Letter "A" Birthday Party for my 1 year old

Ive started thinking of my son's upcoming first birthday and what theme to use. I think Ive decided on a LETTER "A" theme as my sons name is Alex.

**this is what Ive come up with so far but will add to it as I find more ideas (& pictures!)**

I will iron a "A" on his shirt to wear for his party.

Cake: Alligator or Airplane or Anaconda (havent decided yet) - ANGEL FOOD CAKE?
or a Wooden Block Cake with two of the sides having an A and 1.

Loot Bag: Animal Crackers, "A" shaped soaps or crayons, plastic snake (anaconda), Alien toy, Animal or Alien or Astronaut or Airplane or Alphabet Stickers, ...

Snacks:
Arrowroot Cookies,
Apple Slices (With Peanut Butter dip),
Appetizers,
Jello Jigglers in 'A' or something that starts with A,
...

Invitation:
Come to A lex's A wesome Birthday A ctivities on A pril 28!
(need to get out my thesaurus and see what kind of alliteration I can come up with)

Activities:
Colouring pages of "A" or "A" pictures (see ideas below)
(probably no planned activities since the age group is quite young)


Maybe some of these A words will give you some ideas for cake, snacks, decorations, loot bag favors, etc.

• Armband
• Apricot
• Appetizer
• Animal
• Ant
• Ape
• Ark (boat)
• Antelope
• Apple
• Arrow
• Art
• Artichoke
• Astronaut
• Auto
• Airplane
• Album
• Alien
• Alligator
• Almond
• Alphabet
• Anaconda
• Angel Food Cake
• Athletics
• Avocado
• Aquarium
• Apron

Recycled Christmas Cards Magnet Craft

Using any type of lids (pickle jar, salsa, cheesewhiz, baby food, etc.) trace a circle from a cute Christmas card. Cut the circle out a little bit inside the line you drew. Glue inside the lid. Use glitter glue (yes, we use this for almost every craft!) around the edge of the card and could also be around edge of lid too. Glue a magnet on the back. Or turn into a ornament by glueing a string on.

Could also glue ribbon on outside edge of lid.

I think these would look great on the fridge in random sizes. I plan to do random sizes from various Santa cards that we've received this year.

Easy Toddler Made Ornaments

this was from a foam kit but could easily be cut from brown foam and then use various foam stickers to decorate.


storebought ornament covered in stickers.


wooden ornament coloured, glitter glued, and stickers applied.

another storebought ornament with stickers

pinecone dabbed with glue, glitter sprinkled on and a ribbon glued on.

Homemade Yarn Ornament - Toddler Craft Fun!

Make these easy homemade ornaments for your tree. Would be great in any colour and size!

Need:

Yarn

GlueGlitter or Glitter Glue

small Balloon

Blow up the balloons into a small round shape (grapefruit size perhaps). Dip yarn into glue (use a disposable cup, can, etc. so that you can toss after you're done). Remove yarn from glue squeezing some of the excess glue from it. Wrap yarn around and around and around the balloon in multiple directions. Wrap the ends under other strings. Sprinkle with glitter (or wait until dry and then decorate with glitter glue and then allow to dry again. Put somewhere warm to dry.

*tips* i did this craft over a piece of cling wrap (could also use wax paper or aluminum foil) for easy clean up. I used a ice cream pail lid for the balls to dry on.

Once dry, (you may need to turn occasionally as it drys) pop the balloon and remove. Tie a ribbon and hang on the tree.

Easy Gift for Toddler to Make: Bookmarks

I had my daughter make one of these for my birthday (:0)) and have made a few more for the hard to buy for family members (who also are avid readers)

Foam
Foam Stickers
Markers
Glitter Glue
Yarn or Ribbon
Beads

Cut foam into rectangles. Punch hole in top. Decorate with stickers, markers, glitter glue. Tie ribbon or yarn through hole. Thread with beads if desired.


Can also use previous years Christmas Cards (or Birthday Cards) or Child's Artwork cut out and taped onto cardstock. Punch hole in top and thread ribbon or yarn through.

Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Baby

Hmm, what to get for my 7m old little boys stocking...
Here are some of the ideas Ive come up with.

Rattle

Socks

Bib

Stacking Cups

Board or Cloth Book(s)

Baby Cookie

Sippy Cup

Tube of FP Little People

Balls

Mega Blok accessories

Blocks

Teething Toy

Spoon & / or Fork

Plate or Bowl (with special design or personalized)

Easy Toddler Kleenex / Tissue Box Craft

* Tissue Box (full - not empty!)
* Various papers, stickers, colouring pages, previously done artwork, buttons, ribbons, Christmas or Birthday Cards etc.

