Tag Archives: crafts

6 Ways to Celebrate World Creativity and Innovation Week {April 15-21}

Posted on by
April 15-2, 2013

Have you heard about World Creativity and Innovation Week? Me either…that is until recently. I am always up for learning and doing something new and so I just had to find out what this was all about. It is a new event started in 2002 and according to the site dedicated to this week:

“It’s about spreading the word about how you and others are using their creativity – new ideas, new decisions, new actions – to make the world a better place and to make your place in the world better too.”

What a fun concept! What are you going to do? Here are six ideas to help get you thinking of something fun and creative you can do with your children:

Use your imagination

Where do your kiddos want to go? What would it be like? Put on costumes and pretend to go there. For instance, my children decided to visit the moon once. We made space helmets out of tinfoil and they created a rocket out of chairs. They had quite the adventure!

Get Messy

Experiment with your hands and get messy. Make homemade play-dough. Paint with finger-paint or pudding. Play in the mud. Some of the most creative time my kiddos have spent outside usually has to do with water and dirt. They make rivers, cities, and dams. Boy, do they come inside a mess, but they love it!

Eat Something New or Different

Create your own meal or make something new. Eat dinner for breakfast or breakfast for dinner. Trying something new to challenge your taste buds is always a fun experience.

Build Something

Try building using something new or different like marshmallows and toothpicks, sugar cubes, whatever is in your recycling bin (that could be fun!), refrigerator boxes, or keep it simple with something you already have on hand, like building blocks. I am always amazed at what my children can come up with when I pull out a box of blocks. All it takes is someone to egg on a “let’s see who can make the tallest tower” type of competition and they are off. Soon they are building cities, farms, bridges and more.

Visit an Art Exhibit or Museum

Experience creativity and innovation by visiting a local art exhibit or museum. In our case, we we have a Children’s Museum near us that encourages creativity and experimenting with simple art and science. It is a great way to get my kiddos thinking about how things work or try different types of art.

Solve a Problem

Ask your children for help with a household problem and see if they can help solve it. Try to implement the idea. This one kind of sounds scary to me, but I have been surprised with some of the ideas my kiddos have come up with before and maybe it will be one of these times!

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you have fun and no matter what you do be creative!

 

Ladybug Kids Craft

Posted on by
SAMSUNG

Springtime is almost here and that means a whole new  array of crafting ideas. No more snowflakes, hearts or pinecones. It’s time for fresh fun ideas that get you and the kids looking forward to blooming flowers and gorgeous sunshine.

Bugs are one of our top crafting topics. Not the creepy crawly gross ones but the colorful cute ones that get the kids smiling.  Today we’re making ladybugs. This is a preschool aged craft but can be tailored for younger and older kids by simply prepping supplies and steps or stepping back and letting your child take complete ownership and creative license.

Supplies

Red and black cardstock or construction paper

School glue

Googly eyes

Black pipecleaners

Standard hole punch

Directions
Ladybug Craft for Kids
Cut a large round from red paper, about 5 inches across. Fold in half to add crease.

Cut a small round from black paper, about 2 inches across. Fold in half to add crease.

Hole punch black paper to use for ladybug spots. Add dots on the body.

Glue the black head under the red body, let set.

Glue eyes onto head and antennae onto body. Set aside to dry.

Bend black pipecleaners into a 90 angle and attach 6 halves to bottom of body for legs.  Let rest upside to completely dry.

Your ladybug is done.  Create a family of ladybugs to rest on windowsills, book cases or on a flower arrangement. This ladybugs can be made any size and even any color.   Changing the shape to ovals will create an entirely new bug so let your children use their imaginations.

Arts and crafts are beneficial because they are a creative outlet.  They help with developing fine and gross motor skills as well as color and shape recognition.  Crafts and activities can be done anywhere; home, school, traveling, vacation and outdoors. This allows for learning and fun virtually anywhere.

Hanging Kids Artwork

Posted on by
Hanging Kids Artwork

If you have crafty kids or younger kids in school you know what it means to have oodles of pictures, drawings, cut and paste projects and more cluttering up your kitchen table. I used to allow our kids to attach their art to our walls whenever they wanted. This was a way of showing off their talents for everyone to see and letting me be supportive of every scrap of paper they stapled together.

Then something happened. My walls were suddenly being covered by every scribbled post it and index card in the house. The pride the kids were feeling for their gallery of art was being replaced with the need to wallpaper the house in crayon and finger paint. Something had to change. I now limit how many pieces go up. If something new goes up, something old comes down. It’s limited to one room now too. Our kitchen is the only place they can display their art. They have wall space, and of course the fridge.

I want to take it a step further and give them a more formal space, one that showcases the foam pieces and pipe cleaners better than a piece of tape.
Here are some ideas that I love from the ever popular Pinterest. No matter what idea you have you know you can find tons of inspiration on Pinterest.

Frame It. Dedicate a variety of sized frames so artwork can be switched out but still maintain a clean sophisticated look in a busy hallway or nook.

 

 

Hang it. Using clamp style pants hangers will give any room an eclectic feel. I’ve seen these for just $1-2 at Ikea.

Magnetize it. Add paint and magnets to simple clothespins will help get art off the table and on the fridge or metal bar strategically placed on the wall. This would like nice in a hallway.

 

Whether you choose a fancy hanging method or magnets on the fridge or plain old tape make sure your children feel proud of the work they are creating. Encourage creativity and give them inspiration for new creations.

5 Ways To Keep Christmas Simple With Young Children

Posted on by
ID-10065211

Let’s face it, some years we have the energy to do it all and some years the idea of the Christmas season overwhelms us. In our case, my children sound like they want to do it all BUT this poor mom is feeling something different. With the addition of our baby girl this past month, I am feeling the need to keep Christmas simple and just enjoy our little family. So, I have come up with a list of 5 ways to simplify the Christmas Season and some possible activity ideas for each.

1. Family Traditions

Make a list of traditions that you like to do each Christmas. If the list is a bit long, pick a few of the most important or the ones that are enjoyed the most to do this year.

Example of Activities:

In past years we have made an advent calendar with an activity to do each day. The activities could be super simple, but even setting up this calendar this year seems overwhelming. So, instead  I will fill the countdown bags with a goodie for each day (the kids love this) and pick 1 activity to do each weekend. Like, a favorite light display we like to go to or a Christmas concert as a family, etc.

2. Serving Others

As a family look for ways you can serve and help others outside of our family.

Example Idea:

This can be as easy as taking a plate of cookies to a neighbor or donating items to a needy cause. Pick something as a family and make sure everyone gets a chance to participate and get that “warm feeling” that comes from serving others.

3. Homemade Ornaments and Christmas Decor

This can be an ongoing activity throughout the month and my children love to make them. They even expect to see them when we pull out all the ornaments, even though, most of them are paper!

Example Idea:

Paper Gingerbread Men Ornaments made from card stock, hole punches, glue and ribbon. Or Homemade Snowflakes or Homemade Scented Holiday Decorations.

4. Thoughtful and Simple Homemade Gifts

I have learned that the gifts that my children make are the ones they are most excited to give others.

Example Idea:

Homemade notebooks: Stack a few sheets of colored and/or white paper together, fold in half and then staple them together creating a mini book. My young children love to make and give these, but they also love to receive them. My 3 year old made a few of these one year for her 5 year old brother and he took one to church every week to color in. He loved it!

Once you start thinking about it, it is easy to come up with more ideas, too.

5. Spend Time as a Family

I know this sounds silly to even list, but every year I find we are running around to do this and see that. Sometimes we just need a little reminder to stop and spend some time together without an agenda. Maybe this is just with your little family or maybe this is with your extended family.

Example Idea:

Have some hot chocolate and sit by the Christmas tree while listening to music.

OR

With go Christmas caroling to nearby neighbors. I will admit this is an activity with a slight agenda, but worked great to bring us together, especially for a larger family. We did this last year with all my extended family and had a blast. I am pretty sure hardly anyone in the neighborhood could hear us singing (we need to find a better way to amplify our voices), but none of us were complaining. It is the one time last year we all got together and was a very low stress activity.

5 ways to keep Christmas simple

 

Top photo courtesy of: David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

DIY Fridge Magnet Letters

Posted on by
glass pebble letter

My kids are a little older so those “classic” primary color fridge magnet letters don’t really fit our style anymore. I wanted to make a new set that would allow the kids to leave messages and notes to us and each other. I also wanted them to be cute and fun because they were geared towards the kids. I decided to raid my craft closet to see if I could make something unique but still useful.

Glass Pebble Fridge Letters

letter fridge magnets diy

  • 1/2″-3/4″ clear glass, flat gems (found in floral arranging section)
  • old magazines, junk mail, brochures
  • school glue
  • super glue or hot glue
  • scissors
  • disc magnets 1/2″-3/4″

craft suppliesLeaf through old magazine, seek out bright and fun headlines and titles. Determine if they’ll fit behind your marble by simply placing the gem on top and making sure you can see the letter, number or symbol clearly.
Apply clear drying school glue to the back of the marble, press firmly to the letter/page. Let completely dry for up to 1-2 hours.

glass gem fridge magnetWhen the glue has completely dried carefully cut/trim paper away from glass gem so paper does not stick out from behind gem. Using hot glue add pea size bead to magnet and press firmly to glass gem. Magnets will be ready to use in 10 minutes.

