''Bróga Nua'' Enjoying Irish with Young Children....AND We have a copy to give away!!

Hello,
I was recently introduced to the book/CD ''Bróga Nua'' by Aine Ni Shuilleabhain.  This is all about enjoying Irish with young children.  It includes 100 rhymes and songs, 2 C.D's and English translation.

It was a very easy book for Kerri and I to pick up and work through with our children in a fun way. I really enjoyed letting the CD run while we played in the playroom together. Every now and then I would take up the book and spend some time singing the songs with the CD. The girls would listen and turn the pages to look and discuss the images of the book.  I personally found it to be a very child friendly book.

 

 

It is suitable for children to use on their own or with parents, grandparents, teachers, crèche and preschool providers.
The book is aimed at all those who wish to introduce Irish in a fun and playful way. I loved that;
You do not need to be an Irish speaker to use this resource. All instructions are in English.

I liked that it included festival/ celebration songs such as Happy Birthday and Halloween songs.  I found it great for exposing my children to Irish vocabulary in an easy and fun manner.

 

Above shows how easy the book is to use, and how the cartoon images make it approachable for the non Irish speaker and introducing a young child to a new language.

 

The book is colourful, bright and enticing to the reader. I liked how it could be used by a playschool/Montessori or primary school. For example there are lunchtime songs/rhymes to sing. With repetition these songs would be learned in time and enjoyed by teachers and pupil.

I suppose it is worth mentioning that parents should not just expect children to speak Irish over night. Aine Ni Shuilleabhain was very realistic when informing me of how children learn language and that is through play.  There is a natural order to language learning: listening, understanding, isolating words, phrases and sentences. We can of course help our children acquire Irish naturally by joining the children in their work and activities and singing or reciting the many rhymes /songs that occur throughout the book.

The adult's job would be the introductory use of the language and bringing the children, through daily repetition, to the stage of understanding before they reach the actual stage of acquisition and mastery.  The children will most of all enjoy the new words and sounds and gradually make their own of the sentence structures and vocabulary they hear in daily use and of the songs and rhymes that appeal to them.

It is important to understand the 'Silent Period' in acquiring language.  We see this with our own children. Theorists believe that it can take one to two years before children begin to speak the new language. It also depends on the personality of the child. Krashen (1992) ''It is important to let children take time to 'simmer'. There is a dormant stage to language learning. First children absorb language. Later they begin to speak.''

We both loved this book! We get great use from it at home and in the car on our daily travels. We are giving away a copy over on our Facebook page, make sure to check it out!! #GIVEAWAY

To order your copy contact Aine @0876334084 or email: enjoyirish@gmail.com or broganua@gmail.com

Twitter is https://twitter.com/HowToEnjoyIrish

Facebook is https://www.facebook.com/BrogaNua

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Thanks for reading,      

Orla & Kerri Xx

 

 

Christmas toys that have caught my eye.....

Hello,

I know it is still only November but I have seen a few children's toys which I really like, so here is my first blog on my Christmas Toy Picks....  I love Christmas and the whole Santa experience.  When you have small kids it is just Magic!

First up is the Osmo Starter Kit. 

It is a gaming system for the iPad. It encourages creative thinking and social interaction. Games can be played together by the whole family.

 I think this would be suited for age 6+, great for travelling with kids.

Check it out here for sale on Amazon;
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Osmo-Starter-Gaming-System-iPad/dp/B00NNZ7NA4



I love the idea of Kinetic Sand. It is mess free.

A handy toy to pull out inside when it is too rainy to play in the sandbox outside.

Available at Smyths Toys;
http://www.smythstoys.com/ie/en-ie/toys/creativity-music-partyware/c-926/kinetic-sand/p-14460/cra-z-sand-ultimate-deluxe-set/






Finally I love the idea of the Code A Pillar. Suited for 3+
The Think and Learn Code-a-pillar learning toy encourages children to experiment as they play. It can help them to develop skills like critical thinking, reasoning, discovery, memory, problem solving and experimentation.

