Nowadays Cabbage Patch Kids are an obscurity of the past. Getting a pack out in the playground in 2010 might even end in tears and a trip to the school nurse. Today, it’s all about modern kids gadgets which cost hundreds of pounds and force parents in to bankrupcy; somewhere that loves and endorses all that stuff (apart from bankrupcy per say) is the website www.gizkid.com.

It seems I am way out of touch. Half the things on this website are things I thought were still about ten years out of our technological reach! There are things like iphone gadgets which make the iphone a super-fun thing for three year olds, and even night-vision goggles for five year olds training to be spies (seriously, what other use could night vision goggles serve? It’s actually scary.)

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I am the father of, I hope, three fairly well rounded teenagers. As a single father I have spent a great deal of time with them over the last eight years or so. It has been hard work at times but overall extremely rewarding and can say unequivically that I know my kids better than most dads.

Kids of course do not come with an instruction manual but what we all have is memories of our own childhood. This is our resource. During my parenthood I have often delved into the dim and distant past when needing inspiration on how to bring up my kids. I recall the wonderful times when my father did things with me that I enjoyed and the even better times when it was obvious that we were both enjoying it. I also remember the dull times when he attempted to get me interested in some of the things that he liked doing. As an adult of course I would love it if he were still around and we could do some of those things together. Unfortunately for him trawling around antique shops did not push the buttons of a very sorts minded ten year old!

Getting to know your kids is the first step. ver the years I have played copious numbers of different board games, many related to the latest fad - “Harry Potter”, “The Simpson"etc. and of become addicted to (usually only for ashort time) various computer and console games. The thing is to give them a go. In my experience if you are willing to try what they like they will be willing to try what you like. My youngest, now thirteen, has been a keen golfer since the age of five - they all tried it, she took to it. We now enjoy lovely spring and summer afternoons playing the odd nine holes.

And this “I try, you try"regime works in other ways too - food, work even ensuring tht “bedtime"is adheared to.

The most rewarding thing I have done in my life has been to get to know my kids and I urge everyone, particularly dads (I think we need to make a bit moe of an effort) to do the same.

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There is nothing that my kids love more than being creative, being messy, being noisy and having fun - your children are probably like that as well!

When I was young myself I used to like to make papier mache but it was a lengthy process, well now me and my little angels (ahem) like to make papier mache pig masks in a jiffy!

I know people who use large 4 litre cartons of milk to mould the masks but I find that this gives a strange elongated shape, I much prefer the tried and tested balloon method just like mama used to make! Take a balloon and blow it up until it is approximately the size of your childs head. Tape this balloon to a heavy unmoving object to hold it in place, I recommend using a heavy mixing place as this will also collect any water and gum that runs off of the balloon during the mache making. Be aware that the balloon will become heavy during the moulding phase and so it has to be firmly secured to stop it rolling around.

Mix warm water in another bowl with plain flour until it takes on a semi-fluid paste like consistency. Here comes my tip for speeding the process up: rather than tearing paper into small pieces as traditionally done, instead cut pieces of newspaper into an oval face shape, each oval being the same size. Cut these ovals into four section: top, bottom and two middle. Dip these, one quarter a time, into the paste and then place carefully onto the balloon. Overlap each section slightly with the one below. I recommend at least four full ovals be placed onto the balloon, don’t forget to smooth out the paper once placed or it will look ridged when dry. This is very messy work, which I guarantee your kids will love, so try to have some sheets or paper around the craft area and wear overalls or aprons.

Once this stage is completed place the balloon, still attached by tape to its base, into a conservatory or warm room. It can take up to two days to dry. Remove the tape and pop the balloon to leave a lovely face sized mask.

Once dry you can cut eye and mouth holes. Cut out one section from a cardboard egg box and, using a paper friendly glue, stick onto the middle of the mask to form a snout. Cut two triangles from a cardboard cereal box and stick onto the top corners of the mask, bend over to form piggy ears.

It is now time for the painting, and of course the little ones will love this! Use acrylic paints, either bright pink or make your own pig colour by mixing red and white acrylics. Make sure that you paint the whole mask with an initial white acrylic undercoat before applying two coats of pig! Once the paint is dry you can either attache elastic to the mask or glue it onto wooden spatulas to make masks that you hold.

This is lots and lots of fun, it will really get your children’s creative juices flowing and will have them running around the house making ’oinking’ noises for days to come!

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So, the snow is here, the schools are closed and you can’t get in to work. You can either sit and feel miserable about it or you can use this as a way of spending a bit of time with the kids.

Remember how exciting it was when you were a nipper and it snowed? Try to conjure up some of those memories and get out in the garden with the children! They are going to be enjoying themselves as it is, but if mum or dad (or both) is out there with them it’s going to be even better!

Help them to make a snowman. It may not be a new idea but kids still love it just as much as they always have. The thing about building a snowman is that everyone can be doing something different. The body will need to be made, the head will have to be rolled around in the snow and someone will need to decorate him (or her).

Show your children how you used to make a snowman’s face. Find a carrot for his nose, a scarf for his neck and some coal or stone for his eyes, mouth and buttons. But the best thing about building one is that when you want a break a snowball fight is a great way to unwind!

If you live somewhere hilly then perhaps you can take the tykes sledging. If you don’t have a sled then you can soon knock one together with a few pieces of wood and a rope for steering. And, for the really ambitious, there is always the possibility of helping your children to create an igloo! Of course, this will depend on how cold you are getting, the depth of the snow and the amount of patience that you have…

One last thing, I was talking with my cousin last night and he reckons that in the economic slump lots of firms are turning towards team building ideas in london to hearten the employees. I don’t really know how I feel about this, I mean it’s a pleasant idea but it is never going to encourage people as much as a nice big cash incentive is it?

