Do your children like to play with things from the kitchen while you’re cooking or washing up? One great item that can be used in lots of playful ways is a muffin tin. Here are five ideas you could use to add some learning to your play time.

1. Very young children can enjoy matching if you provide a muffin tin with some small items that will fit into each space. I often use silicone cake cases because they’re handy to grab from the shelf right next to the muffin tin and, unlike paper cake cases, it doesn’t matter if they end up in your baby’s mouth. Placing one cake case in each muffin hole is a very early maths lesson in one-to-one correspondence: the idea that each number matches to one thing. You don’t need to teach this though – just let your baby play and explore the idea for them self.

2. Turn the game into sorting practise by using two muffin tins and two groups of items – maybe the set of case cakes and a set of wooden blocks. Offer them to your little one and see if they can sort the mixed pile, putting all the cake cases in one tin and all the blocks in another. Later on these classification skills will help your child sort language and math ideas.

3. Try some counting. How many holes are there in the muffin tin? Can you go on a treasure hunt and find the same number of Lego bricks to match? What about the same number of clothes pegs? Or socks?

4. What about recognising numbers? Make some little cards that fit inside the muffin tin holes and write a number on each one – in numerical order, or all mixed up. Does your child know what each number is? Can they add the right number of items to each hole to match up? We like to use raisins or chocolate chips when we play this. Find a number 4 and add in 4 raisins. Then eat them when you’re done!

5. Or use the muffin tin for a colour treasure hunt. Pop a different coloured piece of paper or a sticker in each hole of the muffin tin and then go hunting to see what items you can find to match up with each one. You could make it a little harder by putting stripes or spots in some of the holes. This is a fun game you can play inside on a rainy day or out in the garden.

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When people tell me that girls are more difficult than boys, I tell them that I already know, because I’m married. Then they explain that they’re talking about children.

Let me explain. I have two sons at the moment, at that wonderful age when they’re learning and growing and questioning everything, no matter what time of the day or night it is. I can play football in the garden with them (well, one of them – the eldest much prefers sums to sports), I can read books to them, and we can have a bit of a wrestle on the living room floor. I would say – and correct me if I’m wrong – most dads would like a son, someone to carry on the family name. An heir, if you like.

In a couple of weeks my wife will give birth to a baby girl, which I am ecstatic about for two main reasons: firstly, because it means we definitely won’t be having any more children; and secondly, because I can’t wait to raise a daddy’s girl.

I can see it now: I’ll be the dad who gets a face full of cheap paint when she wants to try and put make-up on me. The one who will walk her to school as she skips and holds my hand, my two sons too old by that point for public shows of affection. With two older brothers, she’ll grow up to be a bit of a tomboy; climbing trees instead of ballet dancing, and being able to beat them hands down in a fight.

But it’s when she becomes a teenager that I’ll come into my own. I’ll be the dad who doesn’t let her stay out late, and who bites his fingernails to the bone when she does. The dad who scrutinises every boy she ever brings home, looking him up and down with a furrowed brow, sizing him up to make sure he’s good enough for my little girl, maybe even taking him out fishing so I can ask him awkward questions and make him uncomfortable. And I’ll embarrass her in public, because that’s what dads do. It’s these things that I cannot wait for, as well as those days when she asks me for something, knowing that I’m powerless as she looks at me with those big brown eyes.

I can see it now: she’s going to have me wrapped around her little finger from day one. And I can’t wait.

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Many of us shy away from water play at home, but it can be so much fun and is perfect for overcast days as you do not need to worry about children burning.

Ideas

• If you have a trampoline, why not cover it with water filled balloons. Yes, this will take some preparation, but imagine the joy on your childrens faces!

• Water Pistols. Make sure that the children have a large bucket or outside tap to fill them up so they do not need to keep coming into the house dripping wet.

• A bucket of water and some paintbrushes are great for mark making on dry concrete and fences.

• Why not fill up some buckets and washing up liquid bowls and add a few drops of food colouring to them to experiment with colour mixture.

• Freeze ice cubes with different food colouring in them and just let your children experiment with them.

• Ice Treasures – freeze fruit or small toys in blocks of ice and give your children a variety of implements such as tooth brushes, warm water, salt and spray bottles so they can experiment with the ice melting.

• Sponge tossing, fill buckets with water and pop some sponges in: the aim of the game is to hit people with them.

• Car wash or toy wash, all you need is some water, washing implements such as sponges and clothes and some soapy water.

• First to fill the bucket. Have an empty bucket at one end of the garden and one filled with water at the other, add a variety of things that your children can use to transfer water from one to the other and start the race.

