National Plant Appreciation Day of Play

Devote the day to celebrate the household plant with this fun day of play.

Start the day by drawing a cute face on a bowl with sharpies and then plant some sprouts for a fun way to start to celebrate national plant day.  Oh crafts shares the details.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.ohcrafts.net/kids-plant-cups-with-face.php

Next, study how water travels through a stalk of celery by placing a stalk of celery into water mixed with food coloring.  The color will slowly travel through the stalk.

Next, learn about the parts of a plant with gloria fuertes kids blog.  She doesn't provide a template, but does provide ideas for how to create labels and parts.

Get the instructions here:
http://gloriafuerteskidsblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/parts-of-plant-art-crafts.html

Next, take a break for a fun cucumber flower snack, with a celery stalk stem and cherry center from highlands ranch.

Get the instructions here:
http://highlandsranch.macaronikid.com/article/526818/macaroni-menu-flower-and-bug-lunch-ideas

After the snack, learn more about the parts of a plant with a short video from brain pop jr, which also has a link to more ideas for activities:
http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/plants/partsofaplant/preview.weml

Finally, follow a seed's journey Eric Carle style with his book The Tiny Seed.  Check it out from the library of find it on Amazon.

A Cozy Playdate

Cozy up with this mitten based play date for both indoor and outdoor fun

 

Begin the play date by repurposing a pair of cozy socks into a pair of warm mittens with pam's party and practical tips.  Older kids can hand stitch the mittens closed with yarn and younger kids can lace them with pre-cut holes.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.pamspartyandpracticaltips.com/2012/03/wool-sock-mittens.html

Next, read the classic children's book The Mitten by Jan Brett.  Check it out from the library or it's also available on Amazon.

Next, take a break with this adorable mitten sandwich snack from meet the dubiens.  It's especially impressive since she incorporates everything from chicken to carrots.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.meetthedubiens.com/2010/11/fun-food-friday-brrr-baby-its-cold.html

Finally, complete this fun math estimation and probability activity from swamp frog first graders where kids get to predict how likely it is for each animal to actually be able to fit into a mitten.

Get the instructions here:
http://swampfrogfirstgraders.blogspot.com/2010/12/animals-in-mitten-probability.html

Stained Glass Paper Snow Flakes

Paper snowflakes take on extra color by adding tissue paper to give them a stained glass effect.

Mama miss uses round paper and a stencil.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.mamamiss.com/2013/02/04/book-craft-snowflake-stained-glass-mobile/

Parent teach play uses black paper for the snow flake.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.parentteachplay.com/stained-glass-snowflake-craft/

Glen and katie make really colorful versions using the tissue paper for the snowflake and pasting them into a black circle.

Get the instructions here:
http://glenandkatie.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-to.html?m=1

Inner child run makes smaller ones and cuts them out of black paper.

Get the instructions here:
http://innerchildfun.com/2010/01/easy-snowflake-suncatchers.html

Crafts by amanda uses white paper and glues tissue paper into the cut outs.

Get the instructions here:
http://craftsbyamanda.com/2014/12/paper-snowflakes.html

Pink and green mama layers tissue paper for her version.

Get the instructions here:
http://pinkandgreenmama.blogspot.com/2011/02/kids-craft-cut-tissue-paper-stained.html

Kinder craze makes a black snowflake and glues it onto a tissue paper collage background.

Get the instructions here:
http://kindercraze.com/2013/01/festive-winter-window-decor-and-freebie/

A Frozen Playdate

 Frozen fun and activities make for this chilly play date. 

Start the play date with these fun paper snowflake patterns from the movie Frozen from anthony herrera designs.

Good for ages 9 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.anthonyherreradesigns.com/index.php/8-ahd-blog/15-frozen-snowflakes

Next have a fun sing-a-long with the Disney song videos containing lyrics on YouTube.

Next, make Frozen popcorn balls made with white and blue M&Ms, snowflake sprinkles, and marshmallows from life made simple.

Get the instructions here:
http://lifemadesimplebakes.com/2014/04/popcorn-snowballs/

Finally watch the movie.  Available at Amazon.

Eskimo Play Date

Pay homage to the Eskimos with this fun winter themed play date.  

A paper plate and cotton balls and crayons or markers turn into a fun Eskimo face to start off this Eskimo play date.

Get the instructions here:
http://kiboomukidssongs.com/easy-winter-eskimo-craft/

Next read the classic tale about an Eskimo child testing the limits of her independence, and a mother who reassuringly proves that a parents love is unconditional and everlasting is a perfect first book for toddlers.  Available at Amazon or check it out from your local library.

Next make fun fruit Popsicle using colorful fruit.

