Making Mountains From Egg Cartons

We LOVE going to Colorado on vacation.  We go every year and the kids have been several times so the other day we were looking at family pictures ( a favorite activity of the kids) and they saw the mountains and it occurred to me that I could use an old egg carton and they could "make mountains".

First, I cut up the egg carton and then I glued a green piece of paper to some cardboard (for the grass).  You wouldn't really need to do this, you could just use the egg carton, but I had the cardboard and green paper so I figured why not?


Then I gave them some paint and they happily painted their "mountains".  Although I personally HATE to craft, I have found that this sort of thing really directs energy in a positive way and the kids are so proud of their creations so we try to do something like this every day.  I use the small paint containers to minimize mess and they usually don't even get paint on themselves since they're now so used to doing this kind of thing.  Plus, I like to keep it cheap and easy and that's why I like to re-use things like egg cartons and things I find around the house.


When they were finished, they glued some "snow balls" to the grass.  Again, this part isn't really necessary, but they thought it was fun and were very proud of their mountains!


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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!