Quarantine Crafts for the Kiddos

Someday this title will show up in a search engine and the quarantine part won't mean anything to the person searching. It will all be in the past. Cannot wait!

I hope everyone is well and hanging in there (and acknowledging the severity of this situation) while appreciating the little upbeat moments in all of this. 
Find them where you can! 

I used to speak at training events for teachers and my topic was all about creativity and how allowing creative choices and freedoms enhances learning. 

Mollie used to tell people that I went to "teach teachers how to teach!" :)

Not all learning looks like worksheets, quizzes or formal activities. 

In a 2007 clinical report for the American Academy of Pediatrics, the physician Kenneth R. Ginsburg wrote that “play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength.” Yet “many [children] are being raised in an increasingly hurried and pressured style that may limit the protective benefits they would gain from child-driven play.”
*Also, please do not think that an older child doesn't need play or learn while being creative. 

Since everyone has a lot of time to fill, and I keep seeing how limiting screen time is a goal for almost everyone (Yay!!), I'm linking some old posts that would be a good starting point for sparking some creative time for kiddos of all ages. 

Creative thinking and problem solving abilities are two of the things that colleges and companies are searching for in candidates. Start fostering that now with some creative freedoms!

These projects are pre-Prime and ordering everything to be delivered and I'm a big recycler/repurposer so a lot of these require mostly found items. 

And if you don't have something let your little artist/creator find a substitution!

Also, these posts are early on and the images are not the best but that doesn't mean the projects are not great activities for this time in our lives. 

Dig out some cookie cutters and a few pantry items and make this delicious smelling
Chocolate Playdough 




Puppet play is fun and a great stress reliever. It's a good way for children to express frustrations or fears without even realizing it. And we should have TP rolls to use!
Make a batch of these Puppets on a Stick to go with whatever they are studying or to act out a favorite book.


This angel project was originally for Christmas but they could easily be changed in to garden angels. A great accent for your gardens - we are all spending a lot of time out in the fresh air - might as well grow something. I did order seeds on Prime the other day! These would also be cute neighbor gifts or make some for the grandmothers for Mother's Day. It is really easy to find lots of recycled items to use for angel wings and halos.





Owls are always fun. This painting activity is all about shapes and can be as simple or complex as a child's age allows. Paint on cardboard, posterboard, the inside of a cereal box. Whatever you have. Craft paints, old house paint, markers. Use what you have.





These do require a saw to slice the branches but after that there are so many possibilities. Wood slices are so unique and make even learning spelling words fun!Use a Sharpie to draw letters or tic tac toe x's and o's. Draw simple images and use like story stones. This one is completely free. You just need a small branch from the yard!

These daisy stakes for the garden are a good way to create an instant family garden! If you don't have clay saucers use plastic lids. Cut wood scraps into circles. Look around. Use a branch from the yard if you don't have a wood stake. Or use a paintstick or ruler. Improvise. Each child can make one and decorate the flower bed. Or make them for May Day and leave as a surprise for neighbors!

Use this sign project as an inspiration for all kinds of messages and found items to create your flower decoration.
So many possibilities!



There are more posts with fun, found object projects that will spark everyone's creativity.
Just scroll through the blog and enjoy learning and creating during this unusual time.
Maybe this will spark a love of creating that last long past our quarantine days.
If you have any questions just let me know!! 
Get creative!!

#throwback Christmas Projects for Children

I'm throwing it back to when I used to design craft projects for children- 

just in case you are looking for some meaningful projects for this season and a way to spend creative time with your children or grandchildren!

(Follow all of the links for early blog posts with details and/or instructions)

Oh, and these posts are very old - pardon the primitiveness of my blogging! 

First up, an inexpensive and easy Advent Wreath. It just takes a little bit of time because of drying times but it's not too late to get this going for this year and the whole family could make it together.

This Advent Calendar was a huge hit. It's reusable and cost about $2.00 to make. Seriously!

