Spring Bee Card Craft

I just adore Spring time!  As Spring time is right around the corner, and feels like it is already here (it is in the 70′s today) I thought it would be fun to look up some simple Spring time crafts to make with the kiddos.

I found this video that shows how to make Spring Bee cards.  I think this is so cute and perfect for a simple afternoon craft.  You will need the following supplies to make this adorable kid’s craft:

• Colored paper (blue, green, red, yellow, white)
• 2 googly eyes
• black marker
• glue
• scissors

It really is simple, you pretty much fold and cut some paper, use some glue and you have an awfully adorable Spring time craft! I think this one too because I can see my kids getting quite creative and making some interesting shapes and features, other than just some bees and flowers!  Here is the video that shows step by step instructions down below:

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Turn students into recycling heroes this back-to-school season

(ARA) – With back-to-school season back again, now is a great time to instill a simple message your child will benefit from in the years to come: green is good.

By implementing a few recycling tactics across your home and encouraging the same behaviors in the classroom, you can turn your student into a green “hero” and help her embrace earth-friendly habits. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, only 30 percent of consumer waste is recycled each year. This presents a great opportunity for children to use their green thumbs and take part in saving the planet.

Here are a few ways to get your children started:

1. Give paper some TLC
Paper accounts for as much as 50 percent of landfill space. Rather than add to this waste, implement a designated paper recycling bin that can be easily accessed where you tend to use paper most in the home or in the classroom. Or, better still, put your paper products to good use by challenging your kids or students to create paper craft projects. Then encourage them to recycle any scraps when finished.

2. Get crafty
In addition to paper products, all kinds of waste can be “upcycled” into useful or decorative items. For example, a painted egg carton can make a unique storage box for small objects like beads or paper clips and tissue paper glued to a clean spaghetti sauce jar makes for an attractive vase. The possibilities are endless, so you’ll not only be saving trash from a landfill, you’ll be inspiring creativity.

3. Better together
Recycling is often more effective when multiple people take part. Teachers can set a goal for their classroom, school or even individual students to recycle a specified amount of paper, plastics, aluminum and glass before the end of the school year. Parents can support this effort by encouraging children to not only recycle at home, but to also take recyclable materials into the classroom to participate in the school’s project.

4. Adopt a program
Encouraging your children to take part in a recycling-focused program can develop valuable habits while encouraging some fun. One such program is the Elmer’s Glue Crew Recycling Program, a classroom resource designed to teach children how they can help save the planet, gives recycling-related lesson plans as well as fun and engaging projects for their students. Throughout the year, the classroom or school collects empty glue bottles and glue sticks to be recycled through TerraCycle. For additional information on the Elmer’s program, visit ElmersGlueCrew.com and Facebook.com/GlueCrew.

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Creative and affordable ways to personalize school supplies

(ARA) – The classroom has always been a place where children and young adults can show and grow their styles and creative spirits. There are easy, inexpensive ways to showcase that style and make the school year more exciting. From pens to notebooks and lockers to lunchboxes, students can add their personal flair to everyday items.

Book bags, pencils and pens – even calculators and rulers provide a palette for creative expression. A new and inexpensive way to add flair and creativity to ordinary book covers, plain notebooks and dull folders is to use Duck Tape brand duct tape Sheets. The sheets are available in a variety of colors including blue, white, red, silver, black, green, purple and yellow. For students who really want to stand out, sheets also come in prints, such as zebra, leopard, camouflage and tie-dye.

Here are ways to add a touch of personalization to school supplies and other belongings using duct tape or other household crafting tools:

* Jazz up notebooks and folders with different colors or prints for each class to make them quick and easy to find when grabbing supplies from your book bag or locker.

* Personalize a pencil case, lunch box or book bag with your name so they don’t get lost in the shuffle.

* Make a duct tape wallet or purse and tuck your lunch money in a safe place.

* Use stencils to trace letters and add the name of each class or subject to make finding the correct book easy.

* Create fun artwork out of duct tape shapes and designs to decorate the insides of lockers.

* Accent personal belongings, such as cell phone cases, clothing and more.

* Make and decorate picture frames for lockers to hang pictures of favorite school memories.

