Craftivity Corner

Allison McDonald
Creative crafts, book suggestions, and tips to make time for learning in your busy day.

archives

May 29, 2009
We Love David Shannon!
There are few authors that I can reliably buy one of their books and not have to read it first . David Shannon books are consistently well written, funny and kids adore them. Here are just a few of his many wonderful books. "Alice the Fairy" is the prefect fairy book. Alice is still learning how to be a fairy and she uses her own kind of magic. She disappears by hiding under a blanket and turning off the light, makes her breakfast into cake by adding sugar and my favorite makes chocolate chip cookies vanish, by eating them. The humor is adorable and compared to the many princess books...
Children's Book
May 28, 2009
Truck Tracks !
Parents contact me often about getting their reluctant to sit and paint boys into art. My answer is find something they love and incorporate it into a craft and they will be much more likely to have fun and come back for more. I have done this project many times over the years and it's always a huge hit. 1. Gather your materials. You will need a large piece of paper, some toy trucks that have cool tire treads, paint and a plate to spread the paint in. 2. Spread some paint on your plate ( we mixed ours all together) and dip your truck in. Make sure the wheels are all covered in paint. 3...
Activities for children, Arts and Crafts
May 27, 2009
Fancy Flower Garland
There is something so pretty about garlands. You can make this for a special occasion , Sunday brunch or my favorite reason, just because. Using doilies is an easy way to cut down on steps so the fun parts of this craft ( painting and glitter) can be the focus. 1. Gather your materials. You will need some small doilies, markers, glitter glue a hole punch and ribbon. 2. Start by making your holes in the doilies, simply fold in half and punch hole, unfold and you will have 2 holes. 3. Next using the markers color your doily flowers. My son was rather insistent on brown. 4. Next step add...
Actiities for Children, Arts and Crafts
May 26, 2009
Easy Butter Making !
Does your child like butter? When we bake I can't turn around if the butter is within my son's reach. So instead of just saying no, I decided to show him how to make it. I have fond memories from preschool making butter and was excited to share this with my son. 1. Gather your materials. A baby food jar is the perfect size for little hands. Plain old whipping cream is all you need. 2. Help your child pour the cream into the jar, fill it about half way. 3. Start shaking your jar. You will have to shake it for 5-10 minutes. Take turns. With older children you can take predictions for how...
Activities for children, Cooking with Kids
May 25, 2009
DIY Memory Game
Playing games with your children is a chance to bond, play and even teach while having fun. This do it yourself memory game is super fast to make, and even toddlers can play! 1. Gather your materials. You will need 2-3 sheets of foam all in the same color. 2 identical sheets of stickers, and scissors. 2. Cut your foam into squares. Do not fret about perfection, your kids won't care and the game still plays the same way with slightly not perfect squares. Depending on the age of your child make a few or many squares. 3. Add your stickers, my 2 year old helped me stick them on. 4. Lay...
Activities with Children, Arts and Crafts, Games and Toys, Preschoolers
May 22, 2009
Chugga Chugga... Read! Read!
Reading with your child whether they are 4 weeks old or 14 years old is one of the most important thing you can do with them. Instilling a real love of books, developing a rich imagination and spending time snuggled together is invaluable. Trains are much loved in our house and if the train table at my local bookstore is any indication they are a big deal in most! Here are a few train books we think are great reads! Do you have a favorite? Leave a comment and share it with us! "The Train Ride" by June Crebbin is a great book for introducing children to the idea of making predictions....
Children's Book, Preschoolers, Toddlers
May 21, 2009
Collage Sun !
I don't know about you, but we have not had nearly enough sun lately. I keep thinking it's March, not May. We decided to make our own, and share it with you! 1. Gather your materials. You will need a paper plate, a large piece of yellow construction paper, glue, scissors, a marker and what ever yellow craft materials you have available cut into small pieces( tissue paper, pom poms,foam, scrap paper...). 2. Start by drawing a sun on the paper, use your plate in the middle as a guide to make sure it's big enough. Your child can paint or color the sun as well, with toddlers keep it simple,...
