The following is by contributor Jennifer Brown.

For my birthday this year I’m going to have _____.” What parent of a young child hasn’t heard that phrase?  Birthday parties are a big deal among the younger set.  It didn’t take long for my first child to realize that birthdays equals cake, presents & parties.

On those special years, when you really want to celebrate, and celebrate big, where do you go for inspiration?  Where do you turn for a party theme that highlights your child’s interests and keeps you out of the prepackaged party aisle?

Off of the Bookshelf

I’d like to suggest that you look no further than your child’s bookshelf, as a dear friend and I did for our children’s parties recently.

Consider the following features on these two parties based off of the popular children’s books, Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, as a jumping off point to help get your creative juices flowing.

While these two parties in particular were for 2 and 3 year olds, the Wild Things party could be expanded for an older child and the Hungry Caterpillar would be appropriate for a one year through pre-school aged party.  Both book parties could be given for a child of either gender.

Where the Wild Things Are

I’ll start with the party we gave Where the Wild Things Are and cover each aspect of the party where the theme was used (A side note, we threw this party prior to the movie’s launch, so everything was done without any new/updated marketing items).

Invitations

I purchased standard size blank note cards with illustrations from the book & printed up inserts with the invitation details that I glued on the inside.  In our family we’ve decided to give an “in lieu of” gift suggestion for birthday parties. We thought the National Wildlife Federation would be appropriate for this party & included that on our invitation.

Birthday Fun

As the children were arriving we had all of our “wild” stuffed animals out for imaginative play.  I also got a big blue sheet that I put on the floor of the living room to contain everyone.  Once all of the children had arrived; we read the story.

Since we were on our blue ocean we then “sailed away” in an imaginary boat to the land Where the Wild Things Are.  Then my husband, wearing a homemade crown as “king of all wild things,” came in and gave each child an animal mask (purchased at Target just before Halloween for $1 each) and an instrument (shakers and tambourines also purchased inexpensively in bulk) for the wild rumpus.  We then put on music and danced/rumpused  to our hearts content.

Food

We decided to forgo a traditional cake and instead prepared a simple Dirt Cake (there are several versions of this dessert and here’s one from Family Fun) with gummy worms since that seemed like something wild things would eat.

I also found some cute recipes for “bug food” that we attempted.  In hindsight, I’ll admit the bug food, while fun, was a little ambitious, and certainly not necessary.  You could stick to ants on a log and leaf shaped sandwiches prepared with a cookie cutter—just let nature inspire you.

Decorations

We used the buggy food table, wild stuffed animals, and blue lake as our main decorations.  We really didn’t do anything extra here and kept it simple.

Favors

Again, we kept it simple: our favors were tied into the party, letting the children took home their animal masks and instruments.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Invitations

This was one of my favorite details of the party!  The hostess used her fingerprints to make caterpillars on cardstock imprinted with the party details.  So easy, very personal and so cute! It was then backed with green paper, the highlighted color of the party.

Party Fun

There were many opportunities for fun at this party.  Once everyone arrived, the children were gathered to read the Very Hungry Caterpillar story, and this hostess elected to use a felt story board as she told the story as an added touch.

There were also butterfly wings (purchased from Oriental Trading ) for each child to decorate with markers and wear throughout the party—a big hit for those who like to dress up!

One of the biggest sources of fun for the children was a free play bean bag game.  The hostess purchased Eric Carle print licensed fabric that you could cut the food pieces out of and make bean bags.  She then created a caterpillar out of a large rectangular box and some colored construction paper circles which had an open mouth so that you could “feed” the caterpillar.

Both activities were unstructured and available throughout the party.

Food

Could the food for this party be any more obvious?  They had deli trays of salami, Swiss cheese & pickles.  There was also a delicious fruit tray—so simple!

The food highlight here was definitely the cupcakes, colored green and red and arranged to form a caterpillar on the table. Remember the caterpillar illustrations in the book are pretty much just colored circles, so this caterpillar inspired cake was easy to replicate.