I still have parents tell me that it's the first thing they pull out when they decorate and I taught their children a decade ago! Some of them are in college! 

But Christmas traditions are strong!

I wish I had a better picture - it's so cute filled with all of the ornaments and #25 is the star!
It's so, so simple. It's made from a Dollar Store cookie sheet, some spray paint I had on hand, craft paint and some foam shapes. Most people have to buy magnet tape for this but if you have some of the free advertising refrigerator magnets people send in the mail then you might have everything you need on hand. 

And here is a tiny Nativity that anyone and everyone can make! 

I've taught 3 year olds all the way up to senior adults to create these.

I used Altoid tins for a while that I spray painted black. They were free but it became difficult to collect the hundreds I needed when my craft camps were full so I switched to the little paper mache boxes and I really liked the simplicity and texture they added to the project. They are less than a dollar so it's still economical. 

You can also put the verse sticker on the back of the box, use the lid for another tiny Nativity and add a hanger to the top and hang it on the Christmas tree.

So gather up some supplies and found items, dollar tree finds and things on hand and create some Christmas crafting memories.

Frothy, Frosty Peppermint Floats and Felt.

Every December my UMYF kiddos want to have a  Christmas Crafting Day 

where they can get creative and make gifts for friends and family. 

We've painted, made sugar scrubs, decorated candles, etc.

 I can't tell you what they worked on this year

 because they are surprises for Christmas morning!

However, I can tell you about our delicious holiday treat that helped us craft all afternoon.

(Do you remember the glittery Snow Guys from a couple of years back??) 

We had frothy, fluffy, frosty peppermint floats. Yum!

We used Publix Peppermint Stick ice cream. 

If you are in the South then you know how good their holiday ice cream is. 

The Eggnog Ice Cream is ah.maz.ing, too!

Scoop the peppermint ice cream into your cup.

 Then pour Sprite (or you can use a non flavored carbonated water but the Sprite tastes great) over the ice cream. It will froth and fluff and create a creamy, frosty, minty float.

Add cute straw. 

And you could add whipped cream 

and sprinkle crushed peppermint candies on top 

for a fancier treat.

It's just so refreshing and festive.

And, felt.

Since I was hanging out while they crafted and they only needed me for questions and not for non-stop guidance I started trying my hand at a felt project.

I cut the letters free hand from some felt we had- no drawing or tracing.

 Non-traditional Christmas colors.

It was fun but I'm more of a paper crafter, I think.

I will not be going into the felt letter banner business any time soon.

I glued it down this morning and I'll try to remember to post a "finished" picture on Instagram this week!

So that's my felt-y, frothy, fluffy update on holiday happenings around here.

Have yourself a Merry little Christmas now.

The Favorites of Christmases Past.

As mentioned previously I haven't done a thing toward Christmas decorating.

 Nothing.

Bupkis!

( Remember Bupkis??) 

Actually that's not completely true.

I have looked at all the blog tours of already decorated homes.

#seekinginspiration

#seekingmotivationtoo

Does decorating the dog count??
#notthrilled

But in years past I have been spot on

and accomplished Christmas décor greatness 
 (ok, at least gotten the tree up - with lights!) in a timely manner.

I also used to make cute Christmas projects and share the DIY!

Let's remember fondly and revisit my top Christmas posts.

In case you,too, are #seekingmajormotivation.

They are all simple and easy I can assure you!

This guy is and has been my number one blog post "view"

and my number one "pin" on Pinterest!

This paint stick project of the Three Wisemen

is also a top post.

It is practically a "free" green craft.

This simple outdoor Nativity that I first did with children

waaaaay back in 2011 is still a top 10 post year round.

It is made with concrete landscape pavers.

 Mine still looks like it did when I painted it four years ago!

