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Craft Ideas by Craft Caravan – January 2009

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Let it Snow…

The great outdoors may be covered in a blanket of snow, but it’s not likely that the kids will follow suit and curl up under a blanket at home.  They’re busy as ever, so pull out the craft supplies and start creating!
If you’re looking for snowy day activities, or if you’re still in Christmas clean-up mode, here are a couple craft ideas to fit the bill:   

Cotton Ball Snowman:

Supplies: Construction paper, cotton balls, glue, pencil, googly eyes, red yarn, wide ribbon, buttons, black paper

Directions:  Draw snowman shape on construction paper.  Make snowman hat out of black paper, and glue to top of snowman head.  Spread glue into each snowman circle, and cover circles with cotton balls.  Dab glue onto googly eyes and add to snowman.  Make snowman smile from red yarn, and glue on other accessories:  ribbon scarf, buttons on belly.  Let dry.

Wrapping Paper Name Plate:

Supplies: leftover Christmas wrap or other scraps of paper, cardboard, construction paper or other coloured paper, pencil, glue

Directions: cut cardboard into large rectangle – approximately 15 cm tall, and wide enough to fit child’s name in block letters.  Cover cardboard with construction paper or other coloured paper, making nameplate.  Write child’s name in block letters across nameplate.  Rip wrapping paper or other paper into small pieces.  Spread glue around the inside of first block letter.  “Scrunch” ripped papers onto block letter by placing onto the glue and then pushing paper towards itself.   Fill entire letter with scrunched paper.  Repeat with all letters of the child’s name.  Let dry and hang on bedroom door or other display area.

Fun Facts About Arts and Crafts – Snowy Scenes

 

Many pieces from the Canadian ‘Group of Seven’ artists depict snowy Canadian scenes.  The group of Seven held their first art exhibition in 1920.  Before this, many artists believed the Canadian landscape was either not paintable, or not worthy of being painted.

 

Kitchen with Kids – Microwave Rice Pudding

Soft and fluffy like a snow bank, but warm and creamy for a cozy winter treat!  The kids can help with stirring and measuring.  Serve this pudding warm or cold.

  • 1 cup water
    •    ½ cup raw rice
    •    dash salt
    •    3 tbsp butter
    •    2/3 c sugar
    •    3 c milk
    •    2 large eggs
    •    1 tsp vanilla
    •    cinnamon to taste


In microwave safe bowl, mix rice with salt and water, and cook on high until tender.  Stir in butter, milk, and sugar.  Cover and microwave on high for 8-10 minutes, or until mixture boils.  Beat the eggs and whisk a couple of tablespoons of the hot mixture into eggs (to prevent eggs from curdling).  Add a little more of the mixture to eggs while whisking, and then add eggs back into pudding bowl.  Microwave uncovered for 1-2 minutes, or until pudding bubbles on the sides.  Add vanilla and cinnamon, if desired.  Cool before serving.

Simple Science- Melting Snow

There’s plenty of it outside, so use some snow for this simple science experiment.  Collect two bowls of snow.  Make sure that there’s roughly the same amount of snow in each bowl.  Leave one bowl standing, and stir the snow around in the second bowl.  Which bowl of snow melts first? Tip: instead of bowls, collect snow in jars.  Shake one jar while leaving the other standing.  Which jar of snow melts first?

Five Minute Fun – Paper Snowflakes

Scissors and paper are all you need to create beautiful snowflakes for your window!  Simply fold a piece of paper over several times, and then cut random shapes into the paper.  Open paper to reveal a unique wintry snowflake!  Tape your snowflakes to the window panes, or hang them using pieces of dental floss or thread. 

Made with Love for Valentine’s Day

Help your child create one-of-a kind unique Valentine’s Day Cards with our exclusive Valentine Card making kits .  Choose a class pack of 24 mini cards for your child to give to classmates, or standard size cards (packages of 8) to send to close friends and relatives.  A crafty way to make Valentine’s Day just a little more special!  Check our card selection here.

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Craft Ideas by Craft Caravan – December 2008

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Visions of Christmas!

