BACK TO SCHOOL

First Day of School Fairy - very cute idea from Make and Takes

Check out Make and Takes easy back to school breakfast ideas - it's the most important meal of the day!

Today's Parent Magazine has created a Back to School Guide. Read about first day fears at different grade levels, yummy lunch ideas, a section for Mom and Dad and much more - click on the pic

School's a "hoot!" head on over to Delightful Designs (a delightful site!) for this Owl theme freebie download. Will put a smile on your kiddo's face the first day of school

Back to School Brain Storm with The Crafty Chicks - Fantastic site with lots of great ideas - click on the pic

Living Locurto has a huge list of FREE Back to School printables. Super cute!

FREEBIES! Check out Living Locurto and Paper Glitter for great birthday ideas and free printables

Tag - Reinvented!

A cross between Red Rover and classic tag, this game is bound to become a neighborhood favorite. What You Need: Nothing! Instructions:

Set up a rectangular "ocean," as described in the Tips section below, and mark the boundaries.
The Fish line up at one end; the Queen (or King) Octopus stands in the middle and cries out, "I am the Octopus, queen of all motion. Let's see if you can cross my ocean."
The Fish try to run or sneak across the ocean as the Octopus tries to tag them. If tagged, they become Seaweed. Keeping one foot planted, Seaweed try to reach out and tag the Fish running by, thus turning those players into Seaweed as well.
Once the Fish reach the other side, the Octopus and Seaweed say the chant and the crossing contest starts again. The game continues until all the Fish become Seaweed. The last Fish tagged becomes the new Octopus.

Tips: Make sure your ocean isn't too wide. To determine the right width, have everyone hold hands and spread out across the field. Indicate the two sidelines with clothing or other markers. Since the game tends to produce fast Octopuses (meaning the slower, smaller kids rarely get a chance to be "It"), consider teaming a little kid with a faster player to create a two-person Octopus.

Color Guard

A mash-up of tag, basketball, and color identification, this game requires some lightning-quick moves. What You Need:Plastic eggs or balls of different colors and a pail or tub. Instructions

First, place plastic eggs or balls of different colors -- at least one egg per player -- into a pail or tub. Choose one person to be the color guard. The guard stands next to the tub with her eyes closed while the other players each take an egg from the tub and move a few steps away.
The guard then opens her eyes and shouts out a color. Any player holding that color egg must now try to get the egg back into the tub without being tagged by the guard. Players can throw their eggs, but any that land outside the tub must be picked up by the thrower. Anyone who gets tagged, or whose egg is caught by the guard, is out of the game. The last remaining player gets to be the color guard in the next round.

What time is it, Mr. Sharkey?

(Age: 5+ , kids who can swim in the deep end) can be played on land too!
One person is Mr. Sharkey and stands at the end of the pool while the rest of the kids stand at the other end. The kids call out "What time is it Mr. Sharkey?" and Mr. Sharkey says a time, such as 4 o'clock. Then all the kids take four swim strokes toward him. This continues until Mr. Sharkey answers: "It's lunch time!" and the kids all turn and swim back to the starting end of the pool. If Mr. Sharkey tags one of the kids, he or she is now Mr. Sharkey.

Rainbow Tag

With a handful of painted sticks, a few good hiding spots, and four or more players, you can play this game of capture the flag meets hide-and-seek in your backyard, or throughout you entire neighborhood. What You Need: Four or more players, Five tongue depressors, each one marked with a color of the rainbow, Water-based face paint crayons in the same rainbow colors, A pink or rainbow-colored article of clothing , Wet wipes. Instructions

To prepare, hide each toungue depressor along with the matching color of face paint in a different place around the yard.
Next, choose someone to be Pinkie, the player who sneaks around trying to tag the other players and undo their progress. Give Pinkie something pink or rainbow-colored to wear.
To play, set everyone but Pinkie out in search of the sticks.
Each time a player finds one of the colored sticks, he should discreetly -- don't give away the location to the others! -- paint a stripe on his face, then leave the stick and paint in place. Bluffing is encouraged to keep the locations secret.
The catch: Pinkie will be lurking, trying to tag the players. Every time she does, she wipes off one of their stripes.
The first player to get one stripe in each color wins.

All games from Family Fun

Ice Treasure

A huge hit! - Take small plastic toys, ie dinosaurs, little animals, "fancy stones" ie craft stones from the Dollar Store, shells.. really anything you want. Place "treasures" in a container and fill with water just until covered, then freeze. Once frozen, add more treasure and cover with water, re-freeze, keep creating layers of frozen treasure. Give the kids, eye droppers, spoons, squirters, baster, etc and some warm water. Have them squirt the warm water on the ice treasure, melting the ice and freeing the treasure.

Today's Parent Road Trip Activity Guide

click here to check it out

Playground/Back Yard Scavenger Hunt

As a fun alternative to the usual swings and slides at the playground (or backyard) why not send the kids on a scavenger hunt. These cards are by Blynken and Nod Playground Scavenger Hunt Cards, but you can make your own simplified version of everyday playground finds. Flower, bug, rock, pine cone, leaf, twig, moss, feather, grass, sand, the possibilities are endless. Give each kid a set of their own cards and a little bag to put all their treasures in or divide the cards up for a group activity.

Road Trip Bingo

Turn a simple cutting board into an awesome travel bingo game with a little help from these colourful templates

Materials:

Small cutting boards

Letter size (8.5x11) ink jet transfer

paper (available at office supply stores)

Hot iron

Small finishing nails

Hammer

Assorted buttons

Instructions:

1.Print a city or country bingo temple on the ink jet transfer paper Lots of great templates to chose from Click here for templates http://www.canadianfamily.ca/articles/article/road-trip-bingo/

2. Peel away transfer paper backing

3. Centre on cutting board, cover with tracing paper that will be included with the transfer paper and iron on the hottest setting

4. Hammer nails just above the images

Find a little bag to keep the playing pieces (buttons) in.

Recipe for Homemade Bubbles:

4 cups Water
1 cup Dish Soap
1/4 cup Corn Syrup
container - plastic tub, gallon milk jug

Pour and mix all of the ingredients into a bowl or jug. A funnel might help with the pouring if you’re using a plastic jug container. Using a jug is great so you can shake it up really good, but you could whisk it all together in a bowl too. Let the solution settle a little, then pour it into a flat container, like a plastic tub. This way it’s easier to dip your items into the solution.

Now it’s time to blow big beautiful bubbles! You can use all kinds of items to blow bubbles, things from around the house: rubber bands, metal rings, bubble wands, wiffle ball, even the top end of a salt shaker! www.makeandtakes.c

Father's Day

25 Things We Love About Dad - Booklet

Dad will love this sweet little book. Click here for instructions

Shirt and Tie Card

This card may look a little tricky... it's not! Follow the simple steps from Little Birdies Secrets to make this cute card

Hole in One Cup Cakes! - click here for recipe and instructions.

