ABC Race!


Being the mother of a very energetic little boy, I often try to add some physical movement to our activities and games. This one is good for exercise and learning and is a favorite at our house.

I put all the ABC magnets on a tray and put the tray on the table in the kitchen.
Then I go and sit on the couch in the living room and hand a letter card to LM.
I say, "Ready, set, go!!" and he runs to the try to find the letter on his card.
Then he races back to me and puts it in a bowl.
Then I give him another letter and off he goes again!

Paper Plate Penguin


 I got this Penguin printout and had LM color it with markers. It would be very simple to draw too. Just draw a head, beak, bowtie, wings, and feet and have your child color them. Or you could also just cut them out of construction paper.

Then we cut them out, glued eyes onto the penguin, and glued everything onto the plate!

Collage Squares


 I gathered up a bunch of small stuff that we could use to make a collage. I put them all in a bowl and the boys both made collage squares by picking an item and gluing it onto a piece of carboard.

Here is LM's collage. He had fun lining things up in rows. He kept saying they were like trains.


And here is LB's collage. I know he is only 1, but isn't his spatial awareness amazing? haha. Just kidding. I had him choose things from the bowl and hand them to me, then I carefully and artfully glued them onto the cardboard.

This is one of the few crafts that LB has done with us. He really didn't want to be left out! Though most of our activities and crafts are geared toward his pre-school age brother (LM) I'm going to see if I can include his 1 year old curiosity into our crafts and activities now and again.

Heart Zoo


 One thing that I'm going to try doing with the boys this year is to read a book and do some kind of craft associated with that book. And one thing's for sure, we started off with a roar! Here is the book:


This is a really fun book to look at because each animal in the book is made almost entirely of different sizes and colors of Hearts! (Which also lends itself quite well to an easy craft activity.) After we read it, I asked LM which animal in the book he wanted to make. He looked at them all again and chose.......

The Lion!

'Twas simple, and easy, and LM loves it.

The Finished Stockings!!!

Finally, they are done!!!

Here are the last 2 stockings, finally finished!



And here are all 4 of them! Again, the cute snowman one was made by my Sister-in-Law many moons ago.

It's a good feeling to finish a project. Even if it is several weeks late! :)

Handmade Felt Stockings


I know, I know. Christmas is over.....but I wanted to share what I have been (and still am) working on lately. My sister-in-law made LM a cute Snowman stocking out of felt a few years ago for Christmas. (pictured above, right) I thought it would be fun to make some more so that all 4 of us could have matching stockings. However, time got away from me and I only completed 1 stocking. (above, left)
Oh well, it gives me a year to finish the other ones! ha ha. I hope it doesn't take that long!!!

Here's what I did: cut out stocking shapes & Christmas characters using my abundance of felt.

Stitch the characters onto the fronts of the stocking, filling them each with cotton to make them puff-out a little.



Stitch decorative felt on the top and toe of the stocking. Then line the inside with a different color felt, to give it more strength and for a cute effect. Then stitch it together all around the edges. Voila!

Oh, and I decided at the last minute to stitch a little secret pocket onto the back. I'm not sure what I'll use it for.....but I've got a year to think of something fun!

Easy Frog Craft for Kids

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