Special day grumps!

[FloraDora]

This morning I woke up to emails telling me about super duper activities I can do with 2 year olds for....VALENTINES DAY!!!! Then I saw a red waxed shaped Wensleydale cheese at the supermarket and every other end of aisle stand was full of random red things.

Now, historically Valentine's Day is a Christian day , but was hijacked by Chaucer who turned it into ROMANTIC love....which is fine...but it's beyond out of control commercialy now. .....in my opinion.
I have never 'celebrated' Valentine's day with children.....I firmly believe it is about romantic love, I'm not a big fan of any commercial day but we have mothers and fathers day for children to explore the who they love day, they shouldn't be involved yet in romantic love.

But all this got me thinking..... Then I listened to Andrew Marr and Nicky Morgan talking about British Values....

So, where am I going with this?
I have been amazed over this last year at the focus that some childminders put on 'special days ' in the year, almost thinking they have to...I read about children celebrating American Independence Day ....An American special day celebrating their independence from us...Great Britain!
Some childminders celebrated thanksgiving and Australia Day....days special to other countries...
In my opinion, very young children do not need to celebrate these days, unless their family and friends do... Before doing so people should look at what they are really celebrating before getting on the bandwagon of commercialism or ticking a box on a calendar under the misconception of multiculturism or just seeing others are doing it and following because they are good craft ideas.
These craft ideas in my opinion are purely for parents and childminders as young children get more out of just free exploring with paint and glue and textures.... It's the process not the product that is important .

So before you get drawn in to the Valentine day .....think why does that 18 month / 2/3 year old need to make footprints for you to make look like hearts? Why do they need to spend a week with just pink and red paint, tissue paper and Pom poms? Why do they need to spend so much time experiencing heart shapes ,just in one week in February?

Re look at the calendar of events going round for you to download and think about why you think your LO's need to cover all these days? We watch lots of American films and shows now, perhaps when people see the celebrations they think we should celebrate too, after all, hallowean has invaded the UK from America, so why not American Independance day or Thanksgiving instead of harvest??

[sarah707]

We celebrate or mark (there's a big difference) special days with children because it's something we love doing and it allows us to provide a rich and diverse curriculum for our over 2s.

It used to be more for the over 3s but Ofsted want to see over 2s involved now... so we differentiate!

We start with days that are special to the children - then community days - and sometimes, because it's great fun, we cover something from further afield.

The children will see Valentine's Day at home - and all love mark making and making cards - so it's an ideal opportunity for us to pop some learning in about love, friendship and stranger danger...

I wrote this before this morning's programme with Nicky Morgan - it's good to see we are both saying the same things rofl!! :laughing: :D

https://www.childcare.co.uk/information/teaching-british-values

[chris goodyear]

Totally agree with you FloraDora, everything has gone way too far now and I for one am cheesed off with it and made to feel like I'm a bad childminder if I don't do all of it! Been doing this job for over 25 years and I expect some will say that I should get with the times but every single child I've cared for has left my setting ( finally at age 11 or more cos they don't want to go) sociable, respectful and where they should be in the learning zone. Parents and children have been happy and I've mostly been full in all that time. Ex -mindees now bring their babies for me to look after so I think I'm:angry: doing it right Progress never stops and I understand that but enough is enough and I'm fed up with being bombarded with new thing we have to take on board. Rant over!

[Mouse]

Totally agree with you FloraDora, everything has gone way too far now and I for one am cheesed off with it and made to feel like I'm a bad childminder if I don't do all of it!

I certainly don't do all of it and I'm definitely not a bad childminder!

We celebrate the children's birthdays (because they all have one!), Christmas (because they all love it!), Mother's & Father's Days (because the children love making something special for their parents) and a selection of other events that fit in with what we're doing at the time & what the children's interests are.

The children are all aware of other countries, cultures, celebrations etc through the books we look at, programmes we watch and resources we use. We don't wait for a 'special' day to highlight them.

