Liquid Side Walk Chalk

For those young ones I just couldn't resist this looked like so much fun. I wished I had small kids to give it a try.

I read on several sites that you can paint with brushes or even put into bottles and spray it but that may be difficult I think for little hands. Maybe a squirt bottle with a thin squirt top would work great too.

Liquid Sidewalk Chalk

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup cornstarch
• food coloring (any colors you desire!!)

For directions http://smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com/2009/09/liquid-sidewalk-chalk.html BTW,this is a great blog for Moms with kids. Love her ideas and wanted to share. 

Fish Magnets

This is a fun and easy craft for children. Here is the link for the directions:

Fish Magnets

One very important thing from the "things you will need list" was magnets. You can buy the magnet in a roll and then cut off as much as you will need. I have seen it sold in places like Walmart,AC Moore and other craft shops both in brick and mortar shops and online.

Have a fun time making your fish. Be creative and have fun!!

Do you remember years ago a very nice story by the name if Rainbow Fish? My daughter used to love this story. Here are some links to some fun books about fish. Click on the link under each book and it will take you to it's webpage.



Rainbow Fish
By A CustomerThis review is from: The Rainbow Fish (Hardcover)

I had heard alot about the famous rainbow fish books and when I saw the 10th anniversary book out, I decided to buy it for my 2 year old. I happily sat down with her at bedtime to read her the story and I finished the book feeling not so happy about the book. The rainbow fish is aesthetically, a very pleasing book, with it's beautiful many hued fish and the shimmery shiny scales, but all the visual effects do not make for the rather unpleasant story line. Sharing is one thing, but when you have to give away the one thing that makes you unique in order to cultivate friends suggests that the only way friendship can be had is through purchase. The little fish asks a second time for a scale, even though he was refused the first time after which he alienated all the other fish from rainbow fish. What does the story say about small (minded, greedy) people who want what another has and when they don't get it they go around poisoning everyones' minds against the person? This story left a bad taste and I returned the book the very next day.

Fish Eyes



Fish Face

This review is from: Fish Face (The Kids of the Polk Street School) (Paperback) This book is one I read 11 years back when I was in 4th grade. These Polk St. school books are a lot of fun for everyone! My dad used to send away for Weekly Reader Books for me and one that came in the mail was book #1 in this series, The Beast In Ms. Rooney's Room. I'd enjoyed it and didn't realize it was a series until I saw a friend reading different Polk St. books. I ran out and bought this one, #2. It is so good. About Emily, who befriends a new girl, Dawn from Florida. Then Emily's rubber unicorn, Uni, her prized posession, turns up missing and Emily has a notion Dawn took it but can't prove it. She is devistated. I won't tell you anymore, you need to read it yourself.



Button Bracelet

My Mom loved to sew and she used to have this basket filled with all kinds of buttons. There were big ones,shiny ones,tiny ones,and sparkling ones. They came in all sizes and shapes. Sometimes we would play store and use them as money. Other times we would make crafts using buttons. One time it was flowers and we used the buttons as the middle of the flowers. Another time it was a necklace or a bracelet.But...they were never as cute as this bracelet.


This is such a cute project for Vacation Bible school,or summer camp,or even just a project for home with the kids. Anyone can do make one. Keep it for yourself or give a present to your Mom.

Button Bracelet

Tie-Dying

I love tie dye. Every year in elementary school my daughter would have field day and we would tie-dye shirts according to the colors of the countries that the teams were representing.

My daughter's team was Italy and another year it was Mexico so the shirts were almost identical. However we did some other shirts that year with beautiful colors.

Here are some instructions to make your own shirts.

Pre-wash and dry the garment. This will remove any impurities and bring it to the correct size. If dying indoors, cut open and lay out a few garbage bags for potential stains. Newspaper can also be used, but is less effective. Wear clothes and old shoes that you don’t mind getting messy.

