Archives for Alexander - Page 4
How to make a Chinese Dragon Hat pt.1
As most kids do, Alexander got some homework over the school holidays. His new teacher asked the class to make a crazy hat and bring it in, with a note that they would need it all year. We decided to make a Chinese Dragon Hat (mainly because Alexander is in China Class for Year 4). What you need to make a Chinese Dragon Hat cardboard (old cereal boxes or similar) scissors (large ones capable of cutting cardboard) tape (micropore is best if you have it, gaffer tape is also handy in places) an egg box (12 or more eggs are best) newspaper PVA Glue & a half-inch paintbrush Assorted paints (green, red, yellow, black & white) and brushes (glitter optional) Coloured paper (green, red, yellow for making scales) Coloured pipe cleaners (red, orange & yellow for make some fire breath)…
Guardians of the Galaxy
I took Alexander to see this the other evening. It wasn't my idea, he'd gone to see How to Train Your Dragon 2 with his mum but while they were in the queue to get tickets it sold out. Guardians was a consolation prize and I made sure to book the tickets online before I told him we were going. I've not read the comic book that this is based on, and I had no prior knowledge of any of the characters or the plot. That said I am a fan of science fiction and I read some British comic books (mainly from the 2000AD school). It starts with a prologue, Star Lord as a 9 or 10 year old boy in 1988 listening to his Walkman while waiting outside the hospital room where his mum is dying. A poignant…
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Investigate Centre – NHM
I'm a friend of the Natural History Museum and I go there a lot, especially with the kids. Both of them love the place. Today though we found a new part of the NHM that we'd never been in before. Hidden away in the basement, under the green zone, there is the Investigate Centre which is generally open to the public. As the demonstrator told us "Everything in here is real, except the human skeleton, because we're not allowed to let you handle human bones". Alex finds out about a toad grasshopper in the Investigate Centre @NHM_London (Photo credit: James Kemp) In the centre there are a lot of artefacts that you can handle, look at with magnifying glasses, video cameras and microscopes. As well as that you can look them up on the computers in the centre that use…
Black Belt Speed Drills
I went to watch the Choi Kwang Do black belt test of one of my son's close friends this morning at the Ellis Academy of Choi Kwang Do in Redhill, Surrey. Here is a very short video (about 50 seconds) of her doing some speed drills as part of the test. I have to say I think it is awesome how fast they go, especially as they are only eight years old! Related articles Martial arts training helps children with cancer
Review – The Lego Movie
I went to see the Lego Movie this morning with my eight year old son. We both laughed out loud at it. A lot! It was seriously funny for most of the movie, some of it was slapstick and some of it was pretty geeky side jokes. Either way we had a whole lot of fun watching it. As the theme song goes, 'Everything is Totally Awesome!' The premise of the movie is a pastiche on the ancient prophecy tale where a hapless youth discovers he is the chosen one a little earlier than he's ready to deal with it. A mentor sees him through it and good triumphs over evil in the end. In the case of the Lego movie this sees a standard construction worker (Emmett) become the master builder who will save the Lego universe from the…