You may have noted that, over the last few days the welikeplay household has been stricken by the dreaded lurgy. And so my mind has been gratefully turned towards the basics of play. Those little activities that you did as a kid, that you now pass on to you own kids. Nothing too wild or complex, just simple wholesome everyday play.

Today it’s going to be paper darts. There are squillions of them around, from the very simple to the intricate in the extreme. For my kids, and for posterity I’ve cooked up an A4 blueprint printable.

You will need
a printer to print this ‘print and fold’ pdf (do set your Adobe to print actual size or the folds won’t quite meet up)
A4 paper
a paper clip or two
colouring pens/pencils

Print the welikeplay dart blueprint and give to the kids to follow the instructions (if they’re under 8 or spatially dizzy they’ll probably need a hand); with any luck a welikeplay design approved dart will appear. Colour and prep for launch. A gentle throw causes this design to glide off into the distance. In case of nosediving, throw more lightly; or failing that add a paperclip towards the back.

Enjoy.

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Mrs. Welikeplay is a woman of few vices, with the major exception of yarn. Wool has a strange effect on her, she suddenly finds the need to store quantities of it in pretty bags up and down the welikeplay HQ. Being a good husband I feel it is my duty to purloin the occasional ball to use with the kiddywinks to make stuff; reasoning that if she has a little more space she can indulge in acquiring more. If only I had a way of using up shoes too.

You will need:
Two straight twigs for every child/adult. 15-20cm long seems good.
Yarn, wool or string in as many colours and hues as you have hanging around.
If you have them - beads, sparkly things, interesting autumnal treasures

You may need to help younger kids with this first part; take the two sticks and cross then at right-angles to each other. Tie one diagonal loop around the join, and then a tie a second across the other diagonal. Now the children can start weaving under and over around the cross, changing wool whenever it suits them. They can also add their interesting things to the weave as they go to make it more pretty/chaotic.

When they’re done, tie off the wool with a long end. This can be tied to trees in your garden to be revealed as the leaves fall over the next week or two.

Enjoy.

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Occasionally I get requests for games and toys to be dredged from the bottom of my play-memory. Nerevised asked:

I am wondering if you can help me. I have a vague recollection from when I was a child, of making something I called a Chicken String. It had something to do with an upside-down styro-foam cup and a piece of string threaded through in someway, so that when you pulled the string it made a Cluck Cluck Cluck noise just like a chicken. Whenever I try and describe my Chicken String to anyone, they look at me like I am crazy. Are you able to shed any light on this item, or am I destined to be a Chicken String Nutter for the rest of my life?

Worry not Nerevised, you are not alone. As a small child I was entertained by such a contraption rustled up at some family doo by one of my growling scottish extended clan. Today I’ve been reverse engineering from memory and now you can all make your own. And it’s one of those impromptu playthings for making at formal meals when the speeches are starting to drag for you and the bairns.

You will need
a plastic or poly-styrene cup, both seem to work but give a little different sound
a cocktail stick or mangled fork
a piece of string (the fuses from party-poppers might be available - if not, always carry string in you DJ like a true play-pro)
water
ways to decorate the cup - shredded red napkin for a comb, a purloined pen from a grateful great-aunt

Poke two holes 1cm apart in the top of the cup, get the kids to thread the string through and tie so that the sting dangles down when you invert the cup. See if it works before decoration, and this is the bit that it took me ages to re-engineer; dip fingers in the water then pinch the string and pull down, letting the string jump through your grasp. After a couple of attempts you and the bairns should be able to make it go ‘cluck-cluuckk-cluck’. Decorate with whatever you can salvage from the table.

I’ve also put together The Clucking String Thing Instructions if you need to print them.

Enjoy.

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Being Divali it’s time to do some rice Rangoli patterns. Rangoli (and this is where my teacher hat is dusted off) are usually symmetrical circular patterns which are drawn/kept around Indian homes as a sign of hospitality; though drawn daily in really traditional homes, they’re drawn everywhere during the festival of lights, Divali.

