Category Archives: Educational

Family Fun: Word Games and Palindromes

Does your family like to play word games? There are of course many variations, some simple, and some a bit more complex. This one is somewhere in between and is best played with school aged children (or older). Do you know what a palindrome is? It may sound familiar, but it can be difficult to keep up with all the words we use to describe different elements of our language. If you don’t remember, ask your kids and see if they know. If not, explain the concept of palindromes so you can play word games that feature them. A palindrome … Continue reading →

Learn to Draw!

A coloring book and some crayons are fine, and drawing whatever a little mind can imagine is also good for creativity, but learning to draw is even better. It’s fun to learn and kids will love creating easy to identify pictures that they can show off to family and friends. Drawing is not as difficult as it might seem, especially when it comes to simple objects and cartoon like images. The trick is to look at things in a different way, and then draw what you see. You can help your child learn this process at a young age and … Continue reading →

Back to School Projects

It won’t be long until kids head back to school. Since teachers are often just as anxious about the first day as students, making a thoughtful little gift for a teacher is a good way to start the new school year off on a positive note. Paper Weight Paint a rock or a small, thick piece of wood in a bright color. Stencil on the teacher’s name. Glue felt to the bottom to keep the paperweight from scratching the desk or bookshelf. Pencil Holder A heavy plastic tumbler or hard plastic jar will work great. Decoupage wrapping paper or construction … Continue reading →

Personalized Story – One Line per Day

This project is a terrific way to stimulate your child’s creativity. Put together a book, using any of the different book or album designs posted in Kids’ crafts. Make a really fancy cover with plenty of embellishments. Illustrate the cover with drawings or photos. Ask your child to come up with a title for the story and display the title prominently on the front cover. Each day thereafter, your little boy or girl will add one line until you both agree the story is finished. Encourage your child to be enthusiastic in penning each line, making each one interesting so … Continue reading →

Learning Crafts

Here are some ways to help children have fun, be creative, and learn new things all at the same time. Monochromatic Artwork A fun way to help children learn to recognize and use colors is to create monochromatic artwork. Help children make collages from a variety of items all utilizing only one color family at a time. Use different shades, shapes, and textures to keep it interesting. Start with felt, fabric, craft foam, or poster board in the color of your choice and have children color on it with crayons, markers, or chalk in lighter or darker shades of that … Continue reading →

Days of the Week (printables)

Print these off for children to color or make into memory cards. *See Days of the Week article for other activities. *More days of the week to follow.

Days of the Week

You can help teach young children to recognize the days of the week with these crafts and projects. Preschool age children or those about to start Kindergarten will be ready to go when they are able to recite or perhaps even spell each day of the week before even beginning school. Days of the Week Song Sung to the tune of “Clementine,” (“oh my darlin’, oh my darlin’…”) it goes, Sunday, Monday – Tuesday, Wednesday – Thursday, Fri-day, Sat-ur-day (repeat). Memory Games Write or print out the name for each day on an index card or piece of paper. Make … Continue reading →

Crochet Crafts

You can teach your kids a simple crochet stitch and they will soon be able to make lots of fun stuff out of yarn, from baby doll blankets to friendship bracelets. Both of my grandmother’s crocheted and each took turns teaching me. Start by choosing a medium sized crochet hook. You don’t need to be real particular here, since your kids will have an easier time handling a larger hook. Choose a medium weight yarn. Tie the yarn around the widest part of the crochet hook to form a snug loop. Wrap the hook around the loose yarn and pull … Continue reading →

Put Together Your Own Time Capsule

Making a time capsule is very simple. The most important part is to use containers and select materials that will not deteriorate too badly over time. For example, you might use a favorite photo, but you would not want to include a piece of your favorite candy. However, a clean wrapper from the candy or sales ad clipping with a picture of it would work great. You can purchase pre-made time capsules designed especially for such projects, or you can use a hard plastic container with a tight seal. Be sure to include the date that you bury your capsule. … Continue reading →