Craftivity Corner

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

archives

June 30, 2009
Patriotic Play-Dough
Play dough is a great holiday activity, you can make custom colors depending on the holiday and use different tools as well. I got this play-dough recipe from a cook off I had a few months back, it was one of the very best and keeps forever in the fridge in a sealed bag. 1. Gather your recipe : 2 cups bisquick 1 cup salt 2 cups water 1 TBSP cream of tartar or alum 1 TBSP oil Food coloring Put everything in a microwave safe bowl, cook on high for 3 minutes. Stir and scrape the sides then cook for another 2 minutes. 2. Knead while hot, and be careful it will be very very hot. 3. Divide...
Actiities for Children, Arts and Crafts, Family Activities, Preschoolers, Toddlers
June 28, 2009
Stars and Stripes
Can you believe it's almost July? The 4th is just around the corner so it's time to get messy in the name of patriotism ! Get ready for a week filled with red, white and blue! This craft is a favorite of mine, it's easy but not too easy , uses a regular old kitchen sponge and looks great. 1. Gather your materials. You will need a piece of white paper, a piece of blue construction paper, some red and white paint , scissors , glue, a marker and a kitchen sponge. 2. Draw a star and and make a line lengthwise on the sponge. 3. Cut out. 4. Cut our blue paper so it fits into the upper left hand...
Activities for children, Arts and Crafts, Fourth of July, Preschoolers
June 26, 2009
Zoo Books!
Reading a big stack of books all with the same theme is something we really like. My son retains more of the stories when they all deal with the same subjects and seems to enjoy it more too! Here are some Zoo books we have read recently and enjoyed. Welcome To The Zoo by Alison Jay is one of those books that you find something new to look for in the illustrations every time you open it. The book has no text, it's a book of illustrations that are so filled with detail that your child will adore it. The zoo in this book is missing something, cages! Many of the animals and people show up in...
Children's Book Recommendations, Preschoolers, Toddlers
June 25, 2009
Circle Collage!
When I am first teaching shapes it's fun to focus on one at a time every now and then. Not only is it easy reinforcement of the shape recognition the crafts always turn out to be adorable. Depending on your individual child you can choose to focus on just colors, just comparing/ sorting big and small shapes , both or simply let them create. This is a versatile activity with lots to offer. 1. Gather your materials. You will need 1 full size piece of construction paper. Multiple colors of smaller ( scrap is perfect) pieces , glue and either scissors or paper punches. 2. Draw a large circle...
Arts and Crafts, Early Learning, Preschoolers, Toddlers
June 24, 2009
Flower Painting
My son paints a lot so one of my favorite things to do is find new and fun things to use instead of a brush. The grocery store is full of wonderful things but you don't have to look past your own garden for this one! 1. Gather your materials. You will need some petals, or a full flower stem, a dish, paint and paper. 2. Pour a little paint in the dish, dip your flower in. 3. Start painting. My 2 year old loved this. He wanted nothing to do with the individual petals but adored using the full flower to paint. Got weeds at home? Dandelions would work beautifully for this! 4. Add another...
Arts and Crafts, Preschoolers, Toddlers
June 23, 2009
Dollar Store Lesson!
I love dollar stores. They are packed full of things that you can turn into easy and, most importantly, fun lessons at home. Everything (except my son) in this lesson was bought for $1! 1. Gather your materials. You will need a tray with 2-3 sections, some fun erasers with 2-4 different designs. That's it! Our erasers are music notes, which are a favorite of my 2 year old. Also please do not try this with kids that still pop things in their mouths, chocking isn't worth it. 2. Sort your erasers. I started my son off by putting one of each color/ design in each section. Then let him sort...
Activities for children, Early Learning
June 22, 2009
Rough and Sparkly Starfish
Starfish are some of the prettiest wonders in the ocean. If you have ever had a chance to feel a starfish you were probably struck how rough and bumpy they are, this craft mimics that texture by adding glitter to the paint. Adding the sequins one at a time throws in a fine motor work out for your little ones too. 1. Gather your materials. You will need some sturdy paper, we used a paper grocery bag. You will also need some paint, large glitter,a small dish and spoon for mixing, scissors, glue, some sequins and a marker. 2. Draw a starfish on your paper. 3. Mix together the paint and...
Arts and Crafts, Preschoolers, Toddlers
June 19, 2009
Summer Reads
Summer will officially be here in just a few days. Now is a great time to talk to your children about changing seasons and make a to do list of summer time things you don't want to miss. These books will help you get ready and excited for the season ahead. "The Reasons For Seasons" by Gail Gibbons is a great non fiction summer time book. Really it's an any time book, it explains all four seasons and why we have them in the first place. The fantastic thing about this book is that you can break it down to easy snippets with great illustrations for toddlers or read all the informative text...
