MaryAnn F. Kohl, process art and treasures of childhood

ArtsyKidsNEWS March 2013

It's almost March, and here is the March 2014 ArtsyKidsNEWS ready to enjoy!

The following is a jpg. Click on it and it will take you to the actual ArtsyKidsNEWs in a new window. 

This month features an exciting blogger... Asia Citro... and her blog, Fun at Home with Kids.

 

Ready? CLICK!

 

Glitter - December Sparkle

Glitter.

Is there any better time than Christmas for glitter? Valentine's you say? Well, certainly. But Christmas!! Glitter on eyelids, on sweaters, and in your lipstick! Glitter on pinecones, glitter on stars, glitter mixed with paint, stirred into glue, sprinkled on tape, dusted over cardboard cookies, squeezed from glitter glue bottles, one color or colors mixed together, big chunks of glitter, or tiny dusty bits of glitter. GLITTER!

 

Silver has always been my favorite, and I know kids like all the metallics too. Gold glitter can turn a rock into a treasure, a Christmas drawing into a magical masterpiece, dough ornaments from ordinary to majestic. Never say no to glitter. Yes, you'll be sweeping, vacuuming, and picking it up piece by piece from everywhere for months, and how fortunate...just in time for Valentine's Day. Glitter, ahhhhhhh.

from Momspotted.com - glitter pinecones

 

theartfulparent blog - glitter tape trees

from Gluedtomycraftsblog.com - glitter reindeer

from coffeecupsandcrayons blog - glitter snowflake

DECEMBER Holiday ArtsyKidsNEWS 2013

It's December Holiday
ArtsyKidsNEWS time!

Included in the newsletter are 3 winners
of the "1000th Member" Free GiveAway Book Drawing included.

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We reached 1000 members for the ArtsyKidsNEWS!
Celebration Book Give-Away
3 WINNERS are....
1.  Jes Prochaska has won Great American Artists for Kids

2. Nina Watts has won Scribble Art

3. Shirley Oshima has won Mudworks Bilingual Edition 

 

 

 

 

 

November ArtsyKidsNEWS 2013

November ArtsyKidsNEWS 2013
featuring the NurtureStore

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"Having Fun At Home" blog interview about art

An Interview Revisited, from the blog,
Having Fun At Home  

http://www.havingfunathome.com/2012/09/maryann-f-kohl-art-with-young-children.html"MaryAnn F. Kohl: Art with Young Children 

It's a treat to be able to interview someone you admire who is an expert in a field you care about.  That's why, even though this is a busy season in my life, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to interview MaryAnn F. Kohl, author of over 20 award-winning books about children's art and a contributor to Family Fun magazine (among many other distinctions).

MaryAnn recently sent me a copy of Scribble Art to review, and the girls and I have been having a ball trying out the activities there.  So far, we've done salt painting, made an easy piñata, and tried tissue paper collages (my favorite so far!)

The thing I love about MaryAnn's books is her obvious and genuine care for children.  It is tempting as a parent or a teacher to gravitate toward art projects that "turn out well," with end-products that make adults feel that the time has been worthwhile.  MaryAnn, on the other hand,  sees art from the perspective of a child and knows that it is the creative exploration that is often very special to children. That's why in Scribble Art, you'll find oodles of ideas for open-ended art experiences.

Who knew that there were so many possibilities for art mediums and canvases around the house?  Liquid starch, flour, sawdust- even insulated telephone cable find their way into over 100 activities that children can do independently for the sake of fun and beauty.

I'm finding it can be a great boon to have this arsenal of fun lying about the house, by the way.  The other day, as I was making dinner and needed to work uninterrupted, I found the tissue paper collages to do the trick nicely!

So let's turn now to MaryAnn and hear her perspective on doing art with young children.

1.  Can you tell us a little about the role art has played in your own life personally, both as a child and an adult?

When I was little, I was constantly coloring in coloring books and on blank paper, and at times, on the walls. My mom provided me with scissors, glue, paper, and wonderful crayons all at my reach on a shelf we called the coloring shelf. As I grew, I had some talent with drawing, though I was never super talented, but I enjoyed it enough that I was often complimented on my work. This encouraged me to volunteer to do covers for classroom books or decorate invitations for the Halloween Party. When I began teaching, I found that even the most rowdy child would quiet down and become focused when doing art, and by art, I mean actually creating unique work with materials on hand, not copying something I the teacher had made. So I made sure art was a big part of everything we did. When I had my own kids, art was important from the beginning. Playdough, painting, coloring, and collage were a constant for my kids. They are both very good at art now, and though I don't think it is because of all the activities we had specifically, I do believe that their creativity was honored which has inspired them to go forward in life with that ability.

2.  Each of your books makes a unique contribution.  What about Scribble Art do you especially like?

Scribble Art was the first book I wrote, and has sentimental connections back to my teaching years where all these ideas were tested with kindergarten through grade three children, children I knew and loved. I choose these projects because they were open-ended and I was so excited to write a book to encourage creativity for children where their own unique artwork rather than copying adult made cutesy projects. The book was published in 1985 and it is still my favorite and still selling well around the world (in 9 languages no less).

3.  What tips would you give parents for doing art with very young children?

Start small! Rather than putting out jars of paint for a painting project, start with some shallow jar lids filled with about 1/8" of paint, perhaps three colors tops. Use small brushes or cotton buds for beginning. On the other hand, using big brushes and a bucket of water outdoors will paint thousands of rocks and squares in a sidewalk. Big or small, messy or tidy, start with fewer materials in the beginning, and add more in as the children become adept at using them and learn to handle the wonder of it all.

4. As a mother, I often feel my blood pressure rise when art starts to get messy because I envision myself spending the rest of the day cleaning it up.  I would love to hear about how you dealt with the tension between creative art and cleaning up messes when you were a parent of young children.

Do messy type art on days you are ready to handle it. Otherwise, skip it for the time being. The smartest thing is to set up the art area ahead of time to catch the mess. For example, tape an old shower curtain to the floor or over a wall near their little work table, or keep a damp sponge on their work area for them to wipe their fingers; wear a fitted apron or cover rather than a big shirt with rolled up sleeves that get in the way. Plan ahead to prevent problems. Sometimes I put a loop of masking tape on the bottom of a paint cup so it won't tip over, or certainly only fill it half way, not to the brim. Ideas like this make things easier. And if possible, working outdoors is always nice and much easier to clean up. Encourage the kids to help with the clean up too. Part of being a child and being given wonderful experiences is to participate in setting up, mixing, cleaning up, etc. They love to wash the tables with a big soapy sponge!