You will need
Pre-dyed and dried rice.
Chalk
A large plastic plate (if you want it to be easy to tidy up)
To catch the pattern - spray mount glue and a big piece of paper

Hopefully you’ve already dyed your rice, and it’s a nice day where you are. Take the rice outside with the kiddy-winkles and give them a bit of chalk each. By copying what the others draw it is possible - if unlikely - to get a symmetrical pattern of circles, stars and of sorts; or the again, use a template. Throw in some peacocks if your the arty type. Take the dyed rice and use it to colour the shapes.

If you want to keep the pattern, go fetch a big ‘ol piece of paper, spray it with mount glue, lay it down and peel it up.

Enjoy and…

Sal Mubarak

(Happy New Year)

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I was browsing through some of my own favourite feeds (hey, you can get mine too), when I came across [mck] posting about a cool new flash site.  Papercritters allows you and your kids to make printable paper people.

Sure it sucks up bandwidth, but it’s so cool; you grab and drop eyes and mouths and tats onto your template, print and cut and stick.  You can go further and upload your families visage onto generator; possibly to create a small army of carboard clones to lurk around the house and spook the unwary.

It’s really easy to create; No1 child created some sort of urban-skate monster in a few minutes, though the construction may well take him a while longer.  The sense of achievement is palatable.

Enjoy.

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… not a conjunction of DJ-ing a pyrotechnics, but a rather nifty make for the littlies on Bonfire night. These CDs also make great dream-catchers for noisy nights of explosions. Many thanks to the team at bbc SMart for the paint recipe.

You will need
to ransack your collection for a couple of free junk-mail CDs
black/blue acrylic paint
washing up liquid
a paintbrush or two

Mix up some paint with half acrylic and half washing up liquid. Paint on shiny side of CDs, and leave to dry - for smaller kiddywinks you may want to do this the night before, and it’s worth doing a few spares. Once dry flip your brush around and use the tip to scratch firework designs out of the paint; the shiny stuff will glint through, very cool.

Superglue two back to back with a thread in the middle and hang over beds to watch as the sky is rent asunder outside.

Enjoy

tag... play, 3up, 5up, 8up, makes

Happy All Saints Day/ Día de los Muertos, one and all. But what to do with the ridiculous pile of candy/sweeties that could not conceivably (well perhaps…) be eaten? Here are two ideas dredged up from my memories of years gone by. I’ve found that these are good opportunities for smaller ones to start to talk about anything that may have spooked them last night. By transforming some of the Halloween paraphernalia into something safe can be a way for toddlers - and older kids - to understand a little of what went on.

Pumpkin Composting
I’m considering making a little ritual out of this. The smiley pumpkins and ‘neepy candles are carried in state through to the gently fermenting heaps at the bottom of the garden to lie in rest. The kids select and dig out a little niche for each to sit in and watch the garden. The pumpkins are thanked and one or two sweets are chosen to be placed inside. For the next couple of weeks we’ll watch them sag, paying a child-like attention to which bugs and worms seem to like pumpkin or the sweeties the best.

Perhaps as the boys get older I’ll light the lanterns one last time, this time using a couple of bits of loo roll to get a 4ft high flame. Though I’m not sure that the methane bubbles that I’m sure are forming in the heaps would be too happy.

Sticky Colage
Quick, run to the bin. See if you can salvage a handful of shiny wrappers to rinse off (alternatively consume the candy yourself using the keeping your children healthy excuse I use) and stick on a big ‘ol sheet of paper to make a reminder picture of their favourite bit of last night. You may have to draw some outlines, and I recommend upva glue over the stuff that comes in a stick. Stick it up on your fridge. I’ve done this a few times with younger kids, if it’s displayed at their hight you may well find yourself been escorted over to it to be told about it. This is when thinking big thinks happens. Listen.

For the sweets themselves you might want to check out one of my blog favs, A Readable Feast.  The Milky Way Pan Au Chocolat looks sooo good.

Enjoy.

tag... play for today, 2up, 3up, 5up, makes

This is not for those organised parents and carers who’ve had pressed Halloween costumes hanging in the wardrobes for a week or two now; this is for the rest of us.  The hopelessly disorganised and scatty who’ve now got only a few hours to sort things out for tonight.

