Final few days of the Summer Holidays…!! A good chance to play a few more games, craft a few more artworks and enjoy family play time together before you go back to school!

To kick you back into action, this week we are singing our funny action song – Jelly on His Head, making puppets from old socks and turning & twisting our heads with some very fun word games! Read about them below.

Tell us HOW YOU GET ON with these games and crafts and we would love to see PHOTOS & DRAWINGS of your family play time & creations to share with other network families!

You can send them to us by email at CFN@licketyspit.com or through our social media pages on Facebook or Twitter!

You can make great props for this song out of junk! A painted Egg Box can be a Jelly on your Head! You can cut up an old cereal box to make Doughnut Glasses or a Fried Egg for your face or Bananas for your hair! You can paint the cardboard or stick paper on it and paint that if the paint won’t stick! But you can probably think of lots of other ways to make these props! We’d love to hear about how you get on or see a photo! (Don’t put real Jelly on your head will you!

Make a sock puppet!

Making a sock puppet is really really fun! You can create all sorts of marvelous characters you like from a dog, cat or a caterpillar to a granny, witch or a monster – it can be anyone and anything! You can then use the puppets to act & re-enact any favourite book or movie scenes or even create your own story!

All you need is some old socks, pens, glue and any scraps of cloth, paper, cut outs from newspapers or food packaging.

Check this website for an animated step-by-step guide on 3 different ways to make a sock puppet:

https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Sock-Puppet

Starting school after fun, joyful & relaxing summer holidays can be difficult so why not easy your children into it with some fun and simple word games that will help them improve their memory, build vocabulary and be playful with language!

I am going on a picnic

A great game to help with memory and imagination.

One person starts and says “I am going on a picnic and I’m going to  bring some… fruit!”

The next person says what the first person said and adds something of their own. “I am going on a picnic and I will bring some fruit, and some sandwiches!.

The next person says what the first, and second person said, and adds something of their own. “I am going on a picnic and I will bring some fruit, some sandwiches and a dinausaur!

You continue on and on and it gets more  and more difficult to remember everything!

Word Family Game

This game requires children to rhyme. Select one word and everyone needs to write or say as many words as they can that rhyme with that word. For example, if the word is “Cat”, answers could be: hat, bat, rat, sat etc.

I spy

A really easy and fun word game. All you need for this game is your imagination!

Player 1 thinks of a word and tells the others the first letter. “I spy with my little eye, something beginning with __” The other players need to guess the word. Whoever wins gets to be the next spy!

A week and a half left until the school term starts??! How did it come around so quick??!

Not to worry, Licketyspit is here to keep the summer spirit going! And so this week we are DRESSING UP!! Have you been somewhere new this summer – park, gallery? Made new friends? Read a new book? Anything can be used as an inspiration when dressing up & creating characters!

We are also making our very own RAINBOWS and setting off on an INSECTS & BUGS discovery adventure! Read below to find out more!

Did you know that in Lickety games we NEVER use specially made costumes? We believe that all you need to create a limitless array of wonderful, fascinating & unique characters is your imagination and some old clothes – tights, tops, scarfs, hats, skirts, bags, glasses, blankets or whatever you can get your hands on! It’s amazing what you can create!

Here are some wonderful creations by our network families:

We would LOVE to see what you do and share it on our website! Just email photos to CFN@licketyspit and tell us you’re happy for us to post them up!

Make a rainbow!

Based on their current exhibition, Tate is inviting children & families across the UK to play with water and light to create their own arty science experiment. All you will need is a glass of water, white paper, colouring pencils and a torch. Follow three simple steps below to create your very own RAINBOW!!

1. Place the glass of water on the edge of the table so a little bit hangs off the edge. Be very careful not to knock it over.
2. Shine the torch through the glass at the top. Adjust the angle until the light falls onto the paper below.
3. Colour over the light on the paper to create your own rainbow.

Top Tip: Turn off the lights to see the rainbow more clearly!

https://www.tate.org.uk/kids/make/performance/make-rainbow

This is one of our favourite books about Ant & Bee making a rainbow! You might find it at the Library!