It encourages them to arrange and rearrange the easy-to-connect segments in multiple combinations, making Code-a-pillar go forward, left, right or wherever they choose.

Check it out here;
http://www.smythstoys.com/ie/en-ie/toys/pre-school-electronic-learning/c-447/fisher-price/p-19827/fisher-price-code-a-pillar/



Don't forget you can keep up to date with Countryside Mumsie on our social media accounts facebook and instagram.

Thanks for reading,      

Orla Xx

Visit To Pumpkin Patch

Hello, 

Today we got to visit Halloween Pumpkin Patch at The Curraghchase Garden Centre, Co Limerick.  I have never been to a Halloween event like this before so I didn't really know what to expect.  It was great to see the garden centre had gone to huge efforts.  An area of the garden centre was dedicated to the Halloween event. It had a shop selling teas, coffees, candy floss etc, there was a pumpkin carving area with all the utensils provided.  There were bubbles, face painting and numerous Halloween photo opportunities set up. The main event was the huge selection of pumpkins available.  

It was lovely to roam around the hay field and pick the pumpkin.  You could pay for the pumpkin and bring it home or for an extra 3e you could carve it at the Halloween event. The prices were reasonable. Obviously it is more expensive than buying a pumpkin in the supermarket but it is all about the experience and how the kids enjoy it. There was no charge into the event. I booked a few weeks in advance and some time slots were already booked out.  We got a 10am slot, early on a Sunday morning but the weather was lovely and sunny which made the whole experience memorable.  It was a beautiful Autumn morning. 

The grounds were brilliantly decorated which added to the magic of it.  The kids were so inquisitive of the various scary set ups. 

We came across the unusual white pumpkins there, the girls wanted to carve one.  It ended up with a Hello Kitty being carved into it.  Dad got caught for this particular arts and crafts session!

Hello Kitty Pumpkin! :-)

I would highly recommend a day out at Curraghchase Garden Centre for Pumpkin Patch. Leave the buggies at home, too hard to push them through the hay.  Bring the baby carriers.  Bring wet gear.  Although the sun was out, the field, pumpkins and hay were wet. Also bring the wellies.  

If you go let me know how you got on...

Don't forget you can keep up to date with Countryside Mumsie on our social media accounts facebook and instagram.

Thanks for reading,      

Orla Xx

Make a Disney Princess Castle - Arts & Crafts

Hello,

So with all this talk of recent heat waves and only non stop rain the girls and I got stuck into some Paper Mache Arts & Crafts.  We decided on a Disney Princess Castle. You could just paint it grey to make it more boyish or pick colours to create a neutral Fantasy Castle.  In my house as usual, we went for an explosion of pink!! 

                                             
                                         










So I started with getting the base ready. I collected a series of cardboard tubes and taped them together.  I then taped this to a cardboard piece. See below;

To make the towers you roll up a piece of paper in one corner.  As you roll, turn the paper to the right to form a cone.  Tape along the edge of the paper to hold the cone in place.  You will need to make a number of cones for each tower top. Tape cones onto the cardboard towers. These will be the turret roofs. Don't worry about the tape looking untidy as all this will be covered in Paper Mache later.

See below;

?M

To make the Paper Mache glue I just mix flour and water. So simple!! Tear strips of old newspapers, the kids will love doing this.  I get the girls to use big paintbrushes when applying the Paper Mache glue then place a strip of newspaper then recover it with the glue mixture again.  Cover the whole thing with layers of this Paper Mache glue and newspaper.  It will look like this;

Leave this to dry overnight. Then the painting fun begins!  So we went for all over pink for the base colour.  Get the Aprons on, these are from Ikea. I find them great.

So after the painting was finished we had a very pink Disney Princess Castle.

