Check out the full tutorial at:

http://www.hellowonderful.co/post/KID-MADE-WATERCOLOR-SHAMROCK-CLOVER-CARDS

Purpose

• Discovering that primary colours, when mixed, make secondary colours.
• Developing one’s fine motor skills (using a punch, gluing, squeezing a eye dropper etc.)
• Creating opportunities for writing.
• Appreciating others.

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you wear a smock and use a craft tray to protect your clothing and surfaces.
• Use scissors with care and adult supervision.
• Use non-toxic supplies with young children.

Materials

• K’NEX
• Liquid watercolour paints
• Funnel
• Fine mist spray bottle
• Watercolour paper

We always find these items helpful too:

• Smock
• Craft tray

Directions

• Build your snowflakes- this is a great time to explore patterns with various attributes- colour, size etc..

• Don your smock.  Put your paper in your craft tray or on a craft table cloth.  (We lied ours on a piece of poster paper so we could use that for another purpose.)

• Lay your snowflakes onto your paper.

• Insert your funnel into your spray bottle and add your paint.

• Spray over your snowflakes.

• Change colours in your bottle by pouring the contents back into the original container using the funnel and then adding the new colour through the funnel.  (You can wash it in between if you like)

• Allow your work to dry and then remove your toy snowflakes, revealing the negative image!

Purpose

• Exploring patterning.
• Discovering how to create a negative image.
• Using a variety of tools and discovering how they function- in this case a spray bottle and funnel.

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you wear a smock and use a craft tray to protect your clothing and surfaces.

Materials

• Air dry clay
• Acrylic paints (our daughter went with white and glittery options)
• Paintbrushes
• Clay board
• Piece of cardboard
• Cardstock
• Scissors
• Metallic pen
• Pencil/earser
• Craft tray

We always find a smock helpful too!

SNOWBALLS

Directions

• Don your smock.  Roll your clay into balls.

• Once you are done, take your cardboard and push it down into your snowball to make a slot to slide in your place card.

• Allow your snowballs to dry according to the product directions.

• We then painted our snowballs with a coat of white, followed by a glitter paint and sealed it with a coat of clear, acrylic gloss.  (Waiting for each coat to thoroughly dry in between.)

• Once dry, write your family or friend’s names on your cardstock (we used some cue cards), using pencil first and then tracing it with a metallic pen.  Cut them out and pop them into your snowball place card holders!

SNOW PEOPLE

If you want to extend the activity for older children, turn your snowball into a snow person!

Materials

• Circle punches OR caps OR pencil/eraser
• Felt
• Beads
• Glue
• Cardstock or thin cardboard
• Scissors
• Tweezers

Directions

• Create your snowballs.  You will need two more balls (one for the mid-section and one for the head).  Below we show you three different methods that might work for you: a) trace two lids and cut them out b) draw free hand and cut them out c) use a punch or punches and glue them together.

• Decorate your snow people as you like.  We added carrot noses out of felt and beads for eyes.  Tweezers are fun to use for putting the beads into the glue dots!

• We then used our glue to make the initials for the guests names and filled them in with different coloured beads.  You could do this with felt markers.

• Allow to dry overnight.

• Insert your top snowballs into your clay snowball base and set your table!  Each friend could take home their snow person home either to use on their table or to display on a mantle etc.

• Brother approved!

Purpose

• Creating various opportunities for writing (particularly the names of people who you are familiar with).
• Developing hand strength, working with clay.

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you wear a smock and use a craft tray to protect your clothing and surfaces.
• Use scissors with care and adult supervision.
• Follow the product directions and check to assure that they are non-toxic re: consumption.

Alia is a 7 year old from the San Francisco Bay area who wanted to spread kindness.  Her project is 2-fold.

1) With each dollar donated to her chosen charity, The Bay Area Rescue Mission (her local homeless shelter), Alia will make a rainbow rock and put it out into the world for people find!

2) Alia has raised over $500.00 so far so that is a lot of rocks for one person to create so she needs a bit of help!  Paint and put your rocks out into your neighbourhood so we can show Alia support from all over the world.  Tag a photograph of making your rocks, your rock itself and/or putting it out into your town or city, sharing it on Instagram so she can see your support for her very heartfelt idea!

We made some rainbow rocks last weekend and the kids found it so exciting to place rocks for our neighbours and strangers to discover!  We hope you will join us in doing the same!

Here are all the details:

http://www.rainbowrockproject.com/

P.S. I have to say, we are really impressed and inspired Alia!

“Reading to children even before they can understand teaches them to associate books with love and affection”?

(Author unknown).  

I just love it!  Thank you to everyone who reads to their children or students.  We hope this bookmark card encourages more reading!

Materials

BOOKMARK

• Paper and creating supplies (paints, brushes, markers etc.) OR a previous painting
• Laminating supplies OR clear contact paper OR packing tape (*optional)
• Paper cutter (or a ruler, pencil and scissors)
• Hole punch

CARD

• Card printable tops in my books
  
• Cardstock (for printing on)
• Scissors
• Craft knife (to be used by an adult)/ Cutting mat

TASSELS

• Embroidery Floss
• Yarn
• Beads
• Scissors
• Needle
• Tape
• A Loome (Follow us on INSTAGRAM for a chance to win one of these!  Totally impressed by them!)

