Speech therapy. How to develop your child's speech with play.

Sep 17, 2014

Helping develop your child's speech through play.



We're always told not to compare children. They're all different and all do things in their own way, in their own time. In fact, a favourite quote of mine is,

"Not all children are ready to learn the same thing at the same time in the same way." 
- Kathy Walker

However, even knowing and understanding all of this, when my son did not start to communicate verbally in a similar way to how his older sister had, I admit that I felt quite concerned. 

I'd done everything the same. He'd been read to since birth (a lot), talked to and chatted with constantly. 

We made sounds, did rhymes, sung songs and played together. 

But, unlike his sister, he did not choose to naturally communicate verbally and would refuse to mimic sounds or try new words. 

His non-verbal communication was spot on and he was always able to get across what he wanted (which was encouraging) but oral language was not something that came easily to him.

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Recycle Box Challenge for kids

Sep 13, 2014

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 As a way to try and re-use more of our waste on a more consistent basis (instead of just storing handy bits for those "one day" projects), I started up a weekly Recycle Box Challenge for my kids.

I love that this challenge encourages my children to think creatively and look "outside the box." 
It allows them to practice skills such as cutting, painting and fine-motor. It allows them to test ideas, to problem solve and to put designs into action.

The end result is never the main focus, however. It is the process, including both the cognitive and physical processes, that an open-ended activity such as this provides, that is important.


How to set up a Recycle Box Challenge for your kids.


Doing a weekly recycle box challenge with your kids couldn't be easier. In a basket or a box, put some basic arty/crafty supplies that your children can use to help transform the recycled goods into creations from their imagination. Then, as the week goes by, add any random bits of recycled packaging straight into their challenge basket. The great thing about this is that the combination of materials is always changing, which means the possibilities for creations, is always changing too.
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Travel with Kids: Fiji

Sep 9, 2014


Travel is an important part of my life and something that we prioritise as a family. It is my aim for us to travel as a family to a different overseas destination each year. Making memories, sharing experiences, learning about new cultures, languages, foods etc. is something that I value very highly, so we save our pennies each year and I do a lot of research to get us to the places I want at the prices we can afford. I want my children to be empathetic, kind, contributing members of society and I think that giving them a broader view of the world and people as a whole will help them develop this and help cement them as caring citizens of the world.

For this year's international holiday with kids, we decided that Fiji would be a fabulous destination. Ever since holidaying together in Fiji many years before having kids, my husband and I always wanted to come back and do Fiji with kids.

The locals are generally very friendly, laid back and great with kids! Fiji is also only a 5 hour flight from Melbourne, Australia and you can fly direct as well (a mega bonus when travelling with kids).

We had previously stayed down on the Coral Coast of Fiji which is a lovely destination with nicer beaches than closer to the airport. It is quite a journey still once you're off the plane though, so this time we decided to stay in closer and explore a different part of Fiji.

Here are some of the pics from our week long adventure. See the bottom for related links and more info on the specifics of where we stayed, etc.

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How to make Fizzing Lemonade. Edible Science for Kids.

Sep 4, 2014

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Recently, we made our very own fizzing lemonade

In this simple science experiment, we mix a base with an acid to get a chemical reaction

This chemical reaction produces carbon dioxide (CO2) which are the bubbles you find in commercial fizzy drinks. Neat!

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