Cover the sides of the box with blank construction paper, previous artwork or coloured colouring pages. Further embellish with whatever! It is now a festive tissue box. :0)

(sometimes I dont want EVERY craft we do to last forever! just want something for an afternoon activity that will be on display short term.)

This can be done for any holiday or as an every day item.

Handprint & Footprint Angel Craft

This craft was done at our Toy Library and thought it was share worthy :-)

Trace child's foot, cut out.
Trace child's hands, cut out.
Glue hands (wings) to back of foot (body)
Glue on Hair and Googly Eyes and draw a mouth.
Shape pipecleaner into halo shape and staple to head.
Glue magnet or piece of string to back.

Paint Stick Snowman

Paint Stick (you get them free when you buy paint)

White Paint

Black Marker

Orange Marker

random Buttons

Small length of fabric or ribbon

Felt

Paint the stick white. Draw a face near top of stick. Tie length of fabric or ribbon as a scarf. Glue small buttons down front. Wrap felt around top of head and glue to back. Tie ribbon or yarn around to make a hat shape.

Button Snowman Magnet or Pin - A Gift a Toddler can Make!

2 white Buttons (large)
Black foam
Ribbon or Yarn (small piece)
Orange foam or paper (small piece)
Magnet

(I like to reuse buttons for crafts and usually save good magnets if they fall off or before I toss the craft that was on it)

Glue the two buttons onto the magnet with the first buttons holes horizontal (looking like eyes) and the second buttons holes verticle (looking like the snowman's buttons)

Cut a small hat shape from black foam and glue onto head of snowman.

Glue small piece of ribbon or yarn around neck of snowman. Plus another small piece as a hat band.

Glue small sliver of orange foam or paper for the snowman nose.

Use a marker or small dab of black paint to dot a mouth.

*If wanted as a pin, substitute the magnet for a pin backing.*


This would be a great gift to give a teacher, Grandma, etc.!

Edible Toddler Craft - Sugar Cone Christmas Tree

* Sugar Cones

* Green icing (could substitute coolwhip & vanilla pudding combo tinted green for a slightly less sugary icing)

* Various little candies, coconut, raisens, etc. (could substitute with fruit loop cereal)

* Sprinkles

Working over a paper plate: Spread the icing on the sugar cone.
Decorate your little Christmas Tree using the candies!

Cotton Ball SANTA Craft - easy for small kids

Materials:
Paper Plate
Cotton Balls
Red Paper
Googly Eyes
small piece of yarn or pipe cleaner or red paper (for mouth)
white paint (with a small toothpick dipped in red paint & mixed in)

Instructions:
Paint plate a skin colour (optional)

Cut triangle of red paper. Glue to top of plate.

Glue cotton balls around perimeter of plate (this will be beard & hat fur) including over the bottom edge of hat. Glue another layer of cotton to 'thicken' the beard.

Glue one stretched cotton ball on as a mustache

Glue yarn or pipe cleaner or piece of red paper for mouth.

Glue on googly eyes

Glue half a cotton ball for each eyebrow.

Puzzle Pieces Wreath

A use for those puzzle pieces that can no longer complete a puzzle (due to missing pieces!)

Materials:
Paper Plate (not styrafoam) or piece of cardboard cut into circle.
Random Puzzle Pieces
Green Paint
Glue
Glitter or Glitter Glue
Ribbon
Buttons

Instructions:
Cut a large circle in center of the paper plate (a wreath shape)

Let child glue the puzzle pieces on overlapping them completely around the circle. Let dry.

Paint green. Let dry.

Paint another coat of green. (if using glitter, apply now) Let dry.

Dazzle it up with glitter glue. Attach random buttoms.

Make a bow from the ribbon and glue on bottom of wreath.

Put a larger ribbon around top of wreath to hang.

Reindeer Crafts

Do these crafts as a random fun Holiday Craft or perhaps part of a Book theme Craft from one of many Christmas books about Reindeer.

Or switch out the red nose for a black one and use these crafts when learning about deer or elk.

****
REINDEER ORNAMENT:

Materials:
3 Craft Sticks
2 Brown Pipecleaners
2 Googly Eyes
1 Red Pompom
Brown Construction Paper
Piece of Yarn or magnet

Instructions:
Help child glue 3 craft sticks (or popsicle sticks) into a triangle. Let dry. (Perhaps having you the parent do this with a hot glue gun may be quicker & sturdier).

With flat part of triangle up and point downwards, this will be your reindeer face.

On the top two corners, wrap a brown pipe cleaner on each to serve as antlers.

Glue brown construction paper to back of triangle.

On front, glue on googly eyes and a red pompom nose.

