Archive for April 2011
Normally we post our best post of the week and please feel free to still do that today if you are itching to share something but every now and then I feel the urge to dust off old masterpieces! So dig back ( as far or not so far as you wish) and add something stupendous today. Let’s see what you got 
Have a wonderful week and if you haven’t joined out Parenting Book Club you still have time to read our April selection , trust me it’s a gem!
Something any classroom teacher will tell you is that kids ( I am talking the little ones 2-5 especially) will talk and role play about holidays for what seems like months after the fact. It’s not just your 3 year old who is still talking about trick or treating at Easter , most kids play and replay holidays a long time after the adults around are done with them. So for all of you who are set to hide eggs this weekend and for those of you who do not celebrate Easter here are some great plain old bunny books for you to enjoy.
A Boy and His Bunny
Ben’s Bunny Trouble
Bunnies on the Go: Getting from Place to Place
A Bunny is Funny
This craft was super easy to do and really quite pretty in person. It uses materials from your recycling bin and scrap paper box and gives you a chance to chat about Earth Day with your artist as they create.
- Gather your materials. You will need a cereal box or other easy to cut cardboard from your recycling bin, green markers, blue scrap paper, glue and a hole punch.
- Start by cutting out a circle from your cardboard.
- Next cut your scrap paper into strips and fold over – this will make punching the holes go much faster, although as you will see little hands have a hard time with doubled paper. I punched out 2 strips while he did the next step , then he had his turn.
- Color. We colored ours green because we had blue scrap paper , you can switch the colors based on what materials you have and punch green instead of blue.
- Punch.
- Empty out the holes ( this was his favorite part ?!)
- Add glue
- Spread it .
- Add the holes.
- Let dry. Easy peasy, earth friendly and fun!
Tomorrow we are going to plant some seeds in baby food jars we have saved, what are you doing to celebrate Earth Day?
Earth Day snuck up on me this year. Here are some great projects to make with your kids. Also don’t miss my 5 Simple Earth Day Activities to practice what we preach with your children over at FamilyEducation.com .
These Earth Day Muffins were a huge hit last year and I think I might make them for an easy Earth Day breakfast.
This will always be one of my favorite Earth Day activities Coffee Grounds Sensory Tub offers an earth friendly sensory exploration.
We love how easy this homemade puffy paint is, and this Puffy Paint Earth is a perfect easy craft for kids who like getting slimy!
This Trash Rainbow uses odds and ends fron our supply closet as well as our scrap paper box to make something natural and beautiful !
Get your kids thinking with this Recycling Sorting game, after they play you can sort the real recycling!
If you are lucky enough for hot weather you can make these Solar Melted Recycled Crayons or if you aren’t try these ones in your oven.
This is not a craft you can do with your child. This is a naptime craft or something you can do with a much older child. This craft is for the little kids, not with them. This idea was inspired by this bag of candy. Too cute!
I used a piece of orange felt, green felt, green bias tape (you can use yarn or any green string), a hot glue gun, and scissors. I suggest using felt. I originally tried this with orange quilter’s cotton and it was way too thin to hot glue. If you want to sew you can use the cotton, but this is a no-sew version that anyone can do. Literally anyone.
I folded the orange felt piece and trimmed the outer edge to make a triangle.
I hot glued the open side together to make a cone.
Then I cut the green felt in half, long ways.
Next I glued the green felt piece to the orange cone. I just glued about an inch at a time and rotated my way around the entire edge of the cone.
After that I cut strips into the green section. Be sure not to go all the way down to where it connects with the orange.
I cut some holes (more like diamond shaped snips) into the cloth with scissors and threaded the biased tape through the holes. This way it will be easier to re-thread when your child pulls the string out. Which we all know is going to happen.
Fill your cone with candy, trail mix, craft supplies, or whatever goodies you choose. Tie the string together. Ta-da!
After Easter it can still be used to hold small treasures. You can make your carrot any size you wish. I am seriously considering adding a long green strap to my daughter’s to make it a carrot bag purse.
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Kim is a contributing writer for No Time For Flash Cards, a mom to a toddler, a preschooler, and a foster parent, too. She juggles her day by trying out fun activities and crafts with the kids. After all, she is just a big kid herself. See what she has been up to over at Mom Tried It.
