The Gandelow Gang – kids arts & crafts group

Well I am beside myself with excitement – after many months, weeks and days of scheming and planning I am finally able to announce details of the weekend arts and crafts workshops for our imaginative little-uns. The Gandelow Gang has been born :))

The studio space is being painted, my dream-team of art and craft incredibles are on board, craft themes and activities are planned, materials are being bought – and we are ready to open the doors next weekend.

The classes will be divided into three age groups 3-5yr olds, 5-7yr olds and 7-10yr olds. Activities will be age appropriate, fun and engaging, and the kids be exploring new and exciting techniques each and every week – above are just a small selection of the cool and creative activities the kids will be immersing themselves in. Class numbers are small so each child feels comfortable and secure and gets the most out of every class.

Many parents have been joining the ‘count me in’ list since I first floated this idea in April so it’s now time to finalise the list of Gandelow Gang Kids :)

Gandelow Gang Clubhouse: 94 Henry Street, Limerick

Class Times:
3-5yr olds: Saturdays from 11-12noon
5-7yr olds: Saturdays 1 to 2pm
7-10yr olds: Saturdays 2.30 to 3.30pm

Club Membership:
6 classes from May 19th to June 30th €70 (no class June bank holiday)

Who to call?
Michelle aka MollyMoo on 086 9917456 :)

All materials are provided and a 10% discount is available for a 2nd/3rd child from the same family. Our class captain, Grainne Moloney, is fully Garda Vetted with a Certificate in Child Protection Awareness from NYCI.

We will continue classes during July and August, depending on demand. A summer camp is also on the cards for week beginning July 16th for 5-7 and 7-10 yr olds.

a new addition to the fleet

With all the excitement in this house about next weekends Gandelow Races I decided to make a cardboard and papier-mache gandelow boat this weekend. It’s the first time in 65 years that these very elegant traditional wooden boats will race on the Shannon Estuary and Limerick City and DaddyMoo is on one of the crews – hoot hoot (there’s a hint of a wink of a chance the Molly will get to fire the starting gun….. aaaahh)

Gandelow Races, Limerick City – between the bridges
Sat May 19th from 2.30pm

30min Craft: Cardboard Fish

This craft is so quick and fun you’ll want to make a shoal :)

Prep Work – what to have ready in advance:
- Cut out a fish body and a few triangle shapes from cardboard
- make a couple of triangular cuts on the top and bottom of the body
- squirt some acrylic or poster paint blobs onto a paper plate
- cut a long length of wool
- gather some cardboard waste bits, toilet roll tubes, bottle tops or anything else you can think of for creating stamping patterns

The fun part
- encourage the smallies to paint one side of the cardboard shapes & let dry
- by dipping the bottle tops, toilet roll tubes etc in paint and stamping they can pattern and decorate the fish
- next tape or glue on the fins and tail
- stick on the eye
- loop around the tread for some added texture and hang

craft inspired by DeepSpaceSparkle

grrrrr – make me growl

Free Printable from MoodKids – just download the pdf here, print, follow the folding instructions and have fun – pure nostalgia :)

Saturday May 19th – family fun on the river

Coming up in two weeks, on Saturday May 19th, is a unique event for families and children – a chance for you and the kids to see traditional Limerick Gandelow boats racing on the river for the first time in 65 years.

For the past six months local school children working alongside master shipwrights from Ireland, UK and France have been building and crafting a fleet of five gandelows – this week is painting week so it’s ‘all hands on deck’, even Molly’s.

DaddyMoo will be on one of the racing teams so Mommy & MollyMoo will be the loudest people on Harvey’s Quay for the first of three races, starting between 2.30 and 3pm – will you join us to cheer him on :)

Full details of the day’s events here on the Ilen Wooden Boatbuilding School website

Fab Find – play packs

ooooh that vintage alphabet backpack is an absolute must
for Molly’s next school year
Happy Products for Good People – OreoOriginals

every child is an artist…

The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up {Pablo Picasso}
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We are still making our way through the giftbox of craft kits that arrived from ButtonHead Crafts two weeks ago – and I think today’s little ready made mini canvas board and frame kit has been my favourite – just look at what it inspired…
happy mammy :)
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we’re fierce!!

Had to share these guys with you – the coolest bad ass pirate toys ever.
I ordered the Arty Toys by Djeco from Tickety-Boo in the UK on Friday and they were on my desk waiting for me this morning – wow that’s fast!

How flirty is the girl pirate – think she has her eye on Captain Jack Skull :)

little green hen & the sly fox

The latest little drawing discovered in Molly’s school bag.

The Hen That Laid The Golden Eggs…
I LOVE the pink and yellow arrow pointing out where the red fox is lurking :))
click on to see what happened next….. [read on]

DIY Cardboard Ship Pattern

I am humbled by the reaction to last weekend’s ship building.

There have been requests from a good few mums for the pattern, (plans are being hatched to build ships for their very important little-uns), so I went back to the drawing board and made a ‘proper’ pattern to share.

All I ask of anyone using the pattern is that you come back and share a photo of your little ships so we can share in the joy – the MollyMoo fleet :)

click here to download the ship’s base
and here for the ships hull sides and stern.
The pattern is for personal use only

Sincere thanks to awesome blogs Small To Big, Molto Piccolo, and Colour Me There (formerly Li’l Magoolie) for featuring our craft :)