*I didnt have any pipecleaners that werent in neon colours so used two popsicle sticks with puzzle pieces (sticks & pieces coloured black with marker) glued together*

To display, you could glue a magnet to the back or attach a string to hang on your Christmas Tree.
****

REINDEER (made with HANDPRINTS & FOOTPRINT)
(turn this guy into a Moose by putting the footprint in the opposite direction and using a black or brown pompom)

Materials:
Brown Construction Paper
Black (or different shade of Brown) Construction Paper
2 Googly Eyes
1 Red Pompom
pencil

Instructions:
Trace your child's foot and their Left and Right Hands.
Cut out the shapes.
Glue the hands to the back of the top of the foot. Glue on eyes and nose. (this one has a magnet on back to display on the fridge)

****

REINDEER CUPCAKES:

Materials: Prepare your favourite cupcakes. Bake as per recipe. Tint icing brown and decorate the cupcakes. Insert two pretzels for antlers, half a marachino cherry for the nose, and two small candies (m&ms, hershey kisses, smarties, etc) for the eyes.

****

REINDEER (Gift Tag / Plant Poke / Ornament / Magnet)

So EASY & QUICK! (I did this craft at a playdate and it took the kids maybe 5mins. All ages were able to make it)

Materials: Craft Stick, Brown Paint (optional), Brown corrugated Cardboard, Black Marker, Red Marker (or paint or pompom), Ribbon/Yarn

Instructions:

Paint craft stick brown (optional)

Cut antler shape and small circle from corrugated cardboard. Glue antlers at top of craft stick. Glue circle for the mouth area.

Use marker to make eyes just above the brown circle and a little mouth at base of circle.

Use red marker or paint to make rudoph nose.

Tie a ribbon around his 'neck'.

Either leave as is for a plant poke or attach magnet or string on the back for Fridge Magnet or Ornament/Gift Tag.

Toddler Fruit Loop Picture Craft

*Great use for stale Fruit Loop Cereal!*

Place cereal into ziploc bag. Remove air. Seal.

(Depending on age of child, have them sort the colours into different bags)

Crush with rolling pin.


Give child large piece of paper and white glue. Let them draw a design with the glue on the paper. Show them how to sprinkle the cereal glitter onto the glue (could use extra spice shaker, medicine cup, small spoon, etc)

Shake extra cereal off of paper into baking pan (to be reused on next picture) or into garbage.

In a Pinch - Wrapping Paper alternatives

Tablecloth (great for a really LARGE present!)

Beach Towel

Kitchen Towel

Kids Artwork

Fabric

Bath Towel


These could be for any type of present or fun with a theme!
(ie. kitchen towel for baking themed gift)

Advent Calendar Fillers - for a Toddler

I decided to make a mini stocking Advent Calendar - seemed like a project that I could do in short increments of time and wouldnt need any things that I would have to purchase (anything other than groceries are at least an hour away).

Here are some ideas for filling the calendar
(some items may be too large depending on the size of calendar)

* Hershey Kisses
* Box of Raisens
* Small toys (car, mini doll or animals, etc)
* Pencils
* Erasers (so many unique ones)
* Candy Cane
* "Turn the table into a Fort today!"
* "Let's go Skating!"
* jar of Sprinkles and recipe for Cookies
* Christmas Rhyme or Poems
* Snowflake Crafts
* Snowman Crafts http://123mytoddlerandme.blogspot.com/2010/01/snowman-crafts.html
* Ornament Crafts
* Making Wrapping Paper Craft (large pieces of paper & paints or crayons)
* Christmas Socks
* Beads & String to make a bracelet or necklace
* Small book
* Making Bird Treats Craft http://123mytoddlerandme.blogspot.com/2009/04/make-some-bird-treats.html
* Festive Stickers
* "Christmas Lights tour around town!"
* Rubber Stamp

* "Santa Claus Parade!"
* Finger Puppet(s)
* "Stay up 20mins later!"
* Puzzle (a few pieces over a few different days)
* Funky Shoelaces
* Snowman Snack today! http://123mytoddlerandme.blogspot.com/2010/01/edible-snowman-craft-snack.html
* Gingerbread House Craft
* Bag of Snowman Poop (Mini Marshmallows)

* Reindeer Poop (Chocolate Chips or Chocolate rainsens/peanuts)

* "Let's learn a new Christmas Song (or Poem or Joke)!"

*******
Jokes:
* Where does Santa stay on vacation? A Ho-ho-tel!
* Who delivers Christmas gifts to the pets? Santa Paws!
* What goes "Oh, oh, oh"? Santa walking backwards!
* What do Snowmen eat for breakfast? Snowflakes!
*

Poems
A chubby little snowman had a carrot nose.
Along came a bunny and what do you suppose?
That hungry little bunny, looking for his lunch
Ate that little snowman's nose - Nibble, Nibble, Crunch!
****
****
The best gift at Xmas is easy to see
Its not wrapped in paper or under the tree
Cos' the best gift at Xmas and all the year through
Is having a child as special as you!