• Sink or float. Fill a bucket of water and see which items sink or float, but try to guess before you try it out.

• Water the plants

This post a small glimpse into Frugal and Fun, surviving the school holidays the thrifty way: the ebook which I have produced with Cass from Frugal Family and Becky from Baby Budgeting.

The book contains over 150 pages of ideas and activities to help you make sure that this year’s Summer Holidays are frugal and fun. There’s a planning week filled with things for you to do to get yourself prepared and the rest of the ideas are split into different themed weeks, with each week having five indoor activities, five outdoor activities and five recipes for you to cook with your children.

Themes include:

• The Olympics
• The Great Outdoors
• Around the World
• Heroes and Heroines
• Home Sweet Home
• Colours

If you like these ideas then why not follow us on Frugal and Fun.

There is no way you can possibly run out of ideas with this at your fingertips and you need never hear ‘I’m Bored’ again as these are guaranteed boredom busting (but not budget busting) ideas!

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Beach babies

My favourite tip for babies at the beach is to bring a paddling pool to use as a sand-free baby play space. A fold-up pool is fairly easy to pack and take along and can make such a difference to your baby’s experience of the beach. Set up your paddling pool – with no water in, of course – and your baby can sit inside, clean and comfortable, but still able to enjoy all the sights, sounds and smells of the sea.

It’s a good idea to try out some sand play at home before you hit the beach, introducing the feel of the sand to your child. Try one of the ideas below for some super fun sensory tubs.

And if you find your baby really doesn’t like to touch the sand at all, you can still have them join in the fun with a seaside themed sensory bottle – filled with sand and shells.

Classic beach play ideas

With a bucket and spade you’re all set for some fun beach play: dig, build and discover. Building sand castles is the classic beach time activity and you can have the best dressed fort on the beach if you bring along some home-made flags. Use your children’s paintings or drawings with some cocktail sticks to create a set of art flags to bring with you. You could also take along some food colouring to make coloured sand castles.

A trip to the beach is a great place for young children to be introduced to new language. Fill your bucket with some shells and seaweed and talk together about all the different animals, objects and sounds your encounter. You can extend this back at home by reading lots of seaside themed story books together.

Try some shrimp netting and see what creatures you can find.

Use sticks, hands and feet to draw pictures, write words or make prints

And if your toddlers are pirate fans you can bring some treasures from home to bury and set up a beach scavenger hunt.

Bring the beach back home

Bring the beach home with you and enjoy some sensory play. A sensory tub is a great way to create an interesting play scene for babies and toddlers to explore, with lots of different colours and textures. Depending on how young your child is – and how likely they are to place things in their mouth – you could set up an ocean play scene using:

Some sand play dough and the shells you’ve collected, to make prints and patterns

Rainy day Mum’s idea with jelly and porridge oats for the sea and sand

Pebbles, gravel and sand like Mama Pea Pod

Cool jelly and warm water in a bath or food colouring and spaghetti seaweed like Growing a Jeweled Rose

Bath fizzers like Famiglia and Seoul

Or add in some favourite little people for some imaginary beach play

Are you heading to the beach this summer?

What’s your best tip to make the day-out lots of fun for your baby and toddler?

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When you feel that your baby may be ill, one of the first things you could do is take your baby’s temperature. This is why it’s such a good idea to purchase a baby thermometer to keep at home. Sometimes the only visible sign that your baby is unwell is the crying. Babies use crying as a way to communicate with you when they are hungry, tired, or need their nappy changed, so crying unfortunately isn’t always an obvious sign that they are unwell. Some other things to look out for are: vomiting, refusing to feed, and changes in baby’s urine or stool. If you feel that your baby is unwell and/or your baby’s temperature is above (or below) normal, call your doctor for advice if you feel it is necessary.

How to take your baby’s temperature:

In order to take your baby’s temperature, you will need a good quality digital thermometer. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on one. All you need is one that’s easy to use, easy to read, and takes accurate readings. Some digital baby thermometers provide you with a reading within a couple of seconds, whilst others may take a few minutes.

When it comes to choosing a digital thermometer, you will notice that there are models designed for a specific area of the body, such as the mouth, ear, or rectum. Many models however, can be used under the arm, orally, and rectally. Digital ear thermometers, which are also known as tympanic thermometers, are designed for taking temperatures via the ear only.

You might be a little confused as to which area of the body is best for taking baby’s temperature. This depends, as with most things, there are advantages and disadvantages of each method. You may find it useful to discuss this with your doctor, so that you can agree on the best method for taking your baby’s temperature.

Never take your baby’s temperature after a bath or if she has been wrapped up in layers of clothes. If your baby is already very warm, this this could affect the readings. Wait at least 20 minutes to do the reading.

