It's All About Play

WiggleTime

2009-05-21T12:49:00.012+08:00

I’m sure all of you have heard of The Wiggles, The World’s Premiere Children’s Entertainment Group but do you know that they have launched a fun and interactive online world, http://www.wiggletime.com/, just for preschooler? Parents can be sure that each game played on WiggleTime is carefully designed to help children learn cognitive, physical and social elements through play. Children learn best when they are happy and we as parents can be sure that our children are safe from any sort of bad influence as the site is ad free.

When I introduced WiggleTime to my children, they were very excited about it. What attracted them most was the red car that you as the player can ride in to go to your favorite destination. Along the way, you could see beautiful scenery. You can hop in and out of the car anytime when you see your favorite character’s house. At every destination, you would have fun playing different games and watching video clips. The games are all played in stages and it gets more difficult and challenging. A virtual toy would be presented as a reward and you get to keep it and play with it.

My eldest son finds designing the flag for the pirate ship interesting and he is obviously a person who likes art and craft. My middle child loves the herding game and the game is not as easy as you think. In this game, you have to herd the animals to their own home and you can’t get too close to the animals or they would move away from you. My youngest daughter loves to play the matching game where she gets to match the animals to the corresponding starting alphabets and she would laugh when all the animals which are successfully matched dance around.

My eldest son's favorite game

My middle child's favorite game

My little daughter's favorite game

WiggleTime caters for the parents as well. I get to see the progress report of each of my children and get lots of tips from the parent resource center. There is also a message board for us to socialize with other parents to exchange ideas and share experience in parenting. Isn't it great?

Interested? Register for free at WiggleTime.com today and get yourself started! If you want more, you could subscribe at USD6 per month and take advantage of the full potential of WiggleTime.com.

What are you waiting for? Let’s wiggle!

The Recycling Song

2009-05-05T21:27:00.005+08:00

I'm sure most of us would talk to our children about recycling. The most commonly taught would be the 3Rs and the recycle bin.

When I talked to my children about recycling, I found that they had problems remembering which item goes into which bin and so, I made them remember by singing the recycling song.

The song goes like this:

Let us do recycling
Let us stop global warming
Thinking green in our neighborhood
Reduce reuse recycle
Brown bin glass
Blue bin paper
Orange bin plastic and aluminium

(Tune: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)
(Lyrics changed and amended by yours truly)

Through songs, my children tend to learn faster. What about yours?

Shop Online And Win

2009-04-20T07:08:00.004+08:00

Teaching our own children is a difficult task and we don’t seem to be as patient as we ought to be. However, I opt to teach my own children and guide them through without sending them for extra classes.

The internet often becomes my research tool as well as my teaching aid. My children cannot really differentiate different types of clothing and often call them all “baju” which means clothes in Malay language. So, when I shop online for clothing, I would save some images to show them.

A site which I came across is Roman Originals, a discounted online shopping site for women of today. The range of clothing is fabulous, catering for all seasonal change and sold at affordable prices. With free delivery to UK and Northern Ireland for purchase above £75, you can shop at the comfort of your home with just a few clicks and stand a chance to win £250 in their weekly contest!

Online shopping is really becoming the trend of today. Roman Originals provide a size guide for women to refer to before making an order and this is a wonderful gift for those who shop online because it ensures a proper fit since they are not able to try on the clothing.

The evening blouses are now on discount and if you are looking for one, be sure to drop by Roman Originals today. Besides evening blouses, there are many more to see. The dresses, skirts, jackets, knitwear, suits, trousers, blouses and coats are all beautifully designed.

Visit Roman Originals and see with your own eyes and I’m sure you would fall in love with some of the clothing offered.

Coloring

2009-04-15T07:00:00.001+08:00

You know what? While I accompany my children at the study table when they color or do their homework, I took a page or two to color as well, one to pass time and two to test if I can still color like I used to in my younger days.

Well, I think it's still in me, the interest is still there.

My children love my coloring and asked that I teach them. So, can I save some money on art classes? I wonder.

Treasure Hunt

2009-04-12T17:01:00.002+08:00

It was vegetarian day and I know my children would not enjoy their meal. Vegetables although healthy, are not what they like to eat.

My mother was very clever and she tricked my children into finishing the whole bowl of rice and vegetables while having fun.

The treasure hunt went like this:

“Everybody, find something green and put in your mouth.”

Followed by,

“Now, find something black and eat it with rice.”

Continue with other colors.

The children finished their food in no time. Thanks mom.

