Kids and tech. Tech and kids. Screen time. Devices. Inside/outside.
I can honestly say, the battle for playtime wages constantly in our house, and it’s an undisputed Battle Royale which I’m sure is playing out in most homes around New Zealand.
Truth: Our two year old Nixon tells me to put my phone in my pocket.
Therein lies the problem (no pockets! Joking lol) and also the solution.
Like every facet of life, the desire to be constantly connected and the ever present smartphone in many parents hands has set a precedent that our kids are all to eager to follow.
The buck stops with us because recent research suggests some alarming trends – over 80% of Kiwi children are spending more than two hours a day in front of a screen during the week, with even more doing the same on the weekend. This is Ethan. And potentially Nixon if we don’t make some changes.
I’ve thought about this a lot, and in our family it’s not going to be that difficult to turn the (digital) tide. It’s going to require commitment from Dave and I but not in the way one might think – no tantrums, raging, slamming of doors, no changing of wifi codes – this would work instantly, but not in the way I want to.
Read on.
I’m pretty sure as parents we know that, especially with younger kids, the easiest and most desirable play option is free and easily accessible – kids just want to play with YOU, their parents. 
So, I figure, (and we’re are trying to implement this in our house right now) place yourself outside, or wherever it is you want your kids to play, wait for them to notice you (they will come trust me!) and simply say YES.
‘Can I play with water?’ which let’s face it, in my house means mud manufacturing. ‘YES! Go for it, mud washes off after all’.
‘Can I go eeling?‘. This also means mud, often more mud than after a rugby game, but, ‘HECK YES! GO forth and catch-and-release those eels!’ ::::::shivers::::
‘Can you jump on the tramp with me?‘. Potential loss of bladder control in this scenario, but again, washing clothes hasn’t killed me so far, ‘YES! Mummy loves jumping on the tramp, I can peek over all of the neighbours fences!’.
You get the picture? Go and they will follow, do and they will emulate. Take your little sponges outside and watch them soak up what you’re doing. Get a small bucket and bowl and start collecting twigs, flowers, petals and just sit on the grass at home or in a park and make patterns, take some string and make little teepees out of sticks for their mini-character toys………the possibilities are endless and the benefits are undisputed.
Persil has partnered with the AUT Human Potential Centre to understand the State of Play in New Zealand. It’s their view that unless we let Kiwi kids indulge in unstructured free play we deprive them of the chance to really develop their independence, creativity and a good sense of judgment when it comes to taking risks. This may well mean that we erode the qualities that we Kiwis have become known for; ingenuity, resilience and inventiveness.
Getting back to Real Play need not be a massive family transition. Don’t overthink it, just get down to your kids level and get your hands dirty.
The nationwide State of Play Survey asked over 2,000 Kiwi parents about their perceptions of children’s independent movement, and how they feel about a less structured and more traditional approach to play. Our friends at Persil feel passionate about helping kiwis make positive changes in their kids daily lives so have put together some fab tips and tricks to help us all incorporate more Real Play into our daily lives. Find out more here > visit http://persil.co.nz/
To help keep up with the laundry, Persil are giving readers of The Best Nest a chance to win an awesome prize pack. Comment below and tell us your #Reaplay tips to get in the draw to win a MASSIVE Persil prize pack consisting of: 10 x 1L bottles of Persil liquid and 10 x 1KG boxes of Persil top loader powder! Competition closes 10th Jan 2016.
Follow
Dec 11, 2015 4:53 pm
My little future All Black gets filthy clothes during rug y season but a good soak in Persil before washing removes the toughest stains.
Dec 11, 2015 4:56 pm
Use a nail brush to scrub stains before washing, dry in the sun 🙂
Dec 11, 2015 4:57 pm
I just live the stain removing power of persil nothing else gets baby food out of my wee ones clothes
Dec 11, 2015 5:00 pm
My rugrat hasnt got grubby dirty yet, hes only 8 months, is only a matter of time x
Dec 11, 2015 5:01 pm
This prize pack would be put to good use in our house with my two little munchkins!
Dec 11, 2015 5:03 pm
#realplay by going old school and making a good old muddy water slide in the back yard! Get the water sprinkles out, get ya togs on and enjoy the nice cool water! Amazing how much you can run and jump through the water giggling away with your little ones! Love it with my 8 year old 🙂
Dec 11, 2015 5:15 pm
Have a hard to get rid of stain. Leave the garment in bright sun and the stain should fade
Dec 11, 2015 5:20 pm
I never worried about my children getting dirty with outdoor play,my daughters enjoyed making there own vege garden and getting dirty A sandpit in the yard is fantastic, would love to win as would give some to my daughters for my grandsons who don’t mind getting dirty especially on the farm.
Dec 11, 2015 5:20 pm
3 children playing football in Dunedin in winter means a lot of mud, sweat and sometimes a few tears. Persil saves the day every time. Also hunting, fishing and camping with the children spending time outside is amazing and again persil saves me time and energy that I can then use chasing the children around.
Dec 11, 2015 5:24 pm
#realplay happens regularly at our house. Miss 4 loves muddy puddles and if there isn’t any she will create some with the hose on some dirt, and jump in them till she is covered in mud!
Dec 11, 2015 5:30 pm
I have always loved Persil, it removes stains from the grandchildrens clothes, along with the food stains on my husbands polo tops and shirts. Children were made to play and get dirty.
