I used: strawberries, tangerines, a mango, kiwis, blackberries and grapes but there are lots of combinations that work – I would avoid banana and apples as they will go brown if left out for a while. You can coat the fruit with lemon juice to prevent this but be sure to keep re-applying if they’re prepared in advance.

Mummy time can be anything – I usually do a craft activity but I can also use it to set up a game for them – like build the zoo for their playmobil (it usually takes them so long by themselves that they give up before it’s finished) Sometimes we bake, play with water, do some gardening or play with toys we haven’t had out for a while (I keep a box of Knex in my wardrobe that I bought solely for this -purely because it’s not available all the time it is much more exciting to the children when it does come out – great for encouraging them to be good for babysitters/times when you need peace and quiet etc.)

The children really look forward to Mummy time. The promise that Mummy time will be starting soon helps them get their toys tidied up and gives our day some focus. Before I thought of calling it Mummy time I still used to do these sorts of activities with the children (all the time!!) – but giving it the title and noting the start of Mummy time when we sat at the table meant that they recognised when it was happening. They could easily identify that they had been dedicated some of my attention and it had a marked effect on their behaviour – in a good way.

Of course, we also go out, visit people and places but Mummy time is for those days when we’re at home – so the following activities are designed for around the home and hopefully won’t cost too much money!

•              Make a mobile – paper planes or butterflies and a bit of string
•              Knex /lego challenge etc – make a bridge
•              Draw a picture
•              Make a code language
•              Jigsaws
•              Design some clothes
•              Devise a new board game of your own – worth millions of pounds
•              Make a collage
•              Sew a collage/bag/brooch
•              Practice a new hairstyle
•              Do some funky make up (60’s or 70’s style)
•              Make something from papier-mache
•              Make a mosaic
•              Write a play and record it on tape
•              Bake some biscuits and clean up afterwards)
•              Board games
•              Write a quiz
•              Write a crossword/word search/puzzle
•              Make some paper people and put them on sticks to do a play that can be videoed – in silhouette?
•         Make greetings cards
•         Make a mask – stick on wool, feathers, paper, fabric, modrock
•         Peg dolls
•         Make play-food for little dolls from air drying clay
•      Plant carrot tops in a saucer
•         Light boxes – mini art displays
•         Make a miniature garden in an old meat tray or washing up bowl (use bits from your own garden – it needn’t be still alive at the end of the day)
•         Make box nets (find free ones online)
•         Paper foilding – hats, newspaper clothes
•         Air dry clay decorations – biscuit cutters don’t forget the hole for hanging
•         Film a theatrical production puppet theatre or real
•         Make a pretend shop – use real groceries and make money out of card
•        Make home made gifts (truffles always go down well)
•         Paint each other’s faces
•         Make some salt dough
•         Design an obstacle course around the garden
•         Set up a water slide (a hosepipe running over a polythene sheet – excellent at the bottom of a real slide) but not if you’re on a hosepipe ban!!
•         Make a papier mache piggy bank – use a balloon to make the shape – 3 layers minimum or else it won’t stay whole when you pop the balloon
•         Make badges for all your friends
•         Have an egg hunt
•         Save the shells from your dippy egg – draw a face on, put cotton wool inside and plant cress (for hair)
•         Dye some eggs – it’s Easter!!

Happy Easter Everyone – there should be anough here to keep little hands out of trouble!!

The car is a reliable runner, great fun, lovely to drive, especially with the roof down!

PAS, electric windows, 2 litre, working electric roof, central locking, air conditioning, black and red full leather interior, alloy wheels.

The car is in the Broadstairs Area in Kent. Please call Bryony on 07789 727898 – no agencies.