Visions of Christmas have already begun dancing through the air, and as we move into December the kids are already asking about Santa’s arrival.  Channel their excited energy into some simple Christmas time craft projects.  Give these ones a try:  

Feather Boa Winter Wreath:

Supplies:  Wreath form (cut one from cardboard, or purchase at craft store), feather boa (white, red, or green), ribbon, other decorations (pine cones, berries, or bells), tape or glue   

 Directions:  Starting with one end held at back, wrap feather boa around wreath form, pulling up through middle and around.  Continue wrapping until wreath s entirely covered.  Tape or glue boa end in place at back.  Tie ribbon into a bow at bottom.  Add berries, pinecones, or bell (Shown).  Tie second ribbon at top of wreath for hanging.   

Tip:  if you want to reuse the feather boa after the Christmas season, simply tuck one end under as you wrap, and use one piece of tape to secure other end at back.  Remove tape and unwind boa to use. 

Christmas Tree Cutout:

  Supplies: 2 pieces of cardstock of construction paper (one of the pieces green, if possible), regular scissors or scrapbooking scissors, glue, decorating supplies such as stickers, pompoms, acrylic jewels, sequins, etc

Directions:  Using the piece of paper that is not green, fold verticall y and cut triangle tree shape down the fold line, so that when you open the picture it will be a complete tree.  Glue tree outline  onto second piece of cardstock (green, if possible) and decorate the tre e with sequins, glitte r glue, etc.  

Kids in the Kitchen – Clove Orange

Not for eating, this simple scented project is one from back when I was in kindergarten!  Makes a lovely table display or poupourri replacement.

1 orange
Whole Cloves
Toothpick, darning needle, or wooden skewer
Ribbon in contrasting colour

Using toothpick, poke holes into orange.  Make a pattern, or simply poke holes to cover the entire surface.  As you poke holes, ask your child to insert cloves into each spot.  When you have finished inserting cloves, tie a ribbon around the orange. Place on a decorative plate or in a bowl for display

Simple Science – Christmas Tree Scent

Use your Christmas tree for a quick science experiment with the kids.  Cut a sprig from the tree, and then have them carefully rub the sprig between their fingers.  Can they smell the scent on their fingers?  Why do trees smell?  Apparently the plants that give off minty, oily, or sharp smells do so as a defense mechanism.  The smells come from chemicals that smell and taste terrible to animals that might consider the plant for lunch!

Letters to Santa

If your child is expecting Santa to arrive with gifts they’ll want to let Old St. Nick know what they’d like to see on Christmas morning.  Turn their wish list into a chance to practice writing or pre-writing skills.  Make a Christmas wish letter to Santa; they can draw pictures of what they’d like for Christmas, or find pictures in magazines and flyers. Bigger kids can write what they’re hoping for as well!  To complete the project, put the letter in an envelope and send to Santa at North Pole HOH OHO.  The Canada Post reply program recommends getting your letters in the mail by December 5th.   Remember to include your return address!

 

Five Minute Fun – Christmas Cards and Wrapping Paper

Fight boredom the entire month of December by having a stack of card making and wrapping paper making supplies available to your kids.  Magazine and flyer clippings are perfect for decorating, in addition to old Christmas cards, stickers, and crayons or markers.  The kids can work on hand made cards whenever they have a few minutes.  A great way to tackle your Christmas card list in addition to giving the kids some hands on fun!  Check out our Christmas Card making kit – a great way to get started!

Simple Party Planning for January

If you’re trying to take a breather from the Christmas chaos to plan for your child’s winter birthday party, we can help!!  Craft Caravan is pleased to announce our new party crafts.   Available in minimum order quantities of 5 crafts, simply choose the craft that’s right for your party, and we’ll send you everything you need to entertain.  Order before Christmas to ensure arrival in time for your party! 

