Tim Atkinson's Blog, page 90

What we did this half-term

Well, you know most of it. We had a great time here, and made one of these to name but two of our many holiday activities. But we didn't stop there. Oh no.



The week actually began last Saturday with an early-morning 'ding-dong' from the postman, delivering 'Half Term in a Box' courtesy of Skylanders Spyro's Adventure. We've been so busy we haven't yet had time to explore all its delights, but Charlie's enjoyed a spot of Wii Skittles. And here are a few of the other things that didn't make their own post, from Dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum (scary - and that's just the staff. Don't put your cash in the automatons or - if you do and it gets stuck - don't expect the three members of staff standing chatting at the nearest desk to help) to a fabulous Scalextric party on Friday.



Back to school tomorrow!

Feed the Birds Day

That's today, in case you weren't aware - Saturday 29th October. I'm not quite sure who said it should be so, but to mark the occasion Natures Feast sent Charlie was sent one of these the other day.







No, not another cardboard box. We're not making things again. (See yesterday's post for things to do with cardboard cartons.) No, for once it was what was in the box that was more exciting than the box itself - a bird feeder.




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We filled it up; we hung it out; we waited. And within minutes, the birds arrived and we were playing 'bird bingo' using the downloadable guide on the Nature's Feast website.







But don't worry. If you've not been sent something similar in the post today you can still join in with the bird-feeding festival by making your own bird feeder, thanks to this easy-to-do activity on the RSPB Wildlife Explorers website.



















Happy twitching!

How to Make Tracy Island

Doesn't look much, does it? But in a few simple steps it can become this...









And it's a lot less messy than Blue Peter.



First, you'll need some cardboard of the type that increasingly seems to be replacing polystyrene as packaging for large electrical items.




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This stuff is great - as you'll see - because it's like ready-made paper mâché without all that flour-and-water mess. I hate mess. Which is why I also opted to spray-paint the main part of the model so as to avoid the paint flakes we'd have had all over the carpet if I'd let Charlie do it with his poster paints.



You need to decide where the various craft are going to be best placed, do a little cutting and insert - variously - a loo-roll tube (Thunderbird 3), pot-noodle pot (Thunderbird 1) and cardboard runway (Thunderbird 3):



To mould the contours of the island - and to fill the gaps - all we did was tear up another of those cartons and then glue the bits on. They have the advantage of being almost ready-moulded to the shapes you want and - as I said - are as good or better than some 'here's-one-I-made-earlier' paper mâché.



It's also good and strong and should leave you with a pretty toddler-proof toy by the end of the proceedings.



Next comes the painting. As I've said, I chose to spray most of it but that's just my personal preference based on hoovering up the paint flakes from previous models we've made (like the Roary garage). That's definitely a job for an adult, although there's still plenty for your pint-sized helper to get on with.




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Add the finishing touches - like the house, palm trees and so on - and you've got your very own base for International Rescue.



Thunderbird are go!

A Man's Game

Rugby, that is. (I never did - or will - quite get the attraction of Association Football, or soccer or Bafta-award winning over-inflated salary drawing so-called 'entertainment'. I realise I must be at fault in this. But I'm firmly of the opinion that - whilst you can watch a game of rugby as a neutral and be highly entertained - with soccer you need to be a passionate follower of one side or another for the whole things to work. And I'm not. So it doesn't.)



Anyway, now that the excitement of the Rugby World Cup is over, there's a chance to catch some top notch international rugby for free if you've a mind to. Ok, so it's the other code (league) but who cares about that when you've the chance to win two VIP complimentary corporate hospitality tickets to the Wales v New Zealand and England v Australia double header at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 5th November 2011? The prize includes a Champagne Reception, Executive Match Tickets, a Souvenir Programme and Souvenir Gift plus the imparted wisdom of the Guest Speakers. There's also a buffet provided, with both wine and coffee.



To enter, all you have to do is 'like' the Lighter Life Facebook page and submit your name and email. It could not be easier. Unlike the game itself. Which could not be harder. I mean, would you fancy facing this lot in a fortnight's time? Me neither...

Half term fun at the NRM

That's the National Railway Museum, York for the uninitiated. Which has special events running all week during half-term and where you can see trains large and small of almost every vintage.



We were invited there on Sunday to sample this:




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And although we were among the very last people to leave the museum at closing time, there's so much going on that at the end of the day there were still some things we hadn't seen or done.