Many of these items are activities or things that I would have been giving the kids anyhow - such as festive stickers & socks, doing crafts, and making cookies.

By putting them into the little stockings it should be a fun surprise every morning for the kids.

Upcycling Formula Cans

Once that baby starts on formula you will end up with MANY empty cans. They seem like they should have some great new purpose since they are a sturdy container with a nice plastic lid.

(Wipe clean with a wet cloth and thoroughly dry)


So here is a collection of ideas I have found.

1. Storage of dry cereal or crackers or packaged snacks.

2. Toy Storage - keep similar toys in each container with a picture or label of contents on outside of can. (Ex. polly pockets, animal figurines, marbles, rock collection etc.)

3. Arts & Craft Storage - Great storage for all the crayons (or markers or scissors etc) or for the foam stickers that come in a plastic bag and need to be restored in something else.

4. Piggy Bank: Cut a slot in lid with exacto knife. Voila!

5. Toilet Paper storage: holds the spare role of toilet paper perfectly. Outside of can could be decorated in wallpaper or scrapbook papers to coordinate beautifully with your bathroom.

6. Hair Accessory Storage: Decorate (have your child help) and store those multitudes of ponytail holders & clips!

7. Nuts, Bolts, Screws (etc.) Storage: Get that garage or shed organized!

8. Office: Use in a drawer at your desk to keep some plastic cutlery, tea bags, granola bars, etc. to have on hand when needed.

9. Office2: Keep your collection of spare pens, pencils, highlighters from cluttering up the drawer by being in the can.

10. Tea Bags!

11. Use as a gift container for items such as baked cookies, homemade hot cocoa mix, brownies, fudge, spiced nuts, bath salts or any other gifts that will fit!

this container was decorated by my daughter and we kept her Halloween treats in it (on top of the fridge)

The Very Busy Spider Craft Activities

Next week we are reading "The Very Busy Spider" by Eric Carle at Toy Library as it is my daughters turn to bring in a favourite book. One of his many fabulous books. We will be doing a craft afterwards and here are some of the fabulous ideas I have found or thought of.


SPIDERS:

Egg Carton Spider: a cube cut from a cardboard egg carton. Painted black or coloured with markers or covered in tissue paper that is glued on. Poke in pipe cleaners for legs and glue on googly eyes. Easy peasy!

Bottle Cap or Lid Spider: Using a jar lid or bottle cap, glue on legs & googly eyes. Can't get much simpler!

Styrafoam Ball Spider: Styrafoam balls painted black. Pipe cleaners poked in for legs and googly eyes glued on.

Handprint Spider: Have child dip hand in black paint. Place on paper to make two handprints together so they meet at the wrist. Put on eyes.

Thumbprint Spiders: Place child's thumb in ink and press onto paper in several spots. Let child draw legs & eyes on spider. Could also do this onto a web.

PomPom Spider: Two different sized pom poms glued together with pipecleaner legs & eyes.

Sure couldnt live without those googly eyes! they are a staple in our craft supplies and get reused when a craft gets tossed.


WEBS:

Glittery Web: Draw a web on a piece of paper. Let child trace with glue. Sprinkle with glitter and shake off excess. Glue on a spider - either made by child or cut out by adult for them to glue on.

Laced Web: Styrafoam plate with holes punched along edge. Let child "sew" the web by placing yarn through one hole and then pulling through a hole on opposite side of plate and then back to the other side etc. Or they can put through random holes for an abstract web.

Marble Web: Place black or dark paper in bottom of cardboard box. Place a few small dobs of white glue sporadically on paper. Place a marble on the paper and gently roll to create a beautiful white web.

Painted Web (with string): Put a long length of string into a puddle of paint. Coat string thoroughly. Pull string out and lay in random pattern on paper. Move string to create the web look you want. Remove string. Your fabulous web now needs some spiders - thumbprint spiders look great!

this pic done with the string painting & thumbprint spiders

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One of the above spider crafts would look great on these webs!

Halloween Suncatcher

Create Halloween Suncatchers using black paper, tissue paper, and tape.

Cut black paper into Halloween shapes - Jack o Lanterns, Cats, Bats. Be sure your shape has some holes cut in it and then tape tissue paper to the back. Hang or tape to window to let the sun shine through the tissue paper.

