Funny Science, Balloon Rocket Launcher!

Want some cheap and fun science experiment at home? Check this out!

The Balloon Rocket Launcher, simplest possible setup that guarantees to make your little ones laugh, and it's a great chance to teach them about air, pressure and how rocket works.

All you need are:

• 1 balloon (or more in case it pops)

• 1 m of rope or string

• 1 giant straw (those for drinking bubbles drink)

• some cellophane tape

That's it, you are ready to go!

Setting up. 

I tied the rope between the two dining chairs. But I made a mistake by tying a knot on the balloon and poking it with a needle. DON'T repeat my mistake, it resulted in a big blast! LOL. But it gave me a chance to explain the concept of pressure (despite giving everyone a shock).

So I got little captain to help blowing up the balloon, attached it to the straw with some cellophane tapes, and hold on to the balloon opening with his fingers so the air won't escape.

He couldn't wait to let go, as you can see here...

Rocket launched successful!

This one was spinning like a hola hoop.

This was a successful launching with the rocket traveling in straight line.

How does this work?

It's based on the same concept as a rocket, where the compressed air in the chamber (in this case the rubber wall) is released and creating a thrust that sends the balloon rocket to shot in the opposite direction.

Here's how MIT (web.mit.edu) explains it:
"A rocket in its simplest form is a chamber enclosing a gas under pressure. A small opening at one end of the chamber allows the gas to escape, and in doing so provides a thrust that propels the rocket in the opposite direction. A good example of this is a balloon. Air inside a balloon is compressed by the balloon's rubber walls. The air pushes back so that the forces on each side are balanced. When the nozzle is released, air escapes through it and the balloon is propelled in the opposite direction."

What a fun activity, it took only 5 minutes to construct but brought us hours of fun and laughter, we continued playing after returning home from our lunch date.

Hope your LOs enjoy as much as us!

Copyrights © Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones, 2012 - present. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any materials/photos within this website without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

{Book Review} For the Terrible Two - The Way I Feel and The Way I Act

I often hear parents complaint about Terrible Two stage of their little ones. The little ones being difficult, being cranky, unreasonable and causing the parents to loose control. Touch wood, thing was rather smooth for us with my Captain E when he was young, while it is not exactly easy with my Princess C who is nearly 2.5 years old now, she is still manageable. We had our fair share of challenges, but the fact that they were both rather expressive of their feeling and need, the Terrible Two was not, and is not that terrible after all.

Here are 2 of the books that I think had helped and would be most useful for parents with young toddlers or preschoolers:

• The Way I Feel, by Janan Cain
• The Way I Act, illustrated by Janan Cain and verses by Steve Mertgez

The Way I Feel
by Janan Cair

The Way I Feel 

"Feelings come and feelings go.
I never know what they'll be.
Silly or angry, happy or sad -
They're all a part of me!"

This board book teaches little ones to understand their feeling and emotions, which any toddler commonly face but may not be able to tell. Emotions are neither good nor bad, they are all just apart of us. This book covers the most basic oneslike:

Happy... 
Angry... 
Silly... 
Sad.. 
Thankful.. 
Jealous.. 
Scared.. 
Disappointed.. 

The fun drawing and short description makes it easy for little ones to understand and relate to their own feelings. When the little ones are able to better express themselves, instead of being often misunderstood by the adults, you may find them more manageable and 'reasonable' to some extend.

Here are some of the abstracts..

The Way I Act

When my little Captain was around 4.5 years old, I introduced him to the another book instead - The Way I Act.

This board book is a sequel to the previous book. It uses simple verses and colorful drawing to explain the character traits like bravery, responsibility, curious, persistent... These may be big words for the little ones, but read with them, explain to them by relating to what they do in their daily life, you may be surprised that our kiddos may actually understand. I like that this book uses easy to understand English that are non-bias and beautiful artwork that most kids would like.

