Parents Blogs Everyday Fun

Messy Backyard Art

May 23, 2013 at 7:32 am , by

As a contributor to FamilyFun magazine, part of my job is bringing super fun projects home for my children to try out. I’m a lucky duck (and, so are my kids!).   Right now, I’m working on a Messy Backyard Art feature where the gooey, gloppy, sticky, runny stuff rules. Needless to say, my children are thrilled.

These are some photographs from yesterday’s project:  dribbly paint art with bright colors and lots of mess!  Perfect for a summery hot afternoon.  Oh, and YES!, my two wore their pajamas.

Cheers,

Emily

5 Bright Spots

May 17, 2013 at 1:53 pm , by

1.  Helping Little Hand’s Eye Spy Cake makes me happy. What a fabulous, creative cake idea!

2. These puppets made out of recycled and reused materials look SO fun to make and also lots of fun to play with too.

3. Author Ben Zackheim’s third Shirley Link book is now released!  The extra awesome news is that he is offering it for free today (5/17)! I’ve mentioned before that my daughter LOVES the Shirley Link series.

4. This Handmade Solar System in a Box is a gorgeous way to teach children about outer space.

5.  Just say YES! to Toilet Paper Tube Cars.  Oh my!

Happy Friday.

-Emily

Backyard Nature Collecting

May 16, 2013 at 1:17 pm , by

In our backyard, Magnolias are blooming, Lilacs are bursting, patches of chives are thick and green, and Violets and Dandelions are polka-dotting the grass. Last weekend, my two daughters set to work harvesting some of the beauty — some for spells and magic potions and some for a gorgeous flower garden centerpiece.  Not only was their creation beautiful and a true independent creation, it was a lovely way for them to explore the different textures, colors, shapes, and smells in their backyard.

Encourage  children to pick and collect the flowers, weeds, herbs, and growth in your surroundings (teach them to skip over special, planted flowers like Tulips and Irises). Leaves from trees and sticks and twigs are great additions to a natural collection!  Ask them to share notes about their observations and to draw pictures of their bounty.

Sometimes, it is okay to pick the flowers.

-Emily

5 Bright Spots: Beautiful Mother’s Day Crafts

May 11, 2013 at 9:53 am , by

Happy Saturday, friends!  Here is a list of beautiful handmade gifts that mothers will love! The bonus?  They are simple enough to be last minute creations!

1. Lovely Collection Jars from my blog, Red Bird Crafts.

2. This sweet strand of Flowers on a String is just the thing for giving mom some spring love.

3. Clever!  Turn nice cloth napkins into throw pillows.

4. Visit our very own Family Fun for a video tutorial that shows you how to make GORGEOUS (and super easy) Twig Necklaces.

5. How perfect is this?  Make bright, colorful Silhouettes of Your Children to give to a dear grandmother or…….to yourself!!

xo e

Art Investigation with Kids: Mixing paint colors!

May 8, 2013 at 10:23 am , by

If your kid is craving creativity, but your feeling uninspired, don’t underestimate the power of experimentation.  Get out some paper plates.  Pour a few circles of different colored acrylic paints and encourage kids to mix, blend, stir, and swirl.  Don’t forget to include white because it offers a fabulous way to subtly change colors.

Not only will your little artist have fun, she will also learn so much about the building blocks of color.

In the end, they might even discover their favorite shade of blue.

Have fun!

Emily