The latest from our Heart and Soul
Winter is in full swing. Now kids can see just how much snow is on the ground with this fun craft that was inspired by Pink and Green Mama. Instead of being a small snowman ruler, we made ours an actual stake for the ground and used Arctic creatures for inspiration.
Supplies
- 5 gallon paint bucket stir stick (these are very inexpensive)
- Paint
- Craft paint roller
- Glue
- Googley eyes
- Craft foam
- Permanent marker
- Ruler
- Other accessories like chenille stems (to use for tails)
Let your child paint the stir stick with the roller. Only one side painted is necessary. 
While the paint is wet you can attach the eyes. The wet paint will allow the eyes to stick without glue. 
My son chose to make an Arctic Fox, so we cut large triangle ears out of craft foam. As the paint was drying he glued the ears on. My daughter chose a Snow Owl, so her ears were much smaller and I had to help a little. 
When you use the craft paint roller the paint dries very quickly. We still used this time to read about our animals we selected. When the paint dries draw the face and brief features of your animal. Older children can do this by themselves. My children were too interested in their book. 
Next draw a line across the stick near the bottom. This will be the line it will go into the ground to. Place your ruler on the line and make marks for each unit of measurement. 
Write the numbers to coordinate with the marks. With this Arctic Fox, we twisted chenille stems together for the tail and used a standard stapler to affix the tail onto the back. 
Give your snow stakes a quick spray of clear spray paint to weather proof them. Put them in your yard and now you can see the exactly how deep your snow is from the comfort of your warm living room. Then your children will want to go outside and play in it. ;)
One thing that comes to mind when we think about Chinese New Year is the Chinese Dragon Dance that occurs at the end of the parade. The movement and colour of these dragons is mesmerizing. As part of our Chinese New Year celebration, we wanted to do our own Chinese Dragon Dance so we made our own Chinese Dragon Puppets (mini size).
The nice thing about this dragon puppet is you probably have most of the supplies in your home:
- coloured construction paper
- crayons (you could use markers, paint, pencil crayons)
- bendy straws (2 per dragon)
- scissors
- glue
- yarn or ribbon
The first step is to separate the egg carton sections into individual pieces. I found using a utility knife was easier for this than scissors but scissors will do. We used one row in an egg carton for each dragon we made. With each section, kids can now colour the outside of the carton pieces.
Once all the pieces are coloured, then using the scissors poke a small hole in the top center of each one. Using your ribbon or yarn, string each egg section through (make sure to have the first one facing the opposite way as the other ones as this will be the head. After stringing your first carton through, tie a note inside the carton. This will keep all the sections from sliding together when you have them all on the ribbon.
Once you have all your body pieces on, cut strips of coloured construction paper roughly the height of each egg carton cup (about an inch). Starting from the last body segment on your dragon, you will glue the strip on the outer part of the egg carton section, like you are going to wrap it in paper. You want to glue the middle part of the paper so when folded down there will be an equal amount of paper on each side.
Glue a coloured strip on each egg carton piece, except the head. We used a glue gun since I find this tends to stick faster and stronger but white glue would work too. We used different coloured paper for each section but you could use all the same colour if you wanted to work with a colour scheme. Once all the strips are on, fold the paper sticking out, down like legs or wings.
Taking your scissors cut a straight, thin line up each strip of paper. Do this to each strip and on each side. This will give that fringed look like the Chinese Dragon's in the parade have.
With the body done, you can now focus on the head, drawing an eye on each side. The egg carton cup will have a natural gap from when you separated it from the carton; this gives your dragon it's mouth. We used scissors to cut the opening a little wider. For added fun, we glued a strip of orange paper on the inside of the head carton as fire coming out of the dragon's mouth. We also stuck long, thin triangle piece of paper on the inside of the back egg carton to be a tail.
You're dragon is done, now to make it a puppet. This is where the bendy straws come in. Trim the short bent part of the straw so it fits between the paper and the underside of the egg carton. Put glue on the short bended end and hold it in place. You could also just tape this right to the underside if you don't want to use glue or are having difficulty getting the straw between the paper and the egg carton. You won't be seeing the underside so it doesn't matter if a straw is stuck there. We picked the bendy straws as the natural bend makes them idea puppet holders.
Now that your Chinese Dragon is finished, you can add your own Chinese Dragon Dance at the end of your Chinese New Year festivities. Checkout our Chinese New Year piece for other great ideas on planning an event with your family.
If you children are looking to help deck the halls with their own creations, here is a craft that they can do. This is great for all ages preschool and up. You will just need a few simple things you probably have in your home already.
Paper plate
Yarn or string
Scissors
Glue (we used a glue stick)
White paper
Hole punch
Cut the center out of your paper plate. For additional sturdiness we glued two paper plates together after cutting the inside.
Punch a hole in your plate. Be sure not to put it too close to the edge. You don't want it to rip.
Take your white paper (we used copy and print paper) and cut some different sized squares. Try not to get too small if you have smaller children. I cut 4-5 pages at once to save time while my 5 year old cut some squares of his own.
Fold the paper up to make snowflakes. Have your child cut shapes into the folded triangle to make your snowflakes beautiful.