Decorations

Aside from the big bean bag game and fun food table.  The birthday girl made a caterpillar to hang on the wall out of green circles decorated with different art mediums—marker, paint, tissue paper and glue, glitter.  It was quite unique and a fun addition to the festivities. 

A pre-party art project is also a good way to get the birthday child involved before the party.

Favors

Each child was given a multicolor lollipop—just like the one in the book to take home—so cute!

What Book Inspires Your Child?

I hope that by sharing the highlights from these two parties you might be inspired by something off of your child’s bookshelf to create a wholesome and memorable event for their next party.

I think using a favorite book as inspiration is a really fun way to showcase your child’s personality and interests. With a little imagination you can be as involved in the theme as you like.

Get the whole family involved and see what kind of fun you can create!

Has your child ever had or attended a book themed birthday party? What books inspired the party? What book themed party would you like to have?

CURRENT SPONSORS:

• Oak Meadow - creative homeschooling since 1975.
• The Vintage Pearl - simple. sentimental. meaningful.
• Naturally Knocked Up - increasing the odds of conception naturally.
• Healthy Snacks to Go - 30+ recipes for real food snacks, fast.
• Hazelnut Kids - natural toys for natural curiosity.
• Living Crafts - craft your whole life.
• Little Acorn Learning - monthly nature-based curriculum at home.

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With a grin on her face, my eight year old declares, “Mooom, I ain’t gots nothing to do.” She does this on purpose, of course, knowing that her words will make me cringe as if she had scratched her fingernails down the chalkboard.

While I know she is speaking this way just to tease me, this does raise the issue of the potential for languishing language arts skills now that summer vacation is here.  She made such progress during the last school year, and I don’t want to see those skills fade over the break before school begins this fall.

Seeking to keep our language arts skills fresh and ready for the school year ahead, I’ve been making sure that certain activities and grammar exercises have been a part of our summer time fun.

Perhaps a few of these will be a hit with your little scribes as well.

1. Mad Libs

One of our favorite games for grammar and parts of speech review is Mad Libs. These books are available in a wide range of themes. There is even an iphone app and an online widget now as this classic game adapts to these modern times.

Playing with a pencil and paper is still our favorite way to enjoy Mad Libs, and sometimes we don’t even use an official book, but make up our own.

2. Spelling Games

Bananagrams is a fun spelling game that a cousin introduced us to.  You can read the rules here at the Banagram website.  We don’t own an official Banagrams set, but have made our own with second-hand scrabble tiles.

I can usually find scrabble games at yard sales or thrift stores.  Even the ones missing some pieces are valuable to us as we have found that we can never have too many tiles in our collection, especially vowels.

Of course, the original Scrabble game is a great way to keep spelling skills fresh, as are word searches and crossword puzzles.

Speaking of crossword puzzles, my daughter recently hit a milestone:  her first finished crossword in pen.

3. The World of Language

If you’re looking for some books to reinforce language lessons, I can’t recommend Ruth Heller’s beautiful World of Language series enough!  Their bright, vibrant illustrations and clever poetry explain grammar concepts and the parts of speech in an engaging way and the poems lend themselves pretty easily to memorization, too.

I keep these books on display within easy reach and have come across Jillian reading them on a fairly regular basis this summer.

4. Creative Writing

Earlier in the summer we were given an advance copy of Rip the Page! Adventures in Creative Writing by Karen Benke.  We’ve been having such a good time with this book, enjoying especially the wide variety of writing exercises and the invitation to “try this …” and yes, to “rip the page!” right out of the book and get creative!

Ms. Benke invites kids to use the book as a personal journal “for inward-bound adventures” and brainstorming, dreaming, and exploring in their writing.

There are word lists, “suddenly a story …” exercises, secret codes, and advice from favorite authors like Lemony Snicket, Annie Barrows, and more.

Our favorites are the “Spoonerisms” – a type of pun where letters get switched around (think along the lines of Shel Silverstein’s book Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook.)  Coming up with our own “Spoonerisms” has become a new pamily fast-time.

