These are biscuits which I regularly make with my children. I have tried many different biscuit recipes but these are our favourite as they make tasty biscuits that the children will actually eat – not just lick the icing off!

Ingredients

• 175g Self Raising flour
• ½ tsp bicarbonate soda
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 50g butter
• 3 tbsp golden syrup

 Decoration

• 50g icing sugar
• 1 tsp water
• Sugar decorations

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5
2. Lightly oil 2 baking sheets
3. Melt butter and syrup together in pan and pour over all dry ingredients
4. Mix together well and use hands to form into a dough ball – be careful at this stage as the mixture can be hot so allow to cool before children touch.
5. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to approx 5mm thickness
6. Cut out shapes and bake in oven for approx 8-12 minutes until lightly browned
7. Allow to cool fully then decorate

Popularity: 3% [?]

Paper plates have to the number 1 item to have in your cupboard this summer for those ‘I’m bored’ moments or the second wet day on the run. They are cheap, last for ages and have endless possibilities………..hopefully you will have tried out some of the ideas in Part 1 and are ready for some more ideas……..

1.       Mask

Again this is an obvious idea but has so many possibilities. Even the very young children can draw a basic face and as they get older these can be more sophisticated. You can have wool for hair, comedy ears and even add hats etc. If the children have friends over you can suggest a theme or a film or book which all the masks have to be made from and then use in a play – they may need some help cutting eye holes out.

 2.       Hand puppets

• Rabbit – this is a really simple but clever one. Cut a small horizontal section from the bottom of 2 plates (approx 2cm) and put to one side. Turn the plates with right sides together so the raised sides are together. Insert the cut off sections in the top and staple all round curved edge. You should now have a rabbit shape which you can put your hand inside.
• Humpty Dumpty – simply cut a section off the bottom – you can also add folded paper legs.
• Octopus or jellyfish – as for Humpty Dumpty but add 8 legs of some strips of paper
• An owl – smaller ears, big eyes and maybe some real feathers
• Cat – make the ears more pointy and add whiskers
• Dog – cut the ear sections off more rounded and add pointing down.

 3.        Moving mouth puppets

Put 2 plates together on top of each other and staple around half the edge. Then fold one plate forward and the other back. This then provides a slot for the hand and the thumb works the underside. Animals which work well for this are lions, frogs and monkeys!

 Have fun and please post any pictures of what you have made!

Popularity: 3% [?]

Paper plates have to be the number 1 item to have in your cupboard this summer for those ‘I’m bored’ moments or the second wet day on the run. They are cheap, last for ages and have endless possibilities………..

1.       Favourite food

Probably the most obvious and simple idea. Simply get them to draw their favourite food. If they do several you can keep them and open a cafe!

2.       Snake

Simply cut from the edge of the plate in a spiral towards the middle. When held up from the middle will make a snake which spirals down and can be hung from the ceiling. Younger children can decorate and older children can add some writing.

3.       Crowns

This one does need a little bit of preparation but not much. In the centre of the plate draw 3 lines which cross through the centre evenly spaced out in the centre area. Then with scissors put a whole in centre and cut along each of the 6 lines. Gently bend these triangles so they point up and you have your crown. (You may need larger paper plates for older children so they fit on their heads.) Simply colour in or go the whole hog and add feathers and jewels etc. 

4.       Pirate pouches or princess purses

This is very straightforward idea and great if you have both boys and girls. Simply cut a plate in half – put the two halves together with the right sides together and staple along the curved side. If you have ribbon or string add to either end of the straight edge to allow it to be worn or carried. Boys can go for a pirate or explorer theme and most girls need no excuse to make something pretty or pink or princess themed. Once they are made and decorated extend the fun with a simple treasure hunt to gather up silver foil money, sweets or other things hidden around house or garden.

In fact we have so many ideas about what you can do with Paper Plates, there will be Part 2 posted next week! Please add your own ideas in the comments if you have any and we will include them in Part 2.

Popularity: 4% [?]

How about a little creative cookery to get the summer holidays off to a good start?