You might want to check up on our Facepainting 101  before you start.  But with little ones, do lay off the skulls.  I’ve found that they can be worried, on seeing themselves in the mirror and getting a little spooked, that they might in turn scare others.  And scaring people, so they’ve been told, isn’t nice.

Also - before ripping, cuting and making - check with the most responsible adult present.  Mrs Welikeplay was most miffed on finding one-legged tights last-time I made robber masks.  So my boys are under instruction to clear it with mum.

The Mummy
Cajole your kiddywinks into some white/light clothing. Then set about them with loo roll or ripped strips of sheet.  Dust with talc.

The Butterfly 
Find some old floaty material. Cut out two arm length triangles and sew/staple these along the underarms and side seams.  Paint face to match floaty material and add glitter if available.

The Pirate
V-cut the bottom of an old pair of trousers off; stick on a white shirt.  Tie a shiny scarf around the waist and paint on an eyepatch/ moustache/ stubble.

Princess
If you’ve a little girl in the house, let her go wild with all that pink stuff.  Nod and smile.

The Swamp Monster
Get them to go and stick green clothes/camo on.  Find a green sheet to shred and toga wrap.  Run around the garden picking up sticks, leaves and twig.  Poke greenery through little snipped holes in in the toga.

Scarecrow
Find a big flannel shirt and jeans.  Put them on and stuff the space with old shopping bags whilst doing your “stick these over your face and you can’t breathe” spiel.  Tie waist, cuffs and ankles with string.  If you’ve straw, use it.  Take out a big brown grease face-painting pen, and do the Dr Who stiches

Enjoy

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As a kid, growing up with Scots for parents, we carved turnips at Halloween. Perhaps it was Hamish’s Law (which states that “the further you get from the glens the more Scottish you become”) that led to this choice of carvage, for it certainly wasn’t ease. This is an activity to do with kids. Even older ones, and you, may well struggle to carve out a ‘neepy candle’.

You will need
a turnip or two - as the first will go hideously wrong
a really big cleaver
strong spoons - grapefruit serrated ones are helpful
a power drill
a candle
a post-it note or two
night-light candle

Whilst you set about the ‘neep with the cleaver; give the children the post-its to design the face. It’s possible to score the ‘neep to do a more complex design with whirls and stars and things. Chop the top and bottom off the turnip, keeping the top to replace later. Now team work commences as you all start to dig out the centre to make a tube. This may take some time, and may have to be done in shifts… an quite probably finished by a growed-up later on. Get your drill and select a 12mm ish bit. Follow the kids design and drill some eyes and chubby cheeks. Carefully, using your own discression if kids are allowed, join the cheeks together with a gob. Sticking with my Campaign for Happy Jack O’ Lanterns, I’ll be helping out carving some smilers.

Tomorrow I’ll be dropping a night-light down on the ground, lighting, then covering with the turnip tube. I’m not sure about the lid… you know how memory of smell stays with you, I’ve a very strong recollection of singed turnip hat. Perhaps I’ll get a chance to talk with the kids about All Hallows Eve and Shamhna whilst I’m at it… once an RE teacher always an RE teacher I’m afraid.

Enjoy

Play Test
Use your strongest or most disposable spoons to dig out the middle, I’ve just had to straighten out one that looked like it’d been mugged by Uri Geller.

tag... play for today, 5up, 8up, makes

Kids and growed-ups alike, like playdough. There is something quite calming about squishing up lumps of putty. But there is a downside to shop bought dough, kiddywinks and dizzy parents aren’t too hot at remembering lids. Then the playdough goes all crunchy.

So I turned to Nana welikeplay and nicked her recipe. It makes very good playdough; soft, elastic, inedible and smooth for mere pennies.

You will need
a large saucepan
1 cup of flour
half a cup of salt
2 teaspoons of cream of tatar
1 cup of water
4 drops of food colouring
1 teaspoon of oil

Drop all the dry ingredients into a cold saucepan. Give it a quick mix. Add all the wet stuff, stir, and take it to the hob. Keep stirring for a few minutes until the dough becomes a smooth lumpy ball. It’s now good to go. After play store in an airtight container, like the ones the old dough came in.

Enjoy

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