5. Acrostics

An acrostic is a piece of writing, usually a poem, in which the first letter of each line spells out a word or a message. See if your child can come up with an acrostic for their name.

Kara had
An awfully hard time
Reading her name
Acrostically

If that isn’t enough of a challenge for your child, have them try to come up with a double acrostic – when the first and last letters of each line spell the same word or phrase.

Does your family have a favorite word game? Share your ideas for language arts fun!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

• Oak Meadow - creative homeschooling since 1975.
• The Vintage Pearl - simple. sentimental. meaningful.
• Naturally Knocked Up - increasing the odds of conception naturally.
• Healthy Snacks to Go - 30+ recipes for real food snacks, fast.
• Hazelnut Kids - natural toys for natural curiosity.
• Living Crafts - craft your whole life.
• Little Acorn Learning - monthly nature-based curriculum at home.

© 2010 Simple Living Media, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Simple Kids subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please contact hello@simplelivingmedia.com to let us know. Thanks.

The following is by editor Kara Fleck.

Last week was a busy one at the Fleck household.  Far busier than I would have liked, actually.  By the end of the week we were still playing “catch-up” and spent a good part of Saturday morning rushing around trying to finish up errands and tasks that we didn’t have time for earlier in the week.  That is not how I like for things to be around here.

Rushing  leaves Chris and I grouchy, the children whining, and it makes me resent the “to-do” list and things that sounded fun when we first planned them.

By Saturday evening, I knew that it was time to change the pace.  We made the rest of the weekend about slowing down and ignoring the “to-do” list. Once the pace of the weekend slowed down we were able to enjoy it. That is how I would like the rest of this summer to be.

So, I am giving myself a personal challenge this week: to Be Like the Sun.

“Be the Sun! Move slowly and compassionately, especially in disciplinary situations, bringing warmth and light – it’s a tall order! You may need to practice.” - Sharifa Oppenheimer, Heaven on Earth

Radiate Warmth

This week, I’m giving myself the personal challenge of being mindful of what my family hears from me. I want to be  really focused on listening to myself and how I speak to my spouse and my children: am I talking to them in a peaceful tone? Or, am I barking orders and rushing them from task to task?

In discipline situations, am I losing my temper?  Or am I reacting with a measured voice and a gentle, but firm, tone?  Am I getting louder as the children get louder?  Or am I staying the course, moving slowly and compassionately, to guide us out of the moment?

Move Slowly

As I mentioned, lately I have felt the pace of Summer quicken.  We’re trying to squeeze events, outings, and family get-togethers on the calendar before school begins again.  If I’m not mindful, it would be easy to get caught up with keeping a faster pace as the final weeks go by. But, if I slow down I’ll actually find that we have more time.

I want to remember that there are still 24 hours in a day and seven days in a week, no matter how fast we move or how full we fill them. I need to focus on moving slowly and on not over-booking us as I make the calendar, no matter how tempting it is.

A few well-chosen events that we can enjoy and make memories from is better than rushing from event to event and not feeling like we get to enjoy any of them.

I also want to make sure that we have lots of down-time in each day.  Takings naps, watching the clouds, splashing in the pool, afternoons spent reading under the shade of a tree … those are all important “to do’s” as well.  As Tsh reminded us on Friday at Simple Mom, “the days are long, but the years are short.“

Enjoy the Sunsets

Yes, literal sunsets are lovely, but what I mean here is allowing myself to take a break, and enjoy it, guilt free. Even the sun needs to rest and recharge.  The sun sets and lets the moon take over for a while.

I need to remember to “sunset” and accept help from others when I need it.

Maybe Grandma can babysit for an evening so that my husband and I can have a date? Perhaps the kids can go for an afternoon out with Daddy, giving me some much needed peace and quiet?

This week I want to carve out time for my spouse and time for myself alone – and not feel guilty about it!

