Scissors - can you cut it?

The art of scissors - can you cut it?

It's a really odd question this - how old were you when you learnt how to use scissors?

I haven't a clue. According to my memory I was obviously born with this basic ability, with no need to learn how to do it. Of course this is utter rubbish, I must at some point in my childhood years been taught ( I would suspect by my mum) to use them.

Why on earth am I asking such an odd question you are of course asking yourself.

Because, I have noticed that its not something that children naturally learn or do.

Most arts and crafts involve using scissors. Whether its just to cut tape to stick something or to cut a template out, the reason to need to use them is endless.

In recent months I've watched my art club children, whose ages range from five to 11, either struggle or use them with no effort or thought.

This made me wonder why there's such a gap.

I have a five and three quarter year old, who to be honest if asked to cut something out just does it. If she needs to get some tape she will cut it off the roll. I've done sewing with her and she's cut the pattern pieces out without a second thought.

When did I teach her to do this?

I honestly have no idea.

I must of at some point though mustn't I ?

I appreciate that my obvious need to use scissors in this blog is related to arts and crafts, but to be honest using scissors has to be a basic skill surely?

I have quite a few 8 year old boys who to be really blunt about this, haven't a clue what to do with a pair of scissors and the look of horror that appears over their little faces when I say "now lets cut this out", is really quite shocking. So their parents haven't taken it upon themselves to teach them this but why haven't the school noticed and dealt with it? 

Then I wondered about other basic skills. Simple things like, making a cup of tea. Making a sandwich. If I put this to my scissor phobic 8 year olds what would they say? 

So many simple skills involved to do everyday ordinary things.

Measuring - pouring - stirring - balancing - using a knife - cutting, there are probably more to go on the list!

So my question is, are these basic skills no longer being taught? Maybe because they aren't needed to operate an iPhone? OR do children just not take an interest in things they don't see as necessary in their world?

Technology is the most amazing and wonderful thing - I wouldn't be so obsessed with Pinterest if it wasn't for it, but please don't forget to teach the good old fashioned basics.

I should point out that my scissor phobic 8 year old boys - are now rather nifty with a pair of scissors, something I'm rather proud of.

Olden days sugar mice

So last week was a busy one! 

Firstly I had to finish off the two birthday cards that art club and rainbows have made to send to the queen for her 90th birthday. It's so funny how making something for someone else, especially a queen, can be so exciting. Little faces, wide eyes, total amazement that I'm actually going to send it to Buckingham Palace, to the real, actual queen. 

I do so hope that they send a letter back acknowledging recipt - please keep your fingers crossed for me. 

As part of their heritage badge the rainbows are looking at all things from olden times. 

Hilarious when you think my daughter (who is 5 and 3/4) thinks something from the 1980's is old!

So I thought I'd take them back somewhat further and look at war time food. 

In one word - hilarious. 

We looked at mock apricot flan using carrots, which they were not at all amused by. And sugar mice and old fashioned styled sweets. I'm not too usure they really understood about the lack of choice, and it's kind of hard to explain that to five and six year olds to be honest, but as always they embraced it all with enthusiasm .

Looking back at old recipes is so interesting. It's amazing how versatile our great grandmothers had to be during the war. 

I shared the recipe with the girls explaining that because they couldn't get hold of apricots they used carrots. Little faces screwing up as I read out the ingredients. What I hadn't told them was that the flan I had on the table covered by a tea towel wasn't actually the one in the recipe, so when I asked them if they wanted a piece they were slightly reluctant, and I did secretly giggle! 

My flan I had to confess was pear and white chocolate, so the end result was in fact smiles all round and a big thumbs up, lucky for me. 

Explaining that children in the war may have had sugar mice as a treat but their tails would have been string, they looked horrified - but I had substituted the string with fruit strings. 

They got messy, made a mess and looked incredibly sticky by the end of it which can only mean it was a success. 

I think the end of term rainbows was great fun and of course I found loads of stuff on Pinterest. 

So now for a week off and don't forget fingers crossed we get a reply from the palace! 

Think the tails may have been eaten on the way home? 

I got the recipe for the sugar mice from vintagesweetshop.co.uk, and the mock apricot flan from bbc.co.uk/handsonhistory. Another great site was all that women want - frugal recipes from wartime Britain and of course 1000's of ideas on good old Pinterest. 

http://www.allthatwomenwant.co.uk/wartimerecipes.htm

http://vintagesweetshop.co.uk/blog/how-to-make-sugar-mice/

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/history/handsonhistory/ww2_recipes2.pdf