5.  Would you also give us some tips on doing open-ended art with young children in a group setting?

I like to place materials on the center of a table that everyone can gather 'round together (usually no more than 6 at the table at a time). Everyone can reach in and use what is available, and everyone cleans up their own mess. I rarely show them any finished product they should be trying to achieve; I would rather just see what they do with the materials. Most materials shout out how they should be used, so you don't have to say much. For example, if you have contact paper peeled away and sticky, and there are cotton balls and scraps of paper on the table, the kids will automatically stick the cotton balls and scraps to the sticky background. Let the materials you choose dictate how the activity will go. Sometimes you need to give a little demo or a brief explanation so they aren't left completely in the dark with new or unusual materials. But try not to make a sample for them to copy, because they will copy it, and at that point, the whole purpose of creativity and unique thinking has gone out the window.

6.  Which of your books / activities do you especially recommend for the youngest crowd?  (2 to 5 year olds)

Preschool Art is the best book for the 2-5 year old group, but it costs more than Scribble Art, and Scribble Art would do very well for that group too. My website also offers reduced price eBooks, which is another option.

7.  Is there anything else you would like to add?

I would love for everyone who is interested to join my mailing list. I send out a very nice newsletter once a month called the ArtsyKidsNEWS, with four or five art projects that go well with that particular month. Halloween/Autumn/Harvest is coming up soon and will be sent by email, free of course, at the end of September. Each month one person wins a free art book! Sign up on my website, home page, lower right corner:

http://www.brightring.com

I'd love for your readers to visit my Facebook page too. 

Go here:

https://www.facebook.com/maryannfkohl?ref=hl

or go here:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/MaryAnn-Faubion-Kohl/84206837844?ref=hl

Sharing... An Interview with THE CHOCOLATE MUFFIN TREE blog:
http://www.thechocolatemuffintree.com/2012/03/top-5-process-art-ideas-from-maryann-f.html 

Top 5 Process Art Ideas
from MaryAnn F. Kohl

What are your Top 5 Favorite Process Based Art Ideas? This is a question "The Choclate Muffin Tree" Blog asked MaryAnn F. Kohl in our interview from a few posts back and thought it could stand as a post of it's own.  MaryAnn is the  author of a multitude of children's art books and I consider her an expert on process based Art,  so I thought this was a very suitable question.  
***I've included process based project links after each listing to get you started.

MaryAnn's answer:  "My favorites change from day to day,  so this is a tough question.  But for today,  here are my Top  5 and I'm going to list them in very general terms so the possibilities are wide open."  Each of these five has a book-full of possibilities:

1. Exploring With Play Dough 

     *Today's favorite: Mixing blobs of colored play dough to make new colors

Rainbow Play Dough from Happy Hooligans
Smooshing Play Clay from MaryAnn F. Kohl, process art and treasures of childhood

2.  Collage With Whatever is on Hand

      *Today's favorite: Art tissue scraps painted onto paper with thinned white glue; and other supplies like glue and beads

Tissue Paper Collage from TinkerLab

Watercolor Painting over Tissue Paper Collage from The Artful Parent

3. Wood Scrap Sculpture

       *Today's favorite:  Stack and glue pieces of wood scraps into towers or flat reliefs; paint optional

Wood Scrap Sculpture from Lilla a
W is for Wood Sculptures from Preschool Daze

4.  Painting With Liquid Watercolors or Tempera Paints

      *Today's favorite:  Draw and Color with crayons on white paper and then spray liquid watercolor on the drawing                           

Spray And Scrape Drawing from MaryAnn F. Kohl, process art and treasures of childhood

Multi-Sensory Paint! from Not Just Cute

5.  Making Prints With Whatever is On Hand

      *Today's favorite:  Roll Marbles through paint blobs on a paper plate in a pie pan

Marble Painting from The Mother Huddle
Marble Rolling Abstract Art from Laugh, Paint, and Create!

February ArtsyKidsNEWS is Here!!

February ArtsyKidsNEWS is here!!

 

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January 2013 ArtsyKidsNEWS - Snowman Art

Hello and Happy New Year!
 
January 2013 ArtsyKidsNEWS
is here! 
SNOWMEN!  SNOWMEN!  SNOWMEN!

The newsletter below is posted as pictures.
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Thank you for visiting my blog!
    MaryAnn 

Splish! Splash! It’s Time for Summer Water Fun!

Splish! Splash! It’s Time for Summer Water Fun!

from the Gryphon House blog!

By MaryAnn F. Kohl

Summer is an endless stretch of time for kids to fill. Make it special for them by doing things together. You won’t need anything special – just a little time and cheerful energy to fuel the fun! The bonus to these activities is that you are building memories together. And don’t forget how much fun water activities are for kids! Hot weather is water weather! Here are some ideas for active water fun in your own backyard:

• Play in the sprinkler or with the hose (extra fun: eat watermelon first, and then wash off – and cool off)

• Scrub it up! Kids love to wash and scrub! Fill buckets with soapy water, add sponges and rags, and let them wash their bikes, the swing set, rocks, and the lawn furniture. Have a hose ready for rinsing. Let the sun sparkle on the clean and shiny new world!

• Toss water balloons at targets (or each other)

• Play sponge toss – take soaked sponges and throw them at a designated target (that includes mom or dad!)

• Squirty-Cup-Head Game! Fill a big squirt bottle with water. To play, everyone sits side by side on the ground with a plastic cup on his or her head, backs to the “squirter.” The “squirter” takes the squirt bottle and tries to knock the cups off each person’s head. When all cups are off, the squirter takes his place in the line-up with a cup on his head, and a new person takes a turn at being the squirter. Everyone gets a turn!

• Fill a plastic or galvanized tub with water. A child’s wading pool will work too. Add plastic cups and bowls, turkey basters, spoons, and buckets. Let the kids go at it, pouring and playing. Going barefoot and wearing swimsuits adds to the fun. For extra intrigue, add some food coloring to the water for mixing enjoyment.

• As long as the kids are outside, make Wacky Bubbles together! Start by mixing together 1/4 dishwashing liquid (Dawn and Joy work the best), 2 cups water, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Pour the mixture into a shallow container and have a wacky bubble blowing experience with a wacky variety of bubble blowing tools: plastic funnels, six pack soda rings, and plastic cups with holes punched through the bottom make a good start. Add your own ideas.

• When the kids run out of steam, change the bubble mixture into an art project! Pour some of the bubble mixture into a cup and add a few drops of food coloring, liquid watercolorpaints, or poster paint. Blow rainbow bubbles into the air with a bubble blower, and then catch them on a white sheet of paper or paper plate! When the bubble pops, a most amazing bubble print is left. When the paper dries, use markers or crayons to outline the bubble shapes, creating bubble art masterpieces!

• If a little quiet time is in order, create in the shade! Design beach jars under the shade of an old oak tree! You will need a peanut butter or mayonnaise jar for each child, some plastic funnels, and a worktable or blanket on the grass. Gather some containers of sand, shells (whole or crushed), and small gravel or pebbles, even colored craft rice or salt. If possible, cut some fish or seashore shapes from colored foam sheets from a craft store. Mix blue food coloring in water, and set aside. Each child fills his jar with layers of sand, shells, gravel and pebbles, and then places the foam cutouts on the inside of the jar against the glass. When the jar is full, pour blue water slowly into the jar, covering the layers. Tighten the lid on the jar, and the beautiful beach jar is ready to place in a window to catch the sun.

