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Playing games with your children is always great fun, but the important reason is that it involves your child’s participation with family, building lasting and memorable relationships. All children are eager to participate in games which attract their attention; they will learn to wait their turns, count, match and learn the rules of the game. Games also encourage problem solving and memory skills. Games are excellent for assisting children to develop intellectually and devel

Whose Child Is This? “Whose child is this?” asked the teacher one day Seeing a child come up the school path way “Mine”, said the parent with an anxious smile “Whose child is this?”, the teacher asked herself one day As the school door opened and a child came in “Mine”, said the teacher with the tender smile. “Mine, to keep just for a little while. Whose child is this?” the teacher asked after a while, “Ours”! replied the parent and teacher “Ours to love and guide an

What a great way to celebrate spring with your children with fresh spring flowers ! You will need: 1 A4 white cardboard – Crayons, or pastels Fresh spring flowers Stapler To do: Fold the A4 Cardboard and cut in half Decorate the cardboard with bright crayons or pastels Staple the 2 pieces of cardboard together Measure the crown on your child’s head and staple together Staple the fresh flowers with short stems around the top of the crown

Threading is a great activity to strengthen your child’s fine motor skills! You will need: A picture printed on A4 cardboard Scissors Wool A punch Crayons, pencil crayons etc. To do: Print a template of your choice e.g. car, flowers, animal on A4 Carboard. Cut out the template. Punch holes evenly around the template. Colour in the template. Tie a knot at one end of the template with wool long enough for the template. Thread the wool into each punched hole around the template

This is a fun educational game and science experiment which combines the sensory fun of water play with observation of the objects tested. You will need: A large bowl, plastic container, or sink filled with cold water. Different objects that sink and float e.g. cork, sponge, stone, small plastic objects, metal spoon, paper clip, key, stick, wooden objects, etc. A small container to place your sink and float objects A plastic mat Or to laminate an A 4 cardboard, draw a line

By Julia Gorham Children grow and develop the way they do, largely as a result of what we say to them and the way we say it. A child’s mind is full of questions, especially questions of self definition or identity “Whom am I?” We base our lives as adults and make key questions on these very questions. A child will be influenced remarkably by statements with the words, “ You are … ” These statements go firmly into the child’s unconscious . “You” messages work at both the cons

Written by Julia Gorham How does one cultivate love, respect, sharing, encouragement and responsibility? Here are some tips. Teach your child to love and feel loved with hugs and give your child terms of endearments with your tone of your voice and expression of love often given. Assist your child develop a sense of importance and his contribution to family, school, volunteer work etc. Spend quality time with your child which should include family meals, special events, sup

By Julia Gorham Get going with the freshness and bounce of Spring with great Spring Kids Crafts! (More to follow) Spring has sprung! Here is a simple spring flower activity to do with your children using paper cups and plastic spoons. To get: White paper or polystyrene cups Plastic spoons Template of flowers Scissors Small knife ( For use by adult only) Wax crayons/ paints/ chalk Paint brush Liquid glue (Optional )Small jewel stickers, small pom poms or couscous etc. to glue

Written by Julia Gorham. How do we create independent, confident children? Montessori has some practical guidelines we can use. WHAT CAN YOU DO AT HOME? Let your child have real things. Take time to show him/her how to handle objects with care. This builds self-esteem and independence as well as concentration, coordination and responsibility. When you teach your child new skills, break it down into small, precise steps. “Clean your room” is overwhelming; show the child ho

Written by Julia Gorham One of the first challenges that parents have to face is whether to send their children to a Playgroup or to leave them at home with Child Carers. Benefits of sending your child to a Playgroup: Becomes more independent, building of confidence and able to deal with separation . Learns to stand on his/her own feet. Learns to handle conflicts. Breaks co-dependency on the care giver. Grows in self esteem. Learns relationship skills and life skills, Inter

My children beg me daily to play these outside games. Great fun! They are “Hide and Seek” and “Wolfie, Wolfie, what’s the time?” Hide and Seek A park or garden with trees and shrubs is an ideal setting or you can also play this game inside. Ask your child to hide. Closing your eyes, count slowly from 1 -10 and afterwards say “ Coming ready or not?” Look around saying “ Where is ….?” “ I wonder where .. is hiding?” “ Is ….. here?”, ” No”, “Oh no, Oh no” , “Where, can he be?”

Written by Julia Gorham For most of us, our best childhood memories are growing up with our beloved cats or dogs. A great addition to any family, is the gift of giving your child a dog or cat . A pet will be constant companions, best friends providing unconditional love, with a positive impacts in your children lives. The relation between man and pets has existed since thousands of years. Studies have proven that the presence of pets promotes sociability with children is

Whether your children sing along with a popular song or your child asks you to turn up a popular song on the car radio, children love music. Here are some helpful tips on creating an appropriate musical library for your child. Not Just for Listening Before you pick the songs, keep in mind that your child benefits from doing more than just listening. To get the full benefits of music, children need to sing, clap and dance along with the tunes. Singing and moving to music tel

This is a great experiment to do with your children and they will ask you do demonstrate this “Flowing larva erupting” over and over again! All you need to basic household ingredients and kitchen items! You will need: A medium size bowl A few plastic bags Foil A paper cup or small plastic cup or container Orange/red paint or red food colouring White vinegar Bicarbonate of soda Baking tray or plastic plate To do: Place your open cup inside the bowl Surround the outside of