The following was written by contributor Rae Grant of My Little Hen.

With summer travel and lots of outdoors adventures still happening, what better way to have your kids preserve these memories than in a scrapbook made from recycled cardboard and paper?

Making and keeping a scrapbook can be a creative entry point for kids into collecting  postcards, letters, or plant specimens. They can also get experience documenting their adventures creatively. Even the youngest can hand and finger print pictures, draw pictures, and collect summer material such as leaves, flowers, feathers, to place in their journal.

Gathering recycled materials for this project is easy and it can show kids  just how much stuff we have around the house to use again! Depending on the materials you have on hand, and how your kids like to put pages together, each journal scrapbook will be unique (which of course can be very cool!)

Like most simple projects, a few basic materials are required to get started.

Collect the following material:

• Two pieces of 8 ½ x 11 thin cardboard (Cereal boxes are perfect or a cardboard of similar weight)

• Six to to eight sheets of 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper (construction paper is colorful, white laser paper, or  brown paper bags trimmed to size works well too)

• String or ribbon, about 8 inches long

•  Good quality single hole punch

• Ruler

• Pencil

• One or two large rubber band

• Old breadboard or thick cardboard (to use for work surface)

Getting started:

1. Place text sheets between cardboard (like a sandwich).

2. Wrap two rubber bands around both ends to secure the papers before punching holes in the fold.

3. Mark two symmetrical holes about 1 inches from the edge. Use a pencil to mark each spot.

4. Set the book on a work surface and gently punch a hole through each mark. (be sure to pierce through the hole). The thickness of the paper and the quality of the hole punch will determine how many layers of paper you can punch, so be patient. You may have to punch two pages at a time instead of the whole stack.

5. Once all the holes have been made, check to be sure the holes line up when stacked.

6. Next, push one end of the ribbon or string through one of the holes from the underside to the top. Repeat for the other hole. Tie the ribbon or string loosely in a simple knot.

7. Unlace as needed to add more paper, or to adjust tension if needed.

8. Embellish the cover using glue and found material such as  bottle caps, cut out letters, beads, flower petals, pictures and stamps, whatever inspires you.

Extra Ideas:

Glue the back of a letter-size envelope to the page or inside cover to store letters, postcards or small sheets of note paper.

Decorate the outside of the envelope with letters, rubber stamps or drawings.

Did you keep a scrapbook as a kid? What kind of scrapbook do you think your kids might like to make this summer?

This kid made project was inspired  by the Summer Travel Scrapbook project in Crafting Fun: 101 Things to Make and Do with Kids by Rae Grant, St. Martin’s Griffin.

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I’m so pleased to introduce our newest contributor, Amy Anderson of Let’s Explore and Early Bird Homeschool. Welcome, Amy!

My kids look forward to Father’s Day all year.  I think what they love most is the over-the-top appreciation they receive from my husband.  They glow with pride when they give him handmade cards, breakfast in bed, or an extra-long afternoon nap.

Father’s Day at our home sometimes involves a handmade gift, while other years we focus on a fun activity or meal.  My girls plan, shop, create, cook, and serve.  I’m available for help as needed, but the pride of doing something really special for Dad is all theirs.

Whether you consider yourself crafty or not, here are four gifts that kids of all ages can make for Dad with a little grown-up help:

1. Sweet Thoughts for Dad

Photo by Amy Anderson

My girls love fortune cookies, which were the inspiration for this sweet gift.  Buy a bag of Dad’s favorite candy in mini or “fun-size.”  Cut strips of paper (we used scraps of scrapbooking paper, cut 2-inches wide) and help your kids write messages to Dad on each one. If your kids need help thinking of things to write, offer open-ended sentence starters like, You are good at… or I love you because…

Wrap a sweet note around each candy bar and tape to secure.  Every time Dad enjoys one of his treats, he gets to read a special message from his kids.

