Renovation Rescue

Learning Spaces

You know when you have to concentrate and just need to break away from the crazies for peace? Kids need this too.

Somewhere to switch off and switch on!

Away from the TV, the Xbox, the iPod, facebook, noise and all the other craziness. Find a space just for them, where they be creative, think, learn, grow, experiment, play, and concentrate.

For littlies a creative learning station, a learning through play area, immediate access to things that teach concepts and fun to be around. Art, crafts, musical instruments, learning games.

For older kids it a quiet area to concentrate, away from distractions, surrounded by everything they need at arm's length. Dictionary, calculator, ruler, pens, paper, scissors, stapler....whatever they need.

A few things to consider when creating your own learning space:

• Child's age/s
• Child's needs
• Where? Spare room, under the bunk bed, under the stairs, a cupboard, unused spot...
• Comfort (temperature, furniture, colour, design)
• Cost (set a budget and stick to it, be creative and borrow / swap items with friends or family, buy second hand, DIY, repurpose old items and so on)

You can turn something like this...

...into something like this

• An unused space filled with junk
• No great interior design flair required
• Total Cost $72
• Kids wooden Chairs $20 from op shop & coat of paint
• Poster set $3 at garage sale
• Puzzle Mat, Play Money & Plastic Food, Picture Frame & Clock new from bargain store $34
• Baking Tray & Magnet Letters / Numbers $10 at supermarket
• Games, books, musical instruments from around the house for FREE
• Shelf FREE from a facebook group
• Hanging hooks $3 hardware store
• Old school dominoes $2 from salvos

With a few tweaks you can turn it into a completely different space:

• Change the mat for different play themes
• Change the posters to learn different concepts
• Swap the toys & books for different taste
• Add a chalk board (scrap of timber from and some chalk paint)

Renovation Rescue Photo Comp

Inspired yet?

Sounds too hard? No Way!

Download the Renovation Rescue Planning Sheet to help you along

Read the "Renovation Rescue" chapter in the book Learning that's Fun

And we put together a whole Pinterest Board for inspiration!


1. Entries close 17/6/2013
2. Voting closes 24/6/2013 so share, share, share to get votes
3. Maximum budget is $100
4. Enter HERE or #blossomphotocomp on Instagram
5. Winner gets $100 cash & runners up get Learning that's Fun book pack

Like us on Facebook to enter or vote for your favourite entries!

The Teacher's Job

Have you ever heard anyone say "why should I have to do that, that's the teacher's job"? Or have you ever said it yourself?

It can be really frustrating when your kids are not getting the results you were hoping for, or struggling with something at school, and we can all blame the school system and talk about what they are NOT doing, but at the end of the day, it's not going to change over night. But there are things that we can all do, right now, right here, to make a difference.

It's far too easy to be the victim and point the finger, but think about this:

• Teacher's average 6 hours per day with your child
• Divide by 25 other kids in the class = about 15 minutes per child, per day
• And that's if they don't have classes with other teacher's.

So:

• 6 hours per day
• 30 hours per week
• 1200 per year (if we exclude holidays)

But there's:

• 168 hours in a week
• 8736 hours in a year
• So teacher really only spends about 1/4 of their time them during the school year

And then if we go by the 8x8x8 rule (play, sleep & work).

• We'll average 8 hours per day at home
• 56 hours per week
• 2912 hours per year
• 14560 hours in 5 years before they even go to school. 

Everyone is different, in our busy lifestyles these days we have work, extra-curricula activities, child care and a whole bunch of other things interfering.

But what can we take away from these numbers?

As parents, grandparents, carers, baby sitters, uncles, aunties, friends, neighbours....we are the most important teachers our kids will ever have. We are the ones who spend the majority of time with them, watching them grow, learn, play and become members of our community. So it's absolutely imperative that we do everything we can to ensure we give them the fullest exposure to opportunities to learn and educate themselves.

It doesn't have to be tutoring. It doesn't need to be boring. Routine, mundane, too hard, "the teacher's job." It doesn't have to be any of those things.