Dec 11, 2015 5:31 pm
Totally agree we do lots of free play, in summer I would take them everyday to the beach (weather permitting) and even have tea at the beach. Letting the kids rockpool, make friends, swim with me, build drift wood sculptures, collect treasures, what ever they wanted todo.
Dec 11, 2015 5:38 pm
We totally love PERSIL fresh clean clothes every time. We live in the Bay of Islands and our summer is full of beaching it up, swimming, fishing, rock pooling, dinner on the beach, games on the beach, birthday’s on the beach and cake – chocolate cake on the beach white t shirts and yep you guessed it we always end up covered in muck and smelling like a dead fish. But every time PERSIL makes us CLEAN and FRESH and NO STAINS.
Dec 11, 2015 5:38 pm
I have a little toddler who loves mess! This would be perfect to win.
Dec 11, 2015 5:41 pm
I love seeing my kids playing in all sorts of weather and getting dirty, it means they are having fun and it often means more washing. I just soak tough stains in persil then put through a normal wash and they come out like new.
Dec 11, 2015 6:29 pm
Don’t worry too much about dirt, dirt is healthy
Dec 11, 2015 7:28 pm
Best tip would be have siblings for them to play with! When our two boys (4&6) are both home they spend ages outside playing together- making mud, climbing trees, chasing chickens.
Dec 11, 2015 7:31 pm
I am mum to 4 busy boys, since our first was born 8.5 years ago I have learnt that mud and dirt are part of everyday life and to embrace it. Yes, we have tonnes of washing but our boys know how to have fun, they love to splash in puddles (especially master 3), find bugs in the garden, sliding tackles at rugby and soccer, climb trees and lots more. As you can imagine this prize would be very well accepted in our house!!
Dec 11, 2015 7:49 pm
A couple of #RealPlay tips from me:
* In the summer take the kids camping at a DOC site, somewhere where there’s no reception, no mod cons, and have fun exploring the forest and going to the water holes.
* In the winter make fortresses at home, big enough for you to join in. Get the torches and sleeping bags and spend the night in what you’ve created.
Dec 11, 2015 7:56 pm
#realplay tip – it starts with letting go.
Parents need to understand mess is part of life and is something that is easily fixed. Let the kids bake with you, roll the dough in all the flour, use your empty milk bottles to make things! Fill them with coloured water, cut them and plant small plants, this will also teach a child about nurturing something so it can grow.
Parks are free- kick a ball, climb a tree.
The best memory of free play I have is making huts in the lounge using bed sheets and couches and chairs, and making a cosy little space where I had a lamp and all my books and toys! I wanted to live in there – my creation.. Free play, real play
Dec 11, 2015 8:50 pm
#realplay everyday! Play dough, Lego, gloop, climbing trees, cutting down trees, cow poo, saws, jumping in puddles and running In the rain: it’s all good in our house. I agree – say yes!
Dec 11, 2015 10:07 pm
Kicking a soccer ball with my nieces is great exercise
Dec 11, 2015 10:26 pm
Always soak clothing in a separate sink or bucket before washing in the machine.dirt and sand will prevent the machine working and washing properly trust me !! i found out the hard way 🙁
Dec 11, 2015 10:50 pm
#RealPlay… Never complain when your child gets dirty as dirt never killed anyone in fact it is good to play with dirt and remember Persil has been cleaning clothes a very long time
Dec 11, 2015 10:57 pm
make sure u do a hot wash at least once a week, trust me i learnt the hard way got all soap scum on my clothes and wrecked them
Dec 11, 2015 11:41 pm
My boy wasn’t to interested in play cos of allergys and asthma. He didnt like how other kids didn’t get sick. But with encouragement and playing ball, running games etc outside together he has come out of his shell. Hes happy to play outside with kids and making up new games 🙂
Dec 12, 2015 12:55 am
#RealPlay My miss three just loves playing outside on her trike,bike,scooter,moon hopper parking them behind my car having them parked up like mumma’s car, bouncing on the tramp with mum, getting in her toddlers pool, finding any puddles she can or makes them with the hose when watering the veggie garden and jumps in all the water pot holes she makes, both my kids are outdoor kids, my son just loved the mud specially when playing rugby, he is 20 now and still loves #RealPlay
Dec 12, 2015 6:55 am
My sons tip really, “Take your washing to mums, she’ll do it”
Dec 12, 2015 11:35 am
think about what your kid loves then do more of that. My son loved mud, so we did gardening and he helped dig holes, we also made an epic mud slide. Also, the beach is an awesome place for kids to explore and get back to nature, rock pools, trees, dig holes with spades and let the water rush in.
Dec 13, 2015 7:57 am
Just head to the forest and let the kids take lead for an adventure
Dec 13, 2015 8:02 pm
Make a small paste from a little bit of persil and water to rub onto the stain, and leave for a couple of hours. Then wash as per normal.
Dec 13, 2015 8:24 pm
Persil is the best washing powder its the only one we use and make a paste its great for the tough stains having a 5year old boy dirty marks all the time
Dec 13, 2015 8:28 pm
My kids love picking strawberries from our garden, and eating them, and occasionally smooshing them… It’s great to see them interested in what is growing there!
