Summer Sky: Learning as I go

Giveaway :: Alphabet Glue, an e-zine for kids who love books

 

 

Giveaway winner announced & commnets are closed! Thanks for participating!

If you have never had a chance to visit Annie’s blog, you must do so straight away.  I am always delighted to read her reviews of children’s books, many of them gems that find their way to our reading basket. (Full disclosure: Annie is a fellow contributor to The Magnifying Glass.)

Now she’s turned her love for children’s literature and all things library into a sweet downloadable magazine (or e-zine), Alphabet Glue, that is chock-full of fun activities and ideas for kids who love books. Volume 1 is 28 pages long and has 9 activities plus Annie’s own suggested list for great Spring reads for kids.

If you want your very own copy, it’s available by download via this link for $4 per issue ~ truly a bargain for all the wonderful ideas Annie provides.

Today, I’m privileged to be able to offer one lucky commenter their very own copy of Volume 1 as a giveaway, compliments of Annie.  Just leave a comment in this post by midnight, Friday, April 8—I’ll be leaving comments open for one week.

The winner will be selected via random number generator and posted Saturday, April 9. Please be sure to include your e-mail (kept completely private) so I can contact you if you win.

And feel free to spread the word about Alphabet Glue!

 

Inside Volume One:

a reading list for spring

do-it-yourself library catalog cards

mix and match story cards

a printable reading record

a library scavenger hunt

tiny box accordion book tutorial

felt bracelet book tutorial

paper story character houses

wildflower seed pods

 

It is chilly and rainy this week, but an afternoon trip to the library with Annie's scavenger hunt will be just the ticket ~ thank you so much Annie for creating this labor of love.

 

Photo greeting card album.

If you haven't stopped by The Magnifying Glass lately, I have a "make-along" project over there--a microbe biosphere. I hope you'll join us--I'll be posting there on Thursdays with updates--next Thursday will be instructions for putting it all together.You already have most of the items on hand, so join us!

Do you ever get photo cards from your friends? Birth announcements, holiday greetings, or maybe a snapshot tucked into a letter?  Lots of smiling babies and growing kids...vacation scenes and missing teeth...from someone else's family.

 

Maybe you display them for a few weeks after receiving them. Maybe you have a bulletin board or a space on the fridge with the latest and greatest. But after a bit, you have to clear some of them out and make room for the new.

Are you like me--do you ever feel a pang about throwing all those smiling faces away? But really, how long can you keep the birth announcement of your husband's college housemate's third baby whom you've yet to meet?

We do something simple and obvious--we put photo greeting cards and random snapshots of children into a separate album.  We have a smallish one that holds a couple of photos per page. We cut the photos to fit in the sleeves. If need be, I make a note on the back of who is in the photo and the date. 

Then we group the photos by family (on occasion, rearranging the families within the album, or cutting down a photo again to make room for another).  We started this when E was a toddler, and now we have the sweetest photos of growing kids over the years. Cousins and friends, near and far.

Shades of Easter

I should save this post for next year, because Easter has passed. Unfortunately, if I do that, I'll have forgotten everything we learned this time around.

This is our second year coloring eggs with natural, plant-based dyes; it's an idea that's really taken off with lots of interesting tuts and variations if you poke around.

In addition to turmeric and red cabbage dyes, this year we added beet root powder, and a rainbow emerged.

Here are my updated notes and recipes; N was my wavy chopper sidekick this year.

P.S. A little birdie told me the links weren't working today, but I've fixed them! Thanks for your patience!

Snow and Valentines.

Big snow! We already had a big storm in December, and some of us wondered if we were done for the year. Oh, no, not by a long shot.  At times it snowed 3 inches per minute, so we weren't going anywhere this weekend.

We got a start on our Valentines and also managed to have lots of fun in the white stuff.  Speaking of Valentines, if you're looking for ideas, here are many Valentines crafts at the wonderful Crafty Crow; Kids Craft Weekly has some cute projects; and Craft Gossip does, too. These little Origami hearts are sweet, but probably tricky for little ones.  And although these free printable Valentines are from last year, they're still all available and super cute as ever; if I spot some more I will post them! Here is our own family favorite for your tiniest Valentines crafters.