TIE OFF SHIRT AND PREPARE FOR DYING:

There are so many different ways to tie off a shirt. Even if you try the same technique, you’ll never get the same design twice. Experiment with the following:

• Stripes: Gather your shirt up into a tube-like shape. You can twist it for lots of white wrinkles, or leave it as is. Strap rubber bands all the way down the tube. The more rubber bands you add, the more white stripes you will have when finished!
• Center Circle: For a centered circle on the front of the shirt, first lay the shirt out on a flat surface. Pinch a section right in the middle of the shirt and pull up toward you to make a tee-pee shape. Pull up more of the fabric for a larger circle. Close one hand around the base of the tee-pee and then tie it off with a rubber band. Twist the fabric you’ve sectioned off, and then add rubber bands down the length of it. The more rubber bands, the more circles.
• Many Small Circles: For lots of small circles, pinch up fabric about 2-3”, insert a large marble (or Styrofoam ball) and tie it off with a thick rubber band or string so that the marble is secure.
• Sunburst: Tie off a marble as instructed above. Use your pinky to measure about ½ inch behind the last rubber band. Tie off two more sections about a pinky-width apart. Tie another section 1 finger width after the last one, and try the last one at two finger widths.
• Spiral: For a spiral design, simply pinch up a section in the middle of the shirt and twist it. Continue twisting until you have a spiral. Lay the spiral down on the shirt and curl the rest of the shirt around it like a tight nest. Take two large rubber bands and secure the nest so that it stays put.

Get yourself some Ritz dye or fiber reactive dye. (I prefer Ritz as this is how we did them at school but it looks easier too with the fiber reactive dye.) I will add some You tube videos so you can actually see the process.

Good luck and have fun with color!!!

Caterpillar Craft

Fuzzy,wuzzy catepillars....
Many years ago I made this caterpillar craft with my nieces and nephews . And then again later when my daughter was old enough.

This craft is so easy and it's been around for ages. This is a fun craft for any time of year but especially for spring!!

What you'll need:

• Pom-poms, in various colors and sizes
• Tongue depressor sticks
• Google eyes
• Elmer's Glue or crafts glue
• red felt

Directions:

1.    Choose 5 colored pom-poms making sure 1 is bigger than all the rest.

2.    After you have chosen, the pom-poms glue them to the tongue depressor making sure the biggest one is first.

3.    Now glue two of the google eyes onto the face of the caterpillar. If you would like to make the happy version with a nose, cut a smile and a nose out of the red felt and glue it onto the face of the caterpillar.

Here's a nice story by Eric Carle that your children may enjoy!



Make Your Own Play-Dough

This is a fun project as well. My daughter and I made this for the first time 14 years ago when my daughter was in pre-school. I love this Play-Dough Recipe because it is super easy and quick to make. You can make different colors by making several batches and just change the food coloring.  The play dough can be stored in air tight bags or plastic airtight container.

Materials:

• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups salt
• 3 cups water
• 1 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon cream of tartar
• a few drops of food coloring (color of your choice)

Directions:

1.    Mix ALL of the ingredients in a large pot

2.    Cook over medium to low heat, keep stirring,until the dough comes away from the edges of the pan and becomes thick so it is difficult to move the spoon.

3.    Remove from heat.

4.    Let play-dough cool in the pan until it can be handled.

5.    Turn play-dough out on counter or on wax paper and knead 3 - 4 times.

Lastly, now play and enjoy!!!

Make Your Own Play-Dough

This is a fun project as well. My daughter and I made this for the first time 14 years ago when my daughter was in pre-school. I love this Play-Dough Recipe because it is super easy and quick to make. You can make different colors by making several batches and just change the food coloring.  The play dough can be stored in air tight bags or plastic airtight container.

Materials:

• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups salt
• 3 cups water
• 1 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon cream of tartar
• a few drops of food coloring (color of your choice)

Directions:

1.    Mix ALL of the ingredients in a large pot

2.    Cook over medium to low heat, keep stirring,until the dough comes away from the edges of the pan and becomes thick so it is difficult to move the spoon.

3.    Remove from heat.

4.    Let play-dough cool in the pan until it can be handled.

5.    Turn play-dough out on counter or on wax paper and knead 3 - 4 times.

Lastly, now play and enjoy!!!