Craft Caravan on Living Vancouver

Want to learn more about Craft Caravan or how to get crafty with your kids at home?  Check out these clips from CBC’s lifestyles show Living Vancouver.   View ‘Getting Crafty with Kids’ (Nov 20 Episode 3049) and ‘Craft Caravan’ (Oct 9 Episode 3019)

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Craft Ideas by Craft Caravan – November 2008

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Falling Back…

Turn back time tonight, as today is the day most people change their clocks to ‘fall back’ for daylight savings time.  The shorter days, together with cooler weather are sure signs that winter is just around the corner.  Use the themes of time and winter for a couple of fun crafts with the kids:

It’s About Time for a Clock

Supplies:  Cardboard, old magazines and newspapers, aluminum foil, 2 buttons, string, scissors, glue, crayons, hole punch

Directions:  Make clock face- cut circle from cardboard and cover with aluminum foil.  Find newspaper or magazine clippings of the numbers 1 through 12.  Glue each number to the clock face. 

Cut a big hand and a small hand from cardboard.  Colour the hands with crayon, or cover with magazine clippings.  Punch a hole at the end of each hand, where they will be connected to the centre of the clock.  Make a hole in the centre of the clock using scissors (a job for the caregiver!) 

Assemble clock: feed string through hole of first button, then through clock face, then clock hands, then second button.  Loop back around through second hole of top button, then through hands and face, then through final button-hole, tying string together on underside of clock

Handprint Mitten Mobile

Supplies: construction paper, glue, scissors, hole punch, string or ribbon, pencil, decorating supplies such as pompoms, glitter glue, sparkles, stickers, etc

Directions:  trace your child’s hand on construction paper with fingers together and thumb out.  Instead of individual fingers, trace around all fingers like a mitten.  Make 4 or 5 tracings.  Cut out tracings, decorate, and punch a hole at the top or ‘wrist’ part of each mitten.  Cut various lengths of string for hanging mittens on mobile.  Tie one end of each string through each of the mittens, and tie the other end around the pencil.  Loop another string around the pencil, in centre, for hanging.

 

Kitchen With Kids –  Grilled Banana Nutella Sandwich

An easy, yummy, warm sandwich treat for cool days!

1 Banana
Nutella spread
2 pieces of bread
butter or margarine

Spread one piece of bread with Nutella.  The kids can cover the Nutella with banana slices.  Close sandwich and lightly butter outside.  Place in sandwich grill for about 5 minutes.  Let cool until warm, and serve.  

Getting Crafty for Christmas

If you’re sending out Christmas cards this year, check our website for Christmas and Season’s Greetings Card making kits .  You can also subscribe to the Kids Craft Club – a great gift idea for pint sized friends and relatives!

 

Come Get Crafty with Us!

Craft Caravan is sponsoring the ‘Creative Corner’ at Vancouver’s Baby & Family Fair this weekend.  Drop by for some colouring and crafts when you visit Canada place tomorrow!

 

Five Minute Fun – Hibernation Hideout (Cave)

A simple way to pass a few minutes, throw a blanket over a chair or table for an instant cave or tent.  Though not quite a ‘craft’, we just had to remind everyone about this age old game, as our kids get endless amounts of joy out of hiding in their makeshift cave!

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Kids Craft Ideas for June 2008

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Dress It Up

Kids love to play dress up, and will eagerly role-play at any opportunity.  With Father’s Day just around the corner, turn their desire to dress up (or dress others up!) into these fun gifts for dad:

‘Just Like Dad’ Photo Craft:

Do a photo shoot with your child recreating his or her dad’s favourite activities.  Print the photo and give it to dad in a hand-made frame!

Supplies:  Plain photo frame, or construction paper with sturdy cardboard, dad’s favourite sporting or hobby equipment for creating the ‘scene’, decorating supplies (paints, crayons, glitter glue, old buttons, etc), glue, scissors, camera

Directions:  Choose dad’s favourite activity and recreate it with your child – examples:  child wearing dad’s business suit or shoes, child swinging dad’s golf clubs, child pretending to barbecue, etc.  Take photos of your child posing in their dad’s gear.  Decorate a plain wood frame using paints and other supplies, or make a frame out of construction paper with a sturdy cardboard backing.  Write the words “a chip off the old block” or “like Father like Son/Daughter” somewhere on the frame.  Insert photo and wrap it up for dad! 

