Halloween Haunted Houses

I have been doing this haunted house with window shutters and doors that open and close for Halloween while babysitting and with my Nanny Kids for years. I found this project on the sarahjanestudios web site. This year I printed out some Halloween clip art characters for the children to glue to the windows as […]

Halloween Masks to Print

I found these super quick and easy Halloween masks on the itsalwaysautumn website. Use card stock paper and either staple elastic to the masks for the kids to wear them or paste them to jumbo crafts sticks for the children to hold the masks up to their faces. You Will Need: Card Stock Paper Printer […]

“Stumpkin” and Pumpkin Sun Catchers

One of my favorite children’s books is “Stumpkin” by Lucy Ruth Cummins. It’s the story of a pumpkin without a stem trying to be sold in a store in the city that feels left out. “Stumpkin” has a stump, not a stem. So, no one seems to want to buy a stemless jack-o-lantern for their […]

Autumn Leaf Crowns

During a babysitting job with boys and girls aged 4- to 8-years-old I brought autumn crafts to make with the bunch of little ones. They enjoyed making these easy autumn leaf crowns. I especially loved when the little boy was dancing and singing, “I am Autumn Man,” while wearing his leaf crown. Be sure to […]

3D Autumn Tree Pointillism

In “Meet Georges Seurat,” Seurat the artist describes his unique approach to art. He describes pointillism and how to use math, logic, and lots of dots to make beautiful paintings. I had the children I care for use the idea of pointillism to make autumn leaves for 3D cardboard trees. Also be sure to read […]

Autumn Sun Catchers

The kids I care for and I love the colors of Autumn leaves. So they really enjoyed making Autumn leaf (and an acorn) sun catchers this week. I have found that using high quality self-adhesive laminating sheets is easier than using regular clear contact paper and that using precut squares of tissue paper is much […]

Borax Bouncy Balls

Science Fun Kids love science experiments and they love bouncy balls. I found this super easy science experiment that makes bouncy balls on the36thaveune.com web site. I recommend using disposable cups and plastic utensils to throw out after you are done making the balls. You Will Need: 1/2 Cup Warm Water 1 Tb Borax 1 […]

Marbling Paint Kit

One of my Nanny Kids absolutely adores using this Marbling Paint Kit by the Jar Melo Store. She got this crafts kit for her birthday. She made these six marbled papers this week and cannot wait to do more next week. This Marbling Painting Kit for kids comes in a beautiful gift box and makes […]

Does it Fit?

Here’s a simple, yet fun activity to do with toddlers. Use different sized sensory balls and assorted stacking boxes and let the child explore. Let them help you solve the problem of not being able to put a large ball into a small box. You Will Need: Sensory BallsStacking Boxes What to Do: 1. Gather […]

Rainbow Lacing Cards

I always try to bring new projects to do with kids when babysitting or working as a nanny. Knowing everyone loves rainbows, I made two different rainbow lacing cards for differently skilled, (one younger and one older), children. I also include children’s books with the projects I do with children to encourage their love of […]