Christmas Tree- Arbolito Navideño

This year we´re going to be spending all of the christmas holidays away so I didn´t want to out up a full tree, but I did want to do something.  We settled on making a tree from branches, collecting, painting and decorating them ourselves.  One thing extended into 3 days of activities - love it!

Este año vamos a pasar todas las vacaciones de Navidad lejos de casa, así que no queríamos  un árbol completo, pero había que hacer algo para la temporada festiva. Nos decidimos por hacer un árbol de ramas, recolectarlo, pintarlo y decorarlo nosotros mismos. Una cosa que se extendió a tres días de actividades - estupendo!

Recycle Play- Juego Reciclando

Half way through the 30 day hands on play challenge, the 15th day is all about rubbish.  Using things from the recycle bin and up-cycling them for lots of imaginative play.

I think this has been the best one yet for us (or me at least!).  More so as I didn´t expect much from it.  When I looked in our recycling bin I found 2 yogurt pots and 2 small mushroom trays, the paper bin only had a few bits of paper and an envelope! 

I wasn´t sure what to do. . .

Day 4 Play dough Challenge

Free style Playdough challenge.

Just give them the playdough, some things to use with it and let them at it.

This was a lucky one for us as just the night before Croc and I made up some new coloured playdough.

Whilst Croc was out I chose some things we had in the house and left them out for him to discover when he got back. 

Coffee beans, scented tea leaves, dried chilli, pebbles

We all sat round the table and had some super sensory fun with the playdough.  It was a bit sticky (we live in a humid area and it hadn´t dried out well) but croc loved it even more for that.  He got his hands right into and started making things.  

Boo seemed a bit wary at first, just sticking one finger at a time.  I passed her a pebble which got pressed into the middle.  She then squished and squashed with it, and of course ate a good few finger fulls.

"A prickly thing!"

At the end, Croc took out the things Id found for him pilled the bowl high with playdough and said it was a Birthday cake.  He asked for a candle and we all sang Happy Birthday.

Hand Print Spiders

As we´ve been away over the last week Ive not got round to doing any Halloween type craft with the kids.  With it now being over and done with I didnt want to do a Pumpkin craft, so I thought these spider print hands would be perfect.  Also as we´re all still tired and these are so quick and easy to do!

First draw round each hand, (something that kids love to do)

Croc concentrated so hard on drawing round his hand!

Whilst I concentratde hard on getting Boo to keep still!

Colour and cut (cutting off thumb as well.) Then stick the two hands together and glue on wiggly eyes.  (Or just draw some on)

Punch a hole thorugh the top and hang with string!

Roberto´s Birthday- Cumpleaños de Roberto

It was Roberto´s birthday yesterday so the kids and I have been preparing for it over the week.  First made a card and some decorations.  The decorations were made from some old loo and kitchen rolls, painted and then strung up with ribbon.
Ayer fue mi cumple, asi que Ruth y el nene habían preparado una pequeña fiesta para mi. Primero una tarjeta de felicitación y algunas cositas para decorar. Aquí veis un colgante hecho con rollos de papel de cocina y del baño, sujeto con un lazo.

Croc wasn´t so interested in decorating the larger kitchen rolls and wanted to get straight into the painting.
A él le interesaba mucho más pintar de rojo que decorar los rollos grandes con dibujitos. La pintura mola!

Ive never seen him so concentrated in anything like this before.  He usually starts of drawing/painting and then drifts off into something else, but he was really focused painting these rolls going over them to make sure they were fully covered.

Croc se concentró muy bien. En otras ocasiones pasa de una actividad a otra muy deprisa, pero pintar le gusta mucho y estuvo muy centrado en la tarea: dando los repasos necesarios para que estuviera todo bien cubierto de pintura.

Whilst we waited for the painted ones to dry we had an impromptu music session, with the long rolls as trumpets.

Mientras los rollos pequeños se secaban, hubo un pequeño concierto de trompeta improvisado.

Later in the day we started on the cake, we made a chocolate victoria sandwich cake with cream and cherries.
Más tarde hicieron una tarta de chocolate "Victoria" con nata y cerezas para chuparse los dedos. Cocinar es mucho más interesante si uno se puede poner manos en la masa y embadurnarse bien de chocolate.

Whats the point in spoons when Ive got my hands to work with!

Adding the chocolate to the cake or myself, hmm whats the most fun...

Back to the cake, this time with a spoon.
Mezclando ingredientes con la cuchara...

One last taste before it goes in the oven.
Todo cocinero prueba su obra antes de meterla al horno

Chocolate Victoria Sponge

• 135g plain flour
• 175g sugar
• 175g butter
• 35g chocolate powder (mixed with a little water to paste)
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder

Filling/topping

• small carton of fresh whipping cream
• 4-5 cherries halved

Cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.  Mix in the beaten eggs and chocolate paste.  Add in the flour and baking powder.  Spread between two 7" round cake tins and bake at 170º for approx 35 minutes (until firm to touch and knife comes out clean).  Spread fresh whipped cream onto one of the halfs, sandwich them together, spread the rest of the cream on the top and decorate with cherries.

Bizcocho de chocolate Victoria

·         135g harina normal

·         175g azúcar

·         175g mantequilla

·         35g Cacao en polvo (mezclado con un poco de agua para obtener una pasta)

·         3 huevos

·         1 cucharada de levadura.

Para rellenar/cubrir

·         Un recipiente pequeño de nata montada

·         4-5 cerezas cortadas a la mitad

Mezclar el azúcar y la mantequilla hasta que sea una masa uniforme (no se notan los granos de azúcar). Añadir mezclando los huevos batidos y el cacao. Añadir la harina y la levadura. Poner en 2 moldes circulares de unos 20 cm. de diámetro. Hornear a 170 grados durante unos 35 minutos (hasta que esté firme al tocarlo y al meter un cuchillo este salga limpio). Los dos bizcochos se unen poniendo una capa de nata entre medias y por encima se pone otra capa y se decora con las mitades de cereza.