Showing posts with label easy craft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label easy craft. Show all posts
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Mother's Day Craft for Preschoolers
As a rule, I only do crafts if they are:
1. Easy
AND
2. Cheap
However, Mother's Day is different and the craft I chose was frankly neither easy or cheap but it really wasn't that bad, so if you are looking for something and aren't naturally creative, this craft is totally do-able! I thought I would go ahead and post to give everyone time before Mother's Day. Plus, it turned out so nice that I was glad I branched out for my wonderful Mommy and Mother-in-Law. Here was my criteria: I knew that I wanted the kids to help and I wanted to make a canvas. Lastly, I wanted to incorporate letters into the final design, so here is what I came up with.
For this project, we had to buy the canvas, but we had everything else at home. First we dyed pasta. I put some rubbing alcohol in a baggie with some food coloring, then added pasta to it and let it sit for awhile before putting it on paper towels to dry. Take note that food coloring stains. It especially stains skin. Not that I know that from personal experience or anything. Let's just say that before I got smart with the baggie on this, I tried using a small bowl and let my 2 year old "help" me with it. We both had red hands for several days. It was a little disturbing for strangers to see our blood-red hands.
Here is the finished pasta. We did orange, green, and purple (mixed red and blue of course)
Then we went outside and gathered some sticks. The kids really loved this part and it was a great way to keep kids busy, so while they did this, I used a glue gun to affix the sticks to the canvas. This tree pasta art was inspired by a post from Maria over at Mama Mia's Heart 2 Heart. She is very crafty, you should check her out!
Then, she painted green grass all over the letters. I drew a rough line for her so she knew to keep the paint under the trees. She enjoyed the challenge of this.
Finally, the pasta was dry so she used glue to get it on the canvas for the "leaves".
Happy Early Mother's Day to all you wonderful Moms out there! You inspire me daily!
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Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Easy Crafts for Old MacDonald Had a Farm
We have a great farm near our house that is open to the public. They have all kinds of pigs, cows, goats, and even overpriced fish food and people food! Just kidding, it really is a great place. It's been getting nice outside so I've started singing lots of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" to get everyone excited to visit the animals. We've also been reading our favorite farm book every day:
On top of the singing and reading, I decided to do some animal crafts too. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you read this post:
1. I'm not crafty by nature, so I keep things simple and use cheap materials I find around the house
2. The kids do the entire project, so the finished product sometimes aren't all that pretty...just bear that in mind as you see the pictures :-)
The Sheep
For this, we used cotton balls, googley eyes, and a paper plate
We even got to work on cutting when we did the ears for the sheep. Great for strength and fine motor.
Little Buddy quickly got bored of the sheep and began working on his favorite project: gluing eyes to a page in no particular pattern. I love it when he does this. I am amazed at how well those little fingers can get the glue on that tiny eye and patiently wait for it to dry. It ain't pretty but it sure is fun!
The Cow
Next, we started working on the cow. First, Munchkin Girl cut out a circle all by herself. She even drew the circle while I held the the lid of a sauce pan onto a page for her.
Then I had gave her a bunch of little black circles and she patiently glued a bunch of these to her circle to make the spots on the cow.
This time Little Buddy kept himself busy by dumping out all the eyes and then loading them back in the back. Over and over again. Toddlers sure love to sort things!
The Cat
For this, we used a paper towel holder. We glued white paper to it and then Munchkin Girl cut out a tiny nose and glued on the eyes. Then, she used the scissors again to make the whiskers and glue those on.
The Completed Project!!
An older neighbor girl came over shortly after we finished this project and said, "What is all that?" Okay, I admit you have to use your imagination a little to see a cat on the left, a cow in the middle (see the spots?) and a sheep on the right (see his wooly cotton balls?), but Munchkin Girl was SOOO proud of it. This was one of those projects that she bragged about for weeks.
"Daddy? Did you see our farm? Look! It's right here! I did it all by myself!!!"
After all this, the day came for us to visit the farmstead. We sang the whole way there and when we got there, the kids were clapping and clapping....and then, here is what we saw:
WELCOME! WE WILL BE GLAD TO SEE WHEN WE OPEN ON APRIL 15!!!
The date was approximately March 29th. Oops. Dingbat Mommy strikes again. I guess I should have checked online before I got us all pumped up.
"Mommy, where are the cows? Are they sleeping? Why aren't we going in?"
Fortunately, the disappointment was nothing a little ice cream couldn't cure. Now we only have a few days to wait until we can try again!
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, a Kindergarten Teacher. In this unique book, we will help you save your sanity! If you have ever tried to cook dinner while your kid clings to your leg and cries, this is the book for you! We worked together to give a Mom's point of view and a teacher's point of view, so that we could give you activities that not only keep the kids busy, but also keep them motivated to learn and develop their natural curiosity. 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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Saturday, March 31, 2012
5 Easy Games Using a $.50 Foil Pan
I'm in charge of paying the bills at our house. I usually do a decent job, but the other day I realized I had about ten bills piled up. Oops. This meant that I really needed something to keep the kids busy for fifteen minutes so I pulled out my trusty foil tins, which I bought at the Dollar Store one Saturday morning. The "Dollar" store is slightly misleading since everything is usually $2 or $3, but this time something really was $1 so they've been a great investment. We just rinse them out and keep using them again and again. So, in case you are looking for cheap and easy projects to keep the kids busy, here is a list of 5 ways to use a $.50 foil tin.
