Paper Bunny Purse

Children don’t have to celebrate Easter to love bunnies. This is a simple craft to make with little ones they can wear as a purse or hang in their bedroom or playroom as a decoration. I found this idea at mermablog web site. You Will Need: Two Paper PlatesSafety ScissorsMarkers and CrayonsStaplerHot Glue GunRibbon or […]

Spring Blossoms

It’s spring and the children I care for have enjoyed finding the new blossoms of yellow forsythia, pink cherry trees, and white apricot trees. Here are some easy art projects for the children to make their own spring blossoms with tissue paper and popcorn. Click the links to see how to make the projects. Forsythia […]

Perler Beads

As this photo shows, one of my Nanny Kids loves Perler Beads. She spends hours and hours making beautiful patterns. For children with great fine motor skills Perler Beads are the best boredom buster ever. The girl in my care used the Sunny Days Perler Beads Kit and Perler Beads Flower Madness to make these […]

Make Collages with “Perfect Square” by Michael Hall

Perfect Square is a square book about a square that undergoes many changes of shape and of color. The square starts out as a red, four cornered shape. However, in the pages it is cut into tiny pieces, ripped into strips, and painted a variety of colors. With each new challenge from the unseen force, […]

Playing Dress Up with “Collage Workshop for Kids” by Shannon Merenstein

Collage Workshop for Kids: Rip, snip, cut, and create with inspiration from The Eric Carle Museum by Shannon Merenstein is an excellent resource for caregivers and is a pleasure to share with children from toddlers to primary school-age children. Artist Shannon Merenstein wrote the book with the art educators from the Eric Carle Museum. Eric […]

“Fiona Flamingo” by Rachael Urrutia Chu and Craft

My favorite activity to do with children is help them make a craft or do a fun activity that corresponds to their favorite children’s books. My Nanny Kid loves “Fiona Flamingo” by Rachael Urrutia Chu and enjoyed made her own Fiona with paper plates and colorful tissue paper. There is also a “Fiona Flamingo Coloring […]

“How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?” and Dino Feet Craft

Creative Wednesdays Who doesn’t like dinosaurs? Girls and boys of all ages love dinosaurs. In How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? by Jane Yolen human parents are trying to put young dinosaurs to bed. The dinosaurs in the book represent human children throwing temper tantrums when it’s time to go to bed. Do yourself a favor […]

Homemade Heart Lacing Cards

I printed out the heart lacing card template from jennyatdapperhouse to make these lacing cards out of carboard boxes we needed to recycle. You can also trace cookie cutters onto cardboard or foam sheets from the craft store to make your own lacing cards. My 7-year-old Nanny Kid spent hours coming up with different lacing […]

Cardboard Roll Heart Garland and Wreath

I found this cute idea by Jackie Currie on the cbc.ca web site. For young children you will need to do use the hot glue gun. But older children that are allowed to use a low heat glue gun can make the garland and wreath themselves. The kids can make the garland as short or […]

“Playing with Lanterns” and Make Paper Lanterns for Chinese New Year

The Lantern Festival is held on the 15th day of the Chinese New Year holiday. It marks the last day of traditional Chinese New Year celebrations. My six-year-old nanny kid and I made several simple and colorful paper lanterns to adorn her room in preparation for Chinese New Year. In snowy northern China, children celebrate […]