Our family chik-chak time

Chik-chak!!!

We went for our family photoshoot last Friday and had a wonderful time. The kids had fun showing off their picture perfect sides, though after a while, AA got really tired, and the adults had to whip out lots of tricks to get that cheeky smile of his.

The results? Beautiful pictures of our family that we love. 

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Play Learning Tuesday: Foam Numbers Puppetry

Sometimes, the best play and learning comes when it is impromptu.

On a sunny Friday, I was trying to entertain EV and keep her occupied, to prevent her from disturbing the sleeping AA. I didn't have any special activities planned. Spying some foam numbers in the room, I just propped some numbers on my finger and started doing puppetry with them.

'Hello EV, how are you? I'm 5.'

EV quickly got the idea and picked her own numbers.

'Hello 5! Can we play together?'

And so little EV's imagination was triggered and she started getting the numbers to 'talk' and 'play' with each other. Besides promoting number recognition, this fun game can also be extended in the following ways:

- Play a counting game. Draw dots on paper or use counters and get the foam numbers to 'find' the correct number of dots or counters.

- Larger numbers can be used to match the child's age and knowledge.

- Teach and match the spelling of each number. For example, teach the word for 6 - six, or match the number 3 to the word three.

- Simple addition and subtraction can be taught using puppetry too. 

- Make up own stories using the numbers 

This activity is not just about numbers. As the imagination is evoked, creative skills are being developed as well. So too are language, speaking and listening skills, as new stories, roles and situations are being created. EV seemed to be in her own world as she directed her own puppet play. She was communicating with her number puppets so effortlessly and with so much confidence, except for the times when she will ask me to stop taking pictures and join her in her play. It's really amazing to watch her 'working' with her numbers.

We will definitely be doing more puppet play. Socks, paper bags, soft toys, whatever we can find makes a good puppet. Hmm.. perhaps we will do our very own puppet show based on our current favourite story Cat In The Hat Comes Back tonight? That would be a blast!

Have you done any puppetry lately?

*****

What is Play Learning Tuesday?
Play Learning Tuesday is a weekly linky hosted by Toddly Mummy where bloggers are invited to share their child-friendly play, learning and craft activities.

If you would like to link up and share your posts on Play Learning Tuesday, please read the following guidelines first.
- Please link up any posts featuring a play, learning or craft activity.
- Feel free to link more than one post.
- Please don't link giveaways.
- Please grab the Play Learning Tuesday badge from below and include it at the bottom of the submitted post, or somewhere on your site.
- Thank you for sharing your wonderful ideas on Play Learning Tuesday!

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Why a Treehouse?

I have received several positive comments on the new look. Thank you very much for your kind words. Many ask: why a treehouse?

In my memories of kindergarten, I remember a treehouse. It's a place where the kids loved to go and indulge in moments of imaginative play. The treehouse was situated on a slight hill, with a sandpit and swings that used gyres for seats. There was even a see-saw. 

Next to this outdoor playground was the building where the lessons were held. Honestly speaking, I don't remember exactly what I learnt, but I definitely have learnt something. Otherwise, I wouldn't know my ABCs or 123s to be able to write this post.

I do remember this plump, round and jolly teacher I had in nursery, the caring and friendly principal, painting, performing with some bamboo instrument. 

The playground is one of the few memories I have of kindergarten, and why? For a simple reason - fun. It's the same for the other memories. I remember them because of an emotional attachment.

I also love this book series by Enid Blyton about an enchanted forest, where an enormous magical tree grows. Its top branches reach into the clouds and lead to many different magical lands. 

It is for these reasons that I used the treehouse in the new design, which is so wonderfully created by Fancy Girl Designs. It is a symbol of fun, a symbol of play, a symbol of discovery. As a parent, I need to show the world to EV and AA, guide them to be good individuals and enable them to learn in fun ways, or ways that elicit emotions in them. I hope that by doing this, they can remember what they learn for life. Then I have done my duty as a parent.

The treehouse is a symbol of my parenting values.

What is your parenting symbol?

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Review: Samsung Galaxy Camera

This review first appeared in Cosmone.com here

White Knight in Android

Credit: Samsung Mobile Press

It’s not always that you get a digital camera in pure white, but that’s what you get with the Samsung Galaxy Camera. But what we really like about this is the way it transforms the concept of traditional cameras.