‘Dad’s Favourites’ Collage:

Supplies: Old magazines or sports pages, photos of dad, construction paper, scissors, glue 

Directions:  Using old magazines or newspapers, find pictures of things dad does or likes.  Try to find some pictures of people in action.  Glue your clippings to construction paper to create a collage.  Using photos of dad, replace the heads in the pictures with dad’s head, so it looks like he’s in action.  Write “Dad’s Favourite Things” or “Super Star Dad” on your collage.

Directions

Knitting At Sea

 

Although it seems that most handmade sweaters have been knit by Grandma, and not Grandpa, most historians agree that the art of knitting originated with men.  Historians suggest that knitting was derived from the need to knit fishing nets, which was done by sailors at sea.

Sentence Starters for Father’s Day:

Find a wallet sized photo of your child, and add a thoughtful sentence on the back, so dad can take a glance when he’s on the go.  Choose one of these sentence starters to help your child express their thoughts about dad:

“I love you because….”

“You are the best Dad because…..”

“I love it when we…..”

Five Minute Fun – King for a Day

Every little prince or princess will delight in spending a few minutes to make a crown for dad.  Draw a crown shape on construction paper or cardboard (eg. From a cereal box).  Cut out the crown and decorate it using crayons, glitter glue, papers, or any available decorating accessories.   Cut a long construction paper or cardboard strip and secure to either side of the crown, creating a headband for crowning the king.

Tell Your Friends….

This month, everyone in our Kids Craft Club received  ‘Refer a Friend’ cards.  So, if you’re in the club and want an extra month of crafts, be sure to pass the card on to a friend!  Or, if you want to join our craft club, find a friend who’s already in the club, and help them get a free month when you sign up!

Crafts for Breakfast!?!

Craft Caravan has been invited to join Breakfast Television’s ‘Live Eye’ Segment on Wednesday, June 4th.  If you’re in the Vancouver area, tune in (Citytv, Ch13)  between 7 am and 10 am to get some crafty tips about making birthday parties a little more green.  You’ll also hear tips from other great local businesses.  It’s all part of celebrating the ‘Green Baby Shower’, which will be hosted by Belly & Beyond (4118 Main St) on June 8th, from 10am – 12pm. 

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Kids Craft Ideas for April 2008

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Celebrate the Earth

Join the world this month by celebrating Earth Day, a worldwide environmental event that happens every year on April 22nd.  Celebrate Earth Day by creating clever re-use ideas for common recycling objects.  Of course, craft time is one of the best times to reach into the recycling bin – get started with these re-use crafts

CD Case Picture Frame:

Supplies:  Old CD Case, favourite photo, construction paper, decorating supplies such as Popsicle sticks, buttons, ribbons, glue

Directions:  Remove all paper inserts from CD case.  Cut the photo to fit into the inside the CD case (where the insert was).  If the photo is smaller than the insert space, glue photo to construction paper, fitting into insert.  Now decorate your photo frame – add a border of glue around the front edge of the CD case, and then place Popsicle sticks, buttons, or other decorating materials, creating a frame.  Let dry.  To display simply open the CD case and stand it on a shelf.

Cereal Box Art Storage BIn:

To help your little one organize their ongoing stream of finished craft projects!! 

 Supplies: cereal box (jumbo size), tape, scissors, decorating supplies such as favourite photos, magazine clippings, ribbons, buttons, stickers, coloured paper, or old fabric pieces, glue, sponge

Directions:  Secure box flaps by closing and taping shut.  Lay box on its largest surface.   With an adult, make a ‘door’ on the front face of the box; cut across the box approximately 1 cm from top, and again 1 cm from bottom, then cut vertically along box fold line to join horizontal cuts.  Carefully open the door to create door hinge at opposite vertical fold.  Decorate – apply glue with a sponge, adding various decorations all over the box.  Loop a piece of ribbon and glue to the door edge, creating a handle. Let dry, and then use to store artwork.   

Tip: Add finished art or craft pieces to the box until it is full, and then go through the box with your child to choose their favourites

Pounded Into Paper

The word ‘paper’ is derived from the word ‘papyrus’. Ancient Egyptians used to pound papyrus stems into thin sheets, creating a paper like substance.  The paper that we know today got it’s beginnings in 105AD in China, when imperial court official Ts’ai Lun broke mulberry bark into fibers and pounded it together with hemp and other materials

Make Paper at Home:

Make paper with the kids using old paper scraps – dig into the recycling bin for supplies and type ‘how to make paper’ into your web browser search engine for a plethora of directions!