[SYLVIA]

I've done lots of festivals n special days in the past. I think the parents are more impressed with the crafts than the children were interested in doing them. This year for some reason I don't want to continue this way. I will celebrate mum n dads days, birthdays easter n Xmas. Might do our own St days too. But this year I'm doing basic things like counting, reading,messy play etc. and just have fun n enjoy these children for who they are. If it doesn't work I'll change it but that's what I feel at the moment

[FloraDora]

I've done lots of festivals n special days in the past. I think the parents are more impressed with the crafts than the children were interested in doing them. This year for some reason I don't want to continue this way. I will celebrate mum n dads days, birthdays easter n Xmas. Might do our own St days too. But this year I'm doing basic things like counting, reading,messy play etc. and just have fun n enjoy these children for who they are. If it doesn't work I'll change it but that's what I feel at the moment

Great idea, I'm with you ! go for it Sylvia!

[Maza]

I actually don't celebrate Mother's/Father's Day because I think it is for the children to do with the other parent. Obviously if the older ones want to make something at mine then I'm more than happy to let them use any resources they need. If it was a single parent family then I would plan something.

I am with you on the footprint/handprint thing - it's a huge bugbear of mine. I hated it when my daughter came home from her nursery with a 'Rudolf with handprint antlers'. I just think of all the precious adult time wasted on cutting out 30 pairs of handprints. The TA would have been better using that time hearing readers, or reading a non-fiction book on reindeer to the children.

I will be doing Valentine type of activities but I hope that I have focused on the child and possible LOs rather than a fancy piece of craft that I complete most of so that they all look identical. I will have a sensory tub (hearts of different textures/weights/properties in general, some shiny, some glittery, some matt), silk rose petals etc. Heart shaped measuring spoons and containers for scooping and transferring (Sorry FloraDora, you must be gagging right now, lol). My two and three year olds will be working on repeating patterns and 1-1 correspondence by counting out the different hearts etc., 6 year old will be doing some volume/capacity work with hearts and there will be heart shaped paper as an alternative to the rectangular paper we usually use - what they do on it is up to them! We will be doing various art techniques with a heart theme and probably eat heart shaped food. I know my DD really looks forward to it every year and if I'm honest I think it just makes the planning a bit more fun on my part. Yes, I could use pebbles and pinecones for the maths work like we usually do, but I don't want to, I want to use pretty hearts for a week!

I do agree though that some people do overdo festivals by trying to mark every single one and think that an adult led perfect craft is the way to do it. xxx

[FloraDora]

I actually don't celebrate Mother's/Father's Day because I think it is for the children to do with the other parent. Obviously if the older ones want to make something at mine then I'm more than happy to let them use any resources they need. If it was a single parent family then I would plan something.

I am with you on the footprint/handprint thing - it's a huge bugbear of mine. I hated it when my daughter came home from her nursery with a 'Rudolf with handprint antlers'. I just think of all the precious adult time wasted on cutting out 30 pairs of handprints. The TA would have been better using that time hearing readers, or reading a non-fiction book on reindeer to the children.

I will be doing Valentine type of activities but I hope that I have focused on the child and possible LOs rather than a fancy piece of craft that I complete most of so that they all look identical. I will have a sensory tub (hearts of different textures/weights/properties in general, some shiny, some glittery, some matt), silk rose petals etc. Heart shaped measuring spoons and containers for scooping and transferring (Sorry FloraDora, you must be gagging right now, lol). My two and three year olds will be working on repeating patterns and 1-1 correspondence by counting out the different hearts etc., 6 year old will be doing some volume/capacity work with hearts and there will be heart shaped paper as an alternative to the rectangular paper we usually use - what they do on it is up to them! We will be doing various art techniques with a heart theme and probably eat heart shaped food. I know my DD really looks forward to it every year and if I'm honest I think it just makes the planning a bit more fun on my part. Yes, I could use pebbles and pinecones for the maths work like we usually do, but I don't want to, I want to use pretty hearts for a week!

