Tag: fun

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5 Easy Craft Activities For Kids This Easter

1 – Real Deal Easter eggs

Easter eggs don’t have to be all about chocolate! Making your own eggs and decorating them yourself can be equally as fun. This is a great activity to do in the lead-up to the Easter long weekend. Set yourself up with a few basic craft supplies and a bundle of fresh eggs and your kids will love the experience of it.

Here’s what you will need:

  • 4-5 fresh eggs (keep in mind, you may lose a fewJ) 
  • Large sewing needle
  • Thin straw or plastic syringe
  • Craft supplies for decoration: paint, glue, sparkles etc
  • Note: if you are making a large quantity of home-made eggs, it might be worth investing in a professional egg-blower. This can be purchased for roughly $20.00 on ebay.com

Directions:

Start by piercing two holes – one at the top, the other at the bottom of the egg – using the large sewing needle. Dip the needle into the egg to break up the yolk, then place the straw through one end and blow out the contents. You can also use a syringe or a professional egg-blower to save time. Follow by adding water and rinsing out any remaining contents.

Next, decorate your eggs! Use a combination of paint, glue and sparkles to make any assortment of beautifully crafted home-made designs.

2- An Easter Nest

With all these beautiful eggs, you will need a place to store them. A nest is a great project for young kids – it can be collated from various objects you find in your backgarden or local park. Start by using a plain cardboard or plastic box (this can be an old cereal packet, a yoghurt container or even the flat top of an egg carton), then collect together some twigs, leaves, feathers and craft glue. Stick the twigs onto the box using glue, then add the feathers and leaves on top. This is a beautiful way to present home-made eggs as a gift.

3 – Stained-Glass windows in the spirit of Easter

Easter stories and traditions can be told through pictures as well as books. Try making your own stain-glass windows using cellophane and cardboard, the end result can be quite spectacular… even if you are using basic shapes and colours with younger children.  

 

What you will need:

  • Cardboard
  • Cellophane
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • String

Directions:

Start by cutting out shapes in the cardboard – it can be any type of geometric pattern; eggs, bunnies, or even some basic squares and triangles. Stick the cellophane on the back of the cardboard using scissors and glue, then hang the cardboard from the top of a light-facing window.

 

4. An Easter-tree

Easter trees are a beautiful way to display your eggs and Easter cards from the holiday season. Collect some large branches from your back garden or local park and place them in a large and sturdy vase.

Use some brightly-coloured wool or thick string or twine to join together the branches and keep it firmly grounded in the vase.

From the tree you can hang your eggs, cards and any other decorations that you have collected over the Easter holidays.

5. An Easter treasure hunt

One of the best ways to create excitement over the Easter long weekend is a traditional Easter hunt. But instead of chocolate and treats, try to focus on old-fashioned clues, tips, maps and some tiny, non-edible treats. Use your Easter-tree as a starting point, then layer clues around the house. The kids will love the problem-solving nature of the hunt, and it can be a talking point for weeks to come. 

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4 Fun Ways to Keep Your Dog Active Indoors

Games

Most dogs love games and ‘Find the Toy’ will quickly become a favourite. Ask your dog to sit and stay (you might need someone to hold them initially). Make it easy for your dog at first, by allowing them to watch where you ‘hide’ a favourite toy, so they can easily retrieve it when you enthusiastically ask them to “find the toy!”  Repeat these steps until your dog clearly understands the command. You can then gradually make the game more challenging by hiding the toy in different locations around your house.  Remember to start with the toy being partly visible so it’s easy to find and, as your dog becomes more confident, hide the toy in more difficult places, such as behind doors and under cushions.  A squeaky toy will help stimulate your dog’s interest and be sure to make the game exciting by encouraging them to run back to you with the toy when they’ve found it. Alternatively you can play ‘hide and seek’ with your dog by hiding yourself and encouraging the dog to find you.

Trick training

It’s fun having a dog that can do tricks and it can surprisingly easy to achieve. Always use hand signals and rewards and only attempt to teach only one trick at a time. Start off with something simple like ‘shake’ or ‘roll over’.

Toys

Dogs love all sorts of toys, particularly squeaky toys and chew toys. Interactive toys are designed to keep dogs entertained by dispensing food when moved in a particular way. Other simple toys can be filled with a small amount of food or peanut butter, or something the dog considers a tasty treat.  Most dogs are happy to spend hours trying to get every last bit of food out of the toy.  Make sure all toys are safe, especially if your dog is playing with them unsupervised.

Training

Get your dog focused with some indoor training.  Not only will this stimulate your dog and keep them occupied, it will improve the dog’s response to your commands.  Start off with the basic ‘sit’, ‘drop’ and ‘stay’.  Then progress to ‘heeling’ your dog around the house, using food rewards and commands to guide them to walk exactly beside your left leg. Make some tight right hand turns so the dog has to move around quickly to stay alongside you.  Then try some tight left hand turns where the dog will be almost stationary as you move around them. Keep training sessions short and sweet and you’ll be surprised how quickly your dog will respond.

Wintery weather is no excuse to let your dog become inactive. With a little creativity you’ll find that you can still give your dog the daily exercise they need, and it will be fun and rewarding for both of you.