Kids Costumes

2009-04-04T17:47:00.005+08:00

Having children who attend kindergarten, I have the chance to attend school concerts and I’m always the one who gets excited over their performance compared to my husband. For me, it brings back my memories. I used to perform on stage when I was younger and I have loved every moment of it.

Every time there is a concert, the children look beautiful in their Kids Costumes and they get their parents all excited and busy taking photos and video. Before the concert, the teachers would be busy searching for suitable costumes and some even custom make the costumes.

In western countries, people get to dress themselves up in Halloween Costumes and Easter Costumes and they look great! I really wish we have parties like those in western countries. Then, I would be able to shop online for costumes and accessories. Isn’t it lovely to see our children dressed up as the characters that they love? My little daughter would look pretty if she dresses up as Belle, her favorite princess.

Make Your Own Fridge Magnet

2009-03-27T07:00:00.000+08:00

This was another of our "Holiday Project". It was a gift from my sister, a very lovely gift indeed. We had fun mixing the plaster, pouring it into the mold, adding the magnet (with hubby's help) and when it is done, we painted the sea animals.

The two boys actually did the painting themselves but their end product had been touched up a little. The star fish belongs to my little daughter. She selected the colors herself and with me holding her hand, she had fun painting it.

Now, all these lovely sea creatures are "swimming" on my fridge, making my fridge look more colorful.

Make Your Own Greeting Cards

2009-03-23T19:17:00.012+08:00

I have always loved art and craft when I was young. When my children reached the age when they could color and draw, I didn't really see any interest in them but as time passed, they began to like art and craft.

When we knew we were going to stay home this school holiday, I bought this set and had them exercising their right brain a little to create and make some greeting cards.

Here are some of their "creations":

If you look at the color and the elements chosen, you should know whose this card belongs to.

A card for a friend.

Boys would like this.

Go "Green"

Do you like this bouquet of flowers with a heart?

This is nice.

See the word "Pikachu"? My son created this for his "Pokemon".

Daddy and Christmas?

If you like art and craft, this would be fun. Off course, if you are more creative, you can do a lot better with your own choice of paper, glitters, ribbons and colors.

Creativity Part Two

2009-02-26T07:56:00.007+08:00

People who created these obviously use a lot of their right brain. Imagine using paper to create these. Brilliant, aren't they? (Pictures received via email).

Which one do you like most? For me, I like the last one most mainly because it's my son's creation! He does have a little bit of creativity, doesn't he?

Creativity Part One

2009-02-23T09:29:00.007+08:00

When my children fight over a few pieces of LEGO, I told them: "If you can make something out of the pieces that you have, you are creative! So, you don't have to fight over a few pieces and say you cannot build something just because you are short of that very piece."

This is what I call creativity: (pictures received via email)

These pictures are great! Don't you think so?

Happy Chinese New Year

2009-01-24T09:44:00.005+08:00

This is a festival children get all excited about. Here's wishing all the children a very happy Chinese New Year and may they be blessed with good health, good grades and great happiness.

Word Recognition

2009-01-15T07:01:00.002+08:00

There is this song that we once knew. It goes like this:

Oh where oh where has my little dog gone, oh where oh where has he been, with his tail …..

Well, I’m not talking about songs here but a few days ago, I was trying to teach Wayne how to read “WHERE” and “THERE” and after a few attempts, he didn’t seem to be able to recognize the words.

So, I use the above tune to teach him but changed the lyric a little. Here’s the lyric I have changed:

Oh where oh where has my little Wayne gone
Oh where oh where has he been
W. H. E. R. E. where where where
W. H. E. R. E. where

Oh there oh there is my little Wayne
Oh there oh there he is
T. H. E. R. E. there there there
T. H. E. R. E. there

Boy, it was effective! Now, not only Wayne can spell the two words, even Nyn can spell!

It's New Year!

2009-01-01T14:39:00.004+08:00

It's new year and that means Karl will be in Primary 2 and Wayne has one more year to be trained before he enters primary school. Nyn would enter class of 4 years old in kindergarten and all of them will be in morning session this year.

I wish my children would study well and be healthy and happy for the entire year. Happy new year to all of you out there.

Happy New Year Glitter Pictures

Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year

2008-12-24T11:40:00.007+08:00

Tomorrow is the big day! It's Christmas! My children love Christmas and I do hope that it would be a joyful day tomorrow!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Glitter Merry Christmas Graphics

Holiday Program For Wayne

2008-11-20T20:56:00.005+08:00

This holiday would be a period for Wayne to brush up his reading and writing. He desperately needs that or should I say that's what I think he needs? Off course, this would last for two weeks I guess.