I do agree though that some people do overdo festivals by trying to mark every single one and think that an adult led perfect craft is the way to do it. xxx

Your art and craft ideas and measuring, sensory do sound just down my street.......but do it every so often in the year....not just the second week in February

Having had sons and only brothers my DH cannot believe the reaction everytime he puts a heart on my coffe ( turning into a great barista man) or makes heart shape biscuits ( on my request) ...the girls do love it... And he smiles and promises to do it more often.... So perhaps a sensory tub of heart shaped textures may make it into my February activities !!! And again in May, September.......! Great idea, my grumps are mellowing.

[FussyElmo]

But we must must must celebrate carrot cake day on Tuesday. It would be wrong of us not too :D

[FussyElmo]

I actually don't celebrate Mother's/Father's Day because I think it is for the children to do with the other parent. Obviously if the older ones want to make something at mine then I'm more than happy to let them use any resources they need. If it was a single parent family then I would plan something.

I am with you on the footprint/handprint thing - it's a huge bugbear of mine. I hated it when my daughter came home from her nursery with a 'Rudolf with handprint antlers'. I just think of all the precious adult time wasted on cutting out 30 pairs of handprints. The TA would have been better using that time hearing readers, or reading a non-fiction book on reindeer to the children.



Our nursery class didn't do any Christmas themed crafts like the Rudolf handprint antlers. A lot of parents were upset that they didn't get anything.

Swings and roundabouts swings and roundabouts. You cant please everyone all the time

[Daisy1956]

Love it Fussy Elmo. another excuse to eat carrot cake, as though I need one.

[alex__17]

I also don't do too much on the festivals as I dont think a 2 year old knows why they're making some craft for a festival they don't celebrate just to please ofsted... instead I use them to loosely basey activities around based on the children's interests so I have 3 2 year olds that are loving painting at the mo and I'm trying to think of different things I can do with paint and saw a valentines hearts made by blowing the paint with straws which they'll love doing I bet watching to see which way it goes and what happens when colours mix etc and I'll cut hearts from those and display them. I love the hearts sensory box with tubs etc in I think I'll pinch that!
I also have a 3 year old that loves making cookies and we're experimenting with different flavours so I'm sure we'll be doing some heart shaped cookies to take home too!

[bunyip]

FloraDora, all I can say is...............

...............ABSO...........FlippING............ ...LUTELY :thumbsup:

Unfortunately, you have now 'got me started'. :rolleyes:

You ask (and very intelligently answer, if I may say) why EY settings do this. I've asked a few as well. The most common answers I've come across:-


Everyone else does it (... did anyone's mum used to say, ".............and if everyone else jumped off a cliff....etc? :huh:)
It ticks a box for Ofsted.
The children enjoy it (....probably true, but would they not equally enjoy making a cow out of a cardboard box as making a heart or a paper dragon?)
The staff enjoy it (......another rant I must get onto sometime: why do so many EY workers seem to think the whole childcare thing is about using lo's as a test-bed for their own favourite crafts and hobbies? Hope this is not just me being bitter on account of my total inability to make, say, a cardboard cow.)
There's lots of easy resources and crafts (ie. it's just easy for the staff - and I thought I was lazy.)
It's nice to put on the wall (.....and so is a cardboard cow - see above)
It teaches diversity (no, it just teaches inappropriate skewed views of other cultures - such as the lo's I've had who come out of preschool believing that the rich and ancient wealth of Chinese culture can be reduced to some red paper tat and the misguided belief that Chinese people live entirely on fried food.)


I very often find I have no need to 'do' festivals even if they had to be 'done' by law. 90% of mindees have already done them to death at school/preschool and the rest just want their bottle and a nap. This even leaves me struggling to find anything to do with them at Xmas, for doG's sake - they've already done all the Xmassy crafts, songs, baking, etc. that can reasonably be done in one month without boring the pants off them or triggering an allergic response to glitter-glue. :panic:

My festival planning for the next few weeks will comprise:

Greet mindee coming out of preschool will vague heart-shape glued to pink paper; key worker explaining, "it's a Valentine's card for mummy." Ask key worker, "is there some sort of Oedipus thing going on? Are you treating it as a safeguarding issue?" :p
Explore Chinese culture through the writings of Marx & Engels and the achievements of the Cultural Revolution. ......which I'm sure Messrs. Cameron and Wilshaw will love. :D


I've tried culturally relevent festivals, such as Burns Night for a family with Scottish ancestry and Waikiki Day for one with a NZ parent. Quite frankly, the children were none too interested and the parents totally puzzled as to why I'd bothered. So, what's the point.................

