I confess, I do tend to get a little spellbound by crafty ideas that I think could be beneficial to the boys development.
Especially when they are like this and take hardly anytime and, even better, hardly any money!
I came across a few variations of the make your own fridge magnets idea on Pinterest a few months ago, but after Toby received his welcome pack from nursery and we were asked to provide some photos of ourselves and any other family members he would know to help him settle and adapt to the change in surrounding, I ran with the idea that I could use my fridge magnets to teach the boys about family relationships and who their family are, especially when they may not see family members for months or years as we live apart.
So I bought a few strong magnetic sheets (I found them on Ebay, but most crafting stores will sell them too) and then I set about selecting pictures of our immediate and extended family. Once I knew which pictures I wanted, I printed them, laminated them and stuck them to the magnetic sheet. I then did the same for the words that would match with each picture. Job Done!
Reuben in particular loves the magnets and frequently matches them up on the fridge (or kitchen floor!) and Toby gets to enjoy the pictures while we encourage him to say the words.
I only used a basic family tree, but for older children you could extend this if you wanted, and why stop there? Just buy the magnetic sheets and your fridge becomes a canvas upon which you can do whatever you want!
Harriet x