My brain isn't working well and what I can do now is to take out "Peter and Jane" series and guide him through. Let's hope I can think of something interesting to make learning fun.

Cars

2008-10-12T14:05:00.002+08:00

Our trip to Singapore had been very fruitful. Not only did we learn some lessons, we bought some worth buying toys for the children which we don’t see in Malaysia. Now, whenever they are free, they would pick up the pieces and fix a car, a plane, a helicopter and the list goes on. These sets which include the nuts and screws coupled with the screw driver are really awesome.

One day, Karl fixed a car and I thought he is really good at this. Wayne can’t catch up yet and Nyn is obviously not interested in cars. Talking about cars makes me ponder. I am a person who does not know anything about cars except how to start it and stop it. Now, it makes me wonder if I can really handle a car if hubby is not around. What if my car breaks down suddenly? Can I find the best mechanic? Do you know exactly what to pay for repairs on your car in your town? I definitely do not know!

I panicked when these thoughts flood my mind and I’m beginning to think I should attend some courses or read more on cars. As I browse through the internet, I found a site which is very good. It actually has most of the information one needs to know about cars. You get notified before your car drops below its residual value, list your car for sale for free, find accessories and parts specific to your car, see reviews on 2009 cars and get automatically notified on every recall for your vehicle. Isn’t this wonderful? These are exactly what every owner or driver of a car should know.

I’m hoping that my sons would grow up to be knowledgeable and know more about cars since they love cars so much now.

What’s The Time Mr. Wolf?

2008-10-07T22:02:00.007+08:00

Telling time is one subject we ought to teach our children and I think I did not teach my eldest son well. To avoid the same mistake, I plan to teach my other two children how to read the clock.

I have in mind to teach them about time through games. Do you remember the game “What’s the time, Mr. Wolf?” For those who cannot remember, it’s a game where one person would become Mr. Wolf with his back facing the others and telling the children the time and the other children would take steps based on the time told.

Example:

Children: What’s the time, Mr. Wolf?

Mr. Wolf: Two o’clock.

Children would take two steps.

When the children are near Mr. Wolf, Mr. Wolf would catch one child and it’s that child’s turn to become Mr. Wolf.

Now, for a twist in this game, Mr. Wolf would take a clock (those that are used to train children to tell time) and turn the hour and minute hands to the time desired. He then shows the clock to the children and the game continues from here.

I can’t wait to try this on my children. Learning can be fun!

Sam Feels Better Now Book Review

2008-09-19T08:00:00.003+08:00

It’s pretty normal for children to have fear but what’s more important is to help them overcome the fear.

For the past few months, Karl had been living in fear, not to the extent of unable to sleep and eat but more towards feeling afraid whenever he is alone. He dare not go upstairs alone and dare not bathe if I’m not standing outside the bathroom. At first, I thought he was just not brave enough but after talking to him, I found out the reason or the trigger of his fear.

It was the “monkey in the window” that scared him. Every time he bathes, he would imagine a monkey sitting in the window looking at him and that monkey has a scary look. Well, how did the monkey come into his imagination? The source was none other than the computer game he played.

As a mother, I was glad that he told me about the “monkey” and about his fear. Searching for ways to help him, I came across this book “Sam Feels Better Now!” by Jill Osborne and thought I would read to Karl, hoping that we would both learn how to get the fear out of him.

This book is about Sam who saw something awful and was scared. His mother brought him to the therapist who helped him feel better. For me, this is a wonderful book that comes in just in time for me to read to Karl. The interactive story coupled with beautiful illustrations and some worksheets (as shown in the following pictures) is the mean to help children relate their terrible experience through activities like drawing, coloring, play and story telling. From there, we, the parents, learn how to help children handle their trauma. It also encourages children to attend therapy sessions if the need arises.

Now, Karl feels much better. He told me he is not afraid of the “monkey in the window” anymore. After going through the activities in the book with him, he sort of found a way to forget the scary monkey by replacing that image with something friendlier - the monkey in Kung Fu Panda! Phew, am I relieved!

So, if your child is feeling scared, try reading him this book “Sam Feels Better Now!” It helps.

Fun With Modeling Clay

2008-09-17T22:30:00.001+08:00

This was what we did during playgroup session one Saturday. Modeling clay has been part of our children's life. They just love to shape and mold the clay. So, this time around, we took out some modeling clay for the children and let their imagination run wild but the only difference is that we use CDs together with modeling clay.

My sample.

This belongs to one of the playgroup mummies.

A four year old girl's master piece.

Wayne and Nyn's work with some editing done.

