Easter egg craft for all ages-making activity by Olivia

We starting off with a big withe sheet of thin cardboard (if its too thick it will be difficult for you to cut later on in the process).

On one side of the cardboard we have drawn eggs in different sizes.

To draw the eggs make some egg-templates to draw around. 

If small children are going to do this activity its best to prepare the drawing of the eggs and templates in advance. The little ones patience, with this part of the project, might run out other wise...

Now start to decorate! 

Depending on the age of the people participating you can shift the decorating techniques. For a 4 year old and a 1.5 year old I chose paint, coloured pens and stickers. How ever the little ones draw on the big piece of cardboard It will turn out great when you are cutting out the eggs later on! 

When one side of the cardboard is done and dry turn it over and start again. But be aware that on this side no eggs are drawn so you can not decorate any specific egg - where your decorating ends up will be a fun surprise. For our 1.5 year old just painting again was the way to do it. The 4year old covered the whole new surface with negative spaces from left over pages of dinosaur stickers. If  you have plenty of time the kids can do this over several days. 

 When all this is done. Cut out the eggs. To be able to hang the eggs, make holes by punching or using a needle in the top bit of the egg. Feed a short thread through the hole and make a knot. Now you have a hanger for the egg. 

Now go out to your garden or nearest park and pick a bunch of loose twigs from 

the ground. At home stick them in a vas or pot. 

Now it's finally time to hang your decorated eggs in the Easter twigs!

Our 4 year old was very exited - "it's just like decorating the Christmas tree!"

(If you have the chance to get live twigs you can put water in your vas/pot and see the tiny new leaves emerge!)

Pass the parcel - by Printed Peanut for Donna Wilson

We have recently commissioned the lovely Louise Lockhart from www.theprintedpeanut.co.uk to make us our very own spacial edition pass the parcel game.  This is a modern version of the fantastic traditional party game - Pass the parcel.There are 10 layers to unwrap, each one with a fun forfeit to do if you land with the parcel in your hands when the music stops.

Louise gave me one of her parcels and we played it one evening at a studio get together and it was SO much fun. So this is not only for kids, but adults too!
the forfeits are really great, things like draw a moustache on the person to your left…. and name 5 vegetables in 10 seconds.  I won't give too many away as I will spoil the surprise!

These lovely parcels are available on our website: http://donnawilson.com/510-pass-the-parcel-game.html for £10.00 and I would recommend them to add some fun to any party what ever the age!

Little boxes - fun making activity by Olivia

Here's an idea for you -

Make beautifully decorated boxes with your little one -they love it and they are very useful!

 Step 1: Save some cardboard boxes from your recycling bin.

Step2: Gently open them up and turn them inside out. 

Step 3: Put them flat on the table and let your child paint or decorate them.

Step 4: When the flat "boxes" are nice and dry put them back together again preferably using a hot glue-gun. 

Make sure that the glue and the glue-gun itself gets very hot - definitely not when the child is around.

TADAAAAAAAAA

The glue dries straight away so very soon you have lovely "new" boxes to maybe use next time you have a gift to wrap! 

it's a nice day to bake a mud cake

This weekend it was so sunny in London, and for the first time ever we have a garden!

Doing anything in doors felt like a waste of this amazing sunshine, so we decided to make mud pies (and mud chocolate mouse, and mud hot chocolate)

 Eli and his cousins loved it, and it really brought me back to my own childhood.  I spent hours pottering about outside with water, mud, petals and grass for garnish!

 It made me think... do kids ever get messy these days? I think it's very healthy once in a while. It was really nice to see the kids using their imaginations, thinking about the ingredients they could put into their potions, using a cardboard box as a cooker, and narrating pretend cookery programs.... and not an ipad in sight!!

 This is a lovely little book which can help if your lacking your own mud pie ideas

a little sample of what's inside

So next sunny day... get messy!

Negative space - Kids activity by Olivia

Like most children my 3 year old loves stickers

To make our sheets of stickers last longer we use the negative spaces to create new stickers.

Cut up in any shape

Peel off and stick onto paper

It's fun to get your child to use their imagination and create a new image.

We have created a scene - a large tree with green leaves, snakes and big waves.

Follow the light- non messy making project for kids.

Cardboard box house with lights inside!

A super easy but effective thing to make ......

Eli is just over 1 now and LOVES lights and shadows , so once you have made this, switch off the main light in the room do the windows and doors really glow!

 You can make it any size- especially to fit any little toys you might have.

 This is is made from a pampers box turned inside out. you can make it as decorative or as simple as you want, but the more little windows ot holes you make in the box the better the light show!

Step 1: Find a box- can be a show box or a huge grocery box. if it has a lot of pattern, cut down the join and rejoin in inside out so you have a plan clean surface on the outside.

Step 2: Get a sharp craft knife- I wouldn't recommend cutting with a knife while your little one is around, and it's nice to surprise them once you have done this bit.  cut out little squares for window - you can mark out with pencil first.

Step 3: cut the door- remembering only to cut 3 sides leaving one edge as the hinge- you might want to score this lightly with your knife so it folds in the right place.

Step 4. get some Christmas tree lights and put them in the box... it's that easy!  

don't leave this unattended when switched on.

Tip: I leave the top open as Eli wants to take the lights in and out.

back to blog ... and instagram (it's easier!)

OK it's been a while! Sorry guys.... I guess I didn't quite realise how much my life would change after having a baby ! sounds ridiculous as everyone tries to warn you, but until it happens to you you don't believe them!! So juggling work and baby was tough, and now Eli is a WHOLE YEAR old, I finally feel a little more adjusted to it!

So I'm ready to do a few more blog posts, focussing on creative things to do with your baby/child.  I really don't want to see Eli glued to the TV or an iPad (every now and again is OK) but I am trying to encourage him to play and create and get messy.

At the moment he is very keen on getting messy, and not so keen on playing with his toys, but as with everything I'm sure that will change.  So here goes... I'm hoping to inspire you with easy and fun projects, some messy and some not!

in the mean time and if I don't manage the blogging part, please follow me on instagram @DonnaWilsonltd or Facebook or twitter and learn about work projects through my other blog : Leaves and twigs http://donnawilsonsblog.blogspot.co.uk