The word summer simply means fun! Doing things together will make the days spin by and before you know it, fall will be in the air, kids in school, and memories will fill the hearts and minds of all. As the song goes, “These are the days, my friend! I thought they’d never end….”

~~~ 

MaryAnn Faubion Kohl is the author of 20+ award-winning books of activities for children. Two of her many titles are First Art: Art Experiences for Toddlers and Twos and Mudworks Bilingual Edition: Clays, Doughs, and Modeling Experiences for Children; The Big Messy Art Book is a favorite for summer outdoor fun.

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The Old Brown Rocker (Gryphon House blog re-post) by MaryAnn

The Old Brown Rocker

Of all the things I gave my mom over the years, what did she save because it was a true treasure to her heart? Was it my penmanship papers, my math homework, my book reports? True, she saved some of those! But it was my art that she treasured, and one piece in particular.

It’s not that my art rang with amazing talent, or that my designs were revolutionary, or even that my technique was admirable. It was that I created the art myself, and designed it with my mother in mind. There’s one picture I drew in third grade showing the brown overstuffed rocker that graced her bedroom throughout my childhood, where she rocked me when I had a fever or a bad day. It’s an odd little drawing – just a brown rocker with a throw pillow in the corner of the seat. If you look, you can see I was trying some very fancy colors and working to get texture to make the rocker something special. To most people, the drawing is just a chair. But to my mom and to me, it was the symbol of how much she loved me and cared for me.

She treasured my brown rocker drawing and kept it wrapped in white tissue in her dresser drawer. Now that she’s gone, having died much too young and long before I was ready to say goodbye, I treasure the little drawing as a reminder that she loved me enough to save my drawing because we shared a special piece of furniture. The little drawing speaks volumes of my perfect childhood with her watching over me and caring for me. My little childhood drawing brings me closer to her than all the photographs I have of her. If I could, I’d let her rock me one more time in our old brown overstuffed rocker.

~~~

This post was contributed by MaryAnn F. Kohl. MaryAnn is the renowned author of over 20 books about art for children. Her books are published both by Gryphon House and by her own company, Bright Ring Publishing. MaryAnn invites you to connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and her own blog.

 

May ArtsyKidsNEWS : Warmed Crayon Drawing from Play Create Explore blog

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A Repost From the Gryphon House Blog: Reading Scenes Photography Fun

This is a guest blog post directly
from the Gryphon House Blog,
reposted below:

http://blog.gryphonhouse.com/2012/03/13/reading-scenes-lets-take-pictures/

Reading Scenes: Let’s Take Pictures!

13 MAR

by MaryAnn Kohl

When I was a very little girl, my dad brought me a new book every week from the bookstore where he worked. Most of them were Little Golden Books, and I still own every single one. Those books brought magic into my life and lovely daddy-daughter time to me as an imaginative little girl. I treasure both the books and my time with my dad who passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of 50.

One of the ways I used to like to play with my books was to set up my toys in scenes and arrangements based on favorite stories, like playing dolls, but more. I was building the scenes from my books, like setting the stage for a great play or story. I would move the characters around and make them talk, reliving the book and adding my own twists to the story.

When I was satisfied with playing, I would bring out my Brownie camera (this was film, not digital, everyone! It was in the 1950s!) and take a picture of the scene. The pictures took about a week or more to develop and be returned to me. The waiting wasn’t so hard, as there was plenty to do to keep busy during the interim.

When the pictures arrived, I selected which scenes would go into my scrapbook, really just a notebook with photos taped in, and tape them in. Though sadly I don’t have any of those pictures today, I do have the memory of my play time with my books as the inspiration and my dad smiling over me and asking me to tell him about the photographs in my notebook. Retelling the stories was a good part of the enjoyment.

So I’d like you to try this, your kids will love it! I call it Portraiture, an idea from the book, Storybook Art, authors MaryAnn Kohl and Jean Potter, and also in a different way from Great American Artists for Kids by MaryAnn Kohl and Kim Solga.

Portraiture

To Do:

1. A child (children) reads a favorite book (listen to a book or read it on their own).
2. A child (children) sets up a scene with whatever toys, figures, blocks, and so forth on hand.
3. Take a digital picture of the scene.
4. Choose to move the scene about and take a second or third picture to tell a story in sequence, but most kids are happy with one picture.
5. Print out the picture.
6. Save it in a notebook or scrapbook.
7. Take dictation about the picture from the child if they are very young, or encourage them to write something about it if they are old enough.

More:

Some kids like to actually dress-up in costumes and put together some background or props to re-enact a favorite book or one of their make-believe times. Do the same: Pose, take a picture, print it out, save it in a notebook.

These pictures show scenes as well as children dressing up and posing:

The squirrel is reading the baby frogs a bedtime story. The two children who posed the scene gave a short dictation of what was happening to the squirrel and frogs.

Jake and Sydney posed themselves in costume with props to show how difficult it is to have a cup of tea when the toys are not behaving.

Foil figures squeezed from aluminum foil can make fun characters to pose in a story. This foil man has found himself a marker and is setting out to draw his own personal story on white paper.

 

This post was contributed by MaryAnn Kohl (pictured on the left at about the age of Brownie cameras  in the 1950s). MaryAnn is the renowned author of over 20 books about art for children. Her books are published both by Gryphon House and by her own company, Bright Ring Publishing. MaryAnn enjoys speaking internationally and working with groups of children all over the US. Articles by MaryAnn can be found at the Barnes & Noble Parents’ Expert Circle as well as her own blog. MaryAnn lives in Bellingham, Washington.

 

Visit MaryAnn's Pinterest Boards

Have you found Pinterest yet? I don't know if you'll love it or never forgive me for telling you about it .... ??   :)

If you like saving great ideas from the Internet, Pinterest will help you do it.

My boards are here:  http://pinterest.com/maryann_kohl/

My favorite board is "Art for Kids from Great Blogs"

 I hope you will visit my boards to see some amazing art ideas as well as other things I'm saving to enjoy, make, or share. Click on any links in this blog post and you will be swiftly jettisoned to Pinterest! 

~ MaryAnn
www.brightring.com

PS Have you signed up for my montly newsletter yet?
Go to my webpage (lower right corner), and sign up for my mailing list.
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 Thank you for reading my blog! Love to hear from you so leave comments! And if you have a Pinterest page with art ideas or other creative activities, I'd love to "follow you".