Dec 13, 2015 8:28 pm
Real Play in our household involves pretend cooking with water, flowers, grass, mud and then having a party! Kindy clothes also get covered in paint and dirt! Persil and the washing machine is my best friend.
Dec 13, 2015 8:32 pm
Love using Persil to help keep the stains out of our clothes great product for stains and everyday use and soaking over night in a bucket
Dec 13, 2015 8:36 pm
As a child my mum taught me how to press flowers by simply placing them in a book under my mattress, so now my kids current project is underway, after picking their flowers etc they are now getting ‘squashed’ as they say, and dad is now stepping in to make photo frames/boxes with the kids help for when the flowers are ready.. Xmas pressies for nana!
Dec 13, 2015 8:36 pm
#Realplay My girls love playing in the garden and getting messy, all part of making great childhood memories! Their clothes are always getting muddy so I use neat Persil liquid on the clothes before putting them in the machine – guaranteed to come out sparkling clean!
Dec 13, 2015 8:37 pm
My daughters favourite thing to play with is homemade gloop/slime whatever you want to call it if its sloppy and messy she loves it
Dec 13, 2015 8:53 pm
My wee man loves the outdoors. Whether it’s helping dad plant the spuds, running around with our lab Stella or just exploring the paddocks #realplay is getting down and dirty and enjoying every minute of it!
Dec 13, 2015 9:02 pm
Good old fashioned Mud Pies, every kid has to have a go at making these, truly scrumptious #realplay
Dec 14, 2015 2:21 pm
We were always outside when we were kids, riding bikes, jumping on the tramp, climbing trees and exploring with the other kids in the neighbourhood. I encourage my kids to do the same, because not only does it help them burn off excess energy, it also stimulates different areas of their brain and they learn natural consequences. Try to do something every day outside, no matter what the weather. Rain can make for a whole new experience, just remember mud can be washed off. These are the memories your kids will never forget, not their highest score on the latest playstation game
Dec 14, 2015 7:53 pm
Dirt and mess are part of life and I must admit joining in on the water slide, in the pool, in the garden is the best! My #realplay tips are to have aprons, painting clothes and we weather gear and to hang clothes to dry in the sun- it does wonders to stains!!
Dec 18, 2015 11:24 am
Being out and about and having some clothes that can get ripped by realplay, and then get them washed clean in persil
Dec 18, 2015 11:29 am
I use persil ultimate for our family, as we are farmers.always leaves clothes washed perfect, beautiful smell and gets rid of most stains. I will only ever put persil in my washing machine.
Dec 18, 2015 11:35 am
Getting the kids involved in washing the family car is a great way to be active and play with water as a family ? It’s loads of fun, and you also get a clean car at the end of it ?? This #Realplay movement is a great idea ?? Have a safe & merry Christmas everyone ?
Dec 18, 2015 11:35 am
I feel there is nothing better than a walk along a river track. Visually stimulating for the kids and also can learn to identify plants/birds/insects. You may even bump into the odd horse for them to interact with.
Dec 18, 2015 11:37 am
Getting the kids involved in washing the family car is a great way to be active and play with water as a family. It’s loads of fun, and you also get a clean car at the end of it. This #Realplay movement is a great idea! Have a safe & merry Christmas everyone!
Dec 18, 2015 1:02 pm
I am old school where children play outside to get the fresh air they need. My girls loved making mud pies ( and actually feeding visitors kids sho didnt know what they were). I always soak dirty clothes in a bucket with Persil until the next wash
Dec 18, 2015 2:53 pm
I find Persil is the only powder that actually gets the grease and dirt out of my partners work clothes.. I have been buying Persil for the last 6 years because of that 🙂
Dec 18, 2015 2:56 pm
The kids and I love getting grubby whilst out by the river, they love getting slimy when grandma and grandad catch rainbow trout for dinner-they always want to help out… My mum always said a child that finished the day dirty obviously had a good time! Persil is fab to help get stains out of new and old outfits!
Dec 18, 2015 2:59 pm
My son works with tyres and gets filthy but a good soak and wash in Persil works wonders but I keep running out so the prize would be great to win.
Dec 18, 2015 4:12 pm
Ban the electronics! It’s amazing how energised and creative the kids can get without tv, computers, ipads. And I tend to join in more too.
Dec 18, 2015 6:25 pm
My mother swore by soaking stained garments in cold water, before adding them to your wash. I guess you need to read the washing labels first. If anything gets too stained, just toss it out, or take it to the drycleaner. I try avoid buying too many, white clothing items. If I want some good tips and advice, I just google it and or ask…:) x
Dec 18, 2015 8:00 pm
alway pre soak or even mix a bit of pwder into a paste and dirctly sped on the stain then in the washing machine let them play let them grow let them learn with persil it takes half the hard work out of the laundry
Dec 18, 2015 8:51 pm
My tip would be…for every 30mins on technology its double of outside play aka real play….so for my boys if they want an Hour on a device whether it be ph/xbox/pc then they spend 2hrs outside playing 🙂
Dec 18, 2015 8:59 pm
Real Play Tip : Let your kids get some real dirt on them, let them grow plants in pots, play in a sandpit, have fun, PERSIL has been getting stains out of clothes for years.Remember that drying clothes in the sunshine completes the washing cycle, clothes smell good, saves you money, eco friendly and much healthier for you.