Types of thermometers available:

Ear thermometers

This temperature taking method is the simplest, quickest, and safest. It is also the most comfortable for your baby. When using an ear thermometer, you need to make sure you are using it correctly in order to get an accurate reading. Always read over the manufacturer’s instructions before using the thermometer.

A popular ear thermometer that you may want to consider is the Summer Infant Digital Ear Thermometer. This model is very simple to use, and it has a built in fever alert which lets you know when fever is detected. Familiarise yourself with how to use the thermometer by reading the instructions over a couple of times before using it.

Underarm thermometers

Underarm temperature readings are not as accurate as the other methods previously mentioned in this article. This is why it is not recommended to use underarm readings in baby’s under 3 months old. However, this method may be used with older children.

It is very easy to take an underarm temperature reading. Simply remove the clothing from your child’s upper half, and make sure the armpit is dry before placing the thermometer there. Place the bulb of the thermometer in your child’s underarm, holding their arm firmly against their side (this ensures the bulb of the thermometer is in full contact with your child’s skin. Once the thermometer has beeped, you can then remove it and take note of the reading.

Rectal thermometers

This method is said to be best for taking an accurate reading. If your baby is under 3 months of age, then it is especially important that you get an accurate reading when taking their temperature.

This method may not be the most comfortable for baby, but some babies seem to deal with this fine while others may make it difficult for you to take a reading. If your baby gives you too much of a hard time trying to get their temperature this way, speak to your doctor for advice. Always read the instructions on the rectal thermometer before attempting to take your little ones temperature. Generally, the instruction will be similar to the following:

Step 1: Wash your hands first, then soak a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol and use it to clean the tip of the rectal thermometer, rinsing the tip under cold water once you have cleaned it. Place the tip back on to the thermometer and wait a while for it to get back to normal room temperature. Then add some petroleum jelly to the tip to reduce any friction when inserting the thermometer.

Step 2: Remove baby’s clothing from the lower half of her body, then position her on the changing table or bed, or lay her over your lap (tummy side down with legs hanging down by your leg). You may want to place a towel under your baby as taking a rectal temperature reading may stimulate her to have a bowel movement.

Step 3: Switch on the thermometer and wait for the ‘beep’ or ‘light’ which alerts you that the thermometer is ready. Separate your baby’s buttocks gently with one hand, and insert the thermometer gently with the other. The recommendation is to insert the tip only a half inch into your baby’s rectum to prevent perforation. Some rectal thermometers are designed so that it can’t be entered any further than this, so when choosing one you may want to look out for one of these.

Step 4: Hold the thermometer steady once it has been inserted and use your other hand to hold on to your baby. Be careful if your baby starts to squirm as the thermometer could easily slip out.

Step 5: When the thermometer has signalled that it has taken a reading (usually a beep), you can then remove the thermometer and write down the reading so that you don’t forget it.

Step 6: Clean your baby’s bottom and then replace her nappy and clothing.

Step 7: Sterilise the thermometer after you have finished using it by washing it in warm soapy water. You should then clean it more thoroughly by soaking a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol and cleaning it with that. Once it is clean, rinse it in cool water and then store it away.

Other temperature taking methods

Another method of taking a temperature is with an oral thermometer. This is not recommended for babies, but can be used when your child is a bit older.

Another method is a pacifier baby thermometer. However, those are usually not very accurate. These types of thermometer look like a normal pacifier, except with a digital temperature display on the front.

All in all, the best type of thermometer to use for babies under 3 months is the rectal thermometer because it will give the most accurate reading, although for ease of use and non-invasiveness, you may prefer a digital ear thermometer which also has a high rate of accuracy. When your child is older the ear thermometers or oral thermometers are most recommended.

About the Author: Kerri Bullock is the founder of online baby store babymonitorsonline.co.uk BabyMonitorsOnline sell a range of baby monitors, baby thermometers, and other safety products.

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This time last year I was confined to the depths of my house for three whole weeks. I was going stir crazy and thought I might explode with the knowledge I was going to see the same four walls again the next day too. All my creativity had be drained from me, and I was desperately running out of ideas as to how to entertain the children who were 18 months old (the twins) and nearly 3 (Big Brother), who were also feeling the effects of being trapped.

Why were we caged in this animal like way? How had we become prisoners in our own home?

Because of the dreaded pox! Not the plague pox – no we were not that ill- the Chickenpox!

It had been doing the rounds and I knew it was inevitable.

