Weekly chat 7th November

[Mouse]

Hello everyone. How's your week going?

The weather was appalling yesterday so we had a cosy day indoors. It was a bit better today so we ventured out to the library. We're going to have another day at home tomorrow as I've got a new starter coming for a visit. Then it'll be out to toddler group on Thursday. That's the week covered

[loocyloo]

Well ... I don't work Mondays, but did my usual volunteering in school, and then went to the dentist to have a filling ( that was put in last week ) replaced as it had half fallen out! all good now. Yesterday we met up with friends, but 3 out of 4 of mine were tired and grumpy by mid morning, so home for bed!
Today I'm off as DD visiting a college she might attend next year and the rest of the week will be Remembrance Day based.

Good luck with your new starter. Hope it all goes well.

Stay dry and warm everyone.

XX

[Dragonfly]

One off ill this week and I sent another home yesterday with a temperature and generally off colour quite a lot actually. We have done a Remembrance Day wreath so we are going to take it to the memorial place today, in the rain no doubt.

Has anyone got the Christmas buzz yet? You know when you think not long until we do Christmas activities? Any bar humbugs on here? When do people start their Christmas activities?

[Pixie dust]

We have been caught in a few rain showers on the school runs this week which isn't helped when I have 3 under 3s so the eldest one toddles slowly up the road alongside the double pushchair, thankfully it isn't everyday.


We did some firework painting in Monday as the children were all talking about the fireworks they had all seen at the weekend, I know it's after the event but it had more meaning on Monday. We normally go for a walk to our local church and look at the wreaths that have been laid for Remembrance, we will probably do that next week as I don't work Fridays. What Remembrance activities are you all doing ? I have mainly 2 year olds at the moment .


I love Christmas, I always plan these great ideas then it's here before I know it and half of it doesn't happen I don't start any Christmas activities until December and I try to make it very child led and process based so it often doesn't look like how I wanted it to be.

[loocyloo]

I've started doing a little bit of something for an event (Halloween, fireworks etc) before it happens and then much more after, as it is still very much a 'thing' for the younger children. I only put the halloween sensory tray away last night,and have left out the firework one!

Remembrance i usually just make paper plate poppies with red and black paint. My schoolies made some poppies by putting a black circle and then bits of red tissue paper around it, inside a laminator sheet ... which we then laminated, and have ended up as part of a display at church! The other 'craft' i did last year was to give the children a sheet of paper and then the stamped/painted it red using big round stampers (bottom of cups, lids etc) and then small round stampers (corks) to put black dots on it! looks very effective, but i do find all remembrance craft quite prescriptive. We will pop to the church on Friday afternoon on the way home from school to have a look at the wreaths. (I've only got tiddlies this friday and it won't mean a thing to them if we go any earlier in the day!)

I have a lovely book called 'where the poppies now grow'. It's really too old for my littlies, but you can paraphrase the story, and the illustrations are lovely. There is a series of books. I meant to order 'peace lily' but forgot! (been a crazy few weeks!)

I haven't even started to think about Christmas crafts yet! I've got a load of clear baubles for the children to fill/add a photo and that is about it! I'm more about the process, so sometimes it is only the shape of the bit of paper that is ANY clue as to what it might be! I've got a couple who are obsessed with cutting, so i'll probably cut out a stocking shape, and give them a gift catalogue that comes through the door and some coloured paper and glue and see what happens! Each year we have a 'craft advent calendar' with activities for the schoolies (mainly) to do, and i was thinking about stopping it, but then I overheard them talking about it, and .... i'm going to have to do it again! Must remember to find my elf this year ... he was on holiday last year and only turned up at the end of term Not that my elf does anything other than sit on the table and watch!

[Dragonfly]

[LEF[/LEFT]

My Elf usually sits on the shelf haven’t got the time or enthusiasm to do anything with him.i think he can stay at the North Pole again this year!

My little ones do gluing on Christmas shapes like a stocking also and maybe foot/hand prints that I make into something as a keep sake, but actually they are to young to produce an amazing craft.the slightly older ones will like making some Christmas bits though from beginning December as I have a couple of term time only.

[Pixie dust]

Each year we have a 'craft advent calendar' with activities for the schoolies (mainly) to do, and i was thinking about stopping it, but then I overheard them talking about it, and .... i'm going to have to do it again!

That sounds like fun, is this something you make yourself as not sure I could come up with enough ideas

[loocyloo]

That sounds like fun, is this something you make yourself as not sure I could come up with enough ideas

Yes I use an old 'fill it yourself' advent calendar and put a slip of paper in each one. It helps i only work 4 days a week, and i tend to recycle the list of crafts from year to year! sometimes the same craft occurs twice .. to make sure i 'catch' all the older children. We do it when we get home from school, and usually its done and dusted within 20-30 minutes. I try and have ALL the bits needed for the month in a box, maybe in plastic bags so i can just grab relevant bag and it's ready to go along with glue/pens etc

Ideas are;
*Christmas cards ( i usually give them a blank card and an assortment of stickers/glitter/pens/stencils etc )
*Wooden tree decoration ( I bought a huge quantity of plain wooden blanks a few years ago, and they just cover them in whatever they like ... i'm rather partial to covering them in glue and then glitter! )
*Whatever our 'personalised' decoration is .. this year Baubles
*Paper chains ( i cut paper into strips and they use glue sticks to make paper chains )
*snowflakes
*ice mini gingerbread men ( bought from a shop as often don't get round to making any! )
*Angels ( a bit like this paper plate angel - Bing )
*stained glass window pictures ... either colouring or tissue paper
*pine cone decoration (pinecone with glue/glitter/pompoms etc) or sometimes we make bird seed pinecones for the trees outside!
*decorate a star - for the tree, for bunting, for the window?
*jam jar tealights ... stick tissue paper on a jam jar and add tealight/battery tealight
*Christmas songs & dancing
and last but not least
*Christmas colouring pictures and Christmas sticking !!!

[Pixie dust]

Yes I use an old 'fill it yourself' advent calendar and put a slip of paper in each one. It helps i only work 4 days a week, and i tend to recycle the list of crafts from year to year! sometimes the same craft occurs twice .. to make sure i 'catch' all the older children. We do it when we get home from school, and usually its done and dusted within 20-30 minutes. I try and have ALL the bits needed for the month in a box, maybe in plastic bags so i can just grab relevant bag and it's ready to go along with glue/pens etc

Ideas are;
*Christmas cards ( i usually give them a blank card and an assortment of stickers/glitter/pens/stencils etc )
*Wooden tree decoration ( I bought a huge quantity of plain wooden blanks a few years ago, and they just cover them in whatever they like ... i'm rather partial to covering them in glue and then glitter! )
*Whatever our 'personalised' decoration is .. this year Baubles
*Paper chains ( i cut paper into strips and they use glue sticks to make paper chains )
*snowflakes
*ice mini gingerbread men ( bought from a shop as often don't get round to making any! )
*Angels ( a bit like this paper plate angel - Bing )
*stained glass window pictures ... either colouring or tissue paper
*pine cone decoration (pinecone with glue/glitter/pompoms etc) or sometimes we make bird seed pinecones for the trees outside!
*decorate a star - for the tree, for bunting, for the window?
*jam jar tealights ... stick tissue paper on a jam jar and add tealight/battery tealight
*Christmas songs & dancing
and last but not least
*Christmas colouring pictures and Christmas sticking !!!

Thanks this is such a great idea I may steal it I only work 4 days too but I have one child who is with me all 4 days.

[loocyloo]

Thanks this is such a great idea I may steal it I only work 4 days too but I have one child who is with me all 4 days.

Feel free! Enjoy!