Dec 18, 2015 9:03 pm
#realplay!!! Let them be kids!! Let them get muddy! Bring out water and dirt and make it muddy!! And then bring out the persil 🙂
Dec 18, 2015 9:13 pm
let them help in the garden even if it’s just filling up a water bucket or digging a wee hole for a new plant. Mud is fun so are puddles. Best fun we have for next to nothing is going to the beach and going fishing take a few sammies and some water and dig holes make sandcastles and let them be kids 🙂
Dec 18, 2015 9:58 pm
#realplay my daughter gets paint on her clothes from discovery time at school or sand all over her clothes from the sandpit as she makes mud pies she gets super dirty. As soon as she comes home in the machine they go with persil.
Dec 19, 2015 7:50 am
My wee cub and I have been busy the past few months growing a vegtable garden together. It’s our summer project and he is jusy loving it. We end of most days with very dirty clothing so we soak them in a bucket overnight with some nappy San and use persil to wash. Some days with the tough marks we use sunlight soak and scrub. My cub is a real outdoit’s boy so most our time is outside.
Dec 19, 2015 9:59 am
Soak clothes asap and wash in persil
Dec 19, 2015 3:05 pm
#realplaymake a paste with Persil, and leave it on the stain overnight..(usually grass) and then wash as per usual.
Dec 20, 2015 7:22 pm
#realplay tip from me – Research what awesome places are in your community as a non driver I love taking my daughter to our amazing areas of play with it be the local school playground at West Spreydon School with its enormous tyre playground or the local parks.
Jan 3, 2016 8:12 pm
#reaplay tip: Let your kids lead. Sit and watch, and they will let you know how they want you involved. This way encourages kids to develop their own ideas and imagination, and they love having your attention!
Jan 4, 2016 7:04 am
Totally agree!
Jan 5, 2016 9:57 am
the kids wear hand me downs so I am not too sorried about stains
Jan 6, 2016 7:48 pm
let them choose their own play rather than adult initiated play, get them outdoors, add natural playthings to the environment like boxes, pipes from guttering for water play, sand and water, leaves etc…. let them use their imaginations.
Jan 6, 2016 7:53 pm
Real play in our house is the backyard and the sandpit and hose. My two have amazing imaginations so anything can happen from aliens to pirates, fairies and dinosaurs and all sorts of houses and hideouts.
Jan 6, 2016 7:54 pm
Process cooking is my fave. Not always messy but the first few times it can be a cleaning disaster!! I love watching the improvement and reasoning skills as well as eating the results
Jan 6, 2016 7:54 pm
My babies love going to their grandparents in Paeroa, they swim, feed the eels and pigs, splash in puddles, herd the sheep, collect eggs. At home they explore the gulley, play with thd hose on the tramp, wash the dog. But yes screentime can be an issue, mainly with my 8 year old! But we are working on it. #realplay
Jan 6, 2016 7:59 pm
Having 2 girls means there always something magical we can create, it’s pretty much endless but a family game of bat down or swing ball means playing together as a family but also encouraging their love of sports and memories of this as well means further in life that memory of family time/laughter is what they remember about sports 🙂
Jan 6, 2016 8:00 pm
#RealPlay in my house (Grandma’s) is when the paint and glue come out to play, and mess galore, and let us not forget the playdough – bought or homemade..still leaves a mess, and sometimes stains. After all the fun is had, and artworks are hung to dry, dinner and then a bath and then a story before bedtime. Whilst the children sleep, Grandma does her #RealPlay, and soaks the clothes that have the ‘play’ stains, overnight, ready to wash and hang out the next day, and then the cycle repeats, until the holiday is over, then it is back to basics and just getting the dirt and grass stains out from Grandmas clothes from her gardening.
Jan 6, 2016 8:01 pm
#Realplay – tents in the back yard …. taking the dog for a walk up the river bank, helping in the garden, having garden planting competitions – sun flowers, radishes things that grow quickly.
Jan 6, 2016 8:01 pm
Great advice! Super cool ideas! Yesterday my 3 girls (10, 7 & 2) and I spent hours outside in the garden playing, gardening, cleaning & swimming!! ?
Jan 6, 2016 8:03 pm
Today I taught my three year old daughter the art of making daisy chains on our long grass…I made sure i left my phone inside! Yesterday we pulled out the slip in slide…mum and dad are abit battered and bruised…it’s been years since we’ve been on one of those bad boys!!…but to see our daughter squeal with excitement as we took our turns, was magic ?
I’m not a perfect mama bear and I too fall into the trap of at times feeling attached to technology…but we are now so aware and trying so hard to bring #realplay into our families lives! Bring it!!!
Jan 6, 2016 8:04 pm
Try to avoid thinking that you can save your children from getting hurt (emotionally or physically). Instead, prepare them to cope.,let them takes risks, let them follow those bugs, peek under those rocks, dance in the rain, swish in that mud, climb that tree – let them be discoverers, adventurers – what fun
Jan 6, 2016 8:04 pm
We moved the play kitchen out onto the deck to facilitate the mud cafe!
Jan 6, 2016 8:05 pm
My 4 kids are all ridiculously messy in their own ways. Miss 6 can not eat without sharing half of her food with her stomach, lap and hair, master 8 is an experimentalist. If he hasnt found a new way to make goop with flour and jelly or mud and rice, then he is painting abstract art onto the driveway. Miss 9 is a perfectionist and the slightest bit of dirt and she will get changed. I’m sure she has about 5 loads of washing that are just hers each week. And then master 11 is in to his bike trails and ALWAYS comes home with a great big mud track up his back. My kids are nothing but #realplay kids.