New Chance to Shine

Every day is a new chance to shine.  Perhaps I was grouchy or spoke too harshly yesterday.  Maybe I set goals for myself that I didn’t reach or said something I regret.  We all have those parenting moments we wish we could take back.  But, every day is a new day, a fresh start.  Time to begin again.

A fresh chance to shine.

Have you been feeling rushed lately? How can you slow things down?

CURRENT SPONSORS:

• Oak Meadow - creative homeschooling since 1975.
• The Vintage Pearl - simple. sentimental. meaningful.
• Naturally Knocked Up - increasing the odds of conception naturally.
• Healthy Snacks to Go - 30+ recipes for real food snacks, fast.
• Hazelnut Kids - natural toys for natural curiosity.
• Living Crafts - craft your whole life.
• Little Acorn Learning - monthly nature-based curriculum at home.

© 2010 Simple Living Media, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Simple Kids subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please contact hello@simplelivingmedia.com to let us know. Thanks.

• Summertime Bickering ::: The Parenting Passageway
• Family Glue (the cousins are here!) ::: My Little Hen
• 5 Simple Ways to Create Amazingly Memorable Traditions ::: Steady Mom
• On Being Busy or Being Full ::: Simple Homeschool
• DIY: Juggling Rag Balls ::: Maya*Made
• Super-Easy Cool Comets ::: Frugal Family Fun
• Painting Peg People ::: Ancient Heart

That is my two year old, Lucy, in the photo.  Playing with yarn and knitting needles is a new way I discovered to keep her busy this week. What new discoveries did YOU make this week?

CURRENT SPONSORS:

• Oak Meadow - creative homeschooling since 1975.
• The Vintage Pearl - simple. sentimental. meaningful.
• Naturally Knocked Up - increasing the odds of conception naturally.
• Healthy Snacks to Go - 30+ recipes for real food snacks, fast.
• Hazelnut Kids - natural toys for natural curiosity.
• Living Crafts - craft your whole life.
• Little Acorn Learning - monthly nature-based curriculum at home.

© 2010 Simple Living Media, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Simple Kids subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please contact hello@simplelivingmedia.com to let us know. Thanks.

The following is by Simple Kids editor Kara Fleck.

Our oldest child, Jillian, is eight, which means that we’ve had a little experience with the Tooth Fairy lately.  The loss of a baby tooth and the arrival of the Tooth Fairy is a much celebrated thing at our house – and a tradition that I’m glad to see holds as much magic on this side of childhood, too.

In fact, my daughter loves visits from the Tooth Fairy so much that she recently did the “door trick” all by herself when a wiggly tooth just wasn’t falling out fast enough.  Determined that the Fairy was coming that night, and undeterred by my protests that it might hurt or be a little bloody, Jillian carried on tying her tooth to the door knob and then slamming the door (she’s much braver than her mother).  Success!

Now, the magic hasn’t been without its close calls. A time or two the Tooth Fairy has been caught empty-handed when a tooth erupted too close to bedtime (luckily, the Easter Bunny and Santa are generous with their gift stash).

Once the (obviously over-worked and very tired) Fairy completely spaced out and forgot to come! She made it up with a sweet note and an extra token the next night.  We certainly hope that she has learned her lesson.

Traditions

My daughter has a special tooth pillow, one that my Mom gave her which was made by my Great-Aunt Annie.  That little tooth shaped pillow has carefully protected generations of teeth until the Tooth Fairy’s arrival.

In this pocket you will find
A teensy, tiny tooth of mine.
So while I sleep where
dreams are made,
Let’s see if you
can make a trade.

In this pocket I will lay,
the little tooth I lost today.
Please, dear fairy,
tonight as I sleep
leave me a coin.
My tooth you can keep.

- Author Unknown

When I was a kid, the Tooth Fairy left us quarters.  Today, typically at our house a tooth is exchanged for marbles, pretty beads, quarters, mini-nail polishes, hair barrettes, or a new tooth brush.

