kids crafts

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 May 2008

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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 14th century, and the 15th 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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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 January 2008

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Ring In The New Year!

January means a little more sunlight each day, but the cold weather and snow (or threats of it!) are here to stay for a little longer.  Celebrate the winter weather with these simple snowy craft ideas

‘Winter Night’ Painting:

Supplies:  Black or blue construction paper, white paint or crayons, other ‘winter’ looking supplies: white pieces of paper, aluminum foil, cotton balls or white facial tissue, snowflake shaped confetti, icing sugar, cornstarch, or flour, white glue or glue stick.

Directions: Create a winter scene using white paint or crayons on construction paper.  Use aluminum foil to create a skating pond or to make icicles.  Cut out paper ‘blocks’ to make an igloo or use a hole-punch to make snowballs.  Add piles of snow with cotton balls.  To make a blizzard, dab some glue or glue stick onto the page and sprinkle with icing sugar, cornstarch, or flour.

Pine Cone Skier

Supplies:  Pine cone, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaner (cut in half), toothpicks, googly eyes, felt, glue

Directions: Use the pointed end of your pinecone as the head of the skier, with the flat end as the bottom.  Attach Popsicle stick ‘skis’ to the bottom of the pinecone using glue.  Shape pipe cleaners into arms, bending to make hands that will hold the toothpick ski poles.  Add googly eyes for face, and put a cap on top using a piece of felt.  

Drawing Conclusions

Research shows that drawing is an extremely important communication tool for children of all ages.  Drawing is a great way for parents and caregivers to relate to their kids.  Trish Musselle, teacher at General Brock Elementary in Vancouver, supports the research in her kindergarten classroom  “Everything we do in class has a drawing element to it”, she says, “the pictures bring out all kinds of stories that the kids wouldn’t otherwise tell.”  When supplied with a pencil and sketchpad, kids will create amazing drawings that can lead their parents to wonderful discoveries.

Jokes, Jokes, Jokes! 

Thanks to Elyjah and Indah, and their mommy Sharon, of Bamboobino , for these classic knock knocks:

Knock Knock
Who’s there?
Amos
Amos who?
A mosquito bit me!

Knock Knock
Who’s there?
Andy
Andy who?
Andy bit me again!

Knock Knock
Who’s there?
Figs
Figs who?
Figs the doorbell!

Five Minute Fun- Simple Snowman

Draw a snowman and ask the kids to decorate it.  Provide crayons, cotton balls, googly eyes, leftover pieces of fabric for scarf and hat, small buttons, twigs or pipe-cleaners for arms, etc.  To make it really simple, forego the extra supplies and simply use coloured paper for scarf, hat, buttons, arms…

Thinking Ahead…

Craft Caravan’s Valentine Card making kits are here.  Get yours early; entertain the kids with card-making all month long!  Two unique kits with custom designed Message Stickers – choose from ‘Cute Creatures’ or ‘Construction’; standard or class-pack sizes.

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

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Kids Craft Ideas for December 2007

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Stuff Your Stockings…

Thinking of Craft Caravan for Christmas? With every Kids Craft Club gift subscription (4,6, or 12 months), we will send the gift-giver a welcome card and Christmas craft to stuff into stockings or place under the tree. Simply indicate ‘Christmas gift’ in the comments area of the online shopping cart system.
Deck the Halls…

Decorating for Christmas moves to a whole new level with preschoolers around. Little sets of hands are always ready and willing to decorate anything and everything they can reach! The countdown to Christmas has already begun, so why not channel some of that excited energy into Christmas crafts. Homemade play-dough makes great tree ornaments, while preschool-friendly gingerbread houses are delightful displays for the table or mantle.
Play-Dough Tree Ornaments:

Supplies: Christmas cookie cutters, homemade play-dough (see recipe) or modeling clay (air-dry or baked), toothpick, paints, decorating accessories such as sparkles, ribbons, glitter, etc, family photos or old Christmas cards, wire hooks or ribbon/string.

Directions: Make play-dough according to recipe. Roll out the dough and cut shapes with cookie cutters. Place shapes on baking sheet and make a hanging hole in each, using toothpick. Bake and cool. Decorate ornaments with paints, decorating supplies, clippings of old Christmas cards, family photos. Let dry. Hang with wire or ribbon.

Play-Dough recipe:

1 cup salt

Mix Salt and Flour together. Mix water with oil. Combine all.

4 cups flour

Knead for 10 minutes. Add flour if too wet, water if too dry.

