Old MacDonald Stick Puppets

These came about by accident as many things do when we start to play and make.

I bought these animal sticky shapes a while back in one of those bargain stores for next to nothing. 

The quality of the images isn't great but they're good enough for collage/sticky pictures, especially considering the price.




We had a whole load of crafty 
bits and bobs out today including these and I just happened to peel off the backing of one of the animals and stick it on a lolly stick.  


We were happily playing with them but the back was still mainly exposed and very sticky so to cover up the sticky bit I just cut out some colourful circles and stuck them on which worked well.....

Before we knew it we had made a whole set as well as a cup to hold them all!

We've been singing away today, and not just Old Macdonald.....

What about making some more pigs and telling the story of the 3 Little Pigs, or singing This Little Piggy, Baa Baa Black Sheep or Giddy Up Horsey?

If you know any cow or cockerel songs please let me know!

Farm Play Mat

Monty got a little wooden farm sorting set for his birthday a couple of months ago which he is beginning to show more interest in now. He likes putting the animals through the holes and any hole will do at this stage.
To extend the play opportunity for the farm set I thought adding a simple play mat of patchwork fields would be fun.  In time this will encourage role play as he plays with the animals, sorting and organising them and putting them into different fields......with a little pond for the duck and goose too.

If you want to have a go at making your own play mat, here are some basic guidelines and pictures to help. It's VERY easy!

You will need some small scraps of fabric and a larger piece which is big enough to make the back of the mat - I made this A3 size and used a combination of greens so it would look like fields.

Make a paper pattern from an A3 piece of paper

I started with a piece of A3 paper which I sectioned roughly into 'fields' and then numbered them to make it easier to keep track of where they they all go once they've been cut out.  The circle will become the pond.

Add seam allowances of 1cm

Next, cut all the pieces out and lay them onto another piece of paper.  

Draw around them adding a 1cm seam allowance on each piece, except the circle, as this will be appliqued on and doesn't need a seam.

Cut out the fabric

Now lay the paper pieces onto the fabric, draw around them with chalk or pencil (or pin in place) and cut each piece out. 


Here they are cut out and in position ready to sew.

Applique the circle

First I appliqued the pond - I just used a zig-zag all the way around.  

Now you can join all the other bits together.  This is where the numbers come in handy.



Join 1 to 4, 2 to 5, 2/5 to 3, 3/5 to 6 and finally 2/5/6 to 1/4.  

Hope that makes sense!

Now you need to press it and then cut out a backing piece the same size.  With right sides together stitch all the way around leaving a small gap of about 10cm on one of the seams. Trim the corners, turn through the gap and press. Finally top stitch all the way around and give one more press.

                                                      

Finished!!

It fits snugly into the farm set too, so is easy to transport.

Miniature Garden

We had some new turf laid recently and had a bit left over so rather than chuck it away, I put it in a big tray and, hey presto...a real miniature garden with proper growing grass!

Add some flowers, pots, pebbles and garden equipment for some small world gardening fun.  You could also add play insects and butterflies.


Or you could turn it into a field with some farm animals.....

........or add some big rocks and leaves and create a dinosaur world. 

Think I better get the scissors out soon though, this grass needs a trim!