Let’s Talk

I’ve shared with you a little about our family‘s Tooth Fairy traditions.  Now, let’s talk.   I’d love to hear what your Tooth Fairy traditions are.

• What does the Tooth Fairy leave in exchange for the pearly whites at YOUR house?
• Does your child have a special tooth pillow?
• Know any tips or tricks for encouraging a wiggly tooth that is hanging by a thread to break free?
• Has the Tooth Fairy ever missed her date at your house?  How did she make it up?

Other than a dimple in a cute little chin, What’s more adorable than a toothless grin?
~Azu “Betty” Espezia

CURRENT SPONSORS:

• Oak Meadow - creative homeschooling since 1975.
• The Vintage Pearl - simple. sentimental. meaningful.
• Naturally Knocked Up - increasing the odds of conception naturally.
• Healthy Snacks to Go - 30+ recipes for real food snacks, fast.
• Hazelnut Kids - natural toys for natural curiosity.
• Living Crafts - craft your whole life.
• Little Acorn Learning - monthly nature-based curriculum at home.

© 2010 Simple Living Media, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Simple Kids subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please contact hello@simplelivingmedia.com to let us know. Thanks.

The following is by Kara Fleck, editor of Simple Kids.

A nature table, or nature corner, is a nice way to create a space within our homes that can remind us of our connection to the natural world outside. Devoting an small area of our home to a seasonal display is a simple way to be mindful of that bond.

The display can be as simple as a vase of seasonal flowers and a few pebbles and sticks gathered from outdoors, or it can be a more elaborate display that you add to as the season progresses.

A nature display is something that you can personalize. One could change it out or add to it every season, with the holidays, or as inspiration strikes. I don’t think there is a “right” or a “wrong” way to set up a display.

Some of the nature table displays I have seen in people’s homes are just for looking at, but my favorite ones are those that invite the child to touch, explore, and experience.

Our Nature Corner

At the Fleck household, we have a corner at the top of our stairs that works perfectly as a nature display area. Our landing is a well-trafficked zone in our home, so this area gets passed by often and we can all enjoy it, yet this space isn’t in the way of everyday life (and thus not a constant temptation for little toddler’s  hands – or mouths!)

As each season changes, I clear the nature corner. Ideally, it sits for about a week with just a silk, waiting to transition. Then, over the course of a month we add to the corner.  As homeschoolers, we often do some nature study, and depending on the time of year our corner reflects that we are focusing on:

• Minerals – this is when we bring out our collection of rocks, gemstones, and sea shells
• Plants – forced bulbs, wheat grass,  an interesting stick or two, leaves and flowers
• Animals – this might be the time a little wooden squirrel or deer figurine joins the corner

As the season stretches on, we add to the display with crafts, natural finds we bring inside from the outdoors, paintings, and other creations.  Many of our seasonal and nature stories and crafts come from Little Acorn Learning and Seasons of Joy.

Currently on Display:

• a paper mache beehive (ours has fallen down, but normally it hangs over the display)
• felted bees
• sea shells
• rocks
• a picture book open to a pretty Summer scene
• a green play silk
• some of the seasonal crafts we’ve been creating
• plenty of room for more!

Further Reading and Inspiration

Here are a few of my favorite sources for visual and crafting inspiration for nature corners:

• Make a Nature Table ::: Universal Preschool (no images, but a great booklist)
• Seasons Round flickr group (the exchange is not currently active, but the photos are lovely)
• The Nature Table flickr group
• Nature Tables and Playscapes flickr gallery
• The Nature Corner Cabinet ::: Sew Liberated (I’ve had this bookmarked for a long time, love this idea!)
• Wee Folk Art (there are several amazing tutorials here, many perfect for the nature corner - like these, these, and these)
  

Do you have a Nature Table or Nature Corner?  What do you currently have on display?  How are you celebrating Summer in your home?

