One of my most valuable parenting tools is DISTRACTION. When the meltdown is huge and the person having it isn’t responding to logic, reason or consoling, try distraction. I needed to distract my smalls with something shiny after a lego incident (did you know lego friends wont’t fit on traditional lego motorbike pieces? I can tell you the discovery of that caused some major meltdowns the other day. Thinking fast I looked for a quick distraction around the kitchen and spotted ALFOIL.
Not only is it shiny and makes great baked potatoes, its also a fabulous art surface. Did you know you can draw on Alfoil? It has a lovely smooth feel and makes the colours pop off the surface nice and bright.
You can freedraw or if you are feeling particularly crafty you could try this string geometric style option, or even use string and glue-stick to make your own shapes. Check our shiny little distractions: Instructions below.
Freestyling version:
Cut a piece of card from a cereal box or any box you have handy. ( I keep a few in a tub for making aside from our recycle box)
Wrap in alfoil and gently press down
Colour with markers (permanent work better but keep tabs on them so you don’t find them on your walls or furniture later)
Geometric dreams version:
Cut a piece of card from a cereal box or any box you have handy. ( I keep a few in a tub for making aside from our recycle box)
Cut little notches around the edges
Use string in and out of the notches to make some geometric shapes.
Wrap in alfoil and gently press down so the string is raised slightly
Colour with markers.
Swirly curly version:
Cut a piece of card from a cereal box or any box.
Cover with white glue or draw lines using a glue stick.
Use string pushed onto your glue marks to make shapes and pattern.
Wrap in alfoil and gently press down so the string is raised slightly.
Colour with markers.
