When I read abour #ImaginationMatters, I really wanted us to take part as I thought it would actively encourage us to do more things together. I mean of course we already paint, play in the garden, do water play etc, but some weeks we are more active than others. Admittedly, some weeks I am just plain lazy or too exhausted but I don't think a splash in the bath is always good enough. Charlotte needs more not only for her development but for keeping occupied and to keep me sane :).
Having lazy days or being tired is of course okay. We are all guilty of it, but being a stay at home mum, I want to give Charlotte a learning rich environment with opportunities to support her development and make sure I am spending quality time with her. Yes housework needs doing but Charlotte needs me to. What better way to encourage this and give us both experiences and make memories, than to do it through play. Imagination matters gives me a reason to get off my bum and spend time with my daughter.
As Charlotte is now 15 months old, she is able to understand alot more of what is going on and is curious about everything. She loves getting stuck in and getting dirty, so centring everything around the At Sea theme this week has been really interesting. Normally we do at least one activity each week but this week we have done something everyday which has been lovely. I've loved spending so much quality time with her and admiring all the lovely things we've made.
You don't realise as a parent, that even though you are with your child, you are not always spending quality time with them. Yes its important to encourage your child be independent but they need the quality time with you for social interaction - especially if they are an only child, speech development, motor skills, physical development and much more. Doing these activities I have already noticed how much more she's speaking or trying to, how her ability to hold a paint brush has improved and how much fun she's had.
So here's what we got up to...
Here the recipe if you want to have a go:
Recipe
100g (4oz) plain flour
50g (2oz) butter
The yolk from a medium egg
5 tablespoons of cold water
75g (3oz) Grated Cheddar Cheese
190 ° C, 375° C or gas mark 5
Combine all the ingredients saving some egg yolk and cheese for the end.
Once mixture is combined, cover with cling film and place in the fridge for 30mins.
Once chilled, cut shapes, brush with remaining egg yolk and sprinkle with cheese (if you ave any left because you have a daughter who ate it all - note to self get a BIG bag of cheese next time)
Place in the oven for 12 mins until golden.
Leave to cool on a rack.
Once cool, eat them all up, their yummy.
(We used mature cheddar but use whatever you prefer).
http://www.boomerangcentre.co.uk/
To read more about Boomerang, heres a blog post I did a few weeks ago about it. You will also be able to read about the wonderful Pea Pods: http://twinkletwinklehereyouare.weebly.com/home/boomerang-multi-sensory-play-centre
We had a great time taking part in Imagination Matters and can't wait to start next weeks theme, Summer. Tune in again next week to see what adventures we get up to.
What have you been up to this last week?