It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Cleaning

Thanksgiving break is this week and some kids have Thursday and Friday off, most start vacation on Wednesday and others have the entire week off. EEK! What are you going to do with your kids all week? The answer: put them to work … cleaning. It’s not as hard as it sounds when you add a little motivation, like getting ready for new toys.

You and your kids can go through the stack of toys piled up in the corner. Decide which one to keep and which they no longer play with and are willing to donate. For some reason, kids will develop a sense of attachment to toys they haven’t played with in years, so you may have to encourage them to want to give them away.

Once you have your giveaway pile then separate them into “donate” and “yard sale” groups. We want to teach our kids the importance of donating to those who can use these toys they no longer need. In addition they may be motivated by the idea of selling their toys at a yard sale where they get to keep the money.

Don’t forget to clean under the bed too. This seems to be a comfortable place for the misfit toys to hide, but this is a good time to clear this space. And you never know where those pesky Elf on a Shelf and Elf Magic will end up when they are roaming around your house in the middle of the night.

This could become an annual tradition, and then it won’t seem like such a task and more like a family event, in getting ready for the Holidays.

Fall Crafts For Kids Of All Ages

Fall is here and Thanksgiving is approaching. As the weather gets cooler, a perfect way to keep your kids busy indoors is with some fun fall crafts. Sometimes you have to think outside the Crayola box, skip the traditional coloring and go for something more appealing.

This unique fall craft is so easy, even the little ones can handle it. Have your kids choose a large real or artificial leaf to get started.

1. Turn the leaf upside down, with the stem-end pointing up, creating the head of a fox.

2. Add some googly eyes or draw your own and glue them on the fox.

3. Create a nose by securing a pom-pom to the tip opposite the stem.

4. Use triangle-shaped pieces of construction paper for the ears.

You can even make a whole family of foxes with different colored leaves … it’s cute and so simple.

Balloon Fiesta is over,  but in New Mexico hot air balloons adorn the skies year-round. Kids love them and they will love creating their own 3-d balloon.

1. Draw a circle six inches in diameter for the balloon.

2. Cut one inch strips of different colored construction paper, ten inches long. Make sure you have enough to cover the entire balloon.

3. Tape or glue each strip of paper from one end of the circle to the opposite side, allowing the center of the strip to pop up, creating the balloon.

4. Draw a gondola near the bottom of the balloon.

5. Add clouds, rainbows or people in the balloon or on the ground … anything you can imagine to complete your masterpiece.

 

To help big kids like to feel like real artists, use a real canvas for this project.

1. With acrylic paint,  paint a tree with branches on your canvas. Let the paint dry.

2. Glue buttons of varied sizes and colors to the branches, these are the leaves. You can use Elmer’s glue or a glue gun to adhere the buttons.

3. Get creative by adding “button” grass and falling leaves.

 

For kids who are older, create a Sharpie painting. This project uses a canvas, markers and rubbing alcohol.

1. On the canvas color sections with different colored markers to cover the entire canvas.

2. Take a dropperful of rubbing alcohol and drip the liquid onto the canvas in different spots. This will smear the ink. The idea is to blur the harsh lines and create a marbled look to the painting.

3. Let your art dry and in no time it will be ready to hang.

From foxes to modern art, you won’t be left out in the cold with these fun and unique crafts your kids can create inside. Who knows, you may even inspire a budding artist or create a gift only a grandparent could love, either way, you’ll be able to keep your kids entertained at home.