Bead Bugs

This is a fun little craft project to enjoy with your munchkin on a rainy summer day (which we’ve had an abundance of this summer). These little bead bugs are cute and quite impressive looking, and are a fun fine motor challenge.

You will need –

Styrofoam craft balls

Pipe cleaners

Beads with large holes

Googley eyes (optional)

Cut pipe cleaners in thirds, and twist one end of the pipe cleaner into a small loop (to prevent beads from sliding off of the end). Show your child how to thread the beads onto the pipe cleaner (supervise little ones so they don’t mouth the beads). When your child has added several beads, help them poke the straight end of the pipe cleaner into the Styrofoam ball, then bend the pipe cleaner slightly in the middle to create a “bug leg”. Continue adding legs, and use two smaller pipe cleaner sections to create antennae. Finish your bead bug by gluing on googley eyes, or by simply drawing eyes on the Styrofoam using a ball point pen.  This is a great little project for beginning beaders, as it is much easier to thread beads onto a pipe cleaner than onto a string.

Helpful Hints:

·         If you don’t have beads or would prefer not to use them, cut drinking straws into short sections and thread these onto the pipe cleaner instead.

·         If your child isn’t quite ready for this fine motor challenge, try this very simple threading activity: Cut the egg cups out of a cardboard egg carton, and punch a large hole into the bottom of each egg cup. Loop and twist one end of a pipe cleaner to prevent “beads” from slipping off, and help your child practice threading egg cup beads onto the pipe cleaner. A great introduction to this tricky concept!

Play Clay

Here’s a fun and different twist on traditional playdough. This clay has an interesting consistency, almost like stretchy plastic. And like all really great kids craft recipes, it is safe for little ones as it is entirely edible (but tastes awful!). To add this recipe to your joyful mommy repertoire, you will need…

1 cup corn starch

2 cups baking soda

1 ½ cups cold water

Few drops food colouring

Combine ingredients in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Transfer clay into dish, cover with a damp cloth and allow to cool. When mixture has cooled, knead until it becomes stretchable. Then have fun creating and exploring together with your child!

Helpful Hints:

·    Play clay dries out quickly, so store clay that you are not using in an airtight container with a lid.

·    Use a little bit of water to join pieces of clay together.

·    Play clay is sticky! Wax paper taped securely to the table surface makes clay a little easier to work with.

Happy clay playing, everyone!

Earth-Friendly Spring Flowers

My hubby and I married young, and as ours was the first wedding among our circle of friends, we were blessed with an abundance of wedding showers – seven, to be exact. And it was at those wedding showers that I first earned my reputation as a tissue paper hoarder. As a general rule, I detest wastefulness, and couldn’t bear the thought of piles and piles of perfectly good gift wrap and tissue paper simply being thrown away. So my guests were forced to sit patiently as I carefully unwrapped each gift, painstakingly sorting and folding every salvageable morsel of gift wrap.

By the time my daughter arrived ten years later, my friends and family were well aware of my gift wrap salvaging obsession. And at each of my three baby showers, a paper-folding assistant quickly materialized by my side. There have been a few giggles at my expense. But I remain proud of my meticulously folded gift wrap stash, which over the years has saved me considerable money while keeping all of that unnecessary waste out of the landfill.

Now that my daughter is an expert gift-unwrapper, there is nothing at all meticulous remaining about my stash. Tissue paper is crumpled. Gift wrap is shredded. But all is not lost! I recently separated out all of the truly mangled bits, and put them in a large box in our craft supply cupboard. There are endless craft projects just screaming to be made. But we started with a simple one, perfect for spring…

You will need:

Construction paper

OR for an environmentally friendly twist, reuse backs of printer paper or empty cardboard packaging

Tissue paper in bright colours (used, of course – the more crumpled the better!)

Crayons or felts

Twigs

Non-toxic craft glue

Tissue paper flowers are so easy to make that even the tiniest of tots can do it. We drew on leaves and stems with crayon, but for a fun and authentic touch, go for a walk and collect some real twigs to use as your flower stems (collecting the twigs will likely be the most fun part of this activity!). If you are attempting this craft with a toddler, or just don’t want your child exposed to all of the chemicals in craft glue, try using my incredible edible craft glue recipe – it really works! Be sure to sit down with your child and join in on the fun of this super simple, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly spring craft activity. Enjoy!

Make-Your-Own Memory

When I was a little girl, my sister and I had a game called “Baby Animal Memory”. It was just a set of little cardboard squares, pale blue on one side with sweet little cartoon drawings of animals on the other. The object of the game was to turn all of the cards face down, turning up two at a time and using your memory to find matching pairs of baby animals. We loved that game and played with it for hours. The baby bunnies were my favourite, and I can remember what they looked like even now. Thinking of that makes me smile. I love those kinds of memories.

