Day 16 Letter Writing

Day 16 – Writing Letters

The other day while checking the mail LeeAnn asked excitedly if she had gotten anything. Not many people write to a three year old, but what if she writes to them? So today we are writing, and I use the term loosely, letters. The art of letter writing, or snail mail, has mostly been forgotten in this age of electronics, but for young children it is still magical and exciting.

I miss letters; there is an intimacy to them that you cannot get from any other form of communication. The history I find most moving and touching is always based on the letters left behind by those of the past, like the letter George Washington wrote to his niece (a good book to check out if you like history). It is a shame that the voice that would tell the most compelling stories are often left without a voice, such as slaves, most nomadic tribes and pre-modern man.

Anyway, for LeeAnn’s letters, I brought out my collection of unused stationary (although I love letters, my handwriting is awful so I don’t write them often). I helped her choose paper for each addressee and write their name at the top of each page. She was then allowed to color a picture on each page. We tried to use the recipient’s favorite color, and we talked about that person while she colored. I asked what she wanted to say to them and wrote a few lines, making sure we did not write on the picture and helped her sign her name. We then chose a sticker or two that fit each individual’s personality and put it on the page. Finally LeeAnn folded the paper, sometimes she needed some guidance, and we put it in an addressed envelope. She put on the stamps and threw them in the box. I’ve warned my sister to make sure her cousins send some mail back.

This was a fun project for her. We got to practice our letters and work on her communication skills while ‘writing’ the letters, as well as use up some of my lonely stationary. In a little while, when LeeAnn ask if she got any mail today, I can hand her a letter too!

Day 15 – Hand Prints

This classic craft is always something nice keepsake for parents to hold onto. We made the classic version today, but I am also including directions for an updated version I have made for my family when LeeAnn was younger.

In Chauvet Cave in Southern France, a simple cave painting made 32,000 years ago helps to connect us to our human ancestors across time. It is done with the simple outline of a hand print.

With Mothers day coming up LeeAnn and I made three hand prints, one for us to keep, one for granny and one for Aunt Lab. After making bright pink dough I let LeeAnn make the handprints herself, because the dough does not harden until you bake it so it was very simple to re-roll it and let her try again. We then baked it and wrote her name and age on the back.

This is an instant keepsake, for an added special touch, take a nice picture of your little one and buy a shadow box frame, mount the picture with the print and you’ll have lovely keep sake you can hang on the wall. I have also included a more contemporary version of this project that I did with LeeAnn last year using a double paned frame and a stamp pad.

How to Make a Clay Handprint Keepsake and a Glass Ink Handprint

Supplies:

1 cup Flour

¼ cup Salt

1/3 cup Water

Food Coloring

Measuring Cups (liquid and dry)

Measuring Spoons

Rolling Pin

Baking Sheet

Cooling Rack

Permanent Marker

Ink Pad (non-Toxic)

Double Paned Shadow Box Frame

Childs Art Work

Instructions:

-          Mix together flour and salt, add food coloring to water if desired and add to flour mixture. Stir together. If the mixture is still dry and crumbly add a small amount of water. Mix until smooth.

-          Roll out and/or mold into shape desired, make sure it is no more than 1 ½ inches thick.

-          Have child press hand print into the surface while it is on the backing sheet as the handprint can be distorted as you try to move it.

-          Bake at 300°F for 30 – 60 mins. Do not let brown.

-          Once cool, write name, date and age on the back.

For contemporary handprint project, mount the child’s picture on the back of the shadow box. On the middle frame of glass, have the child put his handprint using the nontoxic ink pad. This makes a very unique looking handprint that you can share with the rest of you family.

Day 14 - Wax Play

I didn’t really have a plan for today; we were just supposed to make something that floats. Immediately everyone I know said, make a boat, but who wants to be like everyone else. Not me! Finally I decided to soften up some wax (it floats) and see what we come up with.

Modern candles are made with paraffin wax, yet another fine product we use crude oil to make. Its not just gasoline[1]! Luckily, this is a byproduct of gasoline production, so it does not call for extra consumption. Alternative waxes can be found in bees wax and the candelilla plant[2] which has a very interesting history. Please check the link below to find out more.

LeeAnn and I really just played with the wax today so there is really no how to. We started by making wax fingers and hands. I started the day out by taking to glade candles and melting them in a pot of water. I kept in the candle holder and melted completely. To the other I add extra candle wax and pink coloring.