Apple or Thumb Pumpkin Prints

An apple sliced in half and dipped in orange paint will print a terrific pumpkin shape! Let them go crazy making the pumpkin shapes and then have fun giving them different expressions!


Could also make pumpkins using orange THUMBPRINTS! Place your child's thumb in orange paint and then print three or four thumbprints in a row to make a pumpkin. Do several sets on one page and it is a PUMPKIN PATCH!


Expressions could be made using a Marker, Crayons, Paint or a Potato could be cut into small triangle shapes to be dipped in black paint to create the pumpkin features.

Have Fun!

Halloween Spiders, Ghosts & Jack o Lanterns

Some Halloween Crafts for your Toddler


your typical egg carton cube, painted black, eyes glued on and pipe cleaners poked through. We tied string on the inside of the spider and dangled them from a ceiling fan. Very cute.


I LOVE these! Foot prints with white paint on black paper. Little Eyes & Mouth made with a black marker (or paint). Make it a keepsake by doing on artist canvas or do on construction paper and then frame them to bring out every year with your decorations!

I did these on a thick cardstock that came with some curtains I had purchased. The top footprints are by my 5m old and the bottom ones by my 3yr old.

Could also make these adorable ghosts using handprints (upside down).




Paintings

My daughter loves to make smiley faces so here is the Halloween version :-). I framed this one to be able to keep.


Orange paintings cut into pumpkin shapes - great way to reuse or recycle her previous artwork!

YARN PUMPKIN


So cute from the blog below!


http://themagiconions.blogspot.com/2009/10/how-to-make-yarn-pumpkin.html



Can't wait to give these a try, but instead of a little stick stem, I think I will use brown felt or brown yarn so it can be baby & toddler friendly.

Halloween

Starting to give some thought to Halloween and the weeks leading up to it!

Orange Themed Snacks - perhaps a daily orange snack or an entire day of Orange / Black snacks.

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Orange Jello

Christie Cheese Bits Crackers

Peach Slices

Orange Wedges

Cheddar Cheese

Crackers / Toast with Cheese Whiz

Orange Juice or Kool Aid

Cupcakes with Halloween theme or Orange tinted frosting

Raisens on Celery Sticks w/ Cheese Whiz

Tiger Stripe Ice Cream

Kraft Dinner

Goldfish Crackers

Ice Cubes made with Orange Juice used in 7Up or Apple Juice (or other clear drink)

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

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The Very Hungry Caterpillar Birthday Party

For my daughter's 3rd Birthday, we are using the theme from the book "THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR"

These are some of the ideas I have found and will pick and choose from them for what will work for me. Once we have the party, I will post pics too!


INVITATIONS:

* Green Construction Paper folded into card shape and then cut into shape of leaf. Perhaps a "Bite" cut from it. Details inside.

* Using daughter's thumbprints and red & green ink, create caterpillar on front of card.


FOOD:

*Fruit skewers of 4 green grapes and 1 red strawberry (resembles caterpillar)

*Foods from the book and a hole in each (strawberries, cheese, salami, etc.)

* Red Juice with green ice cubes

* Pasta Salad or Mac n' Chz made with the twirly noodles that look like worms.


CRAFT:

* Pompoms & Googly eyes glued onto green construction paper leaf to resemble caterpillar

* Coffee Filter coloured with markers and then clipped in center with clothespin to resemble butterfly

* Pompoms & Googly eyes glued onto clothespin or popsicle stick w/magnet (plus fruit stickers!)


ACTIVITIES:

Caterpillar Obstacle Course (crawling throughout various obstacles like under chairs, through tunnels, over stuff)

Colouring (The author Eric Carle has colouring papes on his website - google it)

Read the Story

Bean Bag Toss (picture of caterpillar and the fruits & vegtables - bags tossed into the holes in the foods)


CAKE:

Butterfly

Caterpillar created from cupcakes

Caterpillar created with Bundt pan

http://www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com/amazing_cake.html

Our Poster (made from her three finger paintings - one dark green, one light green/yellow, one red - then ovals cut and pasted onto bristol board)

and our caterpillar cake!

DECORATIONS:

Red and Green everything (check your Christmas supplies!)

Tablecloth in theme colours (I have a green tablecloth with red apples that will be perfect)

Huge wall caterpillar created with a red balloon and several green ones. Tape or hang these in the birthday area.

Butterfly decorations (will be using some artwork of my daughter and then cutting into butterfly shapes to hang)

LOOT BAGS:

Gummy Worms

Bug Box or Net

Magnifying Glass

Butterfly Stickers or Tattoos

The craft they completed

One of her favourite gifts was a Hungry Caterpillar Jack-in-the-box. She played with it endlessly until it needed to be hidden lol.