(And we do use it outside)

A little more involved but a keeper from year to year-


is this Advent Candle Wreath made from terra cotta pots.
I made it with groups of children for a few years in a row so we painted the pots and made candles and "flames" from TP rolls and tissue paper. 
Many of their parents supervised its use and substituted real candles. 
It is equally pretty left in its natural terra cotta state and filled in with real greenery.
One of my  volunteer moms had her children craft them for their grandparents one year and it was a HUGE hit!


And I have a bunch of Snowman projects
 but this one is the second most viewed post of all time.

Snowman in a Baggie!!!
It was a simple idea I cooked up for a school party activity and it is still being used year after year.
So easy and inexpensive but everyone loves to make him and then squish that nose around!

If you are looking for more projects then check the archives!
I have several Nativity projects, more snowmen and some burlap and painted canvas projects that are 'oldies but goodies."

And maybe I'll be back soon with some actual Christmas decorating pictures -
from my actual house!!!
#icanhope

Just Plain Crabby

Not  me.

 The artwork.

Yet another catch-up post.

This one is from the beginning of the Summer. 

School started today in the Atlanta area even though it's just the beginning of August.
 Some see the start of school as the end of Summer. Not me.
I will hold on to Summer until the bitter end.
So this beachy, crabby project fits the bill.

This was a guided project in that we all did our outline work together 

and then we got creative and gave our crabby guy some serious personality.

This is the best kind of project.

 After the basic shapes are down the artists get busy adding color and texture.

 We talk about color and tools and they get so into the painting process. 

They just paint and chat and it is so fun to be in a room full of creative children. 

Aren't they awesome and fun?? 

Love the polka dot water.

And this guy?? He cracks me up.

 I can just see him shifting his eyes from side to side before he takes off down the beach.

Actually, it's hard to be crabby when you are laughing at these fun paintings!!

Daisies Are The Happiest Flowers

Do you know what movie that's from??

 I love Meg Ryan and I agree.

 I love cheerful, roadside daisies.

 I also loved, loved the show "Please Don't Eat the Daisies" when I was young.

 ( That'll date me, for sure.)

Someone dropped off an unwanted canvas - a large one. Yay!!

I spent a couple of cold, wintry afternoons painting a giant stylized daisy on the canvas.

It was red, so first thing - a turquoise base coat.

Then some basic shapes to create a stylized daisy.

 ( This is what I use my kitchen tools for!)

Outline in black.

My go- to Sherwin Williams paints.

Just filling in with cheerful daisy-ish colors.

 This color is Pickle.

 I want to have the job where I sit around looking at fabulous colors 

and thinking up their names.

SW, call me. I'm available.

Someone at church gave me the canvas so back to church it went.

The next daisy inspired project was painted at

 a little art camp with my favorite 4 and 5 year olds.

They made these canvases for their Moms :)

Then at the beginning of the Summer the stylized daisy painting

 inspired a project at another art camp.

The artists ranged in age from kindergarten to 4th grade 

and they created some pretty amazing line work.

Again, each one is so unique.

They definitely got creative with their colorways.

Aren't these fun? Didn't they turn out great?

I like them better than mine!

I Love Paintsticks.

I love paintsticks.

True story.

Sounds silly but I have a zillion projects with paintsticks.

I almost hate to use them to stir paint :)

A while back I had a super fun art day with a group of 4th and 5th grade girls. 

I had lots of creative activities planned but I decided to cover the basics before 

I turned them loose with a bunch of exciting supplies. 

We used a paintstick to learn about the spectrum and color mixing.

This may seem remedial to you for 4th and 5th graders but a few years ago I saw an adult do a little segment on Good Morning America

 and she said the primary colors were red, yellow, blue and green.

Maybe she was nervous but I never got over it :)

So I run through a color lesson in a variety of fun ways when I have an art activity with children. 

A little paint, a little color mixing fun and ... ta-da! Rainbow Sticks!!

** My nice Sherwin Williams guy, Todd, gives me paintsticks for the children to use :)