experience. There are countless fun activities that compliment what they learn at school. Remember the foundation of learning should be in the home.

You can make a difference. It could be as simple as asking your child to help with the weekly shopping, design a card for a friend or read a leaflet for you. Remember a trip out, be it to a museum or the local park, brings new experiences and ideas.

Try to understand how your child learns. How they intake, retain, recall and apply information. There are different techniques that are suited to different people.

An example is the re-capping method. When your child reads something, after three minutes they have forgotten 50%. However if they re-read it again the next day, after a week, one month and three months, then they will retain 90% of the information.

Have lots of books in your home, they will open your child’s mind to new ideas.
Music also harmonises the brain. Try to listen to different types together: pop, jazz, traditional, or classical. Maybe have an occasional sing-song and see if your child can remember the lyrics.

Our children live in a different world to the one we grew up in, and they must be able to succeed in their environment. Education is a tool of empowerment.

Nowadays it is important to monitor your child’s use of computers and other multi-media, but remember it can also be a powerful learning tool. Again if you work together to find information on the internet or even play games, then the experience is enriched.

As your child grows encourage age-relevant skills and knowledge, and ensure they know that you are supporting them.
An important lesson for your children is financial literacy. Teach them how to budget and explain about targeted advertising and other temptations.

Your child needs to know about self-esteem, self-image and self-knowledge – how you feel about yourself, how you see yourself, what you know about yourself.
These things shape us all. We need to enhance how our children feel about themselves, to erase any self-doubt.

If you keep telling a child they are foolish and stupid they will believe that.
If you keep telling them that he or she is a genius they will believe that too.

The effects of high self-esteem are very important for a child. They are much healthier and are more motivated to learn.

Children spend many hours outside of the home - in schools or out with friends.
Help them understand how their friends affect them. Peer relationship can be negative or extremely positive. Mixing with the right crowd can help a child succeed.

Teach your child to communicate effectively, both verbally and with body language. Simple techniques such as taking a deep breathe and waiting, instead of interrupting or arguing can diffuse many conflict situations.

As parents we must not undermine our children. We must not narrow their scope of opportunities. Young people need to be open to all possibilities.

Look at your child’s life through their eyes. We need to understand their world to understand who they are."