Activities for children, Arts and Crafts, Preschoolers, Toddlers
May 19, 2009
Blow Painting!
This is a fun activity that requires very few materials. It's not a great one for toddlers though because they have a hard time understanding that they need to blow through the straw not suck. I like making these then trying to find pictures in the splatters. 1. Gather your materials. You will need a few colors of paint, containers with a tiny bit of water in each, a piece of construction paper , spoon and a drinking straw. 2. Start by thinning out the pain in your container with a little water. You want it thin enough to make droplets but not so thin that the color isn't obvious. 3....
Activities for children, Arts and Crafts, Preschoolers
May 18, 2009
Recycled Turtle
I love reusing things for a fun project. This food container works wonderfully to make this turtle 3 dimensional as well as helps teach children how the shell is hard and serves as protection for turtles. Instead of using green paint I use yellow and blue so that we have a quick lesson about color mixing added in. 1. Gather your materials. You will need a piece of green construction paper,markers, scissors, glue, yellow and blue paint, a paint brush , googly eyes and a washed out applesauce container. 2. Start by laying the container on your paper and drawing the outline of a turtle. 3....
Arts and Crafts, Preschoolers, Toddlers
May 15, 2009
Blotto Butterfly
Sticking with the theme from yesterday we made a butterfly, but not just any butterfly -- a blotto one! By painting only one side of the paper, and folding it over you have a perfect mirror image. After making this one we made 3 more. 1. Gather your materials. You will need 2 pieces of construction paper, a piece of plain white paper, paint, paint brush, scissors, and glue. 2. Start by folding your white paper in two. Explain to your child to only paint on one half. 3. While they paint, fold one piece of construction paper in half and cut out an outline of a butterfly. 4. When they are...
Activities for children, Arts and Crafts, Preschoolers, Toddlers
May 14, 2009
Bug Books!
Young kids love bugs and with the weather finally starting to warm up they are popping up all over too. It's a great time to go for a bug hunt outside and then come in and share a good book. Here are a few suggestions. "The Very Lonely Firefly" by Eric Carle is a must have big book for toddlers. Young children love it when they can correct the book's mistake. So the firefly in this book is looking for friends and keeps seeing bright lights in the dark night, only they aren't what they appear to be. My son adores telling the firefly what the lights really are. The final page of the board...
Children's Book, Preschoolers, Toddlers
May 13, 2009
Dig! Find! Learn!
Young children love challenges, they also love to find treasure! By adding some numbers and tongs to this classic sensory activity, you can challenge your child and still have fun. For younger children you can omit the tongs and focus on color instead of number recognition. 1. Gather your materials. You will need a container, a few cups of dry rice, some cheap plastic numbers (I got mine for $1 at Wal-mart), and some ice tongs. 2. Place some of the numbers at the bottom of the container to make it challenging. 3. Have your child pour in the rice. Add some more numbers. 4. Using the...
Early Learning, Preschoolers, Toddlers
May 12, 2009
Make A Splash With Bath Paints
This is a fun activity that you can do start to finish with your child. They will like making the paint, mixing the colors and love using it in the bath. My son had fun making bath tub graffiti , and I loved it when I wrote letters in the paint for him. Here are the steps to follow to make your own. 1. Gather your materials. You will need cornstarch, dish detergent ( or if you have a sensitive skinned child like me use something you know will not bother them. I used his regular body wash and it worked great.), food coloring, a spoon, 1/4 cup measuring cup and containers with lids. 2....
Arts and Crafts, Babies and Toddlers, Family Activities
May 11, 2009
Cool Custom Placemat
I can never have enough placemats. Between arts and crafts, play-dough , meals and snacks they get dirty fast. This is a fun activity that allows your child to choose their favorite stickers and turn it into a placemat just for them. Don't tell them but they are also giving their fine motor skills a good work out, by peeling and placing the stickers on the paper towel. 1. Gather your materials. You will need a piece of paper towel, stickers, scissors, a rolling pin and contact paper. 2. Give your child the paper towel and stickers and have them cover the paper towel to their hearts...