The Way I Act
Illustrated by Janan Cair and verses by Steve Metzger

If you have a young toddler or kindergartener at home and you enjoy reading to them, do give these books a try. I got them from scholastic but you can always find this in local bookstores, online sources or purchase from AppStore too so you can read it anytime, anyway. You may also check out other publications by Janan Cain here.

May these books help you to coach your little ones to understand their emotions and behavior, so instead of a Terrible Two, you have a toddler with Terrific Two instead. ;)

Where to get the book? check out these online store if you are too lazy to visit a book store..
MPH Online 
Book Depository (Free worldwide delivery)
Amazon.com

Happy reading!


Copyrights © Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones, 2012 - present. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any materials/photos within this website without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. 

{Book Review} Joosh's Juice Bar: The Blue Banana Berry Adventure

Do you allow your little ones to access iPad for occasional game time or youtube time? Well, I do. While I do not encourage my duo to be on iPad all the time, daily playing of 30 minutes or so is acceptable to me. However, I will always keep an eye to ensure they are only watching the permitted youtube clips or children games that I screened and downloaded. There are some AppStore apps that I think are pretty handy in encouraging creativity and problem solvings (no, I'm not referring to angry bird or Plant vs Zombie :), when I have the chance I shall list the top 10 Child Friendly AppStore apps. 

If. I. Have. The. Time.

Anyway, that is a different story altogether. 

Today I would like to share with you an interested e-book that you can offer to the little ones with an IOS device or a computer. as long as you have an internet connection.

Joosh's Juice Bar: The Blue Banana Berry Adventure 

by Josh Gottsegen

It's about a juice bar (obviously) runs by this guy name Joosh (obviously!), whom assigned his little ones, Mo and Coco to fetch some fresh strawberry when they ran out of the berries. So the little ones went hunting for fresh berries with their friends, Randy the monkey and Kwamee the lizard, the gang got themselves and all the rest of the customers into trouble when they decided to plug the forbidden blue berries to make some blue smoothies...

Let me be honest. This is the first time that I read an ebook on my iPad (yes, yes, I'm an old-fashioned book worm...), and I must admit I like the lovely colour of the beautiful pages. My little captain saw me reading on our Mac as I was getting ready to write a review, and he got attracted to the colourful graphic that he decided to join me and snuggled next to me. Next thing I knew, he was happily reading away and eventually asked me if I can print the book for him to read. :)

So what do I like about this e-book?

#1 The beautiful artwork and cute characters that can attract my little ones and kept them interested to read on more. Perhaps this is one good thing about e-book as the presentation is often far more vivid than of printed material, thanks to the latest display technology. Besides, it has many words that rhymes that makes it fun to read, such as,

"I'm faster than you and I don't wear shoes!

We're lost and I'm grumpy, 

and now I'm hungry!"

"What are these berries?

They look so yummy?

I wonder how many,

I can fit in my tummy?"

My little boy actually enjoyed reading aloud with this book, instead of asking me to read to him.

#2 It is a book with heart, where it sends the message on importance of eating right (and avoid the snacks). The blue banana berries are just like the yummy candies that often appear so tempting to the little ones, smells nice, tastes sweet but are mostly really just sugar-coated snacks, just like these blue banana berry which makes you glow in blue from head to toe. 

#3 It offers a good alternative from games and video.

Here are some screenshots for your preview.

For $0.99 a copy and you can access the e-Book anytime anywhere from your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Mac, I would say it's a worthy choice.

Interested? Hop over to the iTunes now for a preview and once purchased, you will received an URL which will allows you to access the e-book anytime.. If you are living in US, you can also get the book from Kreation Juice Bars, which is a local Los Angeles chain of juice bars.

*Updated*
If you would like a printed copy, grab your copy at Amazon.com and don't forget to check out the reviews too!

Hope your little ones find joys in reading too. Cheers! 

Copyrights © Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones, 2012 - present. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any materials/photos within this website without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. 

{Contest} Stand Firm Stay Firm Photography Contest byShizens #StandFirmStayFirm

When I was invited to join the #StandFirmStayFirm photography contest by Shizens, a new upcoming Korean beauty products introduced to me by one of my best friends, I was overjoyed to see their tagline.

