http://www.owlkids.com/reader-art-of-the-week-april-13-19/

Check them out!

Materials

• Balloon
• Old bowl
• Scissors
• White glue (several bottles)
• Water
• An old spoon or fork for mixing
• Shades of brown and/or tan yarn
• Raffia
• Shredded paper or cut up brown paper bags
• Brown craft sand
• Feathers
• Plastic table cloth or newsprint
• Smock

Directions

• Prior to making the nest, as it can be quite messy, it is a good idea to cover your workspace with an inexpensive plastic table cloth or old newspaper. You might want to wear a smock for this reason as well.

• Have an adult blow up a balloon for the craft. Choose the size of balloon based on the size of nest that you would like to make. To hold the balloon steady, place it in an old bowl so that it is snug (the part that blew into and tied should be inside of the bowl as you will only be covering the bottom.)

• Cut lengths (approx. half a metre/ one and a half feet) of various shades of brown and/or tan yarn.

• Have an adult shred various shades of brown paper and/or paper bags for you. (Or cut it into thin strips using scissors). Other suggested items might include raffia, embroidery floss, craft grass, craft moss etc.)

• Take white glue and dilute it (about two parts glue to one part water). You can mix brown craft sand (this gives it colour and texture) with it to make it appear more mud like, although we liked the effect of sprinkling it on later. Take one length of yarn and dip it in the glue mixture, assuring that it is completely covered and well absorbed. Then place the yarn in between your thumb and fingers and pull downwards to remove the excess glue. Holding the end of the yarn with one hand and pulling it through your pointer and middle finger is an other helpful technique. Try to get it back into the container for re-use. (See our video for a demonstration of this.)

• Circle the yarn around the bottom portion of the balloon. Repeat, assuring that you overlap the yarn pieces so that they will adhere together. It is helpful to tuck the ends under another piece of yarn. Take small handfuls of the shredded paper and dip them in the glue. Weave the pieces underneath the yarn. You may want to weave in other items such as feathers. If you notice any dry looking spots, put an additional amount of the glue mixture on. While it is wet, sprinkle with brown craft sand to create a muddy texture similar to a real nest.

• Let this dry for several days. When you see that it appears dry, pop the balloon (with a pin or scissors) and carefully peel it out . The inside of the nest may be still damp, therefore allow it to dry overnight before use.

• Use your nest as a centre piece, for storing special items or for the games you will soon find on our website. How can you make it your own by what you put inside?

Purpose

• Making a replica of an item, development of fine motor skills (scissor use, weaving etc.)

Safety Notes

• An adult should blow up the balloon and it should be discarded after use as balloons pose a choking hazard.
• Be sure to cover your workspace as glue may damage certain surfaces.
• Use scissors and/or a pin with direct adult supervision.

• Blank stationary cards (you can purchase these at dollar or craft stores)
• Craft feathers (more of the downy type)
• Glue
• Craft eyes
• Orange card stock,  construction paper or foam
• Scissors
• Thin orange felt marker

Directions

Purchase blank stationary cards or simply fold card stock in half.

Glue a craft feather on the centre, trimming off the quill first.

Glue on craft eyes.

Cut off the corner of a piece of orange paper or foam for the beak & glue on.

Draw legs and feet with a thin orange felt marker.

(This is just a starting point- be sure to “Make it Their Own”- our child’s Kindergarten teacher may have ended up with a “Merbird” (half bird/ half mermaid)!

A message can be written in the inside once the card has dried over night.

Send to friends and/or family.  Attach to a celebratory gift (birthday, arrival of a baby etc.).  It is perfect for spring or Easter cards.

Purpose

Creating an image of a real creature in a simple manner.  Using fine motor skills: gluing, cutting etc.

Safety Notes

Use scissors with adult supervision.

http://vitamindaily.com/canada/a-few-good-eggs-1.976717

Check them out!

