Author: admin

You will need:

• borax ~ found in the laundry section of supermarkets
• red food color
• pipe cleaners red or white
• a wide-mouthed jar
• yarn and a pencil

Directions:

• Twist the pipe cleaner into a heart shape
• Find out how many cups of eater your jar holds.
• Fill the jar using boiling water.
• Using 3 tablespoons of borax per cup of
  water, mix the borax into the water, a little at a time. You need to stir
  quite vigorously to get it to dissolve. There may be a little that doesn’t
  dissolve.
• Add some red food coloring to the jar and mix
  thoroughly
• Attach a piece of yarn to the top of your
  heart and lower it into the jar. Tie it off round a pencil, resting across
  the mouth of the jar, so that the heart is completely submerged in the
  solution, but not resting on the bottom.

Leave it for 24 hours and then remove it from the jar.
You should have a crystal covered heart. You can give it as a gift the way it
is, or use it to frame a picture or message.

Grow Your Own Snowflakes

Grow your own snowflakes in a jar.  Adult supervision is required, as you need boiling
water. After you have made snow flakes you can experiment with other shapes,
too.

Materials:

• large wide-mouthed jar
• pipe cleaners
• pencil
• yarn or string
• boiling water
• borax ~ found in the laundry section of the supermarket
• food coloring (optional)

For the most realistic results use white pipe cleaners and yarn and no food
coloring. For variety use different colors.

Instructions:

• Cut the pipe cleaner into 3 equal parts. 
• Twist
  them together in the center and fan out the ends so you have six evenly spaced
  spokes.
• Attach some yarn to the end of one of the spokes and pass it across each
  spoke in turn, twisting it around the spokes as you go.
• Measure the amount of water your jar holds, using cups.
• Empty the jar out and refill it using boiling water.
• Using 3 tablespoons of borax per cup of water, mix the borax into the
  water, a little at a time. You need to stir quite vigorously to get it to
  dissolve. There may be a little that doesn’t dissolve.
• Attach a piece of yarn to the top of your snowflake-shaped pipe cleaners,
  and lower it into the jar. Tie it off round a pencil, resting across the mouth
  of the jar, so that the snowflake is completely submerged in the solution, but
  not resting on the bottom.

Leave the entire thing for 24 hours. When the 24 hours are up, remove
your snowflake and you will find it has shiny crystals all over it. You can hang
it up in a window or door way, or even use it as a decoration on a Christmas
tree.

You can make them in various colors by adding a few drops of food
coloring to the borax solution, or by using colored yarn and pipe cleaners. Try
making them in different colors and using them to make  a mobile.

This makes
beautiful gift wrap! Just choose the right colors for the right season.
Red & green for Christmas, pastel for spring or Easter. The
possibilities are endless!

My
children and I made this instead of purchasing gift wrap! It was easy
and fun! You can use this for any occasion. Color
coordinating bows finish the job.

You will need to
have plenty of paper towels on hand for cleaning up. Spread lots of
newspaper down and wear old clothes. Also have water for cleaning
brushes, etc

Materials:

• acrylic or
  tempera paints
• 
  Cheap paintbrush – about 1/2′ wide. The 5 yr old used a toothbrush.
• 
  Small containers to put paint in. Egg cartons, clean yogurt
  containers, etc.
• Paper to paint. We have used the brown craft paper, newsprint (free
  from the newspaper), or butcher paper.

Directions:

Pour a small
amount of paint into your container. Add a little water to thin it
down some. Stir it well. Do this for as many colors as you want to
use.

Cut pieces of
paper whatever size you want. Dip your brush into the paint Hold the
brush above the paper and tap the brush with your other hand sharply
so the paint spatters onto the paper. Little ones using a paint brush
can flick their thumb across the brush. Continue this with ONE color
until you have as much on as you like.

You can add more
color layers but make sure your first layer is completely dry! 

NOTE:

You can also
sponge paint your paper for another neat affect!

A wonderful
sensory project for kids. Great jungle or African unit study go along.

You’ll need:

• Heavy cardboard tube
• Caps for the end or duct tape
• Seeds, pebbles, dried rice or other filler
• Pretty paper to cover

Directions:

• Decorate your
  tube.
• Seal off one
  end.
• Add handfuls of your filler material. Seal off the other end.
• Try different
  thing inside and different size tubes. Turn up and down slowly.

This is a
simple craft even little ones can do.

This is a
wonderful sensory craft. Young children love the sound and sensations
this makes. This is a great go along for a jungle or African unit study.

This is a fun wintertime craft to do with your kids. We used this technique to make our own Christmas Cards.
It can also be used for thank you notes, for all those gifts your kids received.
Simple enough for the youngest, yet
something even the older ones can do!

Materials:

• heavy paper, like cardstock
• 
  
  crayons
• 
  
  white tempera paint, thinned a little

Instructions:

• Have your children draw a winter scene on their paper. 
• Color the picture fairly heavily. 
• 
  Now brush the white tempera paper over the scene. The crayon will show through and it will look like a snowy winter day! 
• 
  You could sprinkle glitter on before the paint dries for extra sparkle!