Best toys

No 1 son has just had his 6th birthday.

I've been thinking about toys lately. We have far too many in the house, in our lives. Not that I don't agree with playing, I do. Playing is one of the most important aspects to a child's development and growth and as I have also come to realise, important for adults too. How else do we learn how to problem solve creatively, be co-operative, dream and aspire?

I'd like to record some of the toys/games that have been signicant to mine and my children's lives.

I hope it might inpspire you to play too.

The first I will tell you about is a peg doll. Literally a peg, with pipecleaner arms and perhaps some wool for hair.

I was about 8 or 9 years old, living in Nigeria. It was probably a gift from one of the other missionaries out there who thought I would benefit from such a thing.
I kept her in what I think was a pencil case, with some oddments of fabric, scissors, needle and thread. Whenever I got the chance I would open it up and stitch away, creating new outfits for her. I loved it.

It was my first introduction to design and fashion. I later progressed to knitting for my Sindy doll, then making interesting outfits for GCSE and A level Art, costumes in my degree and then working for Hayley J a bridal wear designer, where I got to do it for real! Designing wedding dresses and hand finishing them.

So if you are not sure of what to get a 8 year old girl or boy for their birthday, howabout making them a little peg doll kit. All you need is:

• An old fashioned wooden peg
• A pipe cleaner
• A pen to draw the face on
• Some wool and glue for the hair
• Oddments of fabric (if patterned use a design with small detail)
• Needles
• Thread (The plaited kind with lots of colours in it)
• Small pair of scissors
• Small pieces of lace and ribbon
• Small buttons
• and a Small box or pencil case to put it all in.

happy creating!

Fab book...

The Phantom Tollbooth (Essential Modern Classics)
by Norton Juster

I haven't quite finished it yet, but it is so good I had to tell someone about it!

It probably would be aimed at children age 12+. A friend recomended it to me saying `it changed my life'. There are not many books you read to which you can hold that claim. When I quizzed him further he said it made him look at things differently.

Without giving much away, it's the story of a boy called Milo who enters this strange world throught a phantom tollbooth. This world seems to be able to shed light on the quirks and idiosyncrasies of our world and the way we do things in an entertaining way. All I can say is please read it, it will change the way you view the world.

I think it will become one of those books that will be read, re-read and recommended in our household.

How to make virtually free or very cheap rugs!

A few years ago we visited a friend of ours and was so inspired by his funky and frugal way of carpeting his living room. He had got a load of carpet and samples and attached them together. I had a go doing it and got aching hands from the stitching. Recently I have discovered an easier way - hot glue!

So here is what you do...

• Get free or very cheap sample pieces of carpet from your local carpet shop (they have a clear out every so often when their neew sample books arrive)
• Lay them out in the pattern you would like.
• Plug your glue gun in, and make sure you have supply of extra glue sticks.
  
• Turn them over remembering to reverse the pattern.
• Holding pieces together as close as you can, run the glue gun down the join of two pieces.
• While the glue is still warm keep holding the pieces together and use the tip of the gun to rub the glue in.
• Keep gluing all the pieces together.
• When you have finished, it's worth waiting a few minutes to allow the last pieces to set properly.
• Place somewhere useful.

Things we say...

Holidays...

Just got back from a Christian family conference, had a great time. The children didn't stop playing from the time they woke to the time they went to bed. My one yr old was surrounded by a cloud of teenage girls who seemed to serve his every need and give us a nice break from his constant need to explore.

• I put into practice a tip that was given to me at the same conference last year.
• When packing the children's clothes, roll up the outfit for the day with pants and socks.
• Then either put them in a bag for that child, or lay them somewhere where they can get to.
• Encourage them to reach for a roll of clothes each morning when they get up, and dress themselves (dependant on ability and age of course).

It saves having to scramble to assemble a set of clothes each morning, giving you those welcome extra minutes in bed!