As you'd expect during half-term, it was busy - but not excessively so. The queues for the rides were all quite short; there was plenty happening and you were never standing waiting for anything for very long. I was impressed (as you might expect) by the fact that there were baby-changing facilities in the mens' loos (I don't get out much) and a play area outside for a three-year -old to expend some of the energy pent up on a two hour car journey.



Of course, it was a small boy's dream day out. You can ride on trains large and small - there's even a little land train to take you into York - stand on the footplate, sit in the fireman's seat and even walk underneath one enormous locomotive. And if trains aren't quite your thing (as they aren't for Sally) you can even join the Shuttle for a mission to the Space Station.

High 5!

Here's a quick PS to yesterday's post about getting kids to eat their greens. If you're in or around Manchester this weekend Green Giant are launching their 'High 5' event at the Trafford Centre. The interactive roadshow features Olympic and Commonwealth champion Colin Jackson CBE and he'll be encouraging familiesto 'High Five' the legendary Green Giant animated character by jumping up to high five his hand. To encourage families on their way to five a day the Green Giant team will be giving away height charts, great recipes and coupons.





Here are the details: 





WHAT:       Giant High 5 event for five a day.

WHERE:    Orient Way, The Trafford Centre, Manchester

WHEN:    10.30am, Saturday 29 October 2011





And don't forget to keep posting those tips for encouraging kids to eat their greens. Add them here for a chance to win an Abel and Cole veg box. And find out more about the campaign on the Green Giant Facebook page.




Ho! Ho! Ho!






  

This is a sponsored post
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You know it's good for you...

We all do. Even George Bush Snr does, really...








So why is it so difficult to gets kids to eat their broccoli? Or cabbage? Or peas or beans or kale or sprouts or any other of the tasty, wholesome little green marvels that nature provides and parents insist that their children consume?



After all, the five-a-day health giving properties of fruit and veg are beyond doubt. And a portion of cooked broccoli - as I just discovered on the Green Giant Facebook page - contains more vitamin C than an orange! Yet children - by and large - tend to be extremely hard to please as far as eating their greens is concerned.


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Well, Green Giant wants to help families enjoy their 5-a-day, every day and they're asking you for your favourite hints, tips and clever ways to encourage children to eat and enjoy their fruit and vegetables. They'd like to know what problems you have and what tips you can pass on to other parents when it comes to feeding kids their vegetables. And if yours is the top tip that I choose as having the potential to persuade the (ex) President of the United States (as well as my kids) you'll get to try out all the tips with a delicious Abel & Cole vegetable box plus Green Giant hamper.



Terms and conditions

For your chance to win an Abel & Cole vegetable box , write your best tips/hints/advice in the blogger comment box before the  14/11/2011. Entrants must be over 18 and residents of the UK or ROI - Prize is one Abel & Cole vegetable box (no cash alternative) -There will be 1 winner. The winning post will be decided based on the following criteria: uniqueness/creativity/originality. By entering the competition, you agree that your hint/tip may be shared on Green Giant's Facebook page and used by Green Giant in any other media. 




This is a sponsored post

Win a Kodak HERO 7.1 All-in-One Google Cloud Print ready printer

I know. I told you we were going to be making Tracy Island today. But two things stayed my hand. First, you'll need to collect some cardboard - preferably that papier-mâché type that look like giant egg boxes and which keeps big electronic items safe in transit. Items like this printer...





And that's the second reason. An offer (to you) too good (for me) to refuse. Let me make it clear I'm not getting anything for putting this post up. But when someone sends a lovely email saying 'would you like to offer the latest in Kodak's All-in-One Printer portfolio to one of your readers?' it seems churlish to refuse. Or say 'what's in it for me?' Because, believe me, the answer's 'nothing'.



What's in it for you, however, is a very different matter. For the price of a comment in the DISQUS box below, a tweet linking back to this post, a 'like' on my Facebook page, a 'join' through Google Friends Connect or even - provided you can produce video evidence as proof - shouting 'I love Bringing up Charlie' from the rooftops, the newest in the range of Google Cloud Print ready printers - £169.99 worth of it - could be yours for free. The Hero represents Kodak's innovation in connectivity from smartphone, tablet or PC, marrying effortless mobile connectivity with Kodak's unique combination of high quality output and affordable ink. So there.



Meanwhile, I AM off to the National Railway Museum today to sample their half-term 'Big Fun with Little Trains' event. And I'm tweeting about it all day long. (Please don't unfollow. In fact, if you don't already follow @dotterel on Twitter, do. Because that'll give you an extra chance of winning this amazing state-of-the-art printer.)



