Check out the full tutorial on:

http://www.hellowonderful.co/post/KID-MADE-SPIN-ART-WALL-HANGINGS

Materials

• Watercolour paper
• Paper cutter
• Hole punch
• Cord/ twine etc.
• Beads
• Watercolour paint
• Water
• Large brush (we used a foam one)
• Squirt bottles/pipettes/ eyedroppers
• Funnel (if needed)

We always find these items helpful too:

• Smock
• Craft tray

Directions

• Don your smock.  Paint your paper with a water wash.

• Put your paint into your bottles (or you could use an eye dropper- just something that allows you to make droplets and to easily manipulate where they might fall on the paper).  Depending on your bottles, a funnel may be helpful.  We used concentrated watercolour paint.  Drip your paint onto your wet paper and observe what happens (be prepared to be amazed- the paint and water will create a tie-dye effect!)  Allow your paper to dry overnight.

• Cut out your bookmarks, punching a hole on one end.

• Cut a piece of cord or twine and make a loop over your hole as shown.  Folding it in the middle will help make the two ends equal in length.  Lace the ends through the back of the bookmark coming through the hole and the loop.  Gently pull it taut.  Lace beads through both the ends together.  You may need to trim your ends to assure they are not frayed to make them easier to pull through.  We also sometimes put a BBQ skewer (with the sharp point cut off by an adult) through the beads to make the channel in the centre of the bead clear.  Once your beads are on, knot the ends twice (or more if needed) and trim the excess twine.

• Pop your bookmark into your book and enjoy reading!

Purpose

• Encouraging reading.
• Developing one’s fine motor skills (cutting, lacing, knotting etc.)

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you wear a smock and use a craft tray to protect your clothing and surfaces.
• Use scissors or a paper cutter with care and direct adult supervision.
• Cord, twine etc. can be a strangulation hazard, therefore be sure to use with direct supervision and for its intended purpose.
• Beads can be a choking hazard, therefore be sure to keep them out of the reach of children ages 0-3 years of age or those that tend to put things into their mouths.

http://www.ohcreativeday.com/oh-creative-lady-meet-bonnie-make-it-your-own/

Materials

• Kraft paper
• Felt or foam
• Pom poms
• Glue
• Scissors
• Ribbon
• Tape
• Pencil/eraser & ruler (*Optional)

We always find a smock helpful too:

Directions

• Don your smock.  As we were wrapping a desert book, the kids wanted to go with ice cream cones.  (And who wouldn’t love this tasty treat!)  We cut our cones out of felt and added a pom pom for the scoop of ice cream.  You could also draw a design in thick paper and cut it out to trace as you slide, flip and turn it, adding a bit of colour if you like.

• First we wrapped our gift in simple kraft paper.  We then glued down a starting cone and slid, flipped or turned the copy, gluing it down.  To extend the concept, you can combine the actions, so for example sliding the object and then flipping it (as shown).  You could make a light pencil line with a ruler if that makes it easier to slide objects.

• Add a bow and give your gift to a friend or family member.

Purpose

• Understanding the concepts of transitional geometry and applying them in design.

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you wear a smock to protect your clothing and surfaces.
• Use scissors with care and adult supervision.
• Cord, ribbon etc. can be a strangulation hazard, therefore be sure to use with direct supervision and for its intended purpose.
• Small items such as pom poms can be a choking hazard therefore be sure to keep them out of the reach of children ages 0-3 years of age or those that tend to put things into their mouths.

Materials

• An object  (We went with an outdoor plant)
• Paper  (We used watercolour paper)
• Drawing tools (We used oil pastels)

Optional

• Watercolour paint
• Water
• Container
• Paint brush/tool

We always find these items helpful too:

• Smock
• Craft tray

Directions

• Chose a location that won’t be disturbed.  We went with the top of an outdoor picnic table.

• Position your paper and set your object in the centre.