Team Whole Grain is running a fun competition which you can involve your children in and where the winner gets a trip for two to Lesley Waters’ Cooking School in Dorset. And all you need to do is design a recipe that tastes great and is healthy, involving your favourite cereals.

The competition is really simple.

1. Create a recipe including a whole grain cereal from Nestle. Options include Cheerios, Shredded Wheat, Shreddies and Oats & More. A full list can be found at the Team WholeGrain website at www.wholegrain.co.uk.
2. Write up the recipe and email it to teamwholegrain@mslworldwide.com.
3. The deadline for entering the competition is the 31st of July

Popularity: 6% [?]

I love all the school holidays – but this May half term is usually one of my favourites as the brighter and generally warmer weather is here and is a great time to have a fun relaxing week with the children before the last part of the school year. We tend to run out of ideas rather than time, but if you need a few pointers read on…..

Team Meeting 

I have got in the habit with my children of having a ‘morning meeting’ after breakfast (which as it’s the hols can be as late as 10am!!!!). This is a great chance to go through what needs to be done – or what they would like to do and plan the day ahead. This is very good for those ‘empty days’ as with a few suggestions from them the day soon fills with great ideas and everybody has some input. These are often the best days at home and don’t usually involve anything special.

Bikes

This is a great one whatever ages your children. Mine are about to have a week long course in riding without stabilisers (which I think may be followed by me having a bad back for a week!). With a whole week ahead without after school club, play dates and everything else I can ensure a whole week of daily practise to achieve this milestone – or at least start on it! If the weather is nice plan some bike rides locally, see how many different routes there are to cycle to the local shops, park or library or go further afield. Free fun in the fresh air – great for everyone.

Food

The holiday time is a great chance to let children chose, shop for ingredients and cook what they would like. If you have fussy eaters it is way of involving them and helping them along and for good eaters a great chance to try something new. The choice is endless – lunch, a picnic, cakes or even a family meal where each person cooks a different course or part.

Growing

This is the first year we have started growing some vegetables in the garden and so far everything seems to be going well – at least above ground! Children love to plant and grow things. It doesn’t matter how much or how little space you have you will be able to grow something. For really young children who need quick results an egg-shell cress head is a good place to start. You could have a family race with sunflowers or runner bean plants – whose will grow the tallest.  A window box, a planter or a hanging basket are all good for flowers, herbs or strawberries.  

And remember if we do have some wet weather check out our 5 Ways to entertain kids on a rainy day  and if you are just staying at home there might be something new to try in our 10 Great Garden Games for Kids . Anybody else with half term ideas – please comment below and share with us.

Popularity: 6% [?]

This week’s guest blogger is children’s entertainer Vicky Robinson of Entertaining Acorns. Having spent more than ten years working with children she now shares some of her top tips for organising your child’s birthday party.

Childrens Birthday Parties are very important, whether you have a small group at home, or a big event at a hall. You want it to be as fun for the child as possible and as stress free for you. So if you are new to party planning or just stuck for ideas here are some handy hints to help you on your way.

Planning the Party

1) The internet is your friend. Use google to get ideas and answer your specific questions.

2) What type of party? Magician, Clown, Activity, Themed, Craft, Playcentre… There is a lot of choice. Consider what your child would enjoy the most and what is within your budget.

3) How soon to book? As soon as possible! You will get things done with shorter notice. It will be less stressful and you will get exactly what you want if you plan two months ahead.

4) If you use a hall, visit it before you book! Check the state of the floor (no splinters). How clean and tidy it is? Is there enough space for the amount of children/type of activities?

5) Booking an entertainer? Here are some questions to ask. Whats included in their package?
Do they have experience with a) this age range b) this number of children?
Do they have a CRB and Public Liability Insurance?
What experience do they have? If they do games – are they inclusive (no sitting out)?
Let them know, what size house or hall and ask if they have enough room.
Make sure you tell them if your child is outgoing or shy. If you have a theme find out how they will incude this in their routine.

6) If you have an activity party make sure this is clear on the invites and ask for appropriate shoes!

At the Party

7) Have name badges ready and a table for presents.

The children will not arrive at the same time, so have easy games like duck duck goose, or stuck on the mud to start. For younger children leave out some balloons for them to play with. This way children can join in as they arrive.

9) Make sure the activities are age appropriate – consider what the children can and can’t do and what they are interested in. For example, what music is more appropriate? Chart music or Nursery Rhymes.

10) Consider breaking up the party. For example: 1 hour activities followed by 30 mins food and pass the parcel to finish. For older
children they can cope with a bit longer before food. For younger have it even shorter with a longer break, perhaps with a story.

11) Change the rules if you want to – If you dont want to have food included – then dont. Just make sure this is clear in the invitations.

12) Have two cakes. One cake for show and candles and one already cut up for the party bags.

13) Have something for them to make, they can take this home instead of a party bag.

14) Having a joint party? Its is great to keep the cost low. Really consider the interests of both children and include activities for both.

15) Only do things you find easy. You could share responsibilities with a friend and do the same for their childs party, or get the
professionals in. Just enjoy yourself.

If you live in South East England and would like Vicky to organise your child’s party then you can call her on 01483 331575 or 07722 334494 or visit her website at www.entertainingacorns.co.uk

Popularity: 6% [?]

The idea for this blog came about when I read Rosie Scribble’s hilarious post The Little Girl Who Thinks She Runs The Country. Turns out quite a few mummy bloggers have been interviewing their children lately, all with similarly amusing results.

Now my 4 year old quite frequently astounds and amuses me with the strange things that come out of her mouth – most recently telling a stranger a complete lie that she has a pet fly that she keeps in a jar with holes in the lid!! So I decided to sit her down and, in true Jeremy Paxman style, give her a good grilling. Here’s what we came up with:

How old are you?
4

How old is mummy?
26 (result!!)

How old is Grandma
37 (oh)

Who is in charge of the country?
I am (there seems to be a lot of this meglomania about)

Who is The Queen
You are (why, thank you)

What does Barak Obama do?
Builds houses (tee hee)

What is your favourite food?
Roasted Fox (too much Gruffalo methinks)

What is your favourite song?
Twinkle Twinkle Little Volcano (??!!)

Where do carrots come from?
Rabbits (umm….)

Where do bananas come from?
Monkeys (I sense a theme here….)

How does a car work?
By using its engine (quite impressive)

What do you like doing at school?
Dressing up (not very educational)

What does mummy do while you are at school?
Do work and drink cups of tea (pretty accurate)

Where do babies come from?
Houses (phew!)

Where does poo come from? (naughty mummy, couldn’t resist!)
People, dogs, cats and puppies (not bottoms then)

What do you want to be when you grow up?
A rock and roller (a fine ambition, more than happy with that)

If you have children, what names will they have?
Pantomime and Chaviana (WHAT???!!!)

What makes you happy?
Molly (her little sister – aaaahhh)

All I need to know now is where she’s getting her magic mushrooms from!!!

Popularity: 8% [?]

Halloween has become a massive event in the UK over the last few years, and the shops have been packed for weeks with all sorts of accessories, dressing up gear and decorations. This is all very well, but if you want to celebrate Halloween with your children, once you’ve dressed up, what can you actually DO? Some prefer not to trick or treat, and some may be too young, so what are the alternatives? I have hosted a few parties so here are some ideas to help you along with some Halloween fun with just your own or a room full of children……

1.  Pumpkin Carving – the most traditional of Halloween customs. There is such a variety of pumpkins available you could have a variety competition with different members of the family. I recommend an ice cream scoop as the best way to carve out (save the inners – see idea 4).  An alternative for younger children is to draw faces or use stickers on big tomatoes – equally scary & fun! Or paint paper plates orange and add or cut out features – can double as masks.

2. Spooky Play Dough – young children in particular love play dough and it’s easy to make. Just add black, orange, purple or green food colouring, some glitter and hey presto – you have lots of spooky fun! Homemade play dough is very cheap and simple and keeps for ages if sealed properly.

3. Pin the nose on the Witch – this is easy to make – get the kids to help draw and colour and your witch, then cut out a cardboard nose or use nose stickers and find a blindfold.

