Our week: Building at home

Another week has passed! I realize I enjoy writing the "our week" posts, since I get to review the week that has passed. In times where it seems like we're fighting fire all the time, it's nice to look back on the week in photos, and see that we did have a fruitful time together. 

This week had us all taking turns to fall sick, plus it has been pouring almost everyday. So we've been stuck home most of the time, so the kids had lots of time to build and build. They tried their hand at their zoob set (which we bought pre-loved from a friend):

Junior J said this was a dragon.

Junior J made a monster car. Lil J made himself a necklace!

They were giving the dragon a check-up, using their doctor set.

We've started exploring architecture. Our first topic was bridges, so Junior J started building bridges based on the guidelines given in the K'nex Bridge set. I really love the set, as it guides kids in building 14 types of bridges, and the connectors are not difficult to fix together or pull apart. Even Lil J likes to fiddle with the parts. 

Building a short span beam bridge.

After fixing up each bridge, Junior J would draw them out in a notebook. We also tried building some bridges using Citiblocs. We plan to finish building and studying all the bridge types, and then move on to famous landmarks. We'll share more as we go along!

Observing and drawing a Warren truss bridge after building it.

Buidling a short bridge using Citiblocs.

I had to cut some leaves for a friend, for our charity project (will share more next time), so the boys helped me. They simply love turning the handle on the die-cutting machine. :)

As usual, Junior J is still busying himself making "food" using his Perler beads. 

Lil J also has been pottering in our nature corner, and playing with the salamanders. 

And we've been painting with watercolours. Lil J is more fascinated with washing his brush and stirring his brush across the palette.

Junior J as usual, always surprises me with what he comes up with. This round, he painted a moray eel that we read about in Swimmy, as well as chocolate muffins with a cup of rainbow sprinkles (you can see how he dips the brush to form little spots). That is one interesting thing about not sending him to art class: each picture he comes up with is unexpected, and every painting is uniquely him. 

I love how he concentrates so hard when he is busy painting: he transforms from the usual fidgety boy that needs to fiddle with something all the time, to this intensely serious painter.

I'm glad that the sniffles are almost gone. Here's to a blessed weekend!