April Craft---Growing seeds

Having a very ill teen at home leaves me little time to myself much less managing my blogs. I have decided to continue with my blogs but I will only be adding content occasionally for the time being.

April's Craft is going to be something for "spring". The warm weather makes you want to go out and dig in the garden.

My daughter and I both love to grow things. I think playing in the dirt and getting in touch with Mother Nature can be quite rewarding. I have bought several little kits for my daughter and so she began growing tomatoes,and sunflowers...etc...Being sick she isn't able to get out much so this project was very rewarding because she could watch her seeds grow and see the changes each and everyday. 
This photo is of my daughter's first seed project. I believe these are of Sunflowers.


Kids of all ages can enjoy doing a project like this. However if you have small children I would advise you to plant some of your bigger seeds like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, watermelon seeds etc...The plants are more hardy and seem to grow faster.  You might even get them to eat some of the vegetables they grow...if you are lucky.

You don't have to purchase these kits however. All you need to do is go to your local dollar store and buy a package of plastic cups,some seeds,a bag of soil and a permanent marker.

Fill the cups up with soil. Halfway is good enough...then make a small indent with your finger. Place a few seeds into this indentation and then cover lightly with soil. Water and place in a sunny window. Make sure you write the name of the plant on the plastic cup with a permanent marker. Be sure to keep the soil moist and check everyday.

If you want you can even add some plastic wrap over the cups to help the growing process. Germination doesn't take too long...soon you will see the leaves and stem poking through the soil. I have placed my cups in a baking pan so that it makes it easier to move from window to window.

Happy Spring and happy growing!!

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!



Bird house

Don't you just  love to sit and watch the birds fly around the yard. Their wings fluttering so fast. Some are such beautiful colors. Have you ever seen a Oriole (not the cookie either!) or perhaps a hummingbird? 

It's nice to teach little children about nature and allow them to partake in helping do something nice for these tiny little creatures.

Make this very simply designed birdhouse using things that you have right in your kitchen.

Materials

• Clean 1-liter soda bottle
• Craft knife
• 2 old wooden spoons
• small eye screw
• Length of twine for hanging

Instructions

1.   Start by drawing a 1/2-inch asterisk on the side of a clean 1-liter soda bottle, about 4 inches from the bottom. Rotate the bottle 90 degrees and draw another asterisk
2 inches from the bottom. Draw a 1-inch-wide circle opposite each asterisk, as shown.

2.   Use a craft knife to slit the asterisk lines and cut out the circles (a parent's job). Insert a wooden spoon handle first through each hole and then through the opposite asterisk, as shown.

3.   Remove the bottle cap and twist a small eye screw into the top of it for hanging.

4.   Finally, fill your feeder with birdseed, recap it, and use a length of twine to hang it from a tree.

Here's a different birdfeeder I found on YouTube