Thought I'd try again...

So it's been a while since I wrote anything and a few things have changed.



I am now the very happy proud mum of 2 lovely boys. I still feel 'first time mum' is appropriate as its the first time I've had 2 little ones and everyday with both of them throws up new experiences and challenges.
I've been feeling like I'd like to try and blog again to help me see what I do achieve with my boys, rather than just being very aware of everything I don't achieve in every other aspect of life.
I think it will much of the same but now also with my new hobby/obsession of school reform thrown in.
I was a teacher and loved it but since having my children, a break from the classroom and a chance to read some of the amazing things out there I have started to question things a lot and hope to share some of these amazing people and schools with you.
Thank you for taking the time to read, I would love any thoughts, ideas or recommendations that spring to mind.
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And maybe for littler ones...

I thought for pre-writing types they might like to draw photos of their favourite characters, and I thought if they could do it a bit like the computer screens from the show they could use them to decorate their very own HQ in the Octopod.

Octonauts to the role play...

So I can't help but think in terms of classroom resources and so have had a little go at making some resources that might add to little ones role play. Please don't expect anything too wizzy I am far from a designer and I only use cut/paste/fill etc. but hopefully little ones don't mind.

First some of Peso's plasters, I thought children could cut them out and use with sticky tape to make their own plasters.

Captain Barnacles obviously records his adventures in his Captains log, so I made (a very basic) cover and pages to make an A5 version for the children to use.

In Sea of Shade, Professor Inkling looks up where the Shade King lives in the Mysterious places guide. In my experience little ones love drawing a map so here is my attempt at another little A5 book to make with your children.

Last book is used in The only lonely monster- Sea Monster Field Guide. Little ones could make up their own monsters or record ones they see on the Octonauts or at the aquarium, or on Blue Planet??

Images used found on Immedium and Octonauts.com

Ooh Cute Octo-Alert...

So on my trawling on the internet for all things Octonaut I found this...

Octoalert

It works brilliantly on the Iphone alongside the toys so Albie can sound the alert at anytime!

More Octonauts...

So I have attempted to make a little Octonauts book for my son. I'm pretty sure there are better things out there but I enjoy having a go, and it means I am able to pick out the things that have struck a chord with him. All of the character pictures I have borrowed from the Octonauts.com the other images and information sources I have linked to at the bottom. My hope is to add to the creature pages as he becomes interested, which I will try and add to here as I go. I just cut all the pages in half and put them in an A5 display wallet.  Hopefully as he plays with his toys and we think of other Octonauts related things to do I will add photos of these in too.

The cat image is from Cats of FireClan Wiki

The penguin images, Looking for clues

Daschund picture from All dog Breeds
Sea otter photo from Wild nature images
Rabbit photo from Pet Web Site
Dumbo Octopus photo from ABC news
Dumbo Octopus information from BBC Nature, there are also little video clips on this site
All animal fact files are from National Geographic Kids, these have video clips and other photos too. Really sweet resource for little ones.

Octonauts to your stations...

My little one has only just started doing what actually sounds like imaginative play very recently. And this has made me have to rethink some of my initial tv prejudice as the main inspiration for his play is the Octonauts. Now his first introduction was in book form, firstly (and for my birthday pre-Albie)

and then

which he really liked but was never interested in the tv series until now. I love the slightly more abstract nature of the books but have grown to love the animation too. The acquisition of his very own Kwazii Kitten has led to some very cute moments of a small person swushing a tiny plasic figure shouting "Octonauts to your stations' or 'To the launch bay" and the occasional "I don't want to be the only lonely monster".

But this has also inspired me to do some teacher like thinking of fun things that maybe my little one might like to do under the guise of being an Octonaut. The first port of call was the Cbeebies website. Where I found these colouring in sheets which I thought would be a good start for an Octonauts information book.

Then on to Octonauts.com where I found some other cute printables, some simple games as well as some more colouring in sheets.

This is all lovely stuff but I would like to have some Albie created or involved things so that is what I'm working on next. I'm feeling a trip to the aquarium coming on...

Oh and I had alovely time nosing around the Meomi website too, lots of fab creatures.

Who needs toys?

When you have an amazing and very lovely site manager in your flats.
We are very lucky. And have had an especially brilliant week, not only lots of lovely sun, but also it was time to mow the grass with the mini tractor! Albie loved it.



And the whole thing was made even better by the fact that it was a little bit broken. So he got to watch it get mended...






It was so lovely watching him take it all in, he was especially interested in pumping up the tires. After a couple of false starts he figured out how to fit the pump onto the tire, he managed to deflate rather than inflate but hey, he's not 2 yet.



As if that wasn't good enough, our very lovely friend bought in the very best paddling pool you could ask for!






All of this was much much more fun than any of the toys I have bought him! And you never know I might actually learn something,
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