Right before the storm hit, I grabbed a couple of spools of ribbon on sale and some card stock. We had felt on hand.  E cut the ribbon strips, while I made felt hearts for N.

Then E cut out her own hearts, and went to town with her own design.

Did I mention the storm? In the middle of it, D helped the kids dig an "igloo" out of the snow he heaped down from the (covered!) front porch--and eventually they made a tunnel.

 

and here is N, stuck in the tunnel like Winnie the Pooh! He got out on his own a minute later:

Close to sunset, the storm had stopped and we all went out as a family and went sledding down the big hill around the corner. I snapped this shot just before the power went out for our neighborhood for the night.

Although we're blessed with a gas stove and oven, we opted for peanut butter and banana sandwiches by candlelight. The kids went straight to sleep under piles of blankets.  D and I snuggled in bed with a portable radio and listened to the power outage news--so many thousands without power, and the crews working in such difficult conditions. We were some of the lucky ones; while we slept, the power came on around 5 a.m., and we woke up to blue skies.

Hope you are safe and snug! If you have any fun Valentine's craft ideas, especially for toddlers, be sure and let me know.
  
 

Sharing the light.

Our family enjoyed the Seasons Round Exchange again--this time, the theme was {Light}.  We received a special handmade candle holder, toys, and book from mamaroots; here's what we shared with her family. 

Each of these was fun to make, and each has a wintry theme that isn't specific to Christmas, so if you're looking for something to do after the holiday bustle, here are some ideas.

    
  
  
First, we made salt dough snowbirds.  Sculpting and baking salt dough is something I'd nearly forgotten about, but what fun for the preschool set!  The recipe and tips we use are at the end of this post. For those with gluten allergies, I've found two gluten-free salt-dough recipes:  this one (scroll down), and this one.  I can't vouch for them, but we will do a side-by-side comparison in the next week or two. 

 
  We used peppercorns for eyes. Can you tell which one is N's?

 

I have a stash of old holiday magazines that I leaf through each November to get ideas, and one project that caught my eye was crocheted snowflakes (there are four patterns--I made the easiest one).  I used a size G hook and some merino wool that was so fluffy it was nearly the texture of roving, which was interesting because it kept pulling apart; a little twisting of the yarn and I was back in business.

 

The wintry lantern votive was a variation on the old classic (tissue paper glued to a jar).  I cut pine branches and pine cones; E, who is six, cut tissue paper snowflakes.  We used Cassi's snowflake-cutting tips and tiny, special paper-cutting scissors (if you don't have any, cuticle scissors work great).

Then we glued the cut-outs onto the jar.  You can use watered-down white glue (careful not to tear the cuttings); we used homemade wheat glue.

We also made a little beeswax candle in the shape of an angel.  These are so easy--no wax melting required--so it's great for kids.  You can get rolled up sheets of beeswax at most craft stores.  Using a blow-drier to soften the wax at each step, unroll the sheets, then use cookie cutters to cut out shapes.  Cut a wick (also at craft stores) to size. 

This little angel is four cut-outs "glued" together two at a time (by softening the wax and pressing together); then the wick was laid on top of half, and the other set of two cutouts was pressed on top to form the candle.

And there you have it--handmade for the season of light.

 

 

Kid-made holiday table decor.

N, who is 4, attends a co-op, learning-through-play preschool near our home.  I'll post more about our co-op another time, but today I'm sharing a craft that his wonderful teacher makes with the kids each holiday season. Lizz (as she is known to the parents) has kindly given me permission to share the "how-to's."

Each December, Lizz gives the kids some clay, beads, and copper wire, and with a little help from grownups, they make holiday table place card holders.

So, if you'd like to make some too, gather together:

18 gauge wire.  You will need 7 to 9 inches for each place card holder you plan to make (about 2 feet, four inches for a set of four).  Lizz uses copper.

clay you can air-dry or bake.  There are various air-dry and oven-dried clays for kids that you can buy (such as Sculpey) or you can make your own at home.  For those who'd rather make homemade, I suggest the salt dough we use. (Recipe follows.)  If using Sculpey, you'll need the equivalent of 1/2 to 1/3 of a package of clay for one place holder.  Lizz and the kids like to mix and match.

beads.  Ours have 5 to 10 beads on the wire.  Be sure to get beads that have holes large enough for the wire.  Lizz likes 'em metallic and shiny.

a pencil.  This will be used to twirl the wire at the end so it can hold a place card.

a home oven.  For baking the clay.