Gather up your old magazines, brochures, pamphlets and junk mail and make your own fridge magnets. The entire project, completing all the letters, numbers and some symbols should take one day. Please note these magnets are NOT intended for toddlers as they pose a choking hazard. These magnets are meant for older children and adults. With proper supervision younger children can enjoy spelling out words with your new fridge decor.

 

Giving Kids an Extra Hour of Your Day

Posted on by
1 extra hour a day

This summer is flying by and not in the way I imagined. I had hoped for lots of daytrips to the park, pool, local orchard, zoo, beach and friend’s houses. I researched free and low cost activities that would appeal to kids of all ages and even signed up for newsletters from local attractions.

Something happened to my master plan. I started working a job. The work is flexible and I do it from home but it really cuts into prime time during the day. I feel guilty that the sun is shining and I’m sitting in front of a computer and the kids are asking if there is anything to do.

This week I changed things up a little. I gave up an hour to give it back to the kids. I took that hour from my sleep. I love my sleep, it’s something that I hate to give up for anything. I realized that my kids happiness and summer memories relied on it though.

The first morning I get into an elaborate activity with my youngest. We built entire city out of construction paper and crayons, play animals, Matchbox cars and blocks. Truthfully it took way more than an hour to create but then it provided a couple more hours of entertainment as she moved her city around and reorganized streets and built new structures.
The next day was dedicated to my son. He’s an excellent reader but he just doesn’t enjoy it yet. He loves stories and listening to audio books, he’s been listening to Series of Unfortunate Events for over a year, over and over. I started our morning with ME reading out loud a chapter book of his choosing. He choose Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Ugly Truth. We laughed and had some special bonding time over something that we don’t do often enough. I promised him I would read a chapter or two each morning before we get into our regular routines.

These are just small steps but they really made a positive impact on the rest of the day.

A Handmade Gift for Mothers Day

Posted on by
finished vase

Mother’s Day is right around the corner. Spa days, handbags, flowers, breakfast in bed; they’re all great gifts but I truly love something homemade from my kids. It’s fun to compare their abilities each year from scribbled note cards to handprint animals to sculpted clay figures. This year I worked with my youngest to make some crafts for my mother.

We started with a stamped picture, made a vase/pencil cup then did a free form finger paint masterpiece. The stamped picture was simple and something almost any child can do just by changing up the tools and image desired. The vase is simple too but geared a little towards slightly older children with more developed fine motor skills. Younger children can participate in this craft with some instruction or different supplies.

Supplies Needed

  • Yogurt or other narrow/tall container or jar
  • Yarn, twine or ribbon, try old school LARGE yarn for littler fingers
  • School glue
  • Embellishment such as buttons, beads, foam shapes orfabric flowers

Instructions
Scrub clean and thoroughly dry your container. We used a Yoplait yogurt cup because that is what my daughter had with her breakfast. Also be sure your container is taller than wide, this help prevent tipping when full. Jars and cans can also be used easily. Spread a line of school glue from top to bottom of the container. Adhere the end of your chosen material to the glue and start wrapping. Dots of glue here and there will help keep the yarn or ribbon in place. Wrapping the container requires concentration and patience since it’s easy to get tangled up and going the wrong way.
kids craft pencil cup, kids craft vase, using yarn for craft

Your kid may require some assistance to produce a fairly even pattern that covers as much of the container as possible. We finished it with a butterfly foam shape but a crystal button, fabric flower or other trinket would have worked well too. Let it dry for a couple of hours and your vase is finished. use any color to celebrate any holiday or season.
pencil cup craft for kids, mothers day craft

This craft utilizes items that would otherwise end up in the trash or recycle bin, yarn or ribbon that many of us have stashed away and glue. It’s few “ingredients” make it a great go-to for rainy days or last minute gifts for dads, uncles, teachers and friends.

What are you favorite Mother’s Day gifts you’ve received over the years?

Making Snowflakes without the Snow

Posted on by
qtip snowflake

It hasn’t been much of a winter in our neck of the woods. We’ve gotten just a couple inches of snowfall one weekend, then a couple light dustings since then. Since snowflakes have been in hiding, I thought it would be nice to make our own.