That’s right, the Galaxy Camera is really making us rethink the way a camera should be. Instead of just limited to taking photos, Samsung has created a brand new breed of cameras that makes sharing photos online an instant breeze. How? Simply by taking advantage of the successful smartphone and tablet technologies that Samsung is so well known for, and transforming them into a digital camera.

The most innovative, ground-breaking digital snapper that we have seen in a long while, the Galaxy Camera runs on the popular Android 4.1 Jelly Bean platform. This not only opens up the whole world of Android apps on the Google Play app store on a camera, but what is amazing is that it is all on a device that can really take quality pictures with a 16-megapixel 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55mm) sensor and 21x optical zoom lens that supports a whopping 23-481mm. Just imagine the possibilities with – good quality images that can be instantly edited on-camera and then shared via Instagram or Twitter.

Like any Samsung smartphone, the Galaxy Camera features a big screen on the back, a 4.8-inch 720p HD Super AMOLED screen, and we like the clarity and brightness of the screen. Inside, the camera is powered by a quad-core Exynos CPU with 1GB RAM, and there’s support for WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, a microSIM for connecting over 3G/4G, as well as GPS, microSD and a headphone socket. Sounds very much like a smartphone doesn’t it? But which smartphone would offer Full HD 1080p video capture with a stereo microphone, ISO 100 to 3200 support and 8GB of internal memory? The Galaxy Camera can even receive emails, send SMS and allow chats on Google Chat and Skype. Yet another reason why we adore this white knight so much.

We do have a few gripes, mainly with the camera’s heavy weight of 300g and less than satisfactory battery life. It is no slim beauty, with the thinnest point measuring 19mm thick.  The battery has up to 280 hours standby mode. The ability to download apps means that the Galaxy Camera will most likely be used for more than just taking photos, which puts a drain on the battery life. This means that its juice will likely run out faster than usual, so having a portable charger on hand is useful.

Still, the Samsung Galaxy is an amazing example of innovation, and perhaps a sign of the future of digital cameras?

Samsung Galaxy camera
Pros

An innovative Android-enabled digital camera
Designed for seemless sharing

Cons

The bulkiness and heavy weight
The battery is likely to run out faster, so bring a spare

Our verdict

Design ****
Interface ****
Clarity *** ½
Performance ***½

Disclaimer: The Samsung Galaxy camera was on loan for review purposes. No monetary compensation was received for this review, and all opinions are my own.

Play Learning Tuesday: Fun Shapes

It's another Play Learning Tuesday today. It is very inspiring to see all the great ideas during the last linky. Thank you to all who shared.

Today, I'm sharing a Fun Shapes idea that we did a while ago, and which EV still loves playing today.

Here's what you need:
- ice cream sticks
- pipe cleaners of any colour
- glue (for sticking the ice cream sticks together)
- a parent's help

This is a great activity for experimenting with shapes, and also for fine motor skills, as one twists the pipe cleaners into circles and sticks the ice cream sticks together to make squares and triangles. 

See how EV ingeniously turned this into a peek-a-boo game? Ice cream sticks and pipe cleaners are such versatile materials to play with. We will definitely be doing more.

What fun play have you had with your kids recently? Do link up and share! :)

*****

What is Play Learning Tuesday?
Play Learning Tuesday is a weekly linky hosted by Toddly Mummy where bloggers are invited to share their child-friendly play, learning and craft activities.

If you would like to link up and share your posts on Play Learning Tuesday, please read the following guidelines first.
- Please link up any posts featuring a play, learning or craft activity.
- Feel free to link more than one post.
- Please don't link giveaways.
- Please grab the Play Learning Tuesday badge from below and include it at the bottom of the submitted post, or somewhere on your site.
- Thank you for sharing your wonderful ideas on Play Learning Tuesday!

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Review x Giveaway: Funky Feet Fashions

{Sponsored}

Ladybird ladybird, where have you been?
I've been on this little boy's feet
As he toddles around with a grin.

That's right, AA has been discovering the world around him in these soft shoes that are just simply funky. He got this ladybird design, but there are heaps of other really fun and imaginative designs that you can check out here.

Yups, they don't just look funky, they are called funky too; Funky Feet Fashions to be exact. The brand comes from the UK, and specializes in baby fashion. Every piece is handmade, can you imagine that?

First impressions are quite good. The outside of the shoes is made of a variety of materials, depending on the design. For example, the Ladybird design we got is made of suedette, which is made from cotton or rayon and has the texture of suede; while another design Brown Bear is made of faux fur uppers.