Children's Book, Children's Book Recommendations
June 18, 2009
Make Something For Dad!
Father's Day is this Sunday! My husband got his gifts early (one of the pitfalls of your wife being a crafty blogger) but if you haven't made something for dad yet here are some great ideas from around the blogosphere! These Painted Cork Coasters from Let's Explore are so awesome, and easy to do! This Photo Coffee Sleeve from The Object Project may be a little tricky for your kids to make but they can help choose fabric and of course the picture! These Photo Soup Cans from Katherine Marie Photography would make any dad's office a happier place to be. Don't you love this Toolbox Card? I...
Arts and Crafts, Father's Day
June 17, 2009
Who Needs A Beach?
We live near the water but white sandy beaches aren't exactly numerous around here. When we go to the beach we throw rocks in the ocean instead of building sandcastles. So instead we made one, with paper, glue and a little sand. 1. Gather your materials. You will need 2 full pieces of construction paper, a small piece of a third color, a drinking straw, sand, glue and scissors. 2. Start by having your child draw the seashore! Ours is abstract! 3. Start by cutting 2 long rectangles , one shorter rectangle and 6 small squares out of the paper. 4. Cut 2 flags ( fold your paper and cut two...
Arts & Crafts, Preschoolers, Toddlers
June 16, 2009
Slice of Summer!
All week this week we are doing summer themed activities, it's finally warmed up for good ( knock on wood) here in Washington and I am sharing that with all of you. This craft was something I did with my Sunday school kids yesterday for our church picnic, everyone loved it, I hope you do too! 1. Gather your materials. You will need a paper plate, some black paper, red paper, green paint, a brush,glue and scissors. You can substitute a green crayon or marker for the pain no problem as well. 2. Start by cutting your paper plate in half. 3. Paint it green. 4. While your child is painting...
Arts and Crafts, Preschoolers, Toddlers
June 15, 2009
Easy Octopus!
This is an easy craft that uses up something we all have around the house, toilet paper rolls! Save a few from the recycling bin and make an earth friendly octopus family! 1. Gather your materials. You will need some markers, 2 googly eyes, scissors, glue and a toilet paper roll. 2. Start by coloring your roll. We used dark colored markers, but paint would work too. Just remember to let it dry completely before you cut it. 3. Cut the bottom of the roll so you have 8 tentacles. Cut a little more than half way up. 4. Glue on big googly eyes and let dry. 5. When the glue is dry bend the...
Arts and Crafts, Preschoolers, Toddlers
June 12, 2009
Books About Dad
Father's Day is just around the bend and one of our family traditions is to get a book for my son and husband to share together on Father's Day and all year round. Here are a few great reads that we enjoy in our house. Hush, Little Alien by Daniel Kirk has been a favorite since we first read it when my son was an infant. It's a reworking of the lullaby "Hush , Little Baby" except it includes aliens, astronauts and laser beans! The bright colors of the illustrations will catch the attention of even young babies, and the text offers up a fun and sweet bed time book for dad and child to share...
Children's Book, Father's Day
June 11, 2009
Stress Free Father's Day
I have seen these balloon stress balls made before but never tried it myself. I thought it would make a cute Father's Day craft even if it's not toddler friendly ,school age kids would be able to do this independently. * Quick note about latex balloons- they are very dangerous to have around kids who are still putting things in their mouths.Choking is possible and can be fatal. Please use caution. 1. Gather your materials. You will need some balloons, flour, a spoon, some ribbon, a funnel or cake decorating tip, a marker, some fun paper and a hole punch. 2. Place the funnel or large cake...
Arts and Crafts, Father's Day
June 9, 2009
Penny Craft
One of my challenges this summer is to keep R, who will be entering kindergarten in the autumn, occupied. He no longer naps and with school out for the summer, this not-very-crafty/creative mom has needed all the help she can get with ideas for he and I to do between playing outside (which he does a lot, but even big kids need a little down time too). I am extremely thankful for resources to help me channel my inner crafter, which reminds me, have you checked out the Craftivity Blog on this website? It rocks! While I normally share edible recipes, this recipe is for cleaning pennies. R...
