Interview with the kids

Last year I interviewed my kids. Click to view the original blog post.  I forgot all about it until today when I went through my old scribbles. I said I would do this again and now they are a year older it would be nice to see what they say and compare it to last year. Bare in mind that the kids are in a new school so they will have different friends.


Interview with Melissa age 7 and Victoria age 5:

What is your favourite colour?
M: Pink and Purple
V: Purple and Pink

Who is your best friend?
M: Alexis, Saffy, Chloe, Diana, Neha, Ava
V: Cara, Alexis, Enchante, Hoodo, Deenoo

Do you like your school?
M: Yes
V: Yes

What do you like best about school?
M: Having fun, math games
V: Playing with the magnets, playing with Cara and Alexis

What is your favourite subject?
M: What is a subject? Art
V: Art

What was your best thing(s) about Christmas?
M: Opening presents
V: Opening presents

What sort of work would you like to do when you are all grown up?
M: Scientist
V: Go to work on a train like daddy, Ice cream girl

Which toy is your best?
M: Furby, Meh Kah
V: Furby, Bee Bah, love my big teddy

What do you most like about having a sister?
M: Playing on the trampoline
V: Playing pillow fights

Questions for me:

No questions other than they like to have mummy and daddy around.

Valentines for Kids

Valentines in North America is very different to the UK. In North America it is encouraged that children love each other; it is all about friendship which I think is fantastic. However in the UK it is very focused on getting a date and how many cards you receive, very much a popularity contests; it is awful.

We are embracing Valentines by adding to a tree all the people who we love and are special in our lives. For my little lovelies I have picked up this five foot poster with heart shaped paper, you can add names to the paper and stick onto the tree. I can't wait to see what the kids put on it. I have already added to it to get them started.

New Year clean-up

I am trying my hardest to teach the kids to keep their belongings tidy and place them in a spot where they can find them. It is a battle.

However, here is one of my ideas, I would like to call it a solution but it will probably be a temporary solution, kids are notorious for being untidy and have time to play but not for clean-up. Besides, kids should be kids and not have to worry about these things too much but a little nudging helps. But when my girls do tidy their room they are spotless, I love it.

They have a an art desk with draws but instead of placing the art materials in a orderly fashion it is all displaced and spread over several draws. So now we have a paper draw, a pen draw and paint draw and materials draw and these lovely little pots are for easy access for everyday needs, $1.25 each.

Science and Engineering for Girls

My 7 year old daughter has shown an increased interest in science and how things work, my 5 year old loves to investigate and opening things to see what is inside. After a colleague mentioned a new toy called GoldieBlox which encourages girls engineering concepts I had to buy it as a Christmas present. Keeping a girly feel to the toy and designed in a way girls think and look at things, it is intended to get girls more into thinking beyond dolls yet it includes a toy dog and other characters. I think they will both enjoy it and I will post images and review more once they have played with it. 

I found these test tubes with experiments included that I think are great stocking stuffers for kids. My girls want to make snow so now they can and how your body can create energy which lights up the tube. Finally how sand can stay dry in water. I think these are all great products for girls who want to know how things work. All kids want to understand why things do what they do and girls more than ever should be encouraged to investigate. 

Instead of the usual dolls, kitchens (which they have) I think it is also important to mix it up with toys that are fun but they learn at the same time.

Pro D Day - Puppet and Theatre Making

Pro D day was spent at Port Moody Art Center, creating a lovely puppet theatre and puppets. The centre is lovely and has some very experienced staff. They have courses for everyone but I love the sessions for the kids. They really know how to get them creating and experimenting.

These are the characters for their stage. 

Arts and Crafts

The local art center, Place Des Arts, had a free lantern making open day for kids. They made lanterns and paper flowers and clay owls. It was a great afternoon spent creating.

Paper flower

 Lantern. Made with a bottle.

 Paper Lantern

Paper Latern

How to Make a Dancing Puppet

A dancing puppet

 Supplies: Glue, dole/rod, pipe cleaners, eyes, glitter glue, polystyrene ball, cotton wool or pom pom balls, wired ribbon. 

 Wired ribbon.

• With a pencil pierce a hole into the polystyrene ball. Insert the dole into the hole and securely place, you may need glue for added security.
• With the pom, pom balls glue to each side of the polystyrene ball to make the ears, or create hair, whatever works for you. Be creative.
• Add the eyes to the ball. Use a pen or glitter glue to add facial features.
• The piping can be used to create the arms, wrap it around the dole and tie at the back and glue to secure. 
• The wired ribbon acts as the clothing, cut a nice length of the ribbon and wrap around the body (dole rod), glue to secure.  

Share you dancing puppets :)