[FussyElmo]

personally I think that doing celebrations etc if fine if you are doing them because its relevant to the children.

I think if your planning takes into account every single major celebration/festival then its being done wrong.

We did Christmas but nothing since. We decorated hearts last wekk but that was more to do with the hearts being cheaper than circles at the shop.

I wont be doing valentines day, Chinese new year etc because its not relevant to the children I have. However I have lots of birthday this month and they will be celebrated. See earlier post about carrot cake it just have to be done :laughing::laughing::laughing:

So I think next time you plan a activity ask if you are doing it to tick a box for ofsted if yes do you really need to do it.

My brother sent me a new childrens book from Australia it happened to get here on Australia day was that a box ticked or was it just a lovely story?

[loocyloo]

personally I think that doing celebrations etc if fine if you are doing them because its relevant to the children.

I think if your planning takes into account every single major celebration/festival then its being done wrong.

We did Christmas but nothing since. We decorated hearts last wekk but that was more to do with the hearts being cheaper than circles at the shop.

I wont be doing valentines day, Chinese new year etc because its not relevant to the children I have. However I have lots of birthday this month and they will be celebrated. See earlier post about carrot cake it just have to be done :laughing::laughing::laughing:

So I think next time you plan a activity ask if you are doing it to tick a box for ofsted if yes do you really need to do it.

My brother sent me a new childrens book from Australia it happened to get here on Australia day was that a box ticked or was it just a lovely story?

:-) I agree.

If a special day falls on a day I'm working then we mark it and then only if relevant to those children in my care that day. But I do Australia Day... because I lived there for a while and it's special for me! But we mark it regardless of if I'm working or not!

I may well do something heart based the week running up to valentines day but won't push it!

[Maza]

Your art and craft ideas and measuring, sensory do sound just down my street.......but do it every so often in the year....not just the second week in February

Having had sons and only brothers my DH cannot believe the reaction everytime he puts a heart on my coffe ( turning into a great barista man) or makes heart shape biscuits ( on my request) ...the girls do love it... And he smiles and promises to do it more often.... So perhaps a sensory tub of heart shaped textures may make it into my February activities !!! And again in May, September.......! Great idea, my grumps are mellowing.

I'm totally with you, we do do those type of activities all year round but I use festival related resources at various types of the year. I love it!!! If they ask for the hearts again in May or September of course they can have them -but not April because then they just have to use bunnies for their counting, and certainly not in October because... Just kidding, obviously. Totally agree with you too Bunyip about how many practitioners do things to satisfy their own art/craft needs, don't think I fall in to that category! Many of us will have sad stories of seeing adults moving a child's hand back and forth with a paintbrush/gluestick etc in order to produce the perfect end product and crushing a child's confidence by not respecting their efforts. Why oh why do people just not see the damage they are doing when they do this? I'm sure we can all think of examples where beautiful festival/cultural activities have taken place but the sentiment/education behind it just isn't there - again ticking boxes.

I totally agree with everything you say FloraDora and Bunyip.

[Maza]

Now that Valentine's Day is done my inbox is now flooded with ideas for St Patrick's Day. Groaoaoaoan.

[lollipop kid]

I'm doing Pancake Day this week - just because we all love pancakes (any excuse).

Oh, and I've just printed out a "Nature's Detectives" sheet (Woodland Trust), so we can go on a big walk and look out for 'Early Hints of Spring'.

(Fits in with my planning and the children's interests, as we saw our first squirrel last week, and bought bird boxes and bird seed.)