From the Chocolate Muffin Tree: Happy Birthday to Me! Balloon Sculpture

Hello, Blogging Friends: Today is my ... ahem ... BIRTHDAY, rather a milestone one actually, and thanks to one of my favorite blogs -- The Chocolate Muffin Tree -- I have a complete post (translate: no work for me, I'm copying hers) to share with you: Balloon Sculpture  based on my book "Storybook Art". I suppose I could write my own blog post, but this one is so great! And it's my BIRTHDAY!  And it's 4am! And so... Thanks for the post, Melissa. I promise to do a guest post for you in February or any time in exchange for posting this one.

MONDAY, JANUARY 23, 2012 - My ? Birthday!

Balloon Sculpture and a Book

Would you ever think of making Balloon Sculptures?  (Besides the twisty animal kind)  Well, we made Balloon Sculptures! This idea comes from the book Storybook Art by children's art author MaryAnn Kohl (and it happens to be her Birthday today!....Happy Birthday! and with balloons too!).  This is a wonderful book filled with 100 Hands-On Art Lessons that incorporate Great Picture Book Illustrators.  This particular project appealed to my daughter immensely because she LOVES balloons and sculpture projects. We first read the book, Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm, which is the book that goes along with the balloon sculpture.  The illustrations by Mark Buehner really made the "Balloon Farm" of the character, Harvey Potter, come to life!!  The book itself with the imaginative story by Jerdine Nolen Harold and colorful illustrations was a hit for my 5 year old! I think any child would be intrigued by this book!

For the project you'll need:

all sorts of balloons

double sided tape (we used tape pockets----rolled tape)

square of cardboard or matte board

also string or rubber bands for extra support

(we just used tape and I could see string and rubber bands being helpful!!!)

Here is one of our finished sculptures:

Here are all the balloons we gathered: twisty animal balloons, water balloons, small balloons , and birthday balloons.

C wanted to play with the balloons (and we did!) You can see the joy on this girl's face before the project was ready to begin!

I had a bunch of tape pockets (rolled tape) ready in preparation for the project and used a piece of scrap matte board for a base, but you could use any kind of cardboard. To begin, C first started stacking the balloons!

She wanted to stand on the chair, because I think she imagined it to be really tall!  We found it wouldn't stack very high!!!  I talked about using the skinnier twisty balloons for support on the sides and that helped.  It would be fun to make a Balloon Hanging Sculpture too! Here is our Balloon Sculpture again.

I never would have thought to make a sculpture with balloons, but then take a look at this Google Search forBalloon Sculptures if you click here! There are zillions of them!! These will definitely inspire you to create Balloon Sculpture or at least have a n appreciation for them! Here is one Balloon Sculpture to a awe you with from Balloon Sculptor: Jason Hackenworth. Pretty Amazing, huh?

We had a lot of FUN creating this balloon sculpture and we may just do more with all this inspiration! 

Other Ideas with Balloons:

Next time we might Draw on our Balloons before we start sculpting with them!!! 

We might make some Homemade Stress Ball Balloons too!

Making a Balloon Yo-Yo  would be FUN!

A Hot Air Balloon toy has been on our list for a long time!

Printing with Balloons looks like a cool way to paint! 

We'll be creating another project from Storybook Art so stay tuned!

 

Amazing Mommy-Blog Christmas Ideas

I've chosen a few of my all time favorite Mommy Blog Christmas ideas to share. You cannot go wrong with these blogs on any day, and Christmas seems to have brought out art for children is that exemplary and wonderful in so many ways.

I cannot thank these young exciting mommy-bloggers enough for what they contribute to the world of children's creativity. Bless each and every one of you for your dedication and hard work.

~ MaryAnn

 

Painted Snowflakes from "The Artful Parent"

My comments: Cut coffee filters into snowflakes and paint. (You can also do this with flour tortillas and any variety of peanut butter, jam, or colored cream cheese for a fun snack.) You could also paint the coffee filters first and then cut the snowflake when it's dry.
Thank you, AP! 

Spin Art Christmas Tree Cards from "The Chocolate Muffin Tree"

The Chcolate Muffin Tree blog shows us a way to take spin art and cut triangles to assemble in a tree shape and then further decorate with paint dots, glitter, stars, foil, sequins, etc. Cotton is added for snow, which we know kids would love. I just love how happy these little trees are dancing in the snow. Thank you, CMT!

16 Christmas tree crafts to try from "NurtureStore"

NurtureStore shares some amazing Christmas Tree art -- these are far more art than craft, and so beautiful!

One of my favorites is the paint chip art cut into trianges to make little trees. Great gift tags!
And look at the sticks and driftwood tree.  Ooooo.

Sixteen different ideas for you, and just amazingly beautiful yet exploratory and unique for each child. 

Recycled Paint Stick Snowman from "Pink and Green Mama"
"Measure the snowfall!"

Pink and Green Mama blog shares this cute craft. I bet no two snowman sticks will look alike! Provide lots of felt, paper scraps, and ribbon or fabric strips for his scarf. Number at one inch intervals from the bottom up (from 1 to 8), and you have a measuring stick to count the inches of snowfall on Christmas Eve. (dreaming of a....)
Thank you, P&GM! 

 

Recycled Materials Christmas Tree from "The Imagination Tree"

The Imagination Tree provides the young artist with a cardboard tree shape, and then stands back as the artist paints the tree base and then adds scraps and doodads and other items from their "Jar of Wonder". Oh glorious! Check their blog to see how they fix the tree to stand.

Thank you IT! 

 

Thank you all for making Christmas merry, bright, and creative for children.

And Happy New Year to All!

 

PS. I send out a newsletter once a month with an art idea and other news and fun. If you'd like to sign up, go here.  

 

 

 

Laura Ingalls Wilder Award: from the PragmaticMom blog

I love children's books and how strongly those books can affect the lives of children, increasing their creativity, their learning in general, and their connection to the larger landscape of life. Books breathe life into a child's imagination and offer a stepping stone to a lifelong zest for reading and learning.  

Thanks to The PragmaticMom blog, I am sharing the following list of award winning books that will remind you of books that are worth bringing home from the library or offering as gifts.

 

Reposted from The PragmaticMom blog

http://www.pragmaticmom.com/?p=16387
 

T h a n k  y o u,  PM ! 

Administered by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award was first given to its namesake in 1954. The award, a bronze medal, honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.

Between 1960 and 1980, the Wilder Award was given every five years. From 1980 to 2001, it was awarded every three years. Beginning in 2001, it has been awarded every two years.

Between 1960 and 1980, the Wilder Award was given every five years. From 1980 to 2001, it was awarded every three years. Beginning in 2001, it has been awarded every two years.

 Winners!!

2009: Ashley Bryan

2007: James Marshall

2005: Laurence Yep 

2003: Eric Carle

2001: Milton Meltzer

1998: Russell Freedman

1995: Virginia Hamilton

1992: Marcia Brown

1989: Elizabeth George Speare

1986: Jean Fritz

1983: Maurice Sendak

1980: Theodor S. Geisel (Dr. Seuss)

1975: Beverly Cleary

1970: E. B. White

1965: Ruth Sawyer

1960: Clara Ingram Judson

1954: Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Ingalls Wilder was born in 1867 in Wisconsin. She became an elementary school teacher, married, and moved to Mansfield, MO, in 1894, where she lived until her death at age 90.

