5 Ways in 5 Days: Day 2 ~ We Play Hairdressers

Posted by becky on May 10, 2011 in Uncategorized | 4 comments

Figures they’d suddenly get camera shy

This morning the girls chose glittery accessories for their hair and I tried a side ponytail. Very cute. I’ve always wanted to be able to pull off the side pony but it’s just not something that works with my hair, so having two little girls that are able to wear it is very exciting.

Since receiving the parcel of goodies in the mail for this challenge and starting to help me choose what they want done with their hair, the girls have started playing hairdressers. I just love the natural progression as what’s happening in their lives reflects in their play and this one is particularly cute.

Now he’s a girl, apparently

They each set themselves up with their toy of choice, a brush and some hair accessories and get to work. Kahlei does a whole lot of chatting and getting distracted (just like many hairdressers I’ve been to) while Ellie quietly goes about her business, lovingly brushing and styling.

As is to be expected with any hairdresser, they eventually start looking for live models to try their skills on…

Isn’t Uncle Caleb a lucky boy?

We Play: Teddy Bear’s Picnic

Posted by becky on Nov 2, 2010 in Uncategorized | 10 comments

At the end of last week, Ellie and Uncle Max decided that we should have a Teddy Bear’s Picnic. The date was set for today and Ellie talked about it all weekend.

We’d barely had breakfast before Ellie was asking if it was time to have our Teddy Bear’s Picnic. Unfortunately, this morning dawned dreary and rainy, so I told the children to clean up the toys in the lounge room to get ready for our Beary guests while I made some pink banana smoothies (well, why not?) and pikelets.

Our guests were set up with coloured blocks for their cups and we all settled in for a lovely time.

Apart from Kahlei sharing a bit too much with Ellie’s baby, Clay, we had a perfect indoors picnic with singing, eating, chatting and Teddy Bear cuddles.

Hopefully, next time we’ll be able to do it outside, though!

We Play: With Uncle Max

Posted by becky on Oct 26, 2010 in Uncategorized | 9 comments

With Uncle Max is here to help me out, I sent all three kiddos outside with spray bottles containing a mixture of half paint, half water, a pile of paper and let them loose.

I think this is one of our most successful painting activity for a long time. It lasted until we were all out of paper and even then Ellie wanted to keep spraying the pictures we had hanging up to dry. I really love the effect of the end product and think I will wrap some pressies at Christmas time or something along those lines.

Of course, once all the paper was sufficiently covered there was a need to use up the rest of the mixture by running around spraying each other.

Although, sometimes they managed to get him

And once the spraying was over there was lots of running around and playing chasing until both girls and Uncle Max were thoroughly worn out.

I highly recommend anyone with children get themselves an Uncle Max

We Play: Shopping

Posted by becky on Sep 28, 2010 in Uncategorized | 10 comments

Ellie received a doll in a tube with lots of little odds and ends like a potty and play food boxes for Christmas last year, I decide to put the extra pieces away until the girls could play with them without Kahlei trying to eat or ruin them. The other day, while the girls ran around the yard, I decided to set up a little shop on our coffee table and see what happened.

I put out all the pieces from the tube as well as some of our empty boxes I was keeping for crafts. Then I got them each a shopping bag out of the Dress Up box and put a ‘credit card’ (ie. old licence, medicare card) in them as I have yet to make them some money. I set up Ellie’s Buzz Lightyear laptop as the cash register and waited.

Once they were inside and had seen the shop they picked up a bag each and went shopping. The shop stays set up at the moment, sometimes I change things up a bit to keep it fresh, but mostly they are just happy with how it is. I have enjoyed watching how play has evolved from stuffing whatever they can grab into their bag before the other can get it to actually looking at it as a shopping experience.

Ellie will even take a list, which I find fascinating since I rarely write a list because if I do I leave it at home or forget to get it out of my bag. Or worse still, I use it and still forget things. Once she’s filled her list, she pays Buzz and takes her purchases home (that’s their house to the left of the photo). The cold things get put in the Huggies Fridge and then she is able to use the milk from the fridge to make drinks with her Cappuccino machine.

I get a sneaking suspicion she shops like Nanna, as she often runs out of milk and has to run to the store.

Kahlei likes to buy things for her babies, like milk and bottles. She will feed them, sooth them then say “Bed? Yes?” After which she gives them a kiss on the head, takes them to her room and tucks them in as she says “Goodnight. Weet Deams.”

Now, I am constantly looking for new things to add to see what will eventuate and how play will develop.

Come play at the Childhood 101 We Play link up.

Come and find more fabulous play ideas with The Play Academy

Also, don’t forget to enter my Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue DVD giveaway!!
And please note the IKEA Expedit Bookcase in the photo for the  frills in the hills competition

We Play: Dress Ups + Bubbles

Posted by becky on Sep 21, 2010 in Uncategorized | 5 comments

Recently, I was able to transfer our craft supplies into a bigger craft box (which means I can buy more crafty goods, right?) and with the empty box I was able to gather all our dress ups together and put them in a place all of their own. Having them readily accessable means the girls are constantly coming to me dressed in something new, adorned in jewels and carrying a bag (or two).

Ellie loves to wear a red sparkly dress I bought years ago and Kahlei thinks a veil is often appropriate, which gives me a strange feeling that I am looking into the future.

Once they’re all glammed up we can play. Bubbles are a big favourite at the moment. Neither girl has had much success with the little bubble wands that come with the bubble mix, so I stuck some straws together so they were able to make lots of lovely bubbles (those straws are quickly becoming the best purchase ever).

And so hours were spent blowing and chasing bubbles, dancing, picking flowers and getting married.