A set of “Memory” cards is the perfect, portable activity for keeping kids entertained on the go. I keep a little set of homemade Memory cards in a ziplock baggie in my purse, pulling them out on occasions when we need to happily occupy some time, such as while sitting in a doctor’s waiting room or waiting for our meal at a restaurant. Of course, “Memory” in a classic sense is a fairly challenging game. But there are endless variations that will help keep even the tiniest kidlets entertained…

·    Babies will enjoy looking at the pictures, and listening as you tell them the names of the pictures (a great way to build language skills)

·    Toddlers – give your child one picture, and ask them to find one that is the “same” from three or four pictures arranged face up in front of them. As they catch on to the concept, try seeing if they can find a match when there are more cards to choose from.

·    Bigger kids – Play the traditional way, with cards face down. The older the child, the more cards you can put out to choose from. A fun challenge even for mom and dad!

·    Any age – Have your child line up several of the cards in a row in front of you. Then tell your child a story based on the pictures in the order they’ve arranged them. Or if your child is older, have them tell you the story.

And why go out and buy a Memory game when making your own is not only easy and budget-friendly, but also makes a fun craft activity to share with your child! To make your own Memory game…

You will need…

Sturdy paper such as cardstock – should be dark in colour so pictures don’t show through

Two sets of the same pictures – i.e. two identical catalogues, magazines, or flyers

Scissors

Glue

Begin by cutting out a set of evenly sized squares from the paper (as many as you think you’ll need). Remember that the cards need to look identical on the back side, so be sure to choose plain paper. Then choose a set of matching pictures to cut out. The pictures can be of anything you think your child will be interested in – animals, vehicles (magazines are good sources), toys, household items (catalogues are good sources), food, articles of clothing (flyers are good sources), or even of familiar people and places (simply develop doubles of some of your favourite family photos). If your child is older, have them help you cut out the pictures. Or if they are younger, have them help you glue the pictures to the paper squares. Allow to dry and you have your very own homemade Memory game, sure to help you make lots of happy memories with your little ones!

Lovely Leaf Painting

My munchkin and I attended one of our favourite playgroups this morning, and she had even more fun than usual thanks to the fantastic art activity we had the opportunity to participate in. It was one of those oh-my-goodness-this-is-so-simple-I-can’t-believe-I’ve-never-thought-of-it moments for me, so just in case you haven’t thought of it either, I’ll pass it along to you…

You will need:

Washable, non-toxic paint (any colour)

Large, shallow dish for paint (a disposable lasagna pan would work well)

Large pieces of paper

Assortment of small branches and twigs with leaves attached

Simply put a shallow layer of paint at the bottom of the container, then show your little one how to dip the twigs, leaves and branches and use them to create a work of art on the paper. Gathering twigs and branches together may well be the very best part of this activity, so bundle up and head out for a walk. As spring approaches, leaf hunting walks could become an entertaining and ever-changing part of your week!

Helpful Hints:

·    This is a messy activity by nature, so depending on the set up of your art area (and on your tolerance for mess!) you may want to take steps to protect your table from becoming part of the masterpiece.

·    To prevent art paper from sliding around, try taping the paper to the table with a little bit of masking tape. You’ll reduce the amount of mess while at the same time reducing the frustration level of very tiny artists.

·    This is a lovely multisensory experience for kids! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to promote your child's language development by talking about the colour of the paints and the leaves, the look of the patterns created by different kinds of leaves, the feel of the twigs, and the smell of freshly picked branches. Happy creating!

Perfect Puffy Paint

My daughter and I used this super fun, sparkly puff paint to decorate our Valentine’s cards this year. And while I intended to post this recipe before Valentine’s day, alas it did not happen. But this craft activity need not be Valentine-specific, and can be enjoyed any time of the year. Like all craft recipes that I love, this puffy paint is easy to make and entirely safe and edible (they’ll taste it once but never again) for little ones.

Puffy Salt Paint

¾ cup salt

½ cup white flour

½ cup water

Food colouring

Combine salt, flour and water in a mixing bowl, adding food colouring until paint reaches your desired colour. Spoon paint into a clean plastic squeeze bottle, then show your little artist how to squeeze puff paint onto paper to create a puffy masterpiece. The salt makes the puff paint look sparkly when it dries.

Helpful Hints:

·        Empty ketchup and mustard bottles work well for this project, and leftover paint can be stored in the fridge for future projects. Just be sure to label the bottles with a felt marker (lesson learned the hard way!).

·        This paint is quite thick, and works particularly well on sturdier paper such as cardstock or cardboard. Try raiding your recycling bin and cutting up old cereal or cracker boxes for use as inexpensive art supplies.

·       Allow paint to dry overnight. Happy puff painting!

