House of Baby Piranha

Autumn Leaf Necklace

2013-04-26T12:40:00.002+09:30

This idea came from Inner Child Fun, we used an Autumn leaf to make ours but otherwise the process is pretty much the same. Neevah enjoyed picking out the perfect leaf for her necklace and showing it off once it was made.
For all the information on how it make a leaf necklace please pop over to Inner Child Fun's blog post.

ANZAC Day Poppy (bubble wrap printing)

2013-04-25T20:20:00.000+09:30

April 25th marks ANZAC Day, the day when Australian and New Zealand people remember the soldiers that fought so bravely for their countries and commonwealth. Wreaths of poppies are traditionally placed at memorials and honour boards on ANZAC Day.

You will need
Paper - white, black and green
Paint - red
Scissors
Glue
Rolling Pin
Bubble Wrap
Sticky Tape
Tray or Cardboard or something similar for putting paint on

To Make
1. Print out our draw the outline of a poppy. We used this one here
2. Wrap the bubble wrap around the rolling pin and tape it in place
3. Squirt paint onto the tray or cardboard - you will need something with no lip so the rolling pin can be covered in paint
4. Roll the rolling pin through the paint

5. Roll the paint covered rolling pin over the poppy outline

6. Let Dry
7. From black paper cut an oval for the center of the poppy. From the green paper cut a stem and some grass

8. Once dry cut out your poppy
9. Glue everything onto a black piece of paper and the black oval onto the center of the poppy.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

Tip: If you are working with younger children you could make this poppy without the stem and the grass.

Easter Self Portrait

2013-03-29T13:41:00.000+10:30

I love to see how children draw themselves and how it changes as they grow. With this fun idea you can turn a child's self portrait into a piece of holiday art and I am sure it could be used on more occasions than just Easter.
For Halloween you could try a witches hat or monster teeth, at Christmas adding antlers could be fun or even some heart shaped sunglasses for Valentines Day ...... I'm sure with a bit of imagination you could come up with all sorts of ideas.

You will need
Paper - we used blue, white, pink an black
Marker Pens
Glue
Scissors

To Make
1. From the white and pink paper cut bunny ears and from the black paper cut whiskers
2. Ask you child to draw themselves, they may need to be guided to draw in the bottom three quarters of the page so it leaves room for the bunny ears

3. Stick on the ears and whiskers

4. Display

Easter Egg Suncatcher

2013-03-10T19:08:00.001+10:30

This Easter Craft will brighten up your windows and is simple enough for a wide range of age groups to enjoy.

You will need
Clear contact
Tissue paper in different colours
Sticky tape
Black Paper
Scissors

To Make
1. From the black paper cut an Easter egg shaped border
2. Cut or tear up the tissue paper into small pieces they don't need to be all the same size or shape
3. Cut as piece of contact paper a little larger than your Easter egg border, pee; the backing off and tape it sticky side up onto the table. Sticking it to the table stops the contact from rolling up and sticking to itself
4. Place the Easter egg border into the middle of the contact, you may need to press it down a little to make sure it is nicely stuck

5. Fill the middle of the Easter egg with the coloured pieces of tissue paper

6. Once finished cover with another piece of contact paper

7. To finish off the suncatcher trim off the excess contact by cutting around the outside edge of the egg border
8. Display in a window

Rainbow Necklace

2013-03-03T12:28:00.001+10:30

This idea came straight from Hands on : as we grow and Neevah loves it! Not only does she love the necklace she thoroughly enjoyed making it, the highlight had to be punching holes in each circle.

For all the information on how it was made and the learning outcomes pop over to their blog post.

Reach for the Stars - Goals

2013-03-02T09:26:00.000+10:30

This idea was inspired by a photo I found on Pinterest, the original artwork looked quite intricate and would probably be suited to slightly older children but I was able to easily adapt it to work for Neevah. We started this activity by discussing what she would like to learn and do as she gets older ..... Neevah decided she would like to be an Artist when she grows up so we put this as her goal.