I've also just spotted my first big, fat bumble bee in the garden - getting very excited!

:thumbsup:

L

[FloraDora]

Now that Valentine's Day is done my inbox is now flooded with ideas for St Patrick's Day. Groaoaoaoan.

Now, contradictory or what.....since I started the grumps....St Patrick's day is actually my birthday and my distant heritage ... so ....I do tend to play irish music, wear a shamrock ( I have loads of brooches as I used to always get them from relatives - unique birthday gifts everyone thought!) ....and perhaps focus on the green and rainbow aspect of leprechauns / pots of gold.( regular theme to my birthday cards!) St Patrick is quite a sad life story to discuss with little ones, no wonder the green aspect is emphasised. But it is a day relevent to me - so allowed I think.
The first ever ofsted I suffered, millions of years ago, was on my birthday and it was my assembly day - we had 6 weeks notice in those days so I had plenty of time to worry/ prepare.....I ordered myself a boxed balloon - St Patrick's style. Which was delivered at the beginning of assembly ( arranged) ...a box...what could be in it?? Irish music ...Great assembly, children loved it, Ofsted loved it- got a mention in the report ... for years after my colleagues used to do all sorts of pranks on me with green balloons on St Patrick's day.....you don't get this type of revelry with just LO's and no colleagues!!

We do eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday( and every other week for breakfast) ( when did it become 'pancake day?) - but no children on Tuesday so DH and I will be experimenting with our crepe maker.

[lollipop kid]

Sorry - I know I should have called it 'Shrove Tuesday', but we call it 'Pancake Day' here as two of my mindees are Jewish (and it's easier to explain as 'Pancake Day' than any other religious thingy - I'm not religious anyway, so would make it tricky to explain with my deliberately limited knowledge).

:D

L

[rickysmiths]

But we must must must celebrate carrot cake day on Tuesday. It would be wrong of us not too :D

I must get a Carrot Cup cake out of the freezer. But do I have to wait for Tuesday :panic:

[rickysmiths]

I don't celebrate all festivals I have 2 2 year olds and an 18 month old.

Having said that we did do a lot for Christmas and I always do hand prints for Christmas as a development point for parents who often stay with me for a good few years. I wouldn't be cutting them out for every festival going I haven't go the time or inclination!!

I did do Burn's Night as I feel it is part of our British heritage. I have some tartan fabric so we looked at that. We had Haggis for tea with potatoes and swede again British food and some children eat too much muck and don't learn enough about some of the wonderful food the British Isles has to offer. While we were having dinner we watched the Edinburgh Tattoo and experienced Scottish Music, saw kilts and bagpipes and saw the Scottish Flag.

We did Australia Day because I have an interest because the Church in the little village outside Bath where I grew up has an Australia Chapel in it, created in the mid 70s because Arthur Philip, the first governor of New South Wales is buried in the Churchyard. We also exchange post cards and Christmas cards with Australian childcarer's (and ones from America, Scotland, England and Spain) so we have a world map on the wall with all the cards on. We look at Australian animals both the unusual ones and the ones they have that are the same as ours and we get in a big mess making Lammingtons!

We also celebrate:

Shrove Tuesday and with older ones I talk about Mardis Gras

Chinese New Year

St David's Day hoping and watching for the first daffodil to bloom in the garden and we look at the Welsh National Costume and I have some Welsh Tweed and we make Welsh Cakes using my Welsh Grandmother's recipe and a cast iron griddle or bakestone.

St Patrick's Day

Mothering Sunday (It is Mother's Day in America) which has a lot of history to it.

Easter

Father's Day to be even handed but it grates because it is a purely commercially contrived day.

Guy Faukes Night (Not Halloween I hate Trick or Treat with a vengeance, I think it is wrong to send children out knocking on doors and the terrible accident this year that Claudia Winklemans daughter highlights the dangers and lack of care and thought people take and what stupid money spend on yet more sweets!!)

Christmas.

Birthdays

We may look at other things the age of the children and the individual culture of the children I have at the time.

I follow the British festivals because it is part of the culture and flow of this Country and the way through history that we have marked the way the year flows with the seasons. I think that children pick up on this flow and it helps them mark the passage of time as they grow, I know it did with me. Our year was kind of divided up by various celebrations and anniversaries.

I would also include looking at things like Well Dress, Cheese Rolling and others local things as well if they were done near me.

[bunyip]

We also exchange post cards and Christmas cards with Australian childcarer's (and ones from America, Scotland, England and Spain)


:clapping: Lovely idea. How did that begin? Is there some kind of international CMs penpal scheme?

Does anyone have a risk assessment for cheese rolling? :eek:

[Maza]

Fabulous ideas from everyone here! Of course festivals relevant to us/mindees should be celebrated. It's the zillion bloggers out there who are trying to create 'print outs' for each festival known to mankind that I object to. Celebrating with music, food, traditions, artefacts etc is wonderful and educational. I would love my child to have the experiences you have all described. x

[rickysmiths]

There is an International Childcarer's Facebook page and it is through that..

[teacake2]

I hardly look at festivals that are not relevant to me and my mindee, my passion is the welfare of the endangered manatee and as January is a month that is special to me as I used to go to Florida to volunteer at a couple of the rescue centres I make it a special time here in January and usually go over into February as well to celebrate all things related to the manatee, we watch dvds from my time there, we draw them, learn about their lives etc. My mindee is from a farming family and so we concentrate on their special times e.g. sewing, growing harvesting etc. If his parents ask about other things then I will look at them but they have said that they would prefer to do a lot of the things at home with him and for me to do what I do best (their words) and play with him. Love it.
Teacake2

[tess1981]

Now, contradictory or what.....since I started the grumps....St Patrick's day is actually my birthday and my distant heritage ... so ....I do tend to play irish music, wear a shamrock ( I have loads of brooches as I used to always get them from relatives - unique birthday gifts everyone thought!) ....and perhaps focus on the green and rainbow aspect of leprechauns / pots of gold.( regular theme to my birthday cards!) St Patrick is quite a sad life story to discuss with little ones, no wonder the green aspect is emphasised. But it is a day relevent to me - so allowed I think.
The first ever ofsted I suffered, millions of years ago, was on my birthday and it was my assembly day - we had 6 weeks notice in those days so I had plenty of time to worry/ prepare.....I ordered myself a boxed balloon - St Patrick's style. Which was delivered at the beginning of assembly ( arranged) ...a box...what could be in it?? Irish music ...Great assembly, children loved it, Ofsted loved it- got a mention in the report ... for years after my colleagues used to do all sorts of pranks on me with green balloons on St Patrick's day.....you don't get this type of revelry with just LO's and no colleagues!!

We do eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday( and every other week for breakfast) ( when did it become 'pancake day?) - but no children on Tuesday so DH and I will be experimenting with our crepe maker.

I actually take St. Patrick's Day off.. as do most cm in my area...its a big thing in our local community but as for valentine's this year I gave the children small glass jars and glass paint and let them do what they wanted to it. . I added a battery tea light and a few heart shaped sweets... I have decided from now on no more fancy crafts just simple ones the children can get on with

[clareelizabeth1]

If you would like a worth while day to celebrate Wednesday is eat ice cream for breakfast day as well as drink wine day

[FussyElmo]

If you would like a worth while day to celebrate Wednesday is eat ice cream for breakfast day as well as drink wine day

Is it really mmm now that's a day to mark :-) :-) :-)

[Daisy1956]

Wednesday I'll make a note don't want to miss it. The wine, that is not ice cream for breakfast.

[SYLVIA]

It said on the TV this morning that its national chip week. Maybe pop round the chippie for lunch tomorow:) Or perhaps we should cut up and make our own healthy ones (naahh, maybe not). We are making pancakes for lunch tomorrow, and making extra to have races with after. I have printed certificates for them for taking part as some are reluctant to join in things like that.