That was left overnight to dry also and then we just added some details.  Farrah informed me Disney castles have blue tower tops. We just added some windows and doors.



Here is the finished result;

 We are getting some fun out of it with the Disney Princess characters :-)

Have you ever tried Paper Mache with the kids? Give it a go, Great for the rainy days! 

Don't forget you can keep up to date with Countryside Mumsie on our social media accounts facebook and instagram.

Thanks for reading,

Orla & Kerri X

Julia Donaldson Book Collection

Hey Guys,

As it is World Book Day I said I would share what we have been reading;


I recently purchased this great book collection from Julia Donaldson on Amazon. It is a brilliant collection and at a great price. I've seen one of these books at my local book shop for sale at 18e!! This collection is a steal!

Now most of you mum's will have certainly come across Julia Donaldson before, most likely through The Gruffalo. She has written many children's books. They are all so catchy! My girls can remember text very easily from her books due to the rhyming techniques she uses. The illustrations are fab too, your young reader will really love them. You know what? I love reading them out loud too! Main favourites in our house are The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo's Child, Room on the Broom, A Squash and A Squeeze, George The Giant and Paper Dolls. I know, so many favourites!

You can also get the short film of some of these books, the BBC recently produced them. I have seen them and they are lovely, well worth a watch.



Here is the link to purchase the collection;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1509801251


As an English teacher I see daily the importance of reading and getting children enthusiastic about books as early as possible. We don't go to bed without a story or two in our house, it's part of the bedtime routine.

Each of my girls have their own book shelf, they enjoy that they have their own books and respect them. We get great mileage out of books and even play bookshop regularly!

Let me know if you have this collection?
What is the favorite Donaldson book in your house?

Don't forget you can keep up to date with Countryside Mumsie on our social media accounts facebook and instagram.  

                                               

Thanks for reading!

Orla & Kerri Xx

Lottie Doll Review

Hey Guys,

Today I am reviewing a beautiful Irish made, age appropriate doll. I came across this doll recently and also saw it briefly on The Late Late Toy Show. I want to talk about it because my girls loved playing with their Lottie Dolls, click here to check them out; http://www.lottie.com/  They enjoyed how adorable they are and also the attention to detail of each Lottie.  They have had hours of fun with their Lottie's. Farrah received the Light House Lottie Doll;  http://eu.lottie.com/products/lighthouse-keeper-lottie-doll. 

 Georgia received the Pirate Queen Lottie Doll; http://eu.lottie.com/products/pirate-queen-lottie-doll . The Lottie doll is designed and developed in Donegal.    IRISH MADE!!

Lottie is a positive doll, she is age appropriate, wears no make up, no jewellery, no high heels and does not have boobs.  She is designed for children aged 3-9 years.  Lottie loves to dress up in age appropriate clothes, no crop tops here.

As well as dressing up Lottie loves enjoying the outdoors. She likes getting muddy and enjoying life to the full, she sounds pretty much like my own ladies!! I love that Lottie Doll encourages girls to enjoy their childhood. The message behind the Lottie Doll is to be bold, be brave, be you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The girls captivated by Lottie

 

What I personally loved about the dolls due to the girls enjoyment of them was the accessories, Lottie's hair and the fact she can stand on her own two feet with shoes on.

I was impressed by the accessories each doll came with, the attention to detail was amazing.  The additional accessory packs are lovely also. My girls loved putting on Lottie's various outfits to how they imagined she was going to spend her day.

 

Georgia's Pirate Lottie accessory pack included a pirate chest of silver coins.  She adored this. Taking the money in and out and counting the money with Lottie.  The quality of the items was very good. I have to say I really enjoy playing with Lottie with the girls on the floor. I also love admiring the presentation box she comes in, its not packaging you throw away.  Lottie is put back in the colourful box with her bits and pieces after we have finished playing. She opens a door to hours of fun and imagination and we love our Lottie's.