Wilder’s first book, The Little House in the Big Woods (1932), was published when she was 65. It began the story of five-year-old Laura and her family in the Wisconsin woods. Her other publications include Farmer Boy (1933), Little House on the Prairie (1935), On the Banks of Plum Creek (1937), and By the Shores of Silver Lake (1939).

Wilder wrote about home and the family primarily to entertain. She was interested in providing her young readers with information on how life was lived by their ancestors. Wilder’s books were not about the country’s leaders; they were about the country’s people.

To view any book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book.

Related posts:

1. Award Winning Children’s Books 2011: Caldecott, Newbery and more  
2. Predicting the Caldecott and Newbery 2012 Winners. Picks by Fuse #8 Productions, Heavy Medal Mock Newbery and 100 Scope Notes  
3. Best KidLit You’ve Never Heard Of: Marsh Award 2011 Winners for Children’s Literature in Translation  
4. Latest Children’s Lit Award Winners: O’Dell, Costa, Sheffield & more…  
5. Best KidLit That Teaches Tolerance, Diversity, Social Justice: Once Upon a World Award  

via www.pragmaticmom.com

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with some great art ideas for kids of all ages.
Go to: BRIGHT RING PUBLISHING

Miniature Christmas Lights craft, from the Crafty Crow!

The Crafty Crow is one of my favorite blogs, run by Cassi, an amazingly creative person.

She has shared a cute, did I say CUTE, yes VERY CUTE!!, idea and has produced a great video to share with you on how to make Mini Christmas Lights, a Q-TIp Craft.

The above video from Cassi at the Crafty Crow blog shows how she makes the cutest cute cute cutest little mini Christmas Lights from cotton buds (Q-tips®). 
 

The following URL takes you to the Crafty Crow blog where you can find out more and browse Cassi's other great craft and art ideas. Be sure to sign up to follow her blog.
http://www.thecraftycrow.net/2011/11/miniature-christmas-lights-garland-made-from-q-tips.html

The following three pictures are also from Crafty Crow to show you how cute the mini lights are for other uses.

Thanks for the great idea, Cassi!
I know my blog readers will be hopping over to your
blog to see this and all the other great ideas you have to share.

 

Shaving Cream Leaves, from the "Little Wonders' Days" blog

Shaving Cream Leaves, from Little Wonders' Days blog

* All links take you to Little Wonders' Days

Thank you, Little Wonders' Days! I'm sending all my blog friends over to visit you!

Little J was asking how many days until school started the other day. When I told him that there was about a month of summer break left he was rather quiet. I noticed later that he still seemed off. When I asked him he told me that he was going to miss having all the fun we had this summer. I reminded him of all the fun he had at school and how much he would enjoy seeing all his sweet friends again. This cheered him up some.

It really cheered him up when I suggested that we do a project together that I knew he enjoyed- shaving cream painting! 

It occurred to me that we could do something with our project to help him look forward to going back to school and let him know that while we won't have the lazy days of summer, we will still have Friday fun.

Friday fun is a little "I love you ritual" that we started when Little J was in kindergarten. With the busy weeks of school, extracurricular activities, homework, and earlier bedtimes, it's easy to miss each other.  We started doing simple things that we usually don't have time for during the other weekdays.  Things that help us spend time together and reconnect. 

When they dried, Little J and I thought of a few things together that would be fun to do this September. We wrote them on backs of the leaves (on post it notes...I'm hoping to get them back for our autumn traditions tree) and then put them on his bedroom door. 

• Take a walk on a nature trail
• Play at a favorite park
• Make ice cream for dessert
• Go to the science museum
• Go for an afternoon picnic
• Do a traveling story hour

 

Ivory Soap Amazing Colorful Microwaved Puff Ball, from "The Chocolate Muffin Tree" blog

The Chocolate Muffin Tree is one of my favorite blogs for fun creative ideas of things to do with kids. I had never seen this Ivory Soap sculpture idea, and just had to share it! Check out the Choclate Muffin Tree for further creative ideas and fun.  ~ MaryAnn 

:::::::: From The Chocolate Muffin Tree blog ::::::::
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2011

Colorful Ivory Soap Sculpture

Have you ever tried the Ivory Soap Trick? It is super easy and a Great Science Lesson! We just happened to have some Ivory Soap around and I happened to come across this idea from the weekly post 10 Ways To Make Today More Magical from A Magical Childhood. I've seen this idea many times, but it was a great reminder to try it! The instructions and Science behind it are found here, if you want more detail. We did the trick a few times (It is addicting!), but also put an Artsy twist on it! Here is our Colorful Ivory Soap Sculpture. Keep reading to find out how we  did this trick and how we made it more fun! 

Before the trick, I did a little reading about the science behind this amazing experiment here and decided to incorporate a little bit of learning about what floats and what sinks and why? We tested a bar of Dial Soap and Ivory Soap and noticed which one sank and which one floated. I had my daughter try to guess why? Then I explained that the Ivory soap has air in it which causes it to float and Dial soap has very little or no air.

To do the trick, first put a unwrapped bar of Ivory soap on a paper plate or piece of paper towel.

Place the soap in your microwave for about 90 seconds and it will puff out and grow into this amazing looking foam sculpture!!!! I didn't let my daughter watch the whole time because of the microwaves harmful rays! Interesting Information: My Father, who worked with radiation, has told me the most dangerous place to stand is the side of the microwave because that is where the harmful rays leak out! He said the front has a protective shield on it so I just thought I would pass that along since I am mentioning the dangers of microwaves.

Now you can see how the soap puffed out! My daughter absolutely LOVED this! We've done it three times and she keeps asking about doing it again! I explained to my daughter that the reason it puffs out is because there is air inside the soap that makes it expand when heated ... she seemed to understand! To make our Ivory Soap Puffed Sculpture more beautiful, I let her put drops of Liquid Watercolor (you could use food coloring) on it to paint it! Be careful because the soap is hot right out of the oven and especially in the center of the soap!

The sculpture is not at all permanent and flakes apart so it is definitely an "in the moment" activity! My daughter loved touching the sculpture and wanted to save pieces of it!!!

Here is a finished "Colorful Ivory Soap Sculpture" again! Beautiful! (or Not?) What do you think? We put the finished sculpture back in the microwave to see what would happen and there was not much difference. I appreciated that my daughter wanted to keep experimenting!

I know we will be doing this "Trick" again and again!!! My daughter keeps eyeing our Ivory soap in the bathroom closet and I'm sure it will happen soon! If you are wondering if you should try this ... it is totally worth it!!! Have FUN !