Dots of Fun

I love the idea of adding a homemade touch to every gift I give, and homemade gift wrap is such an easy way to do that. It’s a wonderful pre-Christmas activity to share with children of almost any age. But this particular twist works even for the tiniest of Santa’s little helpers…

Bingo Dabber Gift Wrap

You will need…

Plain brown parcel post wrap

Bingo dabbers in your choice of colours

Simply unroll the brown paper across a table, and show your child how to make polka dots (or for older kids, how to make polka dot patterns or pictures) using the bingo dabber. Even very young babies and toddlers can grasp a dabber and tap it on the paper (my daughter has been creating bingo dabbber art projects since roughly ten months of age). The brightly coloured polka dots result in surprisingly stylish looking gift wrap. And because it is quick and easy, you can easily create a fun and colourful roll of gift wrap in ten minutes or less!

Helpful Hints:

·    Plan ahead and buy coordinating ribbons and bingo dabbers. The fancier the ribbons and bows, the more impressive your gift wrap will look.

·    This is a fabulous fine motor activity for little ones at the pre-drawing stage. Just be sure to supervise closely so babies don’t mouth the dabbers.

·    This is also a great activity for preschoolers and school aged kids. For a fun challenge, show preschoolers how to create pictures using dots. Or draw out a pattern for your school aged child and have them replicate it using dots on the paper.

·    Bingo dabbers don’t generally contain washable ink, so be sure to throw an art apron on your child and use the table-saving "no stress mess" strategy.

·    Have fun, and Merry Christmas!!!!!

Baked Clay Christmas Ornaments

So it’s less than a week until Christmas, and unless you are among the super-prepared “I was finished all my shopping in July” few, this will likely be a busy week. But there is no better time than Christmas to slow down for a little while and just enjoy the moment with your little one. This baked clay recipe is perfect for making Christmas ornaments, but can be used for a fun craft activity any time of the year. My daughter (who turned two this weekend!) LOVED playing with this clay and using cookie cutters to cut out shapes. The following day, we painted our homemade ornaments and they look (while very homemade) wonderfully cheery and festive…

Baked Clay Recipe

4 cups flour

1 cup salt

2 cups water

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and knead until smooth.  Form dough into shapes or roll and cut using cookie cutters. Bake at 300 degrees for approximately one hour, or until dough appears dry throughout. Happy creating!



Very Merry Clay Making

  Helpful Hints:

·   Thick dough takes much longer to bake than thin dough. For best results, roll or press dough thinly before shaping.

·   To make Christmas ornaments, use the end of a drinking straw to punch a hole at the top of the ornament. Once baked, thread a colourful ribbon through the hole and tie into a bow (be sure to double knot).

·   Handmade ornaments make great gifts for grandparents, or can be added to gifts for teachers or babysitters. Be sure to write your child’s name and the year on the back of the ornament.

·   Homemade ornaments also make cute, creative gift tags. Simply paint the gift recipient’s name on the front of the ornament, or write it on using a colourful sharpie.



Christmassy Crafting



No Stress Mess - The Sequel

It seems that a lot of joyful mommies are fans of the No Stress Mess idea - currently number one on my list of popular posts! So while on the topic of avoiding a mess and making life a little easier, here’s an idea that’s equally simple and equally as effective for saving your sanity. To save your kitchen or dining room table during messy craft activities, keep a few "disposable" plastic dollar store tablecloths on hand. I often buy these kinds of table cloths for parties (particularly kids’ parties, where there are likely to be lots of spills), as they are inexpensive but make the room look festive. Once they get worn or stained, simply wipe them down and keep them near your craft supplies. When attempting a messy craft activity, cover your table with the plastic table cloth, using masking tape to tape the edges of the tablecloth to the underside of your table. Your table is now completely wrapped in plastic, which will not shift or slide off. Paint and glue won’t soak through as they often do with newspaper, so you can relax and join in the fun of creating with your little one. So go ahead - paint to your heart's content, glue things just for the joy of it, and make the biggest mess ever - just because you can!

No Stress Mess

I was in the dollar store yesterday and made one of those purchases that I wish I had made ages ago. Once again, I was reminded of a trick I used to recommend to people, and then entirely forgot about myself until something triggered my memory. It took my daughter pulling a pile of packaged shower curtains off of the shelf onto the floor for me to remember this fantastic little trick…

To save your floors and your sanity during craft activities, spread a plastic shower curtain under your child’s highchair, your kitchen table, or in the designated “craft area” in your home. The shower curtain will protect your floors from dripping paint, globs of glue, and those delightful little bits of glitter that never seem to disappear. When your child has finished his project, simply fold up the shower curtain and shake it off or wipe it down outside. Allow the curtain to dry, fold it up, and reuse the next time you decide to brave a particularly messy craft! Happy mess making!