Teacher Appreciation Ideas:

Materials: card stock, crayons, frame (optional. Instructions: Print out your background with the teacher's name, and create a monogram out of crayons, breaking them to get the right widths. Glue crayons on, pop in the frame. From Dollar Store Crafts

"Thank you for helping _____(your child's name) BLOOM!"

Cut circles with a 2 inch scallop circle punch. Glue two back to back (pretty scrapbook paper can be used for the backs if you prefer) with a long wooded craft stick (or skewer) sandwiched in between. Download editable flower picks from skip to my lou http://www.skiptomylou.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/ThankYouforhelpingBLOOMEditable.pdf

Fill a Chinese take out box (available at the Dollar Store) with fortunate cookies (available at the grocery store) and include a tag "________(child's name) is "fortunate" to have you for a teacher" skip to my lou

Fill a coffee mug (ceramic, to go mug or take out cup) with a gift card to a coffee shop. Attach a tag "thanks a "latte" for your hard work!" skip to my lou

FREEBIE!!! Check out paper glitter for cute free printables. We love the rainbow birthday party idea

Flying Flower Frisbees

Materials: plastic frisbee, or flying disc, craft foam (sticker sheets, optional), packing tape. Instructions: With your craft foam, cut out 6 petals for each frisbee. If you just have craft foam without sticky back, simply attach each foam petal to the frisbee with packing tape. Have fun flying your frisbees into a bucket. From make and takes

Materials: 4 new standard kitchen sponges (approximately 4 1/2 by 3 inches) in orange, green, blue, and pink, Ruler, Permanent marker , Scissors with a pointed tip , Large plastic food-storage container (a clean rotisserie chicken container works well too) , Spray bottle , 1/2 cup of grass seed, preferably one labeled "fast-growing" Sewing pins (optional)Total Time Needed: 1-2 Weeks Instructions

Little Grass House - Step 1 To create a good growing surface, rinse the new sponges by holding them under running water and squeezing a few times. Let the sponges dry slightly.

Little Grass House - Step 2 Using the ruler and permanent marker, draw the wall and yard shapes as shown.

Little Grass House - Step 3 Cut out the shapes. For the roof, insert the scissors through the side of the blue sponge and cut along the centerline to create the hinge, being careful not to sever the 2 pieces completely. (If you do sever them, don't worry. You can use sewing pins to attach the roof pieces to the walls.)

Little Grass House - Step 4 Inside the upturned lid of the plastic container, assemble the house. Spray, but don't soak, the house with water. Then sprinkle a generous layer of grass seed evenly over the roof and the yard. If any seeds roll off the roof, pick them up with dry hands and patch the bare spots. Finally, very lightly spray water over the seeds with an upward spray motion.

Keep the house moist, warm, well lit, and covered until the grass is growing well, about two weeks. To prevent mold, leave the plastic cover slightly ajar or poke a few holes in the top. When your grass looks as though it could use a mowing, you can remove the cover. With regular watering, your house can grow for several weeks. Family Fun

Mothers Day Basket with Flowers from Skip to my Lou

SO easy! Print out the free template and assemble. http://www.skiptomylou.org/wpcontent/uploads/2010/04/PaperMayDayBasket.pdf

Mother's Day Craft

Materials: 2 pieces of construction paper (one should be green), a doily for each flower, water colors, a dish for water, glue, scissors, photos of your family and a circle paper punch if you want. Instructions: 1.Start by painting your doilies with the water colors. While your little one is painting, cut out the faces of your family. 2.Set the flowers aside and let dry. 3. Add glue to your paper for the stems and leaves 4.Add the stems and leaves 5.Glue the pictures in the middle. notimeforflashcards

Birdhouse

Spoon-feed your winged neighbors with this homemade birdseed dispenser. Materials:Clean 1-liter soda bottle Craft knife 2 wooden spoons small eye screw Length of twine for hanging.

Instructions:

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.
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.
Remove the bottle cap and twist a small eye screw into the top of it for hanging.
Finally, fill your feeder with birdseed, recap it, and use a length of twine to hang it from a tree

These striped lanterns cast striking patterns and add a crafty touch to patio dinners.

Start with a pint-size canning jar, a safe choice because it's made from tempered glass. Apply glue with a glue stick to the undersides of three 11- by 1/2-inch strips of cotton fabric, then adhere them to the jar. Wind 24-gauge wire three times around the neck of the jar, then twist together the wire ends and trim.

Cut three 12-inch wire lengths, loop one end of each around the neck wire, and twist to secure them. Thread on beads. Holding the three wires together, slide on a large bead, then twist the wires into a single strand. Wrap the strand around a fat marker to make a loop, twist the end around the strand, and trim.

Put flat glass marbles and a tea light inside the jar. Tip: Use an uncooked spaghetti strand as a "match" to light the candle (a parent's job). Family Fun

Some Bunny Loves You!

Materials: Paintbrush, White acrylic paint, Paper plate, Colored card stock, Black and pink markers. Instructions: Use the paintbrush to spread a thin layer of paint on the bottom of the paper plate -- this will be your ink pad. Have your kids dip their thumbs into the paint and print them on the card. Their thumbprint will be the bunny's head. For the ears, have them press down only half of their thumb to make a long, skinny shape. After the paint dries, they can decorate the face with markers, adding whiskers, eyes, and a nose. Use a black marker to write "Some bunny loves you!" on the front of the card. Family Fun

Easter Bunny Basket

Materials: Basket (or a box), Cotton balls, Glue, Scissors, Felt (card stock will work), Googly eyes, Pipe cleaners. Instructions: Glue cotton balls all around the sides of the basket. Cut ears out of white felt and small inner ears out of pink felt (or paper), Attach a small upside down pink felt triangle for the bunny's nose. Glue on googly eyes and a pipe cleaner shaped like a mouth. Family Fun

Easter Egg Hand Print Basket (2 versions) Click here for instructions

Click here for super cute free printable coloring sheets, egg hunts, word games...

Click here for printable Easter games that are education and fun! Confessionsofahomeschooler

Click here for fun Easter cupcake toppers (would be cute for crafting too)

FREE Easter Craft Book - 64 pages of fantastic crafts - FREE

St. Patrick's Day Fun!

