Sewing Cards

As the holidays approach, it brings to mind an exciting activity to do with old greeting cards

or those beautiful calendars once the year is over.

 

Lace-Up or Sewing Cards

 

Materials Needed:

 

1.  Greeting cards, old calendar pictures glued onto cardboard, food box panels

2.  hole punch

3.  yarn, cording or a long shoe lace

4.  scissors

5.  tape (masking or scotch) - not needed if a shoe lace is used

6.  glue if you need to mount a picture on cardboard

 

Select a picture from the front of an old card, a cardboard food box or a calendar picture that has been mounted on cardboard (cardboard from a food box can be used for this).  If the calendar is on stiff paper, mounting is not necessary.

 

Use a hole punch to make holes around the outside edge about 1/2 inch apart from each other and a quarter of an inch inside the outside edge.

 

If using yarn or cording, wrap masking or packing tape around the ends to make it stiff. Then it can be easily laced through the holes.

 

Take a shoelace or yarn to lace up the picture. You can go over the edge or lace it with an up and down stitch.

 

 

 

  

This activity develops fine motor skills.

 

Happy Sewing!

 

 

 

 

This Blog Post is inspired from the book:

Miraculous, Magical Moments in Minutes:

Over 500 Quick, Easy Activities for Adults and Children to Share

by Becky B. Baxa

If you would like more fun ideas to share with your children

(that do not require batteries or electronics )

you can purchase this 180 page book,

full of color photos,

for $21.95

from Amazon.com

Or

from the gift shop at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, MO,

Silver Dollar City General Store in Branson, MO.

This book can also be checked out of the following libraries:

Scenic Regional Library - Pacific, MO

First Christian Church - Washington, MO

Hawaii State Library - Honolulu, HI

Story City Public Library - Story City, IA

Ellsworth Public Library - Ellsworth, ME

Ludington Public Library - Ludington, MI

A Cardboard Box... let the magic begin!

A new appliance has joined the family and you are getting ready
to throw out the packing material. 
After all...
It's just a cardboard box...

STOP!
Don't throw it away.
Create, pretend and play first!

If you aren't in the market for a new appliance, do not fear.  Contact any store that sells appliances and ask for a refrigerator, washing machine or dryer box.  Actually, any large box(s) will do.  Most businesses are more than happy to share packing boxes with you. Many times I have gone dumpster diving (with permission) for that perfect box.

After bringing the box home an adult should cut out windows,doors and ramps.  Whatever suits your fancy.  If kids are old enough let them help create the design.  Make two holes in the doors and lace  string in each hole for door handles.  This makes it easier to open and close the doors.

 

 Bring out crayons and markers and let the kids decorate the box. 

 

Draw grass and flowers on the outside, color in the letters on the box, draw furniture on the inside.

 

Label the front door with your name.

 

Add a piece of carpet scrap or a carpet rectangle (sample) for indoor carpeting. 

 

Cut apart old greeting cards and tape them inside for artwork on the walls. 

 

 A piece of foil taped inside makes a fun "mirror".

 

Light weight dish towels or pieces of fabric can be taped, or tacked, to the window openings for curtains.

 

Let your imagination go wild!

 

 

And, don't forget... it is fun for big people too! 

Kids will love it if you join them inside their new secret place. 

What a great way to share a story, read a book or pretend.

 

 

  Why not get several boxes and set up a "city" in the basement or backyard.

You may be surprised of the hours of fun a simple cardboard box will generate!






This Blog Post is inspired from the book:

Miraculous, Magical Moments in Minutes:

Over 500 Quick, Easy Activities for Adults and Children to Share

by Becky B. Baxa

If you would like more fun ideas to share with your children

(that do not require batteries or electronics )

you can purchase this 180 page book,

full of color photos,

for $21.95

from Amazon.com

Or

from the gift shop at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, MO,

Silver Dollar City General Store in Branson, MO.

This book can also be checked out of the following libraries:

Scenic Regional Library - Pacific, MO

First Christian Church - Washington, MO

Hawaii State Library - Honolulu, HI

Story City Public Library - Story City, IA

Ellsworth Public Library - Ellsworth, ME

Ludington Public Library - Ludington, MI

 

Water Painting

It is 84 degrees today.

The sun is shining  brightly, the trees are starting to turn and

there is a wonderful smell of expectancy in the air.

The crops in the fields have turned beautiful shades of brown resulting in

a flurry of activity as harvest begins.  It is a perfect Fall day!

Most pools have been closed for the season.

But, there is one thing for sure:

Kids + Water = Fun!

For a quick, easy activity on a bright sunny day try

Water Painting!

It will be sure to result in creative excitement.

 

Materials needed:

 

-a container of water

-a clean, soft paint brush

-a surface to "paint":  cement (sidewalk or driveway), siding (the side of the house), the side of the car or the boards on your deck.

 

All ages can enjoy this activity. 

From the littlest child painting in all directions, to older children writing letters  and their name to more complex pictures.for the advanced "artist"

 

Have fun watching your creations evaporate. 

How long does it take?  Does it evaporate faster in the sun or the shade?

 

No mess, wetness that dries and no worries... just tons of fun!

 

 

 

This Blog Post is inspired from the book:

Miraculous, Magical Moments in Minutes:

Over 500 Quick, Easy Activities for Adults and Children to Share

by Becky B. Baxa

If you would like more fun ideas to share with your children

(that do not require batteries or electronics )

you can purchase this 180 page book,

full of color photos,

for $21.95

from Amazon.com

Or

from the gift shop at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, MO,

Silver Dollar City General Store in Branson, MO.

This book can also be checked out of the following libraries:

Scenic Regional Library - Pacific, MO

First Christian Church - Washington, MO

Hawaii State Library - Honolulu, HI

Story City Public Library - Story City, IA

Ellsworth Public Library - Ellsworth, ME

Ludington Public Library - Ludington, MI

 

The Power of Observation

 

Family was all around and conversation turned to the car my youngest son drove.  I knew the make of the car and the color.  That was pretty impressive for me!  But then, a cousin asked if it had two or four doors.  Sounds like a simple enough question, yet I paused...I didn't know the answer.  My gaze shifted to the people listening, I took a deep breath and made a declarative answer.  Yes, it has four doors.  Pretty satisfied with myself, another cousin leaned over and whispered, "you're not sure though are you?"  Busted!  I had no clue as to how many doors my son's car had. 

Upon investigation when returning home, guess what?  It had only two doors! 

So much for my great powers of observation.

 

The powers of natural observation do not come naturally to everyone.  Knowing this, it is important to provide activities for children to develop this valuable life skill. Not to mention the fact that these type of activities are fun with an added bonus of  stimulating intellectual development.

 

 Having a keen sense of observation is valuable in most jobs and careers helping individuals become more competent, productive employees who make a more significant contribution to the business. 

 

On a personal level, the power of observation helps individuals become more sensitive to others around them, making them more thoughtful and helpful.  It is also a skill that can be used to make an individual more safe in a world of many threats and dangers.

 

 

Getting started...how to increase your observation skills:

 

 

1.  Actively listen when you are in conversation with others.  Use your eyes as well as your ears. 

     Watch body language and eye movements.

 

2.  Use your five senses.

• Ears: be alert to all the different sounds and voices around you. Listen to the "tone" of your environment.
 
• Eyes: scan your surroundings whenever you enter a new place or first come into a room.  Notice differences from the last time you were in the room, people's behavior and placement of objects wherever you are.
   
• Nose: how many different smells can you identify?  An odd smell could reveal a bigger story (for example:  what's for dinner, who just finished working out, if the gas burner was not turned completely off, etc.)
• Touch:  know the mood of people. For example, a person's hands are cold and sweaty when shaking hands with them.  This could be an indicator of being nervous.  Pay attention if something is hot or cold, rough or smooth.  Recently I turned off a light and the switch plate was hot to the touch.  Investigation revealed a switch going bad.

Source:  geripal.org
 

Here are some jump-start questions to get your observation skills moving.

These questions can be altered to fit your situation. 

 

 

                 Have you noticed?             

              How many windows or doors do you have in your house?

             How many things in your house plug in?

             Whose picture is on the one, five and twenty dollar bill?

             What picture is on a penny, nickel, dime or quarter?

             What color is the shirt your brother/sister is wearing today?

            Was your mom (or any person) wearing jewelry today?  What kind?

            What color is your mom/dad’s (any person) eyes?

