Shamrock hats

Here is another cute craft we did on craft day.

For each hat you will need two pipecleaners, 2 shamrocks cut out of construction paper and two long strips of construction paper.

Staple one end of the paper strips together, then wrap around child's head to get the correct measurement. Staple the other ends.

Next poke the pipe cleaner in one side of the base of the shamrock and out the other side. Repeat on the other shamrock. Staple the pipe cleaners to the base of the hat.

                                        The shamrocks are supposed to wiggle around.

Hehe so cute!

Scrap Fabric Matching Activity

We have bags of clothes left over from when we did storage auctions. We have sold most of the nice ones, and what we have left over is mostly holey, stained clothes. I have lots of projects with scrap fabric to come up with! I saw a picture on pinterest that inspired this project. There was no link, so I came up with my own version.

 

You will need scrap fabric or old clothes, felt, spray adhesive and fabric scissors.

Cut out squares of fabric. You can make two squares from each pattern if you are making a memory match type game or cut out lots of squares from each pattern if you are doing an organizing type activity.

 

These are actully an old pair of sharpie colored pants from my youngest. All handme downs stop with her, she is so rough on her clothes! Make sure you are cutting squares a bit bigger than you need, you will trim them down later.

As a side note, little ones love playing with the fabric scraps. Its a great QUIET activity.

 

You should end up with a stack of squares similar to this.

 

Next cut your felt the size you want your squares to be. The younger the child the bigger they should be.

 

Lay down a newspaper or plastic bag, lay the felt on top and spray one side with the adhesive. Be careful, you only need a very light coat. You don't want it too wet. Next lay the felt (side with the adhesive) on top of the fabric square and press. Set aside to dry and repeat with the rest of the squares.

When the squares are dry, trim the fabric so it matches up with the felt.

Ta-da!

 

*While I used spray adhesive for this project, next time I will probably try a glue gun. The spray adhesive was pretty strong smelling, and it kind of lingered on the squares. If you have kids sensitive to chemicals definitely use a glue gun.

Sensory Play with Dry Beans

This is a fun activity for toddlers/preschoolers that promotes eye-hand coordination, counting and number skills. I lay a sheet down (for easier clean up) but you can also use a big plastic tub.

 I lay out some spoons and containers so the girls can practice scooping the beans.

We also use old egg cartons to practice counting. I will put 1 bean in the first cup, 2 in the second ect. on the first row. Then on the second row they have to match the amount on the first row.

How to reuse kid's workbooks

If you are like me and always looking for ways to save money, you will appreciate this tip. I am homeschooling my preschooler this year, and school supplies and curriculum are not cheap at all! I got a really great workbook for my preschooler but it was $6 and she goes through the activities so fast. Her little sister always wants to participate as well, but being two she isn't quite at the preschool comprehension level. I figured out a way to use the worksheets over and over. Now the girls can color until thier heart is content, take turns doing the same activities, and I only had to purchase one workbook.

You will need page protecters, a three ring binder and a workbook you want to reuse.

If the book is stapled, go to the middle and undo the staples. I was lucky with this one, it easily came apart. If it's not stapled you can tear or cut the pages out.

Insert the pages into page protecters.

Organize into a three ring binder and wa-la!

You can use dry erase markers or crayons to write with, just remember to wipe off when you are done.

12 chores for Toddlers&Preschoolers

I think its very important to instill a good work ethic in our kids when they are young. My littles (2) and (4) help out around the house and they have since they could walk. I've found several good little chores for thier age.

1. Unload dishes. My toddler unloads the silverware, its a good matching game for her and promotes eye-hand coordination. My preschooler takes all the dishes out and puts them in the cabinets or on the counter if she can't reach.

2. Wash dishes. Fill the sink up with soap and water, kids will have fun playing in the bubbles.

3. Dust. Put socks on the thier hands and let them go at it.

4. Organize shoes. We have shoe rack by our door and I have the girls match the shoes up and put them neatly on the rack.

5. Set the table. Simple enough.

6. Clear table.

7. Water plants outside. Boys love to water plants with squirt guns!

 

7. Clean baseboards with wet rag.

 

8. Clean spots off the floor.

 

9. Fold laundry. My girls fold thier clothes and washcloths, because they are smaller and easier to handle.

 

10. Sort laundry. You can turn this into a color matching game.

 

11. If you have kid sized cleaning tools like a broom or mop, use them! 

12. Fill an empty spray bottle with vinager and water. Kids can spray cabinets, walls, doors, floors and then wipe them down. The vinager deodorizes and is safe for almost every surface. It's also nontoxic and won't hurt thier skin.

Don't forget to praise your kiddos and make a big deal over what a great job they are doing!