Next I let the wax cool a bit until LeeAnn and I could touch it. (I did try to mold the soft clay. But I was the wrong type and crumpled, often becoming cool to quickly). We began simply by putting our fingers in the wax; LeeAnn made one wax finger that she let me keep, and re-melted the others in the large pot that never quite got cool. I was able to make a set of fingers and an entire hand.

After that we went outside into the garden and picked several flowers. Once back inside I let LeeAnn dip them into the hot wax and drop them into a water bucket. If we shook off the excess wax, they turned out very nice and preserved the flower quite well.

Finally I let LeeAnn make a candle. By using one of the old wicks and a ruler, she was able to dip the wick into the hot wax and then dip it into the cool water. By alternately dipping the wick in this manner she was able to make two small drip candles.

Clean up was a nightmare though. If you want to explore any of these crafts further I suggest dedicated tools, so the cleaning does not have to be a thorough. It took a long time to get every bit of wax off of the pots and utensils!

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[1] http://www.candlewaxmaking.com/history-of-candlemaking/

[2] http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/waxcamps/history.html

Day 13 – Clothes Pin Dolls

Today I wanted to make something that took me back to my childhood. As a kid we had these Christmas tree ornaments that my father had made out of clothes pins. Little figures, sailors, wiremen, kings, queens, and other dolls with tiny detailed faces looking down at me from the tree; I loved them. Then other day while at the book store I found a kit for kids to make an easier version, so I thought why not.

Once again these are credited German invention, did all the toys come from there? But clothes pin dolls are a folk toy that children made I’m sure long before the Germans marketed them. 

Our theme for our dolls was near and dear to LeeAnn’s heart, fairies and princesses. We began by picking out our pins and gluing on the sticker faces provided. This is much easier for a young child to do than painting the small face as is traditional. We only worked on three pins; I saved the other five for when I have time to paint them.  From there things got rather boring for LeeAnn. The Clothing was difficult, the kit did provide paper clothes, none of which LeeAnn or I, the perfectionist, liked. So I made our own (she watched). Next LeeAnn picked out the Hair, which I hot glued on. Then she picked out the wings and decorations, which I hot glued on. Then we played with them.

This is a better project for older children. I kind of knew it would be, but as I said nostalgia hit me and I wanted to give it a try.

How to Make Clothes Pin Dolls

Supplies:

Clothes Pins

Paints

Fine Paint Brushes

Yarn or Fuzz

Fabric

Fabric Flowers

Small Buttons or Gems

Hot glue gun

Instructions:

-          Start by painting the face with the fine paint brush.

-          Next glue on you clothing. I found it easiest to cut out the clothing, try it on, and then glue it. (Silk flower petals make great skirts)

-          Add Hair by gluing on either yarn or fuzz to the top of the head. (Our princess has an awake face on one side and an asleep face on the other so her hair is only on top.)

-          Finally add final touches, like jewelry, belts and shoes. Shoes are traditionally done by wrapping yarn around the end of the clothes pin.

Day 12 – Snow Globes and Lava Jars

Here is a quick and satisfying craft you can do with your children. It took about 5 minutes and the kids played with them the rest of the morning. We had a hectic schedule today, so I wanted to choose a quick craft we could do after breakfast. I also wanted to make sure my niece got to take something home with her that would remind her of her week here.

Snow globes were late comers to the American scene, remaining a primarily German art through the 1920s. It was the Americanization of the Snow globe in the 1940s that lead to the plastic, cheap, tacky snow globe you can find in every road side tourist shop around the world today[1].

Lava lamps were perfected by Craven Walker who saw a lamp in a pub after WWII made from “an old cocktail shaker, old tins and things.” He spent years working it out and eventually came out with the lava lamp, just in time for the psychedelic movement. It’s a good thing too, because before that everyone else thought they were weird and gross.

I actually began this project the night before. I knew I would be in a hurry, so I picked out to McDonald’s happy meal toys that fit in the jars and hot glued them to the inside of the jar lids. The next morning after breakfast we sat down at the table and the girls made the lava globes first. They filled their jars half full with baby oil and chose a food color. I use gel in my house but the drops work great and your child can put that in themselves. Then they poured water in. Color magically appears in the water as it flows into the jar. It’s pretty cool to see. Run some rubber cement along the empty lid and screw on the top.

