Dragon Appreciation Play Date

Celebrate dragon appreciation day with this fun-filled day of crafts, snacks, books, games and movies.

An egg carton cut in half is painted and folded and turned into a dragon with paper forked tongues and googly eyes.  Happiness is homemade shares the details.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.happinessishomemade.net/2013/02/10/kids-craft-chinese-new-year-dragons/

Next, read this fun and silly book about a not so fierce dragon.  Check it out from the library or it's also available at Amazon.

Next, take a break and make a dragon from a paper cup and construction paper by giving it eyes, wings and a tail.  Than fill the cup with yummy snacks.  Kix cereal shares the detail.

Get the instructions here:
http://kixcereal.com/kix-cereal-4-exciting-and-fun-viking-and-dragon-party-kids-crafts/

Next, have fun with this math game from arithmetic for kids.

Get the template here:
http://arithmeticforkids.com/Kids_Resources.html

Next, get the kids outside by hiding toy plastic dragons in box eggs for a fun hide and seek game.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.oneartsymama.com/2015/06/knights-and-dragons-party-dragon-mountain-party-game.html

End the day with a viewing of the How to Train your Dragon movie.  Check it out from the library or it's also available for immediate download at Amazon.

Kids Hat Making Crafts

Celebrate National Hat Day by making one or more of these fun hats. 

Red paper strips are glued to a legal size piece of white paper and then stapled on to paper plates to make the brims for these cute Cat in the Hat hats from mamas like me.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.mamaslikeme.com/2012/03/easy-dr-seuss-hats.html

Black poster board is cut into a cone shape and then glued to a black poster board circle to make the base of this wizard's hat.  Next free kids crafts glues cut out stars and moons from aluminum foil and glues them onto the hat. 

Get the instructions here:
http://www.freekidscrafts.com/witches-hat/

A knit winter hat is embellished with felt and pompoms to make it into a fun monster with brooklyn craft farm.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.brooklyncraftfarm.com/2013/11/its-chilly-outside/

Make a chef hat out of tissue paper and construction paper with my kids make.

Get the instructions here:
http://mykidsmake.com/2010/10/create/chef-hats/

Cut pieces of foam are glued together and given jingle bells to make it more authentic with about.

Get the instructions here:
http://familycrafts.about.com/od/royalcrafts/ss/Craft-Foam-Jester-Hat-Pattern.htm

Make your own cowboy hat with this free printable from kimboomu kid songs.

Get the template here:
http://kiboomukidssongs.com/cowboy-hat-craft/

Make a folded pirate hat with this free printable 123peppy.

Get the template here:
http://crafts.123peppy.com/pirate-hat/343

A paper plate, paper cup and lots of fuzzy pompoms turn into a sombrero with mommyapolis.

Get the instructions here:
http://mommyapolis.com/2012/05/04/cinco-de-mayo-craft-or-centerpiece/

Make a princess hat from a paper cone, adding sticker gems and colorful fabric strips.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.bfranklincrafts.com/CraftIdeas/CraftIdea-princess_cone_hat.pdf

Construction paper is wrapped into a cone shape and decorated with curling ribbon, pompoms and circles. Find the details at first palatte.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.firstpalette.com/Craft_themes/Wearables/Clown_Hat/Clown_Hat.html

 

 

Maya made makes a newspaper and flower tea party hat.

 

Get the instructions here:

http://mayamade.blogspot.com/2008/07/party-hats_22.html



One Chilly Playdate

Bring the chilly weather indoors with these icicle inspired activities, crafts, snacks, books and movies.

Begin the day with this fun glue and paper craft.  Glue is squished to the top of a piece of paper and tilted to let the glue run down to make icicles with inner child fun.

Get the instructions here:
http://innerchildfun.com/2011/02/easy-icicle-craft.html

Next, read the classic tale Ivy's Icicle by Gary Bower, a wonderful story about forgiving others.  Check it out of your local library.  It's also available on Amazon.

Next, take a break and have an ice cube tray filled with yummy fruit and veggie snacks.  Spring free trampoline shares the details.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.springfreetrampoline.com/blog/2013/06/03/post-jump-snack-ice-cube-tray-buffet

Next, practice scissors and cutting skills with the fabulous sugar aunts.  After the kids cut them out they hang them up in the windows around the house.

Get the template here:
http://www.sugaraunts.com/2014/01/icicle-winter-scissor-skills-activity.html

Wrap up the day by watching the kooky ice age movie.  Check it out from the library. It's also available at Amazon.

Make Your Dreams Come True

It's Make Your Dream Come True Day.  One way to start is by making a dream catcher to help guide you in the right direction.

Dreams are written upon leaves with this leaf dream catcher. 

Beautiful lace catches dreams in this lace dream catcher.

Colorful gems embellish this pretty beaded dream catcher.

Nature inspires these tree branch dream catchers.

Needle point thread is the star for this colorful dream catcher.

Jewelry wire spins the web for this dream catcher necklace.

A good preschool version is made with feathers and colorful beads for this paper plate dream catcher.

Yarn is wrapped and intertwined to make the web in these heart dream catchers.

A Snowy Play Date

Shake up some winter fun with this snow globe inspired winter play date. 

Start the day by making these cute paper snow globes using paper blue circles to represent the glass.  Kids can then draw on their snowman or whatever snowy scene they like.  Next use a strip of black paper to make the holder.  Found on pinterest.

Next, read Jane O'Connor's book The Snow Globe Family about a family that lives inside a snow globe and wonders when the next snow will happen.  Check it out from the library or it's also available on Amazon.

Next, make a yummy snack inspired by the always amazing Jill Dubien, using tortillas, cookie cut out snow flake cheese and many tiny cutouts to make a snow baby in the middle.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.meetthedubiens.com/2011/12/fun-food-friday-snow-globe-angel.html

Finish the day by writing snow globe poems or simply coloring it in for younger kids.  Kids can make acrostic poems or write their winter wishes.  From third grade grid iron.

Get the template here:
http://www.3rdgradegridiron.com/2012/01/math-and-writing-freebies.html

Step in a Puddle Day of Play

Happy step in a puddle and splash your friends day.  Find fun activities and things to eat and do to help celebrate the day.

Cut out puddles and rain drops and dress the kids up in their rain gear with melissa and doug.  A great way for kids to expend some energy indoors.

Get the instructions here:
http://blog.melissaanddoug.com/2012/04/13/vals-crafty-corner-indoor-puddle-jumping/

Next, make clouds with the ivory soap in the microwave experiment.

Take a break and make this fun puddle inspired snack featuring crumbled Oreos, gummy worms and little drink umbrellas from celebrations at home blog.

Get the instructions here:
http://celebrationsathomeblog.com/2012/04/a-peppa-pig-muddy-puddles-birthday.html

Next, make some real, albeit tiny puddles by making it rain with a pitcher and colander.  Then have toy plastic animals or people jump in the puddles.  Find the details at pleasantest thing.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.pleasantestthing.com/2013/01/indoor-puddle-jumping.html

End the play by reading the classic kid's book The Puddle by David McPhail.  Check it out of the library or Amazon.