Rabbits and rabbit cages

Rabbits are very lovely and furry pets and if well taken care of they can live around ten years. Rabbits can be kept indoors in a house and in a cage or outdoors in a rabbit hutch.

When kept indoors in a cage some sawdust or straw should be put on the floor. The cage should be placed in a well ventilated area with a free flow of fresh air every day.  Also it is recommended to change the sawdust every day to avoid unpleased smell and soil and place the cage as close to the ground as possible. As rabbit is a very active pet and love jumping and running around, very often it should be let out for a while. This will help it to keep its body in shape. Therefore, the door of the cage should not be shut permanently; it should be left open from time to time. If this is not possible and the bunny will spend most of the time in its cage then get the biggest cage that is practical in the home. However, the rule is that the cage should be a minimum of five times the size of the rabbit. The rabbit should have enough space to stretch out in his cage and stand up without bumping his head. Also it is not recommended to use cages with wire flooring as they are not very friendly; however in this case the floor can be covered with cardboard or any other material for example plywood. What is more, it is good to think about rabbit’s needs and by placing cardboard box inside the cage, the animal can have place to hide when needs quite time. Finally, the door to the cage should be large enough to get the rabbit out without any problems. It is recommended to have a cage with side door as top-opening cages made it more difficult to get out the bunny. Also the opening should have smooth edges.  Applying this rules will make your and your pet life better.

Great Games for Children: Part 3 “Swinging Statue”

Swinging Statue is a funny game that can be played at home however, you will need a bigger room for that or the best option here is to just go outside and play in your garden. The number of players can be as little as two but the more the better as it will make this game more entertaining.Here are the few steps to follow:

Step 1: Deciding who will be “It” can be done in a few ways for example the oldest child or the youngest can be “It”.

Step 2: Swinging. The person that was “It” will have to swing the rest of the players around. The number of swings can be three or four and then “it” should let go.

Step 3: Keeping the balance. The swung player must then balance himself or herself in a statue stance as he or she was swung. Balance is very important here if a player move, laugh or fall then that person will become “it”.

Step 4:  Staying still. If everyone is keeping the balance then “it” will try to scare or trick the rest of the players into moving without touching them. The first player that will move will become “it”.

 This game is perfect for testing child’s concentration, determination to win.

Great games for children: Part 2 “Hide and Seek”

“Hide and seek” is a timeless game that has been played by a lot of children. This game is enjoyed not only by the children but also by the parents. Thanks to its versatility “hide and seek” game can be played indoors or outdoors. When played especially outdoors it can provide wonderful interaction amongst children and will never be boring. The “hide and seek” game consist of two parts: the hiding where all the players apart from “it” look for a place in which to hide, and the seeking, where “it” attempts to find as many of the players as possible and touch, or “tag,” them.

Here are the few steps to follow:

• Selecting the players. The first thing is to select players. At least three players are needed to play the game. Nevertheless the more players the better.

• Selecting an area. The next thing that has to be done is to select an area in which to play the game. A specific area with clear boundaries should be designated. An outdoor location is better, although indoors is fine if is raining.

• Determining who will be “It”. Deciding who will be “It” can be done in a few ways for example the oldest child or the youngest can be “It”.

Starting “Hide and Seek” game.

• After choosing the person who will be “it”, he or she should stay at home base then close his or her eyes and begin counting out loud. The number should be between 10 and 100 depending on the ages of the children playing. Also the more players involved in a game the higher the number should be.

• Hiding. The person defined as “it” should stay and count out loud and the rest of the players should run off and hide quietly. The person who is “It” is not allowed to peek at the players hiding from him or her.

• Seeking. When the player who is “It” has finished counting, he or she call out, “Ready or not here I come” and starts looking for the player who have hidden. A person defined as “it” should touch, or “tag,” found player.

• Changing the person who was “It”. The player who was touched or tagged first becomes “It” in the next round of the game.

This is enormous fun for your children, but also for you to unwind after stressful day.

Great Games for Children: Part 1 “I Spy”

These days it is more difficult to get children to play outside as all the video games are inside and games that do not involve electricity in some form are fewer. However, playing outside has huge impact on kid’s emotional and physical well-being. What is more, as many parents became more concerned about their offspring fitness level, outdoor play in, e.g. a sand pit now has been recommended. Here is one idea, how to spend some time outdoor and have a lot of fun.

The game I Spy is very common one and is played by children quite often. Initially started by parents to occupy bored children during a car journey.

• I spy is one of the first games that a lot of children learn to play when they know colors or letters. This game is ideal whenever a kid has to wait for example for a meal in a restaurant or to see a GP in a hospital, however, it is also a good game when a child is outdoors, e.g. in a sand pit.

• A child or a parent has to choose something from the place where everyone is and that thing has to be easily visible in order to be guessed. The person gives it color: example “I spy with my little eye something yellow”. Then the other players have to guess what is it until someone gets it right and then that person does the same.

• Also it is possible to use letters instead of colors. Then a child or a parent has to give the initial letter of the object instead of its color: example “I spy with my little eye something beginning with C

•If the object is difficult to be guessed then few clues about this object should be given. Example a dining table can be described such as “something that is made of wood and is rectangular and has four legs”

• Also it is possible to change this game slightly especially when outdoors and instead of “I spy with my little eye” use “I hear with my little ear something beginning with B”. Then a child or a parent choose something that makes noise that everyone can hear it and tries to describe it.

This game can be played everywhere at home, in the car or in your garden, e.g. in the sandpit.

To find out more ideas and buy a sandpit visit wooden sandpit.

Sand pit video

Another great video:

Learning through play Part 2: Outdoor sandpit activities

Long summer days are approaching fast and they may seem endless if children are bored.

A lot of parents already know that summertime can be very difficult to survive with child or children that are simply uninterested in doing anything.

The number of activities that a child can do inside can be limited; therefore playing outside during the summer might be more interesting thing to do.

One of the ways to keep child/children busy and entertained is to buy a sandpit. Sandpits are easy to use and fun to play with. What is more, they can be easily set up and used in any garden. Wooden sandpits blend in with outdoorsy textures and colors.

The best sandpits are those which come complete with two attached side benches, a table and an umbrella to protect child/children from the sun. Such an innovative wooden sandpit makes a great tool for children to play outdoors and on top of that to get some fresh air and exercise. Sandpits sit in millions of gardens all over the country. When they are filled with sand, they can give hours of fun for the whole family. Furthermore, the sandpit is probably one of the favorite outdoor toys for toddlers and young children, offering different experiences and learning activities.

Children can move the sand around; dig holes and bury things and this is something they can either play on their own, or with their friends. All children enjoy playing with sand and water as it opens up a whole new world for them through imaginative play. Finally, incorporating water into the sandpit allows children to start to identify cause and effect, e.g. what happens to sand when it gets wet? As a result this will keep them entertained for a while.

So what are you waiting for? Buy a sand pit or outdoor sandpit today!

Swine Flu

Hi,

Recently, whenever I watch the news, all I hear about is swine flu. Some people are taking it seriously while others completely do not care about this. What about you? We would like to find out what our readers think about this. Please take a part in our poll and find out how others voted.

Learning through play Part 1: How sandpit helps children develop their skills?

This is first part of our new series “Learning Through Play”. In this part we would like to discuss how sandpit helps children develop their skills.

Imagination

Toddlers will start to use their imagination while creating different creatures or items from sand. They can build almost entire universe from it.

Exploration

Learning through discovery, children can discover new things while building sandcastles especially when incorporating water into the sand pit.

Socializing

 Children will learn social skills such as how to share the bucket and shovel with other kids.

Language

Children will learn new vocabulary, speech and develop communication skill while playing outside with other kids in a sand pit.

6 Tips to clean your wooden toys

Here are few tips to help you clean wooden toys: 

wooden toys can be wiped clean with damp cloth or mild cleaners such as soap

natural soap will clean the wooden toy such as sand pit without drying out its surface or leaving chemical excess on the surface

vinegar can be used as well as it will cleanse the surface and make it mildly germ-free

for a wooden toy that is more dirty a mixture of warm water with few drops of liquid natural soap poured into a spray bottle will make wonders

a mixture of water and vinegar 50/50 to spray a toy and quickly wipe the surface is also a very good idea

none of the strong chemicals such as bleach and detergents should be used, as both of these harsh ingredients can change the appearance of the toy while drying the surface

Wooden toys such as outdoor sand pit are valued for their natural beauty and when they are properly looked after, it is possible for many generations of children to enjoy the same toy.

To find outdoor wooden toys, visit sand pit

3 Quick Reasons why you should choose wooden toys over plastic ones

 

There are several benefits of buying wooden toys instead of plastic ones: 

plastic toys cannot match the natural appearance of wooden toys

plastic toys are not as durable as wooden toys which can be used for many years

wood has anti bacterial surface which plastic toys do not have

The choice is yours, but I personally prefer to use wooden toys for my kids especially when it comes to outdoor toys.

They are more natural and with items such as sandpits it seems that they fit more within the landscape.