Thank you, Chocolate Muffin Tree,
for posting this wild and exciting soap sculpture!

 

Chalk on Starched Fabric: An Art Experience from "Almost Unschoolers" blog

Drawing With Chalk on Wet, Starched Fabric
from "Almost Unschoolers" blog 

Posted completely from
http://almostunschoolers.blogspot.com/2011/07/drawing-with-chalk-on-wet-starched.html 

© 2011  All photos property of almostunschoolers.blogspot.

Almost Unschoolers experimented with chalk and starch drawing today,
with an idea from Preschool Art: Drawing (preview the book in Google Books).

To quote "Almost Unschoolers" blogging mom:

"I cut a few scraps of cotton fabric into squares,
and gave them a quick soak in liquid starch.

 

Wringing the squares out...

 

... laid them flat, in pans, and had the girls color on them with colored chalk.

It worked out great, as the starch not only let the chalk blend out a bit, but really brightened the colors, and "set" it on the fabric (as long as it's not washed), so it won't rub off.

Making the dried pieces perfect for hanging - framed in popsicle sticks, stretched across embroidery hoops, or with twigs and twine, or whatever happens to be handy.

It's great to be a homeschooler.

POSTED BY AN ALMOST UNSCHOOLING MOM "

a HUGE t h a n k  y o u,  

to the
a l m o s t  
u n s c h o o l i n g  

m o m !!

From the Curly Birds Blog: Sciencey Fun (Science Arts book)

Bloggy Fun For Father's Day: ScienceArts

The following post is directly from the Curly Birds blog, showing Science Arts (my book) along with the materials for making a volcano. Thank you, Curly Birds! All credit on this page goes to you! See fullsize photos at Curly Birds.  Bloggy Fun For Father's Day: ScienceArts

Father's Day Gift - Tub of Sciencey Fun   

A thoughtful gift for Father's Day - a fun box of quick, weird and wonderful activities for dads and kids to do together. It is a tub of sciencey fun and a convenient way to have all the materials readily available for a spontaneous afternoon of exploration.

 

For clever science experiments aimed at a younger audience, I bought MaryAnn Kohl's Science Arts. I then chose 15 activities that looked like fun and purchased all the materials to make the projects. I labeled each material with the corresponding project page number and tabbed each of the chosen projects in the book. 

The girls used all the leftover stickers to decorate a big tub to keep the materials and book in. And there you have it - a tub of sciencey fun.
The girls and I made this for Eric last year and it has been used, loved, and restocked many times. Posted on June 01, 2011 at 06:20 PM in Celebrate, Create, Family, hand-made gifts  at Curly Birds

All credit for this post goes to Curly Birds

10 Simple Art Activities from The Artful Parent

List created by Jean Van’t Hul
The Artful Parent
www.artfulparent.typepad.com

I was so enamored by Jean Van't Hul's post at The Artful Parent, I decided to share it here.
To visit Jean's wonderful inspirational amazing delightful fun blog, click on her logo: You'll see her photos and read more of her story about  

10 simple art activities to set up for after school

Activities that require minimal set up that children
can do on their own with little or no guidance. 

1. Crayon-Watercolor Resist    Set out: Watercolor paper and crayons  The process: Let kids draw for a while then bring out the watercolors to paint over the drawings  Variations: Use oil pastels. Draw white on white then reveal the mystery drawing by painting over it. Paint over leaf crayon rubbings.	2. Paper Cut Art    Set out: Construction paper, scissors, hole punch, and tape or glue stick  The process: Let kids fold, cut, and decorate paper.  Variations: Try snowflakes, origami, paper hats, boats, sculptures, mobiles, fans, collage, paper dolls, pop-ups, flaps, etc.
3. Contact Paper Suncatcher    Set out: Clear contact paper (cut into squares and taped to the table sticky side up) and colored tissue paper  The process: Let the kids tear or cut the tissue paper into pieces then stick them to the contact paper. Cover with another sheet of contact paper and hang in the window.  Variations: Use flowers, leaves, and other nature items instead of tissue paper. Try ribbons, lace, or feathers.	4. Collage    Set out: Cardstock, a glue bottle, and collage items such as beans, feathers, and buttons.  The process: Let kids glue collage items to the cardstock as desired.  Variations: Draw a picture then fill in with collage items. Glue collage items to a cardboard box for a 3-D experience.
5. Toothpick Sculptures    Set out: Toothpicks and marshmallows (stale works best)  The process: Let kids build using the toothpicks and marshmallows.  Variations: Other easy sculptural activities include pipecleaners, straws and tape, playdough and tools, cardboard boxes and glue, bread dough and raisins.	6. Q-tip Pointillism    Set out: Paint, paper, and Q-tips  The process: Let kids dip Q-tips in paint then press on paper to make a picture with dots.  Variations: Try cotton balls for larger dots. Use Do-A-Dot markers or regular markers. Try two primary colors together to see if you can create the illusion of color mixing.
7. Printing with Fruits & Vegetables    Set out: Paper, paints, and one or more fruits such as a lemon or apple cut in half.  The process: Dip fruit in paint then press to paper.  Variations: Try printing with other objects such as leaves, animal figure feet, kitchen tools. Get out the stamp pad and stamps. Try fingerprint art.	8. Hole “Challenge” Drawings    Set out: Paper with a hole cut out of it and a pen  The process: Let kids draw on the hole paper as they see fit.  Variations: Try different size, shape, or number of holes. Cut the paper into different shapes. Use white paper, colored construction paper, or large posterboard. Glue a paper shape to a piece of paper. Offer different drawing tools. Try this with paints or collage items.
9. Masking Tape Art    Set out: Paper, scissors, and masking tape  The process: Let kids cut or tear masking tape into pieces and adhere to paper in any way desired.  Variations: Offer multiple colors and widths of tape. Draw or paint over the masking tape art then remove the tape.	10. Simply Drawing / Simply Painting    Set out: Paper and drawing tool or paints  The process: Let kids draw and paint! No need to get fancy.  Variations: You can vary the papers, sizes, kinds of paint, kinds of drawing tools…

 

Pragmatic Mom Blog Shares...Hidden Things in Picture Books

Download Pragmatic Mom BLOG 
PDF to see the entire post including book covers of picture books. from Pragmatic Mom 

You can view the post here:  http://www.pragmaticmom.com/?p=14734

Top 10: Can You Find These Secret Hidden Things in These (Mostly) Picture Books?

This list was challenging for me to put together. The first six were easy but then the digging got hard. Did you know that Goodnight Moon has a little white mouse hidden on the full page color illustrations? OK, it took me a while to learn about that. This book was a gift my oldest received as an infant and is a cherished book that I read over and over and over again. I think I must have read it more than 25 times WITHOUT noticing the little white mouse when a mom friend casually mentioned it (who knows exactly what we were talking about?!). All of a sudden, the book was fresh again. AND that little white mouse was surprisingly hard to locate. As the kids grew older, they delighted in spotting it and continued to struggle with certain pages if we had long lapses between readings.