Stand Firm. Stay Firm.

What a strong and direct message to everyone.

I have always feel proud to be a woman, and most importantly, I feel good being me. Money, social status, success does not define me nor detect my happiness. I was often asked where did I find the time and energy to juggle between work, family, kids, chores & myself? It is only with the believe that, I can. I won't allow others to procrastinate my believe and destiny. 

I especially like these quotes and I thought are worth sharing...

Beauty is how you feel inside and it reflects in your eyes. it is not something physical. 
- Sophia Loren


A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water. 
- Eleanor Roosevelt

Anyway.... I just want to invite you to join this photography contest that is opened to all the strong and firm ladies out there. Just share your best shots and tell the story of Stand Firm Stay Firm. 

The theme is Strong Emotions, Human & Feminine.  
The contest ends 30 April 2014, don't miss the deadline if you are interested! by the way, it's only opened to Malaysia and Singapore residents.

Want to know more? visit their website here. 
Or see what others have submitted here.

Here are some photos to inspire you.. (not by me, it's from their official website :)

There are 2 categories, one for the Photography Enthusiasts and one for the Mobile Photography, check out the exciting prizes they are offering...

Photography Contest by StandFirmStayFirm

I have yet to submit my entry, but good luck to whoever who is participating!

*LATEST UPDATE*

I have submitted my entry! Feel free to cast me a vote here, will you? ;)

Don't let the world change your smile, use your smile to change the world instead.
- Pui Hua

Cheers!

Copyrights © Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones, 2012 - present. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any materials/photos within this website without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

{Book Review} Grooming a Star Wars Lover... Young Jedi who Loves to Read!

Who usually plays the bedtime story reading role at home? Is it mommy or daddy? In our home, 95% of the time it's done by me, Big Guy hardly has the patience to read through the books with the duo.

But not with these books. He read them far more animatedly than me. It's easy to tell why... He's the hard core Star Wars fan since teenage years, he can name every character in every Star Wars episode and Darth Vader was probably his childhood idol. He has a few lightsabers so he can trains the little ones on lightsaber fighting skill. In the dark. 

So yes, he is no doubt one die hard Star Wars fan.

So here are some books I would like to recommend to the Star Wars fans out there, especially for daddy who find reading boring. You shall enjoy this and have some good laugh with your little ones, or even just to yourself.

#1 Darth Vader and Son, by Jeffrey Brown

About the mighty dark lord and his 4yo son, Luke, this is an adorable comic that illustrates how Darth Vader's life would be as a father in a funny yet touching way.  Each page is a short story of how Darth Vader attempts to coach Luke to use his Jedi power, or how Luke got himself into mischief with his R2-D2 and C-3PO. My boy was deeply in love with this book and would read it aloud all to himself. Reading the book gave me good laugh, really. I can totally picture myself in his position. :)

It's a 64 pages hardcover with beautiful illustrations by Jeffrey Brown. You may read out more about him here or discover his blog, I truly admire his creativity and humor. Here are some snippets..

#2 Vader's Little Princess by Jeffrey Brown 

Who says Star Wars is only for the boys? Little girls too can enjoy some exciting galaxy quests! Princess Leia, the teenage daughter of Darth Vader is smart, curious and strong will. She gave the Sith Lord equal if not more headache than managing the brother Luke or even the Galactic Empire, especially when she met a boy friend, Han Solo. Reading this book some how made me laugh hysterically, as I can really imagine my girl being the rebellious Princess Leia as portrayed by Jeffrey... 

#3 Star Wars: the Jedi Academy, by Jeffrey Brown

This is a paperback children book and also the latest publication of Star Wars chronicle by Jeffrey Brown. We got from Scholastic and it's a paperback in black & white print, the bonus was, it came with a free figurine of C-3PO (which got my boy super excited..) It's about how all the young Jedi name Roan who couldn't make it to the Pilot academy but was recruited into the Jedi academy instead. 

