Easy Peasy (and cute!) Kid-Created Gift

When we were invited to a birthday party recently I scrambled around for an easy gift that Short Pants could make himself.  After a fruitless internet search, I remembered the simple memory game I'd made for Montessori work a few years previous.  So, after we picked up some blank wooden disks at the craft store he set to work:

Short Pants drew identical images in pencil, then I traced over them with a sharpie marker:

They came out too cute for words!

Package them up in a cloth bag and it's a perfect game for the receiver to take along and play while waiting at restaurants, doctor's appointments, etc.  Plus, *your* child can take pride in giving a gift that he made himself!

A Boat Building Playdate

A friend and her son invited us over a few weeks ago for a boat building playdate.  I thought I'd share a few pictures here because I thought it was such a great idea and my boys had so much fun. 

My friend had all sorts of materials set out for boat building - beeswax, corks, origami paper, tiny sticks for masts, straws, etc.  She even had made a few boats from milkweed pods, which came out so pretty:

My boys were so excited they could hardly choose what materials to work with.  I love how the numerous materials made for so many possibilities:

There was an indoor "testing station" set up so that there would be no disappointments outside with boats that didn't float.  I think my littles would have been completely happy with just this tub of water alone!

All 3 boys enjoyed the "ice boats" my friend had made by freezing water and a straw in small plastic cups.  Of course, they made fun treats once we got outside too!

We brought some shells and lego people (of course!).  All of the boys had fun trying them out as well:

My friend brought out a hose that her son uses often in his water play.  The boys took turns sending ping pong balls down it:

We were also sent home with some sweet wee boats for our nature table.  My friend made them by pouring melted beeswax into walnut shells:

We were sent home with a tiny acorn boat too.  I'm still working on making a felt leaf small enough to fit on it ala Tiptoes Lightly!

It's (Almost) Fair Time

My two littles are almost jumping up and down with excitement; our county fair begins this weekend!  Fun rides, yummy treats, and cool exhibits to look at.

  I wanted to do a bit of a shout-out for 4-H.  In our county kids as young as age 3 can join 4-H.  Short Pants has done projects every summer for three years now, and Pita Pocket is very excited to join next year (his birthday was just past sign-ups this year).  It is crazy easy to do projects with little ones and so much fun.  Kids ages 3-school aged are called Cloverbuds and have a small number of project categories to pick from.  Kids in grades kindy-2 are in Mini 4-H and have a few more categories to choose from. 

This year Short Pants chose to do "horseless horse" which is basically learning a bit about horses and then making a collage.  He really enjoyed going through a horse magazine we bought and picking his favorite pictures to cut out:

Pita Pocket said he needed to make a poster too, so I gave him an old catalog to work with.  He's placed a high priority lately on learning to use "real scissors" (versus the ones that *only* cut paper) so this was a good chance for him to practice:

(and yes - I know - AGAIN with the fall/winter clothing choices!!!)

Short Pants also chose to do a sewing project.  The description of the category suggests that children make a poster showing different things used in sewing.  We've always thought that's a bit limiting, so for the past two years Short Pants has stitched on a piece of burlap that we've then glued to his poster.  This year I thought he was ready for something more difficult, so I taught him how to backstitch.  I was shocked at fast he caught on!  I did just a couple of stitches with him and after that he insisted on doing it completely by himself:

I drew an "S" in pencil on the linen for him before he started:

He was SO proud of himself when he finished!  We used a zip tie to attach his hoop to the poster so that afterwards we can take it off to hang in his room.  Short Pants has also already drawn a picture of a dragon that he wants to embroider next!

Pita Pocket kept himself busy by getting in even more cutting practice.  He used my scissors to snip bits of embroidery thread.  He liked it so much he's asked to do it several times since then:

Rounding out the 4-H projects was a monster zucchini from the the plant that Short Pants has helped tend this year and also a flower that he grew in his wildflower raised bed:

Of course, someone else had to pose with the monster zucchini too.  He said he was a bear:

If you have littles I definately encourage you to check out the 4-H opportunities in your area.  It is such a great opportunity for learning and a wonderful boost to self esteem when they see their projects displayed at the fair for all to see.  Younger children receive ribbons for each project, so that is part of the fun too!