Word Play – Reduce, ReUse, Recycle

Help the kids become earth friendly at an early age.  Kids love to sort, and every household cleaning session presents great opportunities.  Set up bins for compost, recycling, re-use (e.g. for crafts), give-away, and garbage.  Get the kids involved in deciding which waste goes into which bin.  Great for building early math skills, and great for the environment!

 

Five Minute Fun  – Milk Jug Coin Bank 

Turn a 4L milk jug into a coin bank by cutting a coin slot across from the handle, and decorating jug with stickers, markers, or glue-on decorations (pompoms, fabric scraps, felt pieces, ribbons, etc).  Give your kids a few coins to get them started on saving!

How We’re Thinking Green

Being friendly to the environment is a top priority at Craft Caravan – we want to do our part to ensure that our kids inherit a beautiful planet.  here are a few of the ways we’re thinking green:

  • We send craft projects in reusable, resealable mailers (they make great gift bags for books, collect a few to store files, bills, or craft supplies, or add a little green shine to any craft project!)
  • We include as much recycled content as possible in our projects (e.g. – our card kits are made with recycled-content cardstock)
  • We print double sided whenever possible, on 100% recycled paper
  • We purchase from environmentally conscientious suppliers
  • We re-use scraps from craft projects for other craft projects

Kids Craft Club – One Month at a Time

Interested in the Kids Craft Club?  Now you can use our new monthly payment plan.  Purchase your first craft for $10.99, then pay just $9.99 per month after that.  The kids can keep receiving crafts every month without the hassle of subscription renewals!

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Kids Craft Ideas for February 2008

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Directions: Turn your toilet paper roll into a little man by adding googly eyes, glitter glue nose, and heart-shaped mouth.  Add a hearty bow tie by gluing the points of two hearts together, just below the mouth.  Add ears by folding two hearts in half, and gluing the back-side of the hearts into ear position – the hearts will fold out to create flappy ears.  Punch holes in toilet roll using end of pen or pencil, and insert the pipe cleaner arms.  Make hands by gluing two hearts back to back, catching the end of the arm in between.  Lay the ‘feet heart’ flat and stand the Hearty Man over the point, gluing to create two feet.  Finally, make hair by bundling the 5 rolled tissues, stuffing into the top of the toilet paper roll, and fanning out to make ‘bed-head’ hair.Note:  Turn you little man into a super hero by cutting a heart-shaped cape, adding the crafter’s initials, and gluing the tip of the heart cape to the back of the manBefore Mass-Production Step back in time this year and make handmade Valentine’s cards.   The tradition of giving Valentine’s Day cards dates way back to the Middle Ages.  At that time, Valentine’s wishes were sung or read as poetry.  Written letters and cards slowly replaced the spoken greetings.  Hand made cards were often created using coloured paper, watercolours, inks, lace, and ribbons.  Mass-produced Valentines were introduced around 1850; today there are roughly 1 billion Valentine’s cards sold every year.Word PlayNeed some catchy phrases for Valentine’s cards?  Take a look at these classics (from those early 1800’s Valentine’s): “To My Valentine”
“Valentine’s Greetings”
“Happy Valentine’s Day”Want to spice it up a bit?  Choose a kid-friendly theme to say it all, or be inspired by our Construction or Critters themes:“I Choo Choose You” (Train)
“You’re the Write Type” (Book)
“You’re a Hoot” (Owl, from Critters Kit)
“I Dig You”  (Excavator, from Construction Kit)Five Minute Fun- Heart Shaped MessagesMake mundane tasks more fun by decorating cleaning supplies with heart-shaped labels.  The kids can cut out hearts (or you can help them) to decorate and affix (with supervision) to dish detergent, laundry soap, or even the vacuum.  The next time you put yourself to work, you will see their testimonials of love and smile!

February is Brought to You by the Colour….

