October Crafts, Halloween Crafts, Nature Crafts, Sensory Activities

July 8, 2016July 8, 2016 admin

Mystery Mask – October Kids Craft Club

Halloween theme, pumpkin craft, mask craft

The October crafts from the Kids Craft Club are brought to you by the colours orange, black and green!! If you’re not already in the club, there’s only a few days left to subscribe for this craft package.

October is full of mystery – trees stand like skeletons with their leaves on the ground, the wind seems to whistle just a little bit more, and kids gear up all month long to celebrate Halloween!

Use this month’s craft supplies to make a mask, transform a pumpkin into a jack o’lantern, or create spooky halloween shadows. Everything you need for Halloween crafts is inside your Kids Craft Club envelope!

Subscribe by September 23rd to receive this craft package at the beginning of October.

Halloween Party Crafts!

If you’re planning a Halloween party, be sure to include some craft time! Halloween themes are endless, and we at Craft Caravan can’t get enough of spiders and bats! These Halloween Party crafts are fun for during the party, or craft them before hand and hang them around for decorations! Be sure to order soon, as quantities are limited!


Spider and Web Craft	Bat Clothes PIn Craft	Wooden YoYo Spider Craft

Three Nature Craft Ideas with Sticks

Kids Nature Crafts with sticks and twig crafts

Our kids can’t seem to get enough sticks for their collection, so we put together some fun crafts to showcase their favourites and keep the collection at bay. Get step by step directions for making a leafy tree, a recycled can vase or pencil holder, and a stick person drawing – see instructions here

Kitchen with Kids – Squishing Tomatoes

Here’s a great tactile activity for home or at a sensory table in preschool. Have the kids squish some tomatoes! You can use fresh tomatoes and teach about composting while you’re at it, or use canned whole tomatoes. Our kids loved the ooey gooey feeling of the tomatoes squishing through their hands, making us think this would be a great slimy activity for a Halloween party too! Read what we did for this activity, or watch our tomato talk and the kids squishing.

Craft Ideas and Tips on the Web

Craft Caravan is on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube and we want you to join us! We’re using Twitter to send out craft tips and ideas from around the web, and we use Facebook to notify of contests, new blogs, and fun crafty videos we’ve made (posted to our YouTube channel). Join us to get free crafty content regularly as soon as we find or create it!

Craft Kit Giveaway – Child’s Artist Sketch Pad

Congratulations to Michele, who won this month’s craft kit draw from our homepage!

This month we’re pleased to give away an Artist’s Sketch pad with a fun print in either Elegant Oval, or Nuts and Bolts . These pads have a kraft cover, 40 printed tear off sheets, and are 7- 1/2 x 6 -1/2″ when closed. Phthalate free and printed with non toxic inks. Great to keep on hand for the elegant artist in the family.

We’ll be contacting Michele by email to get shipping information for your Artist’s Sketch Pad. You can enter next month’s draw here.

Craft Ideas by Craft Caravan – September 2008

July 7, 2016 admin

Findings In the Fall!

September is a great time of year to go outside and collect a few crafty items for fall and winter projects. Take the kids on a walk to collect leaves, pinecones, and any other interesting objects of nature that can be dried or stored for future use. Get a jump on the fall craft projects with these ideas:

Fall Leaf Butterfly Picture:

Supplies: Fall leaves – 2 small long & thin leaves, 1 big long & thin leaf, 4 big round or oval leaves, 1 small round leaf, construction paper, glue, googly eyes, glitter glue, or tiny leaves for decorating.

Directions: Dry the leaves by layering between newsprint and placing a heavy object on top. Let dry for about a week, or until they’re dry but not brittle. To assemble butterfly: use 1 long thin leaf as the body, 1 small round leaf for face, 2 long thin leaves as antennae, 4 big round/oval leaves as top and bottom portions of wings. Add googly eyes or dots of glitter glue to face, and decorate wings with glitter glue or smaller leaves.

Tip: Don’t stop at butterflies. Depending on the leaves in your area, you may be able to find shapes to create elephants (large round ear shaped leaves), bunnies (thin long leaves), or any other creature that sparks your child’s interest. Layering maple leaves in a fan shape, behind a long thin leaf, would make an excellent peacock!

Sparkly Pinecones:

Supplies: Pinecones, 2 paper plates, white glue, sparkles, string

Directions: Thin white glue by mixing with equal part water. Place glue in first paper plate, and sparkles in second paper plate. Roll clean, dry pinecones in glue plate, then roll in sparkle plate. Set aside to dry. Tie string around the top to create pinecone ornament for fall decorations, or place in bowl for a sparkly display!

Note: if you prefer, use a re-sealable bag for sparkles. Roll pinecone in glue, then place in sparkle bag. Seal bag and shake, shake, shake!

Inspired by Nature – Claude Monet

In a time when the most sought-after paintings were based on realism and academic style, Claude Monet chose to depict scenes from nature, in an impressionist manner. He was inspired by his environment – poppies, haystacks, and of course, water lilies.