Chicken pox is a virus that most people get as a child. It starts with a red rash that turn into spots that become fluid filled blisters. The number of spots can vary as well as other symptoms and I suggest you check out the NHS UK site for more information.

Basically you are most infectious from 2 days before the rash appears (which obviously most parents have no idea is coming!) until all the spots have crusted over, which can be up to 6 days after they have appeared.  The spots go into all places imaginable, believe me, and BB even got one on his eyeball!

The recommendations are to stay off of school or nursery until this time, to prevent the virus from spreading.

My three little ones caught it one after the other and because others avoid you like the plague and you cannot go anywhere it become a lonely duration. My Mum said ‘Oh how things have changed. Gone are the days of pox parties!’

Pox parties were basically play dates where you knowingly knew a child had chicken pox in the hope to infect your own child, to get it out the way.

Now is it cruel to unnecessarily expose your children to an illness? Or does this actually make perfect sense.

I tweeted this question out and actually the viewpoints are very even as to for and against it. Having had my three children infect each other anyway, I kind of had my own ‘in-house’ pox party by default. Luckily my husband and I had already had chicken pox so we didn’t suffer again but actually it is possible to catch it twice. I now think if I could have infected them at the same time, we could have had one week indoors rather than three!

One of my closest friends caught chicken pox as an adult in her 20’s. She says she was the most poorly she has ever felt in her life, and the risk are known to be more severe in adults and can lead to additional complications. So actually are we sensible to want to protect our children from an illness that we know at some point they may catch and we don’t want it to be risky for them.

Or is the fact that they may catch it the whole point, and in fact we are inflicting illness on a child that may never have caught it, had they not been exposed.

I don’t know what the right answer is, and I make no judgement on the choices that other parents make; like all things in parenting it’s about personal preference-we do what is right for our own.

I am grateful that mine caught it young and hopefully that is us done (but you never know) and it took the decision from my hands. With BB off to school in September I don’t know how I would feel now if my kids had not already had Chickenpox; probably worrying about the risk of days missed due to an illness he would no doubt catch at some point. I may not be asking for a pox party invite but I certainly won’t be avoiding those infected.

Tricky, tricky!

What are your thoughts?

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Pregnancy and birth can be a time of anxiety for both parents, whether they are expecting their first or fifth child – and, whilst both mum and dad can gain encouragement and support from one another, there is also the option of  employing the services of outside support in the form of a Doula.

A Doula (from the Greek, meaning ‘caregiver’) is, according to doula.org.uk, an “experienced woman who offers emotional and practical support to a woman (or couple) before, during and after childbirth”.

Support is not carried out from a medical perspective – that is the job of a midwife, who has undergone extensive training. A Doula – who may or may not have had any training for the role – is purely a support aid, a person who is able to offer support and advice on a variety of aspects. Before childbirth, the Doula will meet with the parents and discuss a birth plan and other requirements that the mother and/or father wish to have during the birth of their child. During the childbirth, the Doula provides support and encouragement, as well as advice on breathing techniques and positioning. After childbirth a doula will make a number of visits (depending on how long she has been employed) to help the new mother settle at home with her baby.

But is a Doula a worthwhile addition to the pregnancy experience? And – with costs often ranging into hundreds of pounds – are they worth it? The following represents both sides of the argument.

YES

Zoe Hendricks, http://www.workclever.co.uk/, mother of two sons aged 10 and 5

“My doula had recently qualified and needed to attend her first 3 births to get official sign off, so in terms of costs we agreed to cover her travel expenses which made this very affordable.

I was very clear with what I wanted from the service, which was to stay at home as long as possible. I think secretly I wanted a home birth, which horrified my husband – so was never an option. Our doula was the compromise. If there was a negative aspect to this experience, it would perhaps be the buy-in I needed from my husband, who was an amazing birth partner, supportive and irreplaceable. For me, it was all about having someone around to support both of us in my quest to stay at home until the very last minute and avoid the experience we had previously. Wendy visited us and my husband had the opportunity to ask all the questions he needed and he agreed that if it was important to me, we should do it.

On the day of the birth I cannot remember much about Wendy being there. It was my husband I wanted and needed next to me. Wendy stayed in the background whilst I laboured and at those worrying ‘should we go to hospital now…?’ moments when confidence faltered, she was supportive and assured us that it was up to us. She was unobtrusive, calm and detached from the emotional element, which made me feel more secure to stay at home for longer.

I cannot say enough good things about my doula experience and would always encourage anyone considering to go for it!”

