Summer outdoor activities
Summer Outdoor Activities Summer is a great time to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. Kids love simple activities such as …
PLAY
I'm a little tea pot
I'm a little tea pot I'm a little tea pot, short and stout Here is my handle (hand on hip), Here is my spout (other arm out …
Winter warm-up activities
Kids love to get outside, whether it's a trip to the local park, a walk around the block, or just a run around in the back yard. But as the weather gets cooler and the rain sets in, you may very well find yourself housebound and wondering how on …
Play: best toy suggestions for each age and stage
Play forms the building blocks for life. Miriam McCaleb shares what to expect for each developmental milestone and the best toys for each age and stage. As our children grow and their brains increase in complexity, they undergo enormous …
The power of musical play
A simple song can help soothe and regulate kids’ emotions, explains Musical Play Therapy pioneer Julie Wylie. Since the beginning of time, and in every culture, parents have instinctively rocked, patted and sung to their children – to calm …
What your kids really want to do with you!
Mum-of-two Hannah Corbett takes note of her kids' true desires. I looked up at the tightly packed rows of flashy toys at the local department store, and fell silent. Partly because half the contents of the nearest shelves were now on the floor as …
15 inspirational ways to play with your child
Miriam McCaleb gets strategic to keep the good times rolling. These ideas, honestly explored, will add more play into your home. And it’ll be fantastic! But I end by saying that all of us get a pass: you have permission to use your status as Adult …
Playing is child's work
Got a toddler who can't seem to keep herself amused for more than 10 minutes? Ruth Brown schools up on the right way to get kids playing. Play is child's work. It's how they develop their skills, exercise their young minds and give their …
Dinosaur Garden - Make One With Your Kids!
TYRE-ANNOSAURUS GARDEN: Make your very own prehistoric landscape in a cleverly decorated old tyre, recreated from garden crafts for children. Dawn Isaac's Garden Crafts for Children has 35 fun projects for children to sow, grow and make. Here's the …
5 more household items that make great toys
You don't have to spend up large on expensive toys! Christine Stride offers up 5 more safe household items that, with a little creativity, make great playthings. …
Tips for taking tiny tots to the movies
When the latest animated flick hits the big screen it’s tempting to take the whole family for a weekend treat but how old does your child need to be to avoid a stressful situation at the cinema? We’ve consulted a bevy of mums for their top tips so …
How to: ride a bike
Learning to ride a bike is a childhood rite of passage but some kids find it easier than others. We asked the experts at Mocka for their advice on helping little ones to find their balance and get moving. Balance bikes teach kids the key skills …
Fun Activities To Do In Autumn
Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower - Albert Camus Embrace the season with these ideas that celebrate cooler weather and changing colours. Pumpkin pie-scented playdough you will need:1 cup plain flour ½ cup salt 1 Tbs cream …
Six tips to help your child learn to ride a bike
The outdoors and cycling are key features of a kiwi childhood, but with the number of electronic toys now in the market, it can also be something that is seen as too hard for many busy parents. Marilyn Northcotte passes on her tips for parents to …
Bubbles
Bubbles You will need: 2/3 cup dishwashing soap 12 cups of water 2 to 3 tablespoons of glycerine Mix the above ingredients together in a plastic tub. Then dip your bubble wand into the mixture and wave it around slowly, or blow gently. See who …
Fingerpainting fun
Fingerpaint You will need: 1 cup cornflour 1 cup cold water Some boiling water Some food colouring Mix together the cornflour and cold water, then add boiling water until the mixture goes 'goopy'. Separate into little bowls or yoghurt pottles …
Ways to make exercise a fun family habit
You’re not just a family, you’re a team! Renée Vincent shares a few ideas on how to get active with your whanāu this summer. As the days get longer and the trees burst with new life, we naturally start to feel more like heading outside and getting …
Toddler activity: fizzy fun for everyone
Engage curiosity with this creative concoction from Bright Ideas for young minds, a new book compiled by Kiwi early childhood educators and experts. ERUPTING CHALK ICEThis activity creates a sense of wonder as your child experiments with icy chalk, …
Musical Activities - Ten Fun Ideas
Make music an everyday part of your familyʼs life with these 10 fun ideas from music specialist Julie Wylie. You don’t need to be particularly musical to share musical activities with your children. Singing with, not for, children will encourage a …
Toys for the whole family