Younger children can use a hole punch to create a snowflake without using scissors. Fun craft punches used for scrapbooking could make awesome effects for a snowflake. This is the perfect opportunity to explore and create.
Thread yarn through the hole in the plate. Make length suitable for hanging in the special place.
Lastly, have your child glue the snowflakes onto the plate. Just put glue in the center of the snowflake. This will help ensure the snowflakes spread out and display their beauty the best. You can arrange your snowflake wreath however you like. We mixed different sizes to make a funky and fun look.
For most of us the days of wild late night New Year’s Eve party celebrations are behind us. Becoming parents has tamed some of us. But having a family doesn’t mean all the fun is sucked out of your life; celebrations take on a slight different style.
This New Year’s Eve we’ll be ringing in the new year, family style. If you are planning a similar family focused celebration, here are some ideas to help you make it until midnight.
Party Food
We party all day at our house. Instead of sitting down for lunch or dinner at the table, we snack all day. We have standard treats like cheese, crackers, olives and pickles. We also enjoy bite-sized snacks. We found 60+ party recipes you can try if you’re looking for ideas. You can’t have a party without sweets, like one of these 47 of the Best Chocolate recipes. Kraft Canada’s Easy Oreo Truffles are just that, easy, and oh so tasty. You can get the kids involved with this one too, getting them to crush the Oreos for the recipe.
Party Drinks
I love eggnog and a New Year’s Eve party is my last chance to drink it since it’s not available in stores anymore. I’ve stocked-up but you can make your own with this recipe. Wine is always nice to enjoy whether it’s just you and your partner or you have some neighbours and friends drop-in to join your family celebration. Try one of these LCBO wines, all of which are under $20.
Party Fun
Until we’re closer to the New Year countdown, we love to hangout and watch movies together and play family games. With our Xbox Kinect, we love getting into the game with some of these fun game ideas. Looking at inviting friends over, try these tips and recipes on getting ready for a Cocktail Party. As we wrap-up one year and prepare for a new one, I love the idea of creating a record of now and predicting the future. I’ve already printed off a few of these sheets to get the kids to fill out (the parents can fill them out too) and then seal them away to open next year.
How will you be celebrating the New Year with your family?
Whether you're looking for ideas to keep the kids busy or just want to do something festive with the family, holiday crafts are a great idea. Pinterest is a great source of inspiration. Just to prove it, here are 15 of the best Christmas crafts for kids.
Wreaths for the windows or the doors are a nice way to extend the feeling of Christmas throughout the whole house. With a sheet of construction paper and some scissors, you can work with the kids to make these easy Construction Paper Wreaths.
Have some leftover wrapping paper or scrapbook paper? Why not create these cute Hanging Christmas Trees. They make great decorations on the tree too.
Popsicle Stick Christmas Trees
Popsicle sticks are a staple in most family craft boxes. Use them to create these easy Popsicle Stick Christmas Trees. You can leave them plain after you’ve painted them green or you can decorate them with sparkles, pompoms and other fun accessories.
If the simple triangle popsicle trees are too simple for your kids, maybe these Popsicle Christmas Trees will appeal to your little crafters. After cutting the popsicle sticks, create and decorate each tree to hang in the window or on your actual Christmas tree.
These paper snowman are too cute. Kids will have fun making them and then personalizing them. Make a collection of them, in different sizes, to represent the whole family.
Homemade decorations on the Christmas tree add a personal touch to your holidays (and create fun memories as the kids make them). These Hanging Button Tree Ornaments are great for lose extra buttons you have, plus it’s a great exercise in size order.
These Glitter Snowman Ornaments are easy for kids to create and can be made using cheap plastic round ornaments from the craft or dollar store. When they’re done, hang them on your tree for everyone to admire. Imagine the different snowman faces your kids can create.
Be on the lookout for pinecones when out for an afternoon walk with the kids. With a few pompoms, turn those ordinary pinecones into little Festive Pinecone Trees.
Detailed crafts too difficult for little fingers? This Pie Plate Snowman might be a great alternative. Kids can colour and decorate each part of the snowman’s body and then build it.
This craft reminds me of string art I use to do when growing up. With just a circle of cardboard and some colourful thread, your kids can wind their way to these fun, festive Woven Star Ornaments.
You’ll want to save those empty glass jars. These DIY Snowglobes are a great holiday craft that can double as a homemade gift. Add personal touches by using old toys or trickets.
You may have done crayon rubbings before, try this holiday themed Crayon Resist Snowflake craft. Start with a crayon rubbing and then paint over it to reveal a washed version of your rubbing.
I love the colours tissue paper adds to art projects. These Abstract Winter Trees are fun to create and beautiful to look at. Put them in a cheap frame and they make great art prints for the grandparents (or yourself).
White glue can be used for more than just sticking coloured construction paper in your child’s pictures. Use it to draw snowmen, snowflakes and snow scenes and then cover with salt to create a puffy Snowy Salt Prints.
My kids love collecting paint chips when we head out to the hardware store. Now all those paint chips can be used to create these cute Paint Chip Christmas Trees. Use them as cards or standalone as an ornament for the tree.
If you're still looking for holiday craft ideas, we have 15 other Christmas Craft Ideas to try or maybe this DIY Charlie Brown Christmas Tree project.
