Keep it Simple Day
Hi, my name is Natalie Reeves Billing, and I’m a children’s author. My latest book, Ben and the Bug, is all about Covid-19 and how to stay happy and safe. I have also written books about pesky little monsters. Today, it’s Simplicity Day, and we will be looking at how to have fun without the gadgets, gizmos and chaos. Let’s do it like its 1851! Here’s what we are going to be up to today… Throwing our teddies a little picnic and solving a maths problem, too. Earning some elf leaf money at the Elf Shop Playing a game of frisbee or catch Collecting sticks and using our imagination Reading a nice bedtime called, ‘A Simply Perfect Sunday’ written especially for today. Simplicity Day is a time to celebrate the peaceful things in life. The slower, quieter stuff. By having some time without distractions, we can explore the beauty of our amazing world, and the joy of family and friends. Make sure you save some time each month for peace and quiet.
Teddy Bears Picnic
Get a big pile of teddies and divide them equally between your family and friends. By doing this, we can discover some interesting maths things, like what half of numbers are, and what happens when we have an uneven number of teddies (There’s one left at the end!!! Who will have that one?) Teddies love a good picnic, so have fun discovering half of 4,6,8 and 10. If you’re feeling really adventurous, try it out with 5,7,9 and 11 teddies! Ask your parents or guardians to talk about odd and even numbers.
Frisbee/ Catch
Frisbee and catch are games we can play if we still need to keep our distance from friends and family due to that pesky virus. Have fun throwing back and forth, try overarm and under arm throws with a ball, and try some cool tricks with a frisbee.
Pick up Sticks
Collect sticks in the garden or in the local park, of all shapes and sizes. Make a big pile. What trees did they come from? Are they evergreen or deciduous? What can the sticks be? Use your imagination. A walking stick? A hammer? A pen? You can make cool pictures on the ground using sticks. Or even a cool stick den if you are feeling very adventurous.
Elf Shop
Well done! You’ve had a busy day. Now, it’s time to make some elf money, and buy nice things at the Elf Shop. Ask your adult to make a menu? What can you serve? What can you sell? Leaves make great money notes, and stones make great coins. You can set it up on the floor, on the bottom stair, or even on the kitchen table. If it’s a nice day, you may want to do it outside. The choice is yours. Experiment.