Marshmallow Tinker Toys!

Difficulty:  *

Time Commitment: *

Mess Potential:  *

This project was SO easy, no mess and a lot of fun.  All that is needed is jumbo marshmallows and a bunch of straws.  The only straws that we had at home were the kind with the flexible bend, straight would have been better, but we made these work. 

To create the marshmallow art, simply stick a straw into the marshmallow to use as the connector between the straws.  Your child can create all types of shapes just like we did as you can see below. 
I asked Halsey what shape she wanted to make and she said circle.......well, almost any shape.

The dog hoping that our creation falls over! 

Ahh.... marshmallow success.  Yes, dogs do like marshmallows!

Halsey, exercising after making a dumbbell. 





My Shadow

So, I admit, I'm cheating.  I can't even pretend that I made this project, or that it took less than 30 minutes.  We got the above blanket as a gift from my daughter's best friend Megan's Grandma.  If I could sew, I even think I could create one of these blankets, and Halsey has deemed it her favorite "cuddling" blanket. 

We did help make the blanket.  Our part consisted of tracing Halsey's outline on a long piece of butcher paper.  Megan's Grandma then used our outline to make a pattern for her blanket.  She used Tinkerbell fabric to make Halsey's shape and letters for her name.  Then she sewed it onto a big piece of fleecy soft material and seemed the edges.



Heart Picture Frame

Difficulty:  ***

Time Commitment: ***

Mess Potential:  ***

 

This project turned out to be much more difficult for my 4 year old than I anticipated - and didn't keep her interest very well.  I needed to help her a lot with "painting" down the corners of the tissue paper that we used, and making sure the wood surface of the frame was covered.  But, on the upside she loved the "jeweling" process. 

Materials:

Left Over Frame from V-day Clearance at Michael's

School Glue

1 inch pieces of tissue paper

Sponge brush

Jewels for decorating (if desired)

Start by covering your work surface with paper or some sort of mat since this can be a messy project.  I use a washable plastic place mat for our work area.  Pour school glue in small container to make glue application a little easier.  Remove back of the frame and any staples that may be sticking out on back of frame. 

Give child a sponge brush and have her paint the frame with glue.  Then apply tissue paper onto the frame and smooth with the sponge brush. 

We chose to use two colors of paper, but you can use as few or as many as you would like.  If using more than one color, try to alternate colors so that you have a good mix when frame is completed. 

Help child smooth the edges of the paper down with the sponge brush. Also, wrap the paper around the sides of the frame and secure with glue.  Cover entire front of the picture frame with tissue paper.  Go over entire front with a brushing of the glue. 

If your child would like to add jewels to the frame, allow them to place the jewels on the glue surface.

Allow the frame to dry until surface is no longer tacky before inserting your picture. 



Flyin' High!

Difficulty:  *

Time Commitment: *

Mess Potential:  *

Paper Airplanes!  This is the ultimate easy craft project to do with your child.  And, I was surprised to find how much she enjoyed it and the length of time it entertained her.  In fact, we're headed out to the park this afternoon for a paper airplane flying contest with Halsey's favorite Uncle! 

All you need for this project is a sheet of paper.  We used just simple computer paper, but notebook paper or construction paper will certainly work too.  The simple steps follow. 

1.  Start by folding the paper in half horizontally.

2.  Fold in the top corners of each side of the paper. 



3.  Fold again.  One side of this fold is shown below. 

And the other. 

4.  Repeat this same fold again on both sides. 

And on the other side.

5.  Flip paper over, and grasp the folds of the paper, your plane is ready for decorating! 

6.  Decorate with crayons or pens.  Enjoy the hours of fun your child will have with this creation!! 



7.  Ready for take-off!



Create a FORT!

Difficulty:  *

Time Commitment: *

Mess Potential:  **

Lately, it feels like we've all been sick more than we've been well.  This translates into a lot of time spent at home, away from school, with the two of us going stir crazy from being stuck indoors.

One of the activities that is always a big hit is building forts.  And it is great for her problem solving skills as well as spacial relations.  All you need is a big stack of blankets, pillows or sheets, and your child's creative mind.  The above fort and "moat" was made by my daughter in just a few minutes.  While, it may take longer to clean up than it does to make, it certainly is a lot of fun for her to play in.

I was at a hands-on children's museum with my daughter and they had the coolest things to make forts.  Not only did they have a stack of blankets - but the blankets all had elastic loops sewed on each corner.  On the walls and chairs there were cleats.  The children were able to move the furniture around to use as supports for the fort by hooking the blanket corner on the chair or wall.  Fantastic easy idea.  I loved it, and so did the kids!

Valentine's Day Cards

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

Difficulty:  *

Time Commitment: **

Mess Potential:  **

 

So I broke my own rule on this project, and took a trip to Michael's for some Valentine's Day card supplies.  But, I kept it limited to a few things that were inexpensive - and quite honestly **necessary** for our successful creation of some old fashioned Valentine's Day cards. 