Jan 6, 2016 8:05 pm
I try not to let the stains dry and get into the wash ASAP! Always use Persil! 2 little kids and a husband the washing is never ending!
Jan 6, 2016 8:12 pm
So true in being magnet for my girls when I’m outside – luv having my girls get in and plant there food and flowers in there own patch of the garden- they dig and water and get real with Mother Earth and all the dirt and it’s always followed of with a bounce comp on the trampoline – Peril has always played a huge role in my washing the sensitive brand is the long brand that suits my girls hypo allergic girls – thank you Persil
Jan 6, 2016 8:14 pm
#Reaplay
Completely agree! And yea, us adults are to blame. I give myself permission to leave the phone inside on silent and go out there with the kids. They play so well together and when I’m there I’m merely their audience. “Look mummy” is something i hear a lot of.
Jan 6, 2016 8:15 pm
We always have stains in this house I soak in person before stain sets in leave overnight and then do a load of washing with persil and they cum up a lot better
Jan 6, 2016 8:21 pm
#reaplay a sandpit is great for the kids to get outside and playing
Jan 6, 2016 8:21 pm
I love doing yes days & going with whatever my 3yr old wants to do that day. Often creates a lot of mess, but I like what your saying that the washing hasn’t killed you….yet 😉
Jan 6, 2016 8:22 pm
I love the smell of persil ! 3 kids and hubby and persil clears up the dirt and the stains and smells great coming off the line and in the draw , thanks persil !
Jan 6, 2016 8:22 pm
Soak clothes in Persil and just let kids be kids let them play get muddy, paint explore and discover the world they are only young for such a short time Persil does a great job of taking care of lifes little mishap stains
Jan 6, 2016 8:23 pm
I have five kids, 14, 12, 10, 5 & 3, I get all manner of stains, booger, mud, grass, food and thats just my 14
year old 😉 Persil does a fantastic job on getting those tough stains out. And I love the sensitive stuff for my 12 year old.
Jan 6, 2016 8:29 pm
This time of year is going to be full of spills and dirty little hands – what child doesn’t like getting dirty.. it’s all part of growing. So Persil has the best ideas on how to compat those dirty little marks and that is why it’s been a family tradition using Persil for a long time.
Jan 6, 2016 8:30 pm
I use the persil pods as they take the dirt out of my.3 kids clothes. The oldest 2 have just finished making a Billy.Cary and are loving zipping around our driveway.on it. #realplay
Jan 6, 2016 8:32 pm
We lov to build dams! Take your kids to a quiet river or stream and get building! Stones, dirt, clay, twigs; use anything you can get your hands and watch the water levels rise. Then cool down by swimming in the water hole you’ve created!
Jan 6, 2016 8:33 pm
I just let my boys (7years & 18 months) do whatever they fancy that day. They’re farm boys so enjoy getting dirty outside, but also love getting arty (we quite often have multi coloured grass!!) I figure it will all come out in the wash!! #realplay
Jan 6, 2016 8:35 pm
#Realplay, Water Pistols! Three year old loves them. Tearing around outside in shorts and T Shirt (getting Grandad is the best). Raspberry picking is fun too. She holds the bowl and I see if I can pick them faster than she can eat them, it is a bit messy though, if it turns into throw the yucky ones at each other.
Jan 6, 2016 8:40 pm
With 3 boys my wife and i have always encouraged our boys to play outside as much as possible and practical given weather conditions or health conditions of our sons. We try to balance there day with tv viewing, drawing, playing indoor games and with toys together with outside time, be it their tree house with a slide i built from it into the sandpit around the hut. A large area around the sandpit allows a work in progress area to allow the boys to make mud cakes, drive their toys or build what ever they want to. Our firewood lives close by and is handy for them to explore their imaginations in conjunction with sand and dirt. Toys often need a hose down, this too is fun for them (well depending who has the hose). Kids need to explore, i take them on walks to parks or more rugged bush areas to give a real sense of adventure and explorer feeling. I can only really comment for the boys as we have not been blessed with a girl but that’s all good we love our boys.
Jan 6, 2016 8:40 pm
My two and three year old boys just love being in the garden and a bucket of water and some sand or mud can keep them occupied for ages. Also just chilling out on some rugs and reading books outside has been a good way to spend some time together
Jan 6, 2016 8:41 pm
It’s amazing how much time we all spend on technology these days! My goal these holidays is to get outside with the boys to do something new everyday. It will often be messy and require loads of laundry to be done but their share enjoyment from spending quality time with just me is really worth it!
Water balloons filled with slime on the tramp has been the favourite so far 🙂
Jan 6, 2016 8:42 pm
#realplay Mud and Grass and Sticks and digging holes and sand and paint and bubble mix and drawing on things (not the concrete lol) with chalk. Get in there and participate. Don’t be scared to be silly 🙂
Jan 6, 2016 8:50 pm
My children love to make ‘crab cities’ at the beach. We make rivers and roads and little houses in the wet sand and then find crabs under the rocks to live in the cities.
Jan 6, 2016 8:52 pm
I always remember my mother using persil and nothing else as she said it was the only one that made everything look clean and fresh and accordingly it is what I have always used as well and it certainly makes the whites look whiter and gets stains out brilliantly.