[mama2three]

Another 'local festival' today for celebration.
Shrove Tuesday was a big town celebration when I was growing up - many shops and schools closed at least for the afternoon. The shrove bell would ring at noon , and everyone would head for the beach - and skipping would replace cars the whole length of the foreshore. Long rope from one side of the road to the other , from the Spa all the way to the harbour. I haven't been home on shrove Tuesday for many years and don't know if it is still as big a day - I suspect not as shops and schools wont close so readily any more. Maybe LoocyLoo is the best one to let us know.

So today as well as pancakes to eat and play ( lots of frying pans and cardboard disks on the outdoor kitchen!) , Ive unearthed all our skipping ropes and we will have a go...There are also hand bells on the patio....
Now I admit this means nothing to the children as I now live a long way away - but they benefit from hearing about special days from my childhood , and what chidren enjoy in other places , and you know what , I enjoy it...and sometimes one of the joys of being self employed is that I can do things for myself too!!!

[loocyloo]

:-) I haven't been there for shrove tuesday ... But I think it still happens! I doubt the shops shut though!

Hmmm, it's a lovely but cold day ... I was planning on going to the woods ... But maybe we'll head to Scarborough! Thanks for reminding me :-)

[mama2three]

im tempted too , but 41/2 hr round trip wouldn't really be fair on the mindees just for nostalgias sake would it! maybe if I promise them fish and chips and icecream?:rolleyes:

[loocyloo]

Lol! We're on the beach ... Road is closed at midday till 5 ... signs saying 'skipping event' :-D

we've brought our skipping ropes ... watch this space!

[shortstuff]

Lol! We're on the beach ... Road is closed at midday till 5 ... signs saying 'skipping event' :-D

we've brought our skipping ropes ... watch this space!

Have a fab time xx

[Maza]

Another 'local festival' today for celebration.
Shrove Tuesday was a big town celebration when I was growing up - many shops and schools closed at least for the afternoon. The shrove bell would ring at noon , and everyone would head for the beach - and skipping would replace cars the whole length of the foreshore. Long rope from one side of the road to the other , from the Spa all the way to the harbour. I haven't been home on shrove Tuesday for many years and don't know if it is still as big a day - I suspect not as shops and schools wont close so readily any more. Maybe LoocyLoo is the best one to let us know.

So today as well as pancakes to eat and play ( lots of frying pans and cardboard disks on the outdoor kitchen!) , Ive unearthed all our skipping ropes and we will have a go...There are also hand bells on the patio....
Now I admit this means nothing to the children as I now live a long way away - but they benefit from hearing about special days from my childhood , and what chidren enjoy in other places , and you know what , I enjoy it...and sometimes one of the joys of being self employed is that I can do things for myself too!!!

Don't you find that kids just love listening to stories about when we were little? My daughter often asks me to tell her about my own childhood! Gosh, mama2three, your memories sound fantastic! I think that any festival we mark, if it comes from our heart, is such a rich experience for everyone involved. x

[loocyloo]

:-) well ... skipping and skipping ropes as far as the eye can see!
Hundreds of people watching and skipping of all ages.
Beautiful day with clear blue skies. The beach is full as well.
Thank you mama2three for mentioning it :-)

Oh yes ... in celebration of national chip week ... we had chips on the beach with our picnic ;-)

Tried to add photo of sky and dd skipping (do have lovely photo of mindees but can't put them on! ) but can't rotate them!

[smurfette]

Looks fantasic! I love spontaneous one off things like that .. Little ones must be delighted !

[mama2three]

Im sooo jealous. .but glad you've had a great day.
But the Futurist looks so sad..:(

Weve had a really lovely sunny spring day at our local National Trust Country park instead.. and only a 10 minute drive!!

[Maza]

With all the talk about Halloween recently it made me want to re-read this thread from last year - it's one of my favourite threads!

I did see a little bit of the interview that Claudia Winkleman did where she talked about her daughter's accident. Heartbreaking. Such a brave neighbour that she had. x