2. “D is for Dad” Day

Photo by Amy Anderson

Plan a “D is for Dad” Day where everything starts with D. For food, try donuts, deli sandwiches, dark chocolate, deep dish pizza, Dad’s Root Beer, or any variety of desserts.  Your activities for the day might include driving (in the car or on the golf course), dancing, digging in the dirt, and of course, dozing. My girls loved doing this for their Dad when they were preschool-age.

3. Personalized Clipboard

Photo by Amy Anderson

Do your kids like to make collages?  We’re giving Dad something fun to look at while he tackles his to-do list by sprucing up his clipboard with photos and artwork. Use Mod Podge or diluted white glue (add just a splash of water) to attach your pictures, then seal the finished project with a coat or two of the Mod Podge or glue.  Let dry and attach a new pencil and some graph paper.  A useful homemade gift with personality!

4. Look-Alike Photos

Photo by Amy Anderson

If your kids love dressing-up, then this is the perfect activity.  Head to Dad’s closet and grab some props for a photo shoot – work clothes, boots, hats, sunglasses, suit jackets, ties, etc.  Get dressed-up and jump in the back of Dad’s truck or his favorite living room chair and take some silly candids.  Pick your favorite to print and frame, or make a slide show on the computer.  My girls loved doing this – I’m sure we will be revisiting this idea many times.

More fun ways to celebrate Dad:

•Find a photo booth at a local mall or store and take some silly, candid shots of the kids for Dad’s wallet.  Or, include him in the fun, too.

•Print out paper airplane folding instructions and grab a stack of paper for a paper airplane contest.

•Head to the grocery store and gather a bunch of Dad’s favorite foods and drinks.  Load a bucket with his goodies or surprise him with a different treat in his lunch all week.

•Have a backyard camp-out dinner – don’t forget the S’mores.

I know the Simple Kids readers are full of creative ideas.  What are your Father’s Day traditions?  Will your kids make or do anything special for Dad this year?

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The following is a post written by author and Crafts Contributor Rae Grant of My Little Hen.

Some people say that kids will only be inventive if they are allowed to experience boredom. Although it was soap maker Andrew Pears who popularized bubble blowing in the late 1800’s, I have no doubt that it was probably a child who came up with the idea of making homemade bubbles one hot summer day in July.

Perfect Boredom Buster

With summer coming as fast as it can, so is the need to have a few activities for your kids to do when they have some down time. Making bubbles is one of the more simple and fanciful ways to spend a warm sunny afternoon. They work well on a grassy lawn, outside on the steps, under the  shade of a tree, and even in the kitchen.

When it comes to kids, bubbles have everything going for them; they fascinate, they float, have rainbow colors, and require some skill to blow a good bubble. They can be treated as a scientific experiment or as a past time. Best of all, they are inexpensive to make.

Bubbles are, indeed, the perfect boredom buster for a summer day.

Alone or with a group of friends, they are sure to entertain. Parents, don’t underestimate the power of a little liquid soap to occupy your kids.

Photo by SteveFE

Invite Experimenting

Let the kids experiment. Making and experimenting with the homemade bubble solution is fun for young scientists, but it’s also appealing to the inventors too.

Try collecting an array of bubble blowers made from everyday household items such as a funnel, a straw, or rubber band. Don’t forget to save and reuse bubble wands too.

You can even make bubble art using a paper cone. Add tints of food coloring to the solution and blow the bubbles directly on a sheet of paper onto paper to make bubble art.

Homemade Bubble Solution

It is very simple to make your own bubble solution.

1. Gather small and large plastic or steel funnels, drinking straws, rubber bands ( thick and thin)

2. Mix together in a bowl or metal baking pan:

1 cup warm water

½ cup dishwashing soap

1 teaspoon light corn syrup (optional)

3. Combine ingredients in a bowl, or metal baking pan and stir well.

To begin, dip the open end of the funnel, paper cone, or drinking straw into the soapy solution and blow lightly through the non-soapy end. The corn syrup helps to create a sturdy BIG bubble.

Once the kids have mastered the art of bubble blowing have a contest to see who can make the largest bubble. Serve with a glass of cold homemade lemonade and you’ll have an almost perfect event.