Then they made the Snow globes. First the girls poured the cups a third full of light corn syrup; this makes the glitter settle slowly when you shake the globe. We then added glitter, beads and waters. I added the lid with the toy and added more water as needed. Swiped the lid with glue, secured the top and finished.

These make a great activity and an inexpensive take home gift for parties! They also help you do something with all those useless happy meal toys that are so much garbage fodder. I know I shouldn’t let her eat at those places at all, but sometimes when we are really busy, it’s a better option that eating nothing.

How to Make Snow Globes and Lava Jars

Supplies:

Canning Jars (Wal-Mart Sells Smooth Sided Ones)

Baby Oil

Light Corn Syrup

Water

Glitter

Beads

Toys

Food Coloring

Hot Glue

Rubber Cement

Instructions:

Lava Jars

 - Fill Each Jar Half Full with Baby Oil

 - Add 3-4 drops of food coloring

 - Add water until jar is full. Screw on cap and lightly shake jar to mix food coloring, if too light add more coloring.

 - Unscrew lid and swipe inside screw top with rubber cement. Re-secure lid.

Snow globe

 - Hot Glue Toy onto the inside of the lid after you make sure it fits inside the jar. For some toys you may need to add a stand so it can be seen above the lip of the jar.

 - Fill the jar 1/3 full with light corn syrup. This will slow the glitter and keep it from settling to quickly when the jar is shaken.

 - Add some glitter and or beads or confetti.

 - Add water to fill the jar

 - Put the inside lid on the top of the jar and add more water if required.

 - Swipe the inside screw ridges of the lid with rubber cement and secure lid on the jar.

 - Shake up jar to mix the water and the corn syrup.

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[1] http://www.ehow.com/about_6573582_history-snow-globe.html

Day 11: Fish Mobile

Minion is LeeAnns favorite character in the movie Megamind. She loves that fantastic fish. So for today’s activity I thought why not make a fish mobile. You can purchase already cut fish, so all you have to do is color and hang them, how hard could it be.

These works of art are actually kinetic sculptures invented by Alexander Calder. According to myth, the name mobile was coined as a French witticism, for the term means both motion and intent and as you know float randomly with the wind[1].

LeeAnn, Lorelei and I each got for fish and began to color both sides of them. I figured it would take no time at all. An hour and a half later, LeeAnn and Lorelei had left to play and I was gliter gluing the fish and fishing the mobiles.

This project is great, but better suited for larger groups of children. It works best when you can have each child decorate one character one each mobile. Then there is less work and it is completed before they get bored.

How to Make a Fish Mobile

Supplies Needed

Fish cut outs

Two dowel rods

Yarn

Hot Glue Gun

Crayons

Glitter Glue

Googily eyes

Directions (just suggestions, really its up to you)

 - Have your child color the front and back of the fish cut out.

 - Using your hot glue gun, glue eyes to both sides of the fish where the child indicates.

 - Using the glitter glue, have your child decorate one side of the cut out.

 - As the glitter glue is drying, tie the dowel rods together into a cross using the yarn by wrapping the yarn around the rods while they are in a cross shape as if you were making a bulls eye. Wrap the yarn around one stick clock wise, the next counter clockwise, then clockwise, and then counter clockwise. Do this three times before tying the yarn off.

 - Once the glitter glue is dry, glue an equal length of yarn to the fish so you have a loop of yarn coming off the top of each fish with the hot glue gun.

 - Next glue the top of each loop to the end of each cross arm and hang you completed mobile.

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[1] http://arthistory.about.com/cs/glossaries/g/m_mobile.htm

Day 10 - Shortbread Cookies

Using tea as my inspiration, I chose to make tea cookies today. Every little girl I know has had a tea set growing up. Our obsession with this ritual is baffling to me, but then again I am not your average girly, girl. I grew up playing with bugs and climbing trees. My daughter, however; likes pink, frills and castles. So throwing her a real tea party should be right up her alley.

Shortbread cookies are a tradition that stretch back to medieval times and were said to be enjoyed by Queen Elizabeth I[1]. Their rich buttery flavor and crumbly texture are the height of formality, lending elegance to your daughter’s tea setting. Plus they are made with out eggs, so little fingers can sneak a taste of the dough with out worrying about salmonella.

