Table centrepiece - Summer

I found it a bit harder to think what to place on our centrepiece to celebrate summer.  I finally decided to go with an insect theme as we have been looking at bees and butterflies.  From our spring centrepiece we kept some green wool as grass and a small flower pottery piece we had found on the beach. We added a wooden frog as we had found a toad in the garden.


We had already made some ladybirds from milk bottle caps.  We made a clothes peg dragonfly.  I made a peg doll bumble bee and butterfly/dragonfly.

I then made some summer peg dolls – sunflower, sun child and summer blossom.
(Luath is 29 months)

Peg dolls – summer blossom, sun child and sunflower

I made three new peg dolls to celebrate summer/midsummer/solstice.  They were all made quite quickly and I couldn’t find my watercolour pencils and I had run out of glue but they look great on our summer table centrepiece.  Luath did ask if we could bring Daffodil Queen (her favourite peg doll) to meet them. 

First there is sunflower (who needs her petals reworked)
        
Next there is sun child.
 
And finally summer blossom.
 
Summer blossoms flower crown was made using a bag tie.  I wrapped it around the peg dolls head to get the correct size.
 
I wound thin green wool to cover the bag tie.  Then sewed in some cream and pink as flowers.
 
(Luath is 29 months)

100 Days of Play – Table Centrepiece Play

 
Centrepiece Play
On our dining table we have an ever changing centrepiece.  It covers a mixture of nature, celebrations and themes.  It may contain objects that we find, things we have made or something I have selected.   Luath has always been interested in the contents but last year she started using things from our Autumn centrepiece for imaginative play. 

Aurumn Centrepiece

It is fun to delve into Luath’s amazing imaginative world.  We have had peg dolls stuck on cups, super bunnies coming to their rescue with the aid of a toilet roll tube slide.  I now look forward to the meals when Luath reaches for something and says “Mummy play with me.  You have this”.  As well as the play it is lovely to relax after eating instead of always immediately clearing and washing up.

Current Centrepiece

Suggestions for table centrepiece play
All you need are a few different objects that are safe and an area for the objects to be placed which is within reach –  a mat, tray or bowl all work well.
You could have some random objects or choose a theme  – Seasonal, Celebrations, Animals, Stars, Country, Book
You could add :
Natural objects you have found – shells, cones, stones
People or creatures help with imaginative play – animals, fairy, bird, dragon, people
Small toys – car, block
Craft materials (pom poms, wool) and Household items (toilet paper tube, cup, cutlery) nearby can add a different dimension.
We have had anything from three to about ten different types of items. 
Set objects and let your child investigate in their own time.  If after a day or so they haven’t  reach for any of the objects then initiate play by picking up something.  Having a favourite play object may help to engage them initially.
(Luath is 29 months)
The 100 days of play challenge is hosted by Sun Scholars and Life at the Zoo which aims to encourages  to make time to PLAY with their children each day.  100 different bloggers are sharing their simple ideas. The blog hop started on the 1st April and runs until 9th July.  For more information see the  Main blog hop page, where  there is a thumbnail link to all 100 posts.  More about 100 Days of Play  short video Pinterest Board where all posts will be shared PLUS any ideas/photos submitted by non-bloggers.

Simple craft – a clothes peg dragonfly

I decided that Luath and I would make a dragonfly for our summer table centrepiece.  It really was very easy.
You need:
a clothes peg (natural or coloured)
Cereal box inner bag (or similar)
Tape or glue
Optional - Pens/paint/dot stickers
What we did:
(Paint or colour clothes peg if you wish.)  Cut two wings from the cereal bag inner.  Attach wings to clothes peg.  Can stop here as we did or add eyes, stripes etc
(Luath is 29months)