Materials

• Plastic or wooden filler eggs of various sizes, colours, patterns or textures
• Ice cube tray, paint tray or egg carton
• Mailing labels and/or colour stickers
• Paint
• Shallow tray
• Smock
• Thin Felt Markers
• Scissors
• Storage Nest (optional) http://make-it-your-own.com/bird-nest-storage-basket/

Directions

Using a ice cube tray or an egg carton, create patterns together with filler eggs, based on attributes such as size, type, colour etc.

Then try to increase the complexity by having your child add their own images.  We used mailing labels and made “eggs” out of our thumbprints using light blue paint and “chicks” using yellow paint.  (Once the paint dried we added details with thin felt markers).

You could also use letters, numbers or other symbols.

Purpose

Exploring attributes related to patterning, developing patterns and defining rules related to this.  You may want to introduce your child to vocabulary such the core of the pattern, what rule is used, how do you extend the pattern? etc.

Safety Notes

Use scissors with adult supervision.

• Filler Eggs
• Letter Tiles (we included a template)
• Bird Replica Figurines
• Letter stickers
• Nest Storage Basket http://make-it-your-own.com/bird-nest-storage-basket/
• Word-Play-Template

Directions

Here are a few suggestions to get you started.  We would LOVE to hear your ideas or how you took this activity and “Made it your Own”!

1) Put the names of various species onto the filler eggs using letter stickers.  Have a basket (we used our Nest Storage Basket), filled with bird figurines.  Try to match the bird with the label.

2) Put the names of various species of birds on the eggs using letter stickers.  Put out letter tiles and have the child(ren) try to find the letters that correspond and fill the egg.

3) Combine #1 and #2 with the species and the tiles within the eggs.

4) Use blank eggs (or remove the stickers).  Have the child combine the letters and species together without the scaffolding/ guidance of the letter stickers.

5)  Put the letter tiles to spell a species in an egg ahead of time.  Have the child empty the egg and try to figure out what species it is.  (You could also do this in partnerships where the children find the letters for a species, put it in an egg and switch.  Remind them not to tell their partner the word, but rather discover it for themselves!)

6) As you can see in our photo, we also extended the spelling of the species to their habitats which we created out of foam, plastic and letter stickers.

7) What other activities could you do with these materials?

Purpose

Re-creating words using a template, building words, identifying bird species, becoming familiar with the basic characteristics of habitats.

Safety Notes

Letter tiles, because of their size should be used by children over 3 and who do not have a tendency to put small objects into their mouths.  Be sure to store them safely away from small children.

• Filler eggs of various colours
• Bird Replicas (we used these ones from a craft store, but you could also use figurines or your child’s drawings)
• Letter stickers
• Star sticker attached to another die
• Die with colours on it (purchased at an educational store, but you could also make your own by colouring a blank die with permanent marker or by putting a label over a numbered die and colouring each side)
• Two Nest Storage Baskets (one for the eggs and one for the replica birds)

http://make-it-your-own.com/bird-nest-storage-basket/

Directions

This is an activity to get young children familiar with both colours and how to use a die (which is helpful in playing various games and learning math concepts such as probability).

The first portion of the activity allows the child to get familiar with the skills they will need for the game ahead.

Roll the die. Whatever colour that it lands on, have the child select that colour of both egg from one basket and bird from the other.  Place the bird in that egg.

Once the child has mastered that concept then it is time to proceed to the game portion.  You can play with two or more people or in teams should the children that you are playing with need assistance.  It is important that you have space to organize yourself for this game so you might want to play on a carpet or large table.

Before you play the game introduce the second die.  It will have a star sticker on one side (for younger children you may want to add an additional one or two to increase the likelihood of the exchange portion of the game).  You can play this portion of the game in two ways: When the player lands on the star sticker (s)he may chose a bird or egg from another player or it can be a chance for players to trade either a bird or egg with each other (see the Variation section).

