Toddlebike Trials 2014 - Getting Started

This week we have finally been able to get out and test drive our Toddlebike.  We were luckily enough to be selected for the Toddlebike Trials 2014 and C's bike arrived 3 weeks ago.

The first week the weather was awful therefore our test driving was restricted to up and down the hallway at home.
The following week C was ill. In fact I've never see her poorly for so long. It was horrible! 
This week has been half term and the weather has been lovely so we couldn't wait to get out of the house and get started!

We went to Leeds Castle on Saturday as a family and gave C her first proper extended go.  I knew it would be an interesting experience. At 31 months, C is at the older end of the spectrum for a toddlebike however she lacks confidence in situations like this therefore her age advantage did not guarantee success.

The Little Railways of Mid Wales

Last week we spent 8 days on the west coast of Wales.
5 days on a farm near Cardigan and then 3 days on the southern tip of Snowdonia.
This is a post about those last 3 days, I will blog about the first 5 later.

Book of The Week - Week 2

This week's book is The Big Animal Mix-Up by Gareth Edwards and Kanako Usai

I first saw The Big Animal Mix-Up on CBeebies Bedtime Hour.
It is not often that a story read on there jumps out at me but this one did.
Even hubby looked up from his computer to follow the story.
It is just so cleverly written!
C was not paying much attention to the television therefore I decided to order the book in from our local library so we could read it together at home.

Hog in the Fog - A Review

C has just turned 2 and goes through stages with books. Some weeks she won't pick up a book unless asked, other weeks she can't get enough and wants them read and re-read.  The past fortnight it has been the latter.  Book after book, again and again.  I have even got more books out of my hidden stockpile to satisfy her need.  C is currently on the borderline.  She still loves her simple board story books but more and more now she is starting to listen to, and enjoy, longer and more complex stories.

Our First Attempt at Moon Sand

So this afternoon C and I played with moon sand in the garden.
Well, Mummy played with moon sand while C pottered around, played with the rabbit and guinea pigs and generally just enjoyed being outside.
This is the first time I have made moon sand, yet I was pleasantly pleased with the results.  For this first attempt I used Sunflower Oil in case C decided to taste it but I needn't have worried.
C is still not a huge fan of messy play and does not really enjoy getting her hands dirty, however she did show an interest in the sand and stuck her hands in it in between watching me build sandcastles and shapes.
She enjoyed knocking down the sandcastles I built and was intrigued by the fish and boat shapes i made with the moulds.  The moulds were part of a beach set that I had when I was a little girl and are still going strong!
Mummy found the moon sand very therapeutic and played with it for hours while watching C potter around.

Our 1st Busy Bag Activity

Ok, this activity didn't actually fit in a bag but follows the same principals: A simple, usually handmade, educational activity to occupy your child and promote lone play.

I took my idea from watching C at one of our baby groups.  One of her favourite activities to promote hand-eye coordination was posting straws to small holes.  I had an idea to take it one stage further:

Is Preschool At 2 Too Early?

In this morning’s Daily Telegraph there was an article about delaying children’s education until they are 6 years old, instead of starting when they are 4.  It cites studies in the USA where educating a child too early can have a social and health implications later in life.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9266592/Bright-children-should-start-school-at-six-says-academic.html