Elmer The Recycled Elephant

During my search for simple, diverse books for little ones, Elmer by David McKee was recommended to me. We are familiar with the character from a small set of board books we own but, I confess I had not read the full Elmer story for many years. So last week I decided to dig out my brother’s Bumper Elmer Collection and read it to the Mini Reviewers.

Elmer The Recycled Elephant!

We found Elmer to be a fantastic book to explore the concept of diversity together. The story itself is about a brightly coloured patchwork elephant, who loves a good joke. He thinks the other elephants find him funny because he is different, so in an attempt to blend in with all the other “elephant-coloured” elephants, he paints himself with berry juice. Elmer soon realises that being different may actually be a good thing. When the rain washes away his disguise and his true colours are revealed, the other elephants reassure him that they love him just the way he is. Declaring the day “Elmer Day”, they plan to paint themselves multicoloured once a year in his honour.

This really is a classic children’s book, which has truly stood the test of time. Filled with humour and colourful illustrations, the book is very appealing to young children. Elmer himself is such a memorable and lovable character but most importantly the book imparts the vital message - just be yourself!

Elmer The Recycled Elephant!

A photo posted by Kate (@kate.eccles) on Jul 27, 2016 at 6:48am PDT

Inspired by a craft tutorial for “Elmer Lanterns” on “Sun Hats and Wellie Boots”, we have made our own recycled Elmers. They were extremely simple to make and have been a huge hit with the children.

For each elephant we used an empty plastic milk carton; lots of small squares of colourful tissue paper (mostly old packaging); two googly eyes; PVA glue; two small pieces of cardboard; and a hot glue gun.

To make each Elmer I started by cutting the milk carton. I just cut it straight across as I wanted it to be as easy as possible for the children to hold to decorate it. It is possible to cut legs and even a tail shape into the carton (see the original tutorial). I then cut the handle slightly shorter to make the trunk.

Next the children set to work covering their carton in watered down PVA glue using old paint brushes. They stuck the small squares of colourful paper all over their cartons. Then they applied more of the glue mixture over the tissue paper. This got fairly messy but nothing a baby wipe or two couldn’t solve!

We decided that our elephants needed ears, so I cut ear shapes out of thin cardboard, the children then decorated these with more tissue paper.

We left everything to dry for a few hours before attaching the googly eyes and ears to the plastic carton using the hot glue gun. (I had wanted to use PVA glue for this but it wasn’t adhesive enough).

We were delighted with our finished Elmers.

What do you think?

Until next time... HAPPY CRAFTING!

Kate & the Mini Reviewers xx

Word of the Week: Puddles!

Well, this week I’ve bitten the bullet, or rather we’ve bitten the bullet and Theo has started potty training. While Izzie took to the potty with ease, I have suspected for quite some time it would be more of a struggle for Theo.

Potty training #day1 preparing the only way we know how ;) Wish us luck! #pottytraining #kidsbooks #picturebooks

A photo posted by Kate (@kate.eccles) on Jul 28, 2016 at 5:07am PDT

Izzie never liked having a wet or dirty nappy, so from the stage she could sit up, we used to hold her on the potty. Then she would sit on the potty herself each evening (in front of CBeebies of course) and suddenly one day she started taking her nappies off and that was that, time for big girl pants. Her timing was dreadful as I was about 8 months pregnant with Theo and I really didn’t want to keep bending down to clean up little accidents. But, as always, Izzie was determined and, by the time Theo was born, she was dry during the day.

In contrast Theo has never liked the potty and hates having his nappy changed. Even now it takes ninja-like skills to do a quick dirty/clean swap. He is usually thrashing around on the floor like a demented octopus. Or, even worse, stubbornly lying flat on his front, nose pressed to the ground, body as stiff as a board! When asked, he will deny his nappy is dirty. He chooses to sit in it (whatever the state) just so he can continue to play. Therefore, as you can imagine, potty training him was at the very bottom of my “to do” list.

Anyway towards the middle of this week he took me completely by surprise and expressed an interest in wearing his “big boy” pants. (Remembering just how many pairs I’d needed for Izzie, I had bought several packs in the Mothercare Christmas sale!) So on Thursday I got out the pants, the obligatory stickers and all the potty/pants related books I could find, and we began.