           What color hair did the check-out clerk have at the store?
           Did they wear a wedding ring?

          What color is your neighbor’s car? house?

          Do you have any flowers blooming in your yard?

         Which sock or shoe do you put on first?

          If you fold your hands, which thumb do you put on top? 

         Does your mom/dad, brother/sister have the same thumb on top?

         If you cross your legs, which leg goes over the other?  Look at other people? 

        Do they cross their legs the same as you? 

 

       

       After speaking to someone, ask yourself these questions:

 

        1. What color was their hair and eyes?

        2.  Were they wearing jewelry?  If so, what?  Did they wear a wedding ring?

        3.  What color was their shirt?

        4.  What kind of shoes were they wearing?

        5.  Were they wearing glasses?

 

       If you don't know, start asking these questions while you are talking to them. 

     The Game of Eye Spy

 

      Children may also enjoy a game of "Eye Spy".  This can be played anywhere and is great  

     for places when "I'm bored" tends to become a reoccurring theme. Examples would be: waiting in

     line, driving, traveling, sitting at the doctor or dentist office, etc.

 

    To play:  one person is selected to be "it".  They say:  "I spy, I spy something... name a color." 

    Another version is to say:  "I spy with my little eye something... name a color".  The other people

    playing take turns guessing what the person sees.  The person who is "it" must say if they are hot

    (close to the item) or cold (far away from the item).  The person who guesses the item gets to be

    "it" for the next round.

         

       

 Make a game of observation/investigation every day. 

It won't be long before kids come up with their own ideas.

Once you try this activity, kids will make sure that you don't forget to play again. 

The really neat thing about this activity is that it requires no materials,

 supplies or advanced preparation. 

Plus, you can do this activity anywhere,

for any length of time with any age person. 

How cool is that?

Can you think of other things to increase your observation skills?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Blog Post is inspired from the book:

Miraculous, Magical Moments in Minutes:

Over 500 Quick, Easy Activities for Adults and Children to Share

by Becky B. Baxa

If you would like more fun ideas to share with your children

(that do not require batteries or electronics )

you can purchase this 180 page book,

full of color photos,

for $21.95

from Amazon.com or Etsy.com

Or

from the gift shop at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, MO,

Silver Dollar City General Store in Branson, MO.

This book can also be checked out of the following libraries:

Scenic Regional Library - Pacific, MO

First Christian Church - Washington, MO

Hawaii State Library - Honolulu, HI

Story City Public Library - Story City, IA

Ellsworth Public Library - Ellsworth, ME

Ludington Public Library - Ludington, MI

In a Heart Beat- Taking Your Pulse

Teach kids how to take their pulse.

This is a fun and fascinating thing to learn, as well as a valuable life skill.

Kids feel the wonder and excitement with this new knowledge and it makes them feel grown up.

 

How to take your pulse: 

Your pulse can be found on the inside of your wrist or on the side of your neck.  Gently press two finders to one of these spots.  Do not use your thumbs, as your thumb has its own pulse.  Count each time you feel a beat, timing your pulse for 15 seconds.  Take this number and multiply by four.

Take a challenge:

Now run in place and take your pulse again.  What happened to your heart rate?

Try taking your pulse before and after a walk or bicycle ride.  Ask children to make predictions.

Younger children can learn some facts about their heart; plus the concept that more work causes our heart to pump, or work harder.  The older child will learn some physiology and how the body functions as well as getting to practice a few math skills!

source:  WebMD

source:  www.aclsnational.com
 

This Blog Post is inspired from the book:

Miraculous, Magical Moments in Minutes:

Over 500 Quick, Easy Activities for Adults and Children to Share

by Becky B. Baxa

If you would like more fun ideas to share with your children

(that do not require batteries or electronics )

you can purchase this 180 page book,

full of color photos,

for $21.95

from Amazon.com or Etsy.com

Or

from the gift shop at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, MO,

Silver Dollar City General Store in Branson, MO.