Roan undergone his Jedi training under the wise Yoda master along with a bunch of other gifted kids. The book was written like a journal or doodle, which makes it really fun to read. My little handsome especially likes it when I read to him in Yoda's signature voice, always giggled and asked for more. Personally, I like this book too for the awkward sense of humor. :)

The description on Master Yoda... approximate 10lpm and 15hpm?? LOL

#4 Star Wars: How to Speak Droid with R2-D2, A Communication Manual

This 12 pages hardcover book was a present the duo got from a good friend's son who returned from his Aussie trip. It is published by Chronicle Books which also published an earlier book on How to Speak Wookie, which apparently was another bestseller... Gosh, there sure is lots of Star Wars fans out there else there won't be so many Star Wars books being published!

As you can tell  R2-D2 is the main character here with a built-in sound module that makes 10 different droid phases akin to R2-D2. You know, the ti-li-tu-lu-beep-beep-bap or the bi-rap-rap-tap-wa-tee-tee-pee. It's a fun book that let you discovers the other side of the droid, like how they walk the dog, gives a back massage or even serves in a restaurant. Something that will make the little ones laugh. :)

My little girl has yet to be able to read by herself as she's barely 2yo, but she enjoys flipping and pressing all the buttons, and laugh in the most care-free way. I love listening to her chuckles, really washes away any troubles in my mind.

#5 Goodnight Darth Vader (Coming Soon!)

Another new book of Jeffrey Brown is expected to be released on 22 July 2014. Since I have yet to get this book for my little captain, let's read the published synopsis.. 

"In this Episode, the Sith Lord must soothe his rambunctious twins, Luke and Leia—who are not ready to sleep and who insist on a story. As Vader reads, the book looks in on favorite creatures, droids, and characters, such as Yoda, R2-D2, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Darth Maul, Admiral Ackbar, Boba Fett, and many others as they tuck in, yawn, and settle down to dream. "

Even since we introduced these books to my little captain, he loves to start his story by saying:

"Long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... 

On a planet called the Death Star.." 

He spoke with a low deep voice which he finds cool. It excites me too to see how much he enjoys the books and narrating the stories to us, he is now fondly curious to find out how stars and planets and robots are made and been flipping his encyclopedia over and over. 

The power of curiosity, is the source that leads to the quest for knowledge.

- by PH
Well, since we are on the topic of Star Wars, and I assume you must be a fan of Star Wars or you may not have read this far, do you know when was Star Wars the comic first published? *hehehe*

It's on  1 July 1977 by Marvel Comics and was on sale for USD$0.30. That makes Star Wars 37 years old this year!

Cover of Star Wars Volume #1

So, can't wait to get one of these books?

Most of these books were acquired oversea (from UK and Australia respectively, the first 2 were flown in from UK by their favorite uncle) but some local stores may have the books too. I just found one of the books on MPH Online, so feel free to try your luck by visiting Kinokuniya, Borders or MPH.

Otherwise, online purchase is available too.. 

Book Depository

Darth Vader and Son

Vader's Little Princess

Amazon.com

Darth Vader and Son

Vader's Little Princess
How to Speak Droid with R2-D2, A Communication Manual

Goodnight Darth Vader (pre-order)

Scholastic
Star Wars: Jedi Academy

MPH Online
Darth Vader and Son
Star Wars: Jedi Academy


In case you wonder.... I'm sharing these books not because I have any commission or received any benefit in any form, it is purely for the love of books and Star Wars. 

"May the Force be with you"

Copyrights © Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones, 2012 - present. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any materials/photos within this website without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. 

{Repurpose} Halter Princess Dress from Maternity Dress 吊带小公主裙子

What did you do with your maternity dress? I had given away most of them, only left behind some that have obvious flaws, either with some torn corners or missing button, so I have been keeping them aside not knowing what to do with them... Till I finally find the inspiration to repurpose one of them.

Here's the first piece. I made into a halter princess dress for my little bunny. 

Looking oh so lovely on her, isn't it? She wouldn't let me take off her.