Jan 6, 2016 8:52 pm
a scrub with sunlight soap and a wash in persil is great for stains
Jan 6, 2016 8:56 pm
My little one gets eczema so I use earthwise brand oxygenated whitener for stains gentle on his skin and the environment plus it can be used different ways straight in the wash, used for soaking and even mixed up as a paste
Jan 6, 2016 8:58 pm
Play at our house always includes either water, sand, dirt, plant life/matter or a combination of all as potion making is probably their favourite. I aid this be showing them the different flowers and herbs in the garden to help give their potions smell and colour.
Jan 6, 2016 8:59 pm
Getting out into the outdoors and exploring their world is the best, digging in the garden, making mud pies, splashing in muddy puddles, making mud slip n slides, even dancing in the rain it creates so many memories that last for years, all parts of my own childhood I fondly remember and have done the same for my own daughter. #realplay can’t beat it!
Jan 6, 2016 9:10 pm
I unfortunately haven’t been blessed with kidlets yet, but when I am, I don’t want to cotton wool them – let them get outside and have fun – make mud pies like we used to as a kid, explore, adventure, make memories. Dirty clothes and hands and feet and faces can be washed ?
Jan 6, 2016 9:12 pm
It’s not just for the kids, adults love ?#?RealPlay? too! Get out, don’t be afraid to get a bit dirty, and explore your imagination and our beautiful country.
Jan 6, 2016 9:13 pm
My son gets out an about with us when we take the dogs for a walk, and hes generally acting the fool and climbing any tree he can, and if he gets dirty all I do is soak his clothes
Jan 6, 2016 9:14 pm
Take a $1 plastic spade out and about to interest almost anybody in dirty #realplay adventures. Dirt + spade is hard to resist!
Jan 6, 2016 9:29 pm
I love taking my grandkids to the beach and letting them loose on sand castles, always very creative!
Jan 6, 2016 9:47 pm
#realplay miss 4 year old has to check the mailbox and her 6 pet chickens multiple times a day which ALWAYS ends in multiple changes of clothes. Mstr 14 mnths has just started moving and I’m dreading the washing so this would be amazing
Jan 6, 2016 9:51 pm
My philosophy has always been “why not?” If it’s not a health and safety issue, then let kids be kids! Jump in puddles, water in the sand, dig in the dirt. As much as I can I let the day go at my son’s pace, so if we’re going for a walk and he wants to stop and play in some stones, I let him 🙂
Jan 11, 2016 2:17 pm
I LOVE this! Great philosophy xx Please email me your delivery details so I can organise your prize. melissa (at) thebestnest.co.nz
Jan 6, 2016 10:05 pm
we used to get large puka leaves and make ‘salads’ on them – out of grass n leaves n berries n all sorts of fun stuff 🙂 … and then go for mud walks together- I’m going to introduce it all to my nieces n nephews 🙂
Jan 6, 2016 10:09 pm
We were at the beach the other day and I filled a bucket with water then got my toddler to put things in it to see if they would sink or float….sand, leaves, shells, seaweed etc etc, he was fascinated 🙂
Jan 6, 2016 10:10 pm
#realplay my kids like to make purfume, jam, juice made from things in the back yard, Citrus from our trees, herbs, dirt, leaves and flowers anything goes, they love mixing it up and then play shop and sell their creations.
Jan 6, 2016 10:13 pm
As a mum to three kids in a rural setting I do at least two loads of washing a day. I think the dirtier the clothes the more fun that was had. This would be a great prize.
Jan 6, 2016 10:25 pm
Part of our section is sloped which is perfect for a Summer water slide and when the water turns to mud its even more fun! Mud flights are legendary in our family!
Jan 6, 2016 10:26 pm
Follow your kids lead, they have amazing imaginations and Ideas! We love to pick flowers and collect pine cones. Splashing in puddles and finding pictures in clouds. Mud and grass stains are common in our house but it all comes out in the wash, memories aren’t made in front of a TV
Jan 6, 2016 11:09 pm
My kids love technology but also love getting outside, they help wash the car then themselves, they water the plants then themselves, they have a playhouse, trampoline and swing set to keep them busy and happy outside even tho we don’t have much room outside we still make the most of it… #1 way to get them outside is to make soup ( water, mud, flowers etc…) then feed it to the plants – it always works 😀
Jan 6, 2016 11:37 pm
My kids are nearly all grown and I now have my grandkids Mr 3 and Miss 1 over mist days. We love getting outside chasing bubbles and getting wet. We are anxious for them to play with their environment so are try to organise a sand pit for them to build and explore and use the trees etc to create and have fun. After all it all washes off/out and they have a great time exploring.
Jan 7, 2016 6:42 am
Well I have big kids and not a lot has changed over the years, the pile of washing hasn’t shrunk over the years, in fact included in the pile are now clothes belonging to the friends who have been over to stay as well ….and just like when they were young the play is still messy play, just instead of mud and grass stains gained from rolling down hills and mud fights (although they still do that by the look of the clothes) they also now have a different variety of stains ranging from what looks like pizza and oil stains from working on the cars and things…..still I’m glad that they are having fun, still exploring and learning and not plonked in fro of televisions and computer games all day………the only thing to master now is teach them how to pre soak things with stains….and turn the machine on……and then to get it from the machine to the clothes line……oh well one thing at a time I guess
Jan 7, 2016 7:18 am
I have five children (four are boys) and go through my fair share of washing. My children have never been shy about getting messy, it’s nothing for the younger ones to change their clothes several times a day due to getting wet, muddy or covered in god only knows what. I try not to stress, as long as they’re having fun. There’s been plenty of stains over the years and I find a good soak overnight helps. Often I’ll make a paste of washing powder and water and scrub it into the stain first. After washing, line drying in sunlight usually removes the lingering stains.
