Rainy Season Must Haves (Part 2): Clipper Gift Shop, DIY Poncho & Umbrella

If you were able to catch Part 1 of our Rainy Season Must Haves, here are more stores to check out for practical rain gear and more enjoyable activities that you can do with your kids.

Clipper Gift Shop
Cute, affordable, practical and easy-to-find items.  
You can find animal umbrellas, disposable raincoats, water-resistant bags and laptop cases, waterproof bag protectors and more all at Clipper Gift Shop. It's a wonder that a gift shop known for trinkets, stationeries and displays can also carry unique and affordable finds needed for the rainy season. A sister company of Blade auto accessories shop, Clipper (along with Blade) has branches in popular malls and can't be missed.

Foldable animal head umbrellas come in different pastel colors. Their raincoats for only P45 are light, affordable, reusable and disposable. These disposable raincoats can be very practical because kids can be forgetful at times and accidentally leave items at school or elsewhere.

Clipper’s water-resistant laptop cases have a lot of pockets for the organized mom and dad. You can also find water-resistant laptop sleeves at Clipper stores. Their bag-in-a-bag is a foldable bag protector that can stuff ladies’ tote bags to keep them dry from the rain. These can be roll up to about the size of a fist and can be chained to the bag when not in use.

Clipper has more items that you might want to have for yourself or for your kids. Do check out www.clipper.com.ph for the latest items available and branches near you to help you find that perfect gift. Personally, I can't get the Beatles Yellow Submarine collection dolls off my mind.

 
Source: Ms. Jeng Esperanzate of Blade Asia Inc., Mr. Jeff of CLipper Greenbelt 1 branch, www.clipper.com.ph

Click here to read on how to make your own poncho and umbrella designs.

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Make your own poncho and umbrella design!
 
Concept and Art by Mommy Jazz, Artist and Models: Julia and JC.
 
Class is suspended again. Worse, the power is out and your bag is running out of tricks to keep the kids busy. Splash some art on this dreaded day and make it a merry weather. Every kid is an artist and this project is a trick they will never forget. Let them design their own rain gear!
 
What you need:
•    Clear umbrella
•    Acrylic paint
•    Paint brushes
•    Mixing plate (or ice cream container cover)
•    White board marker pen (black)

 
For the plastic bag poncho:
•    Large plastic bag that can cover the child's torso
•    Scissors

Note: An adult must always be present to guard the kids' safety as large bags can be played with and cause suffocation.
 
Acrylic paints are water based like poster colors but turns water-proof when it dries. It is widely available in bookstores, school and office supplies stores and craft shops. Local brands in jars are at P45 while imported brands in bottles are at P120 each. On a budget? Japan Home Center has see-through umbrellas for only P88.00.

Practical trick for the paints: just get red, yellow, blue, black and white and mix the primaries to achieve desired shade. Egg plastic trays are good materials to keep mixed colors.
 
Get it on!
1. Lay newspaper on the floor, bring out the umbrella and all the materials plus damp towel for spills and cleaning the brushes, as well as cups of water to clean the colors off brushes and of course, aprons.
2. For the poncho, turn the plastic bag upside-down and slit holes for the child’s head and arms.
3. Start by drawing your design on the umbrella and/or plastic bag with the whiteboard pen. Any mistake can be easily wiped off. Start painting and let the party begin.
 
Watch their amazement on how they can create their own style. Be there to wipe off spills, smears and mistakes. Acrylic paint can be wiped off clean while it's wet. At times, you need to wait for the paint to dry before you can paint over it to keep the colors from mixing on the surface. Make waiting a perfect time for a break. Milk and cookies or a tea party would be perfect.
 
Capture this memory and join in!
Don't forget to take out the camera to document this creation. Join the kids by putting the poncho on while the kids paint on it. It will be a hilarious moment. The kids can get more creative by using shaped sponges (American Bazaar has it for P66/set) and glittery fabric paints in pen tubes (available at bookstores).

When the umbrellas and ponchos are all dry and done, let your kids be their own Quality Control Inspector and put it to the test. When it's safe enough, give them a memorable moment. Let them play in the rain! After the rains, it's time to show it off in school. Your little artist will never have to say again "Mom, I want the same umbrella she has!"