 |
Nicole is a mother of 5 and the voice behind the popular blog, Planning with Kids. She writes about many useful tips and advice about organising the chaos that comes with having kids, from recipes, meal planners and finding time for you.
One of Nicole’s biggest accomplishments is writing her first book Planning with Kids, which just happens to be one of my parenting bibles! Along with this interview today Nicole has offered a fabulous giveaway of her book for one of our learning4kids readers. When Nicole mentioned the Planning with Kids book to me as a giveaway with this interview, I was so excited because I knew that my readers would love it too! So, don’t miss out, it is definitely well worth a read with so many fabulous tips! This is such a great resource for parents!
Details are below on how to enter for the giveaway.
I am so thrilled to have Nicole from Planning with Kids as a guest interview today on Learning 4 kids.
What was your reason for starting up your blog ‘Planning with Kids’?
My reason for starting a blog was two fold. I had been out of the paid workforce for eight years and wanted to updates my skills to have a better understanding of the web. I was forever sending spreadsheets and recipes to friends when the saw my creations. Blogging seemed to combine technology and sharing perfectly.
How do you fit it all in? What would be your advice to other parents?
I don’t actually fit it all in. It is more about priorities and making choices about what I don’t do. I watch virtually no television – I haveswapped on screen for another! I blog mostly at night when the kids are asleep and on the weekends when my husband is home. Blogging is a part time occupation for me now, so my husband supports this accordingly, given me time away from the kids to complete the necessary work. If you have an activity or passion you want to pursue, plan for it. Get the family on board and allocate time across the week that you can have on your own, to attend the class or read the book or visit the library, whatever the case may be. You have to be proactive about this and once
you have the time use it wisely and be disciplined in how you approach it – don’t give yourself any excuses! Learning 4 kids is all about activities for kids. What are some of your favourite activities you have done with your kids? Two of my favourite activities to do with the kids are:
Recycled creations – we will often visit the Reverse Art Truck just before school holidays start and stock up items for our “useful box”. I let the kids choose the recycled items we bring home and allow them free reign with them once the school holidays start. They use the glue gun and come up with all sort of amazing creations that they can then play with throughout the rest of the holidays.
Inside camping – we don’t go camping anywhere as often as the kids would like. To make up for this we will have a inside camping trip. The kids can either use the beach tent we have or make their own from the house furniture and sheets. We let them sleep in there for the night and replicate camping type activities like toasting marshmallows – we dip them in melted chocolate instead!
What would be your best tip for making kids craft activities fun for parents?
Don’t over complicate or direct the activity. Kids have way more creativity than adults if given the space to develop and explore their thoughts. I like to provide materials and let the kids work out what the end product will be. For me the focus of a craft activity with the kids is not so much about what they have made at the end, but the process of doing the making – using practical skills like cutting, pasting, measuring, matching, designing etc.
If you would like to win a copy of Nicole’s FANTABULOUS book, Planning with Kids, this is what you need to do.Terms and conditions:
- Leave a comment here on this Interview Post with Nicole Avery, explaining what is your best tip for making kid’s craft activities fun for parents? ( Leave a comment can be found at the top heading of this post)
- The giveaway is open for 1 week only. Wednesday 30th November to Wednesday 7th December 2011. Closing at 6pm WA time.
- Sorry this giveaway is only open to Australian residents.
- The winner will be randomly drawn and contacted by email and if I do not receive a reply within 48 hours I will draw a new winner.
I think getting down on the floor and sit at their table with them and joining in, being creative along side them and making fun stuff with them. My 18 month old son can really make me laugh at some of the things he does, at how he copies me when we play together
Thanks for entering Monica….good luck! x
I think the best way to make playing interesting for the parent too is by showing and exploring things the parent loves. So, if you’re an arty parent, play by exploring different paint mediums or, in my case, I love wildlife, so Miss Poss and I explore the backyard for bugs a lot or make craft using nature.