Toddler Craft - Funny Faces

my daughter likes making these cute little faces right now. She helps draw the head by tracing around a lid and then glues on the eyes, pompom nose, and shredded tissue paper. Completes by drawing a little mouth. The green one is at the bottom of a Birthday Card she made.

Toddler Summer Craft: Fishy Feet

Fishy Feet craft for Toddler:

Trace your childs feet. Let child glue to paper and decorate with eyes, glitter, tissue paper, etc.

Spring/Summer Picture

Create a Spring or Summer Picture using paints, muffin liners, grass (either the Easter Grass or cut from paper), Popsicle Sticks, and Buttons.

Take large sheet of construction paper. Have child paint top half blue (for sky) and bottom half green (for grass). Paint a few popsicle sticks (for flower stems) green. Let Dry.

Flatten a large muffin liner and glue a smaller muffin liner inside. Glue to a painted popsicle stick. Glue a button into center of small muffin liner.

Glue green grass to bottom of picture.

Glue popsicle stick flowers to picture.

Paint or glue on a sun in the sky.

Complete!

EASTER Crafts for my Toddler

Fridge Easter Egg Magnets:

Craft Foam
Magnets
Glitter Glue & Paint

Cut egg shapes from the craft foam in various colours. Let child paint. Once dry, decorate with glitter glue. Once dry, attach magnet to back.
Pretty simple! Good craft to save as decorations for future years. Remember to write the year on the back!


Rice Easter Egg Pictures:

Coloured Rice*
Glue
Construction paper or Poster Board or Cardboard (or recyle a Cereal Box!)

*Coloured Rice* Put rice into small bowls. Add a few drops of food colouring. Stir well. Allow to dry for a day or two stirring once in awhile. Store in ziploc bags.

Draw a large egg shape on the Paper. Draw lines across egg. Let child paint the glue onto one stripe. Pour the coloured rice onto the glue. Pour off extra rice. Now proceed to next stripe and continue until egg is all colourful with rice stripes! Allow to dry well before hanging.


Easter Pages:

Colouring Book Pages
Different Mediums like markers, bingo dabbers, paint, glitter, crayons, etc.

Each day for a week or so preceeding Easter, let child decorate a picture with a different medium. One day doing paints, another using crayons, etc. Hang around the house to decorate for Easter.


Recycling Previous Artwork:

Using some previously painted works of art, cut into Easter Shapes. Child can decorate a little more by adding pom poms, sequins, buttons, glitter, etc.

Canadian Wind Sock Craft

Supplies needed:
A cylindrical cardboard box (like from oatmeal or ice tea or hot chocolate)
Construction paper (red and white)
Red and white crepe paper streamers
Glue
String
Scissors
Hole punch

Cut the bottom off a cylindrical cardboard box.
Let child glue on red and white construction paper to look like the background of the Canadian flag. Cut out a small red maple leaf and glue it on the white central part of the windsock.
Cut some red and white crepe paper streamers and glue or staple them to one end of the wind sock.
Punch four holes along the top of the wind sock.
Cut two pieces of string about a foot long. Tie the strings to the wind sock (tie the opposite ends of a string to holes on opposite sides of the cylinder).
Tie a longer piece of string to the smaller pieces - you'll hang the wind sock from this piece of string.
Hang it up!

Bugs or Flower Garden Birthday Theme

Great theme for any child - boy or girl - and any age! Can be an indoor theme on a cold winters day or an outside party in spring, summer, or fall! Very versatile!

Invitations
Make fun flower garden / bug themed birthday invitations for your party. Your child could make several 8x10 abstract paintings - then cut into a butterfly shape. Write party details on the back. One 8x10 painting could be for two invitations.

Write party details on a recipe card and attach some themed stickers. Hole punch a corner of the recipe card and tie to a plastic flower.


Decorations
Cover the top of the tables with sunny yellow tablecloths (or other vibrant colours)

Add large artificial flowers all over the room

Blow up helium balloons and tie them with long strings of curling ribbon. Attach butterflies, dragonflies or any flying bug to the end of the curling ribbon. Let the balloons float to the ceiling and the butterflies and bugs will “fly” around the party area.

Coffee Filter bugs - let child decorate a coffee filter with bingo dabbers or markers. Scrunch in the middle and clip with clothesline pin. Glue or draw two eyes on clothesline pin. Create several and hang from ceiling or curtain rod.

LADYBUGs: All decorations would be red with black dots.


Activities

Nature Scavenger Hunt. This can be done at a park, lake, pond or backyard. Each guest receives a nature scavenger hunt list and collection items. They then are sent off in pairs or groups to look for the items on their list. Have a prize for the winning team who finds the most items. Give each hunter a gallon size plastic baggie, bucket and spoon (the bucket & shovel might be their loot bag too!) to collect their items.
Scavenger item ideas: pinecones, leaves, white rock, feather, birch bark, etc. You could also hide a few plastic bugs that they are to find.

