Craftivity Corner

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

archives

July 27, 2010
Medicine Dropper Painting
Painting doesn't always have to be done with a brush. Boost your child's creativity by using unconventional tools. Eye or medicine droppers are fun to paint with and the squeezing action works your child's fine motor skills too! 1. Gather your materials. You will need a medicine or eye dropper, paint, an ice cube tray , paper and some water. 2. Put paint into your ice cube tray. 3. Add some water and mix. 4. Squeeze! 5. And drop!
Arts and Crafts
July 26, 2010
Books That Kick!
Did you watch the World Cup? It was on constantly at our house and has sparked a real love of soccer in my 3 year old, something my husband and I am excited about since we both love the sport as well. One thing that can really keep that spark alive while also fueling a love of books if to jump on your child's new interests and find books with that theme at the library or online. Here are some soccer books we loved. Winners Never Quit by Mia Hamm is a cute book about her not always sunny attitude about winning! Not only has lots of soccer action in this biographical picture book, but it...
Children's Book Recommendations
July 23, 2010
Super Fun Links!
I have been online a lot - mostly from 1-2am and again at 4-5am as I nurse my daughter and look for fun things that other bloggers are doing and creating with their kids. Here are some of the cool ideas that have inspired me this week. How sweet are these Barbie beds from I Never Grew Up ? Seriously adorable! I absolutely love this first aid kit idea from Pass The Cereal. I thought these ribbon and button bracelets from Ramblings of a Crazy Woman would be perfect for a rainy summer day! Wonderful as always , this pine cone bird feeder is from Make and Takes.
Blog links
July 20, 2010
Nursing Games !
Creativity doesn’t always have to include glue , glitter and paint. Sometimes being creative with your kids means using what you have to have fun, learn and keep them from drawing on the carpet. Right now being at home with a newborn and an active imaginative three year old I have had to come up with some fun games for my son who is 3 and I to play while my newborn daughter has me sitting and nursing her, sometimes for a while. Here are three games we have been playing and loving! 1. Secret Toy Similar to 20 questions, this game involves asking questions to guess which toy in a room is the...
Activities for kids
July 18, 2010
Fine Motor Alphabet Activity
Fine motor skills is a huge piece of the literacy pie, offering up chances to work on these skills will aid in the development of handwriting skills and literacy. 1. Gather your materials. You will need some styrofoam, toothpicks, paper. pen and alphabet beads. 2.Start by writing out letters on the paper. You can write them as uppercase to match the beads or lowercase to make it more of a challenge. 3. Put the paper on the styrofoam and stab them with the toothpicks. 4. Match the beads to the toothpick and stack them on.
Alphabet Lesson, Early Childhood Education, Preschool
July 16, 2010
Beat Summer Boredom!
Allison is on maternity leave, so in the meantime, the staff here at FE will be posting some guest posts until she gets back. ************* The rest of the year we wonder, what are the summertime blues? What could possibly be wrong with summer? And then mid-July rolls around and we kind of get it. It's hot. The kids are bored. You don't want to just turn on the TV or spend a lot of money to keep them occupied. You're about to go crazy. So how about these 11 great ideas to help keep your kids engaged and keep you sane? There are some classics, some new ideas, some things for your artsy...
Crafts, Indoor Activities, Outdoor activities, summer activities
July 14, 2010
Homemade Clay Recipe
Allison is on maternity leave, so in the meantime, the staff here at FE will be posting some guest posts until she gets back. ************* What could possibly be more fun than making clay sculptures out of homemade clay? If you're looking for something to do with your little ones during these dog days of summer, break out your apron and whip up some homemade clay for your little ones to play with and sculpt to their hearts content. It's easy, fun, and pleasantly messy! Get 5 easy-to-make clay recipes.
Arts and Crafts; Clay Recipes; Preschoolers and Toddlers
July 9, 2010
Indoor Activities to Stay Cool
Allison is on maternity leave, so in the meantime, the staff here at FE will be posting some guest posts until she gets back. ************* With the blazing summer heat scorching the country, you might find it's a little too hot to go outside to play. If you find yourself pent up inside with a bored and antsy little one, have no fear! We're got some great indoor activities to keep you both busy. Try one (or all!) of these ideas: Set up an Indoor Obstacle Course. Play a family game of Charades. Make some Homemade Silly Putty. Get imaginative with a little Storybook Bingo. For even more ideas,...
Indoor Activities, Toddlers and Preschoolers
July 7, 2010
Ice Cream Learning Printable
Allison is on maternity leave, so in the meantime, the staff here at FE will be posting some guest posts until she gets back. ************* With summer well under way, you may worry your child won't retain everything he learned during the school year. After all, the term "summer brain drain" wasn't coined for nothing. Well, good news. We've got you covered! Our printables have tons of activities and worksheets to keep your child learning all summer long. This ice cream math printable is a great way to help him with his math-- and it's so much fun, he won't even realize he's learning! Besides...
learning activities, math activities, summer activities
July 1, 2010
Fourth of July Crafts
Allison is on maternity leave, so in the meantime, the staff here at FE will be posting some guest posts until she gets back. ************* What are your plans for the Fourth of July? Hopefully, you have a nice, long weekend and spending some time with your friends and family to look forward, too. If arts and crafts are on the agenda, check out our patriotic craft activities for kids. They're easy to make, absolutely adorable, and will help your children learn the real meaning of this summer holiday. Have a great weekend! Happy Fourth of July!
Arts and Crafts, Fourth of July, Independence Day