Showing posts with label Holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holidays. Show all posts
Fun and Festive Ways to Celebrate the Olympics with Your Kids
We are so excited for the Olympic Games! I wanted to come up with some fun ways to celebrate as a family and also fun ways to educate my kids about the Olympics.
1: Themed Snacks:
Olympic Torches
- Ingredients Needed: Ice cream cones and Cheetos
- Instructions:
- Fill the ice cream cones with Cheetos to mimic the flame.
- Presentation Tips: Arrange the torches in a decorative holder or on a platter.
Edible Medals
- Ingredients Needed: Oreos, Fruit by the Foot, and icing.
- Instructions:
- Separate the Oreos and place a small amount of icing in the center.
- Attach a strip of Fruit by the Foot to mimic the ribbon, placing it in the icing.
- Reassemble the Oreos and let the icing set.
- Presentation Tips: Display the medals on a tray, or hang them around the necks of stuffed animals or dolls.
Section 2: Fun Activities
2.1 Ring Toss Game
- Materials Needed: Plastic rings, bottles or cones for targets.
- Instructions:
- Set up bottles or cones at different distances.
- Each player takes turns tossing rings onto the targets.
- Points can be assigned based on difficulty or distance.
- Tips for Variation: Use colored tape to mark different scoring zones or add themed decorations to the targets.
DIY Olympic Flag Craft
- Materials Needed: Construction paper, paint, straws, ribbon, cardboard tube
- Instructions:
- Use construction paper to cut out flag shape.
- Using a paper towel cardboard tube, dip paint and create Olympic rings.
- Attach the finished flags to straws and decorate with ribbon.
- Display Ideas: Create a flag parade or display them in a decorated vase or container.
The holiday season brings joy and wonder, and for many families, that includes the mischievous antics of the Elf on the Shelf. To elevate your Elf on the Shelf game, here are some ingenious tips and tricks that will make the experience even more enchanting.
- Paper Clip Wizardry: When it comes to orchestrating those gravity-defying poses, a simple paper clip can be your secret weapon. Use it strategically to help your elf maintain that perfect mid-air or climbing position. This tiny tool adds a touch of magic to your elf's escapades, leaving your little ones in awe.
- Household Items Turned Props: Get creative with everyday household items to craft imaginative scenes for your elf. Miniature adventures can unfold using items like sugar cubes as building blocks, toothpicks as magic wands, or cotton balls as snowy landscapes. The possibilities are endless, and repurposing household items adds a personal touch to your elf's whimsical world.
- Dollar Tree Delights: For budget-friendly and delightful accessories, look no further than your local Dollar Tree. This treasure trove often has a variety of miniatures, trinkets, and decorations perfect for creating enchanting scenes with your elf. From tiny furniture to festive decorations, Dollar Tree is a goldmine for adding that extra flair to your elf's escapades without breaking the bank.
- Elf Management with Timers: With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it's easy to forget to move your elf. Set a daily timer on your phone to remind you when it's time for the elf to embark on its nightly adventures. This simple trick ensures consistency and keeps the excitement alive for your little ones as they eagerly wake up to discover the latest antics of their magical friend.
Halloween is just around the corner, and it's time to get your little ghouls and ghosts ready for some spooky fun! One of the most exciting parts of Halloween is dressing up, and that includes not just costumes but also creative hairstyles. If you're looking for some hair-inspiration for your kids this Halloween, we've got you covered with three hair-raising ideas:
1. Boo Buns:
Boo Buns are a charming and simple way to add a touch of Halloween magic to your child's hairstyle. Here's how to create this ghostly look:
Materials:
- Hair elastics
- Tulle or white ribbon
- Googly eyes
- Hairbrush
- Start by brushing your child's hair to remove any tangles.
- Create two messy buns on each side of the head. Secure them with hair elastics.
- Take some tulle or white ribbon and wrap it around each bun to create the ghostly effect.
- Finally, attach googly eyes to each bun to make them look like friendly Halloween ghosts.
2. Spider Bun:
The Spider Bun is a spooktacular hairstyle that's perfect for adding a creepy-crawly touch to your child's look. Here's how to weave this web:
Materials:
- Black sock or black material
- Pipe cleaners (black or any spooky color)
- Googly eyes
- Hair elastics
- Hairbrush
Instructions:
- Brush your child's hair to make it smooth and tangle-free.
- Create a bun by rolling the black sock or material and secure it with a hair elastic.
- Attach pipe cleaners to the bun to create spider legs. You can bend them to give them a spooky appearance.