• Using your pastel, outline the shadow that is created.  We used a different colour for each time that we did this so that the changes would be clearly indicated.

• We did this at specific times:  9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.  Do you notice anything about the pattern you have created?

Optional

• Don your smock.  Dilute your watercolour paint according to the directions on the package and apply a wash over your project.  Allow to dry overnight.

• Lightly write the date in the corner of your work and if you like add a small note of the time near each line or record this on the back.

• Pop your work into a frame.

Extensions

• Investigate:  How was the sun used to tell time?  How does a sun dial work?

Purpose

• Understanding that the sun moves throughout the sky during the day.
• Undertanding that the position of the sun affects where and how a shadow will be cast.

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you wear a smock and use a craft tray to protect your clothing and surfaces.
• When outside, be sure to wear proper sun protection: hat, sunscreen etc.
• We suggest that store your drawing tools inside in between recordings as they may melt depending on the material and the temperature where you live.

Check out the full tutorial (and loads of summer fun!) on:

http://www.hellowonderful.co/post/PHOTOGRAPHY-WITH-KIDS–MAKE-A-CLOSE-UP-PHOTO-BOOK

This activity was featured on:

http://www.ohcreativeday.com/kids-crafts-school-holidays/

(Check out Shannon’s site for all sorts of simple and fun activities to do over the summer holidays with your kids!)

Materials

• Squeegee
• Thicker paint (acrylic, tempra)
• Kraft paper
• Tape
• Table cloth or drop sheet

We always find a smock helpful too:

Directions

• Place a table cloth or drop sheet on your work surface.  Roll out your paper and tape the ends down.  We always find it helpful to go the opposite way of the roll.  If your roll is particularly “curly”, tape the roll under the edge of the table.
• Don your smock.
• Add drips and stripes of paint to your paper.  We found that starting with the darker colours and then adding the light after (on top of the other paint) allowed them to retain more of their brightness.
• Pull your squeegee through your paint.  Experiment with different directions, lifting the squeegee etc.
• If you want to add another dimension, apply stickers first to form a resist and paint over them, pulling the stickers off in a few hours once your paper is dry.

• Use your paper for collages, wrapping packages to go in the mail, and as gift wrap!

Purpose

• Exploring different painting tools.
• Mixing colours (The formation of secondary colours)

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you wear a smock and use a craft table cloth or drop to protect your clothing and surfaces.

Materials

• Acetate sheets (or any other plastic type sheets- for example the “window” on toy boxes, page protectors etc.)
• Plastic folders
• Pegs
• Artificial stamen
• Glue glue OR tape
• Window writers or permanent markers
• Scissors
• Paper/pencil (optional)
• Sewing machine (optional)
• Acrylic paint (optional)
• Sickers (optional)
• Fishing line or clear beading line

We always find these items helpful too:

• Smock
• Craft tray

Directions

• Don your smock.  Place your acetate sheet in your craft tray.  Colour it with any patterns and shapes that you may like, using your markers.  If you want, add stickers or paint.  (The kids applied this with bottle caps.)

• Sketch out a butterfly shape and cut it out- this will be your pattern.  You can do this on paper so it is easier to see if you are making multiple butterflies.  If you would like each butterfly to be unique, then simply draw out your shape over your patterns.  We used the same idea for the plastic folders so the butterflies would be multi-layered.

• Sew or glue the layers of your butterfly together, simply making a line down the middle, where the butterfly will go over top of.  Fold the wings to the opposite sides- this will make them stand up a bit.

• Glue your antennae to your peg and then glue or tape your body onto your wings.

• Wrap a bit of fishing line around the “neck” of the butterfly and knot it.  Hang your butterflies in the window & enjoy!

Purpose

• Re-purposing items
• Exploring

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you wear a smock and use a craft tray to protect your clothing and surfaces.
• Use scissors and a glue gun with care and direct adult supervision.
• Cord, yarn etc. can be a strangulation hazard, therefore be sure to use with direct supervision and for its intended purpose.