CURRENT SPONSORS:

• Oak Meadow - creative homeschooling since 1975.
• The Vintage Pearl - simple. sentimental. meaningful.
• Naturally Knocked Up - increasing the odds of conception naturally.
• Healthy Snacks to Go - 30+ recipes for real food snacks, fast.
• Hazelnut Kids - natural toys for natural curiosity.
• Living Crafts - craft your whole life.
• Little Acorn Learning - monthly nature-based curriculum at home.

© 2010 Simple Living Media, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Simple Kids subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please contact hello@simplelivingmedia.com to let us know. Thanks.

The following is by contributor Amy Anderson of Let’s Explore and Early Bird Homeschool.

I am always looking for fun, creative ways to get moving with my kids. Since my girls were toddlers we have been making our own backyard obstacle courses. Our whole family can participate in gathering items, setting up the course, and testing our skills in a friendly family competition.

One of the greatest things about a homemade obstacle course is that you can use whatever items you have on hand. A stuffed animal slalom course?  Sure! Hurdles made from rolled-up beach towels? Absolutely! As my girls get older, their creativity inspires more elaborate obstacle courses each time.

Some kids like the addition of a stopwatch to keep track of their course times. Other kids would rather just go through the course for fun.  Either way, you’ll be adding some fun family fitness to your day!

Here are some of the many activities we have incorporated into our courses over the years. Think of this list as a create-your-own obstacle course menu – pick and choose the activities that match your child’s skill level and the materials you have on hand.  Better yet, let your child be involved in choosing the activities and setting up the course.

Balance

• Lay down a board for a balance beam
• Walk the “tightrope” using a jump rope or garden hose
• Stand on one foot for a count of five (or ten)

Crawl

• Crawl under a table or bench
• Go through a pop-up tunnel
• Lay a broomstick across two chairs and crawl under
• Crawl through a large box (top and bottom removed)
• “Army crawl” across a blanket or sheet

Jump

• Hop across a hopscotch board drawn with chalk
• Make a line of hula hoops and jump from hoop to hoop
• Stand on a marked spot and do jumping jacks
• Jump over soft pool noodle hurdles (prop the noodles below knee-height on two overturned buckets or boxes)

Pull & Ride

• Pull a wagon along a twisty garden hose or sidewalk chalk path
• Take a lap on a tricycle or scooter

Reach & Toss

• Reach and touch balloons hanging from a tree branch (at your child’s tippytoe height)
• Throw beanbags into a laundry basket or bucket
• Toss paper plate rings (cut out the center) onto a water bottle for a homemade ring toss
• Shoot a basketball

Splash

• Walk through a wading pool
• Toss a water balloon at a target (fence, tree, bucket, etc.)
• Run through the sprinkler (This is a great course finale!)

Walk & Weave

• Set-up plastic cones for a classic weaving drill
• Walk backwards ten steps
• Zig-zag through a slalom course of hats, shoes, or whatever else you can find
• Walk heel-to-toe in a straight line

Next time you go to the park, pack a few hula hoops, cones, jump ropes, and beanbags for obstacle course making on-the-go. Add in jungle gym features such as slides, ladders, and rock walls for even more variety in your course. A great activity for a group of friends to do together – or for making new friends at the park!

Have you made an indoor or outdoor obstacle course with your kids?  What are their favorite obstacle activities?

CURRENT SPONSORS:

• Oak Meadow - creative homeschooling since 1975.
• The Vintage Pearl - simple. sentimental. meaningful.
• Naturally Knocked Up - increasing the odds of conception naturally.
• Healthy Snacks to Go - 30+ recipes for real food snacks, fast.
• Hazelnut Kids - natural toys for natural curiosity.
• Living Crafts - craft your whole life.
• Little Acorn Learning - monthly nature-based curriculum at home.

© 2010 Simple Living Media, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Simple Kids subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please contact hello@simplelivingmedia.com to let us know. Thanks.

Last month, Simple Kids was honored with a spot on the Raising Playful Tots Index. This list is a compilation of wonderful resources for early childhood. You can view the entire list of 100 here. Thank you to Raising Playful Tots for the honor of being included on this list and for compiling this index – what a terrific resource for parents!