Materials: terracotta pot, or a black pot you may already have, black paint and paint brush, Easter grass, yellow wrapped candies – these can be gold chocolate coins, yellow foil wrapped chocolates, Reese’s peanut butter cups (you can use any color of candy, but yellow keeps with the ‘gold’ theme.),pipe cleaner all colors of the rainbow. Instructions: Paint your terracotta pot with the black paint using your paint brush. let it dry. Next, fill you bucket with Easter grass all the way to the top, as it gets pushed down with the candy. Then add in your ‘gold’, filling it to the top. Line up your pipe cleaners into a rainbow and place in pot. Now it’s ready for display. But have extra gold on hand, as it doesn’t last long in the pot! Little Leprechauns keep trying to sneak it! www.makeandtakes.com

Materials:Pretzels - the knots and the mini sticks, white chocolate and
Green sprinkles (or you could use food coloring and color the chocolate)
Step 1: Melt the chocolate Step 2: Dip three knot pretzels and one mini stick.
Step 3: Assemble them as shown in the picture with the stick in the middle making sure that as each pretzel is up against another. Step 4: Cover with sprinkles and allow to dry (only takes 5-10 minutes depending on how much coating you have). http://worldofwhimm.blogspot.com/

Shamrock Shake: 2 cups lime sherbet (add more if needed) 1 banana 1 cup milk 1-2 drops green food coloring (optional) Mix all ingredients in a blender. Serve in small cups for children. Enjoy your "green" shamrock shake! Serves 3-4 (depending on how big the servings are.) http://mygratitudeattitudes.blogspot.com/

Materials: Paper plates (cut in half), streamers, glue, and cotton balls. Instructions: cut streamers into whatever length you want, Attach the streamers to the back of the plate with a line of glue, glue on cotton balls, hang up and enjoy!

http://everythingexceptthegrill.blogspot.com/

Olympic Crafts

Materials: red, black, blue, green and yellow paint or crayons or tissue paper. A wrapping paper roll or 5 toilet paper rolls, glue, scissors, and some clothes pins. Instructions: Have your child color the roll with a crayons. If you are painting the rolls, paint now or start adding glue to the roll and then add tissue paper. Stack and glue rings together., using the clothes pins secure the rolls until the glue dries. www.notimeforflashcards.com

Gold Medal - Materials: some cardboard ( an old mac and cheese box is perfect) some gold sparkly paint, double stick tape, a paintbrush, some ribbon or streamers, and some markers for decorating the medals. Instructions: Draw two identical circles on the card board, have your child decorate and paint each circle, let dry, cut circles out, Using double stick tape ( glue would work too- just let it dry) tape the streamer onto the back of one circle , make sure the loop is large enough to make it over your child’s head. Add another layer of tape and the front side of the medal. www.notimeforflashcards.com

Share the Love - Cute Valentines Day Projects

White Chocolate Popcorn With Valentine Candies - This sweet and savory popcorn will have your sweetheart begging for more. It’s got all the things you love, a perfect combination: popcorn, chocolate, and m&ms! Supplies for White Chocolate Popcorn: 8 cups popped popcorn (plain), 1 cup melted white chocolate, 1 cup m&m candies, large mixing bowl, spoons. Instructions: pop your popcorn then pour it into a large bowl. 2. Pour your melted white chocolate on top and stir. Toss in your m&ms, and mix it all around, getting your m&ms distributed everywhere. 3. Let this sit at room temperature for a couple of hours to let the chocolate harden, or you can put it in the fridge for 20 minutes or so. Then it’s ready to grab and munch. You can put a few handfuls into cute cellophane bags wrapped with ribbon to give as a Valentine’s treat to your loved ones. www.makeandtakes.com

Heart Rice Krispie Pops - These sweet treats can be made using a heart shape pan or a heart cookie cutter. Instructions: If using a pan spray with cooking spray. 2.Make the traditional rice krispies treat mixture. You know this one:

Rice Krispies Treats :3 tablespoons butter, 40 large marshmallows, 6 cups Rice Krispies (puffed rice cereal), Melt butter in a large saucepan. Stir in, marshmallows and heat until melted, add in rice krispies.

3. Wet or oil hands and press mixture into heart shaped pan. If using a cookie cutter, spread mixture in a 9X13 pan and then cut out shapes.

4. Insert a cookie stick ( a chop stick would work too)into the heart. Slightly re-shape heart if needed.

5. Melt white chocolate in a shallow dish. Dip top of heart in the melted chocolate.

6. Before chocolate hardens, sprinkle with decorations.

Tip: If you don't want to add chocolate or candy coating to the tops, try mixing heart shaped sprinkles into the rice krispie mixture. www.skiptomylou.org

Be Mine Conversation Hear Garland

Click here to download template http://www.skiptomylou.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/hearts_2.pdf

Heart Shaped Leis These fun heart-shaped leis are helping to spread Valentine's cheer. They are the perfect activity for your child's classroom party or to make ahead of time to give out as Valentines. Materials: Cardstock paper in Valentine colors, Yarn in Valentine colors, Straws in Valentine colors
Clear tape, Scissors, Hole punch, Crayon or black pen. Instructions: Step 1: Cut out your hearts. You can do this a few ways.The quickest way to do this is to cut your paper into 4 pieces, fold each piece in half, and cut out 2 hearts on the fold. You can also use a large heart paper punch or simply cut them out freehand. You'll need 12 hearts per child-sized necklace. Step 2: Cut your straws into 1½" pieces. The shorter they are, the easier they are to thread through yarn. You'll need 12 cut straws for each child-sized necklace. Step 3: Punch a small hole in each heart. Depending on how large or small your straws are, you'll need to make sure your holes are smaller. Otherwise, the straw will go right through the punched hole in the heart. I had really small straws, so I had to use a very small paper punch. Step 4: Cut a 2'–3' piece of yarn, depending on how long or short you want it to lay around your child's neck. Using clear tape, tape one end of the yarn. This makes it much easier to thread through the straws. Step 5: Now it's time to thread the paper hearts and straw pieces onto the yarn. Line them up if you want to make a special pattern. Once you've attached each straw and heart you want, tie off the 2 ends together. Step 6: It's almost done. You can stop here, or you can add a few fun Valentine sayings. We wrote a little message on each heart: "cutie pie," "be mine," "u r cute," etc. Now it's ready to be placed on a child, showing them how loved they are this Valentine's day! www.skiptomylou.org

Butterfly Valentine - perfect for giving to little friends

Click here to download template www.skiptomylou.org http://www.skiptomylou.org/wpcontent/uploads/2009/02/butterflyvalentine.pdf

Lollipop Valentine - Click here to download template www.skiptomylou.org http://www.skiptomylou.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/flower.pdf

Cinnamon Heart Bark

You will need a package of chocolate chips, package of white chocolate chips, some cinnamon hearts or candies, a ziploc , a pan lined with wax paper, some butter and a hammer or wooden spoon.