Kids in the Kitchen – Swedish Chocolate Cookies

This is a no-bake recipe that is perfect for little helping hands!

3 ¼ cups oats
1 ¼ cups sugar
6 tbsp cocoa
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup butter or margarine
Flaked coconut

Mix dry ingredients (except coconut) together. Add butter and vanilla and mix until even consistency. (you could even use your hands for this!) With your hands, roll dough into 3 cm balls. Roll balls in flaked coconut. Chill for 1 hour before serving.

Five Minute Fun – Magnet Fishing Rod

Turn a stick into a fishing rod by adding a length of string at one end. To give your fishing rod some weight and to turn it into a game, place a magnet at the end of the string: Using two pieces of self-adhesive magnet, sandwich the free end of the string between adhesive sides of magnets, sticking them together and adhering to string. Find some household items that are magnetic, and some that aren’t, and put them into a ‘pond’ for your child to go fishing!

Kids Craft Ideas July 2008

June 30, 2016 admin

Oh Canada!

Whether at the cabin, the cottage, the camp, or even just the backyard, Canadians from coast to coast are celebrating Canada Day today! Red and white clothing, face paints, and washable tattoos all make great fun for kids on Canada Day. Looking for more great ways to celebrate Canada? Try these Canada inspired crafts to make the celebration last the whole month long:

Nunavut Provincial Flag Craft:

Nunavut is Canada’s youngest region, becoming it’s own territory in April, 1999. Make this simple Inukshuk flag to celebrate Canada’s youngest territory!

Supplies: white paper, construction paper (red, yellow, blue), scissors, glue

Directions: Cut a yellow piece of construction paper that is exactly half the length of your white paper. Glue into place, covering left half of the white paper. Make inukshuk: cut red construction paper to the same height as white/yellow flag. Then cut red paper into 3 small horizonal blocks, 1 longer horizontal block, and 1 small vertical block. Round the edges of each block to create the appearance of rocks (see Nunavut flag photo). Glue blocks to middle of flag to create inukshuk. Cut blue star and place on white portion of flag

Note: Extend this craft project by going outside and building an Inukshuk using stones, or by replicating the flag of your province! You can view provincial flags at The Flag Shop

Canadian Moose Craft:

Supplies: craft paper, cardboard (such as from cereal box), or other ‘background’ paper, ice cream lid or paper plate, brown paint, googly eyes, black pompom, twigs from trees with a few branches to look like antlers

Directions: pour brown paint into ice cream lid or paper plate. Stamp foot into paint, then stamp onto background paper or cardboard with heal of foot closest to bottom of paper, to create moose head. Decorate your moose head: Place googly eyes at ball of footprint, and place nose at heal of footprint. Make antlers by gluing twigs to top of footprint (at the toes).

Note: Mom and Dad can join in on the fun to create a moose family! Their extra big footprints will make large moose heads, while the kids can be the smaller moose

Fun Facts About The Canada Flag

The Maple Leaf Flag is a work of art that has achieved international recognition. The flag itself is young; it was adopted as the official flag of Canada in February, 1965. Use these guidelines to recreate the flag with construction paper or fabric: The length of the flag should be twice the height, and the white portion of the flag is exactly double the length of each red portion. The central maple leaf has 3 major points that each break into 3 smaller points. The number of points on the flag has no symbolic significance – this is simply the best configuration to look good while blowing in the wind!

Sing it Loud!

‘O Canada’ became Canada’s national anthem on July 1, 1980. The official lyrics are known to most adults, but can sometimes be tricky for kids. Try singing this song with your little ones – their word changes often produce very uniquely entertaining renditions of the song!

Kids in the Kitchen – Strawberry Popsicles

Nothing says ‘summer is here’ as well as the beginning of strawberry season! Try these yummy frozen treats with your kids for a refreshing summer time snack:

1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 cups plain yogurt
Popsicle holder, ice cube tray, or paper cups and popsicle sticks

Mix yogurt and strawberries. Alternately, blend yogurt and strawberries for smooth consistency. Spoon into ice cube tray, popsicle holder, or paper cups. Freeze for 20 minutes. Add sticks (if using paper cups or ice cube tray), and freeze until firm.

Five Minute Fun – Summer Time Streamers

Turn a simple stick or rubber bracelet into summer time fun by securing lengths of ribbon or crepe streamers. Kids can wear the bracelets or twirl the stick to add some dazzle to their outdoor running games!

Our Newest Additions – Invitation Kit, Scrapbook Kit

Craft Caravan is excited to introduce our latest Card Kit additions. Our ‘About Me’ scrapbook kit is perfect for kids to work on over the summer, or try the Invitation Kit for your next big bash!

Kids Craft Ideas for December 2007

June 29, 2016June 29, 2016 admin

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!

Kids Craft Ideas for September 2007

June 22, 2016June 22, 2016 admin

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.