You Will Need
Black paper or card (taller than A4)
Yellow paper
Scissors
Pencil
Marker pens or Paint
Glue

To Make
1. Trace around your child's arm

2. Let them colour or paint their arm

3. Cut out the arm and from the yellow paper cut out a star(s)
4. On the star write your child's goal - Neevah wrote her own
5. Glue the arm and stars onto the black paper

Our Finished Piece of Art

I really like how this turned out, it will be a great keepsake and something we can look back on in the future to see if her goal changes. I could also see this working in a classroom situation either with shared classroom goals or with what each child would like to do/be when they grow up.

Sorting Coins

2013-02-28T14:47:00.002+10:30

Our coin sorting box was inspired by a colour sorting post I found over at Living at the Whitehead's Zoo. The sorting box is super simple to make and could be used for lots of different learning outcomes.

You will need
A Box
A Craft Knife or similar
Marker Pens
Coins

To Make
1. Cut small openings into one side of the box - make sure they are big enough for your coins to fit through
2. Label each opening with a coin denomination - I also added colour as it makes it look a bit more fun
3. Time to play

Ready to go

Pick a coin

Drop it in the right hole

Paper Towers - which shape is the strongest?

2013-02-27T14:08:00.000+10:30

Inspiration for this idea came from Play School, I thought it was a great idea and it would be a lot of fun but Liam didn't overly enjoy it as he didn't want the towers to collapse. If you have a child that likes a little bit of destruction (which Liam normally does) this could be the activity for you.

You will need
Paper
Sticky Tape
Books

To Play
1. Roll and or fold your paper into different shaped paper towers - we made a circle, square and triangle tower.
2. Name the shapes and then ask your child to predict which shape will hold more books or which tower they think is the strongest.
3. One by one add books on top of the tower counting out loud as you go

Liam thought the square tower would be the strongest

The square tower held 5 books

The triangle tower held 8 books

Our winner was the circle tower holding 12 books!

Rainbow Hole Punch Art

2013-02-22T14:00:00.000+10:30

This idea was inspired by a post I found over at Nature Store. My kids love using the hole punches it doesn't matter if we use the office type or decorative scrap booking ones they still have lots of fun and it is a great work out for their little hands. I think these idea would work well with a (small) group of kids as you could give them a colour each to hole punch and then share the coloured dots between everyone. This is how we made them but it may need some slight tweaking for a 2 or more children ...

You will need
Coloured Paper in rainbow colours (we were missing purple)
Clear Contact
Egg Carton
Scissors
Ruler
Pen

To Make
1. Let your child choose a piece of coloured paper
2. Punch holes around the edges. Today we used an office type hole punch but I want to try it again with decorative ones.

3. Place the punched out dots into one section of an egg carton

4. Repeat with different colours - off course if working in a group you may have all the colours already covered
5. Take the piece of paper with holes punched around the edges and cut out the middles to create a frame. I used a pen and a ruler to do this but if you need to do lots of them you may want to make a template to trace around. NOTE - do not dispose of the pieces you cut out as you can punch more holes in them if you run out of dots
6. Cut a piece of clear contact that is slightly larger than the inside of your frame and place on the table sticky side up (if it is too curly you can try taping down the corners)
7. Carefully place your frame onto the contact

8. Place the punched out dots onto the contact paper using some of each colour. Liam went for more of a sprinkle approach

9. Display - we stuck ours to the window but you could also try hanging them like Nuture Store did

Blowing Bubbles with straws

2013-02-18T11:29:00.001+10:30

This idea came from Play Create Explore, I was blown away by how much Liam loved it he played for quite awhile and then revisited it 3 or 4 times during the day. The best part was it is so easy to setup and much to my surprise there was very little mess and no spills. He was so intent on blowing and popping the bubbles that splashing wasn't even on his radar even though water play at our house normally ends up with everything soaked!

