Touch tablets and toothpicks

I bought these Melissa & Doug touch tablets from The Toy Bug a while ago on sale, and recently got them out.  Geekling isn't at the matching stage yet, but he was still fascinated by them and loves feeling the different textures.

We have also progressed from paddle pop sticks in a travel mug to toothpicks in a toothpick container.  I then swapped the toothpicks for coloured matchsticks to be a bit safer (although I still wouldn't let him play with these unattended, obviously!).  He puts the sticks/toothpicks through the biggest hole but eventually he may move on to putting them through the smaller holes.  Its also a great small activity that I can carry about in my handbag for when Geekling needs an activity when out and about.

Healthy Cake Decorating

For Geekling's first birthday some months ago I baked and decorated a cake to send to daycare for him to share with his tiny friends.  As he was one of the oldest in the nursery and many were not at cake-eating stage, he was invited to share his cake with the toddler group, and was one very popular boy for the day!

It is a plain vanilla cake that I then 'iced' with mashed banana, then in whipped cream and decorated with blueberries.  It is not the most stunning cake, but Geekling loved it and his daycare were happy to have a cake that wasn't loaded with extra sugar, additives and food colouring :)

Cheats Cake Decorating - Kit-Kat & M&M cake

I made this cake for my Mother-in-Law last year.  I do enjoy making and decorating cakes, but for whatever reason I wasn't up to the task of doing it from scratch, so I went with this cheat's option.  Its a Caramel mudcake from the supermarket with a 'fence' of kit-kat chocolate, and topped with m&ms!

(Excuse the mess in the photo!)

I used the family sized Kit-Kat blocks (2 of them) with the sticks snapped in pairs.  I think it would have been better to use the smaller bars (perhaps buying a pack or two of fun sized bars) as I would have needed less m&ms (there are two packets of mixed m&ms, and three would have looked better but it still caused an avalanche when we cut the cake!), or perhaps used two cakes with frosting or cream in the middle.  I also would have preferred to match the ribbon to the colour of the m&ms.  Oh well, my mother-in-law loved it!

Local Library Trip

I love public libraries, mostly because I love books and love saving money by borrowing them free instead of paying for them.  Geekling also loves books (in fact that is something of an understatement!), and of course loves exploring new places and the library had moved and renovated since our last visit so a trip the the local public library was a perfect way to spend some time on a Sunday afternoon.

Their kids area is fabulous, Geekling enjoyed toddling over to the shelves and grabbing a book then toddling back to a nice open spot on the floor to 'read'.  They also had a few old-school bead on a wire toys (as seen behind Geekling, above), lots of kid sized furniture and a station for colouring in.  There was a little kids nook full of pillows but I think Hubby enjoyed flopping in the pillows more than Geekling!

The library also had a couple of toddler-sized computers, which Geekling enjoyed most of all!  They were loaded with some kind of educational software which included information about cats - it was a big hit as Geekling is near-obsessed with cats!

Muffin Tray Meal #3

I do wish I took nicer photos of my Muffing Tin Meals, but the energy efficient lighting in our home in the evenings leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to photography.

Clockwise from top left: Kiwi fruit, home made yoghurt, apricot, mini ravioli in bolognese sauce, egg rolls, spiced sushi rice.

Geekling LOVED this muffin tin meal and best of all, he has learnt to feed himself yoghurt, albeit with a "dip dip" motion rather than loading his spoon properly.

Surrealism for Kids - Qld Gallery of Modern Art

I suspect this activity is a little "old" for Geekling, but it looks like so much fun!  Combining the fun of creating a collage with the imagination and zaniness of surrealism - Make your own Surrealist Art at GoMA!

They've also added a Games for Kids section to the website which may be a fun way for little ones to learn about some famous artists.  Again, beyond Geekling for now and last time I let him near my laptop to play a game on the Fisher Price website, he ripped the Enter key off my keyboard and we can't seem to get it back on!

Speaking of art - We are in the (slow) process of re-designing and re-decorating our living area, and I am on the look out for some key prints to frame for the room, preferably bright and primary-colour heavy to suit the decor.   I would love to hear your suggestions!

Edit:  I think we'll steer away from surrealism pieces in our home for now, as 'Montessori from the Start: The Child at Home, from Birth to Age Three' by Paula Polk Lillard & Lynn Lillard Jessen suggests limiting the fantastical and non-realistic until the child is older and focus on helping the child make sense of the world as it is.  Although by the time Geekline is 6, we may well be ready for another one...

Paint Chip Bead Toy

I came across this gorgeous home made toy (via The Crafty Crow), where the beads have been made from paint chips (the colour matching slips you can pick up from the hardware store).

As a child I was enchanted by paint chips, so this idea really thrilled me.  I'd like to make one for Geekling starting with just 3 or 4 shades each of red, yellow and blue and work up to something like this.  Just gorgeous!

I've also seen other wonderful ideas at Chasing Cheerios - Using paint chips to practice cutting with scissors as the thick white lines separating the shades of colour are a great guide for toddlers, and this home-made peg colour-matching game.