Gotta Hand It To You

Many mommies get a little sentimental around Mother’s Day, reminiscing about when they first entered into motherhood.  Start tracking how big the kids have grown year after year, by making handprint tracings.  They’re fun to look back on, and they also make great craft projects – check out our suggestions below.  And just in case Mother Nature is planning another blast of cold weather, these handprint activities will make it feel like spring inside, regardless of what’s happening outside!

 

Mr. Sun Handprint Craft:

Supplies:  Yellow and orange construction paper, marker, pencil, or crayon, glue, large circle template (a lunch plate would work well for this)

Directions:  Using lunch plate or other circle template, trace circle onto yellow construction paper.  Make sun rays: on orange construction paper, trace child’s hands (fingers spread), and cut out tracings.  You will need at least 4 handprint cutouts.  Repeat, using yellow construction paper.  Glue handprint sun rays around yellow circle, alternating yellow and orange rays.  Use marker or crayon to add a face to your handprint sunshine.

Simple Shapes Handprint Bird:

Help your child identify shapes and practice cutting as you make this little bird! 

Supplies:  Construction paper for bird (blue, red, brown, or yellow) and beak/feet (orange or yellow), googly eye, toothpicks, large circle template, small circle template, feathers, paper for background.

Directions:  Use a circle template (such as lunch plate) to make bird body, and use a smaller template (such as drinking glass) to make head.  Cut triangle for beak, and two small triangles for feet.  Make the wing:  trace child’s hand (fingers closed), so that the tips of the fingers become the tips of the wing.  Assemble bird, gluing onto background paper.  Use toothpicks for legs, adding triangle feet.  Add googly eyes and decorate with feathers  

Tip:  paper from an old brown paper bag would work great for the bird’s body

All Sewn Up

The art of hand sewing dates back over 20 000 years.  The first sewing needles were made of animal bones or horns, while threads were made of animal sinew.  Iron needles were invented in the 14^th century, and the 15^th century brought the first eyed needles. 

Thoughts for Mother’s Day

“I’d like to be the ideal mother, but I’m too busy raising my kids.”– Unknown

The mother of three notoriously unruly youngsters was asked whether or not she’d have children if she had it to do over again. “Yes,” she replied. “But not the same ones.”– David Finkelstein

A teacher gave her class of second graders a lesson on the magnet and what it does. The next day in a written test, she included this question: “My full name has six letters. The first one is M. I pick up things. What am I?” When the test papers were turned in, the teacher was astonished to find that almost 50 percent of the students answered the question with the word Mother– Unknown

Five Minute Fun – Silk Flower Pencil Topper

Drawing is more fun with a super fancy pencil!  Choose a silk flower that has a stem, and then attach it to a pencil or pen by wrapping tape (masking, scotch, even floral tape) around both pencil and stem.  Tip:  don’t wrap all the way down the pencil, as you will want to sharpen it eventually!

We’re Growing….

Our Kids Craft Club is growing quickly!  Check our website to see what members have to say, or  take a look at our new press page .

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