Lottie's hair is soft and doesn't tangle and knot like other dolls. It remains soft and silky.  This is a change from our other dolls who's hair is gone matte from the girls playing with it.

Lottie can stand on her own two feet with shoes on.  This was great for Farrah and Georgia when they were doing role plays with their new Lottie dolls on the table or floor.

Lottie Doll has captivated my children.  They play with them indoors and outdoors.  Lottie fits in perfectly to everyday life.  Lottie has provided many hours of fun, play and laughter.

There are currently 12 dolls in the range, one more fabulous than the other.  I am looking forward to adding to our collection.

 

 

 

Retailer Information;

 

In Ireland; Lottie is available online at www.lottie.com (EU Store) Amazon,and toysandGames.ie. Lottie is available in store at Debenhams,  Hamleys Dundrum,

Art N’ Hobby Liffey Valley, Crafty Kids and independent toy stores.

Lottie doll retails at €19.95. Accessory sets and outfit sets retail at €9.95

Disclaimer: The Lottie dolls were sent to me for an honest review.  I was not paid and all views are my own.

Does your child have a Lottie Doll?  Have you joined the Club Lottie?? http://lott.ie/Club_Lottie_Signup We would love to hear?

Don't forget you can keep up to date with Countryside Mumsie on our social media accounts facebook and instagram.


Thanks for reading
Orla & Kerri Xx

 

How My Children Do The Gardening ;-) Some fun tips!

Gardening With Children

Gardening combines many of the elements that children love most; exploring, watching things grow and making a mess.  Add a few worms, bugs and mud pies and you have the recipe for a constant source of activity.

   Introducing your children to gardening can create a passion, that will last a lifetime.

 

 

Children enjoy growing things that they can pick and eat.  Fruit and vegetables are ideal for small hands to poke around in without causing too much damage.  Try potatoes, courgettes, strawberries and tomatoes.  Even the fussiest eater should be delighted by growing and harvesting their own supper.  In our house this is usually soup for lunch!

Lack of space need not be a restriction.  Even the smallest patio or window ledge can provide shelter and sun.  Use any container, yoghurt pot, tin can, old tyre.  All can be decorated and turned into a perfect plant pot. 




Tips for gardening with children

Give them their own garden beds. Whether you use raised beds, containers or ground plots, be sure to give each child his or her own separate plot. Keep it small, very small for young kids. Put their plots right in the middle of the action, with the best soil and light. Set them up for success.

Reuse the sandbox. If your children have grown past their sandbox years, consider converting the old sandbox to a garden bed. This gives the child continued 'ownership' of a familiar space and encourages a sense of responsibility to the gardening project. Of course, a productive garden bed needs to be in good sunlight and soil should be free of tree roots. It may be necessary to relocate the sandbox if growing conditions are less than ideal.

Give them serious tools. Cheap plastic child's gardening tools are worse than no tools at all; they break easily and frustrate the user. It can be hard to locate good tools for kids, especially work gloves that fit a small hand. With some garden tools, like a hoe or spade, you can easily saw the handle shorter. Let them use your tools if need be; in this way you're acknowledging the importance of the work they're doing.

Engage them through the entire process, from seed to table. Children learn better when they understand the context of their activity. They will learn that gardening can be fun, but far more than idle play; they are contributing to the family well-being. Besides planting and nurturing their garden beds, be sure they alone do the harvesting and preparation of their crop for the table, no matter how modest the offering.

Start from seeds. While it's a convenient shortcut to buy starters, children will learn more by seeing the growing process as it begins, from seed. The care given to sprouting seeds and nurturing the young seedling are a valuable part of the gardening experience. Seeds will need to be started indoors in a warm room and once sprouted they can be transplanted into pots until ready to set out


Cheat a little. Depending on the age of the child, you may need to help out a little 'behind the scene'. Not every garden task is pleasant, and the child may not be ready at all times for all chores. You may need to go out in the evening to pick a few slugs off the lettuce, or be the one to run out and move the sprinkler. They don't have to know about every little help you offer - the child's 'ownership' of the plot is the main thing.