RED does double duty this month; the Chinese New Year begins on February 7th and is celebrated with an abundance of red – Dragons, Lanterns, and red envelopes of ‘lucky money’.  Valentine’s Day means hearts a plenty, and what better colour than red?  Get out the red paper and the scissors, and try these fun February crafts:

Chinese New Year Lantern:

Supplies:  Construction paper, scissors, tape, decorating supplies (such as crayons, markers, stickers, glitter glue, etc)

Directions: Use decorating supplies to create abstract design on your paper.  Fold the paper in half length wise, and draw cutting lines that are 2 cm apart, starting at folded edge, and stopping ~ 2.5 cm from open edge.  Cut along lines, making sure to stop at stop line.  Unfold the paper and match short ends together, taping in place to create a lantern.  Add a handle by cutting a strip of construction paper and securing with glue or tape

“Bed-Head” Hearty Man

Supplies:  5 pieces of facial tissue (folded in half and rolled up), toilet paper roll, construction paper for hearts (1 for mouth, 2 for ears, 2 for bow tie, 4 for hands, and 1 large heart for feet), googly eyes, 2 pipe cleaner pieces for arms (~ 5 cm each), glitter glue or marker, pen or pencil

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Kids Craft Ideas for November 2007

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An Apple A Day…

With Halloween behind us, we can turn our attention away from the diminishing pile of candy to focus on a more healthy alternative: the apple.  Canada’s apple season runs well into the fall, making the apple a great winter-time staple.  Not only is this a delicious portable fruit for snacks and bag lunches, it also makes a great crafting tool.  Try these simple “apple stamp” crafts with your kids:

Apple ‘Star’ Stamp:

Supplies:  Apple, pearing knife, paper towel, paper plate, tempura paint, decorating surface (fabric, paper, etc)

Directions:  Cut an apple in half horizontally instead of vertically.  The seeds will create a star shape.  Fold a paper towel into 4ths and lay it on the paper plate.  Pour paint on top to create a stamp pad.  Dip the cut side of the apple onto the stamp pad and press onto your decorating surface.

Remembrance Day Poppy Print

Supplies:  Apple, pearing knife, paper towel, paper plate, red tempura paint, black or green construction paper, scissors, white paper

Directions:  Cut apple vertically.  Create stamp pad as in Apple ‘Star’ Stamp craft.  Dip apple into stamp pad and press 4 stamps onto paper in a circle formation, with narrowest part of apple stamp facing in to center of circle.  Let stamp prints dry.  Cut circle from black or green construction paper and glue into center of apple stamp poppy.

Extra Extra!  Read All About It!

If you’re looking for great Christmas gift ideas, check out November’s West Coast Families Magazine (westcoastfamilies.com) Their Holiday Gift Guide starts on page 24, and Features Craft Caravan’s Christmas Card Making Kits!! We also like the digital photo frame feature from Simpleer.com , under the ‘For the Family’ category.

Fun Facts About Arts And Crafts

The first illustrated children’s book was published in Germany in 1658.  That’s almost 350 years of bedtime stories!

Pencils have been around for more than 440 years!  The first pencil was invented in England in 1565

Jokes Jokes Jokes!!

Yes, more knock knock jokes.  They may get old to parents, but kids can’t seem to get enough of them.  Join in the fun with these picks:

Knock Knock.
Who’s there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you going to invite me in?

And for the Cinderella lover…

Knock Knock.
Who’s there?
Bob.
Bob who?
Bipity Bobity boo!

Five Minute Fun

Salad spinners are fascinating to kids, so why not spin out a great little art creation!  Colour some water using food-colouring,.  Cut a piece of paper into a circle to fit the bottom of the spinner.  Place paper in spinner and add a few drops of various coloured waters.   Then close the lid and spin your art! Note:  The finished art piece will have a very light colouring similar to watercolour paintings.  For more intense colour, use real paint.  If you choose paint over water, you may have to sacrifice your salad spinner to the art closet!

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Kids Crafts for October 2007

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Settling into the New Routine…

Unpredictable fall weather and new kindergarten or preschool routines mean more time spent indoors.  Weekly (or daily!) craft sessions are great indoor entertainment and can easily be included in the new routine.  Try a morning or evening craft session with the whole family, or have a rotating craft session each week with friends.  For Vancouverites still waiting for the strike to end, dig into the recycling bin for supplies – we’ve provided some suggestions for egg cartons and bottles below, or use toilet paper rolls for everything from animal puppets to binoculars!

