Using some left over giant pasta shells, we had fun painting and practicing our fine motor skills, coordination, creativity and imagination.

Ages: 2+

 Lay out the materials clearly so they can be seen and accessed easily by your child.
We used giant pasta shells, paint and glitter for the decorating. A fine paintbrush and wooden stick for painting AND water, ice-cream container lids and a damp cloth for cleaning.

 Getting the paint all over was a little more tricky thanks to the "grooves" (This was a new word she learnt today- Vocabulary)

 Insisting on painting the inside of the shells so our critters will have something pretty to look at on the inside

 Hard at work. Using coordination to handle the shell and paint at the same time. It can get fiddly.

"This one is for the mum, this one is for the big sister, this one is for the brother..." 

 Practicing keeping her brush clean between paint colours so they don't get mixed. A good skill to learn.

 Using the wooden stick (skewer) for some little dots

 Glitter! Remembering that she must get it on before the paint dries so it sticks

 Discovering that if she squeezed the end of the paintbrush while it was wet, she could create water colours over the shell

 Switching to a "thicker" paintbrush so she could "paint quicker!"

Our finished shells. We can't wait to make a family of critters to live in them

Click on the picture below to see how we used these and the Crafty Critters to make a Play Scene

Handy tips:

- These giant pasta shells were just bought from the supermarket. You can use the small ones but then you might want to think of a new purpose for them as they may be a little small to house critters. How about making a mobile out of them?

- Talk about what you are doing with your child. 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 new language and descriptive words like, "grooves" This will help with their language development.

-Ask questions to help connect their understanding and use vocabulary to give them words to describe what they're creating, eg. "What are you creating?" "What could we use them for?" "Why did you choose those colours for the boy's shell?" "I love how you've put stripes on that one" etc

- This activity can be repeated time and time again with a different end result each time. Mix around and change some of the materials that you provide each time to inspire new ideas

- To extend this activity, talk about a purpose for the shells when they're dried. We are using them as little houses. Once they're dry, use them for imaginative play or some decorative purpose. You can also use this time to talk and learn more about Colours and Patterns.




Happy playing,
Debs :)

New Here? Subscribe to get all activities sent directly to you

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

Continue reading...

Sushi rolls are a favourite food for my daughter and I. She has been eating it since she was very young and I'm happy that she loves it because it's healthy as well as yummy!

Here, she demonstrates how kids can make their own sushi rolls at home (with a little help from mum).

(Note: You will need specialist ingredients as well as a bamboo mat to roll the sushi. See "Some tips:" below the pictures for more details)

 Lay out the ingredients on a clear bench so they can be seen an accessed by your child easily

Put the sushi rice (short grain rice with rice vinegar) on your nori seaweed 

 Spread it out over the seaweed

 Lay your toppings down in a line in the centre of the rice

 When she was done, I was required to help roll it up

Lunch time. Time to eat! Yum

Some tips:

- When you buy the "yaki nori for sushi" (seaweed sheets), the back of the packet will have instructions on how to make the sushi rice and the best way to make the sushi rolls.

- We used tuna, avocado and cucumber for our filling this time. You can use whatever your child likes.

- Talk about all the steps involved with making sushi with your child before they start making it.

- As they make it, focus on one step at a time and any processes involved with that step.

- Simplify this activity by spreading the rice on the seaweed yourself and letting your child put the toppings on.

- Extend this activity by letting your child attempt all the steps and processes independently, including preparing the toppings, making the rice and rolling the sushi! (This bit can be hard for adults so some help might be needed for a while until they are competent. Remember that practice makes perfect!)


- Include the correct vocabulary for the techniques, ingredients etc when talking to your child to help extend their vocabulary and understanding

- Makes great party food!

Debs :)

Continue reading...