Tag Archives: hama beads

Lego and Hama Beads

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It’s educational carnival time over on Jax’s blog again, and as usual I’m writing this considerably after the eleventh hour.  I hope she’ll let me off, and I can sneak this post in at the last minute.  This month the question is “What do you do when it rains?”  There are lots of indoor activities I could write about if I had plenty of time, but I haven’t so I’m just going to focus on two of our favourites – Lego and Hama Beads.

Lego Halloween

While we’ve been staying at mum’s house over the last few days, the children have been working on this Lego scene.  I think it was mainly made by Owl, but Monkey and Rabbit had some input too.  I love the details – the green slime in the cauldron, and the fire beneath it, made of transparent bricks.

Lego Ghost Train

Owl also made this ghost train, which was very popular with Tiddler.

Lego Car

When we came home today, it wasn’t long before the Lego was out again, and Owl made this car (not from a kit) and fountain.

Hama Beads 1

In the evening, while Rabbit was at Rainbows, Tiddler played with the Hama Beads.  He started to make a Teddy Bear but was not in the mood for finishing it, so I suggested he could sort the beads into different colours.  He liked that idea, until he discovered it was more fun just to put handfuls of beads into all the cups and bowls and then tip them out again!

Hama Beads 2

Then he discovered it was more fun to tip them from a higher up, which was great until he started tipping them on the floor.  Presumably some kind of highly justifiable toddler science experiment about how the height affects the speed.  Or something.

Hama Beads 3

I asked him if he would like to try threading the Hama Beads on pipe cleaners (thanks for the idea Jax!)  He wasn’t that keen (“You do it, mummy!”) until Rabbit came back from Rainbows and made a bracelet, after which he quickly made one for himself.

Hama Beads 4

I suggested to the older three that they might like to make some Autumn-themed pictures.  I made a some leaves (kind of) in Autumn colours to start them off, and explained that it was a tessellating pattern.  I can’t say they were as excited about that as I was, but at least they know what tessellation is now!  Monkey spent a long time carefully making a bonfire.  Owl made a pumpkin, a witch’s hat and a monster.  Rabbit wasn’t interested in the Autumn theme at first so she made a clown, but when she saw Owl’s pumpkin she decided to make one of her own.

Hama Beads 5

These are the finished Hama Bead creations.  And this is where we buy our Hama Beads.  We’ll be needing some more soon, I think, now the weather is getting colder and wetter.

These are our top two indoor activities.  What are yours?

Holiday Hama

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The big three and I spent this morning shopping, which was successful but quite tiring.  It was so cold, and my back was bad, but we got everything done, and I was cheered up by two things that happened in the last shop we went to.  Firstly, an elderly gentleman dropped a ten pence piece and asked Rabbit to pick it up.  When she gave it back to him, he told her she was a very kind, helpful girl, and gave her a pound coin.  Then, when we were paying for the shopping, the children were being very chatty to the lady serving us.  I was just wondering if I should rein them in a bit when she commented on their confidence and friendliness, and their good behaviour,  saying “They are a credit to you!”  Next time I notice other people’s children behaving well or just being lovely, as children generally are, I’m going to make the effort to say something like that to their parents, because it is good to hear!

After a morning out at the shops, we needed a quiet activity for this afternoon which would keep everyone involved while I got on with the housework, so I decided it was time to get the Hama Beads out again.  We started as soon as we had finished lunch and just about managed to clear all the beads off the table by supper time.  Rabbit and Tiddler spent quite a long time independently making patterns with the Maxi beads, but we didn’t manage to iron, or even photograph any before they got tipped off the boards.  After a while, Tiddler decided to play with his Lego Duplo train track, which kept him busy for most of the rest of the afternoon.  Meanwhile, Owl used the Maxi beads to make up his own design, a picture of a dog and a tree, with a frame around it.  He also made a pattern of stripes, going from transparent and white beads, through light and then dark colours, and ending with black.  Rabbit made a flower and a ladybird with my help, and Monkey made this elephant.  They all worked on their designs for a long time, and I was very impressed with their concentration.

It seems fitting, now I think about it, that we were Hama beading today while Merry was so much on my mind.  So this one’s for you Freddie xx

Ups and downs this weekend

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I feel like I need a ticker across the top of my blog with the names of those currently ill in our house, just to save time.  It seems that every other blog post I find myself writing that someone was ill again.  On Friday night and Saturday morning it was me (feeling sick, tummy pains, couldn’t sleep.)  Suburban dad was heroic, and did breakfast without me then took Tiddler to Dramabuds.  The others decided that they wanted a pyjama day, and had a good time playing, watching TV and doing various Lego-related things on the computer.  They were very happily occupied, so I stayed in bed nearly all morning.  Which would have been more enjoyable if I wasn’t feeling ill, but I appreciated it anyway.