You will need
Shallow Container/Bowl
Water
Dish Detergent
Straws
Food Colouring (optional)

Setup
Put the dish detergent and water into a bowl, I also added a few drops of food colouring to the water just for fun (the food colouring does not colour the bubbles).
I placed a towel on the table under the bowl just in case ..... then it was time to blow lots of bubbles

Starting to blow

Popping the bubbles with the straw

More bubble blowing

Blowing the bubbles away so he could start again

Honestly this was so much fun that the whole family had a go!

S is for Snake

2013-02-17T11:23:00.000+10:30

I know S is for Snake has been done many times before but here is how we made ours .....

You will need
Paper - incl white and red
Scissors
Paint
Glue
Wiggly Eye
Marker Pen (optional)

To Make
1. Draw a big S on white paper
2. Paint the S

3. Let dry
4. While the paint is drying cut out some small triangles for the snakes markings and from the red paper a snake tongue
5. Cut out the S and glue onto a coloured piece of paper
6. Glue on the eye and tongue

7. Glue on the triangles
8. Optional - with a marker pen write S is for Snake

Heart Finger Puppets

2013-02-06T10:38:00.001+10:30

This craft was a hit with Neevah she loves to create items she can play with and she played with them for ages making up stories about a Mummy and Baby Heart. Overall the finger puppets are easy to make but I found making the holes for the fingers a bit fiddly but well worth the end result.
Inspiration for this craft was found at Spoonful

You will need
Card
Red Paint
Wiggly Eyes
Black Marker Pen
Scissors
Glue

To Make
1. Cut a heart shape out of the card - you may want to make a paper template first to trace around
2. Paint the heart red

3. Let dry
4. Cut two holes in the heart. Like I said above this was a bit fiddly you don't want to make the holes too big they should fit somewhat snuggly so the puppet sits nicely
5. Glue on eyes

6. Draw a nose and a smile

Time to play ......

great day for a walk

Heart Blottos

2013-02-02T21:29:00.001+10:30

Neevah likes making blotto paintings so when I saw this idea over at The Chocolate Muffin Tree I knew we needed to try it.

You will need
Paper cut into heart shapes
Paint
Scissors
Paint Brush

To Make
1. Fold heart in half to create a crease
2. Paint on one half of the heart -you may like to do this a little bit at a time as wet paint prints better than when it has already started drying

3. Fold the heart along the crease
4. Gently rub the outside of the paper so the paint transfers to the other side
5. Gently peal open the heart

6. Add more paint if needed and repeat the folding and rubbing
7. Let Dry

In the original link I love how they stuck the hearts onto coloured paper to create a frame but my kids just wanted to create more and more heart blottos so that is what we did.

Emotions: When I am .....

2013-01-28T15:58:00.002+10:30

This is a quick and fun way to talk to your child about different emotions and the way different people react to what they feel.

You will need
Paper
Marker Pens

To Make
1. Draw a Large Circle on a piece of paper and then write When I am I ....
You could also print these out on the computer to make it quicker.
2. Ask your child to draw a face that matches the emotion written on the page

3. Once they have finished drawing ask them to finish the sentence and write down their answer

About Me Poster (body tracing)

2013-01-24T18:49:00.000+10:30

My mum gave me a large roll of old wallpaper the other day and I knew exactly what to do with it ...... Body Tracing! It has been on our want to try list for quite awhile. Neevah also wrote things about herself on the poster .

You will need
Paper
Markers or Crayons
Scissors

To Make
1. Roll out the paper and have your child lie on it. Cut the paper off the roll below your child's feet.

2. Trace around their body - I found the head pretty hard but that could be because of all Neevah's hair
3. Let you child draw their their face and colour in their clothes

4. Write things about the child on the poster. I asked questions such as What do you like, What do you not like, What would you like your friends to know about you, What do you like to play etc

On her poster she wrote (with some help)

I like carrots
My Favourite colour is red, blue and green
I do not like knots in my hair
I am 6
I like Snakes and Ladders
I like to play with Liam
I don't like spiders

Under and Over Obstacle Course

2013-01-23T22:08:00.001+10:30

Inside or Outside this obstacle course is easy to setup all you need is chairs, dining room or children's chairs would work. It is also great for revising the words under, over and on as well as practising crawling and climbing.