The school bells of a new school year also mean it’s time for fall sporting events. Students can be the biggest fan in the stands at pep rallies and games. They can show their school spirit by making pennants, flags, megaphones and even T-shirts. Visit DuckBrand.com for crafting instructions using Duck Tape Sheets.

Heading back to school gives students, from elementary to high school, the opportunity to develop and show off their own style and personality with a unique twist on traditional school supplies.

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Fun ways to encourage learning beyond the classroom

(ARA) – The back-to-school season is more than just shopping for classroom supplies and new clothes. It also means supporting your kids’ education by making an effort to promote learning outside of school hours.

Exercising the brain doesn’t need to be reserved for homework or something boring that kids dread. With some creative ideas, you can encourage your children to have fun and the education will come naturally.

Smart idea 1: Scavenger hunt
A family scavenger hunt can make for a fun afternoon activity full of education and a bit of friendly competition. For smaller children, focusing on counting skills can be a good way to add education to the activity. Have them look for things like five red rocks, three yellow leaves and one penny. For older kids, make nature your inspiration and have them seek more specific items, such as a certain type of tree leaf, a specific flower or a bird feather from a popular local bird. Arm them with a nature book or diagram so they can learn about each item as they look for it.

The great thing about scavenger hunts is they can be done anywhere. Stay close to home and have the hunt in your neighborhood, head to your local nature center, or plan a special scavenger hunt on your next family vacation. You may even offer a prize for participants such as a book or a special item for school.

Smart idea 2: Board games
Recent research has acknowledged the significant benefits that board games have, not only on children’s cognitive development and their brain’s motor functions, but also on important life skills such as patience, cooperation, concentration, teamwork and perseverance.

Two fun games with educational benefits are Jungle Speed and Dixit. Jungle Speed is a fast and furious game of quick thinking and lightning fast reflexes. Think classic card games like Spoons or WAR, embellish the cards with abstract shapes and colors and add an exciting race element. The game will have kids involved in so much exciting, stimulating fun, they won’t even know they’re learning. Dixit is a unique game of storytelling through imagination and clues. Artistically designed cards tell a different story for every individual and put creativity to the test.

“We find that game play enhances many cognitive functions, including visual discrimination, visual span, visual processing speed, visual-motor integration and visual sustained attention,” says Jason Pine, president and founder of Sharp as a Tack. “It is astounding how much progress each student makes in terms of cognitive processing speed in just one session! You can see the transformation in their eyes and body language.”

Smart idea 3: Crafts that teach
Encouraging kids to be creative and use their imagination is a great way to have a blast while exercising that brain muscle. If your child has an interest in a certain type of art or craft, encourage him to explore it in his free time. From writing poetry to sketching flowers, you’ll be amazed to see their talent develop. Here are three fun educational crafting ideas:

* Make puppets and plan a puppet show. You can create your own storyline and characters or choose from a favorite play or movie. Put the show on for the neighbors or family.

* Make learning about nature fun by incorporating crafting. For example, pick up leaves that have dropped and create nature rubbings by putting the leaves between two pieces of paper and rubbing with crayon. Collages that feature natural treasures are always fun as well.

* Encourage kids to write in a daily journal and keep small mementos from their favorite activities. Each week go through the journal and add to a scrapbook that will serve as a great reminder of the school year.

From playing games to making crafts, with these fun activities, your kids will keep learning even after the school bell rings.

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Fun craft project: paint clay planters with your children, then once the paint is dry, plant flowers or herbs in them.

(ARA) – Nature offers many beautiful gifts and wonders to explore, and parents can help get kids outside to discover them when they step away from the television or computer screen. Here are a few fun ways to encourage your children to explore nature.

A growing trend
As more Americans are discovering every year, gardening is a great way to enjoy nature. Kids will enjoy starting plants from seed or picking out starter plants at the nursery and watching them grow and develop. Even a small container garden on a balcony or patio can yield tomatoes for salsa, flowers for an entire season or strawberries galore. Cook up your favorite recipes with home grown ingredients and donate any excess produce to local food banks.

