Monday, August 24, 2015

Creativity is intelligent having fun!

...you nailed it Sir Einstein!

Fingerprint Art by Iesha, 5.

Dice Counting Games

These are perfect maths games for preschoolers. Get all these and many more free fun dice games here.  Make sure your preschoolers win the games too! Here are some notes on why winning is important in preschoolers.

A Word About Winning 
Children take game playing seriously, so it's important that we help guide them through the contest. When a playing piece falls to a lower level, our kids really feel sad; when it rises up high, they are remarkably proud and happy, even if we adults know that it happened only by chance. Therefore, you need to help balance your child's pleasure in playing the game with his very limited ability to manage frustration and deal with the idea of losing.  

For 3, 4, and even 5 year olds, winning is critical to a feeling of mastery. So generally, I think it's okay to "help" them win. By about 6, kids should begin to internalize the rules of fair play, tenuous as they may seem to a child who is losing a game. So I am also fine with a 6 year old "amending" the rules to win if he feels she has to. I encourage you to acknowledge your child's need for special rules. At the start of the game, you might want to ask, "Are we playing by regular or cheating rules today?"

(Source: here)

Gold in the Pot 

Seashells on the Shore

Sprinkles, Sprinkles Everywhere!

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Monsterous Fun!

Children and cute monsters? They are best of friends. My girls are so scared of monsters they would simply frightened their wits out. We should not be so afraid of them, just because they are different from us. In fact, they will in turn afraid of us too, because we do not have fangs and scary shrill shriek. 

I know each child would go through this terrifying phase and no matter how much I told them they are not real, it just make them more upset. Maybe my method is not right. I may do it in reverse. I think I may just say that monsters/ ghosts are real. Maybe by just saying that, it may dismiss her fear. I should have try this.

Perhaps this cute monsters will do no harm to them. I make this cute monster activity for Iyra. She loved it. I also invited few of her friends (our neighbors) to have a try. Sofia, a 5 year old whimsical girl got so excited she honestly praised me "I never played this kind of game. Where did you get the idea Auntie?" It is funny when simple thing means so much to a little girl. 

These cute monsters were drawn by a bunch of talented Indonesian artists, but I am so upset I did not save the link. Anyway enjoy this bunch of cute monsters!

Cute Monsters

Make me, make me!

The monster maker

You got my horn wrong babe!

I'm a gween monshter.

My horn, my horn!

I wanna look angry, not this.

I'm watching you!

I need a dentist.

Ga-ga!

Monday, August 17, 2015

I Wish I Can Download Food from My Smartphone

Pizza and sisters go hand in hand. 

Pizza, anyone? Just accessorize plain white bread with pasta sauce, sausages, cheese and mixed vegetables. Then baked for 2-3 minutes. 

The girls also made this easy choc sticks.

Fun Mummy Activity

Last Saturday, we learnt about 'Zombies from Egypt'. The mummies are among the subjects they reluctant to learn about. They feared the zombies will eat them up and turn them into kid zombies. They wondered how the zombies still have those dry flesh intact instead of bony skeletons (well, skeletons are the other subjects they unwilling to learn as well).

So I did this simple activity and explain later on this Egyptian zombies they terrified of. We then read two books on mummies and its process. I tried my best to explain as simple as it could be as my audiences are between 4 to 7 years of age. They simply love the activity and the explanation. It is so true that knowledge beats fear. Lol!

To make craft mummy, you need: recycled cardboard, bandage and goggle eyes.

Cut the cardboard into your desired size. Make multiple sizes.

Wrap the cardboard with bandage together with the eyes and hot glue it. 

Tadaa! Clearly we have Cleopatra in between Tutankhamen and Ramesses.

Here are some 'Mummy Notes' I discussed with my girls. (Sources are from here and few books).

  • What are mummies? - A mummy is the body of a person (or an animal) that has been preserved after they died.

  • Who were the mummies? - They were any Egyptian who are rich and could afford to pay for the expensive process of preserving their bodies for the afterlife. 

  • Why did the Egyptian makes the mummy? - They believed in life after death. They believed that they had to preserve their bodies so they could use them in the afterlife. 

  • What is the afterlife? - The ancient Egyptian believed that they after they died, they would make another journey and have a new life.

  • How was the mummy made? - It used a chemical substance. The process took a long time, roughly around 70 days. They would take out the brains through the nostrils. The body was washed out and the organs were removed from the body. Only the heart was not removed. Then they fill with lots of chemical substance (I did not go too details on the scientific/ chemical information). Then the body was put into the coffin).

  • Why did the leave the heart in the body? - The ancient Egyptians believed that heart is the center of intelligent and emotion.

  • What are canopic jars? - The jar to put all the remains of the mummy.

  • Where were the poor Egyptians buried? - The poor were buried in the sand. Only the rich Egyptians were buried in the tombs.