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Nowadays, the virtual world is taking over and children are not participating in physical activity like they did in the past. Not to despair though, as there are plenty of activities you can get your kids involved in to keep them off the video games.

Take them to the park and set up a picnic. This gets the entire family involved and they will love it. You can even set up a blank and picnic basket in your back yard for an outdoor lunch. This will at least get them outside in the fresh air.

Encourage reading by taking them to your local library. Get them their own library cards so they can check out their own books. Libraries tend to have special reading activities planned such as story time or special visits from book authors. These make great times to get your children involved.

Take your kids fishing. There is no need to bring a tackle box full of bait. A simple cup of earthworms and a fishing pole should do the trick. You can teach them how to take the fish off the hooks and throw them back in the water.

Show them how to plant and grow their own garden. You can have them start a vegetable garden so they can pick the fresh veggies later for salads. They will feel like they are contributing to family dinner.

Have a green day. Take your kids out for an environmental walk. Bring some trash bags with you so they can pick up litter on their walk. Alternate your walking routes each day so they can clean up a wide area. You can use this time to talk with your kids about the importance of keeping the earth clean, recycling, using organic products and other “green” topics.

When all else fails and your kids are bored, take out a board game for a little bit of family time. Everyone likes board games and they make a great alternative to the television set and more reruns of Murder She Wrote…

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Have you ever considered organising a treasure hunt? If you are inviting a lot of your child’s friends round for a birthday party then this is an ideal time to do one.

You could even make it a fancy dress party and insist that all children attending dress up in pirate costumes! This will appeal to just about every kid and it doesn’t have to mean a lot of expense. Pirate costumes are really easy to make by using old clothes that you have lying around. Stripey jumpers, dad’s work boots and a tie (worn as a bandana) are all possibilities.

The only thing you may need to buy is a few eye patches, but this is not going to break the bank. Plastic swords and muskets can be picked up from most pound shops as well!

Perhaps, after you have hidden the treasure, you can print off a map for each child on the computer; or just draw one and get it photocopied next time you go shopping. Getting your treasure hunting clues right may be a bit of an art… They don’t want to be too easy but try not to make them overly difficult either. Something like; ‘This should cushion the blow’ could mean that the next clue can be found on the sofa. Of course, it will all depend on the age of the children.

Maybe the ‘treasure’ can be a pile of sweets and small toys. For authenticity you could have a look around for an old wooden box that resembles a pirate’s treasure chest. You could even bury it in the sandpit or something!

One last thing, I have been allocated to set up for the convention next week. Does anyone know where I can get some good banner stands at short notice?

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First, every child should have a craft drawer that is stocked with supplies. Some supplies that should be included are scissors, crayons, paint, paint brushes, glue sticks, construction paper, glitter, beads, rulers, colored pencils, washable markers and anything else you can think of.

Activity # 1: Help your child create a collage. This can be anything your little one can think of. Have them cut out different pictures from magazines. Or, you can take a nature walk and have them collect things such as leaves, sticks, grass or other pieces of nature and glue them on their collage.

Activity # 2: Children love water colors. They are inexpensive too and bring hours of fun. You can have them color in pre-made pictures or draw their own. Coloring books are great for this project too.

Activity # 3: Create homemade necklaces or bracelets. These can be put together with beads, cereal such as cheerios, lifesavers or simply braid them together. You can also purchase jewelry kits in your local crafts store.

Activity # 4: Refrigerator magnets are a blast to make. Let your kids create animals, faces, monsters or anything else they can imagine. Magnets are easily found at your local craft store.

Taking time out to spend with your child creating numerous different arts and crafts projects is both fun and educational. It gives you time to spend with your little one and helps them learn at the same time. Weekends are great for these projects when things are not so busy.

Holiday news: The plans to take a camping trailer along the south coast are in the works! Although we do need to look into getting some Touring caravan insurance, I am handing this to Margaret…

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Most children love to make things and this can be channelled into several creative activities. Making Christmas cards can be great fun and it will keep them busy for hours. Lots of shops sell sheets of coloured card, tissue paper, glitter and anything else you need. Just show them the basics of folding an A4 card in half and where to write their message and they will soon be engrossed! As long as you remember to cover the dining table in newspaper before they start then the worst that can happen is a bit of spilt glue or glitter… hopefully. If you would rather not risk any mess then you can help them to design some on the computer!

You could also get them making their own tags to go on gifts. Old Christmas cards from last year are brilliant for this and it will even save you some money! Another thing that they will enjoy doing is making their own Christmas decorations. There are even some websites where you can download templates to print and use.

Children will love to get involved with this sort of thing as Christmas (and the lead-up to it) is such an exciting time. But there is more to it all than just that… By getting them to do this sort of thing they will also be learning about the joy of giving to others. Grandmas and granddads are going to love receiving personalised cards and they are bound to look at them again in the years to come. And when the kids finish those you can get them on a project of Christmas roller banners for your office.

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By the time that they actually find ‘something to do’ it is time to start back at school!

Don’t you just love kids? We all have a moan about them but we would never be without them. You just have to remember that they need to learn how to find things to do. It is easy to get frustrated but as a parent it is your responsibility to teach them how there are all sorts of interesting things to occupy their time.

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I love nature and when I come across something like this it is a real treat. Making something like this is so much more satisfying than driving to a shop and buying ready-made shelves. It is the perfect time of year for making these at the moment. You can go out for a nice walk in a forest somewhere and shop for your ‘natural furnishings’ at the same time.

Check out these treatment photographs on the breast reduction surgery webpage, I don’t know which is before and which is after! I recone we should just remove them.

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