4. Feely Boxes– these are great fun – just keep a few cereal or shoe boxes, cut a hole in and fill with something. This can either be yucky and slimy (like the insides of the pumpkin) with objects in which must be retrieved or could be a selection of things that have to felt & guessed. With older children you can have a second hole cut in the back of one of the boxes and then grab the hand that is doing the feeling – a guaranteed screamer!!!

5. Alternative Apple Bobbing – I remember bobbing for apples, not only was it difficult it is also potentially dangerous with younger children, so I have an alternative. Core holes through some apples and thread through a string tied between two chairs – children have to go underneath and try to bite pieces out without using hands – good harmless fun and a sneaky way to get them eating apples – when I played this at my party we got through 10 apples!

6. Treasure Hunts –children love treasure hunts so draw/buy/print out pumpkins, skeletons and other Halloween items and hide them for the children to find. You can give each child a different set to find or make it harder by finding one of each.

7. Skeleton Races – -cut out basic skeleton shapes, skull, arms, legs, ribs etc – then have race to see who can put it together the fastest.

8. Ghoulish Grub – no party is complete without party food so try these:

• Witches eyeballs – marshmallows with a smarty on top
• Spider biscuits – split Oreo biscuits in half, drape liquorice laces across as legs then stick the top back on
• Use a cutter to cut out sandwiches in ghost shapes
• Make bat or pumpkin cookies
• Make a jelly and put rubber eyeballs or jelly worms in

Halloween can be fun and inexpensive, and doesn’t have to involve knocking on doors in the dark. If you have any other suggestions the please let us know.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Now my children are at school we have entered the realm of friends coming to play after school, and usually for tea as well.  So what do you feed them?  You want them to be happy, and to eat, and generally the obvious staple is fish fingers  or chicken nuggets , chips and beans . However I have been trying some alternatives which provide something a little more varied and balanced and will still please my own children who are very fussy eaters.

Here are a couple of quick, easy and tasty ideas:

1.  Traffic light pasta – make plain pasta (and this can have a cheese or tomato sauce with it) but have carrots, sweet corn and peas in it – easy, simple and healthy. Another variation on this is to make treasure hunt pasta – but a variety of veg/meat/cheese etc in bottom of the dish and pile with cooked pasta – get children to ‘dig’ for treasure and see what they can find.

2.  Spaghetti bolognese or carbonara, favourites with most children, are good filling dishes, easy to make and messy and fun to eat!

3.  Naan bread pizzas – I discovered these a couple of years ago – and even better the kids can make their own and they are ready in minutes! Buy some mini naan breads and get the children to spread them with a tomato based sauce and then add whatever they would like – so ham, cheese, chicken, sausage and half cherry tomatoes – simply grill for a couple of minutes and serve.

4.  Wraps or tortillas - I came up with this to try and encourage my own children to join in when we had chilli. Simply cut tortillas into thirds and give to children to stuff their own. Have bowls with chicken, ham, sausage, cheese, tomatoes, cream cheese, grated carrots, sliced peppers, guacamole etc, giving them a great chance to experiment – also messy fun whilst eating as can all be done with fingers

5.  Stuffed pasta - you can now easily buy large pasta shells which if you pre-cook can be stuffed by the children with a selection of the fillings suggested above, or you can make a selection for them to choose from.

6.  Presentation – it’s slightly gimmicky but fun to make ‘normal’ dishes more appealing by presentation. I have just done mashed potato volcanos with beans spilling out and halved sausages up the sides. You could also try  jacket potato pirate boats – scoop out the potato and mash with cheese and re-fill – make a ‘mast’ with slices of bacon or sausage ‘oars’ on cocktail sticks and a ‘sea’ of  gravy with some vegetable islands.

And let’s not forget puddings!

7.  Pancakes – easy to make and again very versatile with fillings – fruit, ice cream and yoghurt are always big favourites….and if you are feeling very creative make your own fruit sauces

8.  Chocolate dip – provide a selection of fruit – strawberries, grapes and bananas are ideal, or shortbread and marshmallows with cocktail sticks for dipping.

