Make magic with your Kids. They won't forget it.
Think back to when you were young and look in your mind at some of your fondest memories. The chances are, that some of those memories have moulded you into the type of person you are today.
Say that one of your best child hood memories are of the time that you're parents took you to your first gig. Are you a real music lover? Or maybe you think about the time you stayed with your family in a caravan by the beach. Do you have a soft spot for visiting the seaside?
Children learn first by seeing things, by watching and observing. Then then learn by doing, copying and repeating. What we see and what we do as children stays with us as we become adults and a lot of the time, when those memories are fond, they will stay with us and mould us as we grow older.
Because of this, we believe that making memories with your kids is important. It doesn't have to cost the earth, it just has to be meaningful and deliberate.
Have a listen what Nestie founders Charlie and Tom have to say on the topic:
Thoughts from Charlie
"To me, making things with my children has always been about the magic that you can create from seemingly nothing. You take a few materials, a small tool kit, an idea and best of all, a story. Nothing more. You don't even really need skill. It can help, especially if what you're trying to create is intended to be kept for a long time or if it's meant to be given as a gift for example, but it's not mandatory, not to make magic. Otherwise, going with your gut and creating something from scraps, off-cuts or would be waste, needs nothing more than an idea, a little bit of spare time and a story."
"It doesn't take much to immerse children in a world of imagination. Kids are created this way and nurturing this instinct is easy, even if you don't know how to sew, build, or put things together. Kids don't really care about aesthetics or functionality because that's a "grown-ups" job. What they want is something that sparks a flame in their imagination and takes them on a journey. Whether it's drawing, sewing, or building a house out of sticks, the idea is to inspire them and teach their young minds that if you just try and look a little closer, you really can see and feel that magic can be made anywhere by anyone"
Thought's from Tom
"The house I grew up in was THE definition of home. It wasn't big - just a three bed, semi-dethatched with a small front and back garden - and it wasn't particularly interesting. But it was truly a home."
"The best part of it for me was playing the back garden. From there, I'd look through gaps where the fence panels would meet and into the garden of the house that backed onto ours. The house was owned by an older couple and it was immaculate. At the edge of the garden was a small pond, surrounded by reeds and beautiful flowers and sometime around mid to late summer, baby frogs would hop out and find their way into our garden. It truly was an amazing sight to see. I'd spend my evenings after school building frog hotels by the flower beds, trying my absolute hardest to entice these tiny creatures to spend the afternoon lounging in my 9 star luxury accommodation (don't tell the frogs it's not even a thing)."
"Dusk would fall and I'd hear Mum call my name. That's the universal definition of "It's time to come in". Then, In bed that night, I'd think and dream about those frogs, my hiding places and how much fun I had nailing bits of wood together, making nothing of important to anyone but myself. As I grew older and had children of my own, I saw first-hand that building memories of adventure and excitement are some of the greatest gifts you can give to a child. It doesn't have to cost the earth, or even anything at all. But It will be remembered."
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