Look for Rae’s new book, Homemade Fun: 101 Crafts and Activities to Do with Kids to be released June 8, 2010 and come back here tomorrow for a chance to win your very own copy!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

• Oak Meadow - creative homeschooling since 1975.
• The Vintage Pearl - simple. sentimental. meaningful.
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• Hazelnut Kids - natural toys for natural curiosity.
• Living Crafts - craft your whole life.
• Little Acorn Learning - monthly nature-based curriculum at home.

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Ilove taking pictures of my kids.  Every holiday, birthday, and special occasion will find me enthusiastically snapping pictures and coaxing smiles from my family.

Mother’s Day is this weekend and I will, of course, be bringing my camera along to document the day.  However, this year I want to take a different approach when looking through the lens of my camera: I want to focus on the ordinary.

What will I want to have a memory of years from now?  What seemingly ordinary moments and things will be precious to myself and to my children in the future?

Moments to Capture this Mother’s Day

The Faces

My extended family will be gathering at my grandmother’s this Sunday.  Because we don’t get together too often, I have a tendency try to squeeze every family member I can into large group photos. I do this because I want a record of us all together.   But afterward, I find myself staring a stack of group shots that I’m disappointed in because someone’s eye were closed or somebody is looking away.

This  year I want to forgo the group shots and focus more on faces and individuals.

Photo by Ctd2005

I want to take more close-ups: the chubby baby cheeks of my youngest child and my mom’s bright blue eyes.  I want the laugh-lines, the dimples, the freckles. The stories they tell will be more meaningful to me someday than the posed group pictures.

The Hands

As long as I’m zooming in for close-ups, I want to take pictures of my family’s hands.  Hands tell some pretty amazing stories.  Some hands are dimpled and chubby, some have bright pink nail polish, some are wearing wedding bands. Bigger hands hold little hands. 

All of these hands will change as the years pass. Our hands reveal our histories.

Photo byIn a N.Y. State of Mind

Me, Myself, and I

I’m one of those mothers whose family albums contain no pictures of myself.  I’m always the one behind the camera so I’m seldom in the pictures unless they are self-portraits.  Because I wish I had more pictures of my mother, especially pictures of her from when I was growing up, I’m trying to be mindful of including pictures of myself for my kids.

This Mother’s Day, I’m going to hand the camera over to someone else and make sure that my picture gets taken.  I want to give my children family albums that show more of their mother than just than my words and journaling and a handful of slightly blurry self-portraits where only part of my face is showing.

I want them to be able to look back when they are grown and see me, their mother, as I am right now.  I want them to be able to look at pictures of me and know that I was really living life, right there beside them.

The Generations

A few years ago, I was with my mother and grandmother watching my oldest daughter play.  I wondered something out loud about if it ever stopped being amazing to watch your child grow up and my mother looked at me  and said,”It hasn’t stopped being amazing yet.“   And then her mother looked at her and said, “No, it hasn’t.”

We are always our mother’s children, no matter how old we get.

Every year that my family gets to celebrate these four living generations is a gift.  There are no ordinary moments.   I want to document that, to freeze time, so that  I can say to my children, “Look at this picture. These are the women who love you.  These are the mothers of this family.”

It hasn’t stopped being amazing yet.

What ordinary moments will you be capturing this Mother’s Day?

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If you want to add a little more nature and artistic flair into your child’s everyday life, try a craft project using freshly picked dandelions to serve as natural paint brushes. Even though Mother’s Day is supposed to be a day off from business as usual at home, it is still fun to work with your kids on a natural flower card project that can double as a Mother’s Day gift.

One of my favorite weed flowers, the bright yellow dandelion, shows up in the spring and lasts into summer. There is just simply nothing not to love about dandelions. They make charming flower bracelets, fanciful bouquets, and turn into soft white globes that can be blown, along with a wish, into the wind and across lawns and fields. They are magical, useful, and edible.

