Chinese New Year 2013

We love celebrating all the holidays we can, and Chinese New Year is one of them! We have done this now for many years. This year is the year of the snake, so we had to make a snake! We had crafts done in the morning, and then picked up some take out from our favorite little place. We had egg drop soup, pork egg rolls, pork fried rice, and fried dumplings.

I always have a decent stash of toilet paper tubes around the house because you really never know when they will come in handy! As soon as I saw this neat snake, I knew the kids would love to make it. Found here on Cheap Crafty Mama, we did things a little differently. We all took turns painting the sections, we used brass brads to hold him together, and L used a black bingo stamper to give him his wonky eyes. This turned out so cute, I think he might have to be left out for some time.

Last year we attempted paper lanterns, so this year I wanted to try something a little different. I saw these Good Fortune banners on Dim Sum, Bagels, and Crawfish.  She has a link to a step by step on how to make the characters. We had so much fun working on these, and they look so pretty!

Halloween crafts 2011

So yesterday was our group Halloween craft day! We had 7 stations this year, and it seemed like all the kids had a blast. 

This was marble painted spider webs. I was told about this one by L's teacher.

 Our finished webs

 Egg carton spiders. These we cut the cups of a paper egg carton, punch holes in the bottom, and slide in black pipe cleaners for the legs. Add 2 eyes, and you are done!

 A bunch of the kids finished projects.

 D working on her witch hat.

 Paper plate ghosts. Construction paper eyes, and mouth, and crepe paper streamers.

 Recycled Box Mummies. We wrapped white crepe paper around empty boxes and glued giant eyes to them.

 Tissue paper pumpkins. Paper plates, with glued on tissue paper. I showed the kids two ways to put the tissue paper on the paper plate. Most did the flat method.

 Toilet Paper Tube Bats. Wrap black construction paper around the tube, and glue on bat wings and eyes.

 And two gross snacks both found on pinterest.  These are bloody band-aids. Graham crackers with colored frosting.

 And dirty q-tips. Mini marshmallows on tooth picks, dipped in melted butterscotch chips.

Books we read:
Where's my mummy? by Carolyn Crimi 
Corduroy's Best Halloween Ever! by Don Freeman
Boogie Knights by Lisa Wheeler

Turkey Day!

Okay, so I know that I'm a little behind, but cut me some slack alright ;-)  This year the kids were really into Thanksgiving, and everything that goes with it.  I thought it would be fun to make hand print toilet paper tube turkeys.  I helped the kids trace their hands on different colors of construction paper, and cut them out for them.  I had the beaks, feet, body, and gobbler cut out and ready for them.  (That's what I do during naps)  I had the kids glue them together.  They loved it and asked what else we could do that day.  Just an FYI, in the drive over to my dad's the night before Thanksgiving, it was apparently too cold for glue stick to stay stuck because by the time we got there all the eyes fell off.  Oh well, you live and learn!

I also hosted a turkey day for the moms group.  I had an image of a roasted turkey printed off (from The Mailbox).  The kids colored them, and then using glue sticks, we sprinkled thyme all over them.  We talked about how they both start with the letter T, and that some people using thyme while roasting their turkeys.  We also had a turkey print out to color and paste.  I had all the pieces cut out and in snack baggies along with all the crayons and glue sticks they would need to complete all the projects.  I find that this is an easy way to help pass out supplies to a big group of kids.

I also helped the kids paint their hands to make the Mayflower.  You paint the whole hand brown, and put down on a piece of blue paper.  Have the kids add a mast, and sail.  I let me kids use crayons to add more fun.  L thought they needed a sea monster and shark.  Who knew!  D added in a vague anchor. 

While at my dad's for Thanksgiving, Adam had created print outs of Pilgrims for the kids to color.  We colored and cut them out.  They formed a cone shape.  He then went through an old newspaper and cut out faces.  Found a sheet of black paper and cut out hats.  We then glued the whole thing to toothpicks, and stuck them in the top of the "body" cone.  Adam did make a really neat Mayflower out of a grocery paper bag.  It was amazing, but I forgot to take a picture!  Bummer!

Fall craft time

I organize a local mom's group, and we try to do at least one craft and story day for each holiday, or season.  Sometimes these are difficult to come up with, and others and so easy there are too many to choose from.  We have many ways of finding these, but the web is the easiest way to do it.  In September is Grandparent's day, and let me tell you, there are not many craft ideas out there for little ones to do.  Last year we did the typical popsicle stick picture frames.  I didn't want to do that again, so I was determined to find something else.  Well I came up with one on my own.  I cut out a capital G from some cardstock (1 per child), I then punched a few holes in the center of the letter G, place a piece of tape over those holes, and press onto a sheet of construction paper.  I bought a package of kitchen sponges from Dollar Tree, cut them in half, wrapped a rubber band around the top (to make a handle), and then cut a bunch of "legs".  I poured some washable paint on a paper plate, and let the kids dip the sponges into the paint, and then on the paper.  Once the paint is dry you can easily pull up the letter G and write a sweet message to the grandparents in there.  The kids had a blast!  They turned out great.

We also did leaf rubbings at home.  Our friend gave us a large roll of plain white paper, so I cut a large sheet for each child, headed outside to find some different leaves, and sat us down on the kitchen floor.  I really think using the larger size paper made it easier, and more fun for the kids to do.

Another craft we did, I borrowed from the Frugal Family Fun Blog.  She has amazing cheap ideas for crafts with the kids.  You NEED to check it out!!  For this one, you cut a toilet paper tube in half and squeeze it into a leaf shape.  I squeezed the paint onto paper plates for the kids, and they dipped the tubes in the paint, and then onto the piece of paper.  Again, another hit!  I really think the kids LOVE to paint.

 Letter G for Grandparent's Day

toilet paper tube leaf prints

Fall leaf rubbings