{"id":2064,"date":"2010-07-02T16:24:02","date_gmt":"2010-07-02T14:24:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/zaparents-blog\/?p=2064"},"modified":"2022-06-23T10:00:07","modified_gmt":"2022-06-23T08:00:07","slug":"making-fun-nothing-nikki-bush","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/activities-and-outings\/diy-activities\/making-fun-nothing-nikki-bush\/","title":{"rendered":"Week 4: Making fun out of nothing with Nikki Bush"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Whether you are away on holiday or staying at home, you need to be able to keep your surprise jar full of fun things to do.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to be the magician every day, but just often enough to keep your children\u2019s sense of anticipation going and their belief that you are fun to be with, even if you do lead a very busy life.<\/p>\n<p>So, during the school holidays, take a few minutes every second day to create a \u201cmaking fun out of nothing experience\u201d which also doubles up as a connection experience between you and your child.\u00a0 Inspire your child by being fun to be with.<\/p>\n<p>Here are 3 ideas for this week which are simple to do and don\u2019t require much in the way of specialised equipment or ingredients.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\">Finger knitting<\/h2>\n<p>Now this may be a blast from your past!\u00a0 All you need is a bit of wool and your hands. \u00a0A fun activity that is enjoyed by both girls and boys.\u00a0 Do it while waiting between activities, or when travelling in the car or long-distance.\u00a0 See who can make the longest chain.\u00a0 A fantastic fine-motor co-ordination activity to strengthen reading and writing skills.\u00a0 The more you do it the better you get!<\/p>\n<h3>You will need:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>A ball of wool<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>What to do:<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Make a slip knot and put the loop over your pointing finger (to see pictures, click here, and I am right handed so the loop is placed on my left pointing finger).<\/li>\n<li>Hold the short tail in your other three fingers.<\/li>\n<li>Using the long end of the wool make another loop over the same finger, next to the first loop of the slip knot.\u00a0 Put the remaining long tail in the same hand as the short tail.<\/li>\n<li>Now, pick up the slip knot loop and pull it over the second loop and off your finger.\u00a0 Give the short tail a gentle tug.\u00a0 You have created your first daisy chain.<\/li>\n<li>Now repeat step 3 over and over again and your chain will start growing.\u00a0 You will find your own rhythm and create your own tension for the stitches so that they start looking even and identical.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/FINGER-KNITTING.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2065\" title=\"FINGER KNITTING\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/FINGER-KNITTING.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"642\" height=\"191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/FINGER-KNITTING.jpg 642w, https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/FINGER-KNITTING-300x89.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 642px) 100vw, 642px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\">Sushi Sandwiches<\/h2>\n<p>Who wants just another ham and cheese sandwich for lunch?\u00a0 How about a sandwich with a difference?\u00a0 Sushi sandwiches!\u00a0 Just the same old ingredients in a different disguise and fun to make too!\u00a0 In old-fashioned terms \u2013 a pinwheel sandwich.\u00a0 Sometimes children will eat better when they have had a hand in preparing the food.\u00a0 I tried this out with my own children and my nieces and nephews while on holiday last week and it was an instant hit from age 5 to 15.\u00a0 Even my very fussy niece enjoyed her lunch.<\/p>\n<h3>You will need:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Fresh bread (rectangular)<\/li>\n<li>Mayonnaise or mashed avocado or butter\/marg<\/li>\n<li>Grated cheese<\/li>\n<li>Sliced ham or tuna mayo<\/li>\n<li>Bread board<\/li>\n<li>Rolling pin<\/li>\n<li>Bread knife<\/li>\n<li>Spreading knife<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>What to do (for ham, cheese and avo sushi sandwiches):<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Place a piece of bread on the chopping board and cut off the crusts.<\/li>\n<li>Now take the rolling pin and roll over the bread, flattening it.<\/li>\n<li>Butter the bread if desired.<\/li>\n<li>Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on next (or mashed avocado).<\/li>\n<li>Now place a piece of ham on the bread followed by a thin layer of grated cheese.\u00a0 Don\u2019t overfill.<\/li>\n<li>Carefully roll up the bread and, using the bread knife, cut into sushi-sized pieces (approx 2 cm).<\/li>\n<li>Ring the changes with the fillings.\u00a0 Tuna or chicken mayonnaise and lettuce would work well or make up a vegetarian filling of your choice.\u00a0 My very fussy niece only used peanut butter and she loved her sushi sandwiches.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/SUSHI-HAM-SANDWICHES-2.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2066 lazyload\" title=\"SUSHI HAM SANDWICHES (2)\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/SUSHI-HAM-SANDWICHES-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1050\" height=\"213\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/SUSHI-HAM-SANDWICHES-2.jpg 950w, https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/SUSHI-HAM-SANDWICHES-2-300x61.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/SUSHI-HAM-SANDWICHES-2-768x156.jpg 768w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1050px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1050\/213;\" data-original-sizes=\"(max-width: 1050px) 100vw, 1050px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\">Paper Planes<\/h2>\n<p>Children from age three to teens enjoy flying paper aeroplanes, but few children know how to make them today.\u00a0 Here are a few instructions which may come in handy as a boredom buster or a cheap way to keep children entertained at home or on holiday.\u00a0 They are fascinated with the concept of flight and love to see whose plane can fly the furthest.\u00a0 The design below is for a basic plane (you will need to get involved until the age of approximately 6\/7 years).\u00a0 Paper plane folding is a spatial planning and fine motor control activity.\u00a0 Many other designs and modifications can be made to improve the aerodynamics \u2013 just ask any dad.\u00a0 The secret to a good paper plane is in the accuracy of the folding.<\/p>\n<h3>You will need:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>A4 paper (from your printer or photocopier)<\/li>\n<li>Crayons or khokis for decorating if you want<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>What do do:<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Fold the paper in half lengthwise.<\/li>\n<li>Open it out and fold the top two corners of the paper into the middle to form a point.<\/li>\n<li>Fold this point into the middle of the paper, forming a square.<\/li>\n<li>Fold the top two corners of the paper into the middle again to form a point.<\/li>\n<li>Fold the paper in half, creasing well along the centrefold (all the folded bits will be on the inside).<\/li>\n<li>To make the wings, measure a line approximately 2cms upwards from the centrefold.\u00a0 Fold back the paper along this line and crease well.<\/li>\n<li>For even better aerodynamics, fold the tips of the wings up 1cm.<\/li>\n<li>You\u2019re ready for take off!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/PAPER-PLANE.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2067 lazyload\" title=\"PAPER PLANE\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/PAPER-PLANE.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"397\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/PAPER-PLANE.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/PAPER-PLANE-300x186.jpg 300w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 640px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 640\/397;\" data-original-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Have fun!<\/p>\n<p>Note: If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to the uniquely detailed free weekly newsletter for parents in Gauteng \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/member-registration\/\"><i>Jozikids<\/i><\/a><i>\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Note: If you enjoyed this article, and would like to stay updated with more, you can:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Subscribe to our free weekly Jozikids\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/member-registration\/\"><em>newsletter<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0 for parents in Gauteng<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Like us on <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/jozikids.co.za\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Facebook<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n<li><em>Follow us on\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/jozikids?igshid=1n8cwedrewul\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Instagram<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whether you are away on holiday or staying at home, you need to be able to keep your surprise jar full of fun things to do.  You don\u2019t have to be the magician every day, but just often enough to keep your children\u2019s sense of anticipation going&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":80,"featured_media":11849,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2064","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diy-activities"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2064","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/80"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2064"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2064\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11849"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2064"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}