Showing posts with label crafts with toilet paper holders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crafts with toilet paper holders. Show all posts
Monday, February 13, 2012
My Little Pony Craft
I love re-using toilet paper holders. I know. I'm a giant nerd. Munchkin Girl has been really enjoying playing with her My Little Pony toy lately so we decided to make some of our own. We simply wrapped pink construction paper around the outside, then we got out our googly eyes, pipe cleaners, etc.
A few things really surprised me...Little Buddy isn't even two yet so I didn't think he would really enjoy this project, but I hate to leave him out so I told him he was making a monster and gave him a tube as well. I was really focusing on Munchkin Girl and it didn't look like he was doing much over there but he was quiet so I just let him do it thing. I figured he wasn't coordinated enough to really make anything.
When I finally went over to inspect his work, I was shocked to see this:
He was holding one of those tiny eyes in his hands and using the glue to put a tiny dot on the eye! Honestly I'm not even sure Munchkin Girl could hold that little googly eye herself. Then he was coordinated enough to actually glue it on! Look at all those eyes!!
I guess I don't give him enough credit sometimes. After he finished his monster, he kept yelling, "Grrrrrr" and was so proud of his creation. When Daddy came home, he yelled, "Loo ut I did!" (Translation: Look what I did)
The other thing that really surprised me was the stickers that Munchkin Girl put on the ponies. I had seen something on Pinterest that I tried to re-create. I know that putting stickers on a page is very good for fine motor skill, so I tried to draw a star and have her put star stickers all around it to work on fine motor. Putting stickers on a page is one thing, but to try to keep them in a straight line requires A TON of concentration. However, she wasn't at all interested in that. Some kids probably would have been, but Munchkin Girl just wasn't interested in it.
My friend and author Susan Case from Kindergarten for Teachers and Parents has explained that children learn best when doing something that is interesting and meangingful to them. This was really clear to me this day because she was suddenly interested in putting the stars in a straight line...as the mouth of her Little Pony! She worked hard and it took her all of about ten minutes, just to get the stickers on, but she finally did it and was so proud!
After we finished the first pony, she wanted to make a "baby pony" and we got to do it all over again!
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Saturday, January 14, 2012
Easy Octopus Craft From Paper Towel Holder
Little Buddy still doesn't talk a lot. One word he does know is, "FOOTBALL!!!" He yells this approximately 205 times per night, and then immediately tries to tackle someone. That someone is usually Munchkin Girl, and sometimes she plays, but the other night, she wasn't in the mood for his antics and was getting very agitated. In other words, she kept screaming in a high-pitched voice, "Mommmmmy!!!! He won't stop wrestling me!!! Make him Stooooooopppp!!"
Although Hubby is an orthopedic surgery resident, I didn't want to put his talents to use at home, so we opted for a very quick and easy craft: A Painted Octopus from Paper Towel Holders. I got out our paints and first they painted the tubes:
Once they were done painting, I cut long slits and made them into an Octopus. This was especially popular since Munchkin Girls still lives for anything that involves Ariel:
Again, I love crafts that are cheap, easy a fun and this one definitely qualifies!! What some people don't realize, is that directing energy to something positive and fun can change the whole mood for the night. Instead of constant fighting and whining, you might get smiles. Kids are very proud of creations.
If you enjoyed this post, you will love my book! It was released in July, 2012 and was co-written by me and Susan Case. In this unique book, which was written by both a Mom and a former Kindergarten Teacher, you will find ways to keep your little kids busy, out of trouble, and motivated to learn. If you have ever tried to cook dinner while your kid clings to your leg and cries, this is the book for you! Kids behave better when they are given challenging projects to work on, which will in turn give you more free time to do the things you really need to do, like washing dishes, paying bills, and relaxing so that you can be a better Mom!
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