Mr E and Miss K made these for their morning tea. A note of warning for children with nut allergies as this activity uses peanut butter. Although we didn’t try it, I think you could easily substitute the peanut butter with jam or another spread of your choice.

Ingredients:

• Apples
• Peanut Butter
• Mini Marshmallows

Method:

1. Cut an apple into eight slices.
2. Spread peanut butter onto one side of each slice.
3. Place some mini marshmallows on top of the peanut butter.
4. Sandwich it with another apple slice.

So simple, silly and yummy!

We talked about the letter shape for a, and the short vowel sound “a”.

Here’s a free handwriting printable of lower case letters of the alphabet, including the letter a.

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Thank goodness for Australia Day – (and the public holiday we get to celebrate it). It’s only 26 days after New Years day. Hang in there. That long weekend is not too far away.

Australian Flag: Free Printable Cut-and-Paste Kids Activity

 
As we celebrate Australia Day each year, the Australian flag becomes a key feature of the scenery. Whether it be draped over someone’s back as we wait for the fireworks; those little flags covering a mobile stall of Australia Day merchandise; or my favourite, face painted on enthusiastic Aussies.

 
Here’s a free printable cut-and-paste kids activity of the Australian Flag. Younger kids can cut and paste the different parts of the flag, using the dotted lines to help guide their cutting skills. Older children can learn the names of the different parts of the flag and what they represent.

 
The Australian Flag consists of:

• The Union Jack. Representing Australia’s history as a British colony.
• The Commonwealth Star. The star has seven points, representing Australia’s 6 States and Territories as well as the Territory of Papua and any future Territories.
• The Southern Cross. Represents the most distinctive constellation that can be seen in the Southern Hemisphere.

 
Click here for our Australian Flag free printable cut and paste kids activity.

 
Wishing my dear Aussie readers a (not too far away) Happy Australia Day. May the day be filled with delicious backyard BBQ’s, family & friends, and fingers crossed – great weather! (We are a lucky bunch!)

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Printable: Weekly Planner with Doodling Space

 
I love doodling. It’s fun. It’s pretty, but doesn’t need to be. It’s “no-expectations”, “let’s-just-see-what-happens” type of work.

 
I love planning. It helps us in being wise with our time. I always over-plan. Over the years, my approach to planning has morphed into more of a collection of stuff that I think will work. A bucket list, if you will. My planning has also become a “no-expections”, “let’s-just-see-what-happens” type of work.

 
I’ve put together a free printable weekly planner with doodling space to combine my love of doodling and planning.

 
Click here for the free printable colour version of the weekly planner with doodling space.

 
Click here for the free printable black and white version of the weekly planner with doodling space.

 
I doodle down ideas for our week ahead in the large box on the right hand side. I love using colours, lines, circles, arrows, etc. It’s my mind map. A space for me to quickly doodle down things as I think of them.

 
I use the smaller boxes on the left hand side to record what we actually get to do during the week. I also jot down any spontaneous activities or interests that pop up during our week together.

 
The lovely thing about this planner is that it can be whatever you make of it. Use it as a weekly meal planner; jot down meals on the left hand side and use the large box for your shopping list. Or use it as a journal template; use one side for photos and the other for notes.

 
I think I may get my preschoolers to start using this for their first journal. Draw pictures of the day’s highlights in each of the smaller boxes and use the large box for photos of our time together during the week.

 
I would love to hear how you use this weekly planner with doodling space.

N & M: 4 years, 3 months
E: 2 years, 2 months
K: 10 months

September 2012

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Planning habits are hard to ditch.

I find myself still planning (like a teacher) throughout my home life. Weekly calendars for meals, (at home, we use Picklebum’s weekly menu planner) and we now have a weekly calendar for our work, rest and play.

Inspired by Picklebum’s lovely weekly calendar design, I made our own weekly calendar for planning our work, rest and play during the week. Our weekly calendar for work, rest and play captures Monday to Friday, leaving the weekends free for meeting up with family and friends. It can be easily placed into a folder and has plenty of room for scribbling ideas and notes.

Just looking at our weekly calendar for work, rest and play makes me itch to fill it up with ideas for our week. I find it much easier to spend both a greater amount of time and better quality of time with my children if I’ve got some ideas scribbled down. It’s hard to think well when children are loud and bouncing around begging for something to do. Such circumstances are not conducive to good ideas. Our Weekly Calendar for work, rest and play helps me avoid rash decisions of what to do with our time.

Here is our free printable weekly calendar for work, rest and play.

Click here for a free printable pdf document.

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