Creating activities for children can sometimes break the bank, stress you out, cause a lot of mess or you just run out of ideas.
Here in Dubai the summer months are approaching which always make me start planning indoor and short outdoor activities, as the days can sometimes seem long when there isn’t much planned. Here are my three favourite inexpensive activities for you or your nanny to create at home.
Save the animals from the Ice Cave
This task can be recreated in so many different and wonderful ways. On this particular day my two 3 year old girls had to save the animals from the Ice Cave, which the Pirates had put them in!
Leading up to them finding these Ice Balls we had a pirate story, created explorer binoculars out of toilet roll insert and that is how the girls found their animals in these Ice Caves, they were give plastic spoons, wooden spoons and a spade to break open the Ice Caves and bring their new pets home! Just pop your animals into a deflated balloon and fill it with water, tie it up and pop it into the freezer overnight. Then cut the balloon, the skin will slide off easily.
What’s Needed?
- Balloons
- Plastic Animals
- Water
- Freezer
Dodge the Laser Beams!
Having good motor control helps children explore the world around them and also helps with their cognitive development.
Gross Motor Skills: movements related to large muscles such as legs, arms, etc.
Fine Motor Skills: movements involving smaller muscle groups such as those in the hand and wrist.
This activity is perfect for your little ones ‘Fine Motor Skills’ to practise weaving between the string to save their beloved toys. For smaller babies it can be frustrating but if you do it with them and make it a game they will soon start to copy you. You are their role model after all!
What’s Needed?
- String
- Washing Basket / Box with holes in
- Beloved toys to get them motivated
Our sieve needs some hair!
I explained to the girls that our sieve was rather sad because she wanted some luscious locks just like them BUT she didn’t have any!
Mrs Sieve (yes she is married to Mr Collinder) needs our helps to focus and use our ‘Fine Motor Skills’ to get these beautiful locks of hair (pipe cleaners) on to her head.
The girls loved weaving the pipecleaners together, making curly bits of hair etc.
The Sieve ended up with a luscious head of multi-coloured, extremely layered head of hair.
This task was repeated over three days as the girls kept asking for it!
What’s Needed?
- Sieve
- Pipe Cleaners
We would love to see you and your little ones doing these activities! Please tag @poloandtweed and @nannyalex.co on Facebook or Instagram. After all imagination is the most powerful tool to help develop little ones and their amazing minds!
Thank you for reading! Lots of love and penguin’s (my favourite animal).
Guest Blog written by: Nanny Alex
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