Exploring the wild doesn’t need to involve the Amazon Rainforest or a far-off place. You can discover all kinds of amazing creatures right in your own back garden or nearby park! So set off on an bug-searching-adventure this week!

You can take nets and containers to catch insects, magnifying glass to look for and at them, and a camera or a notebook & some pens to record your fantastic discoveries! You can even create your own little book!

Tell us HOW YOU GET ON with these games and crafts and we would love to see PHOTOS & DRAWINGS of your family play time & creations to share with other families!

You can send them to us by email at CFN@licketyspit.com or through social media – Facebook or Twitter!

For the fourth week of joyful Summer Holidays, we have decided to play The Bear & The Honeypot! Can you sneakily creep up on the Bear and steal the Honey Pot without being caught??!

This week we are also very excited to be sharing crafts & activities kindly suggested by some of our Children & Families Network families! Read further to find out more.

Tell us HOW YOU GET ON with these games and crafts and we would love to see PHOTOS & DRAWINGS of your family play time & creations to share with other families!

You can send them to us by email at CFN@licketyspit.com or through social media – Facebook or Twitter!

We can’t wait to hear from you!

Painting

Did you know that you can use various household items to make fascinating artworks?! You can use anything from sponges, straws, yarn, crumpled up tin foil to cotton balls or tied-up earbuds! Anything you like, simply dip into some paint & let your imagination run wild! Weeeee!

If you don’t have any items handy you can simply FINGER PAINT which creates some unique patterns & prints!

Check out these wonderful finger & earbud tree paintings by Piyanshu!

Your children will never be bored if you always take some paper & crayons or pens and a couple of books with you when you go out. You can ask them to draw what they like about a book or even make up their own characters and/or create their own story! You could then use it for further games & activities – dress up as book characters, role-play dialogues or re-enact the most liked scenes!

If you are wondering which books to read/use, you can always go to our Lickety Library for inspiration & recommendations!

If you already have a favourite book which you would like to recommend to other Children & Family Network families, please take a photo of it & send us with a few sentences saying why it is special to you and your family! We can’t wait to hear from you

Pirate Joke:

Why pirates are awesome?

Because they just AAARRR!   (he he he!)

This week we are playing PIRATES! And showing how to build your own SELLOTAPE WORLD & make a musical INSTRUMENT out of JUNK!

(LICKETY TIP!  If you can find an old box and keep it under a table or somewhere out of the way, you can collect junk for making things like models or collages with a bit of tape or glue to stick things together & maybe some paint! Things like cereal boxes, empty plastic bottles, cardboard tubes, tooth-paste lids & boxes! Almost anything! Then one day if you’re looking for something to do you can get put your box of junk and make something!)

Please tell us HOW YOU GET ON with these games and crafts and SEND US PHOTOS & DRAWINGS of your family play time & creations so you can inspire other families! We can’t wait to hear from you! Children are the EXPERTS at play!

Please email us at CFN@licketyspit.com or send it through social media – Facebook or Twitter!

It’s a good idea to dress up as a pirate for his game!

Licketyspit doesn’t buy costumes. We just collect old clothes – tops, skirts, jackets, trousers, scarves, hats, old sunglasses! – for a Dressing-Up bag or box. This kind of dressing up can let you create hundreds of different costumes & characters! Ooo Arrr Captain’s coming!

Children & Families Network families playing Pirates:

The Sellotape World!

Virginia met Giles & heard about him putting Sellotape all over his kitchen from unit to chairs/wall & his early years children having hours of fun sticking bits of paper onto out to create magical world! Transforming the kitchen!

Giles is an amazing community artist in London (www.gilesleaman.com) and musician.

He designs and builds instruments to play in groups such as The Drones, and specifically designed instruments for shows with Indefinite articles puppet company, and most recently he has been using his musical inventions with The Junk Orchestra.

Here is Giles ‘Dabble Bass’ made out of cardboard tubes!!!

Remember that a few beans in a tin with paper or card taped on top make a great maraca! And if you put different levels of water into empty bottles and hit them with a spoon!

