Squirrel Appreciation Day of Play

Today's a great day to pay homage to our furry friend the squirrel on Squirrel Appreciation Day.

Begin the day by making a squirrel from a paper brown bag, construction paper and of course googly eyes.  Read it again mom shares the details.

Get the instructions here:
http://readitagainmom.blogspot.com/2011/09/squirrel-storytime.html

Next, sing the fun Grey Squirrel song and shake your bushy tail.

Next, take a break with a fun squirrel in the tree snack, using cereal, blueberries, and pound cake.  Alt plastic shares the details.

http://altplastic.ru/2013/dhdhdhundhndhu-dhdhnendhdhdhdh-dhnedh-dhudhnf/

Next, have a fun reading of Melanie Watt's Scaredy Squirrel, a squiirrel who is afraid of everything.  Check it out from the library or it's also available on Amazon.

End the day with a fun viewing of the movie The Nut Job a story about a mischievous squirrel looking for the tastiest nuts to store away for winter.  Check it out from your library.  It's also available on  Amazon.

Penguin Appreciation Day of Play

Celebrate Penguin Appreciation Day with these fun games, crafts, activities, books, movies and snacks.  A fun day for our friends from the South.

Start the day with this fun pretend penguin mask craft.  A white paper mask is layered over and glued to a black circle of paper to make a penguin face.   Next, a triangle beak is glued and eyes cut to make a mask.

The original site is no longer available.

Next, go fishing with this free penguin color matching card game from criss cross applesauce learning.

Get the template here:
http://crisscrossapplesaucelearning.blogspot.com/2012/02/preschool-penguin-game-freebie.html

Next, read the adorable Oliver Jeffers' book Lost and Found about a boy who travels over an ocean to help get a lost penguin home. Check the book out from the library or get it from Amazon.

Take a break and have these cute olive, fresh mozzarella and carrot snacks found on pinterest.

End the day by watching the Lost and Found movie.  Check it out from the library or download it from Amazon.

Popcorn Trees

 

To celebrate popcorn appreciation day, first paint it.  Then, after painting the popcorn, if it's not all eaten, popcorn can double as leaves for trees.

Paint on the ceiling creates a tree template and lets the kids glue the popcorn on the branches.

Good for ages 5 and up.

Get the instructions here:

http://paintontheceiling.blogspot.com.au/2011/11/popcorn-tree.html

Serving pink lemonade uses plain popcorn and a paper cut out for the tree trunk.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.serving-pink-lemonade.com/2009/04/popcorn-popping-on-apricot-tree.html

Squish ideas for preschool paints her tree trunk.

Get the instructions here:
http://squishideasforpreschool.blogspot.com/2012/02/march-ideas-color-green-trees-grass.html

 

Craft penguin paints her tree trunk as well.

Get the instructions here:

http://craftpenguin.com/crafts/spring-blossoms-popcorn-tree

Craft ideas for kids uses pasta for the tree trunk and branches.

Get the instructions here:
http://craftsideasforkids.com/easy-crafts-for-spring-make-3d-spring-tree.html

Mama musings sketches her trunk with colored pencils.

Get the instructions here:
http://momamusings.com/index.php/2012/05/spring-blossom-tree-art/

Happy hooligans makes a fall tree by coloring the popcorn with paint powder the kids create by shaking it up in plastic zipper bags.

Get the instructions here:
http://happyhooligans.ca/popcorn-trees/

Winnie the Pooh Play Date

Happy Winnie the Pooh Day -- author A.A. Milne's Birthday.  Celebrate his Birthday and Winnie with this fun play date, include kid's crafts, snack ideas, books and movies. 

Begin the day with paint, a paper plate, pom poms and pipe cleaners to make a cuddly looking pooh bear. 

Next, have a yummy snack of honeycomb cereal.  Mmm.  Honey.  Find the details on amy's party ideas.

Get the instructions here:
http://amyspartyideas.com/2011/08/winnie-the-pooh-the-100-acre-woods-real-parties/

Next, cut and fold this paper Winnie the Pooh cube.  Found on pinterest.

Next read one of the many Winnie the Pooh board or abridged books.  Your librarian can help you find some good ones.  Amazon also has a bunch to choose from.

Finally, end the day by viewing some of the Winnie the Pooh classic cartoons available on YouTube.

Glue Snowflake Window Clings

Wax paper and glue are all that's needed to make simple snowflake window clings.

All you need to do is just simply squish glue onto the wax paper in any pattern you like.  Make the pattern thick and big because as the glue dries it will be easier to remove from the wax paper.

After the glue dries simply remove the shapes from the wax paper and wet slightly with a damp cloth to make it stick in the window. The glue will not remove from the window easily.  You'll need to use cleaner to get it off.

Good for ages 3 and up.

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