Indoor driving fun
We were hit by a ‘weather bomb’ on Saturday! I had never heard the term before and it turns out a ‘weather bomb’ is the name for very windy wet weather. I’m not sure why they just don’t call it a storm….Anyway I’m not a meteorologist but I do know wet windy weather means the kids are going to be stuck inside all day.
My husband is fantastic at making things out of furniture, blankets, pillows and anything else laying around the house. This weekend he put his building skills to use by making a car. It kind of reminds me of Fred Flintstone’s car. Its such a simple idea and the kids loved it.
Stephxo
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Japan — call to action• Black for a Kid’s Room
• Esthex Travel Collection
Le Petit Theatre des Ombres
This past weekend Coco, Violette and I popped round to visit a new little theatre school and children’s bookshop right by our house called Attrape Nuages. I totally recommend it if you live in Paris — it is super cute! We picked up a really cool little shadow theatre, which has been the sole source of entertainment in our household for the last few days. I actually hadn’t the faintest clue how a shadow theatre works, but it is such a simple idea! Who knew?
The theatre comes with all the bits and pieces you need to replay Little Red Ridinghood, even with a little flashlight. If you get tired of Little Red Ridinghood, there are refills for other stories. I am going to try and make some of my own characters and backdrops with some of the girls drawings, I reckon it could be a fun craft project…
Check out this little YouTube video to show how the whole thing works.
- Emilie
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Win! Les Tricots de Margot gift certificate• Cabbage and Flea — nicknames for children?
The Obliteration Room at the Tate Modern
This weekend we made it to Obliteration Room at the Tate Modern and my kids loved it so much they’re still talking about it. What a cool idea! The Obliteration Room is the kid’s section of the bigger exhibition by Yayoi Kusama — the dot loving Japanese artist. It started out as a completely white room and then they allowed kids to come in and place colourful dot stickers wherever and however they chose.
It was interesting to watch my kids with their sheets of stickers. My daughter stuck all the stickers on her face, my son kept asking to put them on the ceiling, and my oldest went around creating crazy cyclops monster faces on the floor. What a fun activity (it’s on until the 18th of March)!
x Courtney
PS – Photos above are from the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art in Australia where the project started. Aren’t they so cool?!
Yoga Pretzels
My kids have been greatly enjoying the Yoga Pretzels cards they got from their babysitter for Christmas. It’s so cute to see them bend in all sorts of curves, or trying to keep their balance. There are 50 cards, each of them giving a suggestion for a pose. There are, for instance, balance poses, stretch poses, stand and bend poses, and, most popular with my children, the partner poses (they need each other to perform the pose!). There are also cards that give breathing or relax exercises, or suggestions for games that enhance teamwork and creativity. It’s great fun, and especially 6-year-old Sara has been able to really relax after her yoga. Pim (almost 5) loves it too, his favourite pose, of course, is the ‘Warrior’.
Yoga Pretzels is available through Amazon (UK
xxx Esther
Ivoy Paris
When I found out I was going to have a daughter, I had this deluded idea that my child would only play with wooden toys and that there certainly would be no princess dresses in our house. Oh, how naive I was! Five years, two daughters and about 15 polyester princess dresses later, our dress-up box has become quite famous with the under fives on our block. And now we have a reputation to keep!
Now, it turns out that even in the world of fake princess dresses, there are cheap and cheerful models and, on the other end of the scale, there’s Haute Couture. The dresses by Ivoy Paris fall into the later category. The taffeta, the ruffles, the lace and the elaborate cuts of these dresses are quite spectacular. They are probably what little girls imagine a genuine princess dress to be like. They do come with a certain price tag, but this is truely the creme de la creme of princess dress-up dresses….
- Emilie
Kimono Doll Kit
I have just started to scratch the surface of my Christmas shopping list — how did I ever manage anything without the internet?! How cool is this Kimono Doll Kit as a big stocking filler? Coco, who is now 5, is really getting into sewing and I have been a bit hesitant leaving her on her lonesome with needles. (Possibly I am being a bit overprotective? As she herself points out: If you don’t let me do it, how will I ever learn?).
Anyway, this nifty little kit comes with a plastic needle, lots of pre-cut fabric pieces and other bits and bobs so she can go straight into crafting mode. Perfect for a post-Christmas chilly afternoon! It’s available from Alex & Alexa.
- Emilie
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Diesel Straight Leg Jeans from Mini Wardrobe• FlexiBath, the smart solution baby bath!
A baby play mat that’s modern and stylish (for a change)!
