Valentine Crafts for the Young

It's coming on February 14th. Time to get started on Valentine crafts. Here are a few to try.

I know your children make Valentines in school and daycare, but there is nothing like getting out the art supplies and creating memorable decorations and gifts with your little one at home. This is something I cherished with my children and now my grandkids. Kids are only young once, savor every moment.

CD Photo Magnet—


This is a project you and your child can make for gifts and recipients can truly enjoy.  Recycle old CD’s (or the ones you get in the mail). Glue a picture of your child on the front, in the center.  With a colorful paint pen, write, “Your Love Makes My Heart Sing” around the disk. Decorate with cute little hearts, drawn freehand or you can use stickers. Attach a small piece of adhesive magnetic tape to the backside of the disk. This tape is easily found in craft stores.  Just think; this project idea can be used for multiple holidays—just by changing colors and decorative designs.  It’s also a craft project that older children may enjoy making themselves!

Everybody Loves A T-Shirt!

How about one with meaning? You can use this technique on canvas bags, baseball caps, and hand towels too. Use your imagination and have fun!  With a fabric paint marker write, “Behind every hand is a heart that loves Dad” (or Grandma, or whomever the shirt is for).  Gently paint the hands of your child with fabric paint and press them on any area of the shirt.  Use a variety of colors and allow the shirt to dry.  Make sure to wash your child’s hands thoroughly.  For an added touch, date the shirt with a laundry marker or fabric paint marker.

Making Tie-Dyed Valentines—

A tie-dyed print doesn’t have to be messy.  Here is a way to get this same effect using simple art materials.  Flatten a white coffee filter and place it onto a sheet of cardboard or anything that will protect your table.  Invite your child to draw Valentine designs (actually scribbles will do) onto the filter with washable color markers covering a vast surface.  Fold the filter into quarters and dip it into cold water for just a second.  Your child will be amazed as he/she sees the colors blend.  Open the filter and lay it flat to dry.  When completely dry, show your child how to cut hearts from this unique paper.

Spend quality time bonding and making memorable crafts for this holiday. They are fun too!

Happy Parenting,

Tania  

Contact me for republication of any part of this blog post with a link back to Creative Preschool Time 

The Chinese New Year: Year of the Rooster

The Chinese New Year 2017 is the Year of the Rooster according to the Chinese Zodiac. It started Friday, January 27, 2017, and ends February 2nd. This is a fun holiday to celebrate with your children even if you are not of the Chinese descent.

Here are a couple articles to explain the holiday and activities you can partake with your children.

Chinese New Year Traditions (Holidays Helper)

The Chinese New Year is the most important and festive holiday by the Chinese people. It is celebrated on the first day of the lunar calendar (with the beginning of the New Moon) anywhere from January 21 to February 19. Each Chinese year is represented by a repeated cycle of 12 animals: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. In 2015, the Chinese New Year begins on February 19, 2015 and is the Year of the Goat/Sheep.

As part of the Chinese New Year celebration, presents are bought, decorations adorn the homes, special foods are made, and new clothing is worn. Days before the holiday, Chinese families are busy preparing their homes with a thorough cleaning. The cleaning rids the bad luck and allows good luck to enter. Brooms are put away on New Year’s Eve, so good luck can’t be swept away. Since the color red is a symbol of happiness to the Chinese, you will see many homes with red paint trims.

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Teaching Your Kindergarten Class About the Chinese New Year (Bright Hub Education)

Chinese people consider The Chinese New Year as the most important and festive holiday. It is celebrated on the first day of the lunar calendar (with the beginning of the New Moon) anywhere from January 21 to February 19. These activities will help students understand the holiday.

• Twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac represent each year and continue with a repeated cycle including the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. In 2017, the Chinese New Year begins on January 27, 2017 and ends on February 2. It is the Year of the Rooster.
  

  
  

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Coming Soon: Holidays and Celebrations in September

If you're always looking for new ways to liven up the day or week, think about unofficial holidays and celebrations along with the major ones. Here you can engage your children in fun projects and creative learning activities, helping them learn about special days that tie ideas and concepts together. Who knew that almost every day of the year has some significant fact to it? Other than going back to school, September is not one of the most exciting months of the year, but I bet I can come up with some fun days for the kids to celebrate. Here are a few of my favorite days and activities to enhance them.

Labor Day falls on the first Monday in September. It originally was a time to honor those who work and to give them a day of rest. Yes, it still is, but also the last holiday of summer and many families plan picnics or other outdoor outings. This is also a great time to teach your children about the community helpers in your neighborhood that are important in many ways. At home, make a Labor Day collage together. Set out a variety of magazines. Let the children look through them and tear or cut pictures of people at work. Think about truck drivers, people who wash dishes, a singer on stage along with the occupations we normally think of such as doctors, police officers and school teachers. At the top of the paper, write "People Who Work" and let the kids glue on the pictures. Take time to discuss working and occupations during this official holiday.

National Grandparent's Day is celebrated on the first Sunday following Labor Day. This is a special day to express love and appreciation for grandparents by giving cards and presents (especially homemade ones) and holding family gatherings. Talk about the roles that grandparents play in your child's life and the special times they have spent together. Making decorated bookmarks is always a nice craft and gift the kids can make for this occasion. Bring out the art materials and invite the children to create one for each grandparent. Make sure to have them dip their thumbs into paint and print thumbprints on the front or back of the bookmark. Have the kids write "To Thumb-body Special" on this project.

Remember September 11, 2001, when the fatal terrorist attacks of the Twin Towers in New York City happened. Take time to reflect what happened and how this has made our nation stronger as we fight the war on terrorism. Do something patriotic on this day, like making American flags together. Younger children can make "stars and stripes" collages by cutting strips of red, white and blue construction paper and gluing them randomly onto a base paper. Provide sticker stars to adhere anywhere on the page. Hang these on the walls as decorations of our patriotic spirit as Americans.

How about a pickle celebration? Snack-a pickle time is the last ten days in September. So choose a day to pay tribute to the almighty pickle - the world's most humorous vegetable. This is a good time to recite the "Peter Piper" tongue twister rhyme and have fun seeing if your kids can repeat it after you. Younger kids may enjoy making green pickle puppets from construction paper glued onto craft sticks. Add whimsical facial features and name the puppets such as Polly Pickle, Pickle Man and so on. You can even make up stories about the adventures of the pickle people.

Let the last full week of September go to the dogs as you and the kids celebrate Dog Week. If you have a pet dog, pamper it! Let the kids make some homemade toys for your dog. Kids can even make paper dog tags for themselves. Let them choose a dog name and decorate a bone-shape tag from poster board. Punch holes and attach a yarn necklace for the kids to wear. Read dog books, sing some dog songs like "BINGO" and "How much is that doggie in the window?"

There are so many other fun and wacky days to celebrate this month, such as Teddy Bear Day, Chocolate Milk Shake Day, National Play Doh Day and many more. Find more fun celebrations here. 

Until we meet again -- Happy Parenting!
Tania :)

Photos courtesy of Bing Images and Wikimedia Commons