Colored Rice
Just get some colored rice from Hobby Lobby and keep in a baggie. When you need 20 minutes of free time, pour the rice into the foil tin and give the kids cups, a funnel, spoons, anything you think might be fun. Kids really love to pour things back and forth and back and forth and it's excellent for fine motor skills. Tell them at the beginning that all rice needs to stay INSIDE the pan. You might be amazed at how well they listen when faced with the prospect of putting it all away if they aren't careful. Even kids as young as twenty months can do this activity.
Sensory Letters:
I used glue to write names on construction paper and then the kids used leftover cupcake sprinkles to make the names come to life. When the names were covered, they took them out of the foil tins and voila!
Baking Soda, Vinegar, and Paint Project
For this, I let the kids squeeze a bunch of paint to the bottom of the pan, then sprinkle some baking soda. Lastly, I gave them bottles with vinegar and they were fascinated by the bubbly explosions inside the tin foil pan. Plus, squeezing the bottles are great for developing the muscles they will later need for writing.
Paint
You can keep it really simple by just using paint or even shaving cream. Give them something interesting to use to push the paint around the tin, such as a basting brush, an old toothbrush, or even just use a regular paintbrush. If you're feeling really adventurous, you could let them use their hands and turn it into a sensory activity.
Water
Kids love water. If you don't want to mess with paint, just put water in the tin and give them cups, a squirt bottle, a funnel, whatever you have handy. Give them towels and tell them if they make a mess you'll have to put it away. You'll be amazed at how well they can keep themselves busy with water. It's very interesting to kids and teaches them a lot about gravity and cause and effect (Example: You spray water at me, I take away the water:-)) Kids as young as twenty months can do this and again, it's great for developing fine motor skill and coordination.
If you enjoyed this post, you will love my book! It was released in July, 2012 and was co-written by Katie Norris and Susan Case. The book includes lots more ideas, similar to this and even expands on how they can help your child learn and even be ready for school someday. 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!
Did you enjoy my post? Don't forget to vote for me by clicking the banner below. I really appreciate your support!!
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Boost Self-Esteem by Displaying Artwork
I love seeing my daughter's face when she finishes a project that she's worked hard on. Even Little Buddy at 22 months is so proud of his stuff. One time he did some finger painting and when Daddy got home, he was so excited. The second Daddy walked through the door, he grabbed his finger and pulled him over to the window. We couldn't quite figure out what he was saying, but finally realized it was, "Oook ut I did" translated to, "Look What I Did!" He took so much pride in his work and wanted Daddy to see it.
It's important for kids to take pride in their artwork. I am working on a book with Susan Case, author, blogger, and former Kindergarten teacher, and one of the subjects that came up during our writing process was the concept of self-esteem and ways to improve your child's concept of self-worth:
"A self-esteem booster is to proudly display your child’s art or give it as a gift to grandparents who appreciate the thought - perhaps more than the product. But they will never tell your child that. They know it is precious to your little one. Be careful not to stress over your child’s product being perfect or looking exactly as you had envisioned. They are unique individuals who see things differently than you due to a lack of experience. Allowing children to be creative contributes to novel thoughts, problem-solving skills and entrepreneurs. The highest achievers in societies were encouraged, or at least allowed, to think outside the box. If they weren’t, they stole the time to do it anyway, becoming great artists, writers and scientists. The next time you have the impulse to correct their art, think of Mark Zackerberg (Facebook), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple Computers), and Jeff Bezos (Amazon.com) or Stephen Spielberg (movie producer)."
That's all well and good, but we can't really have five thousands crafts strewn all about our house. So, here are some ways we have found to display our work:
"A self-esteem booster is to proudly display your child’s art or give it as a gift to grandparents who appreciate the thought - perhaps more than the product. But they will never tell your child that. They know it is precious to your little one. Be careful not to stress over your child’s product being perfect or looking exactly as you had envisioned. They are unique individuals who see things differently than you due to a lack of experience. Allowing children to be creative contributes to novel thoughts, problem-solving skills and entrepreneurs. The highest achievers in societies were encouraged, or at least allowed, to think outside the box. If they weren’t, they stole the time to do it anyway, becoming great artists, writers and scientists. The next time you have the impulse to correct their art, think of Mark Zackerberg (Facebook), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple Computers), and Jeff Bezos (Amazon.com) or Stephen Spielberg (movie producer)."
That's all well and good, but we can't really have five thousands crafts strewn all about our house. So, here are some ways we have found to display our work:
1. Create a way to keep the art forever. Take your child to the store with you and let them pick out a small photo album. Take pictures of every single thing your child creates and then print the pics and put them in the album. This way they can show people everything they've done is also great on a rainy day. Let them scroll through and pick a project. Another way to do this is to print the pictures and allow your little one to glue them to some construction paper. Then use a hole-punch and a three ring binder to keep everything together.