NO

Ben Wakeling, http://goodbyepertbreasts.com/, father of two boys aged 4 and 2, and expecting a third child in August

“Employing a doula has never crossed our minds during either of my wife’s previous pregnancies, and this time has been no different. Firstly, we would be unable to meet the cost, which – in our opinion – could be put towards longer lasting and more worthwhile endeavours, such as equipment and food. From a personal – and perhaps selfish – perspective, I struggle to see what a doula can offer that I can’t. I know my wife better than anyone, and we have already decided on our birth plan. I know what my wife likes during labour – which usually involves me sitting a few feet away from her! She hates people touching her whilst she is in pain, and finds it more beneficial to focus her mind on the task at hand instead of listening to encouragement from others. If she needs any help with positioning techniques, the midwife is always on hand to provide advice.

I’m not saying that a doula is a waste of time. For first-time parents, and perhaps single parents who maybe need a bit of extra support, a doula would certainly be something to consider. But, for us, it was never an option.”

What do you think about Doulas? Please leave us a comment with why you would or wouldn’t consider hiring one.

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My daughter starts primary school in September and she cannot wait. Her enthusiasm is not, as one may assume or indeed hope, the desire to experience the wonder of education or the pleasure of learning to read. Nor is it the feeling of progression, the hoisting of a spindly leg on to the next rung of the ladder of life.

Nope.

The eagerness to begin this new phase of childhood lies solely with…….a bag.

She will, at long last, be allowed to carry her bag and display it in all its splendour to her school mates. So, you might well ask, what’s the big deal?

Ask any German adult about their very first school backpack and they will, in all likelihood, describe it in intricate detail and with no insubstantial amount of nostalgia to boot. They may well, if you are really lucky, be able to retrieve it from the attic for your delectation. Lovingly wrapped in bio-degradable paper, this bag will be saved for posterity and the delight and awe of future generations.

Here in Germany school backpacks are big in every way possible. Big deal. Big prices. Big size.

Confused? At the beginning of a new school year in Germany, you will bear witness to the sight of hundreds of scrawny, scuff-kneed six year old legs, buckling under the weight of the psychedelic filing cabinets they are schlepping about on their backs on the way to school. This is the phenomenon that is Der Schulranzen.

It’s a rucksack Jim but not as we know it.

The direct translation for Schulranzen is satchel. It is however, about as far removed from any mental picture you may have of the Enid Blyton-esque much loved, leathery buckled knapsack as it is possible to be.

As far as I am aware this is an occurrence peculiar to Germany. You think you can buy your kid any old school bag when they take the leap into full time education? Think again. Every child has a Schulranzen. There is no escape from the absurdity or the cost. Not only are the things roughly comparable in price to an antique sea chest, they are not dissimilar in size or weight.

Apparently though, weight is not an issue as long as, and this is of utmost importance, it is evenly and ergonomically distributed. There is a risk of parental excommunication should your child be allowed to carry any bag slung over one shoulder, (obviously) causing uneven weight allocation and risking the “one shoulder lower than the other” problem.

Dispatching your child to school with an un-ergonomically friendly rucksack is regarded as something akin to child abuse. If you are confused about the plethora of considerations to be taken into account when making this life changing purchase, this issue has been addressed. You will be bombard with leaflets informing you of your nearest “Backpack Presentation and Information Evening”. I kid you not.

I, to my chagrin, capitulated and followed tradition. €100 down (and that was one of the cheapest due to last year’s design!) but with a child about to combust with glee, we left the gushing sales lady, who was no doubt pondering the purchase of a private jet the amount of commission she was raking in.

At least, living up to the stereotype, the bags are, most definitely, built to last and engineered to within an inch of their, no doubt, long long lives. That said, kids will be kids and I am under no illusions that my daughter won’t wish to be seen dead with “Dancing Unicorn” when she goes to “Big School”.

Anyone know where you can get that bio degradable packing paper?

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The boys are over the moon that the sun has finally decided to make an appearance again. My legs are definitely feeling the change in weather, as chasing after two gleeful running boys have given me more exercise than I’d planned for. We’ve played football, been on walks, romped around the park (and rolled down a big hill) and generally just enjoyed the sun and warmth.

As much fun as the sun is though we have had to be extra careful, as does everyone, as the sun can have a sinister side to it which can result in sun burn, heat stroke and dehydration. I follow these tips to keep my precious sun-worshipers safe.

1. Keep hydrated. It is so important to make sure that the little ones are kept hydrated at all times. Water and juice needs to be constantly available and regularly offered in order to keep these little bodies well. Dehydration can be dangerous and children are particularly susceptible to it, especially when running around.

2. Use adequate sun cream protection. There are a multitude of different sun lotions on the market, all offering “top protection”. Aim for the higher SPF factor (Sun Protection Factor) as these are the creams that provide the highest level of sun protection and reapply at regular intervals.

