Nina’s Paint Pod

21/05/2020

🧊 Nature Ice blocks 🌷

A great little activity for a hot day... and completely free!

When our for walk, take a basket and collect as many items from nature as you can - feathers, pine cones, twigs, flowers etc.
When home, pop all your items in a bowl or Tupperware, cover with water and place in the freezer. Once frozen, place outside with some wooden hammers, spoons and calpol syringes and a bowl of warm water. Ask your child to “free the natural items”.

This kept my kids entertained for ages!

14/05/2020

14/05/2020

🎭 Recycled Theatre 🎭

We loved this little project, completed over a week. I would suggest doing this project in 3 steps:
1. paint and decorate box (theatre)
2. make a puppet of your choice (or several!)
3. paint a background of your choice

You’ll need:
* Box
* Paint
* Stick
* Glue
* Piece of material for the curtain

See photos for step by step process.

This is a great project for using your imagination, decision-making, prop-making (so many skills involved!) and of course... drama! We had lots of fun role playing with the various characters we made.

04/05/2020

📦 Put your recycling to good use! 📦

Big cardboard boxes are so versatile. So many fun possibilities ....

This time I decided to keep it simple so that I could take a backseat and let them get on with it. Again, great for siblings to get stuck in together (my daughter clearly won the house colour fight!).

Tip: We completed ours over the course of a week. As soon as I saw them get restless, we decided to stop and pick it up a day or so later. This has always been my motto as it is supposed to be fun and not a chore. Maybe this is why I have about 8 different projects going on around the house at one given time. 😱

27/04/2020

🚙 Toilet roll car park 🚗

Rolling in toilet rolls? Put them to good use and create a multi-coloured car park.

My son loved counting and sorting his cars by colour - I even got him to write his numbers down, which is normally a struggle! You could try making a tally chart or introduce addition and subtraction by removing or adding new cars.

22/04/2020

⭐️ Clay hangings 🌈

Another great little craft for all ages!
We love the DAS air dry modelling clay for its simplicity.

Method: Simply remove from packaging, mould and sculpt, allow to dry (super quick if left in the sun) and finally paint. Tip - make sure to make your holes for hanging before the clay dries.

The creative options are endless, here are a few of our pieces for inspiration. The final piece (photo not very clear) was a gift for a friend which we left on their doorstep. We used letter stamps to imprint their name on the clay before drying and painting.

20/04/2020

🔍 I-Spy Binoculars 👁

Are you... playing I Spy? Bird watching? Nature spotting?

If so, these binoculars will be the perfect resource for you...

You’ll need:
2 x toilet roll
Tape
Paint/ pens/ crayons
Wool
Optional: sequins, pom poms, buttons

16/04/2020

🤗 Virtual hugs 🤗

I saw this idea online and fell in love with it immediately. Draw a hug and send it to friends and family (we took a photo and sent it on the phone, rather than the post). So simple, so thoughtful, such fun and great for all ages!

You’ll need:
- A roll of paper (or tape paper together)
- Pen
- Paint

Simply get your child (or yourself!) to lie down on a piece of paper and draw around them with a pen. Stand up and paint! This could be completely abstract or realistic- leave it to the artist to decide! 👩‍🎨

14/04/2020

⭕️ Shape wall hanging ⭐️

You’ll need:
Sticky back plastic
Tissue paper
Pipe cleaner or wire (for hanging)
Optional: beads, feathers, sequins, wool, muffin cases

Simply make a collage out of all your shapes on some sticky back plastic. Place another piece of sticky back plastic on top and rub. My eldest decided to make her hanging symmetrical, whereas my 3 year old went for a more random approach! Attach the wire or pipe cleaner to hang your collage from (thread on beads if you have any).

That’s it.... so simple and great for all ages!!

07/04/2020

🌷 Easter Printing 🐰

So simple. So effective. I love this little activity for all ages.

You’ll need:
Cardboard
Glue
Scissors
Paint

Simply get your child to draw and cut out a design on some cardboard (you may have to help cut out the image for little ones as cardboard can be quite tough to cut). Stick onto a cardboard square, apply your paint and go ahead and print!

Tip: press/rub down hard on the cardboard to get a clearer print.

05/04/2020

🐟 The Aquarium 🐠

An oldie but a goodie!

You’ll need:
Toilet rolls
Cardboard box
Paint
Glue
String/wool
Sequins (not essential)
Beads (not essential)
Googly eyes

See photos for step by step method.
As ever, this is just our version and is only here to serve as inspiration. Obviously, your child will have their own ideas about what colours they wish to paint the fish, for example.

We popped some stones, shells and sea creatures in, which led to some lovely conversations and play.

01/04/2020

📦 Giant junk modelling birthday cake 📦