Their Only Childhood

Thanks to good old Bunnings (Australia’s biggest hardware and home improvement chain) – Lia (9 years old) and I had the best time making these simple – but awesomely fun – Halloween witches hats! Jazz was also present for moral support, but did not participate overly well (being 6 weeks old at the time).

So simple – a traffic cone, some tape rolls, a few pipe cleaners, googly eyes…and voilà!

We used these as ‘guard dogs’ at our house on the night of Halloween. Both withstood some rocky weather in the lead-up to the big event, so they were super functional outdoor decorations. We’ve now boxed them up as ongoing parts of our Halloween decorations for many years to come.

Best of all, so many of these arts and crafts events for kids are free, just like this one. Lia and I are always on the lookout for these types of activities, and most of them are as good or better than paid events.

I love this craft activity because it was set up for success but also open to creativity – there is very little chance a child could not create something both creative and cool using these materials, and I think some crafts like this one are nice stepping stone experiences to building a positive artistic self-view and confidence in the child that their unique creations are epic.

Please comment – What is your favourite but simple Halloween craft that is set up for success?

At first, I thought it was going to be a waiting game to enjoy playgrounds, given Jazz can’t walk, or even crawl at seven weeks old.

BUT…I soon discovered there is one piece of playground equipment that babies love more than ever – THE SWINGS!

Best of all – it’s like a free baby rocker, but one that keeps you close to your little one, with lots of hug time, and lets you stay outside longer for some fresh air (it’s springtime!), with some beautiful memories as well.

Awesome perk – often, it seems to be the best way to settle Jazz during the start of the witching hours, and lulls her into a nice peaceful nap, that leaves her much calmer for the rest of the evening.

The other day, while on a pram walk, I saw an incredibly gentle and attentive mum with a very fresh little newborn, tenderly swinging with her little one in her arms, and it was adorable. I guess the secret about babies loving swings is not a secret after all!

When we get tired of the swings (sometimes over an hour – I know it’s a bit much 🙂 but we have nowhere else to rush off to) – we often lay down on a little rug under the trees, watching the sun through the leaves, or the clouds overhead.

Please comment – Have you found any other ways to enjoy the simple joys of the playground with a newborn?

5 days old

Jazz’s first pram walk surrounded by the beauty of the start springtime.

Prams are super convenient and safe, and provide fresh air for both of us, but I also find the pram very restrictive in terms of what Jazz can see and appreciate when moving around the world.

So I regularly park the pram and lift Jazz to show her flowers up close, so we can appreciate them together.

I also pick nature treasures to place beside her in the pram, so she can still appreciate them from her viewpoint.

That way, Jazz can see as much as possible of the beauty of the walk as well, and we have some special moments together as we pause to appreciate small natural wonders; rather than her being pushed along the whole way in a fabric box, and only seeing the inside of the pram (since her eyes are not developed enough to enjoy the beauty of the passing tree branches or clouds floating by as yet).

I think these short pauses often become the most beautiful moments of the walk.

Always looking for more tips – please comment with tips on what you do with your little one to try to search for a few moments to pause and appreciate the small nature wonders or little treasures you find on your regular walks?