Creativity in the Kitchen, Kitchen Fun
June 9, 2009
Popsicle Rainbow
This craft came about during a trip to the store to get some popsicles. I said to my son who was staring at the selection "Which color should we choose?" and he said " Whole rainbow!" We went home with lemon and a craft idea. This craft is more about the process, of matching the colors, but our popsicles have been fun pretend play props too. 1. Gather your materials. You will need 6 pieces of construction paper, 6 popsicle sticks, matching markers and crayons, scissors and glue. 2. Start by folding your paper in two and having your child find the matching crayon and color it. Repeat with...
Arts and Crafts, Preschoolers, Toddlers
June 8, 2009
King of The Jungle!
I love this craft because it uses cut outs of your child's hands,and that makes it just a little more special. I don't keep many crafts we make but always find room to store these away. 1. Gather your materials. You will need a paper plate 3-4 pieces of yellow and orange construction paper, yellow and orange markers,scissors, googly eyes , brown paper and glue. 2. Start by tracing your child's hand on the paper. Layer the other papers under it and cut out. 3. Next continue by coloring the paper plate with markers, I like to use markers because I don't want to wait for paint to dry before...
Arts & Crafts, Preschoolers, Toddlers
June 5, 2009
Board books, not bored books !
Literacy doesn't start in kindergarten , it starts from the very beginning when we talk to our little bundle of joy. Board books are a great way to introduce books without worrying about ripped pages or fumbly fingers. Here are some of our favorites! Doggies by Sandra Boynton is a completely fun book, with very few words and lots of barking! My son loves barking and counting along with the book,and without fail he laughs at the one cat meowing at the end. Clap Your Hands by Lorinda Bryan Cauley bring you to your feet and back down again. The book is all about moving and following the...
Babies and Toddlers, Children's Book
June 4, 2009
Olive Bar Green Beans
R loves olives. I know I have mentioned it before, but it bears repeating because the kid eats olives like they are candy. When you find a healthful food like olives (sure, they can be high in sodium, so I do watch to make certain he doesn’t overdo it) that your child eats, why not use it to your advantage? This recipe uses olives as a topping for green beans. While R is pretty decent about eating plain green beans, this recipe is a nice jazzed up side dish that pleases adults and olive-eating kids too. To choose our olives for this recipe we go to the local grocery store Olive Bar and...
Healthy Eating, Recipes, Vegetables
June 4, 2009
Dinosaurs Are Taking Over!
I thought I would devote today to sharing some wonderful dinosaur projects around the blogosphere! Dinosaurs appeal to preschoolers' imaginations, but the theme is one you can take with you as they get older and dig in deeper to learn more. Here are some wonderful finds! Click on the blog title to be redirected to the original post for full instructions and even more dinosaur projects! Reinforce that D is for Dinosaur and Dots with this wonderful craft from Preschool Daze. Have fun with the whole alphabet with this Alphabetsaurs from A little bit Of Momsense. Give your child's fine...
Arts & Crafts, Early Learning, Preschoolers, Toddlers
June 3, 2009
Bubble Wrap Prints
I have used bubble wrap prints in different crafts before like these grapes and corn but it's been ages since I've done it just plain and simple! The results are always beautiful and your kids will love it. 1. Gather your materials. You will need some bubble wrap, a paint brush, paint, and paper. 2. Cut your bubble wrap into an easily to handle size. 3. Paint on to the wrap. I have dipped the wrap in paint before but this actually works better in my experience. You can start with one color or go for it with a bunch. 4. Press your paper onto the wrap and rub gently. 5. Peel it off...
Activities for children, Arts and Crafts, Preschoolers, Toddlers
June 2, 2009
Sun Catcher Caterpillar
Bugs never seem to get boring for my son and I don't blame him, they are everywhere right now. This craft was all I could do to get him inside and slather some more sunscreen on him between "bug hunts" in our backyard. 1. Gather your materials. You will need a piece of construction paper, some tissue paper, clear tape,googly eyes, scissors, a paper punch or regular hole punch,glue , a pipe cleaner and some markers. 2. Start by folding your paper in half and drawing a caterpillar on the folded side. 3. Next get your little Picasso to color it. 4. While they color cut the tissue paper...
Activities for children, Arts and Crafts, Preschoolers
June 1, 2009
Laced Bookmark
School is almost out and that means summer reading! This bookmark is a wonderful incentive for your independent reader to dive into summer reading with style! 1. Gather your materials. You will need some fun card stock, scissors, a hole punch, ribbon, you don't have to have a corner rounder but if you do it's a nice touch to use it. 2. Cut your card stock into a 1.5" by 5" strip. I just cut it with scissors, no need to be perfect. 3. Round the edges with a corner rounder if you have one. Skip it if you don't, it's not necessary but does make it look really finished. 4. Punch 5 holes on...
Activities for children, Arts and Crafts