My Kids Learnt About Science and They Liked It!

This weekend we decided to take the kids for an impromptu trip to Sci-bono Discovery Centre in Newtown. I was here a few years ago for a work related event, so I knew this place is amazing (and far less geeky than it sounds) but was not sure if my kids were perhaps too young to appreciate it. We expected to be in and out in an hour but to our surprise found ourselves dragging the kids out four hours later!

For those of you that don't know, Sci-bono is a learning centre in central Johannesburg where children (and adults) can learn about maths science and technology through interactive models that are so much fun, that the little ones do not even realise that they are grasping complex scientific principles. Almost all the models have buttons to press or dials to turn, which the children loved. I think I absorbed a little bit of knowledge too!

On the ground floor is a huge Murray and Roberts construction site where little ones can don construction vests and hard hats and build their own life-sized structures using foam bricks and cement and real wheel-barrows, pulleys and other equipment. I could not get Noodle out of here and we were back for a second go before leaving. Noodle loved being able to operate a real crane (the task required moving a foam brick from one corner to another.

The gigantic Lego area just next to the construction zone was also a hit- as was expected.

The ground floor had all sorts of mining displays explaining how different minerals are mined and what they look like when they come out of the ground. Noodle loved this as she has had a strange fascination with mining lately.

Then there is a BMW display where you can see practically how all the components of a car work internally (eg. how the brakes move, how the engine works or what makes the wheels of the car move). There are interactive displays with knobs and buttons for the kids to fiddle with to learn all of this. 

The below shows how indicators work.

I know now how the cam belt, spark plugs and carburetor work.  There is even a real car with clear doors and bonnet so that you can see all the internal workings.
 

Upstairs the kids can learn all sorts of things, from how the body works, how sound is produced, all about optical illusions to various physics and chemistry principles. I think Noodle grasped some of the concepts, while Squish just enjoyed pressing lots of buttons and knobs and learning about cause and effect.They both loved the hot air balloon that they could press a button to inflate with hot air and shoot up three floors.

A robotic dinosaur display was definitely a hit. I also saw that there is a planetarium coming soon!  

There was a physics show that Squish seemed to enjoy the most. The show largely involved creating explosions of various sorts, creating a real rocket and even the science of ummm... farts.

If you are looking for something fun to do with the kids in Jozi, this should definitely be on your list. Noodle rates this spot as better than Gold Reef City and Bambanani, her two other favourite spots in Jozi.

We Love Yoghurt- Yummy Nutriday Yoghurt Recipes and More!

In our household, yoghurt is consumed in one way or another most days. Squish has yoghurt with fruit or muesli for breakfast about half the time and the rest of us have it as healthy snacks and I often use it in cooking and sometimes even desserts. 

I am a big fan of the Nutriday one with the strawberry chunks as a snack, but plain yoghurt has all sorts of applications in our house (especially since many Indian dishes are consumed with dhai, a spicy yoghurt side dish made of yoghurt or sour milk- I use yoghurt as it is much creamier).

This weekend, we were surprised by this amazing blog drop from Danone Nutriday- a huge cooler bag filled to the brim with a selection of Nutriday's new range, which has a new improved recipe and an external face lift too!!! 

The range now comes in three new cup sizes. I love the fact that there is now a bigger one to take on the move than the ones that come in the six packs (which are just right for the kids but which I sometimes found myself eating two of- I am not sure if that makes me greedy). When I saw the shape of these new containers, which are made of quite a sturdy plastic, I immediately thought of creative art applications for the containers once their contents have been devoured- I will keep you posted on what I decide to do with the containers.

I discovered some interesting facts about the yoghurt too. Did you know that because of the enzymes contained, most lactose intolerant people can still consume yoghurt? Or that
in addition to calcium and protein, NutriDay yoghurt is a source of Vitamins A, B, D & E- essential nutrients needed by your body every day!

The folks at Danone Nutriday have shared some awesome recipe cards which you can save and print for later use.I haven't tried them all yet but look forward to doing so in the near future. 

DANONE NUTRIDAY RECIPES

Introducing Frank and Miss- Little Threads For Little Ones

This weekend I was fortunate enough to attend the launch party for the exciting new Frank and Miss Clothing range, a beautiful new range of clothing for little people designed to be comfortable and practical, allowing kids to be kids while looking super cute. Most importantly- their pieces are priced very reasonably (bearing in mind that these are bespoke items). Here are some of their beautiful pieces:

Their range is a mix of baby stuff and clothes for older kids, both for every day and for special occasions- practical but different enough for your angels to stand out from the crowd. They also specialise in wedding attire- think pretty flower girl dresses without all the fuss and scratchy taffeta. They do beautiful everyday dresses too- just look at these!

The passion and enthusiasm that Elli and Claire, the two lovely ladies behind this proudly South African collaboration, is apparent. Claire's own beautiful pigeon pair were the perfect models for the range, sporting Frank and Miss couture at the launch party.

What I thought was quite a nice concept is that they also do matching sibling outfits, e.g. a dress for sister with a shirt with a matching bow tie in the same fabric for brothers. Noodle is going through a phase where she likes to match her baby brother (for example I dressed Squish in a nautical navy and white striped top for the party so she rushed to fetch her dress with navy and white stripes). I know the matchy-matchy idea would get her stamp of approval!
 
The party was a child-friendly event, set at the lovely Happily Ever Laughter in Bedfordview. If you are looking for a great child friendly restaurant in the East Rand, this one is sure to be a hit with the little ones- I know Noodle and Squish certainly enjoyed it! I think the live minion at the venue was a highlight for them (although Squish was a bit conflicted- he loves Minions but is a bit wary of characters in suits).