Let’s get started!  Each player will roll both the dice.  They will get to chose either an egg or a bird based on the colour that they landed on.  (The goal is for you to get as many matches as possible throughout the game.)  They will then place this in front of themselves in order to stay organized.  If they rolled a blank spot on the second die then it proceeds to the next player’s turn.  If they rolled the star then they may chose a bird or egg from another player (if they have one that works) or it may be a time for players to exchange colours to work cooperatively (you will see why with our later variation!).  Continue in this manner until all the birds and eggs are used up.  The winner is the player with the most matches.

Variation:  We decided that we would play the game, but add a fictitious player.  We drew a fox and pretended that we were playing against the fox in a manner.  Each player took their own turn but when it came to the fox, we rolled for the fox.  When a player got a star we traded eggs or bird so that a player could win instead of the fox, working cooperatively.  When it was the fox’s roll and we landed on the star we had to be fair and assume the character of a sly (and hungry) fox, trying to outsmart the team.  It was rather fun!

Which version did or would you and your children or classroom be more attracted to?

Purpose

Becoming familiar with the use of a die, matching corresponding colours in different materials, game play etiquette (taking turns etc.)

Safety Notes

As dice can be choking hazards, be sure to keep them out of reach from young children (Ages 0-3)

• Filler Eggs (be sure that they are better quality ones that seal quite well or be sure to purchase a glue that works on plastic or wood and perhaps use an additional seal of clear tape)
• Plastic pellets (as shown), beads, jingle bells, buttons etc.
• Plastic sealable bag (an option for containment!)

Directions

 The other day we were at the public library in a class where we used shakers to accompany various action songs.  When we returned home we took out our shakers to replicate the experience and then got busy making our own.

We took filler eggs and scooped some plastic pellets into them, carefully sealing them.  One tip that minimizes spilling the pellets, particularly for young children is to do the scooping inside a plastic bag (with the pellets at the bottom).

You could create eggs with jingle bells, buttons, metal objects such as nuts, bolts or washers.  Vary the number of each object you put inside and ask the child to discover- is there a difference in sound with one button vs. five?  Add other objects such as pom pom- do they make a sound?  If so, why do you think it differs than that of a button?  If not, why do you think not?

Variation:  Create a set of pre-made eggs using various types of objects.  Leave one piece of the objects out of each egg.  Put it on a tray or muffin tin.  Have the child shake the eggs and try to match the contents with the items in the muffin tin without opening the eggs, relying on what they hear.  How many were they able to get correct?

Purpose

Re-using materials for another purpose, exploring sound.

Safety Notes

As this activity uses small objects that could be safety hazards, it is not recommended for children 0-3 or those who tend to put objects in their mouths.

• Plastic Mesh (we used brown, found at a craft store, used for embroidery projects)
• Embroidery floss (various shades of brown and light blue)
• Plastic needle (you can purchase these at craft stores) OR a dull tipped metal needle
• Scissors

Directions

This is a craft which gets young children started into the process of sewing/embroidery.

Begin by cutting lengths of the various embroidery thread.  For children starting out, the length from between their wrist to their elbow or their wrist to their shoulder seems to work.

Knot the end several times (depending on the size of the holes in your mesh).

Thread the other end through a needle.  Sew (as you can see we used large “stitches”) in a circular pattern (leaving an empty centre), creating a nest design using various colours of brown.  Start the first stitch from the bottom going up and finish your last stitch on the bottom so that your knots are hidden. Once a length has been used, knot it and cut off the excess thread.

In the centre create egg type shapes, using light blue embroidery thread and smaller stitches (a progression to a more difficult skill).

Purpose

Fine motor skill development, hand/eye coordination, using/ becoming familiar with a variety materials.

Safety Notes

Use scissors, needles and yarn with adult supervision.

• Plain/ neutral coloured bag (can be purchased at a craft store)
• Nest coloured fabric paint (browns) and egg coloured fabric paints
• Collected twigs or popsicle sticks and/or yarn
• Shallow dish
• Craft tray or table cloth
• Smock, apron or old clothes

Directions

This is a great alternative to a basket for collecting eggs or for everyday use.

