Origami for Children
Today Ella and I had some fun with origami while the boys napped. We had borrowed some books from the library, appropriately entitled “Easy Origami” and happened to have some paper in the basement that we had been given a long time ago. Origami is a great activity for grade-schoolers. It’s good for working on...
Creating a Mural with Children
When we went to IKEA yesterday we bought a big roll of paper (under $5!). Ella wanted to make a mural like Ramona and her father did in the book Ramona & her Father by Beverly Cleary. So we gathered our supplies…markers, crayons, and colored pencils. Once we had all of our supplies ready all...
DIY Birdcage Wedding Card Holder
Recently I made a Birdcage Wedding Card Holder on the cheap for my cousin’s wedding and I was really pleased with how it turned out. I was asked to procure a card holder of some sort for my cousin’s wedding. When she asked me to do this favor my aunt said that she trusted me...
Flat Stanley
This past school year Ella’s first grade teacher (the fabulous Mrs. Harris) read the students a book called Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown. The book is about a young boy who gets flattened when a bulletin board falls on him. Seriously…I don’t make this stuff up. After he gets flattened he gets mailed all over...
Easy Shape Collage Craft
This mama is not a big fan of the hot, sticky weather we’ve been having lately, so I’m always on the lookout for fun crafts to do in the coolness of our house. This week we made shape collages, I found the idea on the crafty crow blog. it’s quite easy to do, just cut...
Creating an Art Cabinet for Your Children
I created an Art Cabinet for our children to keep their art supplies organized and handy at their level. This is one of their favorite spaces in the house. I love it because it is hidden away inside a cabinet in the dining room, at their reach, and easily accessible. And when they are not...
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Magnet Letter Activity
When I taught preschool I often started out the year with activities revolving around one of my favorite books: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, written by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault, and illustrated by Lois Ehlert. It’s an adorable alphabet book, with a catchy song to go with it (and have you seen the DVD?!?...
Make a RECYCLE Sign For your Kitchen
One of Ella’s projects this week was to create a recycle sign to hang above our garbage can in the kitchen to remind visitors that we recycle. I think this poster should definitely catch their eye! We just used things we had around the house to make it: a half of a poster board from...
Sweet Smelling Jello Craft for Kids
This is an art activity I used to do with my preschool students when I was teaching, I always liked to use yellow/orange/reddish colors to create a sunshine, but any colors you choose would work. Rainbow Fish? Blue and Purple Polka Dots? The possibilities are endless with colors. Even very young children can do this...
A Calendar For Kids
Patience is a virtue, but not one that I or my children are well-acquainted with. We are a pretty busy family, and the thought of a long summer filled with a chorus of “mom, when are we going to….” made me cringe. So I made a calendar for kids. I used graphics and text, so...
Ottie the Otter’s Patchwork Quilt
A few months back I was asked by Sam to make a quilt for his beloved otter. How can I deny him? So despite the fact that I have not yet made Sam his own quilt, I went to work on the quilt for Ottie, checking out free quilt block patterns to get a general...
Sewing for the Boys: Car Cozie
Recently I made the most adorable Car Cozie for the boys and it was so easy to sew! For a year now I have been sewing the cutest little skirts for my princess. The lazy days skirt from Oliver + S was a simple starting project for this beginner seamstress. I made several skirts…for summer,...
