How To Keep Mosquitoes Away Naturally - Tips & Tricks

With monsoon comes the mosquito menaces and so are the diseases like Dengue, Malaria and chikungunya. Real fight for a parent is to protect children from these diseases and we all know the side effects of various mosquito repellents present in the market. In this post, let us look at natural alternatives to keep off the mosquitoes.

Here are some popular natural mosquito repellents DIY recipes that should drive the mosquitoes away.


Neem Oil

Neem oil is considered as one of very effective mosquito repellent. Neem oil is easily available at nearest chemist shops.

You can dilute this oil with coconut oil and apply on body.

Citronella

This is a popular essential, it is derived from a species of lemon grass and the smell of it is researched to be quite offensive for the mosquitoes, especially the dengue-causing variety. Many top brands repellent cream has this citronella content.

Clove oil

Clove is again a very common ingredient in Indian kitchen and also another very popular and easily-available oil, this too have insect repelling feature.

If using on a small child, mix this oil with coconut oil and apply.

Lemon Eucalyptus Oil (OLE)

A very well-documented mosquito repellent, OLE is known to have an effect as powerful as a chemical repellent. If you read the labels, you will find it listed as an ingredient in most natural insect repellents. If you wish to use it, try and procure the insect-repellent version of it and not the essential oil as the efficacy of the latter is not yet confirmed.

These oils do not work for longer hours, most have an efficacy of maximum 2-3 hours.

However, you can reapply these oils.

Remember

• While taking your child to park, ensure they wear full sleeves
• Use mosquito nets or apply mosquito repellents on the hands & legs that are not covered

Here are few plants you can have in your garden to keep mosquito away - 

• Citronella (lemon balm, lemon grass, lemon verbena)
• Geranium
• Eucalyptus
• Rosemary
• Basil
• Anise
• Mint
• Marigold
• Catnip
• Wormwood
• Lavender
• Cedar
• Tansy
• Cloves

Ready-Made Natural Mosquito Repellents

If you do not have the time & patience to try out the above recipes. Here is a ready-made solution for everyone. I have been using these two all natural mosquito repellents and they work great for me & my family. You might want to check them out!

Do share in comments if you have any tips or tricks to keep mosquito away naturally.

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Hope to see you around. Happy Parenting!

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How To Make Eco-Friendly Ganesha At Home With Kids - Workshop

This Ganpati festival, I conducted a workshop for kindergarten kids on how to make eco-friendly Ganesha at home. I used the ingredients available in the kitchen to make these idols. 

Ganpati Festival in Indian, specially in Maharashtra is very popular among kids as well as adults. People bring Ganpati idols to their homes and offer Him prayers everyday for 10 days before visarjan into the water. Now a days with the environmental crisis all over the world, it is necessary to be more aware of what we put into our water bodies.

You can check out this video on how to make your own eco-friendly Ganesha & do not forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel!



Here are some lovely moments that were captured during the workshop that I took. Kids loved this sensory experience!

There were kids from Nursery, Junior and Senior KG and I loved how they enjoyed and chatted all the way making their own Ganeshas.

 

Here I am giving finishing touches to all the idols.

Check out all the 18 imperfect yet beautiful Ganeshas!

After few days, these kids did the visarjan of these chemical free Ganeshas by putting the idol in a tub of water and then using the water for plants. Absolutely sustainable, right?

I would like to thank Little Wings International for helping us with the venue & logistics!

Hope you like this version of the beloved Lord Ganesha. Do share how you made your eco-friendly Ganesha. I would love to see the pics!

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Do not forget to follow us on Facebook page & closed Facebook group, Twitter and Instagram for day to day updates that might not always find a place on this blog. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to know more about our early learning journey, DIY & Montessori-inspired activities for kids, kids books & toys reviews and much more!

Hope to see you around. Happy Parenting!

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How To Make Eco-friendly Ganesha Using Kitchen Ingredients At Home (With Kids) (Vlog)

For the upcoming festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, I made an ecofriendly and totally compostable Ganpati idol at home using kitchen ingredients along with my 2 year old son. Watch the video for the recipe of the dough and step by step process to make the idol along with your child. Kids love such activities & it is a great sensory experience for them.

This is the first time I did sculpting and that too with a toddler helping me out!;)

We did not just create an idol, we created beautiful memories to cherish in the years to come :)

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi :)

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Do not forget to follow us on Facebook page & closed Facebook group, Twitter and Instagram for day to day updates that might not always find a place on this blog. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to know more about our early learning journey, DIY & Montessori-inspired activities for kids, kids books & toys reviews and much more!

Hope to see you around. Happy Parenting!

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9 Benefits Of Gardening With Toddlers/Kids (VLOG)

It was me 2 years back who sowed the seeds and would patiently wait for the greens to grow. Now it's my toddler's turn :)

My then 25-month-old son sowed Fenugreek seeds and we harvested fresh and lovely Fenugreek leaves after few weeks. He said he will eat methi paratha with those tender methi leaves! He loves it! And that is why I chose Fenugreek so that he is able to appreciate the process from start to end - from sowing seeds to watering the plant to seeing micro greens to seeing mature leaves to harvesting to actually consuming it happily. 

He now knows how important trees and plants are for us, specially in hot summers these days, trees provide us shade. And of course, that plants give us food.

This generation kids need to know the importance of going green so much more than our generation for obvious reasons!

My now 26-month-old son sowed Spinach seeds recently, here is a sneak peek of our cute gardening exercise.

Gardening in itself teaches a lot to kids of all ages, starting from toddlerhood! Let us look how does it benefit - 

Multisensory Learning 

Montessori focusses on learning through multiple senses because that is how toddlers learn! While gardening, kids can touch & feel the soil, seeds, water, leaves. They can see beautiful colors of nature. They can smell the earth & the plants & flowers! They can hear the lovely birds chirping on the terrace & the wind blowing. And of course, they can eat what they plant (conditions apply)

Motor Skills
As seen in the video above, a lot of large & small muscle movements are required end to end. A great way to enhance gross & fine motor skills while working in nature, no frills activity, no activity box needed!

Sequencing
A very important skill to master, in addition to using puzzles or printables to teach the lifecycle of a plant, it would be great if we can give toddlers a hands-on experience of the same. They would remember this for ever then.

Science
According to the age, we can talk about basic science concepts like photosynthesis, composting, worms, insects etc. And further, we can supplement it with book readings. This can be a starting point of deep conversations with the toddlers. They are super curious & answering their questions related to gardening would be fun science lessons.

Life Lessons
Caring & Responsibility, patience, cycle of life, confidence, focus - all these deep & profound lessons can be learnt while gardening, taking care of the plat & seeing it grow.

Healthy Eating
If kids grow their own food, and are involved from end to end, they are likely to eat better & of course healthy.

Hands On Maths Lessons

From counting number of seeds to sow to measuring the right depth to sow the seeds to counting petals in a flower or leaves in a green to measuring the height of a plant, maths is everywhere. And gardening in every way is helping the child to sharpen his maths skills.

Bonding
A Sunday morning sowing seeds with mom or dad - the child will always cherish such beautiful memories. Gardening gives us a chance to bond beautifully with our kids & have great conversations.

Relaxation & Mindfulness

Gardening for me is like a meditation. It is therapeutic. It relaxes & helps us to become mindful of our surroundings our nature. And it is the same for kids too. Read my post HERE about 6 ways to develop mindfulness in kids.

I would love to know how & what did you do with your kids in your terrace garden! Hop on to our facebook page or closed facebook group to be a part of this parent-tribe :) And do not forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel, I would love to see you guys in my next video!

Happy Parenting :)

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