Smelly Masterpieces

In my years of hunting for safe and simple craft activities, I think this discovery was one of my all time favourites. Incredibly simple to make and safe for even the tiniest artists, even just the idea of this is delightful. What could be cooler – than scratch and sniff paints!

Scratch and Sniff Paints

Several packages of Kool-Aid (or any packaged drink crystals) in a variety of colours

Water

Ice cube tray

Combine equal parts Kool-Aid and water in one section of an ice cube tray, stirring well with the end of a spoon. Repeat with different colours of Kool-Aid in each section of the ice cube tray to create your palette of paints.

These paints work like watercolours, so provide your little one with some big sheets of white paper and a few paintbrushes. Allow your child’s artwork to dry overnight. Once dry, your child can scratch and sniff their works of art! Older kids will enjoy trying to guess which flavours they are smelling.

Helpful Hint: To prevent excessive amounts of paint on your table and to reduce frustration for budding little artists, use masking tape to tape the edges of your child’s art paper to the table. The paper won’t slide around, making it much easier for young children to just focus on and enjoy creating their masterpieces.

Sticky without the Icky

Craft projects are so much fun for little ones, but store bought glues are full of harsh chemicals and make a terrible mess. This craft glue is easy to make, relatively easy to clean off of little hands and household surfaces, and safe for even very young children to use. So safe that you don’t need to worry if they try to eat it – it is totally edible!

You will need…

1 cup white flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 ½ cups water

1 teaspoon vinegar

Combine flour, sugar, and half of the water in a small saucepan, stirring until mixture forms a thick paste with no lumps. Add the rest of the water and the vinegar and combine thoroughly. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until glue thickens. Allow to cool, then store in an airtight glass or plastic container with a lid.

To use glue, spread with a popsicle stick or the back of a plastic spoon. This glue is quite thick and pasty and takes a long time to dry, but once dry it holds surprisingly well. I wouldn’t recommend using this glue for very special craft projects you intend to save for a very long time. But for everyday art and craft projects, it’s perfect! Happy gluing!

Rub-a-Dub-Dub...Let's Paint in the Tub!

Finger painting is a fantastically fun, creative, multisensory experience that most children love. But let’s face it – it takes a brave mommy to attempt this one at home. Finger painting is, in its very essence, messy. And nothing takes the fun out of finger painting like a hovering mommy waiting to swoop in on paint-dripping fingers migrating toward the furniture. So here’s a novel idea – what if finger painting could actually make your child cleaner?

This bath tub finger paint is easy to make, and unlike other recipes does not use harsh soaps that could irritate your child’s skin and eyes…

Bath Tub Finger Paint

1/3 Cup No Tears Baby Shampoo (Any brand is fine – I always choose something organic)

1 Tablespoon Corn Starch

Food Colouring

Combine baby shampoo and corn starch in a bowl. Mix well and pour into an ice cube tray (each section should be about half full). Add about 4 to 6 drops of food colouring to each section, stirring with the end of a spoon and making each section a different colour (experiment with mixing colours so you have a variety).

Supervise your child as they finger paint on the walls of the bath tub, or on themselves. Then simply rinse with water, and the mess is gone!

Starting with the Basics

So where do I start when looking for an idea to share, from all of the hundreds of tips and tricks stored throughout the years in my memory? I guess the best place to start is with the basics – the staples that every joyful mommy needs in her tool kit. And what could be more basic, or more wonderful, than a great playdough recipe! Playdough is the perfect indoor activity for rainy autumn afternoons, and great for a wide age range. Babies as little as 8 or 9 months will love poking and pounding, while kids up to school age can express their creative side.  And the developmental benefits of playing with playdough are almost endless!

Playing with playdough promotes:

·         Development of fine motor skills including dexterity and hand strength, needed for skills such as drawing, writing and cutting with scissors.

·         Sensory exploration – learning to process and integrate information received through the senses. Playdough can be particularly helpful for children who are reluctant to touch new things or get their hands dirty – a fun way to help ease them into sensory play.

·         Language development – playing together with playdough provides endless opportunities for parents to model language and have conversations with their children.

·         Concept development – playdough provides great opportunities to talk about concepts such as size, shape, colour and texture.

·         Creativity and imagination – if you can dream it, you can create it! Be sure to provide some playdough toys, such as plastic cookie cutters and rolling pins.

·         And of course, fun and togetherness – the most important part of all.

This is my favourite playdough recipe of the many I’ve tried over the years. The Kool-Aid adds vibrant colour and  makes it smell absolutely yummy, but it still tastes awful which discourages most little ones from eating it. And if they do eat it – don’t worry! It’s entirely edible…

Scented Playdough

2 cups flour

1 package unsweetened Kool-Aid

1 cup salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cups boiling water

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, Kool-Aid powder, and salt. Add oil and boiling water and stir until well combined. When mixture has cooled slightly, knead until smooth. Store playdough in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy!