The Story of Ferdinand
One of our favorite books (and probably one of yours too) is The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf, illustrated by Robert Lawson. In the story, a little bull in Spain loves to sit under a tree and smell the flowers while all the other young bulls fight and butt each other. When they all are grown, the other bulls dream of fighting in
Flower Experiment
During the summer, we have a beautiful wildflower that grows along the side of our road. It’s called Queen Anne’s lace, and each “bloom” is actually made up of many tiny flowers. Queen Anne’s lace is usually white – that is, until we get a hold of it! Here’s a fun flower experiment you can do with Queen Anne’s lace to show how plants
Art Contests for the Fall
If your child likes to paint or draw, you might consider entering his or her work in an art contest. There are a number of art contests online that kids can’t enter throughout the year. My children have entered quite a few, and sometimes they win, and sometimes they don’t. The Benefits But these contests are beneficial to them in a number of ways.
Movie Making – Great Home Videos
When my oldest son was small, we purchased a video camera that recorded on the little 8 mm video tapes. It was quite an investment at the time, but as with most technology these days, it became quickly outdated. Today, there are so many other ways to record, including cell phones, iPods, iPads and tablets, and digital cameras. For kids, making a movie has
Stuck by Oliver Jeffers
We are reading a lot of picture books this summer for our library’s summer reading program, and we’ve come up with some new ones to add to our favorite’s list. One of them is entitled Stuck by Oliver Jeffers. This fun story is about a boy who gets his kite stuck in a tree. To get the kite loose, he throws his favorite shoe
Photo Alphabet Scavenger Hunt
This is a fun activity that can be done either indoors or out. All you need is a digital camera and some creative thinking! Here’s what you do: With your camera in hand, start searching for the letter “A” in your surroundings. Don’t look for objects that start with an “A”, but the actual letter itself. Where will you find it? Maybe you’ll see
The Look Book
When my oldest was small, we discovered a book at our library that became a favorite: The Look Book by Tana Hoban. What made this book so fun was the way we were able to use it as a guide for making out own “look book”. The Look Book consists of a number of photos of objects or animals a child would know. Preceding
Painting Like Georgia O’Keeffe
A good way to introduce your child to the works of a great artist is by giving him a hands-on activity he’ll remember. For this project, your child will create a painting in the style of Georgia O’Keeffe. What you’ll need: Pencil Eraser Watercolor Paper (you can find this at art and craft stores or even Wal-Mart) Watercolor Paints (found at the same stores)
Postcard Collection
With a postcard collection, your kids can get connected with friends and family around the globe and learn geography as they do! Here’s how you do it: Make a list of friends and family members who live in a different city than your own. They may live a county away, a few states away, or on the other side of the ocean. Next, gather
Paper Marbling with Shaving Cream
Here’s a fun art project that’s a good one to do outside as it can get a little messy: paper marbling! It involves shaving cream, tempra paints, and a lot of fun! This is what you’ll need to get started: A can or two of shaving cream Wide, shallow pan, such as a 9” x 13” baking pan (can use a disposable pan) Food