9.  Fruit kebabs or fruit salad – allow children to make own and help with the chopping as well – most fruits are easy enough with blunt/plastic knives.

10. Ice-cream – make an old favouite  more exciting with sprinkles, sweets, sauces, grated chocolate, chopped nuts, or some fruit if you’re feeling virtuous!

If you have any ideas for fun food for kids then please leave a comment – the more the merrier!

Popularity: 15% [?]

When the weather is good, getting out in the garden is one of summers pleasures. I am sure that most of you, like me, have a garden littered with an array of brightly coloured plastic toys, balls, bats, bikes, scooters, slides etc. However children often tire of their toys and are quick to announce “I’m bored……..”.  So to make the most of the good days we have in the garden here are some other ideas to amuse those bored with their toys!

1.  Water painting – an absolute favourite as it’s cheap and quick to get ready and has no lasting effects! Simply get an empty container of water and an old paint brush and set them off painting patterns, writing names or even a whole picture.

2.  Open Air Art gallery – works in a very similar way but using chalks. Allocate the children some paving slabs each do draw their works of art on then they can give you a guided tour. Washes away easily with water or the next rainy day.

3.  Be pirates – hide ‘treasure’ in a sand pit or patch of soil that is free for digging. The treasure can be anything from pegs to silver foil or sweets to real 1p coins. Award prizes for the pirate with most treasure.

4.  Go on a bug hunt – this activity is great for walking slowly and quietly round the garden. See how many creepy crawlies you can find hiding under leaves and stones. A variation on this is to go into the garden straight after some rain and see how many worms you can find!

5.  Fill it up – this is a game I remember playing at Brownies many years ago! Give each child a small container (a washed out yoghurt pot or similar) and see who can collect the most different things that fit in it within 5/10/20 minutes. A good game for older children to play in teams with younger children.

6.  Play camping – set up a ‘tent’ using an old blanket or sheet draped over a clothes airier, chairs or some canes.  A great place to have a picnic as well. Collect sticks for a pretend campfire.

7.  A big box – most children have fantastic imaginations and just need some help to get it started. Have a look in the garage or loft to see if you have a spare box, otherwise you may manage to find one at your local shop (supermarkets tend to flatten everything these days), and the bigger the better. It can become anything – a boat, a car, a space rocket, a shop, a castle – the variations are endless!

8.  Sports day – this can be as simple or as complicated as you want. Start with some simple running races, and then you can try a sack race (a decent bin bag will suffice), an obstacle course, skipping or even an egg (hard boiled) and spoon race.

9.  Target – again a nice simple one. Simply draw a series of targets or shapes on a wall away from windows and get children to aim at them with a ball. If you are feeling adventurous you could let them use a wet sponge or water balloon.

10.  Natural art – allow the children to collect leaves, grass, twigs, pebbles, feathers  and anything else they can find and then use to create a collage picture, pattern or sculpture – can be done individually or all together. Take a photo as a reminder of their hard work.

Once they have been introduced to something, children will often play it over and over again, so these ideas should ensure a busy and happy summer in the garden! And if you have ideas of your own please leave a comment and share the fun!

Popularity: 11% [?]

So, it’s School Holiday time again which means a change of routine, less hours available in the day to work and energetic children to entertain. This is no mean feat for any work at home mum and a situation made all the more tricky when the weather is bad. Living in Britain we should have got used to the fact by now that it wouldn’t really be summer without some rain! However when faced with a wet day and bored children,  it is very easy for tensions to rise. But wet days don’t have to mean boring days…..try some of our ideas for inside fun.

1.  Turn a job into a fun and have a bedroom tidying competition. The winner could choose a DVD  to watch in the afternoon, or have an extra story at bedtime.

2.  Cooking is always a favourite with children.  Pizzas are simple to make and tasty for lunch. For younger children just decorating a cake or biscuit is messy and fun. 