When all else fails, make a scarecrow. The best time to engage children in gardening is when they're in the mood for this activity. If their attention wanes, or the garden tasks become boring, let them build a scarecrow. This activity is still a contribution to the gardening effort and adds another layer of interest to the garden scene. It also reminds the child of the importance of the garden crops.

Show off their work. When giving 'garden tours' to friends, be sure to point out the children's beds. Take a photo of their harvest and send it to the grandparents. The attention given to their work is the best motivator for children to stay involved with a project.

People of all ages can enjoy gardening, but children in particular will have lots of fun and gain special benefits. Gardening is educational and develops new skills including:

• Responsibility – from caring for plants
• Understanding – as they learn about cause and effect (for example, plants die without water, weeds compete with plants)
• Self-confidence – from achieving their goals and enjoying the food they have grown
• Love of nature – a chance to learn about the outdoor environment in a safe and pleasant place

• Reasoning and discovery – learning about the science of plants, animals, weather, the environment, nutrition and simple construction
• Physical activity – doing something fun and productive
• Cooperation – including shared play activity and teamwork
• Creativity – finding new and exciting ways to grow food
• Nutrition – learning about where fresh food comes from.

Here is a list of the fruit and vegetables that the girls have grown that have been a success;

Runner beans
Strawberry
Radish
Lettuce
Courgette
Carrot
Potato
Spinach
Swiss chard
Beetroot
Pumpkins

Thanks for reading

Orla & Kerri xx

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My Favourite Family Places

My Favourite Family Places

I (Orla) am based in Co Limerick.  I decided to write a short blog on my favourite family places in Co Limerick.  There are four playgrounds/parks in Limerick that I feel are really excellent. They truly are worth a visit and feel lucky to have them on my doorstep in Co Limerick.

The first playground I would like to mention is the Adare Playground in The Manor Fields, Adare.  This is a super playground.  It has sand, a digger in the sand, a zip line, climbing frames, balance beams, cubby house, hammock, swings, slides, tunnels and picnic benches.  It is both enjoyable for adults and children and is very clean. I have spent many days there!

The second playground/park I would highly recommend is The Croom Playground.  There is a lovely playground there with a seesaw, slides, climbing frames and swings.  On looking the playground is an amazing restaurant/café called The Riverside.  Great to grab a takeaway coffee in before heading down to the playground.  They do a fabulous Sunday lunch also.  The playground is situated on a park that runs alongside the River Maigue.  There are tarmac paths perfect for bikes and buggies.  At the end of the park is a insect hotel, the kids love it.  It is surrounded by a wildflower meadow. You could spend the day in Croom, give it a go, it will not disappoint.

The third playground I want to tell you about is Currachase Playground and Park.  I love this park.  There is so much to do!  You set off on the loop around the beautiful lake, first you meet the ducks and amazing swans.  You can climb into the forest up the steps and discover hidden gems. Climb the fallen trees then head to the playground where there are climbing frames and swings.  There are other longer bike and walking/running trails set out, you just have to follow the map.  Bring a picnic you will want to spend the whole day here.  You can always try out the new café in Currachase called De Veres.  The barrier is now up in Curraghchase at weekends since the café opened.  It is a an amazing free facility! Give it a go.  It just keeps getting better every time I go back!

Just last week I finally got around to visiting Castleconnell Fairy Woods.  I heard it was an amazing place to visit with the kids. It is located on the river walk just left of he playground in Caastleconnell..  We arrived at the car park at 11am and didn't leave until 3pm.  It was just fantastic there.  The weather was good, so we set off to the forest walk first to try and find some fairies.  We stumbled across them very easily and the girls couldn't get enough of it.  They were so captivated by the fairies and their houses, their washing line, their beach house and finally the fairies blue castle where everyone drops their doodies in; to give them up for good.  The fairy takes the doodies! Brilliant Idea!! Personally it took us getting a large trampoline to get rid of the doodie at bedtime!! If only i'd known! You can walk along the forest and the long bridge, then after head back to the playground and have a small picnic.  It was a super day out with the family, we all really enjoyed it! we will certainly be back in the future.