I remember how shocked I was with the playmats available on the market when my babies were born. I seriously didn’t know how fast I could hide them under the sofa once they were finished playing! Definitely not the case for mums who are the proud owner of one of the stylish mats designed by the cool girls from Deuz! Made from 100% organic cotton and full of energetic colors and exciting features like loops to grab, rings to hold and chew, and with a removable cover for easy wash-n-wear care, the Duez play mats will not necessarily need to leave the living room floor at all!
xxx Esther
UNO
We have been spending the summer in the fabulous French countryside. The not so fabulous thing about the French countryside is that sunny weather is by no means guaranteed. Temperatures can drop from 28 degrees to 18 degrees in a few hours, so it is wise to have some indoor activities close at hand.
My friend Heather came to visit up with a pack of UNO cards — a game I had completely forgotten about – and it was a total hit. UNO is perfect to entertain the over 5 year olds and their parents for hours. I love it when the whole family can play together!
By the way, I had no idea UNO has been around for a such a long time, but it apparently just celebrated its 40th anniversary! Available through Amazon (UK
- Emilie
Arrietty
I was super excited last weekend when I saw a poster advertising the movie Arrietty on the London tube. The movie was released in France in January, but I have been waiting for the English version to come out before writing about it. (Unfortunately if you are US-based, you will have to wait a tiny bit longer. It is only going to be released early next year).
Arrietty is the latest release from the famed studio Ghibli, known for Ponyo, Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service and many more. It is not as fantastical as the other Ghibli films, but it is one of the most beautiful animated films I have seen in a long time. My girls were enchanted by it and we actually went to see it at the cinema two or three times (it was January after all).
The story is losely based on the book The Borrowers. Arrietty and her family are miniture people, secretly living in a house inhabited by humans. They have stayed hidden for years, until a young boy discovers Arrietty.
I really recommend it — it’s great for kids and parents, just a little bit different from the usual animated movie.
Dinosaurs — do you love them too?
I never had much with dinosaurs until I gave birth to a son 4 years ago. Really, I didn’t get the buzz. I loved excavations, it’s certainly not that, but more the cultural kind — think Tutank-Amon and Nefertiti, Pompeii and the like…
But now I have a son. And now I know the difference between a Tyrannosaurus, a Stegosaurus, and a Diplodocus! (Sounds familiar? Do you have a son?)
For this reason I love Priddy Books — because Priddy Books understands perfectly well that boys are boys, and they like dinosaurs, tractors, and, well, dinosaurs. We love their Activity Books in our house — full of fun facts, stickers, and educational questionnaires. In fact, I’m going to order some more for the upcoming summer break — perfect to keep the kids entertained for the long journeys ahead!
xxx Esther
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• The brilliance of the SpringFree Trampoline• Bellieboo — sweet things from Japan
Beautiful art kits from KicoKids
My daughter Sara is an avid art lover — she loves to build, create, draw, and paint. From the moment she could hold a pencil in her hands she’s been drawing, and I think her baby sister takes after her — Ava also likes to hold a pen and draw already. Our 4-year-old son Pim however, is just now at a level where his sister was when she was barely three (remember this craft project?). He’s slowly gaining an interest in drawing. It’s funny how differently children do develop!
Anyway, with our upcoming camping trip in mind, I’ve given Pim and Sara each one of the cool Art Kits pictured above. These art kits are great — the canvas cover is bright and strong, the pencils are soft to draw with, there’s a sharpener attached and there’s a notebook with thick, coloured paper. KicoKids makes them, do check out their shop — such wonderful, creative products and fun concepts, and I can tell you — the quality of it all is great.
xxx Esther
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Yes, you’ve come to the right place!• Bibaloo for fabulous French finds
• Original Sprout Hair Care for Kids
How to draw a penguin – by Oliver Jeffers
Oliver Jeffers must be one of my favourite illustrators, so I got a little bit excited about this tutorial (via the Guardian) on how to draw a penguin. It is so simple, so funny and so charming that it even makes me want to start getting out the crayons!
I know nothing about drawing, so I love the breakdown of all the different shapes which, once you put them all together, make a lovely little penguin. Hope your kids enjoy this one as much as mine did. Happy drawing!