Dandelions also make great flower brushes for stamping and painting cards. Part of the fun of making Flower Paintbrush Cards is going on a walk outside to pick fresh flowers. The other joy (at least for kids) is the tactile thrill of twirling the flowers gently across a clean sheet of white paper to make a printed pattern.

Photo courtesy of Rae Grant

Kids may also find it interesting to know that the dandelion gets it name from the jagged edges of the flowers (the name derives from old French Dent-de-lion and Latin dens leonis ‘lion’s tooth’). Dandelion leaves can be eaten as salad greens if they grown in a pesticide free area. I know we’ve been trying to stomp them out of cultivated lawns for decades, but I say skip the pesticide and let them grow. Childhood would not be the same without dandelions to pick freely and create simple lovely things with.

Photo courtesy of Rae Grant

Before you begin:

1. Gather a cloth bag or basket for collecting flowers. Pack a light snack or a picnic lunch to bring along to make the outing an event.

2. Take a walk outside with your kids and search for dandelion flowers.They are easy to spot in most back yards and along the edges of fields.

3. Collect a batch to use for the card-making project. Be sure to pluck dandelions at the base of the stem. When you get back home, prepare the craft table. Lay out a cloth, newspaper, or brown bag on the table top.

4. Set out sheets of 8 1/2 by 11″ recycled laser paper or cut brown paper bags into squares or rectangles. Set out one watercolor set per child and a small glass of water for dipping.

5. To make a Dandelion Flower Paintbrush Card: Lightly dip the flower head into water and then into the water color paint. Brush, press, or twirl the dandelion flower across the paper to create a pattern. Experiment with different colors, different movements. (Play some classical piano or jazz music while the kids are experimenting.)

6. When done be sure to have the kids write a poem or I LOVE YOU on the inside of the card.

Happy Mother’s Day!

For more card making ideas, head over to Rae’s website My Little Hen

CURRENT SPONSORS:

• Oak Meadow - creative homeschooling since 1975.
• The Vintage Pearl - simple. sentimental. meaningful.
• Naturally Knocked Up - increasing the odds of conception naturally.
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• Hazelnut Kids - natural toys for natural curiosity.
• Living Crafts - craft your whole life.
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Egg cartons have been a fascination of mine in recent years. They seem like the perfect invention; a snug cup which holds delicate, breakable eggs securely enough to travel miles from farm to table, and they have a solid lid which closes and opens easily without breaking. They simply are useful.

Kids have caught on to this handy container and use them to store favorite collectibles. In our family, many a summer day was spent filling the little cups with pebbles and natural treasures down by our brook. Kids quickly learn that an egg carton houses acorns, rock, marbles, insects and butterflies, small dolls, pennies, feathers, and leaves.  Their treasures were safe in that egg carton. (Mom was less likely to throw out the treasures right away.)

While utilitarian at heart, the recycled cardboard egg carton is an opportunity to repurpose.

With a little imagination and a few simple craft items, kids can create a charming child-friendly homemade Easter egg basket that enchants and delights young and old alike.We’ve made several and each one has its own character. (We save them year after year and store our hand blown eggs in them.)

Photo by Rae Grant

Encouraging imagination in the kids is the secret to making an enchanting Cardboard Egg Carton Easter Basket. I like to use simple projects like this as an opportunity to allow kids to invent and innovate. There is no right or wrong way to decorate an egg carton basket- but imagination and creative use of materials certainly goes very far. One secret to a successful crafting project is to let the kids decorate and design in their own style. No matter what the outcome say something encouraging and sincere. Kids often know when we are making up a compliment. A little parental help is ok but let the project be your child’s invention and decision- making process.

Variety is the spice of all craft and art projects with kids (and adults too). Teaching kids that we don’t have to imitate other projects when we make something will also give them confidence to explore and take chances at the craft table. (The message is clear, we don’t have to always make things that look mass produced.) Once you have your craft table set up with all the materials laid out, let the fun begin.