Just fun. If the kids are having fun, they won't even realise they are learning. If they are having fun, you will too. Spending time together as a family, learning, exploring, expanding, it's quality time. Creating memories that have added benefits.

That's why we are here. That's the message we want to share. Learning that's Fun. Helping Little Buds to Blossom.

I just have to go to the toilet!

"I just have to go to the toilet".

"I'm just doing this".

"I'm just doing that".

Sound familiar?

Time for chores. Homework time. Time out. Pretty much any TIME...the one who was "different"...would go AWOL.

Doing the dishes. "I'm just doing <something uneccessary, but distracting>."

Doing his homework. "I just have to do <something random> with the cat."

Sent to time out for being naughty. Where is he? Snuck into his room to play with his toys. While the rest of us are still facing the wall.

The first was quiet and content. The second was quiet and content. The third? Was loud and hyper.



In years to come the "difference" would be diagnosed as Attention Deficit Disorder. Back then, it was a new thing. Nobody really knew what it meant or how to deal with it. Medication, a bit of food restriction and some extra tutoring was pretty much it. Sounds pretty standard. Nowadays with blogs, forums, a wealth of information online there are plenty of resources out there for parents to help eachother out and offer support and advice.

But where did the diagnosis lead, and what advice does he offer up himself?

"Pretty much, if there was anything hands on that I could do I would enjoy it. I liked all those subjects like wood work, metal work, art and cooking. I loved cooking. I would cook more than just what was on the menu for that class. I was actually really good at it. I liked music and drama. But I didn't want to DO any of them. I was always told that I should do apprenticeships or trades so I could get a hands on job. But I didn't like them. I love tinkering with my car. But I don't want to be a mechanic. I really would've liked to try acting or something like that. But I never really had an opportunity".

And there's the missing link. The creativity. The fun. He's a big picture kind of guy. Not into the details. But has vision. Great ideas. Vivid imagination. All those wild stories he used to tell about his friend the crocodile and the shark!

This is also where our system lets us down. It focuses so much on the detail of the math and the literacy. The scores on tests, the ranking of schools and students. But neglects the person as a whole. It's not until the later years of school that students are able to get out of those moulds and choose broader electives. But by then the damage is done. Kids have already been pigeon holed and had their creativity drummed out of them by criticism, by being told to grow up, be realistic, being picked on for still believing.

So where to from here? I can't tell you. And neither can he. But he has a few tips for making school and homework bit easier to cope with for other kids in similar boats.

• frequent short breaks
• avoid distractions (other kids, pets, tv etc)...but refer back to #1...quick short breaks often
• make it fun - draw pictures, act out stories, use objects as props, make it into art work, play games
• divide work into small chunks - checklists or plans help
• positive reinforcement - praise strengths and good work with meaningful rewards
• have a stressball handy for fidgeting

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DIY Library Bags

"The more you read, the more things you will know

The more you learn, the more places you will go."

Dr Seuss

Have you visited the library recently?

Or ever walked into a home and been overwhelmed by the beauty of their bookshelves?

It's no secret, I love books. I love the look of them, how they feel, the pictures, the covers, the meanings, what I can learn from them, or the entertainment I can get from them.

Personally, I don't get to the library as often as I would like to, not because I don't want to, but because once I'm there I can't get out. Literally. I am stuck! Searching, skimming, reading, finding, exploring, researching. It's the most peaceful escape from the crazy outside world whizzing by.

But you can't go to the library without a library bag! And what better way to spend an afternoon with the kids than making your very own designer library bags? Then head off to the library to use them. You can do this on a budget and the library is usually free! So what are you waiting for?

We've made some kids and adult designs here.



A playful space theme




A chic vintage quote theme

Download the activity sheet with instructions to make your very own library bags with the kids. Many of the materials you will have around the house. Let your imagination run wild.

Click here to Download

Tag your Instagram pics @blossomltf and we'll add them to our hall of fame!

"The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives."

Matilida, Roald Dahl

Happy Learning.