*We have bought some nifty coloured ones (our current one is green!) that sprays on and only disappears when properly rubbed in. This is great fun for the kids and a good way for me to make sure the boys are fully covered.

3. Keep covered and use preventative measures. Sun cream is great but not fool-proof and children’s skin is delicate. As well as cream ensure that your little ones wear hats that shade their face and necks and stay out of the sun at the hottest times of the day which are typically between 12pm-3pm. Utilise shade whenever you can and keep skin covered in the hottest hours.

The sun is great and we have our fingers crossed that it is here to stay for a while, but as much as we love it, we are respectful of it. We make sure that we keep ourselves safe and well so that nothing can spoil our play times!

Share your own tips for playing safely in the sun, we’d love to hear them in a comment below!

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Father’s Day is always held on the third Sunday in June and this year it falls on 17th June – the day before my son’s birthday. This year we are having his party on the Sunday and so poor Daddy will be roped into food preparation and pirate treasure hunts. For the last two Father’s Days, my husband has gone away for work (he marks test papers) all to provide extra finances for the family as having three kids in childcare meant I could not return to work.

He is a Daddy that has never shied away from changing a nappy, has helped with the night feeds with the twins, will happily (well, maybe not happily, but willingly) iron, takes all three kids out on his own and will make me a cup of tea every morning to start my day!

He is so deserving of a special Father’s Day and yet he has not complained once about not really having a proper one yet. He says he does it all because having a family is all he has ever really wanted and that he could never do what I do and stay at home with them full time, so he will help me out whatever way he can. I think he is pretty amazing and one of a kind but the more and more I go out and about and the more friends I meet, the more I realise times are changing. Dads are hands on and parenting is becoming very evenly split.

The other day I took the twins swimming with my sister-in-law. We sat in the bubble pool as the twins love that, and looked around and realized that in fact there were more dads in the pool with their kids than mums and this was a Wednesday morning – not a weekend!

I think more and more families are splitting maternity and paternity leave to maintain careers. Maybe it’s the case that more women are now the higher wage earners in a couple, that many men are not threatened by this fact and so it is agreed that they stay at home to care for the kids.

I think more men have been advised by their own Dads to be more hands on or they will miss out. I know my husband has. His Dad told him he had never had a bath with any of his children as babies as he was looking at photographs of my husband bathing Noah in the first few weeks. He had sadness to his voice. He did indeed work long hours, and back in the 60’s and 70’s it was just not the way things were done, but I can see he watches his two sons with their children now not only with admiration but a sense of wistfulness.

Now I know I am pretty lucky to have a man who will do the ironing; the payback is he is still a man and will leave his beard shavings round the sink and does tend to leave a trail of devastation as he moves from room to room on coming home from work…the shoes get kicked off in the hall, the tie left in the kitchen, the jacket slung over the arm of the sofa…that kind of thing. However I would rather he did that and sit on the floor to build a tower with the kids, rather than clear up and ignore them.

So I am all for this new change. I love that Dads want to be great Dads and have an involvement in their children’s lives.

So I say cheers to all Daddies and say Happy Father’s Day!

(Now all I have to do is think of something special to get him. Any suggestions gratefully received.)

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Store cupboard staples can make great toys. Whether you’re after a good material for sensory play, a cheap new toy or you just want to ring the changes to your play time with a different material to try, reach into the larder, grab some pasta and you’re ready to go!

Using food in play

Some people chose not to use food as a play material at all. With food a scarce resource in parts of the world, they decide they don’t want their children to associate food with play but rather understand it is precious. Personally, I do use some food items in play with my children, but we approach the food as respectfully as we do all our other resources. I teach the children that everything we play with has a value and we always do what we can to re-use and recycle materials to get as much from them as we can. So rather than buying new plastic toys as frequently, we junk model – and if we are using food, we think of lots of ways to use it so we can stretch the resource as far as possible.

Food is a wonderful sensory material for children to explore, and if you happen to have a picky eater, having the chance to investigate a food in play can be an effective way for them to feel comfortable about eventually trying to eat it. Food stuffs are readily available and can be especially good with young children, who are likely to put all their toys in their mouth. It’s a versatile material, with lots of play and learning potential. Here are some fun activities to put one single bag of pasta to lots of use.

Ways to play with pasta

Pasta is a great addition to a sensory tub – either when it’s cooked or uncooked. Take a large shallow tub, fill it with the pasta and add in some extras for the children to explore. Spoons, scoops and pots are fun and let children practise co-ordinating their hands and eyes to fill and empty the pots.

