Tinkerbell Peg Doll

I currently have a rather small but very big fan of Tinkerbell in my life and had been looking for small small (reasonably priced dolls), but instead decided to make some myself with pegs like I had done on many other occasions (Charlie and Lola, Incredibles, Superheros, more peg dolls )

But of course Tinkerbell needed a friend and so I made Terrence.

My next make is likely to be Anna and Elsa (of course)

Five Little Men in a Flying Saucer (2)

I have actually made this to sell and be mailable in an envelope. It is a version of a previous one I made that was more 3D, But actually I think it's turned out pretty well

Tactile Book (My House)

 A tactile book made for a homes project.

The group did not have children with visual impairment but made tactile for interest and would support if there was a child in future.

Cardboard Play House, with lights

 There was a spare big empty box, so..... A little house making project for 14 month old.

Inside battery operated lights poked in and a christmas light. Initially not a hit as she was rather scared of going inside (but after cutting another door so she see all the way through cue lots of crawling through!! And flap in the door become a great letter box for posting favourite lotto cards through!

Photo puzzle

So it's been forever.... since I posted doesn't time fly? I've had rather a lot going on sorry, so here we go.

 Simple shape puzzle bought from supermarket (or charity/ thrift store) select photos of child and their family and stick under the shapes. I laminated mine to make it durable and also can be pulled up eventually with a sharp knife.

You could also stick photos underneath that relate to words a child with language difficulties is working on.

Tiny Road Mat Quiet Bag

 I actually don't have an image of this folded and holding the cars but I promise you it does and fits nicely into a handbag to take anywhere.

 Simply sewn to fit "Learning Resources" mini motors, but you could make this for any cars you have available. The landmarks on the map serve as a great parking parking space for corresponding motor (bus- school, fire engine- fire station etc.) which was not my intention but works well!

More Peg Dolls

 As the title says, thought I'd just share some of my painted peg dolls.

 They can be for children to play with or simply as decorative paper clips

 Close ups

Pirate Dolls (+ how to make)

A spur of the moment project, making pirates for a treasure island.

"climbing about the pirate ship....looks like a bottle of run has filled their tums"

With their pipe cleaner swords

Instructions to make them

       

five little ducks/ frogs

 Just been clearing out shelves and folders and came across a whole bunch of stuff I had totally forgotten about, including these cute five little... rhymes cards for singing props.

 These sensory frogs made with five different textures/ fillings

Five little ducks laminated with a removable number velcroed on.

Odd shaped felt taggie rattle

An unusual shaped very light weight little rattle. Filled with and clean empty crisp packet and a bell for two noises, and ribbon taggies to chew and fiddle with. Initially saw idea on pinterest and repined

Hair Roller Posting

This has no relevance to recent posts, but have only a few minutes so this is a quick post...

Simply a dried milk can covered in paper and a hole cut out of the lid! The hole needs to be the actual diameter of the rollers NOT taking into account the prongs, this is so the child has to add a little more pressure to develop wrist and finger strength rather than the traditional drop ones!

The velcro round the edge on this picture is fluffy but the scratchy one works better. Having the velcro round the edge serves two purposes.

1. Adds another motor skill of pulling off the roller developing strength and using two hands (it won't come of if you don"t) 
2. It keeps the task together with a clear visual signal the activity has finished as this was designed to be used by an autistic child in a TEACCH workstation situation.

To make this even more challenging and add a lovely sound element use plastic spiked rollers rather than the velcro type ones above.

Box Bear Bedroom

 When helping my parents put the Christmas decorations away my dad found this under the stairs. This was one of my favourite projects for my NNEB (Nursery Nurse/ Child care qual) and it was only a quick insignificant one! But one that inspired me more than most of the theorists - "Create something in a box"

So I present my bear box bedroom, made when I was about 17! I still love it!

Bumble Bee Rattle

So first post for 2012, Happy New year I hope you will Bee very happy!Cute little bumble bee rattle made for my God daughter, made out of a retro film canister with felt sewn around in a bee design with ribbons for wing (like a taggie blanket). I covered the canister with three layers of felt to make it soft and filled the canister with a single bead (about 2cm diameter) make a nice rattle and has a great vibration (bit like a bee)
With the wings you can hang the bee from a thread or off of plastic links (the ones, to stop toys getting chucked out of the buggy).

We're going on a Bear Hunt

I hope you all had a good Christmas. I'm sure I have more posts on christmas theme to add, but since I have a moment and have these photos on phone posting now. This is a Christmas present I made for a child, I got the idea from pinterest and will share link later!

Snow men counting

I got these snownen playing cards from pundland last year and planned to use them for song props but when i put them on a shelf next to my beads thought of this cool counting / fine motor activity.

Star Button Match

Selection of pairs of felt cut out stars, with buttons sewn to one pair and a slit big enough (but not too big) to accommodate a button. Children find matching stars and button them together. I also made a matching bag but a pretty box would be just as nice. This will supplements; christmas, twinkle twinkle and space themes/ interests, whilst the children develop fine motor skills, matching and explore connecting scheamas.

In out

About a year ago I posted a similar post on 3d object fitting. I have now added two additional objects and containers, I had lost the box and the cube (but found today)

I will keep them in this box, in keeping with theme although initially not with lid on.

Scented Playdough

So on a mission tonight to make scented playdough with what I had! Ended up with, coconut and ginger spice, vanilla, peppermint, and in the process came up with what may be a serious time saving new recipe!

I made Coconut playdough using body shop coconut body butter, and this is how I came up with a way of making playdough that I can't believe I hadn't realised before (There are plenty of examples of this method over the internet now I have searched). I simply followed the recipe that I posted a few days ago, but substituted the oil for body butter. In order to ensure I didn't have clumps of butter I boiled the water and added the body butter to that and then added each of the ingredients to that, in order to avert any potential chemical reactions (you never know). When I finally added the flour to my shock it simply got thick very, very quickly and hey presto playdough, no cooking at all. I hope it will keep the same as the cooking, but whatever I will defiantly be using boiling water again.

The coconut dough has turned out a VERY different consistency/ texture, rather crumbly and almost like short crust pastry, I am wondering if the body butter acted like shortening? Who knows?

In order to check that the crumbliness wasn't due to the boiling water method, I made vanilla playdough using the same method but adding the boiling water last (this way children can join in the making and adults simply add water). This time the consistency was not crumbly at all, so must be due to body butter?

The ginger spice one was the basic playdough recipe (on a pan- pre coconut revelation!) and simply adding copious amounts of dried spices, the ginger seemed to turn it the best colour so it has more ginger in!

Lastly pepermint, as above but adding pepermint and blue colouring to preferred strength after cooking, more flour was added to deal with the extra liquid.