Take bits of clay mold them into little bell-shaped lumps or other shapes to serve as the place card holder "stands." Make sure the bottom of the sculpture is flat as the table so that they won't tip over later.

Cut enough wire for the number of place card holders you'll be making, in 6 to 8 inch increments (Lizz likes to vary the lengths).

Poke your wire through the clay base (careful!) and far out the other side, then bend the end of the wire into an "L" shape.  Gently pull the wire back so that the bent end is flat against the clay.

Now, the sculpture is ready to bake.  Use parchment paper to protect your cookie sheet or pan from any clay.  If using Sculpey, Lizz recommends baking in a 280 degree oven for one hour.  If using salt dough, I recommend baking in a 180 degree oven for one hour to let it set, then air drying for a day or two.  (The low temp oven keeps salt dough a snowy color.) 

If using salt dough, once it's baked or dried, you can paint the base.  Wait a day or so for the paint on the clay to dry thoroughly before the next step.

String the beads onto the wire.  Leave about 2 inches of wire free of beads at the very end.  Then, wind the end of the wire onto a pencil (small kids will need help, wire is pokey).

Let the kids loose with paper, crayons, pens, stickers, etc. to make the place cards.  In our house, place cards often have pictures or initials instead of names.

and that is it! Thanks, Lizz, for letting me share your fun idea.
 
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Salt Dough Recipe for Kid Sculptures and Ornaments

Sculpey and other polymer clays are made with PVC plastic, so if you have very small kids or would rather use a homemade clay, I suggest this salt dough.

The recipe is simple:  2 parts flour to 1 part salt.  Mix thoroughly, then slowly add 1/2 part water.  Test the consistency by taking a small bit of dough and rolling it in a ball. You want a firm but pliable dough that won't droop when shaped.  If you need more water, slowly add more (up to 1 full part).  The amount of water will depend on how humid your home is.  If your dough turns out too droopy, add in a bit more flour and salt, keeping a 2:1 ratio.

Salt dough can be air-dried (it takes a couple of days) or baked, and also painted once it's dry.   You can also color the dough before baking, by adding food coloring directly to the dough, or you can color the water that's added to the dough (although this gives you less control over the final color).

I'll share some salt-dough sculptures we made in another post.

What we've been up to.

Before I forget, I want to make sure you know about The Crafty Crow's kid ornament swap.  Sign-ups close tomorrow night.  Ornaments go out December 7 to the families you're matched with.  We aren't doing the ornament swap this year because we're already committed to Seasons Round Exchange {Light}, and I'm trying to consciously cut back on how much we have going on.  But the ornament swap sure sounds like fun!

We had a glorious weekend.  For the past two weeks, D has been gone on a very long business trip, and he finally came home.  We are so happy to have him back.

   

The second week he was gone was rather wet and dreary.  E and I played card games, N and I built train tracks.  One day, I pulled out the wool roving and we made felted acorns.  I had spotted them here back in September--and when we went out for walks, we'd pocket acorn caps with this fun activity in mind.

If you're not familiar with making felted balls from wool (which you can use to make everything from robins' eggs to cat toys),  it's pretty straight-forward. Take small bits of roving, wet them in hot soapy water, then roll the balls by hand. (E is much better at this than I am!)

Speaking of cat toys, our kittens cannot leave these acorns alone. I wanted to display them on our nature table, but instead I have to hide them!  So I have a feeling I already know what Whiskers and Sally will be getting in their Christmas stockings.

Little pumpkins, popsicle sticks, and Halloween thoughts

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate  (five fingers up)

The first one said "Oh my! It's getting late!"  (hands on cheeks)

The second one said "There's a chill in the air!"  (hug self)

The third one said "But we don't care!"   (shake pointer finger "no")

The fourth one said "We're ready for some fun!"

The fifth one said "Let's run and run and run!" (swing arms in running motion)

Then WHOOOOSH! went the wind,

And OUT went the lights, (clap)

And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight! (rolling motion with arms)

Some of the things that bother me (a lot) about Halloween:

it's become a month-long event.

there's a huge fixation on candy.

its focus, however toned-down for kids, is death and gore.

