Holiday fun ideas

The December holidays are around the corner and you will need loads of fun ideas to keep the little ones busy!  Here are some fun ideas to keep them entertained:


1. Make some blow-painted silly faces

Mix some paint with water to make it extra runny.  We used paper plates and drew some fun faces on them before adding some drops of paints as hair.  Use a straw and blow the paint into streaks to form some silly hair!  For older children:  ask them to blow without a straw first, then blow with a straw, when you blow out air normally the air spreads out and loses pressure quickly and you cannot make streaks with the paint.  When using a straw the air is forced through the narrow gap increasing pressure and you can spread the paint easily.

2. Slimy fun!

Mix half a glass of cornflour with a quarter glass of cold water, add a few drops of foodcolouring too!  Stir using a metal spoon, then mix thoroughly with your hands.
Now for the fun part!  punch the slime in the bowl, roll it into a ball, hold the ball and see what happens!
The slime will feel solid when you punch it or squeeze it, but runny when you hold it.  When you hold it the little pieces (particles) that makes up the slime spreads out and the slime turns into a liquid, when you squeeze it or punch it you apply pressure and the little pieces (particles) forms a solid.


3. Window decorations

We absolutely love contact paper, it is such a wonderful versatile medium!  Stock up on some this December holidays for loads of fun.  Create a fun window decoration by cutting two pieces of contact paper.  Stick one onto a flat surface, like a table top, with some press stick, sticky side up.  Give your child some mosaic items, for example - feathers, tissue paper pieces, coloured rice, cut pipecleaners, pieces of paper, glitter or any other fun item that you can find.  Ask your little one to create a mosaic with all the items on the contact paper.  Once finished cover with the extra piece of contact paper to seal the master piece!  Now you can stick the finished art work in the window!

When using items such as tissue paper you can explain to an older child why light can be seen through the different items, highlight terms such as see through, transparent, translucent, opaque.

4. Bubble wrap painting

Save those pieces of bubble wrap for bubble wrap stamping fun!  Simply let your child paint the bobble side of the wrap with some paint and then turn it over onto a piece of paper to create beautiful stamps!

For older children you can explain that the raised edges of the bubbles are the only piece in contact with the paint and paper.

For more fun activities why not subscribe to Clever Kids Club?  Will make a great "stocking filler"  for Christmas!