Some more suggestions for your weekend reading:

• Enchanted Learning:  the Benefits of Fantasy Play for Children ::: Not Just Cute
• Yellow Submarines ::: Sparkling Adventures
• Babymooning ::: Progressive Pioneer
• Summer Safety Tips: All About Ticks ::: Simple Organic (my brother NJ guest posts)
• Rolled Fabric Flower tutorial ::: The Pilot’s Wife
• Pleated Bow Pillowcase Dress tutorial ::: Simply Modern Mom
• a month of FREE Birthday Printables ::: Draw! Pilgrim
• Delightful Dragonflies … a Twig Craft ::: Twig and Toadstool

I know that Simple Kids readers will want to tune in to Martha Stewart Radio on Wednesday, July 21st at 7a.m. EST.  Simple Kids contributor and author of Homemade Fun, Rae Grant will be a guest.  (check the website for schedule updates)

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

CURRENT SPONSORS:

• Oak Meadow - creative homeschooling since 1975.
• The Vintage Pearl - simple. sentimental. meaningful.
• Naturally Knocked Up - increasing the odds of conception naturally.
• Healthy Snacks to Go - 30+ recipes for real food snacks, fast.
• Hazelnut Kids - natural toys for natural curiosity.
• Living Crafts - craft your whole life.
• Little Acorn Learning - monthly nature-based curriculum at home.

© 2010 Simple Living Media, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Simple Kids subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please contact hello@simplelivingmedia.com to let us know. Thanks.

The following was written by contributor Rae Grant of My Little Hen.

With summer travel and lots of outdoors adventures still happening, what better way to have your kids preserve these memories than in a scrapbook made from recycled cardboard and paper?

Making and keeping a scrapbook can be a creative entry point for kids into collecting  postcards, letters, or plant specimens. They can also get experience documenting their adventures creatively. Even the youngest can hand and finger print pictures, draw pictures, and collect summer material such as leaves, flowers, feathers, to place in their journal.

Gathering recycled materials for this project is easy and it can show kids  just how much stuff we have around the house to use again! Depending on the materials you have on hand, and how your kids like to put pages together, each journal scrapbook will be unique (which of course can be very cool!)

Like most simple projects, a few basic materials are required to get started.

Collect the following material:

• Two pieces of 8 ½ x 11 thin cardboard (Cereal boxes are perfect or a cardboard of similar weight)

• Six to to eight sheets of 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper (construction paper is colorful, white laser paper, or  brown paper bags trimmed to size works well too)

• String or ribbon, about 8 inches long

•  Good quality single hole punch

• Ruler

• Pencil

• One or two large rubber band

• Old breadboard or thick cardboard (to use for work surface)

Getting started:

1. Place text sheets between cardboard (like a sandwich).

2. Wrap two rubber bands around both ends to secure the papers before punching holes in the fold.

3. Mark two symmetrical holes about 1 inches from the edge. Use a pencil to mark each spot.

4. Set the book on a work surface and gently punch a hole through each mark. (be sure to pierce through the hole). The thickness of the paper and the quality of the hole punch will determine how many layers of paper you can punch, so be patient. You may have to punch two pages at a time instead of the whole stack.

5. Once all the holes have been made, check to be sure the holes line up when stacked.

6. Next, push one end of the ribbon or string through one of the holes from the underside to the top. Repeat for the other hole. Tie the ribbon or string loosely in a simple knot.

7. Unlace as needed to add more paper, or to adjust tension if needed.

8. Embellish the cover using glue and found material such as  bottle caps, cut out letters, beads, flower petals, pictures and stamps, whatever inspires you.

Extra Ideas:

Glue the back of a letter-size envelope to the page or inside cover to store letters, postcards or small sheets of note paper.

Decorate the outside of the envelope with letters, rubber stamps or drawings.

Did you keep a scrapbook as a kid? What kind of scrapbook do you think your kids might like to make this summer?