Qtip Snowflakes are an easy preschool activity but one that takes up a good chunk of time, perfect for cold or rainy days. The supplies needed are things most of us would have on hand.

  • Qtips (this design requires 18)
  • Glitter Glue or School Glue and glitter
  • Plastic wrap
  • Large piece of cardboard
  • Tape

cotton swab snowflake, winter, craft, kids, glitter glue

Start by firmly taping down plastic wrap on a large piece of cardboard. Since glue tends to take hours to dry, it’s a good idea to move your project somewhere safe to dry. I DIDN’T do this and we ended up having family dinner on the living room floor, picnic style.

Starting in the middle of your space, squeeze out a large (quarter size) blob of glitter glue. Following the pattern, stick your qtips into the glue, turning the swab to coat the end completely. Continue with the pattern, ensuring the ends are smothered so your snowflake doesn’t fall apart once it dries. We used four different colors of glitter glue for this snowflake. One would be fine too. Once all the cotton swabs are set into place, move your design to dry. I waited over night to be positively sure it wouldn’t come apart.

Using a piece of clear tape, I attached our snowflake to our back door. Hanging it in front of a window would be pretty too, but ours has curtains; I didn’t want to risk knocking into it over and over.

The final look is pretty and the process is inexpensive. This project should easily last an entire season and can be adjusted to mimic many designs; Christmas trees in December, fireworks in July, and suns in August. Younger children may need a little more help and maybe some extra squirts of glue when they aren’t looking, but older children can easily adapt this design into something more elaborate and larger. Their imagination is their limit.

Making Personal Valentine’s Day Cards

Posted on by
Valentine's Day Cards

What are your plans for this Valentine’s Day? Better yet… what are your kids’ plans for this Valentine’s Day?

How about making Valentine’s Day cards? It’s fun and educational, and it may help you get rid of some of the odds and ends around the house you don’t know what to do with.

Thinking about how fun it would be to make my own Valentine’s Day cards, I sifted through my craft box, which includes the usual papers, ribbon, markers, and crayons as well as the not so traditional canning lids, bracelets, and other odds and ends.

I then set to work to create a few different Valentine’s Day cards, just for variety.

This turned out to be a very simple task and one that you can easily do with your child to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

To get started, make a collection of materials your child can use to create his own Valentines. Then set them out on the carefully prepared table (so you don’t get marker or glue stains on the pretty surface). Let your child go crazy, using his imagination to create his own Valentine’s Day cards to give to you, grandpa, Aunt Lucy, Uncle Ned, cousin Jenny, the neighbor across the street, teacher, or a friend.

As your child creates Valentine’s Day cards, he is building his dexterity and other fine motor skills. Let your child cut out hearts with safety scissors just for kids. Let your child glue on ribbon or stick stickers on his cards.

Making Valentine’s Day cards is also a great way to practice writing skills. Your child can write a Valentine’s Day letter or write simple phrases on a card.

Plus, you can help your child be creative with how the picture and the words relate.

And, last but not least, you can teach your child about shapes, more particularly the heart. Help your child cut out heart shapes or use heart-shaped stickers on his cards.

Dont’ forget to download a Valentine’s Day coloring sheet for your child. You an also get a fun Rusty and Rosy background for your desktop. Click here.

Do you have any great tips for making Valentine’s Day cards or for making education a part of your child’s Valentine’s Day fun?

Homemade Gifts for the Holidays

Posted on by
cookie mix in a jar

We are just a few days away from Christmas and the to-do list is so long. The shopping list seems to be growing too as I remember people who need to be added. Each year the kids and I work on some homemade gifts for teachers, neighbors, and friends. This year my littlest one and I made M&M’s Gift Jar Cookie Mix from the M&M site. The process was fun and best of all I had almost all of the ingredients on hand; we just needed to buy M&M’s.

This is a great project to get the kids involved. Depending on their age they can measure and/or pour ingredients and, of course, sneak a couple candies during the process. (Great for working on fine-motor skills.)

kids helping with baking

Ingredients

Quart size Mason or canning jar with tight-fitting lid
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup M&M’S® MINIS® or regular size Milk Chocolate Candies
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/4 cups uncooked quick oats

Directions

In a small bowl gently blend flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In your clean-and-dry jar, layer flour mixture, walnuts, M&M’S®, raisins, brown sugar (don’t pack), and oats. Make sure each layer reaches the outer edge so it can be seen. Seal jar. DONE

We added a festive gift tag that included the mixing and baking directions and simply decorated the jar with rustic twine. This is a perfect gift for any family. Who doesn’t like cookies? Have you made gifts in a jar?