1.Put the cinnamon candies in the ziploc and hammer them into little pieces

2. Melt your chocolate chips – sometimes a 1/2 a tablespoon of butter helps make the chocolate spread easier.

3. Spread the chocolate in the pan- pop in the freezer for a few minutes to help it set.

4. Repeat the process with your white chocolate but add the crushed candies before putting it all in the freezer.

5.When it’s set break into pieces! www.nottimeforflashcards.com

Crayon Hearts - You Color My World!

Materials: Crayon pieces, Heart-shaped metal cookie or muffin tin, Scrap paper, Double-sided foam mounting tape, Scissors, Colored card stock, Marker. Instructions:

Heat the oven to 250°.
Fill each mold with crayon pieces and bake until the crayons melt, about 10 to 15 minutes. Tip: Place a sheet pan under the crayons to catch any drips.
Once they're cool, remove the hearts from the molds and smooth any rough edges by rubbing them on a piece of scrap paper.

Use small pieces of foam tape to stick each heart to a 3-inch circle cut from card stock -- or use our template, then add your message.

Suggested messages:
You color my world
Valentine, you make my heart melt
Have a happy Valentine's Day, for "crayon" out loud!

To Give to teachers, caregivers etc

Materials: Card stock, Marker, Tube of lotion, Double-sided tape. Instructions:

Trace your child's hand on card stock. Cut out the traced hand and use it as a template to make a second hand.
Write a message with marker. Affix the hands to a tube of lotion and add card stock hearts with double-sided tape.

Suggested Messages:
"You deserve a hand!"
"Hands down, you're the best."

Materials

Owl template, Card stock or scrapbooking paper, Scissors, White paper or card stock, Glue, New pencil Instructions:

To make an owl, download our template. Trace and cut a teardrop shape from card stock or scrapbooking paper. Fold over the narrow end, then cut the owl's forehead, as shown.
Next, draw and cut eyes from white paper or card stock, then glue them to the card. Cut vertical slits about an inch apart near the bottom of the owl's body and slip a pencil through the slits.
More messages:
You're Owl-right
You're a hoot

Materials

Small bag of candy, Twist tie, Ribbon, Toy sand shovel, Paint pen

Instructions

Close a small bag of candy with a twist tie. With a ribbon, tie it to the handle of a toy sand shovel.
Use a paint pen or permanent marker to write your message at the base of the shovel, just below the candy bag.

Tips: Message Ideas

I dig you!
Here's the scoop on Valentine's Day
It's Valentine's Day--dig it!

Rocket Valentine

Download Rocket Valentine template http://tammymitchell.typepad.com/files/rocket-pattern.pdf

Visit www.pinkdotdesign.ca/valentine.htm for super cute, customized valentines!

Cute - FREE Valentine Printables

http://familyfun.go.com/printables/holiday-printables/valentines-day-printables/valentines-day-printable-cards/

Lots of fun coloring and worksheets with a V-day theme

http://www.dltk-holidays.com/valentines/index.htm

Window Painting Don't like what you see outside? Then change it! Kids can use this washable paint on windows and sliding doors to bring some color to a gray day. Materials: Clear dishwashing liquid, Premixed tempera paints, paint brushes. Instructions:

For each color of paint, mix about 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid with 1/2 tablespoon of paint (the mixture should have the creamy consistency of house paint). Foil-lined muffin tins or plastic containers work well for holding different colors.
Using a different brush for each hue, paint on the window, being careful to avoid sills and woodwork.

Tips: To remove the dried paint or fix a mistake, wipe it off with a moist paper towel.

Brighten up a rainy day with this decorate-your-own umbrella project.Materials: Solid-colored umbrella, Fabric pens, Arcylic paint and brushes. Instructions

Cover a large area of the floor with newspaper. Open the umbrella and decorate each section with fabric paints and/or pens.
Let the finished umbrella dry for about one day before closing (or taking out into the rain).

Print Making

The only rule here is to have plenty of paper on hand -- because printmaking can be habit-forming. Materials: Washable, nontoxic tempera paint. Cookie sheet, 2 large pieces of paper, Cotton swabs, plastic utensils. Instructions:To start, ask your child to squeeze blobs of washable nontoxic tempera paint onto a cookie sheet.

Lay a large piece of paper on top of the paint and have her smooth it down with the palms of her hands. Lift off the paper, then lay the print flat to dry.
Next, encourage your tot to make designs with her fingers, a cotton swab, or a plastic utensil in the smooth surface of the paint that remains on the cookie sheet. Lift off additional prints on clean sheets of paper. You can add more paint as needed.

What to do when the kids t-shirts are too stained to wear (in public!) or giveway?

Cut the shirt along the sides from the the bottom through the armpits to the sleeves. It is now a t-shirt bib/cover up. Just put it right over their clothes. Clothes get protected, and you save a shirt from getting thrown away. The best part is that it doesn’t matter if the shirt doesn’t fit, it is open completely on the sides so there are no areas for it to be too small or too big. If the neck gets too small, just cut a slit in it to open it more. It works for messy meals or for arts and crafts time.

Brrrrr...it's chilly out! Warm up with this sweet treat.

Supplies for Hot Chocolate Spoons:

- spoons, plastic work best
- chocolate chips, regular and mini chips
- marshmallows
- coconut, shredded and sweetened
- peanut butter chips
- butterscotch chips
- crushed candy canes
- wax paper
- plate

1. Have your supplies out ready to go. Heat up your chocolate chips for spoon dipping first. Place a 1/2 cup of chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Take it out and stir, then continue to heat it for 20 second intervals until melted.

2. Once your chocolate is melted, dip your spoon into the bowl. You'll need to stir it around and turn it over to make sure you've got it all covered in chocolate. Then set the spoon onto a plate covered in wax paper.

When you've got your spoons dipped, it's time to decorate them. For the snowman, place 3 marshmallows in a line down the spoon, topped one with a peanut butter chip for the hat and a flake of coconut for the scarf. Then two mini chocolate chips get a tiny dip of melted chocolate on the bottom of them before you place it on the top marshmallow for the eyes. Once you've got all your spoons dipped and decorated, let the chocolate harden again. It goes by pretty fast if you place your waxed plate in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes. Then they're ready for dipping in hot cocoa, or even your hot milk. www.makeandtakes.com

Fun Ideas for you and the kids to do together:

Really cute teacher or neighbor gift ideas. Fast, easy and affordable.

http://littlebirdiesecrets.blogspot.com/2009/12/quick-and-easy-neighbor-gifts.html

Christmas Book Count Down:

This can be done for the whole month of December, or 12 days or how ever many days you want! Materials: Christmas books (in whatever quantity you want) Borrow them from the library, swap with friends or use some you already have on the book shelve and 1 bag.