Thank you to Frank and Miss for hosting us!

Noodle and Squish left the party with their very own adorable Frank and Miss t-shirts, which they love.

I am sure you are dying to know where you can get hold of this stunning range for your little ones. You can order your Frank and Miss couture from their website (click on the link to be directed their online store). They deliver across South Africa.

A Life Without Water

It is day four of live sans H2O and I am officially scared of what lies ahead.

Okay, that is not entirely true, it is day four of no water flowing through our taps- we are fortunate to have a couple of borrowed drums of water and a full swimming pool (aka our new source of water for flushing toilets) and access to shower at the houses of family members who have not yet been affected by the water crisis. We also had water for a few hours last night, allowing us a chance to top up containers.

What on earth is going on in Johannesburg? Well, we are in the middle of a heatwave inflicted drought, coupled with a poorly maintained water infrastructure. For weeks, we have had low water pressure, with just trickles of water coming out of our taps (we live at the top of a steep hill and apparently higher areas are the first to be affected). Then, over the weekend, a massive power failure meant that the little water there was could not be pumped from the reservoirs and suddenly- crisis, with no water in several parts of Johannesburg. Mass panic ensued, with bottled water at local stores running out at some places. While tankers with water were deployed by yesterday, I am told that the water brought was smelly and did not appear suitable for human consumption (we were still stocked up so I did not witness this myself). To top it all, we have a tummy-bug ridden toddler and not enough water for those delightful projectile vomit clean ups.

Times are tough but we are reminded of just how privileged we have always been to enjoy an abundance of water. While inconvenienced, we have plenty to drink and just about enough for everything else. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain of those in places where no water is a norm, leading to illness and dehydration. 

While we can point fingers at government for the current crisis we face, we can all do a little to save the little of this precious resource that we have. I am scared to think of the consequences if action is not taken soon. There is no indication as to when the current situation will improve, so we all need to do our share to save water.

While we all pray for rain, here are some things we can all proactively do:

• Jo'burgers with water, please share with those without. It has been nice to see the spirit of community in our area, with those with tap water letting those without fill up.
• Adhere to the current city regulations of not watering plants during the day time. In fact, avoid watering them at all if you can. Yesterday, I saw several homes with sprinklers on full blast in a neighbouring suburb.
• If you are fortunate enough to have water, ensure that all taps are properly shut when not in use and fix leaky faucets. 
• Install eco-friendly taps and shower heads if you can afford to do so and adjust your toilet flow so that the minimum is used for flushing.
• Use water responsibly and sparingly. 
• Close taps while brushing teeth and while lathering up in the shower. 
• While you are waiting for the shower to heat up, collect shower water in buckets for use elsewhere.

How have you been affected by the water crisis? Please share. 

Something Fun to Do This Weekend

Does your little one love Play-Doh? I know my little ones do!!! Then Hamley's in Greenstone Shopping Centre is the place to be this Friday and Saturday!

I have been meaning to check out this store since it opened for the first time in South Africa recently. If you don't know, Hamleys, dubbed as the finest toy store in the world, is the mother of all toy stores- we literally spent hours there on our last overseas holiday as we could not get the kids out of there (and I don't blame them since it had such cool stuff and is so interactive). Sorry, I am like a kid in a toy store at the mere thought of Hamleys so I distracted myself there for a minute! Back to the Play-Doh event, which is happening at Hamleys.

Real Play-Doh (as oppposed to the homemade goo I often make) is incredible stuff and these days they incorporate all your kids favourite characters, like the Minions, Hulk and everyone's favourite snowman Olaf.   

Kids joining the fun will get to meet ‘Doh Doh’ the Play-Doh mascot, see some amazing Paly-Doh displays and make their own creations, which will be uploaded to the Play-Doh Facebook page. They will also receive a Play-Doh card with instructions for making fun creations at home and can win some great prizes. 

I know this is something that my kids would love to experience as they love creating new things with Play-Doh and I am sure yours will enjoy it too!!!

Squish Says

At 22 months, my big boy has quite a vocabulary and also loves singing (besides nursery rhymes he knows the words to many of the popular songs on the radio). 

Here are some of the funny things he says.

"Tickle, tickle little star, how a water what you are".

"Wheels on the bus go aaateeedown. All day yon."

"Baa baa. Bat sheet. Havvveeeee wooooooooo. Yes sir, yes sir, teabags food."

(Points to his belly button). "Booby!!!" (Side note: I wish he would call them something more discreet, but I have failed hopelessly in that area).
Me: " Not booby, belly button".
Him: "Bewwy... Button ... Booby".

Goes to toilet, sits there (does nothing) and then screams "mooooooommmmmy, I'm fiyeeeeeeeshed". 

"Birthday party... Eat cake... Blow fire on cake!"

"Mommy, lets go to shop. Buy sweeties and yoghurt. Now, mommy, now!"

I ask the kids what they want for supper. His response:

"Cook yoghurt and matoes (tomatoes)". 

"Mommy give me medicine".
Me: "You are not sick!".
Him: "Nado syrup?" (Panado syrup).
Me : "No, only when you are sick".
Him: "Telfast? Pospad (Prospan)?"
I think we may just have a pharmacist in the making.

"Come. Must watch Youtube". Oh dear (daddy is to blame for that one).

"Do you like school?"
"Yes!"
" Did you have fun today?"
"Yes!"
"Do you want to go back to school tomorow?"
"Nooooooo!!! Stay with mommy. Home."


My absolute favourite- if he has not seen us for five minutes: " Missed you sooooooo much! Big huuuuug!"