​I love to relax and unwind with my latest crafting project. 

It’s so important to introduce the magic of crafting to children at the earliest age possible.
Now, for most people, particularly those with busy schedules, I can already hear you screaming nooooo! But before you exit from my page, allow me to plead my case by introducing non-messy craft ideas! 

Believe me, I’ve had years of experience with this and I have learnt a lot!
I have also had plenty of experience managing craft disasters too. Like the time the two little boys I was minding found the paint and decided to turn the living room rug into a rainbow. 
Or the time the 4 year old at a craft workshop drew a green beard on himself with marker. The look on his mother’s face when I returned him to her...!

So, it’s time to ditch the paint (and glitter!) stock a small shelf in your cupboard with some of the following:

* Glue-sticks
* Sticky tape
* Crayons or twist crayons (instead of markers)
* Stickers
* Pack of paper plates
* Pack of multi-coloured paper
* Plastic safety scissors
* Colouring and multi-activity books (older kids love colouring challenges)
* Coloured paper & card
* Stencils in fun shapes
* Pre-cut shapes & designs to decorate (you can get these in most craft stores in various shapes and sizes) 

I tend to avoid glitter and paint, however, if you’d like to add them to your crafts, here are some ideas to make them a little less messy:

* Always supervise - never leave children alone with glitter or paint!

* Store the items either high up, far away or somewhere that little hands can’t get to them, especially when you’re not nearby

* Use glitter glue instead of shakeable glitter - this also can be used instead of paint - adds a bit of colour without the mess and you can buy it in several pretty colours

* If you really do want to use glitter, put it in a pre-used salt shaker, then put it in a plastic box or shoe box and place the item to be glittered over it, so that any excess glitter is collected in the box, not on your carpet.
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My advice is, avoid glitter completely when working with anyone under 8! All you have to do is turn your back for 30 seconds and...glitter explosion!

Start seeing craft time, not as messy time but as learning time. There are so many things a child can learn from creating a simple craft.
To name but a few:
* Build fine motor skills
* Improve coordination
* Taking a break from screen - blue back-lights can damage eyes
*Listen to an audio book or some nice relaxing music

Most importantly, once you start to make time in your life for craft time, you will see how much more relaxed your child will become.  It's a quiet time to spend away from loud noises and distractions, a mindfulness that will stick with them for the rest of their lives.

So, I hope that these tips have helped you to introduce some crafting time into your busy schedule. Stock up on those items - and let the crafting fun begin!

Christmas can be a crazy time with shopping, parties, more food then usual and late bedtimes. This is the time of year when we need mindfulness and quiet time more than ever. And what better way to find this than with a good Christmas book? Nothing better than snuggling up with a sweet book.

Every December, the libraries put out their loveliest selection of Christmas books. There always seem to be new books on offer and I can spend hours going through them all, carefully selecting which ones I will read at my storytelling events. 

During my storytelling, depending on my audience, I will use a mixture of books, along with a brand new, unique story that I will create with the children’s help.

Over the years, I’ve found that a good children’s book is a mixture of great pictures, a lovely rhyme or story and some humor.

So, to make things a little easier for you to choose, I’ve compiled a list of my favourite Christmas books for you to read with your kids this festive season

​“When it snows” by Richard Collingridge
The pictures in this book are stunning, they look so realistic that they really draw you into the story.
And the final page reveals that, when we read a book, we can be transported anywhere we want

“Silent Night” by Juliet Groom and Tim Warnes
Based on the classic Christmas song “Silent Night”, this book, again, is visually stunning with pictures of animals in the forest. It’s a beautiful book to read softly while you’re curled up in bed and waiting for sleep. When I read this one out loud at my evening Christmas events, the children really are silent and listening.

​“All I want for Christmas”
This is quite possibly the cutest Christmas book I’ve ever read and it’s says everything in it that I ever want to say to people at Christmas.
It’s a reminder that, amongst all of the busy-ness of Christmas, the most important part of it all is time with the ones we love. And a lovely opportunity for a cuddle at the end!
Each time I read this book, the final page gets an “awwww” - from the adults!
And it features penguins....I mean, come on, PENGUINS ARE THE CUTEST!!!

​And, everyone loves a good laugh, so here are a couple of giggly ones...

“Snowball” by Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet
This book actually doesn’t mention Christmas at all, but there’s snow it, so it works! A snowball lives at the top of a mountain all on his own and decides to roll down to the village to make friends, taking half the countryside with him as he goes. Fab pictures, great for a laugh.

“The Tooth Fairy’s Christmas” by Peter Bentley and Gary Parsons
The pictures in this book are beautiful. And the story is so original. All about how the tooth fairy helps Santa sneak into the houses on Christmas night. As you can imagine, fun and madness happens with a very sweet ending.

I hope you can start your own Christmas storybook tradition and have some quiet time this Christmas with plenty of good books. Pop into the library and spend some time selecting your favourites, which you can return again once Christmas is over and choose more next year instead!