Setup you obstacle course by putting the chairs into a long line. Time to play ......

Go under the chair

Go over the chair

Turn around and come back the other way going under and over the chairs

When you get to the end stand on the chair

Ta Da! all done

You could also time your child to see how it takes them to complete the obstacle course and then try the whole course again to see if they can complete it a little bit faster.

Car Painting in a box (like marble painting)

2013-01-18T12:19:00.000+10:30

This quick painting idea is much like marble painting but instead of using marbles you use cars. Tip - this can get a little bit messy so have some baby wipes/container of water available for washing hands and cars once the painting is over

You will need
A Box
Paper
Toy Cars
Paint
Paper Paint or similar

To Make
1. Squeeze paint onto the plates
2. Place paper into the bottom of the box
3. Dip cars into the paint and then place into the box

4. Gently tip the box back and forth to create the painting - you may need to add more paint to the car wheels during the activity

Make sure you have more paper on hand as they may like to try it more than once

Neevah tried using four cars

Photo Scavenger Hunt - Transport Theme

2013-01-17T21:29:00.002+10:30

This is the second photo scavenger hunt we have tried, the first can be seen here. While a scavenger hunt itself is a lot of fun, my kids really like to use the camera and it adds a whole new dimension to the game. For this scavenger hunt I also wrote a list of instructions for Neevah to read out loud (nothing like some sneaky reading practice)

You will need
Camera
Paper
Pen

To Play
1. Write a list of instructions that suit your theme and your children.

2. Read the list together

3. Take photos of everything on your list - please excuse the slightly blurry photos taken by the kids

Our list was:

1. It is black and cars drive on it

2. Something with four wheels

3. They carry people on water

4. Something with two wheels

5. A train with three carriages

Paper Plane Landing Zone

2013-01-15T20:48:00.001+10:30

I love this idea but it needs a few tweaks to be great. Neevah and I had a lot of fun but Liam (4) got quickly frustrated. What would I change? If we were going to try this again I would mark out a large landing zone on the ground with chalk or coloured tape rather than using a basket. The high sides on the basket made it hard to get the plane into the landing zone and Liam had to stand quite close and aim downwards to make a successful landing.
I will give instructions for how we played as it would work well for older children but if you are playing with little ones I would recommend tweaking the landing zone to something a bit larger with no sides.

You will need
Paper
Crayons or similar
A Laundry Basket
Marker Pen

What to do
1. Ask you child to colour in or draw a picture on the paper - this helps you to tell the planes apart

2. With the picture side down fold the paper into a paper plane. You can find instructions here

3. Make a sign to say landing zone and attach it to the laundry basket
4. Time to play - Aim of the game is to get your plane in the basket

Lining up to have a turn

Success! Neevah got her plane into the basket

Slide Painting with Cars

2013-01-12T21:33:00.002+10:30

This is an idea has been floating around in my head for a very long time and it was inspired by our Jack and Jill nursery rhyme activity from June 2010. Liam took a little bit of convincing that it was okay to put the cars in the paint but once we got started both the kids had a lot of fun!

You will need:
A Slide ( a ramp might also work)
A roll of paper
Paint
Toy Cars
Sticky Tape
Scissors
Paper plates or similar
A Box, Bucket or something to stop the cars at the bottom of the slide

To Play
1. Cover your slide in paper - we used a roll of wrapping paper as the backside was white
2. Squeeze paint onto the plates
3. Place a box or something similar at the end of the slide to stop the cars - this makes it easy for the children to use the same cars over again but it also stops paint going everywhere
4. Dip your car wheels into the paint

5. Hold the car at the top of the slide and then let it go

let them keep going for as long as they want

you could try two or more cars at once

Don't forget the clean up can be just as much fun as the activity. Neevah and Liam loved washing the cars and slide after they had finished painting.