The halter back design, easily adjustable length. I got the idea from her daddy's tie :)

Look! Even her little bunny gets a new dress too.. Nothing is gone to waste, not even the fabric scrap.

And this is how the original dress once looks like. The very pregnant me with my best friend.

I love the new dress, and love that she is now wearing a piece that once belongs to me, somehow it gave me a satisfied feeling. 

Hope this gives you some inspiration too!

Copyrights © Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones, 2012 - present. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any materials/photos within this website without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. 

Fun With Music: Let's Play Piano (A Year Later...)

It's been exactly 1 year 6 months since captain E enrolled into the Yamaha piano lesson. He has been attending the weekly lesson under the guidance of the same teacher, diligently practicing at least twice a week with the electric piano we bough for him at home. 

Here's the key milestones check:

• He is now able to understand and recognise all the symbols (Treble clef, Base clef), notes (crotchet, minim, dotted minim, semi-breve, quaver), articulation marks (staccato, accent etc) and counting. This is after completing 2 theory books and 2 piano lesson books. 

• He is able to read and play with both hands simultaneously, among some of his favorite pieces are Mickey Waltz, Not So Easy Polka, My Grandfather's Clock, 500 Miles and Long long Ago.
• He has good control of the beat, he used to play at random speed (depending on his mood I suppose?) but now he is able to find his pace and play with right counting.

What really surprised me was that, he no longer fears to play in front of the crowd. When the teacher asked if he wants to sign up for the audition for the mid-year student concert, he hesitated  at first but after some thought he told me he is ready to sign up for the audition. It's clear that he has his fear (I explained to him what's an audition) but he overcame his fear of crowd. From a shy boy who would quietly shake his head to now braving himself to face the challenge... my little captain made me one proud mom. :)

We were the first to arrive for the audition, and he did a really steady performance despite there were many participants watching from outside glass door with me. Not the best performer, I would say, but he calmly greeted the 3 judges, played his chosen song and paused to re-continue when he made a mistake. I didn't expect him to be chosen for the concert, but the fact that he found his courage and took the responsibility to practice at home, I know my little captain had reached a new milestone. 

Apart from being able to play quite a many children and classical songs now, I noticed my little captain had learn to be more patience and responsible - practice on his free time without being forced. I didn't fixed a practice schedule for him, I want him to enjoy the music and play on his own will, not to play just because mommy says so. I'm glad things are working out well and I look forward to the day he will play like Jon Schmidt from the Piano Guys. *wishful thinking hits me again...*

By the way, if you do not know who The Piano Guys are, do check them out. The pair Jon Schmidt  and Steven Nelson plays the most inspiring music with their piano and cello.

If there is anything else to add, it's that this mommy also managed to learn some keyboard skill and played few pieces after practicing with him for sometimes. That is definitely a bonus for me!


To Sum It Up...
In case you would like to know more, here are some known benefits of introducing music to a child's development. There may be a lot more other recognised benefits, but I am only picking those that really matters to me as a parent:


#1 Music has a positive influence on young children's cognitive skills, such as spatial learning and memory, it helps to connect the cells in the brain. Research has shown that children who are actively involved with music (either play it or sing it regularly):

• do better in reading and math when they start school
• are better able to focus and control their bodies
• play better with others and have higher self-esteem

Translating the note to finger positioning requires good cognitive skill.

#2 It's a confident builder and helps children to break the social shell. "They find that they can develop a skill by themselves, that they can get better and better", expert says. 

#3 It teaches discipline. It is more than just attending classes on time, but instead music requires one to practice, practice and practice. The children will learn that to play their favorite piece of music they need to have the discipline to practice. We may not aim for prodigy (not me at least), but we would appreciate a child who know self discipline. 

#3 Last but not least, Music makes the children HAPPY. Let them experience the joy of listening and experiencing the music. Play along, sing along or even dance along with the them, make it an enjoyable experience that enriches the childhood.

That's all from me. May your little one has a happy music discovery journey too!


Copyrights © Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones, 2012 - present. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any materials/photos within this website without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Pui Hua and Fun With Little Ones with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.