Back-to-School Bookworms

For the past few years,

our neighborhood has hosted a

"Back-to-School Breakfast"

in an effort to get the kiddos

up and out of bed

and excited for the new school year.

I have provided a craft at all of these celebrations.

(You can see the Pencil Toppers we made in 2010

by clicking HERE.)

This year's craft was inspired by

JoAnn Fabric and Craft Store-

I taught the kiddos how to make my version of...

...Book Worms!

Supplies:

Pip cleaners

Buttons

Pony Beads

Craft glue

Googly eyes

Step 1:

 Decide what color of pipe cleaner you want for the worm's body

and  style of button you want for the worm's head.

Step 2:

 Push the pipe cleaner

through one of the holes of the button.

Step 3:

 Push the pipe cleaner back through

a different button hole.

Step 4:

Twist the small section of pipe cleaner

you looped through the button holes

over and around the rest of the pipe cleaner.

Step 5:

 Thread the pipe cleaner

with pony beads

to decorate the worm's body.

Step 6:

 To close off the end,

leave some of the pipe cleaner un-beaded,

and pull up the last pony bead a bit.

Loop the end of the pipe cleaner

over the extra pony bead...

 ...and twist it around the extra bit of pipe cleaner...

...to create a close off tail end.

Step 7:

Use craft glue to secure eyes on the button face

and you have yourself a book worm!

I loved watching the creative minds

of the kiddos at the breakfast...

They came up with all different kinds of book worms-

not one was the same!

Despicable Me 2 Week: Disguise a Minion

 One of the activities the kiddos completed

during our

Despicable Me 2 week

was called...

..."Disguise a Minion."

I gave each kiddo a copy of this coloring page,

(which I found HERE),

some crayons and markers...

...and a sheet of stickers from...

...this Photo Booth Fun Sticker Book

I found in the JoAnne's Dollar Spot.

Using a minion figurine as a model...

...the kiddos colored their minions,

and then came up with sticker disguises

for them to wear on their next undercover mission...

Oh,

but the sticker disguise madness didn't stop there...

...the kiddos then used the stickers

to disguise themselves...

...along with these mustache finger tattoos,

which I found at The Dollar Tree.

(Bet ya didn't even know it was me, did ya?)  ;0)

Keep coming back the rest of the week

to see what else we did for

Despicable Me 2 Week...

Borrower Houses

A month or so ago,

Jungle Girl finished reading...

...The Borrowers

by

Mary Norton.

The movie,

The Secret World of Arietty,

is based on this book,

and my girls are both looking forward to 

seeing it-

WHEN it comes to the Dollar Theater...

SOOOOO,

as a culminating project 

for finishing the book,

and anticipating seeing the movie,

I let the girls create their own

Borrower Houses.

**************************************

 After the girls each picked out a 

shoebox in our 

Recycling Stash,

I let them go "shopping"...

...in my garage craft stash.

(Later, the girls also pulled out some items

from their Lalaloopsy collection,

which really blended well,

since the dolls and their items

have a home fashioned appearance...)

Then,

their imaginations did

the rest of the work...

**************************************

Here is a tour...

...through Baby Girl's house...

 This is the upstairs

living area,

(aka The Lid of the Shoebox)

which includes:

...a Bottle Cap Dining Set...

 ...and a kitchen corner.

A giant paper snowflake rug ties

everything together... ;0)

 The bottom level

of the shoebox house 

includes...

 ...Beaded Escape Ladders...

 ...Sticker Wallpaper...

...and a cozy bed,

with a comforter made out of 

and olde pair of jeans.

**************************************

Now,

onto a tour...

...of Jungle Girl's home.

 We will begin with her

outdoor landscaping,

which includes...

 ...a spool swing seat...

 ...and a bridge entry way.

In her bottom level lies...

 ...Sponge Beds and a Balloon Beanbag

for the children...

 ...and another Sponge Bed for the parents,

complete with a Matchbox Dresser.

 Upstairs is a great place for the

"Borrowers" to hang out...

 ...because there is plenty of

Popsicle Bench Seating...

 ...and a Bottle-cap Dining Room Set.

**********************************************

I am so impressed...

...by my girlies' creativity!

Now, 

if I can just get them to clean up after

the "Borrowers" come and play

in their room...

*******************************************

Check out more creative kiddo ideas

over at:

Kids Get Crafty,

It's Playtime,

stART,

and

Read Explore Learn.

We Arrrrrr Pirates!

This week was our last Monday Fun class.
(*sigh*)
so what is a better way to send off the kiddos
than by talking about
Pirates...

Arrrrrrrrrr!

After reading...

...How I Became a Pirate to the kiddos,
(SUCH a fun story!)
I led the kiddos in making their own
mini Pirate ships.

The items we used to make the ships included:

Egg carton cups
Markers
Modeling clay
Toothpicks
Tape
Glue sticks
Pirate Sails Printable
(Cottage Industrialist has many other fun Pirate printables
for free you should check out by clicking HERE.)

First, the kiddos decorated their egg carton cups
with the markers.

Then the kiddos put a lump of clay
into the bottom of the cup.

Then the kiddos put the sails together with
the glue sticks and taped them onto the toothpicks.

Finally the kiddos put their flags into the clay,
and they were ready to set sail!

*******************************************

After completing the ships...

...the kiddos dress up as Pirates...

...and Pirate Princesses...

***********************************************

Now, they were ready... ...to play a Pirate game!

Using their ships as game pieces...

...the kiddos spent the rest of the class sailing
to seek their treasure
with the use of the game board
from THIS Pirate Preschool Lapbook...

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

************************************************

For more fun ideas to do with your little ones,
head on over to
Feed Me Books Friday,
Kids Get Crafty!,
It's Playtime,
Preschool Corner,
Read, Explore, Learn,
and
stART...