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On this weeks Tuesday Tots we are showcasing

"10 ways to play and learn outside"

Generally the only activity my kids need when they're outside, is being outside. There is so much that nature provides that can keep children entertained for ages. However, if you're looking for a few ways to enhance your outside experience or to find new ways to learn with play outside, here are 10 lovely ideas for you.

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Follow us on Pinterest for tons of great kids activities and ideas.

Even with the weather turning colder and the rain becoming more frequent, we are determined to get outside as often as we can. I find the kids sleep better when they've had a chance to run around outside during the day and it's one of the easiest ways to keep them entertained. 

A while back I finally got around to turning the pile of bricks I'd been saving into a wonderfully simple, and now much used, mud kitchen. It turned out that I should have made it ages ago instead of just thinking about it as in the end, it was so much quicker and easier than I'd imagined. Armed with that knowledge, last weekend I decided we would finally build the water wall that we'd be talking about for ever.

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Last year, we finally got around to making the mud kitchen that I'd been wanting to do for ages. I think I'd been putting it off because it seemed like it would be an involved project that would take me time I didn't have. Then one day, I decided that realistically, it didn't need to be anything flash at all. In fact, I could sit an empty pot next to a mud puddle and the kids would think I was the best mum ever. So, with that knowledge in mind, I set about making the quickest and easiest mud kitchen I could. I first wrote about our mud kitchen here on Kidspot.

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This is a sponsored post.

My little girl is starting school this year! It is only a matter of weeks before she straps up her velcro, slings her gigantic bag over her shoulder and begins her career as a school kid. It's a very exciting and nerve-wraking time, and I'm not just talking about for her. I am busy labelling every single thing that might leave this house, getting together all the lunch box supplies and generally trying to get everything organised so that we're ready to roll on that first day. 

A very important part, for us, was getting really good school shoes. After all, they are in them all the time and as a teacher myself, I've seen how hard kids put their shoes to the test. 

Whilst the school we've chosen is quite relaxed on the choice of black school shoes or runners, my little girl has been looking forward to her own pair of "proper girl school shoes." I liked the idea of how nice they looked with the school uniform and for more formal occasions like school pics etc. but, I thought about how much running she was bound to be doing each day, so was leaning towards running shoes instead. 

When we were offered the opportunity to try The Athlete Foot's, Ascent range of school shoes, I jumped at the chance because they seemed to encompass the best of both worlds. Labelled, "Sports Shoes in Disguise" because they're built on Running Shoe Technology and being the only school shoes to be endorsed by the Australasian Podiatry Council (APodC) they sounded like the school shoes for us. I was certainly keen to find out.

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Welcome again to this week's TUESDAY TOTS.
Brought to you by Learn with Play at home (us), Rainy Day Mum,
and One Perfect Day

This Week:

Learn with Play at home is showcasing

10 Backyard Play Ideas

These great posts all came from last weeks Tuesday Tots linkup
where we featured 30 Counting Activities

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Welcome once again to this week's TUESDAY TOTS.
Brought to you by Learn with Play at home (us), Rainy Day Mum,
and One Perfect Day

This Week:

Learn with Play at home is showcasing

Fun and Learning Activities using Balls

These great posts all came from last weeks Tuesday Tots linkup
where we featured "Kids Chalk Activities"

FEATURED

Aside from the gross motor and hand-eye coordination that using a ball can help aid children with, there are lots of other fun ways to utilise a humble ball that work on a range of different skills and experiences for children.

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Welcome to this week's TUESDAY TOTS.
Brought to you by Learn with Play at home (us), Rainy Day Mum,
Growing a Jeweled Rose and One Perfect Day

This Week:

Learn with Play at home is showcasing

8 Creative Outside Play Ideas for kids

These great posts all came from last weeks Tuesday Tots linkup
where we featured "Fun and Easy DIY Ideas for kids"

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Welcome to  TUESDAY TOTS for this week.
Brought to you by Learn with Play at home (us), Rainy Day Mum,
Growing a Jeweled Rose and One Perfect Day

This Week:

Learn with Play at home is featuring

Ideas to keep kids Active.

These great posts all came from last weeks Tuesday Tots linkup
where we featured "8 Activities using materials from the Recycle Bin"

FEATURED

The following posts all include ideas and activities that will encourage your child to move and get active. The different activities lend themselves to different environments and allow children to practice various gross motor skills, coordination and other developmental areas.

