Mother's Day!

Mother's Day!

Projects

Paper Flowers

Here is the link to this cute Flower Project.  It has templates and very detailed directions!

Magazine Flowers!

I saw this recycled flower project in the May 2009 issue of Parents Magazine.  

Here is the link for Flowers for Mommy  This project uses magazines, chenille stems and buttons!

I'm Your Little Flower Mom

Trace hand on green paper

Cut a vase shape out of colored construction paper

Glue hand and vase onto paper

Decorate the fingertips with foam flowers or flower stickers

Glue on the following poem:

I’m your Little Flower MOM

Different from the Rest.

Help me GROW each day

To be my very BEST!

I love my mom because . . . 

Paint hand green 

Press onto white paper

Cut out a vase shape and write:

I love Mommy because . . . 

Dip fingertip into colored paint and press onto the five fingertips of the hand print

Coffee Filter Flowers

Paint a white coffee filter with watercolor paint

Let dry and then wrap a chenille stem around the filter to make a stem

Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!

 

Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!

Projects

Waterbottle Glo-Bugs

Wrap an empty, plastic water bottle in green construction paper

Secure with tape

Punch 4 holes into the green paper

Wrap chenille stems to make the feet and place them through the holes

Cut wings out from yellow construction paper

Decorate/color the wings

Staple the wings to the green construction paper

Glue on bead eyes or googly eyes

Wrap a chenille stem around the neck of the bottle to form the antenna

Place a Glow Stick inside the bottle

The Full Effect of the Glo -Bugs!

 

The finished products!

Craft Stick Fireflies

Glue one colored craft stick on top of two different colored craft sticks to make the body & the wings

Glue on googly eyes or beads (for the eyes)

 

Craft Stick Ladybug

Glue together 3 black craft sticks and 2 red craft sticks to make the body

Glue a black craft stick on top of the body

Add black dots to the red craft sticks

Glue on googly eyes and black pipe cleaners

 

Clothespin Fireflies

Decorate the top of a clothespin with markers

Glue 2 colored craft sticks - in an X on the clothespin to make the wings

Glue on 2 googly eyes  

 

 Milk Bottle Cap Bugs!

Draw a half moon with black permanent marker and color it in

Glue 2 googly eyes on the half moon shape

Draw dots/circles with a black, permanent marker

 

Clothespin Grasshoppers

Paint a clothespin - let dry

Cut 2 - 3 inch pieces and 2 - 6 inch pieces from  floral wire

Hot glue the ends of the 3 inch pieces on the front opening of the clothespin and the 2 6 inch pieces on the back of the clothespin opening

Glue a googly eye on each side of the clothespin

Bend the floral wire to create your grasshopper 

 

 

Learning Activities

Counting Lightning Bugs

Math - counting, one-to-one correspondence

Addition, plus one

Pre-K:  Say the number and add the appropriate number of "lightning bugs"

Kindergarten/1st Grade:  write in + 1 after each number

Find the sum and draw the lightning bugs

Here is the link to this activity

 

Addie doing the Pre-K activity

 

The Kindergarten + 1 Variation

 

Firefly Shake

Math - counting, addition, one-to-one correspondence

I don't remember where I got this activity from - Maybe The Mailbox Magazine ?

I have about a dozen of these Firefly pictures laminated that I keep in an old, clean PB jar along with the directions and dice. 

Directions:  Dump the Firefly pictures out on the floor

Roll the dice

Count the dots on the dice and pick up the same number of fireflies and place them in the jar.

When all of the fireflies are in the jar sing this song -

To the tune of Shoo Fly

Fireflies are fun to see

Fireflies are fun to see

Fireflies are fun to see

But now it's time to set them free!

(dump out the Fireflies and start again)

 



I modified this game to make it more difficult by using two dice and adding the numbers!

 

Insects - Observe and Draw!

Science - insects

Here is the link to this activity

I modified this activity by only doing a couple of the parts

 

 Observations

 Dragonfly Pictures

 

Mod Podge Valentine Heart Jar!

Project:  Mod Podge Valentine Heart Jar - Addie loved doing the other Valentine jar the other day, so we did another one today - just a different version.  Addie is really liking the Mod Podge - a little too much.  She really caked it onto the jar this time! 

Directions:  We ripped pieces of red, purple, and pink tissue paper into pieces and used Mod Podge to stick it to an old glass jelly jar.  When the jar was dry, Addie stuck felt, heart stickers onto the jar.  I helped her glue a large, red, felt heart to the lid and she stuck more felt, heart stickers over the top of the felt heart on the lid. 