Play - it's good for all ages! And kids love it when grown-ups join in their playtime. Here are our top five toys for timeless fun across all generations. 1. Lego While away a rainy weekend afternoon with a big pile of Lego and young and …
Preschoolers at play
Preschoolers at play are busy on many levels, most of which are incredibly valuable for their development. Miriam McCaleb explains. There’s a weird thing that happens when we examine the world of childhood play. It’s a bit like admiring the …
50 free toddler boredom busters
Keeping a toddler or two entertained is a full time job, and sometimes it can feel like you're all out of ideas. Here's 50+ toddler boredom busters to add to your collection, and best of all, they won't cost a cent! Places to go, people to see! …
Make magic milk
Magic milk 1. Pour some milk onto a plate. 2. Add some drops of food colouring to the milk. 3. Squirt a small amount of washing-up liquid into the centre of the plate of milk. 4. See what happens! (But don't drink the milk afterwards!) ■ …
6 tips for learning through free play
Kym Gibson of the Creators Educational Trust, shares six tips for bringing back free play. One of my favourite childhood memories is building huts in the living room. We would drag old woollen blankets out of the hall cupboard and hang them between …
Easy Peasy Play Dough
Watch our kids make easy peasy play dough! Click here for further play dough recipe details. …
5 ways heuristic play will benefit your child
Toys that do less, actually teach more, writes Bianca Jukes. Children are surrounded by loud, colourful, active toys – but these toys lack the sensory and heuristic properties critical for supporting creative thinking and problem-solving skills. …
Enticing toys for outdoor fun
Outdoor play is important for a child’s development, and a good dose of fresh air and sunshine is vital for health. To help them be their best, entice the troops outside with toys that stimulate learning and encourage fun. …
12 tips for making the most of craft time
The crafty ladies of What'sUpMoms have come up with these 12 awesome ways to make the the most of craft time by reducing mess, keeping supplies neat, and teaching your little ones the proper techniques to make their "messterpieces"! …
5 household items that make great toys
You don't have to spend up large on expensive toys! Christine Nikiel offers up 5 safe household items that, with a little creativity, make great playthings. …
Get outside and play whatever the weather
Nature invites us to come outside and play and, as Catherine Tafto explains, it’s an invitation worth accepting –whatever the weather. Lukas is scared and he doesn’t want to do it. Cassandra gently tells him that here, at Outdoor Explorers, they …
How kids play - month by month
What are the developmental stages of play for the first two years of a child's life? What kind of games and toys are best for each stage? Dr. Katie Heathershaw, Fisher-Price Play IQ™ expert and paediatrician, explains how children play, month by …
Fun in the Sun
7 fun and down-right clever ideas for hijinks in the warmer weather …
How to get your kids back into play
Play is child's work. It's how they develop their skills, exercise their young minds and give their imaginations a workout. So why, with a house full of toys, do children still find it difficult to keep themselves busy? A lot of it comes back to …
Special time ideas for your 12-24 month old
Toddlers: 12-24 months Toddlers want to explore their world, discover new tastes, textures and experiment with independence (while mom/dad are close by for security). Showing and discovering new activities with a toddler is lots of fun. Toddlers …
Cool ideas for Hot days - making the most of summer
Try our cool ideas for hot days and make the most of summertime! …
Essential Summer Holiday Bucket List
While the 'Bucket list' is tradtionally reserved for all the things one wants to do before they 'kick-the-bucket' the idea of a Summer Holiday 'Bucket list' is around the things you and the kids want to do before the season of summer …
Safe Cycling with Kids
Safe cycling with the kids Cycling is a cost-effective, fun and adventurous way for families to spend time together and what better way to get out and enjoy the great weather than jumping on a bike with the kids. Now, while they are young, is a …
Spring outings
The weather in spring may not be predictable, but Mother Nature is pretty reliable when it comes to seasonal excitement in the great outdoors! Baby animals and gardens beginning to bloom are just some of the wonders kids will enjoy if you pack …
Backyard Olympics
Get the family moving and stage your own Olympic Games in the backyard! While kids (and their parents) may be inspired by the competitive spirits so evident at the Olympics, the aim of the game here is fun and enjoyment - celebrate fair play, …
On Your Bike
Cycling is a cost-effective, fun and adventurous way families can spend time together. As a parent it can be difficult to find healthy activities that everyone will enjoy. Cycling is a great family activity that everyone of all ages can participate …
