How to Boost Your Child's Creativity

Creativity is going to be the key to your child’s progression. If they want to succeed in having boosted mental health and enjoyment for school, then you should always explore how to make your child feel inquisitive. With this usually happening in pre-prep or in primary schools, starting early will be key.

BIC® KIDS Young Artist Award 2018 winner

Winner of BIC® KIDS Young Artist art competition crowned

Ayesha Tania, an 11 year old from Wales beat 13 other regional finalists to win this popular art competition. To showcase her amazing talent and inspire other young children to be creative, the young budding artist had her winning piece of artwork was displayed on billboards across the UK and Ireland.

The inspiring art competition received nearly 1,000 entries from across the UK and Ireland. 14 regional winners were selected by a panel of experts and a public vote was hosted between 27^th August and 9^th September to decide the overall winner. Ayesha, the finalist representing Wales, was crowned the winner after parents and children cast nearly 20,000 votes!

Pursuing a career as a professional photographer

I’ve always been a creative individual and enjoyed expressing my creativity in various ways. Putting pen to paper and writing poetry, drawing and painting trying new techniques and styles, sculpting and photography.

During my art GCSE and A-Level I developed my photography skills. I found photography a very enjoyable way to express my creativity. I loved trying different cameras, modes, experimenting with lighting, using varied subject matters and looking at different setups for scenes. I thoroughly enjoyed black and white photography and found developing my own photographs in the school’s dark room an exciting and memorable experience.

My Dream Pet campaign with Petplan

From before I can even remember I have always had pets. Dogs have always had a loving home with my family and there has always been at least one dog we have called family living in our home over the years. Other pets have also come and gone; hamsters, fish, parrots, rabbits and cats. Growing up on a farm I also considered a few of the farm animals as my pets too; there was one special cow that I adored and the little piglets were too cute not to fall in love with.

My first memory of my very own pet was a beautiful cat called Ginger. I loved her dearly but unfortunately one day she scampered off for adventures on the farm and she never came back. I remember feeling heartbroken and so lost without her.

#DesignedByKids Blinds 2 Go competition.

Whilst being a parent is wonderful and rewarding, it can be very challenging and stressful. For some parents bedtime can be one of the most stressful parts of the day. This fact was highlighted during a recent survey conducted by Blinds2Go who found out that 29% of parents who completed the survey think that bedtime is the most demanding and challenging side of parenting, even beating shopping trips on the stress factor scale!

A further study examined how the environment we sleep in affects sleep. The study concluded that to help get a good night’s sleep a room decorated in cooler colours is the best option. Whilst cooler, plain colours may not be the most appealing option for some people, especially children who find plain bedroom walls boring, a benefit of keeping the wall décor simple is that you can add colour and character to the room with the features and fittings, for example the windows.

Creating the right environment for children to sleep in is very important so they get a good night’s sleep and help keep the bedtime routine stress at a minimum. Blackout roller blinds are ideal for nurseries and children’s bedrooms to help dull outside noise and block out outside light, which is useful if you live in a noisy area or somewhere that is well-lit at night. Blackout blinds can also be handy for blocking out the sun from the lighter mornings of this time of year, helping to keep your children asleep so they are not wide awake at the crack of dawn wanting to get up and play!

Following on from their research and wanting to help make bedtimes a little less stressful, Blinds 2 Go have created new digital print blinds. The new range of 24 playful designs are a fun addition to any child’s bedroom and thanks to being printed onto blackout roller blinds they provide the benefit of blackout blinds blocking out light and noise.

To celebrate the launch of their new digital print blinds they are currently running a fun competition, #DesignedByKids where children are encouraged to get creative and design their own blind for the chance of winning their very own custom designed blind. The winner’s entry will be made into a real blind to be fitted in their room along with an extra £250 to spend at Blinds 2 Go.

#YogArtist Bug - Family time with FAGE.

A few weeks ago I mentioned the FAGE #YogArtist competition where parents are inspiring their little ones to have fun and get creative as a #YogArtist making yoghurt masterpieces to be displayed on the FAGE #YogArtist Tumblr gallery in the hope of winning a family day out and a spa day for mum.

With his own little #YogArtist kit to hand courtesy of FAGE Bug set about creating yoghurt art.