The shoes ranks high on the cool factor, but it also focuses on comfort and safety. The shoes have non-slip suede soles with 100% cotton lining. And it's machine washable too! Just brilliant. I just need to throw it into the washing machine, and it'll be cleaned in no time.

The shoes are easy to wear too - just slip it on, and they will stay on. Maybe because AA's feet are a little fleshy, or perhaps the design is such that the ankle area is a little smaller to ensure the shoes stay on. It was a little difficult to push AA's feet into the shoes. I had to really stretch the elastic band and squeeze his feet in at the same time. But once his feet are in, he's off like a little trouper. 

Mummy likes Funky Feet, so does AA.  He even wanted to wear it to sleep!



No son, you can't. But you can wear them to the playground tomorrow.

Funky Feet Fashions Footwear

Pros

Fun designs

Extremely comfortable and durable

Non-slip soles prevent accidental slips

Cons

Ankle elastic area is a little tight for AA's fleshy feet to slip in

My verdict
Design *****
Ease of use ****
Performance ****

*****

Giveaway!!

Baby's Breath, the official distributor of Funky Feet Fashions footwear in Singapore is sponsoring one $50 voucher to ONE lucky winner!

Hurry! Giveaway ends Sunday 26 May 2013 11:59pm.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: The Funky Feet Fashions footwear in Ladybird (12-18mths) was sponsored by Baby's Breath. No monetary compensation was received for this review, and all opinions and images are my own.

Tulip manic @ Tulipmania

If you are reading this, it means you are interested in Tulipmania and wondering whether it is worth going.


We just went yesterday, and my opinion? Yes it is!

We had planned to go last Friday, but changed plans as friends who went said that the tulips had just been replanted and were still in their buds. Going yesterday was a good decision, as almost all the tulips were in bloom, except for a select few.

We felt like we were in flower land. It's really awesome to be in a single space with more than 20,000 tulips and other flowers. Flowers here, flowers there, flowers everywhere. Flowers of so many colours, shapes and sizes. There is also the unmistakable scent of the flowers, so fragrant and aromatic. Absolutely refreshing!






We even spotted an orange tree!


EV had a tremendous time feasting her eyes on the kaleidoscope of colours - red, pink, yellow, purple and white.


She had an even better time taking photos of mummy and grandmummy. Her camera skills aren't too bad either, taking her time to make sure that the camera is in the right position before pressing the shutter. Often though, her subjects aka mummy and grandmummy would end up feeling tired because of frozen smiles.




Our adventure in the land of tulips ended with a nice evening stroll around the outdoor gardens, on the way to Bayfront MRT station. We only visited the Flower Dome, where the tulips are, but we are already planning to return soon and visit the other dome, Cloud Forest.

Want to bask in the land of flowers? There's still time. Tulipmania ends next Monday, but we reckon you should go these few days, while the tulips are still in their blooming glory.

Tulipmania @ Gardens by the Bay, Flower Dome

29 April - 20 May 2013

9am - 9pm

Special ticket prices for local residents (available only at on-site ticketing counters)

Adults: $10 per ticket (Usual price $12)

Senior Citizens & Children: $7 per ticket (Usual price $8)

Play Learning Tuesday: Salt Play

It is always a challenge to keep the very inquisitive EV busy & occupied. I consciously try to limit her screen (aka TV, iPad etc) time because I want her to engage with the world in a multimodal way using her various senses. But like I mentioned, it is a challenge and whenever an off-screen activity keeps EV engaged, smiling and having loads of fun, it is an extremely satisfying feeling.

What have I got up my sleeves this time? Salt! A word of caution though: things can get quite messy, so it is good to line the play area with newspaper.

Here's what you need:
- salt
- tray or basin to put the tray in

To up the notch of this messy play a little, I combined it with some letters from Jolly Phonics, written on coloured paper. I put the paper under heaps of salt, and then EV had to slowly move the salt to reveal the letters. Then I ask her what the letter and the sound is. Good reflection activity.

There's a lot of sensory play and motor skills training involved too. After a while, I let EV do her own thing, and she got creative making finger circles, building little salt 'hills', squeezing the salt with her fists and just throwing the salt all over.

Yes, it was messy, but just look at the 'flow' she's in. Makes the cleaning up after all the more worthwhile.

Have you done any messy play with your kids recently? What other fun play and learning activities have you done? Do link up and share! :)

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