We all scream for Ice – Cream!

It’s Summer (kind of!) and what’s better than Ice – Cream on a hot day?

Today we had some fun with paint and washi tape and the best thing – the only thing I had to do was cut a shape, grab the supplies and help my 3 year old with a little bit of cutting.

This is an easy activity to adapt to any shape or form you can dream up and is great for developing fine motor skills.

What you need:

• Cardboard or cereal box
• Sharpie
• Tempera Paint
• Brushes
• Washi Tape
• Scisssors
• Aprons or old clothes

What to do:

Cut out your ice cream shape. If you want to define the cone/ice-cream area, use a Sharpie to do this. This can be helpful for younger children  but not necessary.

It’s time to paint! There are no rules so grab a cuppa and watch them work.

When the paint is dry, add some sprinkles cut from washi tape.

 

Voila! Now rinse and repeat with other fun shapes, using the tape to define the detail.

 

Display Ideas

• Make a mobile by using a hole punch and some pretty string /yarn. Attach to a branch or an embroidery hoop, add some pom poms, tissue paper or fabric scraps and hang from the ceiling.
• These would look great in a crisp white frame.

Painting with Peashooters

I came across this wonderful video on Instagram from Mini Makers Studio (follow their feed, its great) of young children having a ball shooting paint pom poms at a wall of paper and I thought – we could do that! We had a great time, it wasn’t fool proof but we learnt a few things for next time.

Here’s what you need to give this a go:

• tarpaulins x 2 (you can grab some cheap ones from the hardware store)
• Strong tape
• Roll of newsprint/wallpaper/kraft paper
• paint
• paint trays – egg cartons work well for easy clean up
• pom poms
• mini tongs
• aprons

To make the shooters:

From Cups:

• balloons – tie and cut large end to fit over cup (don’t cut too much)
• strong Paper/Plastic Cup
• tape

From PVC:

• Piece of PVC Pipe about 15cm long
• Finger from a rubber glove
• insulation tape

Mini Makers used a strong paper cup and a balloon, which is what we used but both kids had a bit of trouble with this because they couldn’t keep their hands from squashing the cup.

So afterwards, my husband found a piece of PVC Pipe and attached the finger from a rubber glove with insulation tape and this was a lot stronger and we will test out with paint next time and let you know for sure!

Here’s the set up – fairly self explanatory, on grass is best in case of paint spills.

Swish the pom poms in paint with the tongs and place into the shooter.

Stand at the edge of the paper, pull back the balloon and voila!

It may take a few goes to perfect the technique, but it’ll be great fun anyway and if all else fails, there is always paint flicking with a brush!

This would make great wrapping Paper or artwork for your child’s room. Simply cut and pace in a frame or get them to make their own art hangers.

 

 

Making friends with Peg Dolls

I love a craft activity that is open-ended. Just like a form of process art, I like to give children a selection of craft supplies within a common theme but allow them to choose how they are used. This gives children an opportunity to make their own decisions and explore what they do and don’t like.

One of my favourite supplies to have on hand in my craft classes is peg doll supplies – wooden pegs, fabric, embroidery thread, embellishments, glue, thin markers etc.

Great for early finishers or for keeping them busy whilst I’m working with others. At home, this activity can keep a child occupied for hours as long as you have the pegs!

Playing around with different techniques such as hair making, stripes and multi colours are great ways to assist older children in further developing their dolls.

I’ve had children aged 3 1/2 – 10 enjoy this activity with varying amounts of support but all with great results, making it the perfect multi-age activity.

So grab yourself some supplies and see what you can create – mermaids, superheroes, pirates, princesses – you are only limited by your imagination!

Kits can be purchased here  to save you time gathering the bits and pieces 🙂

Making with Mer Mag

We’ve had a great time this week trying out some of Merrilee Liddard’s fun play ideas from her book ‘Playful’. Yesterday’s efforts involved Mum and Daughter time creating this trapeze doll. This was fun and easy – a great task to do together. Miss K had a great time painting the dress and head. (Merrilee suggests printing onto canvas sheets but I can’t seem to get those). If you haven’t come across Mer Mag on Social Media (where have you been hiding?), then check out her blog for loads of simple craft ideas that are made from recyclables and easy to get materials. The photos alone are enough to get you in the mood for some crafty fun.