Stuck for ideas to keep them amused?  Why not make some beautiful bird feeders.  The grandkids will have loads of fun making them and you'll be able to enjoy the gorgeous birds they attract to your garden.  Or perhaps a little monkey business might be more to their liking. And there's something for the very little ones too.

​If you have any ideas we can pass on to other grandparents use our CONTACT US form to share it with us and we'll share it with our readers.

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BIRD FEEDERS

Kids just love making things with Gran and Pa and these are sure to please as they have a real purpose.  

What you’ll need:

• 3/4 cup birdseed (whatever you can get at the supermarket, though something to attract rosellas and lorikeets would be lovely)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 small envelope of gelatine
• twine or string
• cookie cutters, moulds or large jar lids
• wax paper

 
What to do:

• Mix together the envelope of gelatine with 1/4 cup of water and bring to a simmer while stirring. Continue stirring until the gelatine is dissolved.
• Remove from heat and let cool for a minute.
• Stir in the 3/4 cup birdseed. adding a little more if there is liquid still in the bottom of the pan.
• Lay your cookie cutters out on wax paper and fill half way with the birdseed mixture.
• Cut your twine, knot the end and push the knot down into your birdseed.
• Continue filling with birdseed, covering the end of your twine and
  knot.
• Push the birdseed evenly into the cookie cutter until it’s full.
• Allow them to dry overnight. turning them over every now and then.
• Remove from the cookie cutters and hang them in your trees.
• Then wait by the window to watch for your first guest.

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PIPE CLEANER MONKEYS

​Here’s a fun monkey craft for kids of all ages!  Grab some pipe cleaners and some wooden beads and transform them into a cute posable monkey.  The monkey can even hang onto a pencil!
 
What you’ll need:

• Brown pipe cleaners – 3 per monkey
• Wooden beads
• Googly eyes
• Hot glue
• Brown felt
• Brown and tan acrylic paint
• Yellow pipe cleaners – for bananas

 



 

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What to do:
​1. First, paint your beads a similar brown to the pipe cleaners.  Don't panic, it doesn't have to match exactly.  You can either leave an oval shape unpainted for the mouth, or you can paint a mouth on in a lighter colour.  Now glue on the eyes.

3. The top three strands will be for the head and arms.  The bottom three will make the legs and tail.  Slide the body bead onto all three lower strands.

Then bend the arms.

2. Start with 3 pipe cleaners, and twist them together as shown above.

4. Then start bending the pipe cleaner legs to make feet. The legs look best if they have a double layer of pipe cleaner.  So form the feet, and then bend the excess upward.  I either tuck the end into the body bead, or wrapped it around the monkey’s “waist” (below the bead).  Just do whatever works.

Cut the head strand so that you have just enough left to fold over to be a neck. Attach the head with a little hot glue. Then cut tiny rounded ears out of felt.  Glue those to the sides of the head. You can use a short piece of a yellow pipe cleaner to make a banana. The monkey’s hands are posable, and he can hold things.

PAIRS TREASURE HUNT

​Little ones can get just as much fun out of the classic matching pairs game when it's tailored to their abilities.  And it’s easy to do.
 
You’ll need a deep plastic container with a lid and two large packets of cheap rice.  You can colour the rice by laying it out on a baking tray and mixing food colouring in with a fork.  Leave it to dry for 24 hours before using.  Put the rice into the container.
 
Find pairs of simple items from around the home that are large and safe to handle, but also presented a nice range of textures, colours and shapes for little fingers to explore.
 
Show your toddler that there are two of everything and then get them to close their eyes while you hide the pieces in the rice.  Then get them to dig through the rice to find the matching pairs. It’s a fun, tactile game that will help them with an introduction to maths and improve their fine motor skills.

And when you're finished just put the lid on the container and store it away ready for another day's play.