3.  Try a treasure hunt. This can be a simple list of items to collect or a full trail from clue to clue with some ‘treasure’ waiting at the end.  With young children who can’t read use pictures of familiar objects to direct them. With older children you can make the clues more cryptic. When we play at home I always ensure there is lots of running between upstairs and downstairs!

4.  Puppet shows are great way to pass some indoor fun and develop the imagination. Making puppets is simple and can be done in so many ways.  Draw, cut and fold paper plates,  add buttons or stickers to socks or simply print out  some pictures from the web and attach to straws. Set up behind the sofa or cut out a hole in a large box and you are guaranteed lots of laughter!

5.  Picnics are not just for outdoors, so have an indoor picnic. You are going to having lunch anyway so get the kids to make sandwiches, pack up a bag with all the food, lay down a rug, and pretend you are in a park or a sunny beach!

Mums are very resourceful, so if you have a good idea for a rainy day – let us know – and you could help save someone else from the rainy day blues!

Popularity: 5% [?]

When you first have a baby you long for the day they can talk. Then, as soon as they can you realise a) they never stop and b) there is now a very strong possibility they will embarass you in public by saying something toe-curlingly un-PC about someone’s size, gender, appearance or smell!

But the flipside of this ever present danger, is that every now and then they come out with nuggets of pure brilliance – little sayings that stop you in your tracks, make you marvel at the way their minds work and maybe even force you to look at the world in a new way. And sometimes they just say something that is SO random that all it does is make you laugh and laugh and laugh….

Take my 3 year old, for example. A week or so ago I was compelled to Tweet about something she had just said to me. She was running round and round the garden and suddenly shouted “Mummy, mummy, I’m faster than a PEANUT!” Excited as she was at the revelation, I couldn’t quite bring myself to burst her bubble and tell her that, in fact, MOST things are!

So, as it’s Monday, it’s muggy and we could all do with a giggle, please leave a comment and share any of your children’s finest moments – from the profound to the obscure, we’d love to hear your children’s classic quotes!

Popularity: 4% [?]

When I became a mum I never realised how much I would miss silence. From the moment my eldest came kicking and screaming into this world my eardrums have never been the same.

As any parent knows, the sound of a baby crying is like a siren and it does something to you – it forces you to react, respond and rectify whatever is wrong, whatever the time of day or night. At first the list of possibilities is fairly limited – hungry, tired, poorly or a dirty nappy. But as your baby grows so the complexity of their demands increases, along with their volume button!

Don’t get me wrong – I love my kiddies to bits – but they are bloomin’ noisy – and they don’t have an OFF button!! Children’s TV has become like Chinese water torture to me, along with my other pet hate – Electronic Toys! The constant repetition of phrases and songs worms its way deep into my subconscious until I find myself humming along hours after the children are in bed.

Then, as they grow older the noise pollution takes other forms – the continual chatter of the ‘new talker’, that incessant “mummy, mummy, mummy…” when they actually have nothing to say to you, the constant whining as you get closer and closer to bedtime, the arguing with siblings and that most dreaded of all words (when uttered at any volume) – “No!”.

And finally there is that one sound that makes any parents blood run cold – the high pitched scream that accompanies a public tantrum. All that rage and defiance bundled up into one spectacular hissy fit, designed purely to make YOU look like the worst parent that ever lived! 

I used to love listening to music, either on the radio or one of my numerous CDs, but now, on the rare occasion I find myself alone in the house I don’t play music or watch the TV. After a day of having my senses assaulted I wallow in silence. I give myself over to the pure, unadulterated pleasure that is noiselessness, because for me now, as Christina Rossetti wrote in the 19^th Century, “Silence is more musical than any song.”

Popularity: 4% [?]

My 3 year old daughter is now cutting out the middle man (i.e. me!) and has started putting her own works of art on display on the fridge. I no longer get a say in what gets to be displayed or ‘filed’ in the recycling. She finishes a picture and takes it straight to the kitchen, attaching it the fridge with our vast array of magnets.

How fantastic to have that amount of confidence in your abilities, to not need someone’s opinion or approval. To just know that what you have done is as good as it can be and that is enough.

We could all learn from this – as business owners and as parents.

Popularity: 3% [?]