Some of the positives I see in Halloween:

it gives kids a chance to role-play within the larger community

we get to meet our neighbors, including some of the ones we never see

it's a safe way for kids to grapple with their fears of the unknown

E and her buddy L made popsicle-stick haunted houses. This was one of those rainy afternoon, make it up as you go, crafts-on-the-fly. Love that! 

They painted the sticks, figured out how they wanted the final structure to look, and then glued the sticks onto poster board. Meanwhile, they drew pictures of scary things to put in their haunted houses. (Technically, E's is a haunted barn.)

Haunted barn, with scary chicken, by E

What we shared.

I know, I was a bit of a tease with a previous post, showing only a "sneak peek" of what we shared with Leah's family for the Seasons Round {Harvest} Exchange.  We so enjoyed making these items. Some of them, I'm sure, we'll do again as gifts (or for ourselves!).

Anyhow, first up, E and N made this picture for Leah's kids.  E drew the picture, which shows her and her brother picking apples.  N colored the "frame" of the picture.

Next up, I thought it would be fun to make little drawstring bags for collecting nature table items. The bags could sit on the nature table, too, when not in use. So I sewed up two bags, one for Leah's boy and another for her girl. 

For the pattern, I used a great book called Sew What! Bags by Lexie Barnes. (Lexie has a website for the book, too.) The patterns are very, very basic--but I love having a "go to" book for those.

Bags is a great book for the novice sewer. Everything is explained, but particular techniques are described separately so that the steps for any particular pattern are kept short and sweet. For a simple drawstring bag, I loved how finished and clean the result turned out to be.

I used a fabric that I spotted a while ago on Superbuzzythat I couldn't get out of my mind. They no longer carry it (and I can't find it on etsy or ebay now), although you can still get a companion fabric (don't worry, I scooped up some of this too!).

I also had fun with the applique; I cut out linen apples and stamped the childrens' initials on them with Versacraft fabric ink. (Allow me to say I love these ink pads, and no, Versacraft doesn't know me from Adam. The ink works on fabric, paper, wood, even shrinky dinks. Someday I will own one in every color. At least, that's what I tell myself.)

Then I took the apples and machine-sewed them onto the drawstring bags with a very thick thread that resembled embroidery thread. I imagine it is already unraveling, but they sure looked cute right before they went into the package, if I may say so.  I used some pretty ribbon for the drawstring.

The third item we sent was a small felt board, probably 10" by 20" or so, that I made myself with input from the kids. It could be used as a nature table display or for playtime. 

I started out with corrugated cardboard that I wrapped in burlap.  Then I wrapped that in a thin batting (I use a bamboo batting that is 50% bamboo and 50% organic cotton).  Next, I sewed a pillow-case shaped cover for the board out of linen.  I sewed a large pocket on the back of the cover, then pulled the cover over the cardboard/burlap/batting and hand-sewed the cover shut.

 
Front of the empty felt board.

 

 

Back of the felt board, showing the pocket for keeping the felt pieces tidy when not in use. 

Next came the fun part. E and N talked about what they thought we would see as the weather turned colder and the seasons changed, and together we decided to give Leah's family felt pieces that showed apple picking, pumpkins ripening, and an oak tree with acorns for the squirrels. So I set about drawing patterns for all the moving pieces and then cut them out of felt (I try to keep lots of colors on hand).  E helped with some of the cutting. 

It was fun seeing how the kids drew parallels between the human harvest and the animal harvest to prepare for winter.

That is it! We had soooo much fun with this that we can hardly wait to get started on {Light}.

For the record, as much as I am pleased with these little gifts to Leah's family, we definitely got the sweet end of the deal from them. It was so touching how Leah's kids were involved in every component of their gift to us. Definitely something to aspire to.

Sneak Peek

We have had so much fun with the Seasons Round Exchange.  The theme this time was harvest, and our task was to exchange at least three gifts to be enjoyed on a nature table. At least one thing needed to be hand-made, and purchased items were to be from natural materials.

The family that we've been paired up with has not yet received their items (they are in the mail), so I'm not going to show precisely what they're getting, yet. Let's just say we had lots and lots of fun deciding what to make for them.

 

 

Full disclosure in a week or two.