Monday, January 31, 2011

Heart Man!

The theme this week is Valentines Day!
Project: Heart Man
Directions: Cut a large heart out of construction paper (any color) Cut 4 small hearts out of a different color construction paper. Cut 4 strips of paper out of construction paper - these will be the arms and legs - I used the same color for each arm and a different color for the legs. Glue the arms and legs to the heart body. Use the smaller hearts as eyes, nose and mouth and glue them to the large heart to make a face.
Materials Needed: pink, purple or red construction paper, scissors, glue stick, markers (optional)

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Cotton Ball Snowman!

The theme this week is Winter!
Project: Cotton Ball Snowman! Cut three circles from clear contact paper. Staple the contact paper, backing side up, to the construction paper to form a snowman shape. Peel off the backing and stick cotton balls to the contact paper to cover the snowman. If you like, you can add other details. We used pom-poms and pipe cleaners!

Materials Needed: cotton balls, clear contact paper, construction paper, scissors, stapler, pom-poms, pipe cleaners

Source: The Toddler's Busy Book, by Trish Kuffner

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Winter Sun Catcher

Addie's Sun Catcher
The theme this week is Winter!

Project: Winter Sun Catcher. We made these last year, but I had to make them again with Addie and Ty. You can check out Connor and Lauren's sun catchers from last year under Winter Sun Catchers II or http://seewhatwedidtoday.blogspot.com/2010/01/winter-sun-catcher-ii.html. They turned our great last year and this year. I found the idea for the project in the February 2007 issue of Family Fun Magazine.
Directions: Place rectangular bread pan on a flat surface. Cut an orange into rounds and arrange the round and small pine branches in the pan and add enough water to cover them. Add berries - I used Craisins this year and blueberries last year. For the hanging cords, lay one end of each piece of sturdy twine or rope in the pan, submerging it at least several inches. Let the pan freeze outside or in the freezer. Remove the ice block from the pan - running warm water on the back if needed - and hang outside.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Styrofoam ball snowmen!

Addie and Connor with their snowmen!
The theme this week is winter!
Project: Styrofoam Ball Snowmen! Take 3 different size craft, Styrofoam balls and attach them one on top of the other with a toothpick poked through the center of each ball (I added a little hot glue to make more permanent). Decorate each snowman with marker, foam stickers and chenille stems. Connor gave his snowman hair, but Addie wanted her snowman to have a pom-pom hat (I hot glued the pom-poms).
Materials Needed: 3 different sized craft, Styrofoam balls, toothpick, marker, chenille stems, craft foam sticker, pom poms

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Snowmen Placemats!

The theme this week is winter!
Project: Snowmen Placemats! In November we made Thanksgiving placemats, December we made Christmas placemats, and now in January we made Snowmen/winter placemats!!! Addie and Ty absolutely love making these placemats, but they love using the placemats even better.
I had Ty and Addie use white paint to stamp a snowman onto blue construction paper (I cut a sponge into 3 different circle sizes). Next, they used black paint to stamp the hat for their snowmen ( I cut a sponge into a hat shape). They added arms, buttons and facial features. For the next snowman, I cut different size circles out of white paper, along with a black paper hat. Ty and Addie glued the shapes on the blue paper to make their individual snowman. Again, they added arms, buttons and facial features. They added winter stickers to their placemats, and I spelled out WINTER with letter stickers. When the paint was dry, I matted the blue snowman paper onto construction paper and covered each placemat with Con-Tact paper! Ty's placemat bubbled a little :(
Materials Needed: blue construction paper, 2 different colored sheets of construction paper (for the matting), white and black paint, sponge cut into snowman shapes, paint brush, white paper, scissors, black paper, black and orange marker, winter/snowman stickers, glue stick and Con-Tact paper

Friday, January 7, 2011

Stick Snowman!


This is another repost from last year, but Ty and Addie made their very own Stick Snowmen this year just like Connor's snowman (above).
Day 1 of the week - The theme this week is Snowmen. The letters of the week are e, f and H the numbers of the week are 2, 3, 4.
Project - Stick Snowman- Connor and Lauren painted paint stir sticks white. They added buttons down the center of the snowman. They glued on googly eyes and button noses. I cut strips of red felt for the scarves and tied them onto the 2 snowmen. I cut hats out of black foam and Connor and Lauren glued the hats on. I looped red ribbon and attached the ribbon to the back of the hat. Materials Needed - paint stir sticks, white paint, black foam, buttons, googly eyes, red felt, scissors, glue, paint brush, red ribbon
Learning Activities:
Today's Activities:Handwriting - Staying in the lines on curvy, zig-zag paths
Numbers- the number 2 and 3, writing, counting
Reading Readiness - The Same and DifferentShapes - Circles and Squares
Writing Letters - Lowercase e

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Cotton Ball Painted Snowman!

This is a repost, but I did this same project again this year with Addie and Ty - they loved painting with the cotton balls!
Day 2 of the week - The theme this week is Snowmen. The letters of the week are e, f and H the numbers of the week are 2, 3, 4.
Project - Cotton Ball Painted Snowmen- I drew a snowman shape with pencil on blue construction paper. Connor and Lauren dipped cotton balls into white paint and filled in the snowman. They drew arms, eyes, noses and mouths on the snowmen. I cut hats out of black paper and they glued them onto their snowmen. They added orange chenille stems for noses. Materials Needed - blue and black paper, cotton balls, white paint, brown and black markers, orange chenille stem, glue, scissors
Learning Activities:
Today's Activities:
Handwriting - Staying in the lines on curvy, zig-zag paths
Numbers- the number 3, writing, counting
Reading Readiness - Different
Shapes - Squares
Writing Letters - Lowercase f