Since then Theo has been running around the house in just pants and a top. His favourite potty has been travelling from room to room with us. I was not expecting this to be a quick process and I have been “cheating” and putting him in nappies for car journeys and at naptime to make it that bit easier for me. Day one there were lots of little puddles and even a wee in his favourite boat! But amazingly today there were just two puddles and six successful potty trips. Hooray! This may of course be beginners luck but I am just glad he will now happily sit on the potty.

Please do share your potty training tips with us...

Until next time... HAPPY READING!

Kate & the Mini Reviewers xx

Home by Carson Ellis

Having returned from a fantastic few days away, it felt like an appropriate time to review this beautiful picture book called “Home” by Carson Ellis.

This book really is a work of art. From start to finish every page is exquisitely illustrated with a picture of a different home. From palaces to shoe homes and from sea homes to space homes. The book is packed full of unusual and imaginative illustrations providing so much to talk about.

Our favourite thing about the book is you can connect many aspects of the pictures to the illustrations of the artist’s own home at the end. For example, the same tea cup and the same red stripey socks can be seen in several of the other images. We first read “Home” the week before we went away and on our return have re-read it again and again. Each time we go back to the book, we seem to find new connections or things to talk about. I love the fact the same bird seems to be flying through the book, as if to unite us all.

"Home" has truly inspired us to think about our own home, as well as the homes of others. We have discussed the similarities and the differences and the things that make each one special. The book also prompted a whole afternoon of creative play for Izzie. She drew her own home; made a fairy house out of Lego; and, with a little cutting help, she tried to re-create one of the pictures in the book. This is a book we will be very sad to return to the library.

"Where is your home? Where are you?"

"Some are palaces..."

"Home" to me personally is all about family rather than a place.
What does “Home” mean to you?

Home is where my family grows,
Those little hands and tiny toes,
Getting bigger each day and night,
I kiss them gently, holding them tight.
There will come a time, I know,
From this home they’ll want to go.
So for now I’ll treasure each day,
Watching them smile and dance and play.

(Home, K.E - January 2016)

A Beach, a Book and a Baby

This week we have been on our summer hols, so of course I had to purchase the latest Pip and Posy book from Nosy Crow to take with us.

A photo posted by Kate (@kate.eccles) on Jul 22, 2016 at 1:44pm PDT

For those of you that have read some of our previous posts, you will know that we are big Pip and Posy fans. The new book “Pip and Posy: The New Friend”, is a great addition to the series. It is set at the seaside and introduces a new character, Zac.

Pip and Posy are happily playing together at the beach, collecting shells, digging in the sand and paddling in the sea. When Posy takes a nap, Pip makes a new friend, Zac. Pip really enjoys his new games with Zac, however, when Posy wakes up, she is feeling rather left out and doesn’t want to join in. As with all these gentle books there is an important lesson to be learned. This makes Axel Scheffler’s series perfect for little ones.

All three Mini Reviewers enjoyed the story, especially as it was so relevant to our traditional seaside holiday. I loved that Posy reminds Pip to wear his sun hat and is shown with her bottle of suncream. This even helped me persuade Theo to have his cream on!

The illustrations are colourful and the characters are very expressive. The story itself is simple and short (I actually quite like this), however there is so much to talk about on every page. This is certainly one for your summer reading pile. Poppy even enjoyed having a little read with me on the beach. She was also fascinated by the sand!

We'd love to know what's in your summer reading pile...

Until next time... HAPPY READING!

Kate & the Mini Reviewers xx

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Our Eden Project Visit - Three generations, a double buggy and an electric wheelchair!

This week three generations of our family visited the Eden Project in Cornwall. We were hoping for a fantastic family day out with a difference. But with a double buggy, an electric wheelchair, four adults and three children under five, was there really something for everyone? And, just how did we cope with the heat on the hottest day of the year so far?

