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- The picture above is our version of the 4th of July Firework Pom Poms from Make and Takes. Visit the linked post for instructions and much prettier pom poms. We didn’t have any blue yarn, so we used blue pipe cleaners for the handles. My kids have no clue what pom poms (or fireworks) are, and I think they’re both a bit perplexed by this craft. Maybe they’ll get the point after our local parade on Saturday.
MATERIALS:
- Paper
- Yarn or string
- Tempera paint
- Phone book
This is another craft that Emma found in this French craft book. It’s quite simple.
STEPS:
1) Place a sheet of paper in an old phone book, coat the yarn or string (except one end) in paint, and arrange the yarn on the sheet of paper, leaving the end hanging out:
 2) Place a second sheet of paper on top and close the phone book:
 3) Remove the string, pressing down on the phone book
4) Open phone book, retrieve papers, and lay out to dry
RESULTS:
We made three different prints using slight variations to this technique.
Here is the first print, which was done with a lot of paint on the yarn and pressing down quite firmly on the phone book:
A second print with a moderate amount of paint, done closing the book and then re-opening and separating the pages before removing the yarn:
 A third print made with the least amount of paint and pressing only lightly on the phone book while removing the yarn:
 The third technique is the one recommended by the book, and I think I do like the effect best.
Emma enjoyed this activity and it created minimal mess, but she wasn’t interested in making more than three prints. I think it is something we’ll try again, though, and I’d like to turn the prints we have into cards. I also think this could be a good activity for introducing the concept of mirror images.
After months of looking for pattern block picture cards, I downloaded set 1 off of Kelly’s Kindergarten (found via this blog post – thank you, Sandra!)
We happen to have both the plastic and the wooden pattern blocks courtesy of my math manipulatives loving mother. I first got out the wooden set, thinking that – since they are a bit thicker – Emma would have an easier time with them. She got very frustrated at the blocks not lining up perfectly, and so I gave up thinking we’d try again in a few weeks. The next day, though, she went to the closet, pulled out the plastic ones and the pattern sheets, and made this perfect dinosaur:
I don’t know if the thin plastic ones were actually easier for her to use than the wooden ones, or if she was just in a better mood the second day – but she continues to prefer the plastic ones over the wooden ones for this particular activity. If you don’t have pattern blocks or want to make a travel set, Sandra’s post links to printable pattern blocks that you can make out of cardstock.
I laminated all of the pattern sheets by hand using a roll of laminating paper, and if you look at the train compared to the dinosaur, I got MUCH better at it as I went along. Turns out the main trick is to expose no more than one inch of laminate at a time – may seem obvious to some of you, but it wasn’t to me. Of course, if you’re lucky enough to own a nifty laminating machine that’s even better!
 Emma found a sewn card craft while perusing this French craft book from my childhood, and asked to make it. I was a little dubious about her ability to sew at all, but she really wanted to try the craft and Johnny was asleep (allowing for close supervision), so I stuck a sheet of paper in an embroidery hoop, poked some holes in the paper, and threaded a (blunt) needle for her to use. She had no trouble identifying and putting the needle through the holes, although she did get quite upset halfway through when she accidentally ripped the paper (hence no photo of the completed project). Maybe I should let her try embroidering on proper fabric since that won’t rip…
I made this skirt using the same techniques from this tutorial that I used to make my other maternity skirt, although I added a bit more of a curve to the front of the skirt and made it slightly more fitted.
I sewed this skirt entirely on my serger. It was nice to only get out one machine instead of two, particularly since half the challenge of sewing at my house is keeping Johnny from trying to use the sewing machines.
While I have written about my love of my serger before, I don’t think I’ve mentioned a favorite feature: its ability to quickly sew a blind hem. Here’s a photo to illustrate (done using stitching to keep the hem from looking blind…) I’ve never enjoyed hemming, so this is a wonderful feature to have on my new machine!
Written by Nancy E. Shaw and illustrated by Margot Apple, Sheep in a Jeep is a fun book whose humor begins with the simple idea of sheep driving a jeep. The story emphasizes the importance of paying attention to what you are doing, problem-solving, and facing consequences using short phrases and a fun rhyme scheme.
I love the excitement of an entire farm over the arrival of a single baby chick in Hurry! Hurry!, written by Eva Bunting and illustrated by Jeff Mack. Mack’s illustrations are adorably expressive. The minimal text makes this an ideal book for a very young child while the storyline is one of 3.5-year-old Emma’s favorites.
I read Owl Babies, written by Martin Waddell and illustrated by Patrick Benson, to Emma nearly every day until her second birthday or so, and this book is a current favorite of 18-month-old Johnny’s. I found this book at a local library while living in the UK, and I do wish we had the UK version or that they hadn’t “translated” the book into US English. Waddell is a British author, and I consider his original prose superior to the “translation” even if the changes are minor. The three baby owls who star in the story are adorable, and the storyline of worrying if their mother will return (she does, of course) is an emotion both of my separation anxiety prone children identify strongly with.
The Gruffalo, written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, is an illustrated poem that tells of a clever mouse who outwits every predator he meets. The book’s creative storyline and fun illustrations alongside smooth-flowing and highly accessible poetry make it one of my personal favorites.
- We made this card for Valentine’s Day, but it would make a great Father’s Day gift as well (thanks, Just For Fun blog, for the inspiration!)
My children do not like the car. Both screamed in the car as infants, and Emma threw up on every car ride until we switched her to a forward-facing car seat. As toddlers they tolerate the car as a necessary part of life, but they definitely don’t enjoy the ride. Luckily I’ve learned a few tricks to help us survive car trips, doctor’s office waiting rooms, and airplane rides:
- Music: For toddlers, songs that have actions to do with their hands seem to work the best. We spend a lot of time listening to Wee Sing Children’s Songs and Fingerplays and the Signing Time CDs for this reason.
- Draw attention to their surroundings: Emma likes to count trees – very easy to do in Massachusetts! She also likes to look for certain stores whose logos she recognizes. Johnny likes to look for various construction vehicles, and both kids love looking for animals.
- Bring car-safe food: I like the (expensive) freeze-dried yogurt melts, because I feel like they are virtually choke-proof. My kids love them, and it’s a treat they only get in the car.
- Coloring books: I always keep crayons and a coloring book in my bag. Sometimes they color, sometimes they tell me what to color.
- Surprises: I’ve wrapped small toys for kids to open on long plane and car rides. They enjoy unwrapping toys they already own, so you don’t even have to buy something new.
What are your best car/waiting room/airplane tips?
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