Join us for our day of learning and fun!

We had exciting pockets of learning throughout the day. 

Xander was playing around my feet when I was cooking breakfast, with some animal magnets. I asked him which animal gives us milk, he picked up the cow and said moo. As he showed that he was engaged I asked him questions like, what animals live in the farm, in water, in the jungle, which animal gives us eggs etc until he was bored and wandered off.

Learning through play is just a question of building upon layers of information. Children's educational toys are resources which can be used for several years for different purposes. These magnets for example provide the following potential:

1) Identify the animal and their sound. 

2) Describe their features, roles, and produce. 

3) Where do they live, habitats and continents. 

4) Food chains. 

5) Drawing them.

6) The topic of magnets 

We also had a spell of workbooks and letter writing this afternoon. The tooth fairy magically knew about Sophia's penpals and very generously brought her some stationary and stamps for her two baby teeth. That's two letters down, four left to write this week. 

This activity is so great for their social skills, imagination, hand writing and letter forming skills. Friendships have a chance to grow and develop. I treasure my penpal days with my best friend from childhood. She helped keep me sane when I was in hospital.

Xander has been working hard on his drawing, all of a sudden the scribbles are turning into recognisable pictures. He wouldn't use paper obviously, he happily drew his first masterpieces on cardboard and a balloon. 

Early evening I was cooking (notice a theme? I'm often cooking when they're learning), and watching the educational chaos around me.

Kira was the 'driving tester', sat with an drawing pad and a star stamper. Xander was sat beside her in a cardboard box, holding a 'steering wheel'. On her command of green for go, he would shuffle off, he'd slow down at orange and freeze in his tracks for the red command. He had to dutifully repeat these commands. Kira was awarding him stars on his obedience and knowledge of commands.

One time Kira said 'Red', Xander went through a red light and 'crashed' very dramatically out of his car, lying on his back, still holding the steering wheel, legs up in air, shouting, 'Oh no I didn't stop!'. Kira stood over him holding her 'clipboard' rubbing out his stars saying 'You've lost all your stars for that!'. 

The day drew to a close with pay day magazines for each child, Xander, sat looking through his with me, completing the mazes and excitedly pointing out his favourite characters, as I read him the stories. 

The girls had Lego sets in their magazines, so they happily set up at the school room table to make up their mini figures and furniture to add to their Lego collection. Sophia also coloured in a horse and cut it out, practicing her scissor skills. As she sat there, tongue sticking out in concentration, she thanked me for her scissor practice book she received for Christmas, saying she could really see an improvement in her skills.

Children's magazines are really educational if they sit down and pay attention to the contents. There are puzzles, mazes, colouring, cutting out activities, spot the difference pictures and comics to read. They are expensive, however the amount of hours my children spend working through them make them worth while.