An Update From CK on COVID-19
Updated April 2022
Conscious Kids feels the health and safety of your children and whānau is our FIRST PRIORITY.
We will be operating following ALL health and safety parameters set by Ministry of Health and adapting our programme to support it's continuance and mitigate risk as much as possible.
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General Information
1. The symptoms of COVID-19 are like common illnesses such as the cold or flu. Some people will only experience mild to moderate symptoms. Older people, ethnic minorities, and those with underlying medical conditions are at higher risk of severe illness from the virus.
Some people who have had the virus are suffering health impacts longer than a few weeks or months. This is commonly referred to as Long COVID.
Symptoms of COVID-19 and Long COVID
People at higher risk of COVID-19
2. COVID-19 are spread by bodily droplet via coughing, sneezing, close personal contact and contact with a surface with viral particles and then touching mouth, nose or eyes.
Prevention and self-protection
Keeping up healthy habits can slow the spread of the virus and help protect you, your whānau, and your community from COVID-19. Even if you are vaccinated, you still need to keep up these habits.
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If you have cold, flu or COVID-19 symptoms, stay home and call your doctor or Healthline for free on 0800 358 5453.
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Regularly wash and thoroughly dry your hands.
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Sneeze and cough into your elbow.
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Keep a 2 metre distance from people you do not know.
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Clean or disinfect shared surfaces often.
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Wear a face covering.
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Keep track of where you have been with the NZ COVID Tracer app.
3. Suspend the attendance to our programmes for up to 14 days, if you or your children have been in close contact with people from areas of concerns or under self-isolation or have any symptoms. We will follow the Minsitry of Health guidance for a safe return to the programme.
CLICK HERE To view the Places of Interest
4. Call Healthline on 0800 358 5453 if you believe you or your children are exposed to the virus or require further advice. Bear in mind that the Healthline is currently under pressure due to increased call volumes, avoid calling them on non-essential matters.
For more information on Covid-19, pay close attention to updates from MOH.
For more information on the COVID 19 PROTECTION FRAMEWORK
Talking with our tamariki
Help children cope with anxiety by providing accurate information
Guidance for parents, caregivers, whānau and teachers.
Children look to adults for guidance on how to react to stressful events such as COVID-19. Parents, caregivers, whānau and teachers will have a particularly important part to play in reassuring children at this time. Children will react to and follow your verbal and non-verbal cues. If you are able to stay informed and realistic, it will be easier for you to reassure children effectively as well. Children need factual, age-appropriate information about COVID-19 so that they can also feel informed and in control. They need to know how they can play a part in avoiding infection and the spread of the virus.
They also need to feel that any fears that they may have can be talked about and addressed.
Reassure your children
If no one in your family has COVID-19 nor has had close contact with anyone with COVID-19, emphasise to your children that they and your family are fine. Remind them that the right people are working hard to keep New Zealanders safe, including the adults at the children’s school or early learning service. Let your children talk about their feelings, and help reframe their concerns into the appropriate perspective. You know your children best. If they have a lot of questions, consider how much extra information would or wouldn’t be helpful for them to know before replying.
Tips - If your child is anxious
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Try offering children simple choices to help give them a feeling of being in control. Would they like to use the red towel or the white towel to dry their hands? Spend some time together - would they like to do a puzzle or listen while you read a story? Make sure that you choose options that are both acceptable for you, so there is no chance of getting into a power struggle.
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Help them do some deep breathing exercises. (This works for adults too.) Gently hold their thumb with your hand, have them breathe slowly in and out, and count out loud, “ 1”. Move your hand to hold their pointer finger, have them breathe slowly in and out, and count “2”. Move to your hand to hold their middle finger, have them breathe slowly in and out, and count “3”, and so on.
You can move across just one hand and count to “5”, or both hands to count to “10”. Can they do it for you? Can they learn to do it for themselves – many children are now practicing mindfulness exercises at school? Can they lie on the floor with their hand on their tummy and feel their breathe move in and out? You can ask your child if there are any other strategies that they know and use.
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Sparklers has a range of calming activities you could try
Make yourself available
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Children may need extra attention from you and may want to talk about their concerns, fears, and questions. Make time for them.
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Tell them you love them, and give them plenty of affection.
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Be patient; children and youth do not always talk about their concerns readily. Watch for clues that they may want to talk, such as hovering around while you do the dishes or work.
It is very typical for younger children to ask a few questions, return to playing, then come back to ask more questions. Often they will ask the same questions again and again as they try to make sense of things – keep your answers simple, truthful and age-appropriate. Children will be reassured by your consistent responses.
When sharing information, provide facts calmly, remind children that adults are working to address this concern, and give children actions they can take to protect themselves.
Maintain a normal routine
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Keep to a regular, predictable schedule to help show your child that their daily routines are in control and will continue as normal.
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Encourage your children to keep up with their schoolwork and extracurricular activities, but don’t push them if they seem overwhelmed.
