Blog Archives

COLOURING CONTEST!!!

5/25/2020

CALLING ALL COLOURING ENTHUSIASTS!
In honour of NATIONAL CHILDREN'S GARDENING WEEK,
Golden Toad Theatre has commissioned this brand new colouring sheet
from the illustrator of ERROL'S GARDEN: Gillian Hibbs!
To enter the contest, print out this awesome colouring sheet (below),
colour it in with crayons, pens, markers, or anything you like,
and then post it #GoldenToadKids AND tag Golden Toad Theatre.

WHO CAN ENTER?
Kids 11 years and younger

THE WINNER...
will receive a signed copy of the book ERROL'S GARDEN, and a video message from author/illustrator Gillian Hibbs! We can't wait to see your colouring!

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FREE, PRINTABLE COLOURING SHEET

Song Writing Contest Countdown! Deadline 1 June 5pm

5/25/2020

Do you like to write songs? Are you 11 years or younger? Why don't you enter our songwriting contest? The winner will have their song orchestrated by one of the composers of ERROL'S GARDEN: Jen Green. Jen is an amazing West End orchestrator, and she will take the winning song and create a backing track that you will love! If your song has lyrics (words), we will create a recording featuring a West End singer.
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR SONG:
Create a video (just a phone recording is fine) and ask your grownup to post it online #GoldenToadKids #KidsWriteSongs AND tag Golden Toad or email info@goldentoadtheatre.com. We can't wait to hear your songs!

BUTTERFLY PAINTING

5/18/2020

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: LOW

Check out this awesome way to make a butterfly painting from Wildlife Watch! Send us your pictures! #GoldenToadKids

Share your pics: #GoldenToadKids
Contributor: Wildlife Watch

PRESSED FLOWER CRAFT (part 2) - jar decorating

5/18/2020

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: MEDIUM

It's time to make a craft with our pressed flowers! If you missed the instructions for how to press your flowers, CLICK HERE. We love this awesome craft! You can use your decorated jar hold small things, or you can ask a grownup to put a tea candle inside. Keep it for yourself or make it a gift for someone special!

YOU WILL NEED:
any size glass jar (an old pasta sauce jar, jam jar, etc...)
glue
small-tipped paintbrush
pressed flowers

STEP 1: Place all of your pressed flowers onto a plate so that you can see all the different colours and shapes.

STEP 2: Use your brush to put glue on the back side of your flower. Then stick it to your jar.

STEP 3: Allow glue to dry and then coat the outside of the flowers with another layer of glue, to help seal the flower onto the jar. Allow this to dry completely.

STEP 4: Find the perfect place for your jar! Well done!

Next week we will have another craft idea for your pressed flowers, so save any extra flowers from this project, be sure to hang onto them!

Share your pics #GoldenToadKids
Contributor: Golden Toad Theatre

PLANT SCAVENGER HUNT

5/11/2020

How many fabulous flowers and leaves can you find? We found all sorts amazing plants just outside our door and on our daily walk! An egg carton or any other container will be great for collecting your little wonders. Ask your grownup to help you look online to learn your plants' names! Our favourite plant from our collection is in the lower left corner and it's called "Lipstick" because it looks like kissing lips! We would love to see what you find! Share your pics #GoldenToadKids

If you would like more of a challenge, see if you can find a plant of every colour in the rainbow, as well as something black, white and brown!

CONTRIBUTOR: Golden Toad Theatre
Share your pics #GoldenToadKids

MUDDY TREE FACES

5/11/2020

Do you see what I see? These are no ordinary trees! We discovered these curious trees with faces while out on a walk. Would you like to make your own muddy tree faces? The Woodland Trust will tell you how to get started, see the info below!

CONTRIBUTOR: Woodland Trust
Share your pics: #GoldenToadKids #NatureDetectives

CRAZY GARDEN INSECT

5/4/2020

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: LOW-MEDIUM

Would you like to make your own crazy garden insect? Our insect is sort of like a catapillar and sort of like a snail. What will yours look like?

YOU WILL NEED:
a number of bottle tops
3 pipe cleaners or something similar
paper
glue
pen
knife or large nail (to me used by your grownup)

STEP 1: Ask your grownup to create holes in the middle of the bottle tops using a nail or knife. It might be easiest to use a knife. The larger the hole, the easier it will be for a child to poke the pipe cleaner through. Then create a sort of knot on the end of your first bottle top. From here, continue adding bottle tops.

STEP 2: Alternative bottle top colours as you like, and create another sort of knot once you reach the end of your pipe cleaner.

STEP 3: Cut one of your pipe cleaners in half to make legs. Slip the pipe cleaner between the bottle tops and twist.

STEP 4: Take the last pipe cleaner and slip it between the last bottle top to make antenna. Then cut out paper circles, draw black circles in the centre and glue them to the antenna. We would love to see your pics! #GoldenToadKids

Contributor: Golden Toad Theatre
Share your pics #GoldenToadKids

PRESSING FLOWERS (part 1)

5/4/2020

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: LOW

There are all sorts of beautiful projects to be done using pressed flowers. This is the first part of a two part project. First we will press the flowers, then we will make something amazing with them in a few weeks time!

YOU WILL NEED:
books
baking paper
flowers

STEP 1: Collect flowers. Very small flowers will produce great results. The bulkier the flower is, the more difficult it will be to press, but it can be done!

STEP 2: Place a piece of baking paper inside a book. Then lay out your flowers so that the aren't touching each other.

STEP 3: Place another piece of baking paper overtop of the flowers and close the book.

STEP 4: Place the book at the bottom of a stack of other books or heavy things and leave to dry for 2 weeks. Check back with Busy Kids Corner in 2 weeks for ideas of what to make with your flowers!

Contributor: Golden Toad Theatre
Share your pics #GoldenToadKids