Instructions: Hang the book bag somewhere central or even on your child's room door knob. Explain that each night Santa's book elf will place a book in the bag for you to read together. We've started already and my little guy loves it!

Family Activity Advent Calendar

This advent calendar doesn't have to be holiday-specific - you can count down to just about anything. Incorporate your own family traditions and your kids will remember it forever.

Download here:

Advent calendar activities list (PDF)
Envelope template (PDF)

Where's Santa?

Keep track of Santa all day and night long! This site is so much fun, you get to see Santa travel the globe and learn some fun facts about the countries he's visiting. http://www.noradsanta.org

Santa's Pretty High Tec - He now emails! Click here and Santa will email your child a personal message! http://santa.sympatico.ca/home/

Letter to Santa

For the 28th year Canada Post 1 million children have been writing to Santa and he's been writing back! Check it out http://www.canadapost.ca/dec/santa/writesanta/santa-e.asp

Too much to do...and the kids need to be distracted!

If you kids are old enough to write numbers (or have an adult or older child help out) they will love this cute counting game. It will keep them busy while you wrap presents or finish decorating! http://lets-explore.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/house_count.pdf

Mosaic Flower Pot -perfect teacher, child care provider or grandparent gift!

Materials: Newspaper, Pieces of broken pottery, tiles, beads, marbles, beach glass, shells or charms, Ceramic tile grout (available at hardware stores), Plastic knife, Terra-cotta flowerpot , Sponge. Instructions:

Cover the work area with newspaper. Before starting to decorate the pot, sort through the pottery pieces and discard any that have sharp edges (a parent's job).
Spread a heavy layer of tile grout onto the flowerpot with the plastic knife. Then press the tile pieces into the wet grout. When finished, spread a little more grout between the pieces so that most of the broken edges are covered.
After the pot is dry, wipe off any grout film with a damp sponge.

Tips: If you don't have broken pottery, place chipped, leftover tiles in a clear plastic bag (this way you can see what you're smashing) and break them with a hammer. Another good source for broken tiles is your local tile or hardware store.

Candle Jars

While melting and pouring wax is best left to adults, the creative parts of this candle-making project (choosing the perfect crayon to color the wax and decorating the glass holder with beads) are meant for kids. Materials: Large saucepan, Metal canning jar lid rim, Coffee can, Paraffin wax, Crayons, Paint stirrer, Candlesticks (one for each jar), Thick widemouth glass jars, Metal tongs, Plastic beads, glue. Instructions:

Set up a double boiler to melt the paraffin. Fill the bottom of the saucepan with 4 to 5 inches of water and drop in the canning jar lid rim. Then pack chunks of paraffin into the coffee can, setting it on the jar rim so that it doesn't directly touch the bottom of the pot.
Melt the wax over medium-high heat, carefully adding more chunks until the can is about two-thirds filled. To color the melted wax, break half of a peeled crayon into pieces. Add them to the wax and slowly mix with a paint stirrer, then turn off the heat and let the paraffin cool for about 10 minutes (this will help minimize shrinkage when the wax hardens).
Using a sharp knife, cut the candlesticks 1/2 inch shorter than the jar heights (adults only). Now, heat the jars by running warm water on the outsides but not the insides (this will help prevent cracking when you pour in the hot wax).
With metal tongs, dip the bottom of each candlestick into the melted wax and stick it to the inner jar bottom. When the candlestick ends have hardened enough to hold, carefully pour enough wax into the jars to cover the candlestick tops but not the wicks.
Once the candles cool completely, your kids can glue beads to the outside of the jar, arranging them in a border around the rim, perhaps, or creating a multicolor pattern all the way around

Rachel Ray's 5 Minute Fudge - Perfect gift!

Ingredients: 1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate morsels

9 ounces (3/4 of a 12-ounce bag) butterscotch morsels
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (8-ounce) can walnut halves
1/2 cup (a couple of handfuls) currants
8-inch cake pan, lightly greased with softened butter
Candied cherries, red and green, for garnish, optional

Directions:

Place a heavy pot on the stove and preheat it over low heat. Add chips and milk and stir until chips are melted and milk combined. Save the empty condensed milk can. Stir in vanilla and remove fudge from heat. Add nuts and currants and stir in immediately.

Cover empty condensed milk can with plastic food wrap and center it in the greased cake pan. Spoon fudge into pan around can, making sure to recenter can if it drifts.

The fudge will set up almost immediately. Garnish can only be added in the first minute or 2 the fudge is in the pan, so work quickly. Decorate your wreath with "holly" made from cut candied red and green cherries. A wreath left plain can be garnished with a pretty fabric bow when serving. Chill covered in the refrigerator and slice fudge very thin when ready to serve, a little goes a long way. Tip - If you don't want to make a wreath shape, no biggie, pour the fudge mix into a 9x13 pan, when set cut squares, wrap them in something festive and give out!

Quick and Easy Advent Calendar

Materials: Construction paper, Tree shape, Christmas-themed stickers (24), Glue stick, Scissors, if needed. Instructions: If you need to glue your tree shape on a piece of construction paper. Then have your child stick a sticker on teh tree for each day leading up to Santa's arrival!

Advent Tree Craft

Materials: fun wire decorative branches, 25 snowflake ornaments, labels (pre cut circles ones would be way easier) some crayons, a marker and a vase. All of this available at the Dollar Store! Instructions: Start by writing out the numbers 1-25 on the labels. Have your child color the numbers, and identify the numbers they are coloring too. Yay Math! Peel and place the stickers on each snowflake ornament. Press firmly. Hang onto the tree and have fun counting down 'til Christmas! www.notimeforflashcards.com

Check out...

http://belladia.typepad.com/crafty_crow/2009/11/advent-calendars.html for MANY easy advent calendars!

Candy Christmas Trees

A lot easier for little hands then a Gingerbread House! Materials: sugar cones, a tub of icing, green food coloring, a plate for displaying and candy. Instructions: Put half the icing in a bowl and add the green food coloring to it. Spread the green icing all over your sugar cone, start decorating your tree with candy, spread the remaining icing on a plate, card board, whatever you're using to display your trees. This will be your "snow". Add your trees! www.notimeforflashcards.com

Popsicle Christmas Trees

Materials:, large popsicle (for trunk), small popsicle (for branches), brown, green, and yellow paint, (craft stores have pre-painted popsicle sticks, or color with markers) sequins or glitter, wooden star (or any star shape, doesn't have to be wood) and glue. Instructions: Break the craft sticks to make varied branch sizes, and use scissors to clean up any jagged edges at the site of the break. Have the kids glue small sticks on to the big stick, then decorate your "tree". As a nice tough you can hot-glued a piece of metallic pipe cleaner to make a loop on the top, and then put an ornament hook through it. Now it's all ready to hang on the tree of some very proud grandparents.

