Over the summer a child I care for and I used a microwave flower press to dry flowers quickly and efficiently to make crafts during the year. This week we used some of the pink and red flowers to make a heart-shaped sun catcher as a Valentine’s craft. You Will Need: Small FlowersMicrowave Flower PressConstruction […]
Thumbprint Heart Salt Dough Necklaces for Valentine’s Day
Thumbprint Heart Salt Dough Necklaces are the perfect Valentine’s Day craft. Kids love mixing the ingredients, rolling the dough, cutting out the shapes with cookie cutters, using their fingers to make hearts, painting their pendants, and creating a heartfelt gift that their friends and family can wear all in one sweet activity. Check out how […]
Groundhog Day Puppets
Today is Groundhog Day. The celebration derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog emerges from its burrow and sees its shadow, it will retreat to its den and winter will go on for six more weeks. If the groundhog does not see its shadow, spring will arrive early. The kids love making […]
Heart-Shaped Bird Feeders
The children in my care loved making pinecone bird feeders so much this winter that I couldn’t resist finding a heart-shaped bird feeder activity to pair their love of feeding local birds with Valentine’s Day. I discovered this sweet idea on The Purposeful You web site, and it was a perfect fit. Watching winter birds […]
What Snowmen Do at Night Sensory Tray
What do snowmen do after bedtime? “Snowmen at Night” by Caralyn Buehner sparks big imagination in answering this question in little learners. This simple sensory tray brings the story to life. Using white modeling doh or air dough and a snowman building sensory kit from Amazon, toddlers and preschoolers can build and decorate their own […]
Pinecone Bird Feeder and Winter Bird Books
Not all birds fly south for the winter. Read children’s books about winter birds listed below with the little ones in your care. Then, they will love making this simple bird feeder from a pine cone they find on a nature hike for the birds that have stayed in the neighborhood for the winter. You […]
Why Kids and Nannies Love Drawing with Window Markers and Crayons
Kids are naturally drawn to big, bold spaces and what’s bigger than a window? Crayola Washable Window Markers and Crayons let little artists and their nannies turn ordinary glass into a festive winter wonderland with snowflakes, snowmen, cozy houses, and snowy trees right on the windowpane. Drawing on glass feels different and magical compared to […]
New Year, Helping Hands!
New Year’s Resolution’s Wreath A New Year’s Resolution Wreath is a fun, hands-on way for nannies to help children set simple, positive goals for the new year ahead. By tracing little hands on bright paper and turning them into promises like “clean up,” “share,” “be nice,” or “say please,” kids feel proud of the habits […]
3D Cardboard Christmas Tree
The kids in my care love when I cut out 3-D crafts for them from cardboard found in their recycling bin. I found this Christmas tree template from the Mr Printables web site. I traced the bottom of tree to make a short stand instead of sliding the same sized trees together. I highly recommend […]
Melting Plastic Cup Ornaments
Kids adore making crafts where an ordinary object becomes something exciting. Watching a simple plastic cup shrink in the oven turning it into an ornament gives children a sense of wonder and control over the creation process. Children also love rituals. So making Christmas ornaments gives them a seasonal tradition to look forward to every […]