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Welcome to  TUESDAY TOTS for this week.
Brought to you by Learn with Play at home (us), Rainy Day Mum, 
Growing a Jeweled Rose and In Lieu of Preschool

This Week:

Learn with Play at home is featuring

10 Outside Activities for Kids

These great posts all came from last weeks Tuesday Tots linkup
where we featured 10 Kid-Made Mothers Day Gift Ideas

FEATURED

This week's link up contained a number of really fun and creative ideas for playing outside. While children will learn and be entertained by just getting out in nature, there are a number of great ideas to entice them outside and keep them busy for ages.

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This post is sponsored by Nuffnang.

We've just hit Summer here in Australia and it's a glorious time of year for getting outside. The days are warmer and it doesn't get dark till much later, meaning you and the kids can enjoy the great outdoors for longer!

Here's a fun way that we're beating the heat this summer, with our very own 

"Shivery Snow"

To make this fun sensory snow tub, follow the easy directions below. 

Note: To ensure it was super shivery, I prepared it the night before.

How to make "Shivery Snow"

Step 1: To make "Shivery Snow" simply follow the easy instructions to make this Cloud Dough (8 cups of plain flour to 1 cup of oil), ensuring to use the vegetable oil instead of scented baby oil. 

Step 2: Once you've made the basic Cloud Dough, add a sprinkling of cinnamon or some peppermint essence for a Christmas Scent and a good shake of silver glitter

Step 3: Put your "snow" in the freezer for a couple of hours or overnight to make it Shivery!

Step 4: When you're ready to play, put your "Shivery Snow" in a tub, throw on some ice cubes, sprinkle over some more silver glitter and add any little Christmas-y touches for some imaginative play.

Touching it for the first time

I added some Pipe-cleaner Candy Canes, Christmas baubles, mini pretend presents, a small Christmas tree and some extra pipe-cleaners. 

Shivery Snow smells great, feels cold and silky but doesn't melt like real snow

It is moldable but you need to be gentle. Why not build a snowman?

You should check out this cool "shivery slime" from Growing a Jeweled Rose

I LOVE getting the kids outside, and during Summer, thanks to extended daylight I can keep them playing outside for so much longer! 

The only problem is that as it gets later, out come those pesky flies and mosquitoes....

However, now thanks to the Mortein NaturGard Automatic Outdoor Insect Control System I can let the kids keep playing outside with confidence. (yep, bare arms and all!)

 The Mortein NaturGard system releases automatic bursts of mist containing a plant based active ingredient. It means that it keeps my outdoor entertaining area protected from flies and mosquitoes without me having to think about it and I can use it around the kids.

More Benefits Include:

- Protecting a sheltered outdoor area of 25m²

- Portable (I'm taking this baby with me next camping trip for sure!)

- Adjustable settings to apply to your environment

- Automatic shut off after 3 hours

- Up to 30 hours of protection from 1 can depending on your settings

My husband was able to install it quickly and easily and since using it we've happily found that it effectively keeps the flies and mosquitoes away from the area. It's been handy for entertaining friends outside as well. No more swatting at our legs constantly!

Your Chance to Win ***COMPETITION NOW CLOSED***

Mortein would like to offer 5 lucky Aussie Learn with Play at home readers their very own 

Mortein NaturGard Automatic Outdoor Insect Control System

to help keep their outdoor area pest free to entertain with confidence this Summer.

*edit*

***COMPETITION NOW CLOSED***

Congratulations to our 5 winners

Michelle Haines

Kylie @ Octavia and Vicky

rebekah @ justfordaisy

Lauren Hopkins

Claudette Andrie

Please contact me with your postage details so we can send you your Automatic Outdoor Insect control system.

How To Win

Leave a comment on this post telling us a Summer-time activity that the Mortein NaturGard Automatic Outdoor Insect Control System would enable you to spend a longer time on. 

If you don't use a registered account to comment, please leave an email address so that I can get in contact with you if you win.

The 5 most creative responses will each win a Mortein NaturGard Automatic Outdoor Insect Control System.

Please read the Terms and Conditions before entering. Apologies to our International Readers as this giveaway is open to Australian Residents only.

Good Luck

Happy playing,
Debs :)

{Disclosure: this is a paid post sponsored by Nuffnang. We received a Mortein NaturGard Automatic Outdoor Insect Control System to review for the post. Opinions expressed in this post, as always, are my own}

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A fabulously FUN way to learn more about the parts of the body is by taking the Learning Outside.

Ages: 2-6+

(see Handy Tips at the bottom for ways to simplify or extend to meet your child/students' needs)

Materials: Chalk, Water, Paintbrush

Begin by tracing around your child's body

(If working with a class, have students work in pairs or small groups)

Children can then add in the extra details with the chalk

(Including labelling for older children)

Discuss the different parts that you are working on. 

