Can you believe we are heading into week 8?! It’s not easy keeping your children entertained during lockdown, but you are all doing such an amazing job. Here is my weekly round up of my top ten lockdown activities, I hope these ideas help.
Number 1: Melissa & Doug Best Friends Magnetic Dress-Up Pretend Play
This is fast becoming one of the girls favourite toys! It’s such a simple idea, yet it kept the girls entertained for hours. Melissa & Doug are the masters of imaginative play and this Best Friends Magnetic Dress-Up Pretend Play is one of their best toys yet. It not only encourages children to get in touch with their creative sides, as they dress their magnetic dolls and their pet dog & cat in a whole variety of outfits and accessories, it also teaches them to share and play nicely with others. I brought this from amazon but you can buy it directly from their website too https://www.melissaanddoug.com
Number 2: Dinosaur Sensory Tray
Bella set me the challenge of setting up a Dinosaur themed activity and I of course accepted the challenge. I recently ordered this Grow Bag Tray for a plant and it’s huge (oops), so I am using it as a play tray. For this activity I made Moon Dust for the first time and it was really easy to make all you need is; 130g flour, 6 TBSP vegetable oil and food colouring, simply mix it together and voila you have Moon Dust. I also sprinkled cereal so that the Dinosaurs could stamp and crunch, gathered sticks and leaves and it kept the girls entertained for ages.
Number 3: Super Sorting Pie
I am a huge fan of this Super Sorting Pie by Learning Resources https://www.learningresources.co.uk it provides so many opportunities to learn whilst having fun including; counting, colours, division, sequences, fine motoring skills and imaginative play. I love the fact that both girls can play this together whilst learning different things. The tweezers are brilliant for helping to develop those all important fine motoring skills and the girls also like to play “shops”. Check out their website, they have lots of amazing education toys.
Number 4: Ice Cream Mix & Match Magnets
The girls loved making these Ice Cream Mix & Match Magnets by Baker Ross https://www.bakerross.co.uk They are so much fun and so easy to make. The ice cream decoration stickers are really easy to peel, so they make the perfect craft activity for young children. Flo felt that her ice cream magnet looked good enough to eat! Check out their website and don’t forget to use code STAMD15 to get a 15% discount.
Number 5: Simple Water Play
The weather has been so amazing lately so I have been trying to set up more activities in the garden. I filled the Grow Bag Tray with some soapy water, gathered a load of the girls animal figures and I gave them both a dish cloth each. They had so much fun washing their animals and Flo gave herself an early bath. This is such an easy activity and it’s really easy to set up.
Number 6: Sand Art
The girls were sent a Sand Art subscription box by Kids Bee Happy and they absolutely loved it. The three month subscription service includes six pictures, six sand shakers, ribbon and tools, there are a few different themes to choose from to and it can be delivered directly to your door. They are really easy to make, simply peel off to reveal the sticky backing, shake your sand onto the picture and voila. Check out their website https://kidsbeehappy.com
Number 7: Play Osmo
We are obsessed with Osmo its simply amazing! This hands-on virtual activity is not only engaging it has so many educational benefits. I love how it encourages Bella to think outside the box, there are so many different apps and activities to choose from including puzzles and coding, phonics and letters, maths and drawing and so much more. Check out their website https://www.playosmo.com your child will be able to learn whilst having screen time, which also helps to reduce the Mum guilt, always an added bonus.
Number 8: Unicorn Whale Ceramic Coin Banks
Bella really enjoyed this crafty activity and she managed to make it in peace without Flo sabotaging her masterpiece. I’m obsessed with Baker Ross craft kits, they take the stress out of arts and crafts and their kits never fail to keep the girls entertained. These Chunky Tip Markers are brilliant and they worked perfectly on ceramic. Check out Baker Ross website https://www.bakerross.co.uk and use STAMD15 to bag a 15% discount.
Number 9: Boredom Buster kits by Be My Bear
Just when I thought Flo’s Be My Bear Duck Teddy couldn’t get any cuter, the girls were sent a Boredom Buster Box from Be My Bear a couple of months ago and they had so much fun. The Boredom Buster Box only cost £9.99 and it includes everything you need to build your own bear at home including the bear, stuffing, heart to put inside and a t-shirt or outfit. The girls were recently sent an outfit each for their bears including this Princess dress and crown and a ladybird outfit including wings, dress and antenna’s. Check out their website https://www.bemybear.com and don’t forget to use Mamadoitblog when you book over the phone to get a discount.
Number 10: Magazine Subscription
The girls love it when they get their magazine from Redan Publishing Ltd https://redan.co.uk through the door. This subscription service makes the perfect lockdown boredom buster, it gives the girls something to look forward to each month and it gets them away from a screen. Sparkle Magazine is jam-packed full of girly fun, it’s also educational, there’s stickers and a gift each month, there are stories and activities, competitions and a 12 character work pad to be completed throughout the magazine. A three month subscription only costs £9.99 and it’s worth every penny, the girls love their magazines.