1 ½ c warm water

Roll to ¼” thick and cut shapes. Prick bottoms of shapes and place

4 Tbsp salad oil

on greased pan. Bake at 350 for ½ hr to 3 hr, depending on thickness
Milk Carton “Gingerbread” House

Supplies: Graham crackers, clean cardboard milk carton (500ml, 1L or 2L), icing, candies, spreading knife

Directions: If starting with a large milk carton, cut to about half height. Build the house by icing one side of the graham crackers and then attaching to carton. Add more icing and decorate with candies. Let icing harden.
Back to Basics

In the early days, Christmas tree ornaments were usually hand-crafted or edible. Nuts, candies, fruits, and pieces of coloured paper were the most common. Think of your tree as a blank canvas for creative little minds! String popcorn garlands or paper chains around the tree, and hang decorations made from beads, clay, paper, or anything they’ve deemed an ‘ornament’.
Jokes, Jokes, Jokes!

Mixed up words make kids giggle, so have some fun with word play this month. Classic Christmas stories and songs are even more fun when mommy or daddy get it wrong. The kids will love correcting you! Some examples

Dashing through the muck
In a one-horse open truck…

‘Twas the night before Christmas,
When all through the garage,
not a creature was stirring,
not even a porcupine
Five Minute Fun – Glitter Glue Christmas Ornaments

A piece of waxed paper and some creativity can turn glitter glue into sparkling ornaments. Draw a few easy shapes (circle, triangle, square) on regular paper and cover with waxed paper. Ask your little one to trace with glitter glue. Let dry, gently peel from waxed paper, and hang with ribbon or thread. For the really young ones, recognizable shapes might be a tall order – any ‘scribble’ will work; as long as it has one loop to string ribbon through. For older kids, encourage them to draw and then trace their own shapes. Some suggestions: Trees, stars, stockings

Tip: To make the glue flow more easily for your tot, snip off the end to make a wider opening.
Blatant Product Plug

We’re very excited about our Christmas and Seasonal card making kits , and with December just a few days away, the Christmas card lists will soon be making an appearance. Try our card making kits with your kids!

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

 

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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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Five Ways to Stay Crafty and Organized all School Year

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September is a season of new beginnings, so we’re taking the opportunity to make some mid-year commitments that will help us stay organized and crafty all year long:

  1. Have the kids set goals and track them throughout the year: this is something many teachers do with their students (even the wee ones) at the beginning of the school year, and we think it’s a wonderful idea.  If your child has set goals at their preschool or elementary school, you can support them at home by making time for them to work towards the goal, asking them questions, and praising effort.  If your child doesn’t set goals in the classroom, have them set goals at home.  This could be anything from learning how to ride a bike to putting their face in the water, taking care of houseplants, or learning to paint.  The goals should be realistic (riding your bike around the block, not across Canada!) measurable (did I do it? Yes or no), and include a timeline.  The point is to have the kids reach for something and celebrate success when they accomplish it, or to talk about what to do differently (change the goal, change the effort) the next time they set a goal.
  2. Keep a ‘Look at Me Now’ Journal with Each Child: though the school year seems to fly by, it’s amazing how much they grow and learn in the span of a year.  Make or buy a booklet or binder to act as a journal for the year – have your child fill it with little details about themselves – like their favourite colour, a drawing, a tracing of their handprint, a drawing of your family, their favourite food, etc.  Preschoolers will do drawings that parent or caregiver can help caption.  Do an ‘About Me’ journal session with your child again halfway through the school year, and then at the end of the year.  Compare how much has changed – can they write their name now? Do they have a different favourite colour? how many numbers can they write?  What do their scribbles mean now?
  3. Decorate a Box or large folder for art projects: hopefully the kids will be coming home with lots of art and craft projects, so plan to store their favourites (and yours!) before they pile up around the house.  For projects that are too big, consider taking pictures of them before recycling, and plan to display a few special pieces around the house in picture frames, taped to a wall, or on an ‘art clothesline’
  4. Schedule Craft Time at Home: we’re obviously big fans of doing crafts at home, even when the kids might be doing crafts at school.  Integrate craft time into the routine to give your child some much needed down time at the end of a busy day.  Crafts at home are a great way for kids to practice new skills, to start conversations about what they did at school, and to get creative without any social pressure.  Keep supplies in an easy to reach location and (if they need it) help your child get started by offering a few simple ideas, without telling what to do.  If you’re running short on ideas or supplies, the Kids Craft Club provides a monthly delivery of craft supplies and suggestions.
  5. If you take something out, put it back when you’re done: this may seem obvious to all of the naturally organized out there, but this summer I’ve realized that my kids are very good at starting a multitude of projects throughout the day, but they’re not very practiced at cleaning up after themselves before they move on to the next thing.  They come by this honestly, as I often find myself leaving one task half-finished as I dash off to the next.    Since schedules get tighter in the fall, we won’t have time to continuously be on the hunt for the latest location of that critical item we left somewhere, so we’re going to make more of an effort to integrate time for a thorough clean-up when we move from one activity to the next.

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