Gardening with kids
If you've ever shooed your inquisitive toddler away from touching the plants in the garden, or narrowly averted a mud pie mess, it's time to relax and encourage your child to get outside and get dirty exploring the natural world. Gardening is an …
Get up, get moving, get active with your family
Get up, get moving, get active with your family 25% of the world's children are considered to be obese, and the number of overweight children continues to rise. The main reasons are: Lack of physical activity. Countless children aren't getting …
Play Dough
Play dough is so much fun for young and old. It also helps your child tap into their creativity, making all sorts of shapes and objects while enjoying the sensation of dough squishing between their fingers. Here are three recipes to try - one …
Games
Games Games are so much fun! Think back to your childhood and the fun you had with friends playing all sorts of games, outside in the backyard, inside on those wet days. When it comes to fun and games, your imagination is your only …
The staple in any child's fun book - bubble mix recipe
Bubbles You will need: 2/3 cup dishwashing soap 12 cups of water 2 to 3 tablespoons of glycerine Mix the above ingredients together in a plastic tub. Then dip your bubble wand into the mixture and wave it around slowly, or blow gently. See who …
Colouring in printables
Print out and colour these activity sheets featuring some of our friends on TVNZ Kidzone24. Click on the image to download the printable PDF. …
5 ways with a cardboard box
Cardboard boxes are often way more interesting to kids than whatever was inside. Check out these fabulous ways to make a box even more exciting! …
The Power of Reading Aloud
Read it again! There's no wrong way to read to babies and toddlers - it's just a matter of doing it in a cosy, fun environment. We talk to "baby geek" Miriam McCaleb Learning to read doesn't just start after your child turns five and goes …
25 fancy dress ideas
Need inspiration for a costume party, or just some simple make-believe fun? We've collected some of our favourite fancy dress ideas, from home and abroad, to inspire your next dress-up session! …
Sesame Street
The word on the street Behind the scenes of one of our most beloved Kids' show. Ernie and Bert, Grover, Big Bird and Cookie Monster have been with us seemingly forever but in fact, the creative spark that led to Sesame Street came out of sheer …
Wet weather activities
It's wet and cold outside for the fourth day running and the kids have resorted to tormenting the dog for kicks. So what do you do? Go hard Dance aerobics: Throw on a kids' aerobics or dance DVD if you have one and get down for half an hour of …
Homemade Music
Offer any child some pots and a wooden spoon and they will soon be banging out a happy rhythm. Encourage musical development in your child with everyday household items and make your own upcycled instruments. Drums: Pots and pans Mixing bowls …
Meet Doc McStuffins
what's up, doc? Ever wondered who's behind some of your pre-schoolers' best loved TV cartoon characters? We talk to 13-year-old Kiara who stars in a new series on Disney Junior - Doc McStuffins Kiara Muhammad is just 13 years old yet she's …
Children's Day
The first Sunday in March is Children's Day. This year the theme is "treasure our children". There are heaps of activities and events planned all around the country to mark Children's Day on March 4 2012. Click here to find out what's …
Winter Time Activities
The doldrums can soon set in when the weather is persistently grey, cold and rainy. With just a little extra effort you can send the blues packing. Get grooving With winter rain and gloom on the horizon it's too easy to sit around inside doing …
The great indoors
Autumn is here! The days are shorter, the weather is cooler and your family is starting to spend more and more time indoors. Keeping the whole family entertained when you can't get outside can be a real challenge. Instead of wanting to spend …
Books and toys
What's new and cool in children's books, toys and more. Hairy Maclary, Shoo!, Lynley Dodd, Puffin Board Book, RRP$19.99 The tearaway terrier from Donaldson's Dairy is at it again - escaping in a delivery van, running into a …
Dora The Explorer Reigns Supreme
Of all the screen queens on kids’ TV, Dora the Explorer reigns supreme. She’s a bouncy, brightly coloured seven year old in bobby socks and sneakers but she’s also a world-beater on preschool TV. Dora is absolutely everywhere. In New Zealand one …
Peppa Pig - Meet The Creators
Meet the fun-loving fellows behind the ever-popular Peppa Pig. If you’ve ever watched Peppa Pig— and international viewer figures suggest you probably have — you’ll have noticed the kids’ style cartoon drawings, simple story lines and a childish …
Entertain toddlers with a pom pom or ten
Pom poms are great fun and will keep little hands busy while developing important fine motor skills. Watch our kids pop, post and sort to their hearts' content! Click here to watch our kids make simple play dough. …
