Summer is coming, and while I can not wait to put away our homeschool schedule and turn off zoom, I do want to find a way to sneak in some learning over the next couple of months. This tie dyed paper towel activity is one way I plan on sneaking in some academics this summer. My daughters love this activity because they think they are just playing around even though there is learning happening.
I’ve used this activity in the past to review letters, numbers, shapes and sight words. And now, even though they are older, I still use it to review other skills. Today, for instance, we got out our pipettes, markers and paper towels, and worked on fractions. Every time I said a fraction, they would find it on the paper towel, and use their pipettes to drip water on it. Their favorite part was watching the fractions disappear into a mess of blended colors. It really is fun to watch.
They didn’t complain once about doing math because they were having so much fun. AND they actually asked for me to draw out more fractions so they could continue blending the colors together. WHAT! More fractions? Mom win for sure. Ok… I really don’t think they realized we could just draw any random picture and get the same results, and thats why they asked for more fractions, but hey, I’ll take it.
That’s it for today. If you want to see a video of us doing this activity, head over to Instagram @thiscraftygirlmom. Until next time.
*Adult supervision is required*
I don’t know about you, but this three day weekend is just what my family needs right now. Being locked in our house (ok, we can get out, but you know what I mean) and homeschooling, has been interesting to say the least. Trying to get my girls to complete their assignments while they are surrounded by their toys has not been simple. This long weekend could not have come at a more perfect time.
The weather is getting nicer, and we have been able to go outside this weekend and enjoy each other’s company without interruption. No schedules and absolutely no ZOOM calls! Just us four spending some quality time together.
To start off our long weekend, I did a couple of Memorial Day themed crafts with my daughters. It was so nice to sit down with them and just have some fun. Ok, I am a teacher, and I did sneak in ONE educational Memorial Day themed game. Just one! I couldn’t help myself. Scroll down to see what we did.
Flag Themed Flower Pot
These flag themed flower pots were so simple to make and will be something my daughters can enjoy for months to come. We can’t wait to see what grows! (You can paint stars instead of dots if you prefer)
Uncle Sam Craft
This Uncle Sam craft is another easy and quick craft for kids to make. All you need are some craft sticks, paint, googly eyes and some hot glue and you’re good to go!
Memorial Day Themed Memory Match
Every holiday I like to come up with one educational game to make sure my daughters understand why we are celebrating. Memory match is one of my daughters favorite games, and so I made it Memorial Day themed and they were more than happy to play. Scroll down to see how to make this memory match game.
Materials
Wood circles (any shape)
Paint
Paint brushes
Mod Podge
How To
Paint one side of the wood circles, red, white and blue.
While you are waiting for the paint to dry, type up, print, and cut out some questions and answers relating to Memorial Day.
Paint the unfinished side of the wood circle with mod podge, place the questions/answers down and paint over it with another layer of mod podge. Let it dry.
Flip the wood circles back over to the painted side and paint a layer of mod podge over it to give it a more finished look. That’s it. It doesn’t take too long to make and it is a fun way to talk about Memorial Day with your children.
I hope everyone has a fun weekend! Comment down below and let me know how you celebrated?
*Adult supervision is required*
Today I didn’t feel like cleaning up a major mess, but I really wanted to do a Memorial Day craft with my daughters to go along with some of the lessons they are learning in school. Virtual school that is.
I decided on a no mess painting project. It didn’t end up being “no mess” the way we did it, but don’t worry, I eventually realized why paint splattered out onto my wood table. The table I said we could paint on without a table covering because it was a NO MESS project. Way to go mom!
To be honest, I wasn’t sure my daughters would like this project. We haven’t done a no mess painting project since they were five. They are eight now. Would they think it was babyish or would they love it? Turns out, they still love it!
Materials
Gallon Size Zip Lock Bag (This is where I went wrong. We used a plastic sleeve and I forgot to seal it!)
Paint
Tape
Poster Board
How To
Draw a picture on your poster board (cut to fit the zip lock bag) and add globs of paint within the lines. Carefully insert the poster board into the zip lock bag. SEAL the bag well.
You can place this on a table and let your little one get to work. All they need to do is squish the paint through the bag with their fingers. My daughters love when I tape these to our sliding door. For some reason it is even more fun if they get to stand while painting.
If you do not want to draw a picture, you can simply cut a poster board to fit into a zip lock bag, place globs of paint onto the poster board, carefully insert it into the ziplock bag, and let them squish the paint around. They can trace shapes into the paint or letters. Whatever they would like. Either way, it is a fun and easy project.
Comment down below if you give this a try. Can’t wait to read about what your little ones created.
*Adult supervision is required*