Christmas Activities: Santa Spotting Binoculars

2012-12-22T09:04:00.000+10:30

It is getting very close to Christmas .... only 3 more sleeps! Yesterday we made some Santa Spotting Binoculars ready to search the sky for Santa on Christmas eve.
I don't have any step by step instructions with pictures for you this time but

You Will Need
Toilet Paper Rolls
Paint
Sticky Tape or Stapler
Hole Punch
Ribbon or String

To Make
1. Paint each toilet roll - you may need a few coats
2. Let Dry
3. Staple or Sticky tape the rolls together
4. Make 2 holes and then tie your ribbon through

I'm not sure if there will be another blog post before Christmas so I will take this opportunity to Wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Christmas Crafts: Ornament Gift Tags (bubble wrap print)

2012-12-18T15:07:00.000+10:30

My kids like to make gift tags for grandparents, friends and other gifts they give at Christmas. Handmade gift tags are a nice personal touch and they can also double as tree ornaments in the years to come if the recipient wants to.

You will need
Thin Card - something plain on both sides works best
Paint - 2 or 3 colours
Paint Brush
Bubble Wrap
Scissors
Ribbon or Cord
Hole Punch
Pencil

To Make
1. Draw the ornament shapes on the thin card and then cut them out. If you need a template try google for 'Christmas ornament template'
2. Cut pieces or bubble wrap I found on piece per paint colour worked well
3. Paint the bubble wrap but not to thick as the print isn't quite as good

4. Press the painted bubble wrap onto the ornament and then carefully peel off. Keep going until your child is happy with the look

5. Let Dry
6. Punch a hole in the top of the ornament
7. Tie a ribbon through the hole and attach to your gift

Christmas Crafts: Christmas Wreath (fork print painting)

2012-12-17T17:03:00.003+10:30

Fork print painting is an easy way to create a needle like effect and is great for creating Christmas Trees or a Christmas Wreath.

You will need
Paint - red and green
Card (you could try a paper plate)
Fork
Scissors
Ribbon
Glue (we used hot glue)
Paper Plates or similar (for paint)

To Make
1. Cut a wreath shape from your card
2. Squirt your paint onto the paper plates. Putting it onto a plate makes it easier to dip the fork into the paint
3. Dip the fork into the green paint and then print it onto the wreath shape. Repeat until your child is happy with the look

4. Dip your finger or thumb into the red paint and press onto the wreath. Repeat until you child is happy with the look

5. Let Dry
6. Tie a bow with your ribbon and then glue onto the wreath
7. Display the wreath, Liam choose to put it on his bedroom door.

Christmas Crafts: Star Ornaments (cotton bud painting)

2012-12-11T22:43:00.000+10:30

Holding cotton buds (q-tips) is such a great work out for little fingers and spotting and dotting paint can be lots of fun. We will be hanging ours on our Christmas Tree but you could string them together to make a cute garland or use them as gift tags

You will need
Thin Card
Paint
Cotton Buds
Pencil
Scissors
Hole Punch
Ribbon or String
Star Shaped Stencil

To Make
1. Draw around your star shaped stencil. We used a large star playdough cutter
2. Cut out your stars. Neevah was very proud of the ones she cut out with no help
3. Dip your cotton bud into the paint

4. Spot and Dot the paint all over your star, you could also try squiggles and other shapes.

5. Let dry
6. Punch a hole in each star

7. Tie the ribbon through the hole and then hang

Christmas Crafts: Tinsel Painting

2012-12-07T16:33:00.004+10:30

This idea is much the same as Ribbon Painting but we used tinsel to make it a fun festive activity. Open ended activities are a more about the process than the end results but you could turn this painting into cute gift tags, greetings cards or possibly gift wrap.

You will need
Paper
Paint

Old Tinsel in small lengths
Paper plates or similar

To Make
1. Squirt paint onto paper plates
2. Dip tinsel into the paint

3. Blob, swirl, drag and splodge the tinsel across across your paper

4. Keep going until your child is happy with their painting

Tip : Turn on some Christmas Music while they paint it can be a lot of fun to paint to the rhythm