Taking it all the way:

In addition to decorating the egg carton itself, there are several simple craft projects you could  add that would make this a seasonal crafting occasion! Here are a few simple ideas:

1. Take clean and dried white or brown egg shells and have the kids paint or dye them. They sit nicely in the egg container and can be filled with jellybeans and chocolate eggs for Easter morning.

2. Have the kids use scissors to curl thin strips of recycled paper. Fill the cups with colorful curled paper and set the decorated eggshell halves on top the curled paper.

3. Be sure to place whole dyed eggs in the decorated container as well. You may want to decorate the eggs first as a project, and then decorate the egg container.

Photo by Rae Grant

What You Need to Get Started

Newspaper (for work space)

Clean and empty egg cartons (one per child)

Pastel chalk (multiple colors)

Watercolor or tempera craft paint

Paintbrushes

Homemade paste (click here for the link to Rae’s paste recipe)

Glitter (for the bold and brave)

Recycled cards, books and magazines that have a spring-theme
(pictures of bunnies, nests, flowers, eggs, trees)

1. Set out newspapers on your work surface.
2. Set out paints, homemade paste, and glitter in small child-friendly containers.
3. Allow your child to paint, draw, and collage the inside and outside of the cardboard egg carton as they wish. (Encourage spring themed ideas, flowers, trees, grass, bunnies as possible visual ideas if the child needs suggestions to get started.) Allow paint and glue to dry completely.
4. Provide clean and dry eggshells halves for painting and decorating. Set upside down on a paper towel to dry.
5. Add paper grass, or curled paper strips to several of the cups. Fill with painted eggshell halves, dyed eggs, jellybeans, chocolate-foiled eggs, small toys (a set of jacks) a whistle, or figurine.
6. Enjoy!

TIP: Allow for at least 1/2 hour to make the egg carton basket. Often children will rework an idea to it’s perfection if they have the time to go back and add detail. No hurrying!

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• Oak Meadow - creative homeschooling since 1975.
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• Living Crafts - craft your whole life.
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With early spring fast approaching there is still time for plenty of indoor crafting projects before the shift to outdoor weather play begins. Getting your kids to sit down at the craft table can sometimes be a challenge. Time and organization is one hurdle and having useful basic materials in the house to get the process started spontaneously is another.

Be Resourceful

Having a few simple materials on hand can help make crafting a creative outlet rather than a dull chore. That is very good for everyone! One simple item to have on hand whenever you want to get started at the craft table is good old-fashioned paste. It’s easy to make, non-toxic, and easy to store for your children’s daily and weekly craft time.

When you make homemade paste with your kids, you are teaching them the very basics of being resourceful—that you don’t always have to go to the store to buy everything. Many crafting and art items  can be made at home using everyday materials. That can be part of the fun.

Organize the Project with Your Kids

Let’s be honest, sometimes it’s much easier to not have the help of children but it is valuable to your child when they learn to listen to directions and are involved in the process.

Before you begin, here are a few extra steps to do in advance of the paste project. Definitely get your kids to help in this stage of the project.

1. Make a list of necessary items you will need and gather all materials such as craft sticks for stirring, measuring cups, measuring spoon, and a mixing bowl.
2. Gather and collect small yogurt containers. Have a washing session in the sink with soap and water. Wash and dry and set containers on a clean dish towel.
3. Set out newspapers or a plastic tablecloth on your work surface.
4. Once this is ready you can begin making the paste.

Making the Paste

Here’s my favorite simple no-cook paste recipe to try. It is perfect for pasting collages, homemade cards, or paper chains. I like it a little watery but if you want a thicker paste then  add one or two tablespoons of flour to get the consistency you desire. I prefer to start with small batches to avoid waste. This recipe makes about 6 oz (a small yogurt container). These 6 ounces will go a long way in one day. If you have several children you can let them each make their own batch or divide the recipes into small containers. Adding a dab of tempera craft paint  to each container can make this an exciting project as well. Cover with a lid and refrigerate when not in use for about 1 week.

