School is very much back in full swing and Lara has settled really well in her new class with her new, Year 1 routine. As a working family, we don't normally get home in the evenings until well after 6pm so there is normally a mad rush to make dinner as soon as we get home, this usually involves me bundling the girls into another room to either watch some of their favourite TV shows or to get creative with their collection of arts and crafts materials. This helps them chill out after a busy day at school or nursery but it also gives me a little space in the kitchen to get on with cooking.
This month, Netflix asked StreamTeam members for some after-school inspiration. For my girls, when they come in through the door and crash on the sofa, they now pester me to watch something from Netflix. There are lots of new children s television series' available on Netflix to coincide with the start of the new school term.
And, I know I go on about this, but the Kids interface on the Apple TV for accessing and browsing Netflix is so easy to use that the girls are very independent and can choose their own shows. This means that I don't have to keep rushing in from the kitchen every two minutes to choose another program. Their Netflix profiles will only show them kids shows, so there's no fear that they may accidentally end up watching Breaking Bad!
If you are looking for some crafty inspiration for autumnal after-school activities then Lara and Holly have some ideas for you. On your walk home from school, collect as many different shapes of leaf as you can find... and as many different nuts and seeds as you can discover.
1. Trace around the seeds and nuts onto a piece of paper. See if you can remember which outline is for which seed and write down the names. We found hazelnuts, conkers and chestnuts on our travels and Lara has loved learning how to write these new words.
2. Make leaf rubbings using chalks, pastels or crayons. Explore the different shapes of leave and the patterns of the veins on them. Try experimenting with different colours of paper for dramatic effects.
3. Build patterns and pictures out of leaves. Use plenty of PVA glue to stick the leaves and seeds to card or paper. In the past we have had GREAT fun building big pictures out of different things we have found in our garden or on the way home.
