Fun Box
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Welcome To Your Virtual Fun Box - Let The Fun Begin!
Kiss goodbye to the dreaded " Mummy I'm Bored" for this Summer !
Hi, I’m Kate Sansum and I know what it is like to just need 10 minutes interruption free to get something done ! Through my years of Home schooling, Tumble Tots Instructing & Martial Arts Instructing I have found ways to keep young minds inspired, and let their imaginations go wild. The majority of the activities in the Fun Box cost nothing but some may require a trip to Pound Land, but it will be worth it – to see the hours of fun come rain or shine.
You simply choose a video depending on what resources you have, what age group and whether it is a rainy day or not. Then watch the video with your child so they see the end result and then let the Fun begin. Please share your results on the Kate Sansum Facebook page so others can benefit too, I’m always keen to know of any new variations your child can create.
I wanted to say a very special thank you to Lesley- Anne Duguid, Heather Villani & Amanda Sim for their support with this project and for lending me their gorgeous children !
Fun Box Activity 1- Creating An Aquarium
Age group – all
Sunny or rainy day activity
Equipment needed – transparent container or flower vase, blue food colouring, toy fish or shells or rocks or plastic plants. Blue or white glitter (optional)
Learning gained – what sinks or floats, imagination.
Fun Box 2- Teddy Elevator
Age group – all
Sunny Day Activity
Equipment needed – a bucket with a handle, strong string, a tree or climbing frame.
Learning gained – gravity, different weights.
Fun Box 3- Making A Marshmallow Gun
Age Group – over 5 to make it – over 3 to use it
Rainy or sunny day Activity
Equipment needed – balloon, mini marshmallows, paper cup, stickers, markers, scissors, rubber band. Please note you can use fruit, rolled up tissue and round crisps to shoot as well.
Learning gain – you can play many games of target shooting with your gun, in to bowls etc.
Fun Box Activity 4- Making a toy parachute
Age group – 3 plus
Rainy or sunny day activity
Equipment needed – plastic bag (freezer bag works best), string, toy (lego figure works well) , pen or scissors to make hole
Learning gained – learning about gravity & weights and wind(if outside) !
Fun Box Activity 5- Creating Paper Plate Owls
Age Group – 5 plus
Sunny or Rainy day
Equipment needed – paper plate, paint or coloured pens, glue.
Learning gained – creativity, drawing and craft skills.
Fun Box Activity 6- Veggie Painting !
Age group – all
Sunny or rainy day (if you don’t mind some mess!)
Equipment needed – paint, paper (old wallpaper or craft paper), assorted veg chopped up or carved.
Learning gaining- creativity & imagination, great messy play .
Fun Box Activity 7- Drawing Misfit Characters
Age group – 3 up
Sunny or Rainy day
Equipment needed – paper & pens
Learning gained – drawing skills, imagination & humour !
Fun Box Activity 8- Outdoor Chalking
Age group – all
Sunny day
Equipment needed – a drive or concrete area, chalk
Learning gained – creativity
Fun Box activity 9- Creating a Puppy Puppet.
Age group – 3 Plus
Sunny or rainy day
Equipment needed – x2 toilet rolls, paint, paintbrush, hole punch (or pencil) bendy straws or pipe cleaners, x2 lolly sticks, x2 googly eyes, glue, scissors, string or coloured yarn.
Learning gained – creativity, imagination, co-ordination for working the puppet.
Fun Box Activity 10 - Creating a Wormery
Age group – 5 years up
Rainy day or sunny day
Equipment needed – transparent container, soil, sand, compost – access to a garden to get worms !
Learning Gained – an appreciation of nature & habitats, long term observation of the worms life.
Fun Box Activity 11- Pasta Faces
Age group – All
Sunny or rainy
Equipment needed – pasta of any sort, paper plate or paper, & glue (not essential)
Learning gained – creativity & imagination
Fun Box Activity 12- Make Your Own Bouncy Ball From Old Loom Bands
Age group – over 4 years old
Sunny or rainy day
Equipment needed – loom bands
Learning gained – patience and creativity
Fun Box Activity 13- Unicorn Ice Chalk
Age group – 3 plus
Sunny Day activity
Equipment needed – ice cube trays or cup cake moulds, vegetable dye or water based paint at least 5 drops, corn starch 40% of ice cube , baking soda (optional) 30% of tray & then fill rest with water.
Learning gained – they create really unusual art and the baking soda will fizz in a fun way .
Fun Box Activity 14- Rock Painting -Make Someone Smile
Age Group – all
Sunny or Rainy day
Equipment needed – rocks & paints (acrylic work best ) or permanent pens .
Learning gained – imagination & artist talents used, and I like the thought of the children knowing that their Rock could brighten someones
Fun Box Activity 15- Bug Hunt With Theo
Age group – over 2 years old
Rainy or sunny day activity
Equipment needed – container for the bugs.
Learning gained – knowledge of wild life, habitats & a respect for both.
Fun Box Activity 16 - Watermelon Fruit Cocktail Vase
Age Group – any
Rainy or sunny Day
Equipment needed – water melon & favourite fruit (cocktail sticks, umbrellas or kebab sticks are helpful additions but not essential)
Learning gained – creative imagination with food, great way to introduce new foods.
Fun Box Activity 17 - Zip Wire
Age Group – up to 12 years old
Rainy Day (indoor Version) from Stairs or Sunny Day version shown
Equipment Needed – length of string/cord up to 3- 5 metres long, coat hanger or hook or belt , favourite toys of any type, teddy’s might ned to be made a harness.
Learning Gained – the concept of gravity, weight = speed, adjust the angle of the Zip wire to get more speed, create ‘camps’ for the toys at either end of the Zip to extend the imagination.
Fun Box Activity 18 - Creating The Ocean
Age Group – 18 months – 5 years
Indoor or Outdoor
Equipment needed – a Bowl (wash up bowl is fine), blue food colouring, random small toys, washing up liquid, a whisk (a fork will do fine too), optional ( the net of your oranges)
Learning Gained – sink or float, depth perception, you can advance this by asking them what would they expect to see in the ocean, which of the toys would like to be there? How to make the bubbles from the washing up liquid – next time they make them.
Fun Box Activity 19- Shadow Dancing
Age Group – all
Indoor ( with bright light behind, lamp shade taken off) or outside on a sunny day
Equipment needed – light, possibly music, phone to video, friends to send the amusing video to !
Learning gained – self confidence, movement to music, exercise, martial arts skills.
Fun Box Activity 20 - The Count Down Snake
Age group – 2-12 years Old
Indoor or Outdoor
Equipment needed – paper and pens
Learning gained – drawing, colouring in, days, weeks, optional -learning about where they are going by finding a picture of it .
Fun Box Activity 21 - Stretch Like A Black Belt
Age Group – all
Indoor or Outdoor
Equipment needed – none
Learning gained – how to move their body like the animal described butterfly, Crocodile, Dragon, frogs legs. Excellent for flexibility – please note never push your child’s limbs when they are stretching as this can cause injuries.
So I Hope you have enjoyed this snap shot of what will be in The Fun Box . Don’t forget to share your activities on the facebook page and if you have any questions email me [email protected]