For the more adventurous gardener, help your kids plant a “vertical garden.” In the style of famed French artist and botanist Patrick Blanc, grow your flowers and vegetables in a fun new way. Try filling a canvas hanging shoe organizer with a light-weight potting mix and filling each pocket with one of your favorite plants. Have fun using tomatoes, bell peppers, marigolds, strawberries, vinca vines or impatiens. Poke a drainage hole in each pocket and hang the entire organizer on your back fence or balcony. Water daily, and in just a few weeks you will be enjoying your own living art piece.

Find a local community garden or gardening co-op and volunteer with your family to help with weeding, watering, planting or harvesting.

Nature’s bounty
Yard waste? Not when you can re-use and repurpose. Find the beauty in what nature provides by creating new uses for things that would otherwise be considered waste. Large sticks make great garden stakes for plants that need a little extra support, like tomatoes. Smaller sticks can be written on or carved into (by an adult) for an inexpensive way to label plants in the garden or pots.

How about using leaves for gift tags or place cards? Kids will love writing names on the leaves with a little paint and a fine-tipped brush or metallic pen. Then, simply punch a hole in one end and tie with a decorative piece of raffia or ribbon for a personalized touch to any gift or place setting. Flowers from your pots or garden don’t have to fade away – they can be easily dried for use in homemade potpourri, candles or soap.

Give a worm a job
Many of us know that composting is a great way to reuse what Mother Nature has given us. Even a small compost bin will fill up quickly with kitchen scraps and yard waste. This waste can be used produce a nice compost mix for next year’s garden – especially if you add some red worms to the compost bin. Worms are nature’s little composters. They make composting more fun, interesting and efficient by breaking down organic matter into nutrient-rich vermicast allowing your family to compost kitchen scraps easily, and reduce the amount of garbage produced each year. Red worms can be purchased inexpensively from many garden centers or online outlets. A small bin will require about 2 pounds of red worms to get the job done.

The art of recycling
Recycling is a great way to reduce waste. It’s likely you already have a recycling bin next to the garbage can. Chances are, however, that your kids do not see those recyclables as art – it is time to change their minds. Reusing and recycling everyday objects not only reduces waste but, with a little imagination, can also provide hours of creative fun. Make something together that will bring years of enjoyment to your home or landscape.

Make a bottle tree to enhance the garden or balcony. Since the invention of bottles, people have found ways to use them as decorations. Used as a way to explore the beauty of glass or ward off (or attract) spirits, bottle trees have been “planted” across the planet in various forms for thousands of years. To build your own bottle tree, collect colorful glass bottles from your recycling bin or from friends, family or even local restaurants. For a “tree” form, use steel re-bar, sturdy wire, wood, fallen limbs or dying trees. Simply remove labels from bottles and wash out. Then, hang the bottles from your form – use your bottle tree purely as a decoration or as a nice support for vine-like plants such as morning glory or tomatoes.

Preserving nature in photos
A digital camera may not seem like a device to get your kids outside, but they can be acquired quite inexpensively and are a great tool with which to view nature and animals. Go on walks in the yard, neighborhood, a local park or zoo and click away. Zoom in or change the angle of the camera for new perspectives. By simply changing the way that we look at things like flowers, animals, trees and even bugs, cameras provide an up-close and personal view of the world that you would not otherwise get to see.

Use your photos for great screen savers on the computer, make photo collages or print them out for uniquely fantastic artworks to frame. Any way you use them, you will have preserved a little piece of nature and will have great memories for years to come.

Once you and your kids start exploring nature together, you will discover hours of fun for the entire family. Mother Nature may more to offer than you realized.

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Candy Crafts

(ARA) – School’s out, the neighborhood pool is open and you are responsible for keeping the family active and engaged this summer. Whether you are taking a beach vacation or spending a day around the house, you can easily fill the time by planning several simple, budget-friendly, do-it-yourself activities. Ideal for indoor or outdoor time, these activities go a long way in creating personal summer memories without doing a number on your budget.

Theme day
The cost to take the family to a baseball game, amusement park or museum adds up quickly. This summer, think thrifty and save on the admission fees by organizing a craft day around the theme of your favorite family outing (think aquarium, ballpark and carnival). For example, bringing the enjoyment of America’s favorite pastime to your living room or backyard is easy when you buy several plain cotton baseball caps, tube socks (they only cost a dollar or two each) and T-shirt paint. Use the materials to let your kids personalize baseball apparel and then suit-up, grab some peanuts and gather the group to play catch in the backyard, for an impromptu tournament on your favorite gaming system or to catch a double-header on the tube. It’s a ballpark outing for a fraction of the cost.

