Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!

This fantastic creation was made by my best friend,(A).
It is a Christmas pinata.


(A) created it by making a frame out of card board and then covering with paper mache; a glue newspaper mix .

Then once dry she decorated with crepe paper that she fringed, cardboard glitter baubles and tinsel.

(A) suggests that you make sure before decorating that you make a flap to fill your pinata with goodies and also remember to pop holes in the top so that you can add string to hang.

If you dont have time to create this tree, a balloon covered with paper mache can easily become a beautiful bauble pinata, paint and cover in sparkles!

V

Making Tracks with little ones

Here is an activity for any age, I think including 9month olds.

All you do is get some little cars and a tray of paint.
Dip the wheels of the vehicle into the paint and let the children drive the vehicles onto any type of paper.

The picture I have, was done in green and red paint for Christmas.
I thought it could be then used as wrapping paper or done on gift bags or even material!

This activity encourages hand eye co ordination, social skills, fine motor and even gross motor development.

Have a go, its really simple!
V

Christmas is nearly upon us!

Well I don't know about anyone else but I am a little panicked by the thought that christmas is getting closer and closer!!!

And my list of ' to do before Christmas' does not seem to be getting any shorter.
Thus I have to send Christmas cards, Create a few presents, pack , post many more Christmas craft ideas that are backing up, and many other miscellaneous jobs, including helping my husband on his merry way to demolishing our front and back yards!!!!!!
And tending to two little people under 5.

But never the less I do love this time of year!!!!
And hopefully within the next few days all will be on track and I will be able to sit back and enjoy that Festive feeling!!!!
V

Bells are a ringing!!!!!

A simple bell shaped collage

'Cut the shape of a bell or a tree or anything festive out of cardboard.

Use PVA glue (can add acrylic paint to pva to add colour) to stick collage materials to bell.

I used glitter, sparkles, and gold bow pasta ( pasta spray painted with aerosol can) (dries immediatly)

Pop a hole in the top of the bell to thread ribbon through to hang. Remember you can never have too much glitter!!!!!

This activity encourages; fine motor, social skills, emotional development and creative development.
V

Bag it!!!!!

Paper Bag stamping and Collage

We stamped paper bags today with foam Christmas stamps and acrylic paint. After the paint had dried we added sequins and stars and other pretties with PVA Glue.

These are great artworks but also have another purpose as a gift bag.
If you don't have access to foam stamps you can use kitchen sponge cut into Christmas shapes, star, tree etc!
You don't have to be a great artist, just draw your stencil up on a piece of cardboard, but only draw half a tree and fold cardboard in half, then cut it out, this way your tree or star .etc is even!!!
Or you could cut potatoes/apples into shapes to stamp with.
Children could paint pictures on the bags or use felt pens, or do hand prints!
The ideas are endless!!
The main objective being that the children have fun creating!!!!
V

Christmas Baubles!!!!!

This is such an easy activity to do!!!!
Buy some cheap Christmas baubles and set up a table with glue and pretties and stick them over the Bauble!!!!! As simple as that !!!

Some tips!!!! I used two tone baubles ( bought from a cheap shop, nothing expensive)
To decorate I used sequins, sequin stars & glitter, I placed all the materials into bowls, so the children could just dip their gluey bauble straight into the pretties!! (little kid friendly activity)

For little fingers I used mini shaving brushes, this made it easier for the children to apply the glue.
You could also sit the bauble into an egg carton to hold it, while decorating it.

Extra Ideas
You could use masking tape to keep an area free of glue so that when it dries you could peel off tape and puffy paint an initial or name on the bauble.
Even initials in metallic marker would work!
Or thread satin ribbon through the bauble hole to hang from the tree etc. rather than the little piece of thread they come with.

Or thread them all onto a long piece of ribbon and string in a doorway!
This activity encourages, fine motor, gross motor, creative and social development.
This experience is for all ages, changing the materials offered, depending on age of the little people!!
I am feeling Festive, are you????????????
V

Jingle Bells, so soon?

Paper Plate Christmas Wreath
This Activity is a simple one.
The materials needed are: Paper plastes, collage' materials, glue (PVA to stick heavier collage), Glitter (if you want that real Christmas Feel!!!) and string to hang the Wreath.

Offer children many collage materials such as; Glitter, alfoil, crepe paper cut up, tinsel, cut up wrapping paper, sequins etc.

You can colour the glue by adding a good dollop of acrylic paint to the PVC mix.

These wreaths are a good activity to complete in the early weeks leading up to Christmas, as they are nice to see hanging on the door for a few weeks!!!

This activity encourages; Fine motor, social/Emotional development, imagination and cognitive development

What's gummed paper?

Gummed Paper Collage'

Gummed paper is paper which has the underside coated so that when wet it sticks to paper.
(Just like stamp when you lick it)
I cut up with fancy scissors the coloured gummed paper into different shapes and sizes, and placed it in a bowl for the children to choose from.

I then added a wet sponge to another bowl,for the children to dip their paper into and then offered coloured paper to stick the collage' to.
This activity is minimal in prep time and clean up!!!

This activity encourages, Fine motor, Cognitive development, social/emotional development and imaginative dev.

Car Mat activity

What can you do with large piece of paper a felt pen and a bucket of cars?
Create a city for the cars to drive on.
This activity takes no time at all and gives children hours of fun, stemed from their own ideas.
I sat down with my child and began a story that I ask him to continue.
While telling the story I drew the pictures on the piece of paper .
By the end of the story there was a whole town drawn on the paper that he could then use to drive his vehicles around on.

This can be created from any story told and can also incorporate any type of toys to use upon the paper. Eg. Horses and princesses, Pirates and sea scene. etc.

The picture attached does not do the experience justice , but as you can see from the picture the map is well loved!!!
This experience encourages, fine motor, creative, social and cognitive development. Older children can draw their own scene!

I truly did post, try and find it!!!!!

Technology who'd have it!!!
I had about a week ago completed a draft of 'Pretty Playdough' post but I was waiting on a picture.
So I now have the picture and was posting it but it went to the draft date not todays date .
So to see my new post scroll down and down and DOWN!!!!!! Grrr.
I will get the hang of this blog I truly will, Please bear with me!!!!!!!!
V

Finally back to posting!

Sorry its been a week since my last post but life had just got the better of me!
My front yard at the moment is an experience within itself.
My husband has decided to excavate the side of the yard to put in a retainer wall, but with the dirt dug out where do you put it?
Onto my front lawn!!!! Yes there is method to our madness but I am a little sad at the state of it all at the moment.
As specially since it just rained, now there is no dirt but MUD!!!!
So I may have a few experiences that include MUD glorious MUD!!!! Ha!

Some of my photos to come don't do the experiences justice but may just give you an idea of what I'm talking about.

V

Lets Play Golf!

*

Golf Ball Painting

Materials
* Tray (baking dish or new Kitty litter tray)
*Acrylic Paint
* Spoons to drop paint into tray
* Golf balls
* Paper

Method
Place a piece of paper in tray

Drop small blobs of paint into tray onto paper
Place golf ball/s into tray
Hold tray with two hands and roll the ball within the tray
This will create a pattern within the paint onto the paper.

Extra Ideas
*Use coloured paper in the tray
*Use ping pong balls or marbles to create a different pattern
*Use black paper with white paint
*Sprinkle glitter on art after adding paint blobs

This experience encourages Fine Motor, Gross Motor, Imaginative, Social, and Cognitive development.

Playing with Dirt in the Rain!!!!

It was a rainy day today, so it could not have been a better day to play in the Dirt!!
Well crepe paper dirt anyway.
I decided to cut up small pieces of coloured crepe paper and organise a scene in which to play and use diggers and trucks INDOORS!!! ( I am hearing your sigh of relief!!!)

The children enjoyed loading, unloading, driving and ultimately just having fun.
Even if by the end of the experience the children had scattered the paper from one end of the room to the other!

Thank God for vacuum cleaners!

Materials
*Coloured Crepe paper for grass, dirt, water etc.
*Cardboard cylinders with strips of crepe for trees.(see picture)
*Vehicles
* Containers for lakes ( Clear container and blue crepe)
* Anything else that would create a scene.
* Zip lock bag to keep crepe for another day!

This experience encourages, Fine motor, Cognitive, Social and Imaginative Play.

Everyone Welcome!!!

Just letting everyone know out there in cyber space that I woud love your feedback through the comments section!!!
If there are recipes or other ideas or themes that you would like help with dont hesitate to ask!!
I would enjoy knowing that there are people out there finding this space useful!!!

V

Pretty Playdough

Ingredients

2 Cups of Plain Flour
1 Cup of Salt
2 Cups of Boiling Water
2 Tablespoons of Oil
4 Teaspoons of Cream of Tartar
Food Colouring or Edicol dye

Method
Mix all ingredients then add oil and water
Mix until the mixture becomes a dough
Knead for 3-4 minutes
While warm this activity becomes a sensory experience as well.

Make 3 differnt coloured doughs
Roll them flat separately
Then place on top of eachother and roll up together
Then cut into slices
How Pretty!!!!!!!!?


To extend the experience:
*Offer children utensils or homecorner plates & cutlery
*While mixing dough add a drop of vanilla or pepermint essence
*Add to the dough, glitter, rice etc to extend experince!!

Bandanna! Bandanna! Bandanna!

I created these for Bandanna day (just past)

I used cotton drill, although you could as easily use Bleached Calico.
Cut roughly into 40cm x 40cm squares
Then use cotton tips and water mixed with edicol or food colouring.
Dip your tips into the mixtures and create away!!!!
Dry and then it is ready to wear.
By iroing after it has dryed should partially set the colour in the bandanna.

Tip: 3 metres makes about 24 bandannas.

Tip: There may be left over strips of material, these make great wrist or head bands.

Tip: The more edicol dye you use the darker the colour, it is recommended that you use about a teaspoon for each colour.

MASKS!!!!

Mask Creation

Materials

*Masks, either bought or drawn
(I recommend buying some for $2 at the grocery shop and then keep one as a template for next time!)

*Glue or glue stick
(PVA Glue is best to stick heavier pretties) And to make them extra special add acrylic paint to the pva glue. *Glue sticks are better for little hands.

*Pretty things to paste
(Glitter, shiny paper, alfoil, feathers, material, wrapping paper, buttons)

This activity encourages fine motor skills, cognitive development, social interaction and creativity.
Children will love to make this mask and may further the experience by using it in pretend play!

* More themed mask could be made by adding different materials to create animal masks, eg. Black and white striped material could be a zebra, leopard print could be a leopard.

The ideas are endless!!!!!

The beauty of this activity is that it is pretty inexpensive and most of the materials can be found in your own home!!!

Enjoy!!!!

Anyone for Spaghetti???????

Here's an Idea for Spaghetti

Ingredients

2 pkts of spaghetti
Teaspoon of edicol dye or food colouring
A good twist of cooking oil

Method
Boil spaghetti in saucepan with oil & dye
Cook till aldent'e, then drain

I cooked each colour separately and used half a pkt for each colour

Children love the texture of the Spaghetti as specially with lots of oil.
Allow them to play offering them tongs, plates etc for Pretend play.
Even little children love this activity as many never get a chance to use adult utensils.

This activity encourages, Fine motor skills, social interaction, imagination and cognitive development.

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!