Pin the bug on the flower. Played just like pin the tail on the donkey only use a large poster of a flower and bug stickers. Buy or draw a flower on a poster board. Make sure the flower has a stem and leaves and doesn't take up more then 10% of the poster. Mark a spot on the flower with a sticker or marker in case more then one player gets their bug on the flower - the player closest to this mark wins. Attach the poster to a wall. Give each party guest a bug sticker with a number written on it. If you can't find stickers then you can make ladybugs and beetles out of construction paper.

Bug Landing (variation of musical chairs). Cut large leaves out of poster board or felt - at least large enough for two children to stand on. Make one leaf per guest. Place the leaves around the floor of the area you will be playing in. Tell birthday guests that they are going to pretend to be bugs. When the music plays they will pretend to fly around the room, but when the music stops they must find a leaf to land on.

If you are giving away prizes: Before the party buy small prizes - enough for each guest - with a bug / flower theme.

Digging for Bugs: Fill a large bucket or shallow rubbermaid container halfway with soil. Add enough water to make it goopy and muddy. Mix in different rubber and plastic bugs & reptiles. Each child gets to dig out an item until all the items have been found. (Have a bucket of soapy water handy!)


Craft Activities

Make bug antenna's with headbands, pipe cleaners and Styrofoam balls.Decorate sunny yellow foam visors to look like flowers.

Paint picture frames green and then paint on bugs or flowers. An easy way to make bugs is to have them dip their index finger in paint and make dots on the frame. Then come back when dry with a small paint brush and paint on dots, eyes and antenna’s. You can also let them decorate the frames with stickers, jewels or foam cut-outs.

Decorate clay pots with paint. Then fill with dirt and add few flower seeds. This makes a great party favor for the guests to take home.

Decoupaged clay pots. Using slightly diluted white glue, let the children paint the glue on the pot and put on small pre-cut squares of fabric scraps. Paint a layer of glue over finished product. Tissue paper also makes a great decoupage medium.

Bug Pet Rocks - Find or buy several very smooth round flat rocks. Let the party guests paint their rocks to look like bugs. Glue on googly eyes if desired. Then let the guests name their pet rocks and take them home for a party favor.


Food

Cut Jell-O jigglers with a bug, butterfly or flower shaped cookie cutter.

Sandwiches cut with flower or bug shaped cookie cutters.

Honey Bee crackers.

Bow tie pasta - it looks like butterfly wings!

Cheese (cut with butterfly cookie cutter) and crackers.

Make dirt / garden cupcakes. Fill individual cupcake liners 1/2 way with chocolate pudding. Crush Oreo cookies and sprinkle them on top of the chocolate pudding to fill the liners. Place gummy worms in the cupcakes and a pretty plastic flower on top. This a also a fun activity for the party goers to make!

Chocolate Pudding cups with a gummy worm or spider

Birthday cake shaped like a caterpillar, butterfly, or a dirt cake (google it for recipe but I think basically a frosted chocolate cake that is then sprinkled with oreo crumbs and gummy bugs)


Party Favors

Bug Nets
Magnifying glass
Plastic bugs
Stickers of flowers and bugs
Small terra cotta pot with a packet of seeds
Small toy rake or hoe
Any item that the birthday party guests have made as a craft

**For instance, the kids painted or decoupaged a clay pot. When it's time to leave, place a baggie of soil, flower seed packet, a baggie of gummy worms, and a thank you note inside the pot. A complete loot bag that will be used rather than tossed because it's all plastic junk! **

Toddler Sewing Kit

Something Ive been thinking about creating is a

Toddler/Preschooler Sewing Kit.

Sometimes I have sewing projects and my daughter wants to help so badly. Since there is no way I can trust her with a needle (even a totally blunt one), Ive been thinking of some alternatives.

This is what I plan to make a kit up of once I round up the supplies:

- Shoelaces (the ends work great for threading)
- Pipecleaners
- Strawberry Basket
- Postcards (that Ive put a line of holes in with my hole punch)
- Large Beads

Valentine's Day Activities for a Toddler

At a loss of ideas of what we could do today, I went in search of some fun activites to make the day seem special and keep our toddler occupied.

Of course, everything must be red, pink, or heart themed today!!!

Crafts:
We love crafts! Using the post below on Collages, we will do a few varieties today as well as any of the crafts we had mentioned previously but hadn't yet done. Even if it's just using red, pink, and white paints, crayons, markers, etc.

Great Printables at: http://www.dltk-holidays.com/valentines/index.htm


Balloon Fun:
Blow up some red and pink balloons. Perhaps give to the kids in a big gift bag and let them discover the contents. They'll have fun tossing and kicking around.

Snacks:
What can we do for our themed day?
* Sandwiches or Toast cut with heart cookie cutters
* Strawberries
* Apple Slices
* Raspberry Cheesecake stuffed French Toast (So Yummy! Mix some jam with cream cheese. Cut your bread slices in half and spread with cream cheese mixture. Dip in your French Toast egg mixture and cook as normal. Did I say how yummy it is??)
* Veggies & Dip (Mix a few drops of red food colouring into your ranch dip or homemade sour cream dip)
* Strawberry Milk
* Fruit Juice that's red
* Strawberry Cream Cheese on toast or bagels
* Tomato Soup
* Pasta with Marinara Sauce

* Smoothies

* Red Jello (could be made into jigglers, parfaits, etc)

Stained Glass Hearts - for cards or mobiles

Songs:

Skinamarinky

Skinna-marinky dinky dink, skinnamarinky doo, I love you (repeat three lines)
I love you in the morning and in the afternoon,
I love you in the evening,
and underneath the moon
Skinnamarinky, dinky dink skinnamarinky doo I love you!

10 Little Valentines (Tune: Ten Little Indians)

One little, two little, three little valentines.
Four little, five little, six little valentines.
Seven little, eight little, nine little valentines.
Ten litle valentines in a row!

(those bring back memories!!)

Valentine Craft: Collages

Collages are a great craft for toddlers as they don't need help and can glue/colour to their little hearts content.

For Valentine's Day, any craft items in red or pink will be perfect!

Items such as:
buttons, pom poms, stickers, ribbons, hearts cut from artwork or flyers, confetti, and then of course crayons, markers, paints, stamps, glitter glue, etc. are all a necessity!



The collages make great Valentine gifts for family members too!

*I cut out pictures from greeting cards after they've been kept for a few days and they can be used for future collages. For example, I will cut out some pictures from some of the cute Valentine's Cards she received and we'll use them!

Valentine's Day Holders - some from Recycled Items!

Decorated Enveolope:
Last year, my daughter was at her sitter's for Valentine's Day. She gave the kids each a red or pink envelope and the kids decorated with various stickers. Then the kids gave out their Valentine's and stuck in their envelopes. Great for a small group or those too young for any intense crafting! (I save envelopes that we receive cards in if they are not sealed shut - even if there is a name on the card it can easily be covered with a sticker! Great way to reuse)

Cereal Box Card or Treat Holder:
Cut a cereal box in half. Cut the front half a bit lower than the back so that the contents are partially shown. Cover in paper or paint. Decorate with anything! (glitter, ribbons, stickers) This holder would be one that stays home for the kids to store and look through their valentine's afterwards. (Other boxes that would work well would be from Instant Oatmeal, Bisquick, Crackers, etc - check out your pantry!)

(some blogs will show you the perfect finished craft -obviously done by Mom- I prefer to show my daughter's perfect work of art :-)

this one made from a crystal light box covered in paper with pipecleaner handle and decorated with stickers. It was a craft for our Valentine's lunch at a restaurant so it needed to be a clean craft with no glue, markers, etc. The stickers kept her and the other kids busy for a little while - they all loved it!

Felt Bag Necklace/Purse:
Create a felt bag that can hang around your childs neck or use as a purse. Cut out two rectangles of red or pink felt. Glue or Sew three edges - leaving top end open for the cards to go in. Cut out other heart shapes and let child glue onto bag. Could also be decorated with puff paint or glitter glue. Attach long piece of ribbon or yarn for the handle.

Heart Jar for Candies or Candles:
Cut out one or various sized hearts from contact paper. Stick to a clean jar, vase, or candle holder. Let child paint the jar in various shades of red or pink or white (use paints made for glass). Once dry, remove the contact paper! (could be done with a clean spaghetti, salsa or pickle jar! cover the lid in fabric to hide what it had previously been used for)

Paper Plate Card Holder:
Cut one paper plate in half. Glue or staple it facing to the bottom of another paper plate. Decorate with stickers, paints, markers, etc. An older child could lace the two plates together. With plates facing each other, punch holes with hole punch an inch apart along the plates. Use thick red or pink yarn (with end wrapped in masking tape) to lace together.

Recycled Candy or Card Holders:
Decorate any type of container to store the treats or cards. Items such as tall potato chip cans, hot chocolate containers, boxes from pastas/cereals/crackers etc., margarine tubs, cappucino tins, baby formula cans, etc! Earth friendly and crafty!