Materials:

Doilies

Glitter Letters (or markers)

Glue Stick or School Glue

Ribbon

Construction or Craft Paper

Foam Hearts (if available)

We started our craft with a silver doilie and glued a foam heart on top of it.  We then used a heart shaped cookie cutter as a stencil to cut out heart shapes from patterned paper.  That was glued on top of the foam heart and we then decorated the hearts with glitter letters, glue and glitter.  Finally, we used our Valentine's ribbon to tie a bow to the top of the Valentine.  Several of the cards we created follow. 

We created the card above by ripping construction paper in pieces and then gluing the pieces onto the foam heart.  My daughter then colored her design onto a heart shape and we glued it to the top.  

Homemade Picture Frame

Difficulty:  *

Time Commitment: **

Mess Potential:  **

 

 

This project was super easy, and a lot of fun to construct.  We used minimal materials and you can substitute whatever types of craft supplies you have available - ribbon, markers, paint, whatever can be attached or colored onto a Popsicle stick! 

 

What we used: 

 

4 or 5 Popsicle sticks

School Glue

Sponge tipped paint brush

Glitter

"Jewels"

Photo of your child

To begin, but down some sort of "mess catcher," since we will be using glue for this project.  I put down a piece of construction paper.  That way the extra glue will go on the paper instead of the counter.  Big time (and sanity) saver! 

Put some school glue in a small bowl.  Give your child one Popsicle stick at a time and allow her to paint the glue onto the sticks.  Help her to dust glitter onto the glue (do it over the garbage or sink to help avoid mess). 

Have her use the glue in the container to apply a small amount to the back of the jewels. 

Write your child's name on one of the Popsicle sticks and help your child to cover her name with glitter. 

Help child to assemble the frame.  Put a dot of glue at each connection point to hold the frame together.  If using 5 sticks, make a house shape, and if using 4 sticks make a simple square.  Once assembled in shape, put on paper to dry overnight. 

Once dry, cut a picture to fit the frame.  If using larger Popsicle sticks (tongue depressor size), you will probably need to use a 5X7 photo.  

Tea for Two and Two for Tea!

Difficulty:  *

Time Commitment: ***

Mess Potential:  **

So I may be cheating a little on this one, but I had the most wonderful treat this morning that I had to share!  My four year old made me a breakfast tea party (with assistance from another helpful adult).  She brought out her porcelain tea set, and decorated the table with flowers, candles (NOTE:  she used the Valentine Candle holder made in a previous blog) and other little decorations.  I got to "sleep in" while the preparations were being made.  That in and of itself is an AMAZING treat for a single mom!  It was a very simple project for her to put together with a little help, and she loved it! 

She was very proud of herself.  

What you need:

Whatever you have on hand for breakfast.

We had cut up fruit, simple Bisquik muffins with jam and butter, and of course, tea. 

A Tea Set

Table Decorations

We also were able to practice manners - and the correct way to pour a cup of tea (with two fingers on the lid of the teapot).  We tried to learn to drink tea with the pinkie extended, but the dexterity wasn't quite there for her yet. 

And we also finished the breakfast with a "tea cookie" we made in the previous blog posting.  A perfect morning!

Yummy...... Valentine's Cookies

Difficulty:  *

Time Commitment: ***

Mess Potential:  ****

This project was a ton of fun - and really yummy to eat too!  I did have to purchase the cookie dough and frosting, but the rest of the items that we used, we had on hand.  If you are more ambitious than I am you could also make cookies and frosting from scratch.  Here is a good receipe:  Sugar Cookies Recipe and frosting.  I keep a big tupperware container full of things like food coloring, sprinkles, etc, to make it easy to decorate cookies, spur of the moment!  What preschooler (or Mommy) doesn't like sugar cookies. 

What You Need

• Refrigerated Cookie Dough
• Container of Frosting
• Decorations Such as Sprinkles, Candy or Icing

Cut refrigerated cookie dough into circles and bake according to package directions.  Don't cut them too think, or it will be difficult for the child to decorate without breaking the cookie. 

We baked our cookies at 350 for about 10-12 minutes.  While waiting for cookies to bake, prepare the frosting.  We put a couple scoops of frosting in small bowls.  Add a couple of drops of the desired food coloring to the frosting and mix.  To get a darker color, add more food coloring, and to lighten it add more frosting.  We made four colors yellow, pink, red and purple (a mix of blue and red food coloring). 

Once cookies have baked, remove the cookies from the pan with a spatula.  Place on a plate or cooling rack.  Allow cookies to cool for a few minutes before frosting. 

We attempted to shape some of the cookies into hearts, with minimal success! 


Now the MESSY part!  Decorating the cookies.  I suggest giving the child a large plate or cookie sheet to decorate their cookie.  I also suggest providing the child with the amount of decorations that you are comfortable having her use for her cookie.  My experience has been that my daughter will continue to add decorations until they run out. 

Ta Da...... The finished masterpiece!