Best Laid Plans???

Two weeks of the summer holidays are up and while I was hoping to get a breather when they are enjoying/learning at some workshops, it just didn't happen so! At the last minute, Aaru decided that summer camps are not as much fun as chilling out at home and Sanju decided that hindi and handwriting are not things to do in the holidays. However, we all did lots of cool stuff together and I realised the summer is not so bad after all. Here are some of the activities we did:

1) Thermocol sheet

The best toy you can give a toddler costs just 30 bucks and provides endless hours of fun.

Aaru painted on it, stuck stickers on it, poked it with toothpicks...

He landscaped it. This is a tree created by him...

 

Now, this is the tough-to-imagine one... It is a hammock with a mother and baby and Aaru has offered juice to the baby. This thermocol sheet is such a versatile thing and we are not done with it yet.

2) A Doodling Robot

 

Sanju and Sarat spent a few hours working on this and it is beautiful...

 

 

 

 
 
 
 


3) Open Deck Bus Trip

This was one of the best ideas I had this summer. Thanks to mycity4kids. The kids absolutely loved this. The trip can be availed of on weekend evenings from Gateway of India.

 

It was so much fun viewing familiar spots from atop a bus with the banyan roots sweeping on us at times. And we topped the fun with midnight tea at Marine Drive and a beautiful lit-up view of the Gateway after that.

 

4) Kidzania

 

While this place was not nearly as much fun for toddlers, it is most suitable for 7 - 13 year olds. Sanju had a blast.He tried his hand at his most favourite field - construction.

 

 

Aaru decided to try his hand at making his most favourite snack - Chocos.

 

 

 

 

Apart from this, they became journalists, fire fighters, police, pottery artisans, courier boys and so much more. It was a great experience.

 

5) Sea snails at Kelwa Beach

 

 

 

These beautiful little creatures kept getting washed into the shore and they waited to get back into the sea again with the next wave. It was a big challenge for the kids to tread on the shore carefully without stamping on these snails as it was littered with dozens of them.

 



 

 

Kelwa Beach, by itself, was a wonderful experience for all of us as the resort had no TV, Wifi, AC and it was the first time we had been to a place without all this stuff and still remained completely occupied. Even I was surprised to find that the fresh beach air can top even the best air-conditioner. It was so chilly at night and we enjoyed it.

 

Most of the stuff we have done till now were unplanned or planned within a few hours. All the plans for drama classes, handwriting classes, etc have been abandoned (though it was planned by them at the beginning!) and I have taken a resolution not to force anything (even their own decisions) upon them this summer, except maybe fun and my company! ;)