-Emilie
Dinosaur Cookies (fun boys activity)
My son Pim just started school (here in the Netherlands school starts at the age of four), and he’s still getting used to the whole ordeal. He’s really exhausted when he gets home in the afternoon, and I can see (and imagine!) that the whole thing is a big change for him. Getting used to the bigger boys, making new friends, learning to learn and behave…
Anyway, he needed a bit of special attention so he and I made fun dinosaur cookies when his big sister was away on a play date the other day. We got these cute dinosaur cookie shapes for him when we were in London last month, and we made and ate a whole batch of them. I used the sand-cookie recipe that I’ve written about earlier, and which is great because it’s easy and children can be very involved in the process. Similar cookie cutters are available on Amazon (UK
xxx Esther
Taro Gomi’s Play All Day
I love Taro Gomi’s illustrations and we’ve always enjoyed his books (My Friends, Bus Stops and Everybody Poos) so I was really interested when I discovered Taro Gomi’s Play All Day
It is cram-packed with things to make and pretty much everything you need is already in the book. There are more then 100 innovative ‘punch-out’ pieces for making games, cities, landscapes, sculptures, hats, finger-puppets, picture frames and all in Gomi’s distinctive style. All the ideas are simple enough for my 4-year-old to construct with a little bit of guidance. But what I love (other then the end result actually looking good — unlike our ’start-from-scratch’ craft ideas) is that all the ideas inspire play — we made the ring-toss game last night and once made my kids played with it for 45 minutes. It’s available from Amazon (UK
Mo. x
A high-tech classic
I don’t know about you but my i-phone is becoming an increasingly important tool in retaining my sanity as a parent. It now holds a dozen or so children’s Apps which get us through those boring, frustrating daily-life melt-down moments. As boredom levels peak whilst my 2-year-old is pushed around in the Supermarket trolley, I whip it out and let her paint pictures, guess the animals (in Peekaboo Barn or Peekaboo Wild which we wrote about here) or just blow up some balloons with the fabulous Balloonimals.
These games are perfect entertainment… but can a book work as an App? I guess you all know by now that I love children’s books and don’t mind telling you I was a touch conservative about the idea of a book being on my phone or i-pad. However Nosy Crow’s Three Little Pigs App has totally converted me and I’m now so excited what new technology can bring to brilliant stories. (more…)
William & Catherine fever!
I love a wedding as much as the next person but I have to say I must be one of the few who hasn’t quite got into our imminent Royal Wedding … yet, I’m sure I will. And maybe this is the start for me. I saw these in a card shop yesterday and couldn’t resist — the comedy photo opportunity was just too strong to resist. And looking online for them I realise there is endless fun to be had — a mini Brad & Ange, Cheryl & Simon or how about John Travolta and Lady Gaga? Available here.
-Mo. x
Funny Face Sticker Book
I have spent the whole day filing away a pile of papers that was approximately as tall as I am. It is something I loathe doing, hence I let the papers pile up. It does feel great though once the papers have dissapeared into their respective binders and order has been restored. To make the task slightly more pleasant, I popped over to Muji for some nice nutural binders and, of course, left the place with about 30 other things I had never planned to buy!
One of my new purchases is the brilliant coulouring and sticker book called Funny Face Sticker Book, which Courtney had introduced me to. This book can be a source of entertainment for literally hours. Lots of stickers, and shape faces, just waiting to be coloured in. I am stockpiling it for our next train trip.
-Emilie
Knitting set
I have been trawling the internet for presents as we have a ton of birthday parties coming up. I’ve decided I’m going to stock up on nice presents to avoid a rushed, last-minute trip to a random supermarket which always results in buying something cheap and nasty. During my research I came across this lovely knitting set by Moulin Roty for little girls, and have been completely seduced by it. It is so cute and old-fashioned. I wonder if girls (and boys) are still learning how to knit, crochet and sew? I remember making wonky little sweaters and dresses for my dolls when I was young– I was no Coco Chanel, but it was a great way of keeping me occupied for hours.
Found on the lovely french site Madame La Marchande, and I also found it here in the UK.
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Top things to do in Melbourne (part 1)• Free downloadable colour sheets from Made By Joel
Visit the zoo… from home!
Inspired by the rainy day project I saw on the Tokketok blog (via A Cup of Jo), I sat down with the kids this week to create a zoo scene! It was such a fun way to incorporate so many of their toys and interests. We used their Schleich animals
-Courtney
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Perfect pyjamas from PJ Basics• Camping: The good, the bad and the ugly
Mini cardboard theatre
Cute, this mini theatre! Especially since it features the characters of Little Red Riding Hood — my kids’ favourite fairy tale and one they know by heart (I do too). It features four adorable woollen little finger puppets and a cardboard theatre. What a wonderful little gift (and it comes flat-packed so it’s perfect to send overseas as well). One for the gift drawer!
xxx Esther
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Suga Candy Kitchen• Sweet, from Sweden: adorable onesies from Sture & Lisa