Jan 7, 2016 7:29 am
My kids love real play! They have a play house and mud kitchen. They are always baking all sorts of concoctions using ingredients from all over the garden. They also have a mud pit that they love and make little homes for their cars and toys. Another favourite is collecting bits and pieces from the garden to make fairy rings. Needless to say I wash alot of muddy clothes
Jan 7, 2016 7:56 am
Get out there and play too! You care less about mess when you’re making it
Jan 7, 2016 8:45 am
We love using jumbo chalk on the driveway, making messes from things we have gathered in the garden, building fairy houses in the pine forest behind the house, making life sized paper dolls by tracing tracing outlines around ourselves… I always make sure we use water based art supplies but apart from that we go wild. There’s not a lot that a good soak in a bucket with some Persil overnight won’t fix and I love that I can use Persil to spot clean too.
Jan 7, 2016 9:14 am
We have kids ranging in age from 8 to 2 yrs old. We LOVE taking them to the beach – they run wild, yell, yahoo, build sandcastles, paddle and splash, climb rocks, look for crabs, build sloppy wet sand pies (the 2 year old also likes to sample these!), draw pictures in the sand with sticks, breach comb for interesting shells and driftwood, chase seagulls…. We know we’ve had a great day when we have to strip them of their soaking wet clothes before hopping in the car and have them ride home in just a towel (or less!!) and give them a bath to remove the sand from, well, everywhere!
Jan 7, 2016 9:15 am
Dirt often equals fun! Muddy puddles, chocolate faces, drooling bibs, grassy knees, floury aprons. Thank goodness for washing machines & Persil!
Jan 7, 2016 9:43 am
persil has been my friend for a very long time with my chilcdren and now my grandchildren who love to play in my garden
Jan 7, 2016 11:28 am
It’s only mud, jump in that puddle, slide down that hill, have fun! #realplay
Jan 7, 2016 11:47 am
persil loves getting our dirty clothes clean an EXCELLENT PRODUCT THAT CUTS THE MUSTARD
Jan 7, 2016 11:53 am
#Reaplay soak as quick as possible – never leave a stain around – the quicker you look at it the quicker you sort it
Jan 7, 2016 12:19 pm
Grass stains and mud etc are best left to soak, then a hard brush and hot wash with persil. Drying in the hot sun also helps. A hard brush also works well on the filthy bare feet….just saying!
Jan 7, 2016 1:08 pm
My grandson loves his iPad, but hey he loves to play with Nanny too. We get out the Nerf guns and crawl around the house having a shoot out. We play Zombies and eat brains. He loves to play on our piles of chip and I love to feed his imagination by asking questions and feeding in story ideas. We have fun, he’s an outside boy as much as he is a screen boy (Nearly 5)
Jan 7, 2016 1:48 pm
The best way to get my kids to play is to take the to the beach, they love it. But we have had times without a TV and that also helped a lot as they had to use their imagination more. With a big family (6kids) this prize would help me heaps as we do huge amounts of washing.
Jan 7, 2016 5:37 pm
For food spills, grass, pen, paint stains I just rub a little bit of Persil on the spots but sometimes I forget or don’t really notice until I’m loading the washing machine and then I just wash as per normal and they come up beautifull white or bright stains all gone. Easy breezy!
Jan 7, 2016 7:11 pm
rub a little liquid Persil on a stain – all gone 🙂
Jan 7, 2016 7:17 pm
#realplay is the hose under the trampoline!! 🙂 that was the best when we were kids and we did it with my nephew the other day he loved it so much, and the best way to cool down over the summer 🙂 loving summer and always the best when washing can be dried outside leaves it smelling so much better and means can be generally dried that day and brought in straight away , leave the clothes horse for the winter 🙂
Jan 7, 2016 8:31 pm
I have two boys. They are forever dirty doing all sorts of things that boys get up to. Persil is great getting their clothes clean again. 🙂
Jan 7, 2016 9:40 pm
My 3yr old son would play outside in the mud, grease and dirt 24/7 if he could. This would be such a handy prize to win ?
Jan 7, 2016 9:41 pm
My 3yr old son would play outside in the mud, grease and dirt 24/7 if he could. This would be such a handy prize to win ?
Jan 7, 2016 10:19 pm
My #realplay tip is Just Do It – spontaneity and creativity equals lots of fun times and great memories
Jan 7, 2016 11:28 pm
I love this quote “at the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, your hair should be messy, and your eyes sparkling”. If my son decides he wants to take a bath in a puddle, if he wants to hide sticks and stones in his pocket, and just play rough and tumble outdoors … Then that’s okay. For those 2 minutes of joy to him I don’t mind how long it will take me to get the stains out of his clothes. I can replace a Tshirt but I can’t replace those moments. Our children grow too quickly, get outside, play at their level and explore. My son teaches me new things about myself each day and I wouldn’t change any of it for the world. Piles of washing don’t compare ?