In the afternoon, Suburban dad and I went to the final rehearsal for our choral society concert, while Supergirl and her friend looked after the children.  I was feeling a bit better, though not great, and determined not to miss the opportunity of singing in the concert.  After the rehearsal, we dashed to M&S to buy an outfit for me to wear (I have lost a lot of weight since I last sang with the choir, and the clothes I used to wear have long since been taken to the charity shop.)  We came home, gave the children supper and got ready to go out, and my friend (R) came over to babysit, so Supergirl and her friend could come to the concert.  We sang Durufle’s Requiem and it was hard but I enjoyed it.

Rabbit has also been feeling unwell again, and she got worse last night.  She spent about half the night in our bed coughing and complaining of tummy ache.  This morning, I was feeling too ill and tired to go to church, and I suggested that Rabbit might like to stay at home with me, but she really wanted to go with the others.  I had quite a productive morning of housework at home while they were at church then playing with friends afterwards.  Rabbit was sick again, though probably just as a result of coughing so much.

We had some more friends over for lunch (R and her family), and they stayed for the afternoon.  All the children played very nicely, and did some more Hama beading, while we chatted and carried on with the housework.  R did some ironing (Hama beads and clothes) until her husband arrived, at which point she stopped in case he got any funny ideas about her doing this at home!  I am very grateful for all her help.  She is the best sort of friend – the kind who leaves the house tidier than when she arrived, even when her three children are with her.  Suburban dad built Rabbit’s new wardrobe, having dismantled the old one which we are fairly sure still had mould spores in it from our damp and mould saga of a couple of years ago.  Owl and Monkey also have a new wardrobe, which arrived on Friday, and Tiddler has their old one, so now it is technically possible to put all the clothes away at once there is no excuse…I will have to tackle the laundry mountain.  I have made considerable progress today, and the bottom of the laundry basket is in sight.  There’s a long way to go with the ironing basket though.  (Might have to invite R around again soon.)

So, overall, more ups than downs this weekend.  Even if, at the end of it, two of us are still unwell.  And counting…

Hama heaven and the MP who came to tea

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I recently ordered some more Hama beads and they arrived before we went away last week, but we didn’t have time to do it until we got back on Friday.  When I opened the parcel, the children were in Hama heaven, and it kept them quiet for about an hour.

  When I placed the order, I thought it would be enough to last a while, but they already have a list of certain colours they need, so I expect we’ll be back to order more soon.  It was a very peaceful way to spend an afternoon and it occupied the children very well while we talked to our MP (Tom Brake) who came to visit us.  We talked about my Select Committee appearance, and the issues around support for home education.  Owl then asked him how he was going to save our local hospital, and he explained about the campaign he is running.  We also talked about his role as Deputy Leader of the House of Commons and what that involves.  It was an interesting afternoon and a lot of learning went on (not just the children!)  The Hama beads kept the peace throughout the conversation, and I was very pleased with the results.
  Rabbit made the Maxi bead square by herself and then the butterfly with a lot of help from Supergirl and me.  Monkey made the house, the crossed arrow heads and the heart, and Owl made the pine tree with pine cones.  They had so many other ideas that they didn’t have time to complete, so I think they will use the beads as fast as I can buy them.  It looks like they will be on the Christmas lists this year.

More Hama Bead Fun

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Rabbit has been unwell again for the last couple of days and mainly sleeping or watching CBeebies, but yesterday afternoon she was feeling better and wanted something to do.  I gave her a set of Midi Hama Beads and she spent a long time making a lovely picture with them, but it wasn’t suitable for ironing as there were lots of spaces between the beads.  She then decided to follow one of the pictures that came with the set, and made this boy (with a little help from me and a lot of help from Supergirl.)

To occupy Tiddler while Rabbit was using the Midi Beads, I got out the leftover Maxi beads from the dinosaur and butterfly kits.  He had fun for a while putting random beads on the dinosaur template, and when he had finished Owl and Monkey made these smiley faces.

I love finding craft activities that all four children can enjoy, and I would like to have a go too, so I am going to order some more soon.  Here are some links for where to buy them and some ideas for what to do with them.

http://www.craftmerrily.co.uk/section/15/1/hama-beads

http://www.beadmerrily.co.uk

http://www.patchofpuddles.co.uk/archives/category/art-craft-books/hama-beads

http://pinterest.com/merrilyme/hama-beads/

http://www.simplecrafts.co.uk/category/by-craft/hama-beads/

Maxi Hama Beads

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We have dabbled in Hama Beads before but the children were quite a bit younger, we used the small beads and it wasn’t entirely relaxing, so I left it for a long time, but I always meant to have another go at it.  Then I discovered Maxi Hama Beads, the chunky ones which are suitable for younger children.  It still took me a while to buy some kits, and even longer to do them, but a couple of months ago Rabbit made a butterfly.  She was very proud of it.  And then it broke.  I promised to fix it and forgot for a long time.  But today I did it!  I fixed the butterfly, and the boys made a dinosaur.  Turns out all it took was a vomiting bug to keep us all in the house.  Anyway, I think we now have the Hama Bead bug as well so we’ll be back here to buy some more.

This is not a sponsored post.  I am writing this because I want to support this business, run by a lovely home educating mum.  And also because I think the products are really good!