Now You Can Have Flowers All Year ‘Round!

Make this beautiful flower bouquet to brighten anyone’s day!

Materials Needed:
Colorations® Single Color Pipe Cleaners – Pack of 100
Liquid Watercolor™ Texas Snowflakes
Colorations® Liquid Watercolor Paint, 8 oz.
Super-Safe Droppers – Set of 12

Let’s Begin:

1. Cut several petal shapes from Texas Snowflake material, leaving a short stem at the base of each petal.
2. Use eyedroppers to color petals with Colorations® Liquid Watercolor
3. When dry, gather petals at the base and wrap with craft wire to hold together. Position petals based on type f flower you want to make.
4. For roses, overlap petals, for daisies, do not overlap.
5. Simpler flowers can be made using a small Texas Snowflake.
6. Add pipe cleaner for stem.

Get Crafty! Make These Crayon Transfer Cards

These Crayon Transfer Cards are perfect to keep on-hand for any occasion!

Materials Needed:
Sandpaper – coarse or medium grade
An iron (for adult use)
wax paper
Scissors
Colorations® Regular Crayons – Set of 16
White Card Stock – 100 Sheets
Colorations® Washable School Glue – 1.25 oz
Butcher Paper
Colorations® Extra-Safe Plastic Glitter – 3lbs.

Let’s Begin:

1. Cut sandpaper to fit over the front end of each card or let the children cut out basic shapes that will fit.
2. Have the children draw with crayon on their pieces of sandpaper.
3. Open each card, place the sandpaper over the front, and wrap both in a sheet of wax paper. Lay the wrapped card on several sheets of newspaper and press with a warm iron to transfer the design. Allow to cool, then remove the card and the sandpaper from the wax paper and help the children lift the sandpaper from their cards to discover their designs.
4. Brush a light coat of glue over the front of the card. Sprinkle crystal glitter over the glue and allow the glue to dry.

Spring Crafts for All Ages!

Rainbow
Children love to create their own rainbows!
Materials Needed:
Nancy™ Paint Bottles Classic Tips, 2 oz. – Set of 12
BioColor® Paint, 16 oz. – Set of 11
BioColor® Paint Scraper

Let’s Begin:
1.With a Nancy™ bottle, place five dime-sized dots of BioColor® close together in a row on lower left or lower right corner of paper.
2.Place edge of scraper below dots and drag the colors to form an arc shape.
3.Have the children use brushes, sponges or fingers to paint around the rainbow to create a complete picture.

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Flower Mural

Create a beautiful flower mural with BioColor® using blotter art, brushes and butcher paper.

Materials Needed:
BioColor® Paint, 16 oz. – Set of 11
18″ White 40 lb. Butcher Paper Roll
Colorations® Best Value Easel Paint Brush Assortment – Set of 24

Let’s Begin:
1.Make lots of large flowers with BioColor® using balloon prints, blotter art and brushes
2.Wait for flowers to dry, then cut out.
3.Paint sky and landscape on butcher paper. Use large brushes, including textured foam rollers. Dry.
4.Adhere flowers to mural in 3-D fashion. Use masking tape to adhere flower center only. Fold out petals for dimension.

Check out more great craft ideas from Earlychildhood NEWS!

Check Out This Month’s Featured Blog!

This month’s featured blog is full of arts and crafts to do in the classroom or at home! Check out these paper candy canes!

Little Hands, Big Imaginations is a great blog for teachers and parents alike! Click here to read more!

Autumn Apple Rounds Are a Perfect Treat for Kids and Adults Alike!

Autumn Apple Rounds (submitted by Calista White)

Ingredients:                  
1 Apple                  
8 oz. Cheddar cheese in either slices or a big block                  
Fall cookie cutters in various shapes (leaf or pumpkin shapes work well)

Directions:                                        
Wash and core each apple, then slice into eight rounds. Cut cheese by using the cookie cutter to cut through the big block and then using a knife to cut the shape into thin pieces. If you are using slices, have the children use the cookie cutters to cut out their own cheese shapes. (Don’t throw away the edges – they can be used for a snack later). Assemble the apple and cheese slices on a tray and let children pick their cheese shape and apple slice for their snacks.

If desired, you can also spread the apple slices with your choice of nut butter and have the children decorate their slice with raisins or dried cranberries. Or, if you’d like to give them a real treat, have them use chocolate chips instead!

Category: Snack
Serves: 8
Nutritional Information:                    
Calories:127.5                    
Fat: 9.3 g                    
Fiber: 5.4 g                    
Protein:7.0 g

Make These Goofy Ghosts for Your Spooky Halloween!

These little ghosts are not the creepiest ghouls, but they’re sure to delight!

Materials Needed:
White BioColor® Paint  – 16 oz (BIOWH)
Colorations® Glitter Glue – set of 6 (GGST)
Colored Regular Wiggly Eyes – 100 pieces (100C)
Colorations® 9×12″ Black Construction Paper (9CPBK)

Get the instructions here!

Create a Back to School Silhouette!

Break the ice on the first day of school by having your students create their silhouettes with this fun craft!

Materials Needed:
Colorations® Heavyweight Construction Paper – 50 sheets (12CP)
Colorations® #2 Pencils – set of 12 (PCNO2)
Colorations® Marker & Crayon Combo Pack – 400 pieces (MARCRAY)
Colorations® Black Permanent Markers – set of 12 (PERMBLK)
White Sentence Strips – 100 strips (WSE)
Colorations® Extra-Safe Plastic Glitter – 1 lb (GL)
Colorations® Washable Glue Sticks (PSGSTK)
Pom Poms – 300 pieces (300P)
Black Regular Wiggly Eyes – pack of 100 (100B)

Get the instructions here!

Create Your Own Nature Window!

This is a great activity for kids and adults alike! Go on a nature walk, collect items, and make a piece of art!

Materials Needed:
Repositionable Clear Con-Tact® Cover (SROL)
Colorations® Comfort Grip Blunt Tip Scissors (PGRIP)
Colorations® Acrylic Yarn (YARN)
One Hole Punch (OHP)
Colorations® Extra-Safe Plastic Glitter (GL)

Instructions:

1. Show some examples of the things you’d like the children to look for on their walk: small flowers, leaves, etc. Discourage them from choosing sticks or thick items (pinecones, etc) – explain that flat things will work better for your project.
2. Take your group on a nature walk. Encourage them to gather interesting items, such as single flower petals, a dropped spray of pine needles, etc.
3. Place in front of each child one sheet of clear, self-adhesive paper, sticky side up. Allow the children to place flowers and other items and arrange them as they’d like.
4. “Sandwich” the cover with another piece, top side down. It’s best if an adult does this.
5. Trim any excess if needed.
6. Use as a place mat at the dinner table or as a hanging nature window by punching holes in the top and stringing yarn from the holes to hang it on the wall.
7. You can use the “sandwiching” technique with many other items! “Capture” and display pieces of colored paper, glitter, sand, etc.

From the Blogosphere: Art & Creativity in Early Childhood Education

Enchantment Boxes

I’ve been testing out art ideas for my CAEYC workshop next week, and have fallen in love with our new Mini Geometric Papier-Mache Boxes (GEOBOX). At first I was shocked at how small they were, but then I realized small can be an asset (think tooth fairy box, ring box, and the old saying “big things come in small packages”). Aren’t they fun?

Read more here….

From the Blogosphere: Faith-Based Teaching

Oh, the Wonderful Things of Valentine’s Day!

I so love Valentine’s Day that I make it the two weeks of Valentines.  I love the wonderful colors of pinks, reds, purples, and all the lace, dollies and ribbons.
I also love to cook in the classroom during these two weeks.  We love to make pancakes in heart shapes and waffles with red strawberries and yogurt.

Read more here….