  • Where were the pharaohs buried? - In the tombs called pyramids. (Iris and Iesha went 'Oohh' with this info. Now they knew what pyramids were for).

  • Why did the ancient Egyptians build pyramids? - The Egyptians believed that if the pharaoh's body could be mummified after death the pharaoh would live forever. The tombs were designed to protect the buried Pharaoh's body and his belongings. 

Remove brain through the nostrils?

I am planning to have further discussion with the girls about the pharaohs who have been mummified. Specifically on pharaoh who slandered Musa (AS). I fascinate the idea of relating the subjects with verses from Al-Quran. I feel so right whenever my girls jumped in awe "Ooh, Allah knows everything eh? That means, memang betul-lah Allah yang tulis Al-Quran!" I feel so right. :)

Maybe tonight I will discuss this verse about mummified pharaohs with the girls:

"What, now! When previously you rebelled and were one of the corrupters? Today we will preserve your body so you can be a Sign for people who come after you. Surely many people are heedless of Our Signs." - (Quran, Surah Yunus, verse 91-92) (Please Allah, make us easy to understand and ponder on your words! Thanks in advance!)


Thursday, August 13, 2015

Popsicle Matching Game

I made this matching game for the road trip back last Raya. As a mother-cum-driver for 6 hours extremely tiring journey, I need to think of some road trip hacks/ activities. Normally we just chatting, listening to our favorite track - Escape the Pina Colada song by Rupert Holmes and Yellow by Coldplay (Iris's fave song), fighting, eating, reading, acting, staring at each other, fighting (again), pondering upon Allah's clouds, birds, skies, trees, fighting (again), Q&A session (like forever), and fighting. 

However, I forgot to bring this matching game cards for our Raya trip. I gave these cards to Iyra last night for her to play. Clearly it was too easy for her (she's 4 now) and she only finished three cards and left the other cards undone. She only concerned to put the stick perfectly right onto the card, which was good for her motor skill. I also observed she will pick yellow first. What's with yellow? Is she gonna be an astronaut? 

Source for the card here.

To make it more challenging, make this as one of "Minute to Win It" games. Use this rocket timer for more fun!



Monday, August 10, 2015

People Play Dough Play Mat

No-cook play dough recipe:

1 cup of flour
1/2 cup of salt
2 tbs of cream of tartar
1 tbs of oil
Food coloring
1 cup of boiling water

Directions:
  1. Mix all ingredients except the boiling water into a large bowl.
  2. Add the boiling water and mix well. Be extra cautious with the hot water.
  3. Mix well until the mixture well combined.
  4. Make a well combined play dough into a ball shape.
  5. Make a divot in the center of the ball and drop food coloring.
  6. Fold the dough over until you achieve the chosen color.

Gather your bits and bobs. We got the play mat here.

 They started making faces and clothes.

 They had so much fun!

 Iyra's

 Iesha's

 Iris's

 Mine! (Who can resist this awesome activity?)

Little Mermaid Clothespin Dolls

"Why do mermaids have tails?"
"Why do mermaids wear sea shells as bras?"
"What are they? Human or fish?"
"Can I be a mermaid?"

That are some of serious mermaid questions by my little girls, especially Iyra, the youngest one. They love the idea of a human who can freely swim in the ocean (without worrying to breath in the water). They also cherish the idea on how these sea princesses mysteriously appear on sea surface and swim away when seeing a human (Iesha can relate to this as she is a bit of a shy girl).

All of them have requested a real fabric mermaid tail, but I am no good with needle and thread. So instead, I made another simple mermaid activity. We made little mermaid clothespin dolls! They were delighted and played with their dolls for hours!

 Materials needed to make clothespin mermaid dolls: Straight clothespins, embroidery floss, acrylic paints, glittery foam card and Sharpies.

 I also encouraged them to recycle their old box and other things.

 Mermaids take shellfies!

I left them with their mermaids and was surprised with their cheeky ideas. Their mermaids have partners! :P

Iris's 

 Iesha's

Iyra's

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

A Piece to Remember

Bapak, Mummy and Iyra by Iyra on June 2015

Our Patchwork Elephant Friend

Who doesn't love Elmer? Elmer is a bright-colored patchwork elephant who is the happiest elephant on earth! He loves humor and makes his other ordinary grey friends laugh. It is great to discover this adorable character by David McKee with my girls. Elmer always keeps his jungle community in cheerful mood just like his vibrant-colored patchwork  body. We decided to make our Elmer a real one. 

Material needed: White card stock paper, water color, goggly eyes and cube sponge (we got it at Daiso)

Sketch an elephant body 

Dip the sponges into the paints. Then stamp rows of squares on the paper.

Let dry. Once the paint has dried, cut the elephant shape and glue the goggley eyes on it.

They were so proud with their patchwork friends, they found the best place to hang them-the reading nook.

Iyra's

Iesha's

Iris's