Super Spring Crafts
March 28, 2008
Spring has definitely sprung at my house… we’ve got things getting ready to bloom everywhere, the weather has turned warmer, and the days are getting longer again! I love spring! On that note, today seemed like a great day to post some fun spring crafts.
Potted Tulips - Cut a tulip shape out of construction paper and glue it to the end of a large craft stick. Cut a slit in the bottom of a strofoam cup and push the craft stick through so that it looks like the tulip is growing out of the “pot”. You can turn this into a learning project by talking with your child about all the things that a tulip needs to grow. Then push the tulip down into the “pot” and slowly push it back up to pretend it’s growing.
Tree Blossoms - Simple craft for young children - need twig or stick (even more fun if child finds twig themselves). Cut up tissue paper into inch sized squares. (We use white and pink to mimic the cherry blossoms. Pour a small amount of white glue onto a paper plate. Scrunch up each piece of tissue paper, dip it into the glue, and stick it onto the twig. Put as many pieces of tissue paper onto the twig as you want and let dry completely. Inexpensive, easy, and fun for the kids!
Grow Birdseed - An anonymous visitor submitted this activity for Spring. Soak a sponge in water and put it in the middle of a plate with water. Sprinkle the sponge with birdseed (not sunflower seeds). Put the plate and sponge in a sunny location, keep water in the plate, and wait for the seeds to sprout.
Paint With Flowers - Kids will have a lot of fun with this one… although it’s a shame to destroy the flowers! All you have to do is cut a few flowers out of the garden (or you could get them on sale at the grocery store) and use them as your paint brush. Show the kids how to experiment with different ways to use the flowers to paint with… It’s great fun!
More Easter Crafts!
March 20, 2008
Hopefully you’ll still have some time to get in some of these great Easter Crafts… The kids and I are planning to make Easter baskets on Saturday to collect all those eggs in during the big Easter egg hunt. It’s nice to make them out of old milk jugs instead of buying Easter baskets and then throwing them away later!
Anyway, I hope you have a wonderful Easter!
Oh, and I almost forgot… Happy First Day of Spring!
Beaded Milk Jug Basket - You’ve probably seen the standard “milk jug basket” before, but this is a really nice way to dress one up and make it look really fancy. My kids were so crazy about this idea that they want to make these for their “official” Easter baskets this year.
Tie Dye Easter Cross - When you see what this colorful cross is made of and how simple it is to make, you won’t believe it. You can also get a little extra learning in and talk about how the colors mix to create new colors.
Perler Peter Cotton Tail - You’re bound to get a lot of “ooos” and “aaahs” when you finish this project. It takes about an hour, but it’s worth it. When you’re finished, you’ll have a project that you’re proud of and that you want to keep even after Easter is over. This one is definitely not for younger children.
Bunny Chain - Print out the bunny chain template. Fold an 8 1/2 x 11 inch piece of paper in half (short sides together) and then fold in it half again. You’ll have a long skinny piece now. Put the bunny template on the big fold and trace around it. The bunny’s back should be on one fold, and the ear, paw, and foot should be on the opposite fold. Cut on the lines and open up to reveal the bunny chain. You can color or decorate the bunnies if you want.
Paper Plate Easter Bunny - This one is quick and easy and can probably be done with materials you already have on hand! Cut 2 long bunny ears from pink construction paper. Ears should be about 8 inches long and 2 - 3 inches wide. Cut a second smaller set of ears from white construction paper. Glue the white ears onto the pink ears to make the center of the ears. Glue 2 large pink pom poms onto the middle back side of a 9 inch paper plate to make the bunny’s cheeks. Glue a medium black or brown pom pom above the 2 pink pom poms. Draw in eyes and whiskers with a black marker. Glue the ears to the back of a paper plate so that they stick out from behind the plate.
New Children’s Craft Book Looks Awesome!
March 19, 2008
I came across this new children’s craft book today while I was cruising around online looking for more Easter Craft ideas to post and I absolutely had to buy it! It’s called Fun Kids Crafts For Any Occasion… Have you seen it yet?
This brand new craft book contains over 700 crafts, it had tons of illustrations and templates, and best of all it’s perfect for younger kids!
I’ve been doing crafts with my kids for so long that I rarely get excited about a children’s craft book… but this book is really good!
My favorite craft sections are the edible crafts, egg carton crafts, Father’s Day crafts, the flip flop crafts…. okay, I guess I have too many favorite sections to mention here… there are just so many great ideas here that it’s impossible to choose a favorite.
Anyway, if you haven’t seen it yet, you owe it to yourself to check it out… after all, we can always use more great ideas to keep those kids happy, entertained, and learning!
Children’s Easter Crafts
March 18, 2008
I’m sure you already realize that Easter is this Sunday, so there’s no time to lose getting those Easter crafts in for the kids. Here’s a few ideas to get you started, and I’ll be posting more Easter craft ideas throughout the week!
Easy Egg-ceptional Experiments - I just love it when you can get a little learning in with a holiday! This page has some easy and fun science experiments that you can do involving eggs. Even younger kids will get a kick out of some of them, although they won’t understand the “science” behind the trick… it’s still fun!
Toilet Paper Tube Bunny - What would Easter be without at least one toilet paper tube craft? This one is really easy… I’ve even included templates for the bunny parts to make it super simple.
Easter Moasic Eggs - This is a quick and easy craft project that you can pull off on the spur of the moment without any preparation. It also serves to give those little hands a little cutting practice… something they could always use.
Paper Plate Easter Basket - Paint the back side of a paper plate brown or tan (basket colors). Let dry. Cut out half of the inside of a paper plate to make the basic basket with handle. Cut several egg shapes out of different colors of construction paper. Glue a few strands of green easter grass to the back side of the plate so that it pokes out into the opening in the plate. Glue several eggs to the back of the plate so that they also peek up into the opening in the plate. Flip the basket over and write “Happy Easter” on the plate.
Last Minute St. Patrick’s Day Crafts
March 14, 2008
Since we’re getting so close to St. Patty’s, I thought you might be able to use some last minute St. Patrick’s Day craft ideas for this weekend. I’ve had a couple of people email me about whether the holiday is to be celebrated on the 15th or the 17th… so here’s what I know:
Are You Ready For St. Patrick’s Day?
March 11, 2008
This year St. Patrick’s Day is on March 15th (this Saturday)… Are you ready? Just in case you find yourself behind the eight ball, here are some easy and fun ideas for St. Patrick crafts that you can do with the kids.
Irish Neck Tie - This St. Patrick’s Day tie is quick to make and a lot of fun to wear! In fact, you probably won’t get it off your kids even after St. Patty’s because they are so fun and silly.
St. Patrick’s Crafts
March 4, 2008
It’s a little bit early for St. Patrick’s Day crafts, but St. Patrick’s Day and Easter are so close together this year that I thought we better get started now so that we can get them both in! So… this is the first installment for St. Patrick’s Day crafts… Funny Shamrock People (a personal favorite for my kids), Irish Door Hanger, Simple Potato Prints, and a Paper Bag Leprechaun. Enjoy!
Do these kids deserve a hand?
March 2, 2008
These kids have it tough. They all have special needs of one kind or another, whether physical, mental, emotional, or medical… often special needs and challenges beyond what their families can manage.
So, do these kids deserve a hand?