We always find these items helpful too:

• Smock
• Craft tray

Directions

BOOKMARKS

• Don your smock.  Paint or colour your chosen paper with whatever technique you like!  Allow to dry overnight (if you painted).  You could also use a previous piece, after asking the child.

• Flatten your pages overnight by piling heavy books on them.

• Cut out rectangles for your bookmarks using a paper cutter or a ruler and scissors.

• Punch a hole in one end.

• We then laminated ours (you could also use two pieces of clear contact paper or packing tape with the sticky sides facing each other, the bookmark sandwiched in between) or leave it as is.

• Take ribbon, yarn etc., fold it so that the loop is over the hole then lace the ends coming up through the hole (as seen in the photo with a previous bookmark).

OR 

• Attach a bead and any tassels that you might like.  We got a Loome and it was so easy to use that we are giving away two of them on Instagram (#notsponsered- we were just so impressed how easy they were for kids and loved them!).  You simply tuck your end in the teeth, wrap the Loome and then tie around the looped yarn at one end, trimming the other and then slipping it off to cut- voila… your own tassel!  They make pom poms too!)

• Here’s a video on the technique for making the tassel:

CARDS

• Print out the provided template on cardstock.

• Cut out the cards.

• Write the receipt’s name and yours.

• Have an adult cut a slit on the line, with a craft knife.  Depending on your age, abilities and your parent’s comfortability, you may be ready to try this with direct supervision and guidance.

• Slide your bookmark in as shown.  (Put a little tape donut on the top affixing it to the card.)

• Give your cards and bookmarks to your classmates/ friends or teachers!

Materials

• Blank bag
• Fabric paint
• Sponge brush
• Cardboard (cut to fit in your bag)
• Embroidery floss and needle
• Fabric pen
• Scissors
• Contact paper (you can buy this at housewares stores- it is often marketed as cupboard liner, craft stores and dollar stores.)

We always find these items helpful too:

• Smock
• Craft tray or table cloth

Directions

• Don your smock.
• Insert a piece of cardboard into the bag.  This will prevent the sides from sticking together when you paint!
• Cut off a piece of contact paper, fold it in half. Sketch and cut out a heart.
• Peel off the backing and have an adult help you put the outside of the heart on your bag. (Making a stencil.)
• Dip your sponge into your paint and dab it onto the heart cut-out.
• Allow it to dry in your craft tray overnight.
• Carefully peel off your your contact paper and remove your cardboard.
• We then knotted our embroidery floss on one end, threaded the needle on the other and sewed around the outside of the heart.  You could add details with a fabric pen as an alternative.
• Write your name in the inside with a fabric pen.

Purpose

• Learning how to make various stencils
• Developing one’s fine motor skills (cutting, threading a needle, sewing etc.)

Safety Notes

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

Our friend, Agnes Hsu at hello, Wonderful (http://www.hellowonderful.co/) just designed a decal based on one of the most popular activities on their site.  You can order it at Plaeful (http://plaeful.co/).  It is frames that you can draw in, post your artwork etc. (Perfect for doodling while dad or mom makes dinner!)  What we like about it is that it is re-useable and works with washable markers!  (Better for the earth and fun for kids- what’s not to love!?!).  We got a decal over the holidays and our son used it to make his own comic, starring him, his brother and sister!

Materials

• Plaeful’s erasable decal, washable markers, 1 damp cloth and 1 dry cloth or cotton swabs- perfect for erasing small details!

OR

• A large roll of paper, pencil/eraser, ruler and pencil crayons, markers etc. OR this idea http://www.hellowonderful.co/post/EASY-DIY-FRAMES-WALLPAPER

Directions

• Look at comic books, comics in the newspaper etc.  and get familiar with the format- what do you notice?  How do they introduce the characters?  Is there a problem that must be solved?  What makes a good super hero?  Will you include a villain?  How does the super hero use her/his super powers?  Do they transform?  Are there different alternatives to solving the problem?  Who benefits with each option?  What are the restrictions?  Did the problem get solved in the way that you predicted?  How does the storyline end?

• Sketch out your ideas.  What was flexible about the erasable decal was that it was easy to make changes.  Our son mapped out the characters, the settings and the plot all within the frames, adding numbers so the reader could follow along.  He then completed his ideas in with various colours.

• Once done, share your story with your family or classmates!

Purpose

• Becoming familiar with some of the traits of various types of writing/communication (comics).
• Identifying what elements are necessary to make a story effective (characters, plot, setting etc.).
• Learning how to organize your thoughts in a sequence for your audience to understand them.

We share this fun “how-to” on:

http://www.hellowonderful.co/post/VALENTINE-ART-PROJECT-FOR-KIDS–MAKE-THE-MOON-CARDS