Green Magpie: Summer 2023

Green Magpie friends,

Welcome to the Summer 2023 edition of the magazine for creativeyoungminds!

‘Bring it on Brum!’ is a programme that is helping Birmingham’s children, young people and their families have active, fun-filled and healthy school holidays. Part of the government’s nationwide Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme, ‘Bring it on Brum!’ is the biggest scheme of its kind in the country, and Birmingham City Council in partnership with StreetGames, are really excited to bring it to YOU!

The Summer HAF Activity Pack is themed around BALANCE, which includes content related to the mind, food, body and daily activities to help you keep a healthy balance.

In partnership with Birmingham PlayCare Network the contents of this magazine and pack has been created with their philosophy at the core… championing the child’s right to play! This magazine will provide you and your child with guidance on how to complete various activities/crafts and provide ideas and games to get creative and make use of the equipment included. Please enjoy having a go at some of the activities included but REMEMBER small children will need to be supervised and older children might need a little bit of help. So, this Summer, why not give play a go, try not to worry about what the end product will look like, remember it’s the process children go through that is the most important part of play.

We have also created an online portal packed with free ideas and resources to keep the whole family busy, with indoor and outdoor games, quizzes, dance, nature trails, park activities, food videos and so much more. We believe that everyone deserves a good break and that school holidays are better when there’s a great choice of things to do. Our website is now ready so read on and check out

www.bringitonbrum.co.uk/home-activities/

If you would like your creative makes featured on Scrapstore social media, please email a photo to Jess at:

scrapstoremakes@gmail.com

If you have any questions please get in touch.

Our email address is:

Scrapstore behind the Blue Door: 8 Manor Park Grove, Northfield, B31 5ER

Visit the Scrapstore shop!

There are lots of boat races around the world. The most famous one in England is between Oxford and Cambridge University boat clubs. It has happened every year since 1856

Collect a plastic bottle, rubber bands, 2 straight sticks and a lollipop stick!

Step by step: Rubber-band Boat

Decorate your bottle with sticky-backed plastic if you want. SCAN ME!

Scan to watch our YouTube tutorials!

Trap a rubber band between 2 pieces of lollipop stick. Tape the sticks together.

Rocket Balloon Race

Step 1:

You will need: Cardboard tube

Paper Felts

Balloon Sellotape

Scissors and glue

your cardboard tube.

To make wings, cut 2 slots in tube and slide in card.

Secure a stick either side of your bottle with 3 rubber bands.

Loop it over the 2 sticks at the back of your boat. Twist lots of times, pop in the water, let go and ship ahoy!

Blow up your balloon (Don’t tie it!). Ask someone to hold it. Stick your rocket on with tape, as shown. Thread a long piece of string or wool through your rocket.

Step 4: Tie both ends of the string to something so it is taught. Hold the open end of balloon……get ready, set, let go and watch it rocket!

Step 4: Attach your paper flowers to your crown using wooden sticks. Enjoy your crown!

TWIST

Boat Rocket

TASTE TEST CHALLENGE

2 + players

Blindfold player 2. Meanwhile, player 1 gathers 10 different foods on a plate. Player 1 feeds food number 1 to player 2 who guesses what it is and rates it out of 5 (notes can be made).

Repeat for all 10 foods. Don’t let Player 2 see the plate! Now change players with different foods. The player who correctly guessed the most, wins!

Blindfold

TASTE TEST

Quick Tortilla Wraps

You could try a fruity breakfast wrap!

cut

Make a cut from centre to outside of tortilla.

Gather some tasty foods for your wrap.

Fold each quarter over onto itself as shown.

Experiment and try some new foods……….

1 banana example

M a e Y o k u R o w n

JELLY FISH

You will need: Coat hanger

2 pots String Card

Big button

A stick

Make 3

evenly spaced holes in the top of each cup.

Tie a piece of string in each hole and tie together at top. Hook cups onto hanger.

Wash an old plant pot or yoghurt pot. Make a hole in the top to thread your string through

Gather some odd bits of string, ribbon, strips of plastic bags, and tie them in the middle with a length of cord.

DIY Weighing Scales

Cut a triangle of card and glue to your stick, to make an arrow. Tape stick it to the centre of your coat hanger. Tie a weight (big button or something heavy) onto a piece of string. Loop it over the top of hanger. When the arrow is in line with the ‘weight’, both cups weigh the same.

Decorate your pot with paper, tissue paper, beads, sparkly bits…….!

Thread your cord up through the hole in top of pot.

Why not tie him to a tree and watch him jiggle in the breeze?

Scan for video tutorial

Scan for video tutorial

Unequal Equal

Gather a few things from around the house. Can you guess what will weigh the same?

Panda says: Did you know, yoga helps with memory and concentration ?

Slow down with

Try these simple poses to improve balance, strength and endurance. Yoga helps keep your body and mind healthy.