Egg Carton Caterpillar:

Supplies: egg carton, markers or paint, other decorating supplies (paper or felt scraps, stickers, etc), googly eyes, chenille stems (pipe cleaners), glue

Directions:  An adult can cut a row of egg cups from the carton.  This will be the caterpillar (open side down).  Decorate caterpillar with paint or markers.  Add other decorations with glue.  Make the head at one end by gluing on eyes and adding pipe cleaners for antenna.  An adult can poke holes into the head where the antenna will be positioned.

Egg Carton Flower Bouquet:

Supplies: egg carton, markers or paint, other decorating supplies (paper or felt scraps, tissue paper, stickers, etc), green chenille stems (pipe cleaners), glue

Directions: Cut several individual egg cups from the carton.  Cut top edges of each cup jagged or curved to resemble petals.  Paint and decorate each flower.  Let dry.  Poke a hole in the bottom of each flower and insert green pipe cleaner to make stem.  Place flower bouquet in vase.

Mosaic Bottle Vase:

Supplies: Glass or plastic bottle, tissue paper strips or squares, paint brush, glue, yogurt container or other small plastic container

Directions:  pour glue into yogurt container and dilute with water (3 parts glue to 1 part water).  Dip paint brush into glue and paint part of the bottle.  Cover painted area with tissue.  Continue adding glue and tissue until bottle is completely covered.  Paint a layer of glue over entire bottle – let dry.

Fun Facts About Arts and Crafts

Leonardo da Vinci spent 12 years painting the Mona Lisa’s lips.  Sometimes even the masters need to take their time!

It seems like Picasso was destined to become a famous artist; he could draw before he could walk, and his first word was the Spanish word for pencil.

 

Jokes Jokes Jokes!!

Did you know that humour is learned, not inherited?  That’s good news for those of us who always forget the punch line!  Preschoolers are amused by anything that seems out-of-the ordinary – like a fish wearing socks, or a camel playing the piano.  Try mixing things up with your kids, and see how they react.  Here’s a couple to get you started:

Guess what I saw walking down the street?
A cow wearing snow shoes!!
Guess what I saw in the backyard?
A turkey wearing a raincoat!

What do you call elephants in the bathtub?
Swimming Trunks!

What do you call a daddy on a bicycle?
A Pop-Cycle!

Five Minute Fun

Need a fast and easy way to entertain your kids? Put some paper on the floor and make some foot tracings!!  Kids eagerly stand on the paper to have their feet tickled by the crayon or pencil, before hopping off to see the end result.  For older kids, let them try tracing their own feet, or a sibling’s, or encourage them to turn their feet into a little ‘foot creature’ – like a butterfly or a moose!

Have more than five minutes?  Turn the foot tracings into a game – cut them out (challenges cutting skills!) and take turns laying the feet out in paths that lead to special treasures!

We’d love to hear about your crafts, jokes, or Five Minute Fun.  Let Us Know!

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Kids Craft Ideas for September 2007

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Autumn Leaves Are Falling Down…

Summer is on the way out and fall is on the way in, but that doesn’t mean the outdoor fun has to end. The kids can trade in their bathing suits and flip flops for some fabulous fall activities! Rake up a pile of leaves for instant entertainment – running, jumping, throwing – the leaf-pile options are seemingly endless. If you don’t have enough leaves to make a pile, or if you just get tired or raking, check out the below suggestions for some easy fall-time crafts that take advantage of the season and are great for the little ones:

Simple Birdfeeder:

Supplies: 1/2 bagel, peanut butter*, bird seed, string, old newspaper

Directions: Spread peanut butter over bagel. Pour bird seed onto newspaper and press bagel (peanut butter side down) firmly into seed. Tie onto a tree or fence post with string.