Of course, I’m not saying to never play with a child about something your child loves but you don’t. When the play boredom that can come from time to time sets in, mix it it! Do something YOU love to do and share it with your child. It’s setting them up for how relationships work – a little give, a little take.
Thanks so much for the interview Janice!
Getting down to their level and enjoying them discovering new things does it for me:-)
Get on the floor with the kids, join in, and prepare to have a bit of a mess. Relax.
My kids and I spend most of our time at home out in the garden, we’ve made a pick and eat garden which they love working in with their little tools and now everything is starting to ripen they love to go shopping out there! Also playing any game with a ball keeps us all amused for hours.
Doing the messy stuff outside, usually on the lawn. That way you aren’t stressing about them glueing the cat to the floor or paint all over your walls. Worse case scenario, if they get filthy, you can just hose them off
Don’t stress about the mess, after all its supposed to be fun and learning for the kids. Do messy activities outside.
Hi, I think not worrying about the mess is the best way for me to enjoy crafts with the kids. Easier said than done sometimes…!
Just let loose and not worry about what you have to clean up. Have fun and make a mess. Remember they grow up quick!
I love doing craft with the kids, but cleaning up can be a nightmare. So having a set area for craft, with a mat on the floor to catch any spills of glitter, paper, etc makes tidying easier,and therefore the project more fun for the parents.
If you enjoy it, they will enjoy it so pick things that you will find fun and relive your childhood alongside your kids! x
Kate, Mum of William (2) and Sophie (7 months)
My daughter is only little so my experience is limited so far.. but I’ve found that a large old tablecloth on the lounge room floor makes messy play (soon to be craft as she gets older) much more fun for me as I’m not worrying about the mess
Getting down to their level and enjoying them discovering new things does it for me:-)
Organise activities that are messy to do but easy to clean up, then everyone is happy once they’ve had a shower.
Being able to connect with my daughter through craft activities such as play dough and painting is fun for me as I connect with my inner child!
Being able to spend with my kids is such a reward and privilege through craft and painting is fun for me, life is so precious and watching them smile makes me smile!!!! keep it simple that makes it more enjoyable.
Just get involved! There is nothing better than watching your children have fun, laughing and interacting with each other. It’s also amazing to watch how creative they can be. Such fun for them and me – especially when we get messy
Make part of craft time something you enjoy too, and if all else fails delight in their excitement.
be a bit silly
Quite simply unleashing your own inner child and getting creative with your little ones and worrying about the mess later!
I play games and make things with my 2 kidlets similar to what i did when i was a their age. I love playdough and blocks. They have so many new and cool crafty things these days which are so much fun even if you don’t have a little one.
We all love making a cubby as dark as we can, so we can bring out the torches and read books together.
Forget for just an hour about the clothes that need hanging, the dishes that need washing etc etc, and really enjoy the activity time with the kids
Just join in and forget the mess that will follow!
My best tip for parents to enjoy craft activities with their kids, is to make it simple and lower your expectations. From past experience I have learnt that my idea of something is completely opposite to my children’s. I try and find activities that are quick to set up as I have also learnt from past experience that a long set up doesn’t always mean that a child will spend a great deal of time on the activity. A lot more fun can be had by keeping things simple and being child-led in the activity.
Let children take the lead and don’t worry about mess too much!
I love to spend time painting with our 18 month old son “Thomas”. Whenever we spend time doing this together I forget about all the worries in the world. I just love feeling like a little kid, they just have so much fun and not a care in the world. We as parents need to do this once in a while to forget about the stress and worries of our daily lives.
My mantra: Don’t stress about the mess!
I have drawn out the winner for the Planning with Kids Book by Nicole Avery…….
Congratulations Stacey Gladmam!! I will be in touch very soon!
Thank you to everyone who has entered!
A special thanks to Nic for her generosity in sharing her fabulous book here on learning4kids!