Hummingbirds!

The hummingbirds are zipping through the yard and I'm working on my new book, Critters are Cool. Of course, that inspired me and I've put a hummingbird poem in the book too. I sent a video of the birds at the feeders to the kiddos in TX and thought that perhaps they'd like hummers of their own so I immediately had the theme for my letter. I based the bird on bilateral symmetry cutting out several plain white ones at a time. I'm sure they'll make them colorful on their own. The letter suggests that they hold the tails and move the birds up and down quickly in order to have the critters "fly."

I also cut out some small pictures of hummingbirds from the purchased hummingbird feeder food carton. (I purchased it once just to get the container that I could continue to refill with my homemade food.)

The grandkiddos who live locally put out feeders too and now call their big classroom window--bird TV.

Countdown to a Visit

The last time I went to visit the grand-kiddos I estimated the number of days between when they'd get the letter I was sending and my arrival date. Then, I lightly glued little planes (cut from credit card promotional materials) to represent the days. (I made sure to have a few extra planes at the front end so that when the kiddos got the letter they could already remove, or X-out, a few of the planes.)

The children took turns taking off, or X-ing out, a plane. It was like a "count down to Christmas" only this time the countdown was a "count down to Mom-Mom" coming to visit.

The children love getting different and unusual letters each week in the mail.

Labeling Fun

Helicopters and Planes to Label

The grandkids in TX love to get letters in the mail. Even with all the electronic connections, the good old-fashion mailbox holds a special place in their hearts. I send a letter each week. Sometimes it's difficult to come up with so many ideas each year, but thus far, I've managed. Some of the ideas overlap. I might send a collage for each season and have the children get out magnifying glasses (I provided inexpensive plastic ones on one trip--anticipation for an upcoming letter) to study the collage and find things, but even those will be of different themes.

Labeling is always fun and I was able to find brochures that had cool pictures of things of interest to the children. The helicopters and biplanes even had the "word cards" easily trimmed from the brochure.

Bubble Names

Each week I send a letter to TX to keep in "physical contact" with the grandkids who live over 1,000 miles away. FaceTime and Skype are great, but a physical letter still is met with much anticipation. Since the little ones know a letter comes each week, they really do connect with the grandparents who live so far away. I try to make the correspondence into various games and activities that are simple and don't usually require the parent's assistance. It takes a bit of ingenuity to come up with things that fit into a regular sized envelope, are fun and don't require a lot of work on my part or on the part of the kiddos. Sending the little ones their names as bubble letters was a big hit. It didn't matter that the younger ones only scribbled on their name cards-and that the baby tried to eat hers-the idea was that each child received a written gift in the mail from many miles away--and it was something they could decorate. I drew a few items around each name--things that are of interest to that particular kiddo. Of course, instead of drawings, it would be fun to add stickers to the envelope to aid in personalizing. Either way, this was a big hit and something I'll use again in a slightly different form.

Clean-Up Fun

Empty box-scissors, tape
(Markers, stickers, etc. as desired)

If you want your little ones to think that clean up is fun, all you have to do is turn an empty tissue box into a loud-mouthed monster who likes to eat trash! They will be eager to "feed the monster!"

Simply flatten the box by carefully tearing it open where it is glued. It is easier to decorate a flat surface. Also, this shows how it can be stored and stacked with your construction paper to be used again later.



You can make your monster any way you like, but I think it is especially cute to give a monster some funny hair that sticks straight up. I simply cut strips down on the flap that is above the "face" portion of the box. This can be curled, colored, beribboned, etc. to make your monster unique. If you are using a large, rectangular box without this "hair flap," you may want to add yarn hair, an antenna, a hat or something you think is funny. ANY tissue box will work with a little adaptation as long as the opening is the mouth.

Cut down on one flap to make "hair."

Add some facial features to you trash monster. 

I like to add funny eyes.  Plastic google-like eyes can be added, but a simple sticker-magic marker drawn eye will suffice. Let children be creative in making their monsters--the trash eating monster can be an arts and crafts activity in and of itself--and it's reusable.

Reshape the box and tape the side (which is now the bottom) so that it stays closed and sits on the craft area to "gobble up the trash" from an arts/crafts activity. Children love to take their monster to the trash can and empty out his mouth (or shake trash out of is head!). This activity makes clean up a fun activity.

Once the trash is emptied into the real trash can, the tape can be removed and the monster can be folded flat to be stored with other craft items. It can be used again and again.

Once the monster is done, it will be fun to feed it trash! 

Swords and Shields

      It was wonderful having the entire family here for Christmas. Once Christmas was over and all the decorations were put away, it was time for me to get "back in the groove" and start sending my weekly fun letters to the "long-distance" grands who had returned to Texas. I knew they'd enjoy this activity.
      When everyone was here we had a lot of vegetables and that meant opening some canned good. Since I buy a lot of groceries in bulk, the cans come in 6 or 8-pks and there is a nice curved-rectangular piece of cardboard at the bottom holding the cans. I put a stack of the cardboards aside just for this activity.

Cardboard from canned good.

For the sword, fold a piece of paper (approximately as long and wide as the cardboard) and cut out one-half of a sword shape, open the shape and trace the entire outline onto one of the cardboard pieces. Cut the sword out with a craft knife or scissors. (An adult should do the cutting.)

Make one-half the shape.

Trace the sword shape onto one cardboard.

Make one for everybody! 

Mark and cut two "straps" on the second cardboard.

Make a shield with a second cardboard. A child's small arm will easily slip into the two  "straps" so the child can hold the sword in one hand and the shield in the other.

I like to put the child's name or initial on the shield. They like to color and decorate the sword and shield.

Remind the little ones that these are for playing and dress-up and not for being too rough!

Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer

Palm "boot" piece, bow, eyes.

 When we lived in the panhandle of Florida, a parent of one of my kindergarteners presented me with the cutest "Rudolph" for a Christmas present. He had taken a "boot" from a palm tree, cleaned it, applied a clear varnish and added a bow and eyes--and of course, a cute nose.  When I went to hang "Rudolph" last year I realized the original bow, eyes and nose no longer looked very good. Still,  the tree piece was in great shape.  I removed the yellowing eyes, the crumpled and faded bow and the sad looking nose.

Hot glue bow, eyes and a nose.

The new, crisp bow just below the "antlers" part of the palm piece is now bright red (and made from outdoor, colorfast ribbon).The eyes are large, shiny "google" eyes and the new nose is a bright red. The transformation simply took some fresh ribbon, craft "google"eyes and a puffy craft ball and some hot glue to keep it all in place.

The old Rudolph is recycle, refurbished and renewed and . . . the handsome new Rudolph is ready to hang on a wreath on our front door.

Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer