NOSTALGIC - DOWN THE MEMORY LANE

Down the memory lane, 15 years before clicked these Coconut trees in our farm, holding heads high with pride on the bank of River Vaigai in my native village near Madurai.

Lovely and feeling nostalgic on seeing this picture. The tender coconut tastes unique and am addicted to it. I haven't yet tasted the same sweetness of those tender coconut anywhere later. Grandparents were really a blessing for us. Missing both of them, but could feel their love and warmth always around me.

Waiting for the time to visit the farm and the village again.

Sharing this for Parul's Thursday Tree love 89 .

LOOKING ABOUT MYSELF POSTER

Looking about myself - a good theme for children to know better about themselves. Creating a poster is an awesome concept to depict their thoughts. 

Self analyzation or realisation is an important quality that needs to be inculcated in children, to know about themselves better, understand their needs and build up their personality. They should be able to find the difference between good and bad behaviour, how to communicate with others, use of vocabulary in their communication. It will inculcate the attitude of enquiry in a positive way.

This poster is one of the activity given as part of home learning. 

This poster is created by my 9 year. 

INSPIRATIONAL ART CHALLENGE

Hi all,

Today, I am sharing creations by my daughter for a Toilet or Kitchen Roll Art Challenge for inspiration : Re-create a famous piece of art.

She recreated one of the famous painting, The Starry night by Vincent Van Gogh.

The Second creation is depicting Madhubani art.

DIY - ORGANIC HOMEMADE COMPOST

It's a very special moment to write my 300th post today. Colourful Imaginations , the space I started 12 years back to share our day to day happenings and crafts made along with my daughter. We shared many memories here right from scratches. 

Thank you for all my readers who take time to visit our page and share your valuable comments. To make this post a memorable one, we decided to share the process to prepare Homemade Compost, which we do in small quantities for our small garden. 

Let this mark the celebration of World Environment Day.

Revolution of Technology has made our life easy but we missed to protect our environment. Agriculture ranked first among all the occupations in India.

India ranks first in the produce of fresh fruits like Banana, Mango, Guava and ranks second in the produce of Wheat and Rice. Due to lots of economy changes and the Climate change, Agriculture has been ignored and neglected for quite long years. 

Whatever could be the reasons, in recent times, it is regaining its importance. People are facing or understanding the reality of unhealthy produce of vegetables and fruits. Many started the concepts of Organic farming and terrace gardening growing their own healthy produce.

Homemade compost is being practised in many households, without knowing the benefits it gives the environment. In our house, we have a garden, hence, we directly use the daily vegetable wastes digging the soil near plants.

We are sharing the basic procedure to make sample compost at home.

MATERIALS REQUIRED :

• Waste bin or a small basket or a bucket
• Vegetables/ Fruits wastes
• Garden sand
• Egg shells
• Crumbled waste wood or papers

STEPS TO BE FOLLOWED: 

STEP 1: 

STEP 2:

STEP 3:

Collect the tea wastes

STEP 4: 

Collect grounded coffee wastes

 STEP 5:

Collect Egg shells

STEP 6:

Mix all the wastes and sprinkle little water to keep them moist.

STEP 7 : 

Mix the wastes in layers with little soil and mix it up well. Leave it in your garden or balcony for almost a month or two months depending on the quantity. You can add dried stems from plants or any wood dust in it. Sprinkle water and stir it up daily to avoid drying. It has to be moist. After 45 days to 60 days, compost will be ready to use. 

Note: 

MESMERIZING TREES

Spring always brings happiness. Trees blossoms with colours. Sharing few pictures of trees in Pittville  Park, Cheltenham, UK. Looking at the movement of the leaves, feeling the gentle breeze will give us a good feel.

Couple trees, hugging each other !!

Beautiful to watch this tree only with pink flowers. 

Linking this up with #Thursday Tree love by Parul hosted on second and fourth Thursday of every month. 

HOW TO OBSERVE STRESS IN CHILDREN AND WAYS TO HELP THEM OUT -- DIY - TOY ROBOT

No school, complete lockdown for two months, no outdoor games, no cycling, bored of watching cartoons and movies, children will undergo a lots of stress than elders. We have to appreciate their understandings of the present situation and staying back in homes helping us. 

A simple child psychology is that they may not be able to burst out or express their stress, but yes there will be a moment we as parents can observe. 

Some emotions during their stress :

• Sudden outburst of tears with no reasons
• mood swings
• restlessness 
• distracting from their homework
• less appetite
• loneliness ; since they miss their friends in school, they try to talk with their dolls considering them to be their buddies . 

These may be observed that can reveal their stress. 

As parents, we can handle it , if we can follow these : 

• Let's not build their stress by questioning them, " What happened ?" in a firm voice. Instead, hug them tightly, comfort them and tell them, 'Let's play together'.
• Slowly, cheer them up and engage them up by reading stories, play with them or craft with them. They need diversions to get them involved. 

Crafting or any artwork can bring diversions in them. It is one of the best way to get children involved. Let them create art on their own. Creative play activties will be one of the way to overcome a stress. Involving them in an activity of their choice, they easily forget their stress.

Today, I am sharing an interesting DIY - TOY ROBOT created by our son for a play activity.

MATERIALS REQUIRED :

Empty cans/bottles ( We used empty salt and actimel bottles)

Pimpom balls

Glue

Colours

STEPS TO BE FOLLOWED :

1. Collect the empty bottles and clean them well. Remove their label wrappers 

2) Glue the bottles with the glue to form a robot. Small bottles for legs and hands. Salt bottle to form the body. (Please note : He used fast settling super glue. If guided by parents, you can use them or use kids friendly glue)

3 ) Robot is set. Allow it to try completely. We allowed to dry for a day.

5) The next day, paint and decorate the robot using colours, pompon balls and pipe cleaners for antennae.

Allow it to dry. Toy Robot is ready to play with. 

Happy Crafting !! Happy Parenting !!

SIMPLE POP UP CARD

Today, I am sharing a surprise card made by our lil one. Happy and feeling really great to see his creation on his own surprising us. At times, such memorable gifts from our children has to be treasured. 

It gives a feel of pride and honour as parents. Adding this to our parenting moments. 

Always appreciate and motivate children for any simple activity created on their own. It gives them more happiness and will develop their confidence to try many creations on their own. By this way, we are developing their creative thinking skills, boasting their confidence, training them to be independent to work their projects on their own. It's one of their milestone in their developmental skills, forming a part of their learning activity. 

Happy Parenting !!!