Have your candy and craft with it too
Most families make weekly (if not more frequent) trips to the grocery store, so turn your next routine trip into the beginning of a new project by strolling down the candy aisle. “The grocer’s candy aisle has a collection of candy in virtually every color and shape, which means endless crafting possibilities,” explains candy expert Beth Kimmerle. “Candy is tasty and fun for kids of all ages, and is an affordable tool for crafting.”

Start by making candy jewelry. It is a perfect activity for your princess, but also trendy for your prince given the popularity of sports necklaces and bracelets for boys and girls. Gather an assortment of brightly colored Life Savers Gummies, tie a knot in a piece of ribbon to keep your candy from slipping, and thread your “jewels” onto the necklace. Once you have a full string, adjust the candy so there are equal amounts of ribbon on each side. Tie knots on each end to finish and voila, you’ve got the trendiest kid on the block. While you are lending a hand, don’t forget that gummy candy is a yummy treat while crafting. Who knew jewelry could be so inexpensive and tasty?

Treasure your trash
Next time you start to throw away packaging, leftover candy or craft items, stop and envision these items as your next treasure and creatively think of ways to reuse them. Re-using the items helps you to be less wasteful, while also saving you money and giving you “gems” to finish your crafts with a unique touch.

Candy Craft Truck

If your kids love trucks, drum-up some fun on a weekend and help them create something fabulous on four wheels from common items found around the house. Try the following simple exercise and in no time you’ll be watching your kids proudly race their handmade creations across the kitchen floor or back porch.

To make a truck you will need:
Egg carton
Berry basket
Craft paint and paintbrush
Scissors or craft knife
Twine
Glue
Cardboard
Colored paper
Gum foil
4 Hubba Bubba Sour Gummi Tape packages
5 Hubba Bubba Glop packages
2 Life Savers candies
4 Altoids mints

Instructions

Note: Cutting with sharp implements should only be done by adults.

Using an Exacto blade or sharp scissors, cut a 3-inch by 2-inch front window area from the berry box. Paint the egg carton orange to use as a truck body and paint the berry box white to use as a truck cab. While those parts are drying, paint your four empty Hubba Bubba Sour Gummi Tape packages black for truck wheels.

Cut a 6-inch by 4-inch piece of cardboard and glue the same size piece of orange craft paper to the top. Next, to make the truck’s load, stack the six empty Hubba Bubba Glop packages and glue them onto the orange board. Tie twine around the board as straps, tightly securing twine at the bottom of the board. Now, glue the finished load onto the back of the egg box.

Glue Life Savers candies for lights below the front window area of the white-painted berry box and glue the finished cab to the front of the egg box. When the wheels are dry, glue 2-inch silver circles with smaller red 1/8-inch foil circles on top of the painted Hubba Bubba Sour Gummi Tape packages and glue Altoids in the middle to finish the wheels.

Finally, glue the wheels evenly to the bottom of the egg carton truck. Let them dry completely and then go have fun.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Kids will usually come up with the most fun and creative ideas – from “a new generation ladybug” to a colorful Christmas ornament to bright masks – we hope you enjoy and get some fun and creative ideas of your own from these!

photo credit: evelynishere

photo credit: woodleywonderworks

photo credit: Danbury Public Library

photo credit: Danbury Public Library

photo credit: Danbury Public Library

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Of course, we all know just how cute a Ziploc bag can be (not very) so this year, I have decided to take my Valentine’s gifts to a whole new level.  What is great about this activity is that it is pretty simple, nothing too labor intensive and the finished product is wonderful. The kids get to enjoy giving and I get to enjoy sending in my holiday gift bags, yet again.

This craft is very easy and you can do it on your own or with your kids.

What you will need:

• Paper:  You can use wrapping paper, printed paper or white printer paper.
• Packaged Candy:  The best candy to use for this is a chocolate bar or anything that is in a small box.  You can use wrapped candies but the end result just isn’t the same and you will probably have more fuss than you really want.
• Ribbon:  Pick a Valentine’s ribbon.  There are tons of Valentine’s ribbon in reds, whites, pinks, and covered in flowers that you can buy at craft supply stores.
• Hole Punch:  You will be using this for your tag.
• Cardstock:  Choose a color that matches your paper and ribbon or simply go with a white cardstock.
• Markers
• Tape
• Embellishments: These are little odds and ends to decorate your candies with.

Directions:

1. Measure your candy and jot it down on a piece of paper so you don’t forget.  You will want to measure the surface area but since we will not be closing off the ends, you will want to simply measure the length of the candy and then measure the width on the top of the candy and times it by 2.  You will also need to measure the side width and times that by 2.  So if you have a chocolate bar that is 4 inches long and 2 inches wide on the top and .5 inches wide on the side width, then you will want a piece of paper that is 3.75 inches long (so you have a bit of the candy showing) and 5 inches in width.  Give yourself an extra .5 inch for overlap when you fold the paper.
2. The next step you will want to make is to decorate the paper.  If you used a printed paper, then you really don’t need to do anything at this stage, instead you can move on to step 3.  If you didn’t, decorate the paper with stamped images, or stickers or your child can draw pictures on the paper.
3. Now that your paper is ready, wrap it around the candy and tape it carefully into place. If you don’t want to see tape, add a few pieces of double sided tape in between the overlap. Set the candy aside.
4. The next step is to create your tag.  This can be done in a variety of ways but basically, you will want to cut out the shape of a tag in your cardstock and decorate with a message like “Be My Candy Valentine,” or with a sticker or stamped image.
5. Punch a hole at the top of the tag and insert the ribbon through the hole.  Finish by creating a bow with the ribbon.
6. Attach the tag to the candy and give to a friend on Valentine’s Day.

Sirena Van Schaik

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This craft, is an easy craft that can create a cherished handprint that you can take with you everywhere you go. There is some adult steps involved in this craft but this can be an excellent craft for any holiday but especially for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

What you will need:

• Shrinky Dinks:  This is a shrinkable plastic that you can find at most craft stores or by clicking here.
• Stamp Ink
• Scissors
• Fine Tip Marker
• hole punch
• key chain ring

Directions:

1. Take your child’s hand and ink the palm with the stamp ink.  Make sure that it is coated completely.  If you prefer to use something other than ink, paint does work, however, not as well as ink.
2. Firmly press your child’s palm to the shrinkable plastic and remove.
3. Allow the hand print to dry before the next step.
4. After it is dry, carefully cut around the hand print.  You can do any shape but most people cut out a hand shape.
5. Write the child’s name and age (or the date it was made) on the shrinkable plastic
6. Heat the shrinkable plastic in the oven. It is best if you follow the directions on the package for heating directions.
7. Once it has shrunk and is cooled, take the hole punch and punch a hole into the bottom of the palm.
8. Insert a key chain ring and give as a gift.

Although the hand print will shrink, the image will still be teh same so you will be left with a miniature version of your child’s hand print.

Sirena Van Schaik

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What you need:

• Transparent Glass Plate
• Colored Tissue Paper
• White Tissue Paper
• Stamps
• Stamp Ink
• White Glue
• Scissors

Directions:

1. Before you begin stamping, it is very important that you cover your work area.  I have, on more than one occasion, stamped tissue paper only to have the stamp image bleed through the tissue paper and onto a table for a permanent image on my table.
2. Now that your area is ready, cut out a circle of white tissue paper that fits the bottom of your plate.  Set aside.
3. Cut the colored tissue paper into one inch squares, set aside.
4. Take a stamp and cover it with stamp ink.
5. Stamp the image onto the white tissue paper carefully.  It is better if you use a solid image instead of one you need to color but if you need to color it in, do so carefully with markers.
6. Allow the ink time to dry.
7. Once the ink is dry, cover the bottom of the plate with white glue.  Try to make it as even as possible.
8. Press the white tissue into the white glue and smooth it into place.
9. Take the white glue and place it on the bottom sides of the glass plate around the white tissue paper on the bottom.
10. Place the tissue paper down on the plate until the entire bottom is covered.
11. Put the plate upside down and allow the glue to dry completely.

At that point, you will have a finished plate that is beautiful and matches the holiday that you have made it for.

Sirena Van Schaik

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