Or turn the tub into a treasure hunt and hide toys inside the pasta for the children to dig for. You can include fridge magnet letters and numbers or count and talk about the items you uncover. If you’re thinking about using cooked pasta, be prepared to get a little messy. You might want to add in a little oil so the pasta doesn’t all stick together but take care no-one slips. To get the most from your pasta, try out some of the other play ideas before you cook it.

If your children love gluing and sticking, pasta is a great material to make collages with. You might like to offer a selection of differently shaped pasta, or dye some to create a variety of colours. The easiest way to colour your pasta is to pop some in a ziplock bag, add some food colouring and give it a good shake. Lay the pasta out on a baking sheet over night until it’s completely dry and then you’re ready to play. You can use craft glue to stick your pasta to a piece of card, or fix a sheet of sticky-backed plastic to the table or window and invite the children to create some art on there – and then simply peel it off again to use the pasta another way.

Real pasta in a play kitchen adds an authentic touch to play and children can have fun pretending to cook, mix and serve up some dinner.

To add in some maths to your pasta play you could start by simply counting out some individual pieces. Set out some pots and see if your child can put four pieces of pasta in each one. If you have a selection of pasta pieces in different shapes or colours see if your child can group them into matching piles ~ using classification skills which are a valuable first lesson in developing maths skills.

Do you include food in your play at home? How do your kids like to play with pasta?

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It’s 2am on 22nd April 2010, and my wife has gone into labour. Having previously decided on a home birth, I ring the local hospital.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” says the midwife. “We’re short-staffed this evening, and very busy. You’ll have to come in.”

Not off to the best start; but I tell my wife, who by this point is in so much pain she really doesn’t mind where she has the baby, as long as it’s soon. And so we head to the hospital, and three hours later our second son, Noah, is born. Fast forward a couple of years, and we are expecting our third child in August. And this time, fingers crossed, we’ll get our home birth.

Initially, I was quite hesitant when my wife suggested (whilst pregnant with Noah) that we have a home birth. Instantly, my thoughts turned to what could happen if something goes wrong – will we get to the hospital on time? Is home the safest place to have a baby? But, after looking into it a little more, my fears were allayed.

It’s worth saying at the outset that not every mother is suitable for a home birth. Most midwives prefer a hospital birth for the first child, and older mums or those susceptible to illness may find it recommended that they give birth in hospital. If you have any doubts, your midwife will be able to help you choose the best option

The fact is there are a number of advantages to a home birth over a hospital birth. The biggest is probably that both you and – more importantly – your partner are in familiar surroundings. The hustle and bustle that you find in hospital corridors is replaced with the background noise of your favourite TV programme. Your wife can have as many cups of tea as she wishes, and can relax in the comfort of her own bed afterwards. On a more biological level, the fact that mum is more relaxed means she will release more endorphins, feel-good hormones which will calm her down and possibly lead to a less painful labour.

There is also the huge advantage of one-to-one care. Hospital midwives have the unenviable – and admirable – task of managing many mums at once; in your own home it is just you, your partner and the midwife, who will bring pain relief with her, such as gas and air and a Pethidine injection. It is usually the same midwife that your partner has seen throughout her pregnancy, and has built a rapport with; and, after your baby has been born, the midwife will make regular visits for the next few days to check that everything is OK.

We are fortunate enough to live just ten minutes away from the nearest hospital, which means that if something does go wrong an ambulance can come and take my wife into the operating theatre in the same amount of time as if she was actually in the hospital itself. And so my fears and worries have been calmed. The only thing I have to worry about now is gathering enough shower curtains and old sheets to cover the living room floor…

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You can have a look at all the category finalists on the MADS website here but here’s a break down of our very own bloggers and which awards they are up for:

MAD Blog Post of the Year

• Family Budgeting, Becky Goddard-Hill

Best MAD Family Travel Blog

• It’s a small world after all, Victoria Wallop

Best MAD Family Fun Blog

• MultipleMummy, Kerry Farrow

Best MAD Home Blog

• Growing Spaces, Heather Young

Best MAD Schooldays Blog

• Thinly Spread, Chris Mosler
• Science Sparks, Kerry Farrow and Emma Vanstone

Best MAD Thrifty Blog

• Baby Budgeting, Becky Goddard-Hill

Best MAD Pregnancy Blog

• Me, The Man and The Baby, Emma Barnes

Most Innovative MAD Blog

• Science Sparks, Kerry Farrow and Emma Vanstone

Please spare a moment to go to the voting page and show your support for our Panel members. Voting closes tday at 5pm!