This kid made project was inspired  by the Summer Travel Scrapbook project in Crafting Fun: 101 Things to Make and Do with Kids by Rae Grant, St. Martin’s Griffin.

CURRENT SPONSORS:

• Oak Meadow - creative homeschooling since 1975.
• The Vintage Pearl - simple. sentimental. meaningful.
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The following is by Kara Fleck, editor of Simple Kids.

I want to invite you today to involve your senses on your next nature walk.  We are, of course, always experiencing the world with our senses but taking the time to be mindful of what we are seeing, hearing, smelling, and feeling brings the process to the forefront and makes it meaningful.

An intentional period of observation helps us to connect to our natural world. That connection is important for both kids and adults.

Here are some simple prompts and questions to help you and your child to focus on experiencing nature with your senses on your next walk.

Sight

I want to encourage you to take the time to really look at the world around you.  Walk slowly.  Your purpose is  the journey and not a destination.

Some questions to ask your child:

• What does the sky look like today?
• What does the ground look like?
• What animals can we see?
• Any there any insects?  Birds?
• What do the trees look like?
• What colors do you see?
• Have there been any changes since yesterday/your last walk?

Look carefully!  While you are observing animals, some animals might be observing YOU!

If you can’t find any animals, keep your eyes open for signs that they have been there.  Look for spider webs, animal tracks, bird’s nests.  Examine the leaves for signs an insect has been there.

Hearing

A walk together is a good time for talking with your child, and I do encourage you to do that, of course.  But make an effort to spend some time in silence, too.

Ask your child to listen and tell you what they hear.

• Can you hear any wind?
• Is there any traffic nearby?
• Do you hear any birds?  Buzzing insects?
• Is there running water?

Smell

Ask your child to tell you about what they can smell on your walk together.

• Flowers and vegetable plants
• Dirt
• Grass, leaves
• Is there a farm nearby?  Animals?

Touch

Pick up the stone that catches your eye, crumble a leaf in your fingers, run your hands over the bark of a tree. What do you feel? Encourage your child to describe what they are sensing, not just with their hands, but their whole bodies.

• Temperature – compare the hot sun on your shoulders with the coolness of the shade
• Is there any wind today?  Can you feel a breeze?
• Pick up some rocks – are they smooth? rough?
• Pinch some soil between your fingers – is is sandy? or does it stick together, like clay?

Other Ideas

Perhaps your walk has taken you to the Farmers Market or local farm stand.   Or maybe you’ve been walking around your own garden and picked some veggies or fruit.   When you get back home TASTE some of the items you’ve purchased.    Are they bitter? sweet?  savory? Eat them raw, if appropriate, and then cook with them. How does the taste change?

Keep a nature journal and encourage your child to record (through words or pictures) the things they experience on your walks.

As one of our activities along with Little Acorn Learning each month we photograph the same place (we chose a tree in our yard) and add the photo to a special book.  As the year passes we can see the changes that take place through this record.

If you come across a bug, bird, plant, or other creature or object that  your child is curious about, research it together.  Look up the name, its habitat, etc. 

Learn the proper names of the things you see and teach them to your children. Being able to properly identify animals, birds, and trees will be a life-long help to them. Invest in a set of field guides for your area and use your new-found powers of observation to become experts on your own habitat.

The next time you go on a walk with your child, even just around the backyard,  let it become an opportunity to practice the fine art of observation. You’ll both be glad you did!

Further Reading

• Simple Activities to Help Your Child Explore the Natural World
• Elements of Backyard Fun (Even Without the Backyard!)

Do you go on nature walks with your child? What are they the most interested in? What fascinating things have you observed with your senses?

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• Healthy Snacks to Go - 30+ recipes for real food snacks, fast.
• Hazelnut Kids - natural toys for natural curiosity.
• Living Crafts - craft your whole life.
• Little Acorn Learning - monthly nature-based curriculum at home.

© 2010 Simple Living Media, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Simple Kids subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please contact hello@simplelivingmedia.com to let us know. Thanks.