Thanks to our amazing drama teachers
The last 3 weeks have been extremely busy for me because I’ve been contracting all our teachers for next term. As you can imagine, with over 200 schools and currently 208 teachers working for Perform, this is no easy task. It also demands quite a lot of concentration, so the mince pies and gingerbread lattes have been helping with this too!
Because we now have quite a few schools, many people think that Perform is franchised like most other drama, dance and singing organisations. But we aren’t. Everything is centrally run and we are very specific about the sort of teacher who works for us – specifically, we only pick the fabulous sort. Which is why I actually really enjoy the contracting part of my job, because it means that I get to talk to them all. Read more »
Children and eye contact – helping your child look people in the eye
Darling, look at Jane when she says hello to you!
Does that sound familiar to you? Have you ever said it to your own child? I know I have!
I’ve always been passionate about helping children make eye contact, especially when they meet new people or talk to adults. I think it is such an important skill to have. You only have to do an internet search for “Looking people in the eye” and you’ll find hundreds of pages about how hard people find eye contact. There are forums and websites completely dedicated to the subject so it is obviously a big problem out there.
Closer to home, eye contact is something we get asked about frequently when we talk to parents whose children come to Perform. Looking into someone’s eyes when you talk to them demonstrates confidence and we all want our children to be confident and to show this to the outside world. Eye contact is crucial for good communication skills and, if taught early, it can be with you for life. Read more »
Rainy days and Mondays
With half term approaching and the British weather being what it is, it’s always a good idea to be prepared and plan some activities to avoid finding yourself with a house full of grumpy bored faces.
So here are my top favourite ‘rainy day’ activities purloined from the Perform Book Of Brilliant Things To Do. Some of them might seem a bit sketchy but they’ve all been tried and tested and anyway the simplest ideas are often the best. Quite a few involve music so have an ipod/ CD player and a few different CDs to hand.
Potion Play
All children love playing with water and I’m sure that yours are no exception. This activity needs close supervision but can be a lot of fun and great for stimulating imaginations.
Tell your children that you are all going to be magicians who have to make up some magic potions. Get together some clear plastic tumblers, put them in a washing up bowl and put them on a table your children can sit at. First of all, you have to make sure that all the equipment is really clean so show them how to wash and dry everything up beautifully (also useful for the future!).
Now part-fill the tumblers with water and put a drop of different coloured food colouring (the stuff you use for icing cakes) in each. Now challenge them to make up different potions according to their own recipes. It’s amazing how much they love adding the different colours to see what happens. For every potion they create, they must give it a name and say what it is for. Read more »
Five Fabulous Things to Do This Half Term
I know we’re now half-way through Half-Term but, if you’re struggling with inspirational ideas to fill up the last few days, here are a few thoughts that will keep you clear of the theme parks, museums etc.
Whilst doing virtually any kind of activity will involve you in parting with some cash, I’ve tried to pick some which hopefully won’t break the bank! Well… here goes:
1. Get Arty!
Great whatever the weather (if it’s looking gloomy, it’s a great rainy day activity – or, if it’s a day like today, bring the paints outside). Painting pictures is always fun, whether they’re finger-painting, using brushes or sponges or trying out potato printing and of course you’re not limited to paper either. With child-friendly ceramic paints they can decorate plant pots, mugs or plates; or you might like to try out fabric paints and have them design their own t-shirts.
Going on an Easter Egg Hunt!
In writing this post, I’m hoping to sufficiently distract myself from the Easter Treats which I’ve just purchased for the children… but they are calling my name… just so you know ;)
As a child, my Granny always used to do Easter Egg Hunts for us, and this year, I’m planning to do the same for my two. I clearly remember my Granny’s painstakingly typed clues which led us all around her house and through the garden (weather permitting) collecting teeny tiny foil wrapped eggs leading to a treasure trove of chocolate eggs and simnel cake. Marvellous!
Music & your Child
Most children love music, whether it’s singing nursery rhymes complete with actions (of course), having a little dance or even listening to something more soothing before they go to sleep.
My Mum loves to tell people about how I would make up my own songs when I was little (well perhaps ‘songs’ is pushing it) they were more like stories which I’d sing to myself – e.g.:
I’m certain that they weren’t necessarily particularly tuneful, and I probably never sang the same song twice. I don’t have much recollection of doing it as I was too young really, but apparently I’d keep myself amused for hours. So, suffice to say, music has always been really important to me – perhaps even before I can actually remember!
Christmas Car Journeys – A Survivors’ Guide
Many of us make trips to visit family and friends around Christmas and of course over the New Year.
As such I get lots of questions from frazzled parents enquiring whether I have any tips to make those long Christmas car journeys go smoothly.
Well, smoothly might be pushing it somewhat – but I certainly have some suggestions which hopefully you’ll find useful.