Make observations of how these parts are connected.

Painting over the top of chalk is lots of fun as it changes the vibrancy of the chalk colours.

Use to add accessories etc and/or to highlight areas of the body as you learn about them

Yes, we did me too. (We're ballerinas, can you tell?)

Another Fun way to Learn about Parts of the Body

Playdough People

Handy Tips

- Simplify this activity for younger children by tracing around their body and letting them decorate/embellish as they'd like. Use the time to talk about the names of the different body parts

- Extend this activity for older/more advanced children by encouraging them to label the parts of the body with the chalk. Use sounding out techniques etc to spell words. Talk about how the parts are connected. How they work in conjunction for one another. Differences and similarities of bodies. The different things we use our body or parts for, etc.

- Mix it up by providing a list/cards of body parts and have children read them and match them to the correct areas

- Always supervise young children when outside, around water or possible choking hazards.

- Talk with your child about what they are doing. This will help them understand the physical and mental processes they are going through as well as giving them the vocabulary to describe it.

- More ways to Learn Outside with Chalk and Water






Happy playing,
Debs :)

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When ever we can get outside of the house or classroom, we try to make the most of it.

A bright sunny day is just calling for some outside play and learning for all ages.

I started with an Invitation to Play with the materials pictured above.

Ages: 6 months-6 years +

(see Handy Tips at the bottom for ideas to simplify or extend to meet your child's needs)

Materials: Chalk, water, paint brushes, foam stampers

An 8 month old and 3 year old dive right in. Both practicing different skills and learning from the same yet different experiences. 

Above there are fine & gross motor skills being practiced, sharing, painting, sensory experience with water, writing, stamping, concentrating, observing.

Learning about gravity and properties of water. The water runs towards the lowest point.

Painting water over the top of chalk gives it a strong and vibrant colour. Use descriptive language.

Look... no strings! Baby learns by chasing around a stick of chalk. The curved surface makes it roll.

Practice writing or spelling

Just making footprints? No. Learning about patterns, shapes, printing, mirror image and evaporation! 

Learn more about numbers. Writing them, tracing them, counting and stamping the corresponding number.

Handy Tips

- Simplify this activity for younger children by providing as an "Invitation to Play" and seeing where they go with it. There's no need to push a specific literacy/numeracy focus. You can see the learning they can get out of simply exploring the materials.

- Extend this activity for older/more advanced children by encouraging them to write spelling words, play giant games of tic-tac-toe, work on group problem solving, represent harder maths equations on the concrete, test evaporation in different weather conditions, write brain maps etc.

- Always supervise young children when outside, around water or possible choking hazards.

- Mix it up by adding different materials to investigate and explore outside in the same way. Try the same materials plus a pile of twigs, or without chalk and only water, add pebbles/stones/leaves...etc.

- Talk with your child about what they are doing. This will help them understand the physical and mental processes they are going through as well as giving them the vocabulary to describe it.


- Use chalk outside to learn more about the parts of the body.






Happy playing,
Debs :)

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Having a special tree in your yard adorned with various exciting and precious items will add that little touch of magic and fun that kids love so much.

It's so simple. Just collect any special little items you have at home and then get yourself outside to create some magic.

We are actually asking all our family members to find something they can spare for us to hang on the tree. By including other loved ones in the process, it gives our "Magic Tree" even more meaning and makes it even more special.

 Here are some little bits and pieces that Madeline's Grandma found for her around her house. We will also be keeping our eyes out at op-shops etc and asking other friends and relatives for any trinkets they find that they'd like to give us.

 We chose the Weeping Cherry Tree in our front garden as our "Magic Tree"

Using materials like these stained glass ornaments means that the tree does not 'shout out' at you. You have to get up close and look carefully to spot all the little decorations. It makes it seem even more special to us.

 The glass whale took a little dip in the bird bath before finding it's home amongst the leaves

 Little fishy, hard to spot. He has a few friends hidden around on various branches. It's fun to try and spot them

Home is where the heart is

Some tips:

- Your "Magic Tree" can easily be added to bit by bit over time, as you find and collect more precious items

- Involve family members/loved ones in collecting precious items to give your Magic Tree that extra special meaning

- We are creating a Fairy Garden under the magic tree. You could extend this activity by doing something similar.

- Try to use items that will not be affected by the weather. Glass is great for this and if you're worried about anything breakable being smashed, just choose branches up high that can't be reached by little hands and make sure the item is hanging securely.


Debs :)

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