Avoid blaming others
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Explain that sometimes people blame others for events they cannot control, but that this is not correct behaviour.
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Avoid stereotyping any one group of people as responsible for the virus.
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Report any bullying or negative comments you are aware of at your children’s school or early learning service.
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Be aware of the influence that other adults with different attitudes on COVID-19 have on your children. You may have to explain to them that some people have different values from the ones that you and your children will follow.
Monitor social media and TV
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Limit your children’s television viewing, Internet access and social media involvement. Try to avoid watching or listening to information that might be upsetting when your children are present.
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Let your child know that a lot of COVID-19 information on the Internet may be based on rumours and inaccurate information.
Review and model basic hygiene and healthy lifestyle practices
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Talk about what you and your children what they can do to help prevent infection.
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Wash hands multiple times a day for at least 20 seconds each time (singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star slowly takes about 20 seconds) and dry hands thoroughly.
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Cover their mouths with a tissue when they sneeze or cough, and throw away the tissue immediately; or have them sneeze or cough into the bend of their elbow.
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Do not share food or drinks.
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Practice giving fist or elbow bumps instead of handshakes. Fewer germs are spread this way.
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Discourage the child from touching their eyes, nose, and mouth.
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Encourage your child to eat a balanced diet, get enough sleep, and exercise regularly to develop a strong immune system for fighting off illness.
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Discuss the new rules or practices at the child’s school or early learning service.
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Keep in contact with your child’s school or service and let them know if there have been any changes within your family.
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What to emphasise when talking to children about school
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Adults at school are taking care of your health and safety.
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Not many people have the COVID-19, and most of those who do will not get very unwell.
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Teachers are being especially careful to make sure that as few people as possible get sick.
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Children and students need to treat each other with respect and not jump to conclusions about who may or may not have COVID-19.
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There are things you can do to stay healthy and avoid spreading the disease, including covering your cough or sneezing into your elbow or a tissue, then throwing the tissue in the trash.
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Wash hands often with soap and water (20 seconds) and dry them thoroughly.
Fun at Home
113 Fun activities to do at home with kids
Whether you’re choosing to self-isolate due to Coronavirus or simply have no choice, you might be looking for some fun ideas of things you can do with the kids that don’t involve screens! Here is a list of ideas for home-based activities with kids – from craft & games, to exercise, cleaning, home organisation and photography!
Obviously, we’re very lucky to live in an age of digital entertainment and don’t get us wrong – you should also be utilising that as well to keep the sanity. But this list will help break up the screen-time and keep the kids active and engaged beyond that. Hopefully, it helps mamas from going completely 'cuckoo' during this weird time we’re living through!
And if you’re in New Zealand or another country that isn’t yet quarantined, you can get prepped using the shopping list I added at the end (though lot’s of these you may already have).
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Treasure hunt (with clues, hide a favourite toy somewhere in the house)
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Tint shaving cream with food colouring, paint the windows or glass doors (or the inside of the shower glass) then rinse it off
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Go through clothing from previous seasons, try on and cull things that are too small
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Play dress-ups in mum and dad’s clothes – do a photoshoot
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Graffiti the garden fence with chalk
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Make a small bowl, plate, egg cup or statue from air dry clay
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Day spa – do a Mani/Pedi/foot soak/face mask
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Go through old photos and videos, and old craft and paintings
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Have a Living Room disco – play freeze, musical chairs, have a dance-off
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Go through recipe books together and have a bake-off challenge
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Make Origami animals or paper ninja stars
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Gardening – pull weeds, trim bushes, collect flowers for a vase
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Make a mud kitchen in the garden, make different coloured rock paint
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Organise the books on your shelf into a rainbow of colours
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String up a sheet tent in the backyard
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Find three toys to give to charity
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Using Lego characters or other small toys, make a stop motion movie (download the app Stop Motion to your phone or Ipad)
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Organise your Lego and then have a building challenge. Who can build the best house, hotel or shop?
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Write notes of love, compliments or doodles and hide them around the house for the family to find
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Create a “God’s eye” weaving using sticks and wool
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Try shadow drawing, leaf rubbings, painting bark or stones
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Use a mirror to draw a self-portrait
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Create an Alfoil river in the garden and float things down it
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Create an obstacle course
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Build a fort using the couch and every cushion/pillow you can find
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Make 3D paper rainbows
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Make your own bubble blower
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Put goggles and swimmers on and swim in the bath
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Go through your board/card games and challenge yourself to play them all. Design your own game
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Make greeting cards for the stationery cupboard to be used for birthdays and other occasions
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Paint a family portrait to be framed and hung
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Choose a picture book each and read aloud to each other in the biggest bed in your house
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Have a handball tournament
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Write a short story or poem that includes a dog, an umbrella and some sushi
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Find 10 different shaped leaves in the garden
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Create a paper crown for a member of your family and decorate it
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Make a paper chain to hang up in the dining room
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Try the travelling water experiment
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Fill a small spray bottle with water and aromatherapy oil and then spray and wipe the house
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Fold the paper and cut out paper snowflakes
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Make pom poms out of wool
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Play drawing games like Simon Says drawing
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Put on a puppet show using toys behind the couch
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Do the magic milk experiment
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Create a sensory shaker bottle using an old bottle, glitter and water (and whatever else you’d like to put in there!)
