Guess what! My daughter got fantastic package in the mail!!!! "WOW, This is really for me? NEAT!" She said. Thanks to Pen Pals & Picture Books, we received the book "Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas," written by Jane O'Conner and illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser and a themed craft project to go with it!She snuggled up with it right away and we read it together. We have been talking about being able to make the best of situations and that holiday's are stressful ... Read more...
Christmas Crafts and Activities for Kids
There are so many great ideas that have been posted with activities to do for the holidays! We have a large zip-lock bag that I fill with the activities I have printed or made. Since the kids were 2, I have saved these activities and used them every December. More is added to the collection each year and we adapt the activities to meet the current needs and academic abilities. This way, I am able to re-use projects and do not feel so wasteful when I ... Read more...
DIY Kids-Made Star Ornament and Math Game
Help children learn the value of giving to others with this simple DIY Kid-Made Star Ornament and Math Game. Great for toddlers to big kids (see math game rules below!) DIY Kid-Made Star Ornament and Math Game By Amanda BoyarshinovSince the simple gingerbread ornament post was so popular last week, I thought I would post another one that is very simple and easy for toddlers to do.I really want to instill the value of "It is better to give than to receive" in my children's ... Read more...
Snowmen Candy Bars Make Great Teacher Gifts
For less than $5. let your children make Snowmen Candy Bars, a small gift for their teachers, neighbors, or friends.Affiliate Links Included in this post Last year, I saw these (well, Martha's version of Snowman Candy Bars) in Martha Stewart Living magazine. We like to put OUR SPIN ON IT! Instructions are online here. We made them last year, and again this year for teacher (and neighbor) gifts. Inside is a yummy chocolate. Martha recommends an organic fair trade variety, but ... Read more...
Holiday Learning Activities for Toddlers
Busy this holiday season? Me too. But when my toddler is busy learning and playing - he is sooooo much happier. Here are a few Holiday Learning Activities for Toddlers that we have been doing.Holiday Learning Activities for Toddlers : STAMPING This is great for fine motor strengthening. Grab a blank piece of paper and let them stamp to their hearts delight. Holiday Learning Activities for Toddlers : Putting objects in numerical orderWe I also worked on putting numbers in ... Read more...
DIY Gingerbread Man Ornament – Christmas Kid Craft
This little Gingerbread Man Ornament have been in our lives for many, many years. A retired teacher I know showed me hers and I have tweaked it and have made a class set each year for my students and children. They make sweet little parents or grandparents gift, even package toppers! The above picture is my sample.I pre-make the gingerbread and they decorate. I set out ribbon, buttons, markers, and sometimes glitter glue. Their creations are so much more creative and interesting than ... Read more...
Monster Quilt!
Budget Friendly DIY Monster Quilt! Earlier this week I said that I was going to share with you some of my handmade gifts on a budget. WARNING - usually, quilting and budget friendly do not go hand in hand. Making your own quilt is often very expensive in addition to time consuming. This quilt was not =) In fact, my quilting buddy Andrea and I made most of our Monster Squares together for a girls night in Saturday night which didn't feel like a lot of time at all! She also let me raid her ... Read more...
DIY Handmade Gifts for toddlers are as easy as 123!
Handmade gifts can be as easy as 1-2-3! To keep costs to a minimum try to make projects using the materials you already have on hand. Handmade Gift Ideas for KidsAffiliate Links For a sweet little toddler in our life, we decided to make a basket of sweets! Although hand-made felt food is cute all by itself, what toddler doesn't love a basket or bag with handles to put things in and out of and drag around? And what parent doesn't like a gift that comes with an organization ... Read more...
A DIY Christmas on a budget – a Funky Christmas Tree Painting
It's that time of year again when I try to close the workshop from my little helpers. I am not a napping crafter year round because I truly believe in the benefits of crafting with my children. At 5, my daughter is hand sewing her own projects and at 2 my son is cutting, pinning and starting to sew as well. This time of year though, I am trying to finish all my hand-made Christmas gifts behind closed doors. They seem to know it too, because no matter what time of day, they are trying to get ... Read more...
Afterschool Express – Writing Continues
It is that time of year again when life starts to get a little hectic and busy, but there are many opportunities for our children to write. We try and make sure that Elly spends at least 20 minutes a day writing. Some days I provide prompts or ask her to help write lists and letters, but she mostly figures out what to write on her own. I have to admit, that I printed my writing rubrics and started focusing on word choice and conventions, but haven't finished our book that we have been working ... Read more...