And then I noticed the red balloon (plus the mouse with the banana) in one of my favorite books, Goodnight Gorilla. And I LOVE Peggy Rathman. On the umpteenth reading, my husband noticed the photographs on the walls of the zoo keeper’s house…

I appreciate that the author/illustrator realizes that the adult might be reading their book 2650 times so they’ve added a little twist to keep us going. And these twists are not advertised anywhere in the book; they are just there for those who need a little something because repetition is numbing their mind. I love their creativity and the fact that the hidden things are under the radar. It feels like a secret club. Here’s the secret handshake to join … tell me your favorite book like this. I am still struggling to find one more! Thanks!

10. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Find the little white mouse on the full color spreads. The mouse is somewhere in the bedroom. It’s on every one but some of them are tricky!

9. The Pout Pout Fish in the Big Big Deep by Deborah Diesen

There are fish shaped like sea weed leaves hidden on some of the pages. Can you find them? Also, Pout Pout’s friend is hiding on most of the pages.

8. I See the Sun In … series by Dodie King.

In the book about  Nepal, find the yellow kite.  In the book about China, find the red lantern.

7. Halibut Jackson by David Lucas

Can you spot Halibut Jackson as he tries to blend into his surroundings?

6. Dotty by Erica S. Perl — find the teacher’s imaginary friend

5. Chasing Vermeer by Blue Baillet

The clues for solving the mysteries are hidden in the book. I read this book a while ago and I wasn’t able to solve the mystery myself with the pentominoes so I am getting an assist here from Ashland Schools:

Throughout the book, many clues are given to the reader to help solve the mystery. The clues involve, the use of pentominoes and illustrations. Pentominoes are a mathematical tool consisting of twelve pieces. Each of the pieces is made up of five squares that share at least one side. To print out your own set of pentominoes, or learn more about the book, click here.

On this website you will find copies of the pictures and letters from the book. These will help you uncover the clues necessary to solve the mystery. If you look carefully at Brett Helquist’s chapter illustrations, you will find a hidden message. It is related to the pentomino code in the book, but not presented exactly in the same form. A certain living creature plays a part in deciphering this code, and pieces of the message appear in the artwork at regular intervals that create a pattern within the book. HINT. This pattern is even,,,,, but odd. it has as many pieces as a set of pentominoes.

 

4. Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity by Mo Willems

My Kindergarten son and I are HUGE fans of Mo Willems and we’ve read nearly all of his books. I had a feeling that Mo would do something fun in his books and when I read this last night, I found: a stuffed animal of Leonardo the Terrible Monster, Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus, and the squirrel from Elephant and Piggie I Love My New Toy scattered throughout this book. Maybe there are more references to his other books? Let me know if you find anything else!

3. 93 in My Family by Erica S. Perl

Can you find Ed, the gerbil? He’s on every page spread and he’s easy to identify because he’s the only one wearing a shirt with his name on it!

2. Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathman

There is lots of fun stuff to spot. On every page spread, look for the red balloon. It’s there but it gets tricky to find because some of the pages only have part of it showing! There is also a mouse carrying a banana on every page spread. That is less challenging to find but also fun. Finally, check out the photographs the zoo keeper and his wife have in their house. Notice anything?! I love this book!

1. Arthur series by Marc Brown. Find Marc’s children’s names hidden throughout each book (Tolon, Eliza and Tucker) … and I noticed there are more names in recent books so I am guessing that grandkids are being added as well!

 

Tall Paintings (Pour Paintings) with Teacher Tom

If you'd like a step by step look at how to make Tall Paintings with children, go to Teacher Tom's blog.

Here are some photos from Tom's blog. His photos give you a good idea of how to proceed, but I suggest you read all of his directions from his blog. 

         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The children's artwork comes from a video I posted earlier on my blog about the artist, HOLTON ROWER    http://holtonrower.com/ 

 Here's an example of Rower's work -- and I have reposted the video for you.

 

Funnel Painting at Tinker Lab

Tinker Lab just tried "Funnel Painting" and it's great to see the pictures! What fun!  For more freedom, try wider paper (two sheets taped together), or cover the floor with an old shower curtain or tarp.

Quote from Tinker Lab:

This was inspired by an idea we found in Mary Ann Kohl’s book, Preschool Art. I know I’ve said this many times before, but Mary Ann’s books are brimming with creative and engaging projects, and each of mine are dog-eared in a million places. We used materials that we already had around the house — low threshold projects are my cup of tea! — and the set-up is really easy. The other thing I loved about this activity is the SCALE of it — I knew my child would be captivated by swinging a paint-filled funnel across a huge sheet of paper! Now that we’ve done this, the only drawback I could see was doing this indoors, as my daughter wanted to swing paint in every possible direction, turning me into a mini-general who curbed her enthusiasm more than I like to.

via tinkerlab.com

Snow Painting (from the art room plant)

 
While there is  snow try painting on snow!

You will need cups, watercolors or blocks of paint. Next, purchase some pipettes or pour paint from cups (pipettes allow more accuracy).

Mix some watercolors into cups of water and go out and do some painting in the snow!

Go to    theartroomplant.blogspot.com  
to see where these pictures came from
and how to do snow painting with pipettes
or from cups. 

 
The following pictures are from theartroomplant.blogspot.com

It's also fun to spray colored water on the snow from spray bottles.

 

  

"Summer Fun: Together Again!"

I know we're in the middle of winter, but that won't stop me from sharing these summer ideas. Something to think about and imagine for the future. May and June and July will be here before we know it.

"Summer Fun: Together Again!"
( from Village Books Blog )

MaryAnn Faubion Kohl, Bellingham author/educator/consultant, is the award-winning author of 20+ art activity books for children. Her newest title is Art with Anything: 52 Weeks of Fun with Everyday Stuff. Please visit her website to enjoy free art activity samples from all of her books:www.brightring.com and be sure to visit MaryAnn’s new blog: maryannfkohl.typepad.com/blog/. 

 

Summer is an endless stretch of time for kids to fill. Make it special for them by doing things together. You won’t need anything unusual for these easy recipes and activities - just a little time and cheerful energy to fuel the fun. The bonus of these activities is two-fold: you are building memories together in the process, AND you are showing your kids how to be good parents one day!

When it’s hot and sunny and the kids are raring to go, have some fun in the sun!

•    Play “Tidal Wave!” Play a giggly blanket game that is oceans of fun! Two people hold the blanket, one on each edge. Another person stands in front of the blanket. The two holding the blanket say, “Tidal Wave, Tidal Wave, watch out, watch out, Tidal Wave!” Swing and float the blanket-tidal wave back and forth, moving forward towards the person in front of the blanket, and try to catch them in the blanket-tidal wave. Then move back like the wave receding. Repeat with a new tidal wave and try to catch the player again. This easy game has lots of squealing and laughing. 
•    When everyone is tired, flop on the blanket with a book or magazine for a little rest time. You’re going to need it! Now, get ready to play in the water!