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Outdoor games like egg and spoon race, tag-team races, three-legged races, or play stuck in the mud
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Fold paper planes and see how far they will fly
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Build the highest block tower you can
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Learn how to bake bread
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Make a Lego zip line
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Keep a balloon in the air as long as possible
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Build a house with a deck of cards
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String up the Christmas lights in your living room
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Play cinema – make tickets, popcorn, give your guests a rug and watch a movie together
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Play hotels using your bedrooms as ‘hotel rooms’ or restaurants by setting up the dining room like a restaurant with menus (or hospitals, vets, banks, etc)
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Make up a workout and do it together (eg: 25-star jumps, 20 squats, 15 crunches, hop like a bunny around the lounge room, frog leap your partner)
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Choose an inspirational quote and create a poster for your room
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Change the bedsheets and build a sheet city in your bedroom before they get washed!
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Press flowers within a few heavy books
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Play the gummy bear game (using dice and 5 gummies each. Roll a 1 you eat one in your pile, a 2 you pass one bear to your left, a 3 you pass to your right, a 4 you keep it, a 5 you eat it, a 6 you keep it – keep playing till the gummies are gone!)
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Make sidewalk paint
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Make a magic potion using aromatherapy oils, glitter, water, petals
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Take some garden clippings and see which ones you can get to grow roots for replanting
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Use masking tape to make a race track. Race matchbox cars. Or use the inside of your bathtub as a ramp for racing
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Listen to a kid’s podcast or audiobook. Podcast suggestions:
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Brains On
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Wow In The World
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Circle Round
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Little Green Pod
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Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls
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Fierce Girls
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Story Pirates
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But Why?
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With some old clothes, cut and create clothes for your toys
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Take everyone’s height measurement on a door frame
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Using butchers paper, trace a partner’s whole body. Now try to include as many body parts and organs as you can
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Give someone a back, foot or head massage
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Try sharpie tie-dye using a sharpie and rubbing alcohol
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Take some artistic photos in black and white. Play around with filters and see what you can create. You could use a phone or learn how to use the proper camera (if you have one)
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Water play – buckets, scoopers, whisk, pouring jugs, straws, bubbles!
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Have a picnic lunch outside. Take books and toys with you
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Sort through all your crafts and art supplies. See if something inspires you. Organise and sharpen all your pencils and test all your markers
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Make a bottle rocket
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Make rainbow paper
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Make a stained glass window using clear contact & cellophane
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Make a marble run
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Paint a stick gnome
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Make a rainbow stick
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Jump rope – can you get to 100 without stopping?
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Take apart an old appliance. Can you put it back together?
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Research your family tree – see how far back you can go
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Make a time capsule of this time to be opened in 10 years
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Get swimmers on and wash the car or your bike!
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Set up camp in the garden and play inside the tent
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Write a letter to a friend, relative or teacher to mail
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Lie on a rug in the garden and spot cloud shapes. Make up a story about what you see.
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Work together to a family emblem, motto or song. Include elements that are important to you and your family
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Learn to finger knit, french knit or braid wool into friendship bracelets
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Sketch your dream red carpet look!
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Try Michelangelo drawing under the table
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Make a pretty lantern using an old jar, tissue paper and glue
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Make an infinite paper flipper!
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Make frozen dinosaur eggs (or you could use fairies, or Ooshies, etc)
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Make a paper cut out family
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Make a paper plate whale
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Try dying some old plain fabric using natural dyes
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Do a chalk photoshoot
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Interview the members of your family
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Make a popsicle stick catapult
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Can you draw or paint with your feet?
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Do a Yoga class together
Shopping list for craft activities
Play-doh
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Cream of tartar
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Table salt
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All-purpose flour
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Food colourings
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Vegetable oil
General craft supplies
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Chalk
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Shaving cream
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Food colouring
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Paper – coloured and white
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Air-dry clay
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Glitter
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Cornstarch
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Mini marshmallows
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Toothpicks
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Wool
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Acrylic paints
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Watercolour paints
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Crayons
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Shaving cream
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Balloons
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Sharpie
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Rubbing alcohol
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Butchers paper or a large paper table cloth
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Baking soda
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Vinegar
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Duct tape or Masking tape
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An empty plastic bottle
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Black paper
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Clear nail polish
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Tissue paper
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PVA glue
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An old jar
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Sticky tape
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Marbles
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Popsicle sticks
Thanks to Mum Daniela Minns for sharing all these ideas! You can follow her on Instagram here or check out her website.