We began our morning by making the dough. I softened the butter with a quick zap in the microwave. While it was blending in the mixer, LeeAnn and my niece added the flour and sugar. Once blended, we molded the dough into balls and put it into the refrigerator.

After lunch, we took the dough out and I rolled it out on the counter. Shortbread dough is not the easiest to roll, it crumbles. It is also usually made into simple rounds, but we cut them into butterflies and strawberries. I then baked them in the oven. That was about the time I lost my help. My niece decided they should play a game, so I was left to glaze the cookies. They did come back to do the last tray. I also like to drizzle chocolate over the top, but most people think that’s over kill.

Afternoon tea was a hit, with real tea and cookies. If you are nervous working with a hot oven around a toddler, you can just as easily buy some packaged cookies and have a tea party with her. LeeAnn loves to help me cook though. It’s nice to let her see what goes into her food; she has a good understanding of where our food comes from and how to put it together.

Scottish Shortbread Cookies w/ Lemon Glaze

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

1lb Butter, softened

1 cup Powdered Sugar

4 cup Flour

Glaze

1 cup Powdered Sugar

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

2 Tbsp Water

Food Coloring

Directions

- Blend the butter until creamy and smooth, blend in powdered sugar. Slowly stir in flour until completely mixed. Batter will be thick.

- Divide batter in half and mold batter into a disc, wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for 2 hours.

 - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the dough to 1/2" thickness (leave the dough you are not working with in the fridge). The dough will be difficult to roll, it will crumble and crack, just push it back together and keep working. I like to use powdered sugar instead of flour to keep the dough from sticking. Cut out cookie shapes and put on a cookie sheet (I like to line mine with parchment paper for easy clean up). Bake for 12 - 15 minutes.

 - While the cookies are baking prepare the glaze by simply mixing all the ingredients together. Spread the mixture onto the cookies as they come out of the oven. Wait a few minutes to allow the glaze to set and then move the cookies to a cooling rack.

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[1] http://www.englishteastore.com/shortbread-history.html

Day – 9 Keepsake Boxes

Everyone needs a special place to keep the small mementos they pickup throughout their lives. Those little treasures you can’t bear to throw away. Mine was a box my father made in college. That is until my husband carelessly threw it in the trash while cleaning the basement, he though it was just a junky old box. Guess what we are making today!

Making decorative keepsake boxes can be a lot of fun. They can range from simple to complex using a wide range of crafting skills. You could use anything from decoupage and faux painting to glitter glue and stickers. Your are limited only by the supplies you have, your imagination, and the skills your willing to flex!

For my toddlers box I kept it simple, paint, bobbles and glitter glue. Her niece is staying over for the rest of the week so she got to make on to. She is seven and the project was fun for her too. For my own box, I used three useful crafting skills; decoupage, faux punched tin painting, and dry painting.

How to Make a Keepsake Box

Supplies

Plain Boxes (cardboard or wood)

Paints (tempera or acrylic)

Paint Brushes

Bowl of Water

Paper Towels

Newspaper

Hot Glue Gun

Assorted Decorations

Stickers

Glitter Glue

White glue

Sponge brush

Heavy Tissue paper

Instructions

-          Lay down news paper for easy clean up. On a plate put out two or three colors of paint and set out a bowl of water and a few paper towels for blotting. Begin by painting the box a base color. (To protect the paint you may want to cover it with a layer of clear coat as well)

-          Once dry, set out your decorations and decide where you want them to go. Glue them on to your box.

-          Using glitter glue write your child’s name on the box and let dry.

-          For my faux tin box painting – using a hot glue gun, glue a design on the box and let dry. The using a dry paint brush (in one direction) paint the side of the box. The glue will look like the raised edges of the tin box.

-          For decoupage – using white glue lay down a layer of glue and with a wet sponge brush smooth out the tissue paper. Add more glue to the top and spread it evenly with your wet brush.

-          To add more depth run a dry paint brush with a small amount of paint over the top one the glue is clear.

Day 8 - Germ Models

All weekend LeeAnn searched the house for clues. She had found an old magnifying glass I used for bug collecting and my husbands flashlight. She examined every nook and cranny of the house, exclaiming over footprints and little knickknacks that pointed to the answer she sought, Cookies! Daddy helped her make them.

