| Having seven children - five of them boys - they | | | | of driving and visiting places so this is easy to do. |
| love spending time outside getting muddy. | | | | We are also Disney fans which means pictures |
| However as the nights draw in and the weather | | | | are usually easy to find. Cutting with scissors, |
| becomes wetter and colder outside play has to | | | | obviously, needs to be supervised closely |
| be cut to a minimum most days. The problem | | | | (especially the boys) but it's good to let children |
| with staying inside to play though means that the | | | | develop their cutting skills from quite a young age. |
| first choice is either watching television or playing | | | | The plastic scissors designed for children we tend |
| on the play station. Not wanting to encourage too | | | | to find are useless for cutting more than a stamp |
| much 'couchpotatoism' in my children I have to | | | | in half and so we do use real scissors - but since |
| keep lots of fun and entertaining ideas up my | | | | these are good at cutting your own or your |
| sleeve to entice them away from the box and | | | | sibling's hair a responsible adult does need to |
| also to stimulate their minds and curiosity. | | | | watch every move. We have had a few near |
| Of course I do allow them to watch television and | | | | misses with fringes going missing.... |
| we even have a subscription to Sky television. | | | | As I mentioned earlier, I am not a fan of colouring |
| There are some wonderful programmes these | | | | pens and paints. These treats are reserved for |
| days that teach children all about history, science, | | | | school time and playgroup. My house has just |
| travel and cookery - and of course, they don't | | | | been redecorated after someone drew a picture |
| realise that they are learning because they are | | | | of me on the dining room wall. It was horrendous |
| having fun! Children, like adults, also need some | | | | and had to be painted over to remove it. I |
| time out in which to relax and chill out, but too | | | | therefore only allow crayons and colouring pencils |
| much time in front of the TV means they may | | | | into the house now. Woe betide any relative who |
| become a little too relaxed and don't get to burn | | | | gives the children pens for Christmas! The children |
| off their excess energy and so end up fighting | | | | tend to lose patience with crayons quite quickly - |
| with each other. | | | | they just don't seem to colour that well, and so |
| My children vary from newborn up to twelve | | | | colouring pencils are favoured. For paper we pick |
| years and so finding activities that they can all | | | | up cheap copying paper from the supermarket |
| enjoy and which don't wreak too much havoc can | | | | (they don't like drawing on the back of printed |
| be a challenge at times. We have a big table | | | | scrap paper) and also use rolls of wall lining paper |
| which we try and use for most activities. This | | | | for larger projects. In fact the latter is great for |
| helps keep the mess all in one place. I also try and | | | | collages too - glue made from flour and water is |
| seat each child not to close to the child next to | | | | very cheap and quick to make and washes out |
| them - less chance of WW3 breaking out over | | | | of clothing easily. |
| who has which colour pen and less chance that | | | | When the children feel in the mood to be crafty, |
| one of them will be stabbed in the eye! | | | | having tired of drawing on their siblings' arms and |
| The table-based activities that seem to go down | | | | legs, another favourite is for the boys to make |
| well include the following: | | | | and decorate paper aeroplanes and the girls like to |
| Playdough - all children (and parents!) seem to like | | | | make pasta necklaces. Macaroni seems to work |
| playdough. We prefer the cooked sort because it | | | | best and I occasionally allow them to get some |
| lasts up to a week if stored inside the fridge. | | | | paints out - but only in small quantities and Dad's |
| There are various recipes available online and you | | | | old shirts have to be worn to prevent their |
| just have to work out which suits you best. | | | | clothes getting too stained. |
| Never known what people use cream of Tartar | | | | The planes are then thrown all over the house so |
| for? Make playdough and you will find out that it is | | | | the next hour is spent clearing up the mess and |
| a vital ingredient! I also advocate adding salt | | | | retrieving the planes from the toilet and other off |
| because this stops little ones eating it. After being | | | | places where they have ended up. |
| used daily for a week it's not the sort of thing | | | | Away from the table one of my favourite |
| you want your child to be eating! | | | | activities for them is to build an assault course - |
| My children like to make animals and spaceships | | | | this reminds me of being a small child when I used |
| out of playdough but cake cutters are also useful | | | | to pretend to be a horse and set myself obstacle |
| and you can also bake the figures made and paint | | | | courses. We use cushions and chairs mainly due |
| them at a later date. We don't often do this in | | | | to lack of space but quite a lot can be done with |
| our household because painting is currently banned. | | | | these. Blankets can be held between chairs to |
| Due to one of them painting some of the new | | | | create a tunnel and these are great fun. When |
| words they had learnt in the school playground on | | | | they get bored of the obstacle course they use |
| the living room wall and also inscribing them on the | | | | the blankets to make a tent between the sofa |
| brand new pine doors around the house we have | | | | and the chairs and often sit there for ages talking |
| withdrawn all paint and felt-tip pens from the | | | | about smugglers and sinking ships. |
| house. | | | | There are plenty of other things that we do at |
| Another activity which they all seem to enjoy is | | | | home and having such a large family means that |
| scrapbook keeping. We tend to go on a big family | | | | each and every child manages to contribute their |
| holiday once a year and so in the months leading | | | | own ideas. The downside is that the mess |
| up to this we collect travel brochures about the | | | | created is unbelievable but the sound of laughter |
| places we are going and cut out pictures and the | | | | and smiles on happy faces far outweighs the |
| children then write about what they want to do | | | | mess - and even the odd scribble on the wall can |
| and see when they get there. Then we watch | | | | be forgiven. After all they won't be children for |
| the news and read the newspapers and cut out | | | | long and when they have left home there will be |
| any articles or pictures relevant to the places we | | | | plenty of time for us to enjoy a clean |
| are going. Our family holidays tend to involve a lot | | | | scribble-free house! |