Tortie says:

Practice every day after school. Try holding each pose for a slow count of 5

Elephant: legs apart, look up and stretch arms up like a trunk.

Eagle: Kneel down And stretch arms to the side with palms facing up.

Stand tall with legs together. Reach arms up and move like a giraffe.

Tortoise: Put hands on floor, Legs outstretched behind. Look up and stretch

Cat: Sit on floor with soles of feet together, back straight. Hold onto feet with hands.

Panda: On hands and knees, look up and stretch out your back

One hand and opposite foot on the floor. Other arm and leg outstretched.

Flower: Stand with o leg straight, the other bent up. Palms together. Hold.

meIloveyoga.Ithelps stayflexiblesoI highcanreachthe branches.

MINDFUL BREATHING

Breathing deeply, in and out, helps when you feel upset, overwhelmed or frustrated. Make a breathing stick to hold when you practice your breathing exercises. It will help keep you focused.

1. Grab an unusual stick from outside.

2. Grab some bits from around the house, like wool, string, elastic bands, bits of material or fabric flowers, ribbon.

3. Decorate your stick with your decorative bits.

4. Why not sit outside when you practice your breathing, listen to the birds and the wind and trees.

PRACTICE:

Breathing Exercises

The perfect way to calm and re

Take 3 quick little bunny sniffs through your nose. Hold for a count of 2. Breathe out through your mouth.

Inhale through your nose for a count

Hold for a count of 2. Breathe out through your mouth making a ‘Ssssss’ sound.

All about Balance

Across

This is hot, and comes out in the day Another word for 'buddy' or 'pal' We do this when someone tells a joke 12 hours of this each night We keep active and have fun doing this

CROSSWORD

Can you answer the questions and fill in the crossword?

Ifyoudon’tkeepme,I’ll break.WhatamI?

IhaveaWhathashandsandaface,Itbelongstoyou,butfriends useitmore.Whatisit?

Try out these riddles…

Answers on the back page

Star Maze

Find your way out of the maze!

Aim for an average of at least minutes per day of physical activity

Scan here to find out about LOTS of fun home activities….

Crazy Chalk-Path Challenge

Play with a friend. Use your whistle to start! Who can do it fastest?

Pop-up Cards

What is journaling?.... writing down your thoughts and feelings so you can understand them more.

Step by step: Simple Ladybird

Cut 3 same sized circles out of red paper . Fold in half.

Glue one half of one circle. Stick it to a different half of another circle.

Glue another half circle to that one. This is your body. Stick it in the of your card so that when you close it, it folds shut easily. Have fun decorating…

Sometimes it can be hard to put our feelings into words. This is a great way to express our thoughts without fear or judgement.

Scan here for more pop card ideas and tutorials. Challenge yourself with some of these other designs….

Scan to watch our tutorials!

You can use your notepad included in this pack. This journal is just for you and your feelings. You can write about being happy or sad, anxious or excited ……anything you are feeling or thinking.

shapes

Geo-Sculpture Tower

1. Collect cardboard tubes, boxes, scrap paper, foam, magazine pages, stickers…..anything to decorate your fabulous sculpture with.

2. Decorate your cardboard pieces with paint, paper, stickers etc.

3. Cut out different shapes….

5. Slot your shapes together to make your sculpture!

Share photos of your sculptures to feature on our facebook page…… scrapstoremakes@gmail.com

4. Cut short

GAME: Balance Cube

Balancing Flamingo: Can you stand on one leg for a whole minute like a Flamingo?

Did you find it easy? Try closing your eyes!

Hold your quoit in one hand. Pass it down to your foot. Hook it back up to your other hand….. nd so on…..How many can you do in 2 minutes?

Back to back: Stand back to back with a partner. Link arms. Push against each other with your backs o stand up. Do the same again to sit back down. Can you repeat it 3 times?

Using a skipping rope on the loor, or the edge of a mat, balance and k heel to toe along the line 4 times. Imagine you are on a tight rope.

Leap frog: leap around the room like a frog! What noise does a frog make?

Alien Stomp: Put a tissue on your head. Start some music! Dance around the room……. But don’t let your tissue hit the floor! If your tissue falls, Catch it and put it back on your head, and keep playing!

6

Game: Balance Cube!

Roll the dice. Using the chart opposite, find your number and complete the activity. Challenge yourself:

• Make up your own balance chart, with different activities!

4 2 1 5 3

• Cut out the die template along solid lines.

• Fold along the dotted lines.

• Glue flaps and stick inside your dice

Wishing you an active, fun-filled holiday from the Bring it on Brum team

Thank you to all our donors, supporters and volunteers who make this possible

Maze Solution

Puzzle Page

Answers

Riddle Solutions:

1. Promise

2. A coin

3. A clock

4. Your name

5. A towel

Crossword Solution