Glittery Window Clings

Let the sun shine in through a few of these glittery window clings. They stick to glass and plastic but, unlike real snow, they are easy to remove! Materials: Paper and pencil, Cookie sheet, Waxed paper, Dimensional fabric paint.

Instructions:

Draw a snowflake template (small, compact designs work best), or download ours here.
Lay the template faceup on the cookie sheet and cover it with the waxed paper.
Using a thin line of the fabric paint (approximately 1/8-inch wide), trace the snowflake design on the waxed paper as shown, making sure all of the paint lines connect. Let the window cling dry overnight, then carefully peel it from the waxed paper

Hand Leaf Collage

Materials and Instructions: Trace your child's hand on red, brown or orange construction paper, cut it out. Collect leaves and have your child glue them on to their "trees" Quick, simple, mess free!

What to do with Broken Crayons!

Materials: Any color crayons, muffin tin and non stick spray. Instructions: Pre-heat your oven to 300, peel the paper off your crayons, break your crayons into little pieces, pop them into the greased muffin tin, takes about about 10 minutes to melt, swirl the wax and let cool. Tip if the crayons aren’t releasing from the muffin tin , put them in the freezer for a few minutes and they will pop right off. Now it’s time for fun – use the crayons for some free art! www.notimeforflashcards.com

Egg Carton Shakeup!

Materials: egg carton (preferably with no holes in the lid, but if you do have holes, tape a piece of construction paper to the inside lid to close it up) and a marble. Instructions: on the inside of the egg carton write out 1-12. Have your child put the marble in the egg carton, close the lid, shake it up, open the lid and have your child tell you what number the marble landed on. Simple, fun way to work on number recognition. Would be great to do with letter too!

I Spy Mini Bags
Materials: mini cellophane favor bags (at Dollar Store, or a Zip Lock bag would work too just make sure it's double sealed with tape or staples), dry rice, assorted shape plastic beads, pennies, googley eyes, etc) and clear packaging tape, card stock. Instructions: Print "What Do You Spy?" on yellow card stock paper and cut them out. Place a handful of mini objects in each bag. Then add 4 tablespoons of rice. Squeeze out the air and fold down the top 2 times. Place card stock on top and first secure the sides with scotch tape. Then tear a 2" strip of packaging tape and put tape on the front and over the top to the back. Use 2 strips to secure the entire top of the bag. Remember not suitable for little monkeys who will open the bag and pop this in their mouth!

Paint Bag Writing

Learning to write letters and numbers can be frustrating for little hands! Toddlers and up will enjoy making shapes, swirls, and even letters on a ziploc bag filled with paint! Instructions: To make your own paint bag writing tablet, put some finger paint or tempera paint into a sturdy freezer ziploc bag. Seal it well and smoosh the paint around the entire bag. (You could even add a strip of packing tape across the top if you are worried about your child opening the bag!) If you want, tape the bag to the table so it doesn’t wiggle around too much. Try doodling and writing with your finger first. Your child may also enjoy using a cotton swab to write with. When your tablet is full of scribbles (or sight words for older kids!), smoosh and smear the paint around and start over. No mess, just fun! http://lets-explore.net/blog/

Crunchy Fall Leaf Pictures

Crunch up leaves to make Fall Leaf Pictures. Supplies for Leaf Pictures: dry leaves, paper & pencil, white glue, bowl, tray

Instructions: First draw the picture with a pencil onto paper. Then trace the pencil line with glue. TIP: Place your paper onto a tray that has lipped edges, so the excess leaves can be collected. Crunch up your leaves in a bowl and sprinkle the leaves onto the paper like glitter. Carefully shake off the leaves that don’t stick onto the tray or back into your bowl. Let it dry over night to make sure the crunched leaves stay put. www.makeandtakes.com

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Learning Activities

I love, love, love this book!! The lowercase letters decide to climb the coconut tree. But when all the letters get to the top, the tree can’t hold them all and CHICKA CHICKA BOOM BOOM, they all fall down! But, all their adult friends (uppercase letters) are there to the rescue! So fun. So catchy. There is also a CD that puts the whole book into song, which I love!

Activity Ideas:

Find a copy of a coconut tree, color, cut, (and laminate). Tape to a cookie sheet. Put your magnetic letters out, as well as the book, and let your children play. Some will find the letters in the story, others will find the letters they know, and still others will find random letters.

Have your child make a coconut tree out of construction paper. Then, using letter stamps, sponges or stickers help your child stamp his name on his coconut tree. Adorable! www.blissfullydomestic.c.om

Rain Painting

This activity, from the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" department, makes the most of rainy weather. CRAFT MATERIALS: uncoated paper plate, food coloring, white crayon.

1. Sprinkle a few drops of food coloring on a paper plate.
2. Get into rain gear and walk outdoors with the plate for about a minute and watch as artistic designs appear.
3. Next, for a batik effect, try drawing a white crayon design on a new plate. Then add some food coloring and head out.

Puff Paint in the Microwave

This is really cool and super quick/easy.

Combine the following in a little bowl:

1 tablespoon self-raising flour
a few little drops of food colouring
1 tablespoon salt
Then add some water to make a nice smooth paste.
Paint away on a nice thick sheet of cardboard (if you don't have enough paint brushes use q-tips).

Microwave the design on high for 10 - 30 seconds until the paint puffs and it's all nice and dry.

Cardboard Table & Chairs for Stuffies or Dolls

Turn a cardboard box into an easy-to-assemble set of doll furniture that your kids will love.

Tools and Materials:

Chair, table, and bed templates Assembly diagram (click for templates)
Large pieces of corrugated cardboard
Box cutter with several sharp blades
Scissors
Hot-glue gun and hot-glue sticks
Ruler
1 to 2 rolls of contact paper (optional)

Directions:
1. Adhere 2 pieces of cardboard together with hot glue to create 2-ply corrugated cardboard (if your cardboard is already 2-ply, you can skip this step).

2. Enlarge and print the chair, table, and bed templates. Trace and cut the shapes from the 2-ply cardboard. To cut each line, place a ruler on the line and hold firmly in place while running the box cutter down alongside the ruler. Use several passes of the blade to cut instead of trying to cut all the way through at once.

3. For the bed, score on the dotted lines with the box cutter. To score, only cut through one corrugated layer and bend the cardboard carefully along that line. Run a line of hot glue down the fold.