Our Visit

We have been intending to visit the Eden Project as a family for an extremely long time and this week we finally got there. Hooray! Yorkshire to Cornwall (via Birmingham) is quite a drive, so we made a holiday of it, staying just outside St Austell.

Rainforest Biome

When we arrived at EP, it was already gearing up to be an incredibly hot day. With the heat in mind, we decided to make the hottest of the two Biomes (or bubbles as the children called them) our first stop. As we walked through the sweltering rainforest we spotted bananas, birds and waterfalls. Although the highest platform was shut due to the extreme heat, we still managed to get some fantastic views. We also saw the EP team chopping down a banana tree, which caused great excitement.

There was so much to talk to the children about, despite most of the activity boards and educational displays being aimed at slightly older children. Had it not been so hot, we could have stayed in the rainforest for longer. There was a “cool room” about halfway round and we popped in there twice. We also had cool drinks for the children. In relation to accessibility, there was only one section we were advised not to go along with the buggy and wheelchair.

Med Biome

We then had a pit stop for lunch in the Link before heading into the Mediterranean Biome. The atmosphere inside was much cooler and this biome was full of the amazing colours and smells of the Med. Again, there was so much to look at. The children spotted an array of different fruits growing. There were also lots of interesting sculptures. Imagine everything from driftwood pigs to giant metallic spiders. Theo even found a wooden tractor to drive. We stayed in the biome for Storytime and then ventured outside.

The Outside Gardens

Outside we meandered (very slowly) through the beautiful gardens. We stopped to have a good look at the giant bee and the huge man made out of discarded electrical goods. The children spent a long time exploring The Garden of Senses with its tactile walls, water features and xylophone. After a brief musical interlude from Theo, we continued on our way.

The Core

Next we visited The Core, which Theo entered by slide! In there we stumbled upon an under 5s soft play area with dressing up costumes. It was a great place to cool down and the three children loved it.

It was then time to go so we headed back to the Visitor Centre via the giant bridge. This provided brilliant views of the site and a closer view of those brave enough to use the overhead zipwire!

Our Thoughts...

Everyone had a fantastic day and we found there were plenty of things to keep us all entertained. The highlights for the children included Storytime in the Med-Biome; Soft play in the Core (under 5s); and exploring The Garden of the Senses. We could easily spend another day at EP and hope to return with the children at the end of the week for the special Dinosaur Uprising Event (23rd July - 4th September).

Facilities and Accessibility

The site is very child friendly and accessibility was not an issue. All the staff were helpful and polite.

There are lots of places to eat and drink as well as spots to picnic around the site. We ate in the Link between the two indoor Biomes. We can recommend the burritos, hot chicken platters and huge cakes. At first glance, the meals seem expensive but the portions were generous and the food was delicious! The kids had little food boxes with drinks, wraps and snack items. There are plenty of high chairs and space for the double buggy and electric wheelchair in the restaurant.

There are many clean, accessible toilets and unisex baby change facilities around the site. There is a breastfeeding room, which I didn't visit but instead I took advantage of several of the many benches.

There are several car parks and a shuttle bus service. We, however, parked in the disabled car park. Even from this car park, it was quite a walk to the Visitor Centre but wheelchairs are available if required. Electric wheelchairs can also be borrowed free of charge and these are collected from the Visitor Centre. We phoned in advance to book one for our visit.

The Cost

There were 7 in our party (2 adults, 2 over 60s and 3 children under 5). We purchased joint annual adult membership online prior to our visit.  The membership costs £75 and allows unlimited access for two adults for the year plus a guest each. The children were free. This worked out to be £20 less than the cost of the standard admission prices on the day. See the official Eden Project website for further details regarding entry prices and concessions.

Our Tips:

+Look online to find the best ticket price for you before you visit.

+If you need an electric wheelchair, phone and book one in advance.

+Arrive early.

+Pick up a free map from the Visitor Centre.

+Be prepared for the weather: Don’t forget hats, sunscreen and water if it’s hot. Waterproofs, if it’s wet.

+Wear comfy shoes!

+Go with an open mind, take your time exploring and, most importantly, have a great time!

Have you visited the Eden Project?

What was the highlight of your visit?

Our word of the week is... Eden!