Jan 8, 2016 9:01 am
Good soak in Persil and then drying in full sun should take out most things. I have 4 kids so dirty washing is constant in our house!
Jan 8, 2016 1:07 pm
I really struggle with outside play because my little one is quite intrepid. Yesterday we were at friends house and all the other kids stayed near Mum and were totally chilled. Mine was finding every possible way to escape. But I know it is on me to ensure that she gets to explore. But blimey it is exhausting. #realplay she loves is water, the hose, the steps, taps…..
Jan 10, 2016 8:45 pm
My #realplay tip is to let kids be kids, get in there amoungst them if you can or watch them but be involved, put the cell phone or tablet down and enjoy the moment. Cleaning up is easy! Always scrub the stains first before putting in the wash. Took me four kids to start mastering stains
Jan 10, 2016 9:14 pm
Play real play hard then clean up with Persil. Repeat. Enjoy the mess… It’s shows that there has been someone having fun, put in to soak straight away. Whoever invented the washing machine I will bow at your feet…
Jan 10, 2016 9:16 pm
My 5 year old is a real tom boy at heart and loves the outdoors. She loves the dirt and the sand (and the muddy puddles like Peppa Pig) so I know she’s bound to get dirty making new memories outdoors so I put her in old clothes so I don’t have to worry about her good clothes needing my full attention for the stain removal process lol x
Jan 10, 2016 9:22 pm
I have 3 little farmboys and am well acquainted with grime in all it’s forms! My best tip is to just stick them in the shower whole if they are really filthy, they can strip off in there and rinse their clothes at the same time (saves water for those of us on tank water). That way the clothes can go straight into a wash or wait until there’s a full load the next day – there’s always a full load the next day here!
Jan 10, 2016 9:23 pm
Such good advice . . . Just need to put it in to practice! Some days it’s much easier to get down to their level, get stuck in and make a mess. Other days . . . I must battle my own ‘over protective/’don’t get that dirty’ self. Always glad to have persil by my side ( I’m a persil liquid addict)
Jan 10, 2016 9:36 pm
Keep on top of the washing, soak stains immediately and hang clothes out in the fresh air to dry
Jan 10, 2016 9:50 pm
Persil been around a long time and still delivering great results, three generations of clean clothes in our family
Jan 10, 2016 9:52 pm
I’ve got the most beautiful 2 year old twins. When they were born, my OCD really bad. I had to vacuum about 6+ times a day and I never allowed them to do anything dirty. Till one day I’ve realised that I’m worrying more about cleaning than spending time with my beautiful babies. Now we are living in the moment. We play with mud, paint and they even get to eat spaggetti in tomato sauce (what a mess) occassionally. We worry about cleaning later. The mess won’t go away, but luckily with Persil it makes it so much easier. I only have to wash the clothes once and the stains are gone, so more #reatime for us!!!
Jan 10, 2016 10:00 pm
With three boys I’ve learnt to embrace the dirt. At the moment we have two piles of dirt in the backyard to make bmx bike jumps. But also you can’t beat a bucket of bubbly water and all sorts of containers, water guns etc. keeps them busy for ages.
Jan 10, 2016 10:27 pm
Anything with water is great #realplay. Give my wee boy a hose and he’s as happy as a pig in mud. Literally lol. Driving his toys cars through the dirt and washing them off and crashing them into a muddy puddle is awesome fun!
Jan 10, 2016 10:41 pm
Kids get dirty, let them, they learn so much from mud, sand, water, anything gooey, get their clothes off them at bath/shower time & apply paste mix, pre soak, spray or simply wash depending on the level of grim embeddedin their clothing. If your truely worried about stains & dirt buy op-shop or on sale warehouse clothing-cheap as chips & so easy to replace.
Jan 10, 2016 11:08 pm
#realplay one of my daughter’s favourite things to do is waterplay – particularly mixing colours up. We just make up some pottles of coloured water (primary colours) using food colouring, then she mixes away making new colours in other pottles. Keeps her entertained for a good while and I’m sure has been great for understanding her colours!
Jan 10, 2016 11:29 pm
We made a very ad-hoc mud kitchen out of cinder blocks and plywood with a hole cut to fit a bucket sink in. Add on a few opshop kitchen items, a hose or some water (soapy or otherwise), and of course access to dirt, and the kids come inside dirty every day after hours cooking up a storm.
Jan 11, 2016 12:02 am
My 4 year daughter loves painting at daycare. They always say the paint is water based and washes out, but I find it stains her clothes if I don’t attempt to get it out before washing. For a dried-on water-based paint stain, brush off as much of the dried paint as possible with an old dry toothbrush. Then, work a mix of Persil powder and water into the stain using the toothbrush to scrub the paint out of the fabric. Then wash as normal. This usually does the trick!
Jan 11, 2016 7:59 am
Keep calm and let the mess happen 🙂 hours of enjoyment, 5mins to clean up!
Jan 11, 2016 8:48 am
I find there is nothing worse than tomato based stains, but Persil has always been and always will be the best washing powder around that gets the clothes spick and span again.
Jan 11, 2016 9:03 am
Whatever keeps them occupied and having fun, water and sand a huge hit here. Nothing a soak can’t fix!