Orla, from Ireland, tells us about the assignment set for her son Callum. Let’s find out what Callum did…
What did you do?
The assignment was to create a piece of art that’s based on your area. Imagination played a huge role in this as unfortunately, we have a garden the size of a postage stamp.
Callum wanted to build his project with lego. He wanted to have a zipline in his garden, so all we needed for this activity was Lego, String and Playdoh.
He started off by building two tall towers to attach the zipline to.
Then we built a base for the lego minifigure to stand on and built up around him.
He used an arch shape piece for the string to go on.
It was a good learning opportunity as he is currently learning about angles in Maths so he had to build one tower taller than the other to get the right angle for the zipline to work.
Next, he made a pool out of playdoh. I helped him with the letters to make it more noticeable in pictures, as his work is being sent back to his Muinteoir (Teacher in Irish) via an app.
He then built a BBQ and added some skeleton animals for a petting farm.
Any tips for others wanting to do something similar?
Getting the right tension on the zip line string proved difficult as either one of the 2 towers would collapse if too much tension was applied – so the zip line string isn’t as tight as he would have liked.
What is next for you all?
We are going to try and launch our own rockets.
Tell us a bit about yourself…
My name is Orla, I am a Mum to 3 boys Taylor (12) Callum (9) and Brodie (8). We all live with Aidan (Dad) and our dog Toby in Bray Co. Wicklow, Ireland. We enjoy doing family projects together and the boys love lego.
How are you finding being housebound with kids so far?
I went into lockdown with the intention that we were going to have fun and enjoy spending this unexpected time together. I did not want the kids picking up on any stress or worry. Covid-19 is going to be talked about for years and years to come, so I wanted my kids to have nice memories to look back on.
I am also really enjoying doing more with them again as I found after they came out of the toddler stage they no longer needed my help with activities and also didn’t really want me to join in.
Any tips for other parents?
I think having a routine, plan or some sort of structure is vital. My two younger boys have ASD, so having a daily routine really helps.
I also give myself one daily goal. For example, a chore I have been putting off for a while.
Has the Housebound with Kids community helped?
I think its one on the best pages on Facebook right now. I have got so many ideas from the page.