We’d also like to give a special mention to Kerry Farrow who is not only up for 3 awards in the MADS (one with her own blog Multiple Mummy and 2 with Science Spark which she shares with Emma Vanstone), but she is also up for  Blogger of the year in the Loved By Parents Awards 21012. You can find her in the Special Awards Category as Kerry Farrow, please click the link here to vote.

Thanks to our Born Free Mum & Dad community for your support and the best of luck to everyone involved and especially to all our Parent Panel members!

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Last year, my husband and I upped sticks and took our three children aged 8, 6 and 4 backpacking around the world. We went to Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, South East Asia and Japan. It was an incredible adventure, involving many, many flights. After much trial and error, here are my top tips for surviving long haul travel with children…

The first thing to say is: don’t panic! Even if you’re flying to Australia, it’s only going to take twenty four hours, so however difficult it is or isn’t, it’s only one day out of your life. And then you get to visit Australia, so it’s not all bad.

Flying is actually quite exciting for most children, so don’t approach it with too much trepidation. Try and see it through your children’s eyes and embrace the experience as part of the holiday. Unlimited seat back TV, free colouring books and baseball caps, funny meals in special trays and people who come and ask you what you want when you press a button, are all amazing if you’re six.

That said, it’s as well to be as prepared as possible. Take a spare set of clothes for the whole family, not just the children. Chances are that if a child vomits, it’ll be on your lap, so you might have to change too. And if no one is sick, the clothes will come in useful when your luggage doesn’t appear on the carousel.

After years of being fairly sniffy about electronic gadgets, we finally saw sense and fully embraced our iPod touches on our round-the-world trip. Journeys were the one time that the children were allowed to play until the batteries ran out. I actually started to look forward to long journeys as an opportunity to get stuck into a book; after years of trying to entertain children on flights this was something of a revelation.

Make sure you have old-fashioned entertainment too, like a story book you can read out loud. There are quite long periods at the beginning and end of flights when electronics must be turned off, the seat back TVs don’t work, and the tables must be folded. Particularly at the end of the flight, children are cranky, often having been woken up at an ungodly hour to ‘prepare for landing’. At these moments normal parenting rules go out of the window and I usually hand around lollipops to avoid meltdowns.

Special mention must go to Air New Zealand, the only airline I’ve ever used with seat back TVs that work from the moment you sit down to the moment you disembark the plane. Why other airlines can’t do this, I don’t know, because it makes a huge difference to the experience of travelling with children. They also have minty smelling loos, which is very welcome at 3am somewhere over the Pacific.

Take snacks. You often have to wait quite a long time to be fed, and the little sachet of peanuts/pretzels/Bombay mix you get with your drink may or may not appeal to your children. Be aware that you’ll probably have to surrender whatever’s left before you go through immigration at your destination, as most countries now have very strict rules about importing food.

On the subject of immigration, be prepared for it being horrible. We didn’t enter a single country that processed us quickly, even Thailand, which had a separate queue for families. You will be photographed, finger printed, have to fill in countless forms and shuffle slowly around a large, badly lit, hall with everyone staring at your whining children. It’s not fun, but the end will be in sight.

Despite the obvious issues, long haul travel is often not as bad as you fear. Even when it isn’t much fun, the destination is always worth it. Hawaii wouldn’t be quite so special if it was in the middle of the English Channel.

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As parents we are very keen to engage our children in education. We want them to be confident in reading and writing and ensure they have good ability in maths. We will often encourage them with games, projects and books at home to help support them with these subjects. However how often do you participate in science activities at home?

I think for a lot of parents science does not appear to be a priority, or they fear that they may not know enough about the subject. I can understand these concerns and as a Science teacher I would often try to reassure parents that science is not a subject beyond their capabilities. It is in fact all around us in everything we do!

This time last year myself and another blogging mum, Emma from Mummy…mummy…mum! (also a Born Free Parent Panel blogger), got talking about science and decided that we wanted to put some science activities for kids on our blogs. For a few months we did this alternately and then, after meeting up at the Cybermummy conference last year (thanks to my sponsor Born Free), we decided we would set up these science activities on a blog of their own and Science Sparks was born!

We have been running since July 2011 and we post all sorts of science experiments, activities and crafts that you can do with your children at home from as young as one and two! Here are some of the activities we have written about:

We Made Caterpillars and looked at the life cycle

We have Looked at bubbles

Made an eggshell disappear without touching it,

and created the most beautiful crystals .

Recently I posted about our Volcano in this vlog, it is such a brilliant craft activity with a fabulous explosion of lava at the end and only kitchen cupboard ingredients are required!

Please do come and support our science venture. You can find us on Twitter and Facebook and find all our activities and experiments over at www.science-sparks.com

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