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cold water

pinch of salt

Craft stick or fork for stirring

1. Measure 1/4 cup of flour and place in a small mixing bowl.

2. Gradually add water to the paste and stir well with a fork to combine.

3. Add the remaining flour and stir until the consistency is smooth and creamy.

4. Pour the paste into a clean plastic container and cover with a fitted lid or waxed paper and a rubber band until ready to use.

Kara here. Thanks for sharing your paste recipe, Rae!  My kids and I are excited to give it a try. What about you guys? What are you and your kids going to make with your paste?

CURRENT SPONSORS:

• Oak Meadow - creative homeschooling since 1975.
• The Vintage Pearl - simple. sentimental. meaningful.
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• Hazelnut Kids - natural toys for natural curiosity.
• Living Crafts - craft your whole life.
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In preparation for her daughter’s second birthday, Christie Burnett of Childhood 101 is making a dress up box full of homemade fun and today she shares a tutorial for making a simple child’s tutu with Simple Kids readers.

Before I begin, I should clarify that I am an amateur sewer, largely self taught and unusually impatient, so my sewing projects must be simple to make and quick to complete.  This cute tutu is certainly simple and quick, plus the finished piece looks very cute.

What you’ll need

Please note, the exact quantities of each of the following will depend upon the size of the child you are making the skirt for.

* 1 metre (40″) poly tulle or tulle in main colour (I prefer the poly tulle as it is softer than traditional tulle)
* 1/2 metre (20″) sparkly poly tulle that complements main colour
* 1 1/2 metres (60″) 5 cm wide (2″) ribbon

Let’s get started

1. I used an existing skirt of my daughters as a guide for the sizing of the tutu.  You will need both a length and waist measurement.

2. Cut four lengths of the main colour poly tulle.  I neatly folded the fabric to make cutting across the entire width of the tulle easier.  There is no need to be painfully exact as the completed skirt is quite full and forgiving.

3. Cut one length of the sparkly poly tulle.

4. Gathering: Set your sewing machine to the longest stitch length and with a seam allowance of 1cm, sew along the top edge of each piece of poly tulle, including the sparkly fabric.  Do not backstitch.  Cut the thread.

Taking hold of one thread (see the picture below where I am holding the top thread only), gently pull the thread to gather the fabric.  Continue pulling, adjusting and evening out the gathers as you go, GENTLY!

Gather until the finished length is that of the waist measurement determined in step 1.  Tie the loose threads at each end and trim excess thread.

Repeat for each piece of tulle.

5.  To hold gathering in place, set your sewing machine back to a medium stitch length and sew over the top of the gathering stitch.  Repeat for each piece of tulle.

6. Pin the five pieces of tulle together with the poly tulle on the outside.  It is easiest to find the centre point of each piece and begin pinning from the centre out to each edge.

7.  Sew all five layers together by alongside the gathering stitch of the top piece of tulle.  As poly tulle is quite fine my basic sewing machine managed to stitch through the layers without difficulty.

8.  Fold your ribbon in half and iron on a low heat.

9.  Fold ribbon over the waistline of the tutu, it should cover your gathering stitches easily.  Again, I began with the centre of the ribbon and the centre of the skirt piece and pinned from the centre out.  Stitch along the bottom edge of the ribbon.  I stitched a second row alongside the first for reinforcement.

10.  Now your tutu is complete.  It is easily tied around your child’s waist with the excess ribbon.  Time to dance and enjoy!

You can see more of Christie’s fun ideas for homemade fun at Childhood 101.

What projects have you recently undertaken? Were you happy with the results?

CURRENT SPONSORS:

• Oak Meadow - creative homeschooling since 1975.
• The Vintage Pearl - simple. sentimental. meaningful.
• Naturally Knocked Up - increasing the odds of conception naturally.
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• Hazelnut Kids - natural toys for natural curiosity.
• Living Crafts - craft your whole life.
• Little Acorn Learning - monthly nature-based curriculum at home.

© 2010 Simple Living Media, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Simple Kids subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please contact hello@simplelivingmedia.com to let us know. Thanks.