*honey or other nut butters are good alternatives

Leaf Rubbings:

Supplies: writing paper or other text-weight paper, crayons, placemat or newspaper, fall leaves

Directions:   Go outside and collect your favorite fall leaves.  Be sure to choose leaves that aren’t overly brittle.  Position the leaves vein-side up on placemat or newspaper.  You can secure with tape underneath so they don’t move during rubbing, if desired.  Lay writing paper over leaves.  Peel paper off crayon, lay the crayon on its side, and rub over the paper.  Watch your beautiful leaves appear!

Fun Facts About Arts and Crafts

Let’s learn a little bit about how it all started……

The first pigments used in painting were ground from earth, minerals, and organic matter. Most pigments are now made chemically and are more permanent.

The word ‘cartoon’ originally comes from painting terminology. It relates to a preliminary but fully worked sketch from which the outlines could be translated to a painting.

Jokes Jokes Jokes!!

Our kids (2yrs and 5 yrs) have spent many a meal tossing knock knock jokes around the table. Most of theirs don’t make sense to us, and we don’t even really get the “funny” ones, but the kids love them. Try these classics with your kids and see what they come up with when it’s their turn!

Knock Knock
Who’s There?
Dwayne.
Dwayne Who?
Dwayne the Bathtub! I’m Dwowning!

Knock Knock
Who’s There?
Egg.
Egg who?
Eggscuse me!

Five Minute Fun

Need a fast and easy way to entertain your kids? Give them a paint brush and some water, and set them free. Try painting coloured construction paper or tiles inside, or if you’re outside let them loose on the fence or sidewalk. The only hazard? Spillage! Make sure any important papers are out of the way, and be prepared for them to get a little bit wet.

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Craft Theme: Snow and Winter

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I live in Vancouver, which gets relatively little snow in the winter compared to the rest of Canada (sometimes none!).  So, when the great outdoors get a little snowy, the kids get a little crazy with excitement.  Our back yard is currently coated in a blanket of snow, but snow is always short-lived here, so it likely won’t last much longer.  Here’s a list of five (actually six!) craft supply ideas for snow-themed crafts, so we can make our snow days last a little longer when the rain decides to wash the real snow away.

1. Cotton Balls

Snow craft supplies - cotton balls The classic craft supplies for winter themed crafts.  Cotton balls already look like a snowball, so all the kids need is a little glue and a piece of paper so that they can create snowmen, snow forts, and other snowy day pictures.  Ripping the cotton balls up into smaller pieces is a fun tactile activity that creates whisps of snow or snowbanks.

 

2. Paper Doilies

 Craft supplies for snow theme - paper doilies different sizes can be used for small, medium, and large ‘snowballs’ on a snowman picture, or sponge on some glue and sprinkle glitter to make a sparkly snowflake

3. Shredded Paper or paper confetti

 Craft Supplies for snow theme - recycled paper shred Put your paper recycling to work by running old bills and statements through the shredder to create long strings of snow.  Tear, rip or crumple paper shred into snowy scenes or 3-D forts.  Use a sprinkling of white paper confetti to make a blizzard.  A blizzard looks especially intriguing if it’s created on black paper with white pencil crayon or crayon drawings, and lots of paper confetti.

 

4. White Yarn or String

white string for winter craft theme or snow craft theme  Use white string or yarn in any number of ways: glue it on to paper to make a pretty design, press it onto a glued pattern on waxed paper, leaving it to dry into a peel-off snowflake, pull it through white paint to create an abstract snowy painting, or integrate science by making a borax icicle

 

5. Shaving Cream

 Practice letters with shaving cream or whipped cream craft Play in the snow indoors!  Spray a small quantity of shaving cream onto a washable placemat or table surface.  Kids can use their index fingers to practice tracing oversized numbers or letters in their ‘snow’.  Gently wipe the letter away and start all over again

 

6. Food Items from your Kitchen

Sugar cube igloo craft for winter or snow theme The kitchen is overflowing with various items that can be used to create a lovely snowy scene.  Use flour or icing sugar for a dusting of snow, sugar cubes to create 3-dimensional snow projects such as igloos or snow forts, shredded coconut for larger snowflakes, and whipped cream for a big dump of snow!  Most of these ingredients could be integrated into a baking project too – make Gingerbread with a dusting of icing sugar, and serve with whipped cream and a sprinkling of coconut.  Wouldn’t that be great after a big play outside in the snow?

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