Family time with FAGE - #YogArtist competition.

As you may have noticed I love competitions, especially competitions where a touch of creativity is required to enter rather than simply filling in a form. I especially love competitions that inspire creative session with Bug.

As I love competitions that inspire quality family time with Bug having fun and getting creative I love the sound of the FAGE #YogArtist Competition.

Educating parents about the taste, versatility and health benefits of FAGE yoghurts FAGE have set up a Family time with FAGE campaign that also inspires parents to encourage their children to become #YogArtists by creating yoghurt inspired art.

Entrants into the competition who share their children’s yoghurt art on social media, before the closing date of Monday the 22nd of September 2014, using the hashtag #YogArtist will see their creative entries uploaded onto the dedicated Family time with FAGE Tumblr page where the best submissions selected by a panel of judges will win family days out and a spa day for mum.

Batman Bug!!

Yesterday when we popped into our local Tesco Bug entered the store as himself and then came out transformed into Batman!

To celebrate the release of The Lego Movie there was a very talented face painter at the store who was transforming children into Lego characters from the film.

Inevitably Bug wanted to have his face painted to transform him into Batman.

He patiently waited in the queue of excited children who all wanted to have their faces painted as Lego characters from the film and then he sat happily having his face painted.

SuperFruit!! - Mighty Moments challenge Plum Baby/Tots100.

Bug is a huge fan of Superheroes.  He loves Spiderman, Batman and Superman in particular and loves nothing more than wearing a piece of clothing (or a whole outfit) with one or more Superhero emblazoned on it.  Being a fan of Superheroes he also loves to imagine that he is a Superhero…..flying along to save everyone with his cape flapping in the wind.

As Bug loves Superheroes when I heard about the Plum Baby Mighty Moments competition with Tots100 where little ones are challenged to make a healthy superhero with healthy powers, I knew he would love to get involved and be creative to make his own healthy Superhero.

HobbyCraft Kids Easter Craft Kits giveaway.

I love arts and crafts, having enjoyed expressing my creativity since I was a child.  Now that I am a mum I love getting all arty and crafty with Bug enjoying seeing his creative side expressed and encouraging his creativity to spark and inspire new arts and crafts projects.

Whilst I am a strong believer in that you do not need a reason or an event to get creative with an arts and crafts project and that any day is a good day to get creative, the holiday seasons are the perfect excess to get creative with children and explore their creative side.

With Easter fast approaching now is the perfect time to get crafty with children and make Easter inspired arts and crafts projects.  To help you get creative with children this Easter HobbyCraft have kindly offered my readers the chance to win 3 Kids Easter craft kits; with 1 winner receiving a Bunny and Chick Hand Puppet Sewing Kit, a Pom Pom Wreath Making Kit and a Chick Pom Pom Kit from HobbyCraft.

Make your own cute Bunny and Chick Hand Puppets with the HobbyCraft Felt Sewing Kit, make a lovely Spring Wreath with Pom Pom Chicks with the HobbyCraft Pom Pom Wreath Making Kit and make 4 charming little Pom Pom Chicks that are perfect hanging decorations with the HobbyCraft Chick Pom Pom Kit.

Time for a tuff spot tray?

I am a very creative and crafty person.  I love art and expressing myself creatively via a range of different mediums.  I think my passion for all things creative stem from my childhood.

I have fond memories of being creative with my mum and sister.  My mum enabled us to express ourselves creatively and simply have fun with art and crafts.

I love getting creative and crafty with Bug and hope that over the years we can make some fun memories together that he will look back on in years to come and reminisce about enjoyable times getting arty and crafty with his mummy.

Bug loves drawing, colouring, painting and using a variety of other arts and crafts.  I love to see him play and explore with different crafts mediums and I encourage him to simply have fun and enjoy.  I think taking part in messy creative play is a great way for little ones to learn, be creative and simply have lots of fun.

Up until now all of our creative messy play session has either been at the kitchen table or on the living room floor with a plastic, wipe-able craft sheet used as our arts and craft area to contain any mess.  During our last few messy art and craft sessions Bug and his creative juices has spilled out from our arts and craft area with his mess ending up everywhere! 

Lego Duplo creative play - majestic tunnel (Project 365 - 242/365).

Organising colouring supplies (Project 365 - 237/365).