2. Display the artwork in the living area. We bought a wall display thing from Pier One and hung it by the table where we usually do our work. After we're finished, we hang everything here. We eventually have to weed things out, but there is always a great display of artwork at any time.3. Find creative ways to display the art in their domain. You could use a piece of string and hang it across the room. Make sure to do this high enough so children can't reach it. Then use clothes pins and pin everything to the string. Or you could help your child make an "art box" that they can keep in their room. Help them decorate it with stickers, markers, feathers, whatever they want. Then help them print their name on the box. If they can't get a good angle on the box, help them print it on a blank name label and then stick that to the front of the box. That way, they know it is their art and they can choose their best items for it.
I can't tell you how much fun it's been ever since I started making artwork special instead of secretly and strategically throwing it away while they napped. That was just plain mean!
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Monday, March 19, 2012
Learning Letters With Puff Paint: Teach Kids to Read With Fun Activities
As usual, I tend to stress and Hubby tends to tell me to simmer down. Lately, I have noticed a strange tendency in my daughter when she writes letters and numbers...they are backwards. I write a 3, she writes an E. The problem is, that she doesn't seem to know the difference. Of course, my mind immediately goes to....What's wrong with her? Is this normal?
Hubby (who is a doctor, but an orthopedic surgeon so what does he know?) told me to ask my very smart friend and co-author, Susan Case, about it. Susan is a former Kindergarten teacher and author and we are currently writing a book about activities and crafts to do with preschoolers. She responded with:
It is normal for children to print letters in strange ways including backwards, upside down, and sideways when they are learning to print. Fine motor control comes after much practice and time to strengthen the finger and hand muscles and to develop a proper grip. Children begin experimenting writing letters with encouragement and praise. Their first and favorite word to learn to print is their first name. Help children learn to print their first name with only the first letter in upper case (this will make their teachers happy). Teach them to start at the top and go down with letters. For more information on teaching children to print their first name, you might enjoy this post.
Please do not stress yourself out, or your child, if they are not printing or learning letters correcting or reading before they enter Kindergarten. Jean Piaget, respected theorists on the stages of child development, believed:
1. Not all children are ready to read at the same age and in the same manner,
2. Not all children are ready to read before first grade,
3. Not all children learn in the same manner, and
4. Reading is a great deal more than decoding printed symbols on a page and mouthing words.
The most important role a parent can do for their child is to love them, fostering their self-esteem, and encouraging their natural love of learning. A parent’s responsibility is to provide opportunities for growth, respecting children as individuals capable of learning at their own pace, in their own time, and in their own way. Of course, it's always possible that your daughter might have a learning disability, but she is too young to worry about that now in regard to letter formation. Her kindergarten teacher will spend much time on the proper formation of letters. Children will be tested in school if a parent or teacher has concerns. Instead, I would just encourage you to gently introduce some simple ways to help your child learn fine motor control and reading skills.
I was very relieved to learn that this sort of thing was normal. I told Susan I was game to try anything and she gave me a simple idea to try the next time I needed a rainy day activity. I used my squeeze bottle paint recipe, which we like to do often. It is simply 2/3 cup flour, 2/3 cup water, and 2/3 cup salt. You can get your child to help you mix them together and then you fill up squeeze bottles with the mixture.
Then add some dabs of paint to the top of each one and volia! You have very fancy pens to practice writing! I wrote various names lightly in pencil first and then she used the squeeze bottle to write them out. She really had a lot of patience for this project and enjoyed doing her name and her friends' names.
Then add some dabs of paint to the top of each one and volia! You have very fancy pens to practice writing! I wrote various names lightly in pencil first and then she used the squeeze bottle to write them out. She really had a lot of patience for this project and enjoyed doing her name and her friends' names.
Even Little Buddy (almost 2) enjoyed himself. He couldn't do the names of course, but he worked on his muscles while he squeezed out the paint and benefited from this sensory learning.
We are making progress and having fun while we do it. Of course I want smarter kids, but really I just want cheap and easy crafts and this was it! Thanks to Susan for the ideas!
If you liked this post, you will LOVE my new book (which is currently ranked#4 on Amazon in the category of Motherhood!). If you have ever asked yourself questions like, these, then this is the book for you!
This video might help you understand a little more:
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If you liked this post, you will LOVE my new book (which is currently ranked#4 on Amazon in the category of Motherhood!). If you have ever asked yourself questions like, these, then this is the book for you!
- Why do my kids drive me so crazy sometimes?
- Why do they just want to watch TV all day long?
- How am I ever supposed to get anything done when my kids won't stop pestering me?
This video might help you understand a little more:
Here is what one of the reviews says on Amazon:
"This book seriously saved my sanity. I've read a bunch of parenting books but this is literally the only one that actually gave me real and specific advice and ideas for things to do with my daughter. I'm a stay-at-home mom to a 2-year old and I was at my wits end trying to come up with ideas of fun, easy, creative things to do with her that will keep her busy and occupied and help her learn. I wasn't very good at following through on ideas that I heard about from friends or read in other books or online because they seemed too complicated (aka: messy!) but this book broke it down and made it so simple. I highly recommend it!"
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