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 […]

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 […]

Sewing Paper Plate Snowflakes

My 8-year-old Nanny Kid constantly asks me to find her lacing projects to do. I found this lacing snowflake activity on the iheartcraftythings web site for beginner sewers. I love how creative Caroline from the web site was by finding this design on a paper plate at Target and thought to make into a sewing […]

Indoor Snowman with Homemade Cloud Dough

I love trying different types of homemade play dough with kids. Could dough feels amazing and is a great boredom buster anytime of the year. But since it is winter where I work and live in New Jersey it is the perfect time to read “Charlie and Lola: Snow is My Favorite and My Best” […]

Beaded Snowflake Craft

I had leftover white beads from Christmas crafts to make this easy snowflake craft. But you can let the children use blue, silver, and clear beads to make their own patterns to make this snowflake. It’s great activity to encourage fine motor skills, counting, and pattens. Don’t forget to check out how to make snowflakes […]

Snowflake Sun Catcher

I googled “Outline Snowflake Pattern” and printed a snowflake template to make beautiful snowflake sun catchers. The children I care for love hanging these sun catchers in the windows of their playroom and bedrooms. Don’t forget to check out how to make snowflakes using cotton swabs, or coffee filters, or paper and paint with water […]

Happy New Year Hats

As New Year’s Eve approaches making these party hats with children is a lot of fun. I let the children I care for decorate six different hat designs. Click the links below to print the different paper hat templates. Click here to see the template for Party Hat #1. Click here for Party Hat #2. […]