Hot weather is water weather! Here are some ideas for active water fun in your own backyard:

•    Play in the sprinkler or with the hose (extra fun: eat watermelon first, and then wash off – and cool off - in sprinkler or hose)
•    Scrub it up! Kids love to wash and scrub, they really do! Fill buckets with soapy water, add sponges and rags, and let them wash their bikes, the swing set, and the lawn furniture. Have a hose ready for rinsing. Let the sun sparkle on the clean and shiny new world!
•    Play sponge toss - take soaked sponges and throw them at a designated target (that includes mom or dad!)
•    Squirt Mania Game! Fill a big squirt bottle with water. To play, everyone sits side by side on the ground with a plastic cup on their heads, backs to the “squirter”. The “squirter” takes the squirt bottle and tries to knock the cups off each person’s head. When all cups are off, the squirter takes his place in the line-up with a cup on his head, and a new person takes a turn at being the squirter. Everyone gets a turn!

Where there are kids, there must be food! Kids need protein to keep them powered, water to keep them hydrated, and fruits and veggies to keep them healthy.

One way to convince kids to eat and drink right is to pack a picnic. You can set-up your picnic as close as your own yard, or travel across town to a lake, mountain, park, or riverside for a picnic adventure. Everyone loves a picnic! Pack these easy recipes that travel well, or let the kids pack their regular old favorites like peanut butter and jelly, apples, and bottled juice. Most kids will enjoy making and packing the following:

•    Tuna Bun Boat: Separate hotdog buns, and gently scoop out the center of each half. Fill with tuna salad to make a little boat. Add grapes or pickles to the boat, or other tasty choices like olives or raisins. Wrap with plastic wrap. Pack a drinking straw and lettuce leaf with the boat. When it’s picnic time, poke the straw through the lettuce to make a sail, and poke it into the boat. 
•    Fruit and Cheese Kabobs: Cut fruit and cheese into chunks about 1’” square. Stack them on toothpicks in different combinations and patterns. Place in a plastic bowl with a snap-on lid for the picnic. 
•    Veggie Bundles: cut carrots, celery, and other veggies into strips. Broccoli stems trimmed of their tough outer core and cut into strips can be the mystery ingredient. No one can ever guess what they are, and they taste really good! Bundle a selection of veggie strips together, and tie with a string. Wrap in plastic, or place in a larger container with a snap-on lid.
•    Light Juice: squeeze lemons, limes, and oranges into plain drinking water. Do not add sugar or sweetener. Add slices of the same fruits for added flavor. Fill a plastic pitcher or thermos and bring along some cups for each picnicker. Refreshing - and good for you too!

The word summer simply means fun! Doing things together will make the days spin by and before you know it, fall will be in the air, kids in school, and memories will fill the hearts and mind of all.

As the song goes, “These are the days, my friend! I thought they’d never end….”

 

Enjoy this list of 

 some of my
 favorite blogs

 

 

•

 T

here are others but this will get you started! •

Some will be familiar -- some new -- ENJOY THEM ALL!

Art for Small Hands
 Julie Voigt provides a blog with art lessons and projects.
  http://www.artforsmallhands.com/

Art is the Best Part of the Day
  Mrs. Jackson is an art teacher who believes every child is an artist and aking mistakes is what art is all about. 
 http://artisthebestpartoftheday.blogspot.com/

Art Projects for Kids
   Kathy Barbro’s blog has lots of ideas for working with the styles of the great masters, and sells products to help too.
 http://www.artprojectsforkids.org/

Artful Parent, The
   My all time favorite blog! Jean is mama of two daughters. She strives to parent in a way that encourages creative expression, imagination, joyfulness, and a love of learning. She has super photos of the art projects she and her daughters explore. Projects for children age 2-12.
http://www.artfulparent.typepad.com/

Big & Little Art
   Hollie Conger shares art and craft ideas with photos and recipes.
http://www.bigandlittleart.com/

Childhood Magic
   Ariella is the soulful mama of two where she shares her parenting inspiration, favorite projects, and a photography.
http://childhoodmagic.blogspot.com/

Color Color Color
   Gail’s blog offers a wide variety of art ideas that always involve color.
 http://alwaysarting-colorcolorcolor.blogspot.com/

Crafty Crow, The
   This popular blog is a children’s “craft collective.” Everything from inspiring art lessons to book recommendations.
  http://belladia.typepad.com/crafty_crow/

Deep Space Sparkle
   Art lessons that are out of this world!
  http://deepspacesparkle.blogspot.com/

Filth Wizardry
   Don’t let the name scare you! Here messy art and craft fun for preschools is given with help from the little filth wizards.
  http://www.filthwizardry.com/

Laugh, Paint, Create
   Erin fills her blog with colorful art and crafts with photos that clearly show the how-to’s. http://laughpaintcreate.blogspot.com/

Let the Children Play
    Jenny’s a preschool teacher at a progressive school nestled in the Australian bush. enjoy all kinds of playful ideas including art you’ve never seen before! http://progressiveearlychildhoodeducation.blogspot.com/

Make and Takes: Craft, Food, Fun
   Lots of ideas from crafts to cupcakes to sewing cards and more. More craft than art. http://www.makeandtakes.com/

MaryAnn F. Kohl, process art and treasures of childhood
   MaryAnn Kohl’s own blog! Art, Interviews, Issues, and Lots of Fun Surprises! http://maryannfkohl.typepad.com/blog/

MaryMaking
   Mary shares highlights from her after school art lesson program. You’ll see lots of actual artworks by kids.
  http://marymaking.blogspot.com

Paint Cut Paste
   A nice friendly blog to inspire young artists.
  http://paintcutpaste.com/

Pink and Green Mama
   Marylea keeps us on our toes with simple craftivities to encourage us all to create, play, and explore with our family.
  http://pinkandgreenmama.blogspot.com/

Scrudillydo
   Jessica Wilson keeps her blog active with laughter, love, and great art and craft ideas. http://scrumdillydo.blogspot.com

Two Straight Lines
   Courtney keeps her blog active sharing things she makes for creative children’s lives. http://www.twostraightlines.typepad.com/

Garden Weaving

Tie twine onto bean poles in the garden, then add ribbon and other materials. The beans won't mind! Check the whole step-by-step experience at The Artful Parent.

Playing By The Book (a blog and a resource)

Blog Recommendation: Playing By The Book
Description: Reviews of kids' books and the crazy, fun stuff they inspire us to do.

via www.playingbythebook.net

I discovered this blog the other day and am still going through it piece by piece. One of the areas I find most interesting are books inspired by classical music, for example, Peter and the Wolf. This blog is a great resource!