Today I decided to show her even smaller things that are all around us, the microscopic world. Yo Gabba Gabba has already introduced the topic for me; icky, yucky germs. I showed her pictures on the internet of real germs and bacteria and we talked about why we don’t eat off the floor and wash our hands. Did you know we can have about 5 million bacteria hanging out between our fingertips and elbows, yuck!

For the crafting portion of our day I looked up some pictures of germs and bacteria for her to look at and let her print out her favorite. We then rolled out modeling clay and spread it around a golf ball size wiffle ball. Then using the materials we had we decorated the balls using its holes. Set it aside to dry, or dismantle and play again.

This is a good way to discuss germs and hand washing with your children. LeeAnn is more conscientious about washing her hands now, and less likely to eat off the floor. It may not last, but we can always play again!

Germ models

Supplies:

Images of Germs from the Internet

Golf Ball Sized Wiffle Ball

Rolling Pin

Modeling Clay

Pipe Cleaners

Feathers

Pegs

Instructions:
 - Look up images of microscopic germs using Google image.

 - Roll out the modeling clay into a flat circle

 - Wrap it around the waffle ball

 - Roll in hand to smooth onto ball.

 - You and you child manipulate the materials to look like the appendages on the outside of the germs. Stick them in the holes of the waffle ball.

 - You can leave out to air dry or dismantle and make another germ.

Day – 7 Write a Children’s Book & Addendum

Addendum
Though I wanted this to be a seven day a week project, it is just not going to work out that way. Unfortunately there are two people involved and the second person, my daughter, spends here weekends playing with her daddy, mom mom and gPop. She sees mommy all week, and is just not interested in sitting down with me for more than two minutes on the weekend. So from this day forward, the 365 days will be completed Monday through Friday. Thank you and enjoy your weekends!

Childrens Book

This was actually a three day project. LeeAnn may not always treasure it, but I know I will. It began with a series of tales I told to her as we traveled around in the car about a young princess named LeeAnn. She or my husband would shout out a topic and I would make up the story, the first one was about how a dragon got his fire back.

To make this project more about my toddler than me, I had her write the rough draft of the story. I then polished it up a little and began the illustrations. LeeAnn was then able to color the pictures and put in the stickers. Next we used glitter glue to make the first page fabulous. That was the end of day one. The next day was spent using glitter on the other seven pages. The third day was spent gluing in the printed text boxes.

This was a long, complex project. At the end I have a book written by my daughter, edited by me and illustrated by us both. I love it, but it was definitely a labor of love.

How to Make Your Own Story Book

Supplies

5 – 8 ½ x 11”sheets of scrap booking paper

1 – 8 ½ x 11” Heavy card stock

Paper cutter or scissors.

1 needle

Yarn

Glue

 1-2 8 ½ x 11” sheets scrap booking paper

Pencils

Pens

Crayons

Stickers

Glitter Glue

Instructions

-          Write your story – Have your child pick out who they want to be and help them think of a story they can go through in eight pages. Once complete smooth out the text and write it up.

-          Make you book. You can also buy small eight page scrap books at local crafting stores if you want to skip this part. Cut off 2 of the 8 inch width of the 5 scrap booking pages and card stock, making them 6 ½ x 11.

-          With the five sheets of scrap booking paper together, and the card stock on the outside, fold the longest edge in half to make a book. Using the needle, sew the fold binding with at least 8 stitches.

-          Begin by sewing from the outside to the inside of the book and end your stitches by coming from the inside to the outside.

-          Tie the two ends of your yarn together along the outside of the back.

-          Illustrate your book – don’t worry if you’re not the best artist, you may be able to find stickers that will help or approximate with stick figures. The point is to work with your child and keep them excited.

-          Have your child color the book. LeeAnn was too bust with the weekend to help much, after coloring the castle and the animals, I was told to color the princesses.

-          Stickers make great accessories, add color and cut down on the number of drawings you have to make, feel free to add as many or as little as you want.

-          Glitter glue adds great sparkle, but takes a while to dry, so be prepared to have it take a while. And yes as I type this I realized I could have made the pages and then put the book together, but we used a premade book, so it's a pain either way I’m sure.

-          To add text, you can write in the book or type the text, print it out and glue it in the book. It’s up to you, and your hand writing.