This is Karl's

Bean Craft

2008-08-27T07:25:00.001+08:00

Here’s a very simple craft suitable for children.

This is not my idea, but a craft assignment my seven year old son had to complete to be submitted to his teacher in school.

Materials: Beans of different sizes and colors, paper plate.

This is Karl’s work.

This is mine.

My friend's children did this on a golden box instead of a paper plate and the end product was made into a candy box. Too bad there is no picture.

Toys and Games

2008-08-26T00:01:00.001+08:00

Toys and games are by far most children’s favorite as children love to play and have fun. I always see children reluctant to leave when they have the chance to roam the toy department in any shopping mall.

My children have lots of toys but I think most are gifts from their grandparents, aunts and uncles. I do buy toys but I often opt for educational toys and creative toys which my children do not get from others.

I believe fun learning makes children happy and happy children learn best. These toys and games are just the perfect tools to create a fun learning environment. So, if you happen to be in my house, you will find lots of such toys and games which help me with my fun teaching methods.

Informal Education

2008-08-24T18:57:00.006+08:00

The one-week school holiday has finally come to an end. I have been away from home for almost a week and glad am I to be home.

This time around, we went back to hubby’s village. The children were very excited to see my father in law’s new house’s construction progress. They kept asking about the completion date and we told them that if they are lucky, they (the boys) might be able to celebrate their birthday in that house.

The home lighting and home automation is under my brother in law’s charge. He has stayed in the US for many years and has seen more than we do. His choice of light fixtures would be rather different I guess, from what he said once that he would not buy fluorescent lights. I wonder if he would consider chandeliers. That would be pretty nice.

My father in law is someone who is very open and democratic who allows his children, especially those who are not married, to pick the design for their own room from furniture, bathroom sets, ceiling design to color of wall. Aren’t they lucky to have such a father?

As we stood in that house, looking down, my husband took the opportunity to talk to the children about construction and about safety. We always believe in informal education and what’s a better way than to talk to the children when there are natural teaching aid and visual aid? Oh, I do hope they learn!

Beautiful Rocks

2008-08-15T11:14:00.001+08:00

Remember my previous posts on rock painting? Here are some others which I tried.

Butterfly rock

Fish rock

Supposed to be a turtle or a tortoise

Ladybug rock with some touching up. It looks better than my previous attempt, eh?

Money Game Details

2008-08-09T20:04:00.003+08:00

Photos here

“Money” is one topic in the primary one syllabus and to teach my seven year old about money, I let him “make” his own paper money, consisting of coins and paper notes. He had fun making them and counting the total he owns too.

Then, it was time for a city tour. We pretended to visit the restaurant where my son could order his food and foot the bill using “his money”. Then, we went to the boutique where he bought his shirt and pants. Next, we went to the stationery shop, book shop, pharmacy, sundry shop and supermarket.

Our own version of supermarket

He had fun choosing and picking his favorite things and paying for them while I had fun looking at him learn the places in the city as well as addition and subtraction of money.

Babies Are Boring - Book Review

2008-07-23T23:40:00.001+08:00

Well, when I first received this book by Jon Ritchie, I wasn’t sure what to expect but I knew it would be interesting just by looking at the title of the book.

I was right! There are a great variety of children books out there but this one, “Babies Are Boring”, IS different. It’s like a breath of fresh air!

It tells a lot about life as a parent and it’s so true. I have been through all these moments.

"If you look back, there's a life you used to know. The time, the time, oh wherever does it go?"

Can you relate to this? Before the babies greet the world, we have so much time for ourselves, doing things that we like but where has the time gone after the babies arrive? We basically have NO MORE time for ourselves. Our time is spent cleaning up messes, changing diapers, making milk and other “tasks” that you and I know very well. This book said them all in a very interesting way with cute and attractive illustrations.

I can’t help it but smiled when I read about the moments we spent with our children.

Tired and exhausted we may be but that’s what parenthood is all about, isn’t it? Somehow, with all the sacrifices we make and all the effort we put in, there is always some form of reward.

“But somewhere, in between these things, few and far between... there are tiny, shiny moments almost too small to be seen.”

Those are the moments we are looking forward to, moments that make our effort and love worthwhile.

When I read to my children, I insert some role play that makes the whole story more fun and alive. They LOVE it! Now, every now and then, they would say: “Mummy, can we have Babies Are Boring?” and “I want to pretend to be the baby who sleeps and you the mummy who sings until you fall asleep.”

Who says children books are only for children? “Babies are Boring” is a wonderful book for toddlers as well as for parents.