Get the instructions here:
http://favim.com/image/37830/

Then cardboard takes on winter with mr. printables' free diy Eskimo snow scene.  Complete with all your favorite arctic animals including a moose, dog sled, polar bear,deer and sled dogs.  He even provides snow topped pine trees to complete this chilly ensemble.

Good for ages 10 and up.

Get the template here:
http://www.mrprintables.com/peg-dolls-winter-wonderland.html

Paper Plate Birds

 Celebrate international bird day with these ideas for how to make a paper plate bird.

Happy hooligans turns a painted paper plate into a bird by folding it in half, gluing on some colorful construction strips to make a tail and feathers to make it a bird.  She also adds a paper beak and googly eyes but you could also draw on the eyes.

Good for ages 3 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://happyhooligans.ca/2013/03/07/paper-plate-birds/

Molly moo paper marches her plates and adds funky gym shoes as well.

Get the instructions here:
http://mollymoo.ie/papier-mache-paper-plate-hens/

Krokotak makes her birds with tissue paper wings, a colored in orange beak and googly eye.

Get the instructions here:
http://krokotak.com/2011/06/idei-ot-kartoneni-tchiniyki/

 

 

Another version by krokotak.

Easy preschool craft uses the full plate for her bird adding two corners for wings and a paper orange beak and brown paper legs.

Get the instructions here:
http://easypreschoolcraft.blogspot.com/2012/05/spring-bluebird-paper-plate-craft.html

House of baby piranha adds folded paper wings and a long orange paper beak.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.houseofbabypiranha.com/2010/06/paper-plate-bird.html

Free kids crafts makes a blue bird for her version with a blue feather.  She even gives the bird a worm.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.freekidscrafts.com/paper-plate-bluebird/

My bored toddler adds feathers and paper tail feathers.

Get the instructions here:
http://myboredtoddler.com/paper-plate-bird/

There's a snowman in my tubby

'Tis the season to make some snowmen soap.  Find a bunch of tutorials below.  One is sure to be right for you.

With a grater white soap can transform into an indoor snowball.  Alpha mom then takes these snowballs and makes snowmen giving them googly eyes, sequin buttons and even a soap hat.  A recipe for a great time in the bath. 

Good for ages 5 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://alphamom.com/family-fun/crafts/diysnowman-soap/

Kix cereal finds a cute way to use the Ivory soap after it blows up in the microwave.  They push it into a flat pan and then use a circle cookie cutter or lid to make round disks.  Next they add orange food coloring to a small batch of the soap, smooth that into a smaller flat pan and cut out carrot shaped noses.  Finally they use a toothpick to add food coloring eyes.

Get the instructions here:
http://kixcereal.com/kix-cereal-snowman-soap-experiment/

Keeping it simple crafts uses a liquid hand soap container and sticks on a vinyl eyes, nose and mouth.   She next adds a washi tape scarf.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.keepingitsimplecrafts.com/2012/12/snowman-soap-neighbor-gift.html

Crafts and crap uses hand sanitizer.  she glues on buttons, ties on a red ribbon scarf, and glues on a foam eyes, nose and mouth.

Get the instructions here:
http://craftsandcrap.blogspot.com/2010/12/snowman-hand-sanitizer.html

Family go round grates Ivory soap and forms it into balls to make her snowman.  She adds 2 colored Q-Tip arms.

Get the instructions here:
http://familygo-round.blogspot.com/p/arts-n-craft-new-project-every-day.html

Craft elf grates soap too and uses a tooth pick and food coloring to paint on buttons and a face.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.craftelf.com/Winter_Soap_Snowman.htm

How do I make soap uses professional soap supplies, but you could simply melt a clear soap instead and uses vinyl cut outs of the face, hat, arms and scarf.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.howdoimakesoap.com/2013/01/03/melted-snowman/

Signature creations uses a bottle as well.

Get the instructions here:
http://signaturecreationsllc.blogspot.com/2012_12_01_archive.html

A mom blog gets really colorful adding beads and gems.

Get the instructions here:
http://amomblog.com/snowman-tutorial/

Toddler approved makes the snowman on paper adding buttons and felt and then ties it onto the soap bottle with a ribbon double serving as a scarf.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.toddlerapproved.com/2014/01/gifts-made-by-kids-snowman-soap-bottles.html

Jamie over at frogs snails and puppy dog tails draws a rectangle snowman using markers and glues it onto the bottle.

Get the instructions here:
http://frogsandsnailsandpuppydogtail.com/2014/01/decorated-snowman-soap-bottles.html

Craft int interrupted uses the Ivory soap after the microwaving experiment too but molds her version into a three-dimensional soap snowman.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.craftinterrupted.com/2013/01/fun-jar-31-snowless-snowman.html