4. Cover the cardboard pieces with contact paper, if desired.

5. Assemble furniture according to the assembly diagram.

Triple Hitter Muffins - Recipe makes 12 muffins

Ingredients
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup applesauce
1 cup grated zucchini

1 cup all-purpose whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
In a large bowl, whisk together oil and sugar. Beat in egg, then applesauce. Stir in carrots and zucchini.
In another large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
Fold dry ingredients into wet, until just mixed. Grease muffin tray. Spoon batter to the very top of muffin cups and bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean when inserted in a muffin.

Chain Gang...Back to School Count Down

This is a cute and easy way to count down any special upcoming events with your kids. Materials: construction paper cut into strips, a stapler (makes the job faster) tape or glue. To Make: Start making a paper chain (channel your inner child!) When done, hang up and each day pull a link off until the big day arrives. This would be cute to do at Halloween or Christmas! http://brassyapple.blogspot.com

French Toast Raphael - A Special First Day of School Breakfast!

To be prepared the night before, then pop it in the oven in the morning.

6 cups white bread, crust removed and cut into cubes
6oz cream cheese, cut into small cubes
6 eggs well beaten
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup maple syrup

Place half the bread in a greased 8' square pan. Dot cheese on top. Cover with remaining bread. Combine remaining ingredients and pour all over. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove plastic and bake in preheated oven (375*) for 45minites. It will be puffy and golden. Serve immediately with extra maple syrup. Serves 6.

Puffy Paint Moonscape

You will need: strong paper (a cereal box or paper grocery bag would do), shaving cream, white glue, a marker and scissors To Make: Start by drawing a "Big round moon" or any phase your child wants. To mix the paint, you will need 1/2 cup of glue and 1 1/2 cups of shaving cream and mix. If you want color, add a bit of paint. Spread and explore it on the paper. Let dry- for at least 4 hours or over night. Then cut out your moon. www.notimeforlashcards.com

Mouse Paint

We were introduced to this "science" craft at our local Strong Start program. It was inspired by the book Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh available at your local library, it's a great accompaniment to this craft.

You will need: 3 small containers, 1 medium container, a variety of food coloring, eye dropper or even a syringe works and water.

1. Fill small containers with water and dye each a different color. 2. Have your child use the eye dropper or syringe and suck up the colored water and add it to the medium container, have them mix colors and see what happens.

Magic Sparkle Bottle

A quick and easy craft.

You will need: 1 clear plastic bottle (ie water bottle), 2 drops clear liquid dish detergent, glitter.

1. Fill the clear plastic bottle with cold water. 2. Add liquid dish detergent and glitter. 3. Screw the cap on tight. Now the kids can swish and shake their magic sparkle bottle.

Ultimate Play Dough Recipes

Click here to check them out

Wheel of Learning

This is a great fine motor activity and another chance to learn the names of the colors and an added bonus by writing the names of the color your kiddos are learning word recognition at the same time!

To Make: paper, a heavier paper like card stock will work better, a variety of colored markers, crayons, etc, and clothes pins. Cut out a circle and divide into pie pieces, color each pie piece a different color, color the tips of the clothes pins a corresponding color.

To Use: Have your child pick the clothes pins that make the colored pie piece, have them attached the clothes pin to the corresponding pie piece.

http://littlehandsbigwork.blogspot.com

Sea Shell Mosaics

Quick and easy to prepare and will occupy everyone happily for several hours. It's a great way to remember all the fun you had this summer.

All you'll need for this simple craft is: an aluminum pie pan, a big plastic bucket for mixing , a 1-cup measure, wooden stir sticks, a collection of shells and sea bits, some plaster of Paris, a decoupage sealer (like Mod Podge) but this optional.

Plaster of Paris is usually available at any craft or hardware store. It might seem a bit intimidating when you find yourself hefting around a giant plastic tub of cement powder but it's actually quite easy to mix and use. If you can make pancakes from a box mix, you can make plaster of Paris.

* We would advise parents to mix the ingredients for this project when the kids aren't around. Please be sure to read and follow the safety precautions for this or any product recommended here.

1. The mix is a simple ratio: two parts cement powder to one part water. You mix it up in a plastic tub or bucket, stir it thoroughly and then pour into your tins. You can pour it into any container, really. The pie pans work well because once the plaster hardens, they are easy to peel off, leaving you with a perfect little round shape.

2. After everyone picked out their favorite bits we set to work pressing them into the plaster of Paris.

3. Before they were completely hardened, we popped them out of their tins and broke off all the rough edges along the sides. You could sand them too but we didn't really need to. The important thing to remember is to break off the rough edges while they are still somewhat crumbly because if you wait too long the plaster gets hard and could crack and break under too much stress. www.alphamom.com

Colored Ice Bath or Pool Time Fun

Since the weather continues to be hot, hot, hot we thought you might like another ice related activity!

To Make: Fill the muffin tin with water and add a drop or to of food coloring to each muffin hole. Freeze and pop out. Also is a great opportunity to talk about colors, melting, warm and cold. http://littlehandsbigwork.blogspot.com

Ice Treasures!

With the weather already heating up your kiddos will love hunting for treasure and cooling down!
You can use glass marbles, shells, stones, beads, buttons, little plastic toys, coins, the Dollar store will have tons of inspiration!

If you want you can freeze your ice block in layers, so there are treasures hidden throughout (the one shown has three layers.)

Use a variety of treasure-excavating tools: salt, spray bottles with water, droppers + warm water, and toothbrushes. You can also freeze individual treasures in ice cubes for quicker treasure-hunting adventures. Using colored water in the spray bottles is fun too! http://lets-explore.net

Yo-Yo Painting

What you Need: old tights, cut the legs off, filled with dried beans, and tie them off. An old pan (or plate) with different colors of paint and head outside. http://thesnailstrail.blogspot.com

The Whole Alphabet Letter Of The Week Guide

A very talented Mom is the creator of one of our fav blogs, No Time for Flash Cards is full of easy, fun, creative ideas. Check out one of our favorite projects - Letter of the Week.

http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/search/label/Alphabet%20activities

Dinosaur Eggs

Is your preschooler really into dinosaurs? Make these dinosaur eggs and hatch some prehistoric critters of your own! With ingredients you have around the house and a few plastic dinosaurs you can have a nest full in no time. Great as party favors for a dinosaur themed birthday party!

What You Need:

1 1/4 cups dirt
1 1/4 cups of flour
3/4 cups salt
1/2 cup sand
Water
Plastic Dinosaurs (or other little creatures)
How To Make It:

Step One: Mix all the ingredients, except the water, together.