 Materials Needed:  glass jar, red, pink, purple tissue paper, paint brush, Mod Podge, felt heart stickers, red felt, scissors, glue

Valentines Heart Jar!

Project:  Valentines Heart Jar - Cut out hearts from paper - use a variety of colors.  Apply Mod Podge to the jar (you can use any size jar) and stick the hearts onto the jar.  Cover the paper hearts with a layer of Mod-Podge and let dry!
                       
Materials Needed:  glass jar (any size), paper, scissors, Mod Podge, paint brush

Milk Cap Bugs!

This Project comes from Family Fun Magazine
Directions:  Cut a set of heart-shaped wings out of a plastic jug.  Hold the wings in place on top of a plastic cap - I used milk carton caps.  Use push-pins to make two holes through both.  Fold an 18-inch length of floral wire in half and thread the ends through the holes.  Then twist the wires to secure them into place.  For the eyes, use a hole puch to make black craft-foam pupils, and use scissors to cut larger circles from white craft foam.  Attach the yeas to the cap with a 4-inch lengh of floral wire just like before.
Materials Needed:  milk carton caps, plastic jug, floral wire, push pin, black and white craft foam, hole punch, scissors

Foamerator!!

Project:  Foamerator - This project if from Family Fun Magazine.  Directions:  Cut the bottom off of a plastic water bottle.  Cut a square from a towel (enough to amply cover the bottom of the water bottle.  Use a rubber band to secure the towel over the bottom of the water bottle.  Place dish soap and water into a shallow pan/tub.  Dip the water bottle, towel side down into the dish soap and water.  Then blow on the mouth of the water bottle to create bubble foam!!  Connor, Ty and Addie had a blast with all of the foamy bubbles!

Materials Needed:  plastic water bottle, scissors, towel, rubber band, dish soap, water, pan/tub

Flying Jellyfish!

I saw this project in the August 2010 issue of Family Fun Magazine.  This recycled craft first appeared on the blog 4crazykings.blogspot.com 

Project:  Brush the insided of a plastic fruit cup with Mod Podge, then sprinkle on some glitter.   Tear tissue paper into small pieces.  Add the pieces to the inside of the cup, brushing more Mod Podge over the pieces as you go.  Let dry.  Poke a hole in the bottom of the cup - use a hammer and nail to do this.  Cut about 30-35 pieces of yarn and/or ribbon into 1 1/2-foot-long pieces and gather into a neat bundle.  Tie a 2 1/2-foot-long piece of yarn or ribbon around the bundle, about 1 inch from one end.  Thread the ends of this piece of yarn or ribbon through the hole in the fruit cup.  Tie the ends together for a hanging loop.  Add googly eyes for a finishing touch!!  My kids love googly eyes. :)

 Materials Needed:  empty plastic fruit cup, Mod Podge, paint brush, glitter, colored tissue paper, scissors, yarn, ribbon, nail, hammer

Recycled Piggy Bank

Recycled Piggy Bank - This project took a couple of days to complete, because we were busy getting ready for Addie's 2nd birthday party. Caitlyn and Connor had fun making their very own piggy bank.

This project if from Family Fun Magazine www.familyfun.com/magazine I am not sure what March issue it is from.

Materials Needed: paintbrush, pink paint, 2 toilet tissue rolls, scissors, pink tissue paper, clean 2-liter plastic bottle (we used a water bottle instead for a smaller version), Mod Podge, 2 googly eyes, pink two holed button, tacky glue, craft knife, pink pipe cleaner.

Directions: 1. Paint the outside of both tubes pink. Paint half of the inside of one tube pink. Let dry. 2. Cut the tissue paper into 1 1/4 inch squares. Brush a small section of the bottle with Mod Podge, lay a square on it, and brush Mod Podge on top of the square. Repeat the process until the bottle, including the capped spout, is covered, let dry. 3. For the ears, cut 2 deep U shapes from the tube that's painted pink inside. Cut 3 1/4 inch slits in the base of each ear. Bend back the flaps to create gluing tabs. For the legs, cut 4 1 1/2 inch long sections from the tubes (cut smaller sections if using water bottle). Trim each leg to fit the contour of the bottle. Attach the legs, the ears, the googly eyes, and the button nose with craft glue (I used hot glue for the legs) let dry. 4. Use the craft knife to cut a rectangular coin slot in the pig's back. Wind the pipe cleaner around a finger to make a tail shape, then glue it in place. 5. With scissors, trim the legs as shown so that the pig will stand flat.