Purchase a plain, neutral coloured bag from a craft or dollar store.  They are often featured in the plain t-shirts section.

Before you get started on the project be sure to cover yourself and your work space as the paint may not come off all surfaces if it accidentally spills.

Buy brown or tan fabric paint (nest colours) and place it in a large, shallow tray.

Use collected twigs, popsicle sticks or yarn to dip into the paint and create a nest shape in the centre of the bag, leaving a space in the middle for your eggs.

Let dry overnight and complete on the other side in the same fashion if you like.  We added a bit of sewn lines (using a sewing machine) to create additional texture.

Be sure to clean your tray/dish between uses.  Put a small amount of blue fabric paint in your tray and using your thumb, create an “egg thumbprint”.  Be sure to wash your hands throughly.  Allow your bag to dry overnight.

Purpose

Fine motor skill development, hand/eye coordination, using a variety of materials to paint with.

• Neutral coloured fabric (You could use a pillow case, napkin etc.)
• Embroidery floss (various shades of brown)
• Thicker needle (with a hole big enough for the embroidery floss)
• Scissors
• Felt or fabric
• Fabric paint
• Shallow dish
• Cloth (to wipe your hands or up any potential spills)
• Fabric glue
• Smock, apron or old clothes
• Sewing machine & thread (optional & with adult help)

Directions

Take a piece of plain, neutral coloured fabric.  You could make napkins, a pillow case etc.  We decided to make a spring table runner.  The edges were folded, ironed and sewn over with a sewing machine.  You can often find items that are prepared for adding your own details in craft stores.

Take nest coloured embroidery floss and sew it into a nest pattern (see photograph for a starting idea) using simple stitching and leaving the centre empty for eggs.  We had an adult  add some machine sewing as well to create more of a textured look.  This is a good beginner hand sewing project as it lends itself to more of an “organic” look.

Select a fabric paint that you might use for eggs such as light blue.  Place a small amount in a shallow dish.  Use thumb or finger prints to make eggs for your nest.  Or if you would like, cut egg shapes out of felt or fabric and trace the edges with fabric paint like we did.  Let dry overnight or according to the directions. Glue onto your table runner or project using fabric glue.

Want to give this as a gift? We will soon have some card ideas posted to accompany it.

Purpose

Fine motor skill development, hand/eye coordination (sewing), creating a visual representation of a real life object

Safety Notes

Use scissors and a needle with adult supervision

A sewing machine should be used by an adult or with adult supervision, based on your age and skill level.

Materials

Cookies

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Icing

• butter
• icing sugar
• milk or water
• vanilla
• food colouring (optional)

Additional Materials

• Rolling pin
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups

Directions

Cookies

• Pre-heat the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Put on your apron.

• Beat together the eggs and sugar in a mixer.  Add butter and vanilla.  Beat well.

• Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl and add to the liquid mixture.

• Roll the dough out on a floured surface and cut out shapes with a cookie cutter.

• Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes.  Please note: Be sure to watch carefully- these cookies burn easily.

• Put the cookies on cooling racks and once cool, decorate!

Icing

• Beat butter (approximately 1/2 a cup) with approximately 1 tablespoon of vanilla and then add approximately 2 cups of icing sugar slowly.  Add milk or water to thin.  Increase the liquids if you want to make a glaze style icing for dipping and decreasing the liquids if you want to make a more spreadable one.  You could also transfer the icing into a squeeze bottle (we usually use a sealable bag first, snip the corner and then squeeze it into the bottle) and/or add decorations should you like.  If you added milk to the recipe, be sure to refrigerate the cookies.

Purpose

• Developing one’s math skills (measuring items)
• Learning how to read procedural types of writing
• Learning real-life applications for reading

Safety Notes

• This is an activity that is meant to be done WITH an adult as it requires the use of a an oven and a mixer.
• Be sure to use oven mitts when removing a hot tray from the oven and allow the cookies to cool before handling them.
• This recipe includes items that may be allergens.  Please read it carefully.
• It is suggested that you wear a smock to protect your clothes.