Arts and Crafts, Early Learning, Preschool, Toddlers
May 8, 2009
Books About Mom
The concept of Mother's Day is a hard one to grasp for toddlers, but that doesn't mean they can't celebrate by sharing a good book about moms with someone they love. The books I am featuring today are all favorites at our house. When we talk about mommies, these are the ones that I grab first. So this weekend I hope you have a chance to cuddle up with a little person and share some books about moms. "Does A Kangaroo Have A Mother,Too?" by Eric Carle is a gem. If you aren't familiar with the author/illustrator you should be,his style is distinctive, and children adore his many books. This...
Books, Children's Book, Mother's Day, Mothers, Preschoolers, Toddlers
May 7, 2009
Let's Go Fishing !
This art project couldn't be simpler. Even if you have never made a craft in your life you can help your child make this! Pair this craft with fishing activity below for a under the sea themed day. Paper Plate Fish 1.Gather your materials. You will need a paper plate, some paint, sparkle glue is you have it, a googly eye, scissors and regular glue. 2.Start by painting the bottom of your paper plate. We used a small paint brush but a sponge,or even finger painting will work well too. 3.If you are adding glitter glue you'll want to do it now. We squeezed it all over then, spread it with...
Arts and Crafts, Early Learning, Preschoolers, Toddlers
May 6, 2009
DIY Magnetic Frames
My son and I made these photo frames for his grandmothers and great grandmothers last Mother's Day .They were such a hit I am sharing them here. The beauty of these frames are that if your family is like ours, we are scattered all over North America and shipping gifts can get expensive. Foam is light and they fit into a 6x9 envelope not problem with room for a card too! 1. Gather your materials. You will need 3 5x7 foam sheets in the colors of your choice. Glue, scissors,a picture of your child, magnetic strips and a plain old pen. * If you or your child wants you can also use markers to...
Arts and Crafts, Mother's Day
May 5, 2009
Pampering Made Simple
I love a hand painted mug as much as the next mom, especially if my child painted it, but this year I wanted to try something new for Mother's Day. So today we are making a spa treat for mom, a salt scrub! I've been using this one we made for a week and it's divine. Kids learn using all their senses and this activity uses all five! Well, it doesn't have to involve taste but if you are doing this with a toddler it probably will. It did at my house. 1.Gather your materials. You will need Kosher Salt ( table salt will work but kosher salt is coarser and better for exfoliation), canola oil, an...
Early Learning, Homemade Gifts, Mother's Day, Preschoolers, Toddlers
May 4, 2009
Strawberry Surplus
It’s that time of year again! The time of the year when the strawberries are fresh, plentiful and alluring. So alluring in fact, that this past week I found myself with a huge strawberry surplus. We Sweet Peas love strawberries and have been feasting on them fresh for a few weeks. I’ve added them to spinach salads, pancakes and desserts, but I was looking for a new recipe to use the copious amounts of strawberries in our home. This recipe is a Sweet Pea original recipe geared for those families who might be trying to limit their child(ren)’s sugar intake. This quick bread recipe is...
Healthy Eating, Recipes
May 4, 2009
Supply List For Starters
A long day at home with a toddler or a preschooler can feel like it never ends, especially when the weather is bad or you are stuck at home. We break up our day with "Learning Time" every day. Some times it's a big project with many steps, other times it's scooping rice or pasta and making a big mess. It's all beneficial and not only helps promote things like literacy and fine motor development, but you bond with your child when you are cutting, gluing and painting together. A little mess is worth bonding and sanity in my books! Here is my basic supply list to get you started. Basic...
Activities for children, Arts & Crafts, Early Learning, Parenting