The competition closes at midnight on Saturday 29th October, so you've got all week to enter, and - yes - multiple entries do count. So get climbing those rooftops (safely, please) and shouting. Or if the weather's inclement or vertigo prevents, well... you know what to do.



You lucky people!

How to have a happy half-term

It's half-term and I have plans. Plans to keep the kids busy, plans to keep us happy (the two things are as good as synonymous) and plans to keep you, dear readers, informed and (I hope) inspired. First we'll be turning one of these...




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into this...






Doesn't look possible, does it? Well not only is it possible, it's also a lot easier - and less mess - than the Blue Peter version. Not that I'm knocking that iconic bit of model making. Personally I could watch lovely Konnie Huq make Tracy Island all day...



But I digress.



Making Tracy Island will be coming up on Sunday, so stay tuned. Taking of Sunday, I'll be live-blogging (otherwise known as tweeting) from the National Railway Museum (NRM) who have a host of special activities planned for half-term. Then early next week we'll be trying to get creative in the kitchen - not to make a monster this time, but to make the greens less monstrous.



There'll be a competition to win a state-of-the art Kodak printer. And finally, we're paying a long-overdue visit to the Natural History Museum. I know, we get around a bit. But there you go, something for everyone. Oh and there might be some Scalectrix involved somewhere along the line but we haven't heard back yet from the organisers. Plenty happening, then and - I hope - a few ideas to share. An while you're waiting, why not have a go at this...

Win, win, win... (an LG Optimus 3D as well as heaps of Lego and a whole lot more)

Competitions. They're a bit like buses. You wait ages for a decent one then three come along at once. First up, to celebrate the launch of Tesco Mobile's new capped contracts (an innovative new way to help families manage their monthly mobile spend) I'm giving away a smart new one of these:










Yes, an LG Optimus 3D complete with bright 4.3" WVGA screen, 8GB internal memory and the ability to upload videos directly to YouTube's dedicated 3D channel. 





The new Tesco Mobile tariffs allow you to take full control of spending and eliminate the chance of any nasty bill surprises. Great, as they say, for kids who want a 'phone and parents who want to keep control of the  bill. And in keeping with the theme, they'd like you to enter by sharing your own tips or memories. Leave a comment before midnight on Friday and the 'phone could be yours. Or your offspring's. You decide. Possibly. Anyway, to enter tell me either:  




Which money saving tip would you hand down to your kids?

or

The best money-saving lesson you learned growing up.





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Next, it's Lego Duplo time. Did you know that as of Monday 17th of October if you spend £30 on LEGO DUPLO at Toys R Us you receive a free DUPLO cuddly bear worth £10? No, neither did I. But to celebrate, LEGO DUPLO are offering a whole heap of DUPLO goodies to give away to the LEGO DUPLO Experts (that's me) blog readers (you). Here's what you could win:





First Prize (2 winners will each get:)


1 x Cars 'The Pit Stop' 
1 x Cars 'Tokyo Racing' 
1 x Cars 'Agent Mater'
1 x Cars 'Luigi's Italian Place'
1 x My First LEGO DUPLO Set
1 x DUPLO Brick Box



 Second Prize (3 lucky winners will each receive:)


1 x Cars 'Tokyo Racing'
1 x Cars 'Luigi's Italian Place'
1 x DUPLO Brick Box



Third Prize (10 winners will get:)


1 x My First LEGO DUPLO Set
1 x DUPLO Brick Box







Oh my. And all you have to do for this is send an email to duplocompetition@digital-outlook.com with 'Bringing up Charlie' in the subject line and your full name and postal address in the email itself. This one closes on November 6th so you've plenty of time to get those emails going.



Finally, and with Halloween approaching, Innocent are inviting you to get creative with the veg and make your very own monster. Here's ours. He's called 'Slimy' (thanks to Charlie...)







And Innocent are inviting you to make a monster too. All you have to do is...





1) Make your fruity freak or vegetable monster from the spookiest looking fruit or veg you can find.

2) Take a picture of your creation and post it in their Halloween gallery - www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/fruityfreaks and email myfruitandvegmonster@innocentdrinks.co.uk - along with your flickr name and a postal address.



The first 1,000 entries win a set of limited edition glow-in-the-dark Halloween 0-9 number magnets. And of course, when you're done you can use any leftover veg to make a soup or whizz any fruit up into a smoothie.



What more can I say than, 'good luck!'

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