This book can also be checked out of the following libraries:

Scenic Regional Library - Pacific, MO

First Christian Church - Washington, MO

Hawaii State Library - Honolulu, HI

Story City Public Library - Story City, IA

Ellsworth Public Library - Ellsworth, ME

Ludington Public Library - Ludington, MI

Discovery

The days are getting shorter and the nights are cooling off.  The intense heat of summer has left us once more.  For those who have been hiding inside in the air conditioning, it is time to go outside and play!  The change of the seasons is an exciting time of year.  Plants are making seeds, changing colors and animals are collecting food for the Winter months.  Now is the time to stop and explore your outside world.  It may be a trip to the park or a local nature center, a walk in your yard or pasture, down the road or an excursion around the block.  Wherever you live, there is nature to observe and explore. 

 

When traveling on foot it is amazing the things you see that are overlooked while driving.  Recently we vacationed on a lake that was nestled in thick forest.  We had to drive over 5 miles on dirt and two track roads to arrive at our destination.  It was an exciting and wonderful drive!  However, the morning I decided to take a walk down the lane, I was shocked to find things I had totally missed while driving.  A toad stool nestled at the base of a tree, plaited woodpecker holes traveling up and down a dead tree, soft tufts of moss as thick and lush as carpeting lay scattered on the Forrest floor, bubble bees were busy at work and butterflies floated along the wind currents. Fresh pine scent from a tree downed by a recent storm filled each breath and the melody of songbirds delighted my ears.  The beauty on foot thrilled the senses. All of these things were missed when driving down the road!

 

 

So, turn off the computer, step outside and see what you can find!

 

 

 

This Blog Post is inspired from the book:

 

Miraculous, Magical Moments in Minutes:

Over 500 Quick, Easy Activities for Adults and Children to Share

by Becky B. Baxa

If you would like more fun ideas to share with your children

(that do not require batteries or electronics )

you can purchase this 180 page book,

full of color photos,

for $21.95

from Amazon.com or Etsy.com

Or

from the gift shop at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, MO,

Silver Dollar City General Store in Branson, MO.

This book can also be checked out of the following libraries:

Scenic Regional Library - Pacific, MO

First Christian Church - Washington, MO

Hawaii State Library - Honolulu, HI

Story City Public Library - Story City, IA

Ellsworth Public Library - Ellsworth, ME

Ludington Public Library - Ludington, MI

Junk Mail Mania and Envelope Excitement!

If your household is like ours, we get lots of junk mail. 

Before you throw the undesired mail away, why not stop to play? 

Below are several ways to extend the life of unwanted mail

and give it a purpose before meeting the land fill.

 

1.  Kids love to lick envelopes!  Save all the return envelopes for days when kids want to "write" notes to loved ones.  Provide colored pencils, crayons and or markers.  Let them draw pictures on unwanted pieces of mail or scraps of paper.  Then they can put their notes and letters in envelopes and seal.  Square stickers can be used as stamps to further expand this creative play. For the older child this would be a great opportunity to teach and practice writing their name and address.

 

2.  Extend the above play by playing "postal carrier".  Use an old purse or fabric shopping bag as the letter carrier's bag. Large ride in toy cars or tricycles can be used as the mail car.

 

      Children can "deliver" the mail to each family member by slipping the envelopes under bedroom doors or leaving them in places for parents and siblings to find. 

 

     Small cardboard boxes could also be converted into mailboxes for children to mail their letters. 

 

3.  Make Envelope Puppets! 

      Envelopes convert easily into a puppet.  First fold in the flap or cut it off.  Place our thumb in one corner and your middle finger in the opposite bottom corner of the envelope.  Then squeeze folding the envelope in half.  You are ready to decorate with markers, crayons, colored pencils, felt, yarn, stickers, or anything else you can imagine.  Then it is time to put on a puppet show!

 

 

 

This Blog Post is inspired from the book:

Miraculous, Magical Moments in Minutes:

Over 500 Quick, Easy Activities for Adults and Children to Share

by Becky B. Baxa

If you would like more fun ideas to share with your children

(that do not require batteries or electronics )

you can purchase this 180 page book,

full of color photos,

for $21.95

from Amazon.com or Etsy.com

Or

from the gift shop at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, MO,

Silver Dollar City General Store in Branson, MO.

 

This book can also be checked out of the following libraries:

Scenic Regional Library - Pacific, MO

First Christian Church - Washington, MO

Hawaii State Library - Honolulu, HI

Story City Public Library - Story City, IA
Ellsworth Public Library - Ellsworth, ME

Ludington Public Library - Ludington, MI