You can get different notes & play a tune! (Virginia’s friend Seonaid does it as her party trick with about ten bottles!)

A Giles Leaman Sellotape World made by children at North Edinburgh Arts Summer Programme with Alice Betts from Edinburgh Art Festival!

Do let us know if you make a Sellotape world at home! OR make your own musical instruments! We’d love to hear & share what you’ve done!

This week we have some special recommendations for all ages! We are reminding you of how to play the Duck, Duck, Goose Lickety PlayCard game, showing you how to build a WORLD from paper scraps and make FUNNY ANIMALS from picnic food to make it even more delicious!

Please tell us HOW YOU GET ON with these games and crafts and SEND US PHOTOS & DRAWINGS of your family play time & creations so you can inspire other families! We can’t wait to hear from you! Children are the EXPERTS at play!

Please email us at CFN@licketyspit.com or send it through social media – Facebook or Twitter!

This is a brilliant outdoor game especially good with lots of people! The bigger the circle the better the game! Who could you invite to play it with you in the park? You could invite children you see and make new friends!

Scrap paper sculpture

By Sally Price at North Edinburgh

Can you build a world using just paper? Yes! Absolutely!

Like lots of community spaces this Summer North Edinburgh Arts (where Licketyspit has an office!) has a Summer Programme of fun activities for children. This Wednesday we found the artist Sallie Price making PAPER WORLDS with 5 to 7-year olds.

Sally has invited the Licketyspit Children & Families Network families to think about how to create 3D structures from recycled paper and use a camera to take photos as if you are inside your paper world. All you need is glue and scrap paper, newspapers or ANY paper you can get your hands on! Fold, tear, layer and scrunch and stick!

Check out Sally’s stunning Instagram account for more amazing inspiration!: @_sallyprice

Imagine if you could play inside this PAPER WORLD! Maybe yours could inspire you to make a DEN! Inside or outside!

Make a Magic Picnic!

If you’re thinking of having a picnic outside OR inside (if the weather is wet put a rug on the floor, turn off TV & imagine the wonderful nature sounds you can hear – maybe the sea!!), why not make it special by creating funny and exciting animals from food. How about a Pirate Sandwich Boat, Apple Owl or Banana Slice Sheep?! Oooo so exciting!

You can find more inspiration here… and invent your own food pictures – before you eat them all up! (Send us a picture! We’d love to see what you do share it with the other families!

We start our holiday play programme with one of children’s favourites – The Funky Chicken!

Do you know the Funky Chicken?

Tell us HOW YOU GET ON with these games and crafts, and SEND US PHOTOS & DRAWINGS of your family play time & creations! We can’t wait to hear from you!

Email us at CFN@licketyspit.com or send it through social media – Facebook or Twitter!

Build a castle or a fort

Do you have a spare cardboard box? You might be able to get one from a supermarket or a local grocers shop, if not!

A cardboard box can easily be made into so many things – a Castle? Or a House? a Space-ship? or a Boat? Or a Bus? A Cave for a bat Or a Kennel for an imaginary Dog!

You can draw or paint on the outside however you want to and cut out some windows and doors!
You can use anything to be the people or animal’s who live inside it! Clothes pegs? Spoons? OR Teddy’s? Dolls? Toy animals?
You can cut out the front to make a TV and then you can put it on your head and read the news!
If you’re lucky enough to find a giant box you can Get inside it and go to the moon or paddle down the amazon!

Remember – with imaginary play you can be anyone, go anywhere, and do anything! And you can make things into anything else you want:
A scarf can be a cat or a snake!
A sandwich can be a chocolate gateaux!
A rug can be magic carpet to fly you to see the Pyramids!

Don’t forget to send us photos of your wonderful creations!

How about a Picnic?

You can have a picnic at the park or in the garden if you have one or even on a balcony or in your front room!

It is nice to have a blanket or a towel or a big scarf top sit on!

Good food for picnic –

• Bread or a roll
• Some cheese or a Hard Boiled Egg (you can peel!)
• A carrot or tomato
• An apple or a plum or any piece of fruit!
• A drink of water or squash

Don’t forget sunblock and a hat if its very sunny!