- Glue or attach googly eyes to the bun to make it look like a spider.
- Make sure to place the spider bun high on the head for the best effect.
3. Spider Ring Hair:
For a more subtle yet still eerie Halloween hairstyle, try the Spider Ring Hair. This style incorporates plastic spider rings and bubble braids for a creepy-cute look without the need for bobby pins:
Materials:
- Plastic spider rings
- Hair elastics
- Hairbrush
Instructions:
- Brush your child's hair to detangle and make it smooth.
- Create bubble braids by securing sections of hair with hair elastics at intervals down the length of the hair.
- Slide plastic spider rings onto the bubble braids, letting them dangle and crawl through the hair.
- You can space the spider rings evenly or scatter them randomly for a playful look.
These Halloween hairstyles are sure to make your little ones the stars of the trick-or-treat neighborhood parade. Whether they choose to be friendly ghosts or creepy spiders, these hair ideas will add an extra dose of fun to their Halloween costumes. Don't forget to capture these spooky styles with some photos to cherish the memories for years to come!
Paper Bag Turkey Costume
With Thanksgiving right around the corner I wanted to do my own spin on a classic Thanksgiving craft. These paper bag turkey costumes will provide entertainment so that you have time to cook the real turkey along with everything else you need to get done.
Supplies needed:
- Brown paper bag
- Cardstock paper
- Hot glue gun
- Hole puncher
- Scissors
- Orange felt
- Ruler
- 1/4 measuring cup
Instructions:
- Start by opening the paper bag and cutting up the lime on the side. The bag will naturally form a triangle and you will want to cut along those lines as well.
- Next turn the bag inside out so all of the print is hidden.
- Create a head hole by cutting out the center rectangle outlined by the bag.
- To help make the shoulder straps sturdy, fold over the extra pieces and glue them down.
- On the front of the bag create three lines and use the measuring cup to trace half circles.
6. Cut out the half circles and pop them out to create a 3D effect.7. Cut cardstock paper into 1.5 by 12 inch pieces.8. Glue two pieces of the same color together then twist the strip to look like a feather.
9. Create headpiece using two strips of paper.10. Use your hole punch to create the eyes and cut out a triangle for the beak. Glue a balloon under the eyes and beak to be the wattle.11. Use felt to create turkey spurs. Wrap them around your child’s shoe and secure with a safety pin or Velcro.
How To Catch A Leprechaun
I wanted to come up with something fun Lola and I could do for St. Patrick’s Day. So after some brain storming I decided on leprechaun traps. We found almost everything at home and the rest of the supplies are from Target or the dollar store. It was so fun to be creative and make our own traps!!
Hat Trap:
I had this hat left over from a project from last year. I used bright pipe cleaners and cotton balls to create the rainbow. I used gold present filler for the center and glued on some gold coins that I also had left over from last year.
Slide Trap:
This trap was so fun to make and reminds me of Mario Cart! I used gold paper and bright card stock to create the slide. The base of the trap is a butterfly net and I just used a shamrock cutout for the sign.
Jar Trap:
The jar for this trap is what I usually use to hold the flour in my kitchen. I found the lucky charm marshmallows from Target and made the slide out of green straws. For the sign, I used gold stickers and bright pipe cleaners.
Felt Snowman Advent Calendar
This is my toddlers favorite advent calendar. It’s very simple to make and your kids can play with it all month long. I made a snowman design but you could do a Santa, nativity scene, etc.
Instructions:
- Begin with picking your design. You will need a large piece of felt for your background.
- Cut out different shapes using different colors.
- Make sure you have enough pieces for your countdown. I did twelve instead of 25.
- If some of your pieces are bigger they may need a small piece of velcro added to help it stick.
- Add fun sensory objects like buttons and pompoms.
- Start your countdown!
Santa Beard Christmas Countdown
This is such a fun twist on the classic paper chain countdown. Starting December 1st and every day after, use scissors to cut off one paper chain from the beard. When you are finished cutting off the last paper chain strip, it’s Christmas Day!!
Supplies needed:
- Paper plate
- Flesh colored paint
- Scissors
- Paper Cutter
- White copy paper
- White and red cardstock paper
- Cotton balls
- White boa
- Googley eyes
Instructions:- Paint the inside circle of your paper plate with flesh colored paint. Set aside to dry.
- Cut out 25 white strips of copy paper.
- Cut a triangle out of red paper to make the Santa hat.
- You can design the paper chain beard for your Santa anyway you choose with your 25 paper strips.