Step Two: Slowly stir in the water until the mixture holds together.
Step Three: Mold the “dough” around one of the plastic dinosaurs
Step Four: Let set them outside and let them dry in the sun until dry. This may take all day or several days depending on the weather. You could try using a hair dryer to speed it along. Now they are ready to crack open to see what’s inside! Variations: Put other items inside of the “eggs” for your preschooler to discover. Hide them in the garden and let your preschooler discover them. Use them for party favors at a dinosaur themed party. http://crafts.preschoolrock.com/

Marble Painting

Marble painting is a classic craft, while your preschooler shakes, rattles and rolls the can he/she will be creating a fabulous work of art. The surprise comes when you open the can to see what the finished piece looks like! So, grab a can, some paint, paper and, of course, marbles and see what your preschooler can create. What You Need: Empty Coffee Can (a salad spinner or box that a flat of pop or cans came in works great too!) Tempra Paint, Paper, Marbles
How To Make It Step One: Line the inside of the coffee can with paper. You can use regular white paper or any color construction paper.
Step Two: Dip a marble into one color of paint. Drop it into the can. Do this with several marbles and several different colors of paint.
Step Three: Let your preschooler shake and roll the can around until he/she thinks it is done. Then open it up and see how it turned out.http://crafts.preschoolrock.com/

Button Caterpillars

What You Need: buttons pipe cleaners googley eyes, glue

How to Make it: Simply start stringing the buttons on to the pipe cleaner, keep going until your caterpillar is as big as you want it, glue googley eyes on to make a face. http://luckymecraftsandkids.blogspot.com

Rip Roaring Rocket Fun!

Make a bunch and invite kids to pair up and see who can complete the longest pass. Or form a circle and see how long the group can keep several rockets airborne by randomly tossing them back and forth.

Materials: Balloons, ribbon or streamers and dried lentils.

Instructions: 1. To make each rocket, use a kitchen funnel to pour 1/3 cup of dried lentils into a round balloon. 2. Then blow up the balloon so it's about 16 inches around and knot it. 3. For the finishing touch, tie several long ribbon streamers around the neck.

Cooking Art - Pancake Masterpieces!

1. Stir up your pancake mix.

2. Pour a small-ish amount into a "condiment" bottle, (available at the Dollar Store). You may need to cut the nozzle down so more will flow out.

3. Add some food coloring and shake it up. (here is where the fun starts)
4. Now "draw" any fun shape - keep in mind you have to turn this baby over. Just draw an "outline" and then let that cook for a few seconds.

5. Fill in the rest of the pancake with your regular batter and cook as usual

6. When you turn your pancake over you will be able to see your design!!!

from http://brassyapple.blogspot.com

Letter Pizza

Materials:

A round piece of cardboard ( paper will work fine)

Red, green and beige construction paper

scissors and glue

paint, a paint brush and a marker.

Instructions:

Start by cutting out 26 small red paper pepperoni slices. Write the alphabet on them. If your child is able to have them write the letters. Set aside.

Have your little artist to paint the crust, whatever color they want!

1. While they are painting, cut out some toppings ie cheese and green peppers

2. Next add the glue

3. Add your toppings.

4. Next add more glue, dotting it around the whole pizza may help smaller kids

5. Add letter pepperoni .

Take time to ask your child what letter they are putting on. Let dry

www.notimeforflashcards.com

Spring Bling for Straws

These straw decorations are perfect for everyday or for special events.

Supplies for Straw Decorations:

paper
double stick tape
scissors
straw
ladybug (wooden or sticker)

Directions:
1. Put two sheets of paper together, back-to-back, and cut out desired shape (heart, flower, circle, square…)
2. Use double stick tape to attach the two shapes together on either side of the straw.
3. Attach the ladybug with double stick tape.
4. Invite your friends over to sip lemonade or make your child’s sippy cup look extra happy. www.flipflopsandapplesauce.com

Hide a Number 1-20 - Fun and Yummy!

This game helps with counting and improving number sense.

Here's what you do:

Print out the game board Flipflops_and_Applesauce_Hide_a_Number
With your child's eyes closed, cover a number with an M&M or Skittle.
Have your child guess the hidden number.
If they guess correctly they get to eat the candy.
Encourage them to figure out the number without counting from one.
As they get the hang of it, try covering up three or four numbers at a time. www.flipflopsandapplesauce.com

ABC Uppercase and Lowercase Letters Matching Game

Help your kids practice differentiating between the capital and lowercase letters with this fun game.
Here's how to get the game ready:

Print out the letter sheets and cut the letters apart, click for for letter sheets Letter Game) Cut out squares from two different patterned papers.
Use double stick tape to tape the lowercase letters to one paper design and the capital letters to the other paper design. Lay all the cards face down in rows. On the player's turn, turn over two cards-one of each design. If the cards are a capital and lowercase match, keep the pair and take an extra turn.
If the cards are not a match, turn the cards back over and turn goes to next player. www.flipflopsandapplaesauce.com

Creepy Crawler Egg Carton Creations!

Cut out different sizes of egg cartons for each creepy crawler. Paint your bug creation, add pipe cleaner antenia and googley eyes! Create a Ladybug, Caterpillar, Spider, Bee, the list is endless! (www.makeandtakes.com)

Plastic Grocery Bag Mini Parachutes for Mini Daredevils

Your kids will love to watch their tiniest stuffed animals and action figures take turns parachuting down from the sky!

Materials:

plastic grocery bag
scissors
ruler
fishing line or thread
lightweight stuffed animal or action figure

Directions:

Cut a 12" x 12" square from the plastic grocery bag.
Carefully poke a hole in each corner with a pencil point or other pointed object.
Cut 5 lengths of thread - approximately 8" long.
Tie a length of thread in each corner of the plastic square.
Tie all four threads in a knot on the end furthest from the parachute.
Tie the fifth piece of thread around the knot and around the arm of the bear.
Loosely fold the parachute in the palm of your hand, and place the bear on top.
Throw the parachute and the bear way up into the air, and watch him float down. (www.flipflopsandapplesauce.com)

Paper Roll Noise Makers:

Materials:

empty toilet paper roll OR paper towel rolls
wax paper/tissue paper - cut a 4×4 square for each (Wax paper works best as it’s more sturdy, the tissue paper tends to tear.)
hole punch
rubber band
markers, stickers, crayons

Directions:

On one end, punch a hole about 1 inch in from the edge. Now on the same end, fold over a square cut piece of wax paper over the opening. Use the rubber band to hold it in place.

Make sure the paper is on tight over the end. It won’t make a good sound unless the paper is on tight. Now on the open end, say “Do Do Do Do” into your tube to test out the sound. It should sound kind of like a kazoo.

Decorate your noise maker with your markers, stickers, and crayons. (www.makeandtakes.com)