Is there any places you just love to visit with your family?  We would love to hear.

Thanks for reading

Orla & Kerri xx

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"Is dinner ready?" NO! "But Im starving......"

This pretty much sums it up!

Always running, getting lots of fresh air, no wonder
he's constantly hungry I suppose! 

So as I said in the last post September was a very busy month and I completely failed to notice the amount of food Seán eats theses days! His appetite has really come on. Maybe it’s a growth spurt, or him just being a boy but what ever it is its great! He’s eating everything! (well….most things!!) We have Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner sorted- we have loads of dishes to make that we all enjoy etc. Snacks are my problem! You know that time between breakfast and lunch, lunch and dinner and dinner and tea- well the growing boy eats at all these intervals! He’s great on fruit, so lots of novelty ways of eating fruit are tried and tested. Nuts and raisins are also good. But then what else can I give him to keep him ticking over? It needs to be lunch box friendly, that can be picked up running out the door to the playground, Granny’s etc...?? It also needs to be dairy free! I welcome all ideas. I’m on a mission to find and make healthy snacks to keep Seánie (and
Daddy and I) ticking over! Any ideas I try will be posted in the ‘Country Cooking’ tab!

Yesterday we tried Granny Jane’s Muesli Bars. Any time we go to Granny Jane’s in Kilkenny she has lovely baking done. These Muesli bars are always delish so I gave them a go (recipe in ‘Country cooking Tab’). They turned out lovely, not as nice as Granny Jane’s so must ask her for tips at the weekend. Seán and I  had one with a cup of tea and honestly I was stuffed! They are a bit crumbly so maybe next time ill put more coconut oil. I’m not convinced about the ‘healthiness’ part however. There is a lot of sugar and honey, and there are also coconut flakes, which a friend said could be high in fat! Eek!!! There is some goodness in them though as they are packed with seeds and nuts! Look it ,it’s better than a bar of chocolate, keeps up ticking over until dinner, recipe makes a good patch that are easy to grab and go, so for my first day of the healthy snack mission, its not a bad start at all!

Ill try again and let you know how it goes. Would love any ideas for other recipes.

MUSELI BARS

Makes approx. 28 little bars/squares

350g (12oz/3 ½ cups) rolled oats

30g (1 oz./ ½ cup)   shredded coconuts

50g (1 ¾ oz./ ½ cups) flaked almonds

45g  (1 ¾ oz. / ½ cup) wheatgerm

30g (1 oz./ ¼ cups) sesame seeds

35g (1 ¼ oz./ ¼ cups) sunflower seeds

55g (2oz/ 1/3 cup) copped dried apricots (I didn’t have so just left out)

185 ml (6fl oz./ ¾ cups) honey (I only had Manuka honey so used that)

55g (2 oz./ ¼ cups) soft brown sugar

125 ml (4fl oz./ ½ cup) vegetable oil (I used coconut oil instead)

* I added 4 tablespoons of flaxseed & goji berries also

Preheat over to 130oC (250oF/Gas 1) and lightly grease and line a 35x25cm (14 x10 inch) tin.

Put all the dry ingredients into a bowel, minus the sugar, and mix lightly together.

Put the honey, sugar and oil into a small pan and stir over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Pour this over the dry ingredients in the bowl and stir until everything is well combined, mixing with your hands if necessary.

Press the mixture into the tin and bake for 50 minutes or until golden.

Cut into bars while still warm.

Enjoy!

Thanks for reading. 

Kerri and Orla xx

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