- Cut off a small strip along the top of your plate to make a straight edge.
- Glue hat to plate.
- Add mustache, nose and eyes.
- Add cotton balls to beard line.
- Add boa to hat.
- Paint the inside circle of your paper plate with flesh colored paint. Set aside to dry.
- Cut out 25 white strips of copy paper.
- Cut a triangle out of red paper to make the Santa hat.
- You can design the paper chain beard for your Santa anyway you choose with your 25 paper strips.
- Cut off a small strip along the top of your plate to make a straight edge.
- Glue hat to plate.
- Add mustache, nose and eyes.
- Add cotton balls to beard line.
- Add boa to hat.
DIY Kid’s Thanksgiving Table
Now that Halloween is over it is time to start thinking about Thanksgiving! I wanted to put together a kid’s Thanksgiving table that was cute, affordable and would keep Lola busy.
Tablecloth:
I used brown craft table paper so she can use crayons and draw on it.
Table Placeholder:
A turkey leg made out of a brown paper sack and white paper. I put the crayons on the inside for a fun surprise for the kids.
Centerpiece:
Homemade yarn pumpkins and turkeys made out of skewers, pompoms and crayons.
Cups:
Turkey craft that kids can work on during the day.
There are other hidden gems to help thanksgiving dinner go as smoothly as possible.
For our third and final costume this year I wanted to do something that would work as a family costume. These dinosaur masks turned out so fun and even our dog got in on the action! They take a little bit more work but as you can see the final product is so fun.
Supplies Needed:
- Single walled cardboard
- Craft Blade
- Black and White Texta
- Polystyrene ball
- Scissors
- Hot glue gun
- Blu-tac
- Paint
Directions:
- I purchased the template off of zygotebrowndesigns.com. It had great and detailed instructions. I will include the link below...
This is such a sweet costume! And so so easy! If you need something to throw together quickly before trick-or-treating or a family party this is perfect for you.
Supplies Needed:
- Kids pink leotard
- Kids pink tights
- Pillow fill
- Styrofoam square
- Hair clips
- Glue gun
- White Poster Board
- Spray paint (I will add a photo below of the exact kind I used).
Directions:
- Take poly-fil out of bag and gently begin to pull apart, place on newspaper.
- Spray top of the poly-fil until lightly covered.
- Let it dry for at least an hour.
- Take sections of the poly-fil and glue them to your leotard. Continue the process until the leotard is covered.
- Cut poster board into a cone.
- Add poly-fil and poster board cone to styrofoam to create hat. I glued hair clips onto the bottom to attach to my toddlers head. You could also glue it to a headband.
- Assemble your costume; add your tights, leotard and hat!
DIY Piñata Halloween Costume
It's finally October which means it is time to start thinking about your Halloween costume! This year I wanted to be more involved in making Lola's costume and decided to try out a couple of ideas I had. I think the piñata is my favorite one yet! This costume is nice because it is made of felt which makes it super warm and comfortable. It also was affordable to make and fairy easy to put together.
Supplies Needed:
- Different colors of felt (I used 12" x 9" pieces).
- Hot glue gun
- old outfit (I used an old long sleeve and pants).
- headband
- 2 styrofoam cones
- ribbon
- scissors
- ruler
Directions:
- Start by cutting your pieces of felt into 3 strips. I measured it out and did them all about 3 inches in width. Stack those three pieces of cut felt and cut a slit close to the edge.
2. Use glue gun to glue down felt onto pants and shirt going in whatever pattern you would like. As you go make sure you don't wrap it too tight so that the pants and shirt will still fit your child.
3. Glue felt pieces onto the styrofoam cones and glue those onto the headband. I used ribbon to hang down to make it look more like a piñata.
Apple Back To School Backdrop
Fall is just around the corner and that means our kids will be returning to school before we know it. A big part of the first day of school is capturing a picture of your child to save forever. This backdrop is made out of paper chains. It is so fun because you can use the same technique but create different shapes for different holidays or events.
Supplies Needed:
- Paper
- Stapler
- Paper cutter
- Backdrop stand or blank wall
Directions:
- If you want to create this same apple backdrop you can use the pattern I have included.
- Cut 8.5 x 11 size pieces of paper into strips of 2 x 8.5 (that should give you five strips per piece of paper).
- Tape the paper into chains and connect them- following the pattern.
- Hang the strands of chains onto your backdrop stand or tape them onto a blank wall.
- Have fun with different props to capture your perfect picture!
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