Foot and hand print turkey
Here’s another twist on that traditional handprint turkey, one that will elicit lots more giggles! You will need a large sturdy paper, paints, a brush and your child’s hand and foot.
Paint the bottom of your child’s foot brown and his/her toes orange (this will take a while … be prepared for tons of giggling!) and stamp onto a paper (hold the paper lengthwise and stamp at the bottom) with the toes facing down. This is the turkey body (brown) and feet (orange). Now paint your child’s hand and stamp all around the body in a fan shape to create the feathers. Add as many feathers/colors as desired. We always make one turkey per family member each year. They make a cute gaggle of turkeys to display!
from Earth*School, We're Thankful for Thanksgiving
Copyright 2004 - 2010, Earth*School
Showing posts with label home education earth school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home education earth school. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Together Tuesday: Forever Sand Castles
As the summer season draws to a close, fashion some forever sand castles to keep a bit of summer all year round.
Mix up a batch of sand dough … you will need a good amount of playground sand or beach sand and some white glue. Mix the white glue into a bowl of sand, only a tablespoon at a time, until you get a moldable consistency. You can add a little flour to the mixture if it is still too sticky. Work on waxed paper for ease of drying and moving your sculptures later on. Work the sand mixture into sand castle shapes and allow them to dry thoroughly. Add small shells and/or other accents before the sand mixture dries for added fun.
(From Earth*School: Under the Sea, all rights reserved. Copyright Earth*School/Bonnie Vontz 2004 - 2010)
Mix up a batch of sand dough … you will need a good amount of playground sand or beach sand and some white glue. Mix the white glue into a bowl of sand, only a tablespoon at a time, until you get a moldable consistency. You can add a little flour to the mixture if it is still too sticky. Work on waxed paper for ease of drying and moving your sculptures later on. Work the sand mixture into sand castle shapes and allow them to dry thoroughly. Add small shells and/or other accents before the sand mixture dries for added fun.
(From Earth*School: Under the Sea, all rights reserved. Copyright Earth*School/Bonnie Vontz 2004 - 2010)
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Together Tuesday: Lemon Ice Dough
This sparkling lemon ice dough is sure to please any play dough enthusiast! It has diamond dust to make it sparkle like ice, as well as a pleasing lemon scent and color. A great way to spice up a hot summer afternoon!
Ingredients: 3 c flour 3 c water
1 ½ c salt 2 T oil
1 T cream of tarter 2 packets lemonade Kool Aid
Yellow food coloring for more color, if desired
Diamond dust (sparkly iridescent glitter)
Directions:
1. Mix the kool aid into the water.
2. Mix all ingredients together in a saucepan over medium-low to medium heat until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and becomes hard to stir.
3. Remove from heat and knead (let cool enough to touch) on a floured surface until the dough is a nice consistency.
4. Store in an airtight container.
(From Earth*School: Rainbow of Colors, all rights reserved. Copyright Earth*School/Bonnie Vontz 2004 - 2010)
Ingredients: 3 c flour 3 c water
1 ½ c salt 2 T oil
1 T cream of tarter 2 packets lemonade Kool Aid
Yellow food coloring for more color, if desired
Diamond dust (sparkly iridescent glitter)
Directions:
1. Mix the kool aid into the water.
2. Mix all ingredients together in a saucepan over medium-low to medium heat until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and becomes hard to stir.
3. Remove from heat and knead (let cool enough to touch) on a floured surface until the dough is a nice consistency.
4. Store in an airtight container.
(From Earth*School: Rainbow of Colors, all rights reserved. Copyright Earth*School/Bonnie Vontz 2004 - 2010)
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Together Tuesday: Heigh Ho Blueberry-O!
Make your own Heigh ho Blueberry-O! game. My brother had the game Heigh Ho Cherry-O as a child, and he loved to play that game. You can make your own blueberry version with craft items you probably already have around your house.
To begin, roll a supply of 60+ blueberries from your favorite clay and let them dry. Fashion 4 small basket/cup shapes from the clay as well and let dry. Be sure to make them slightly larger than the size of a hole punched with a hole puncher. To make the board, you will need some markers or crayons, good sturdy cardstock and tape, a paper fastener, scrap cardstock, and a hole punch (you will want either a long handled hole punch or an “anywhere” hole punch, the kind you place and tap with a hammer). Cut a ¼ inch slit in each corner of the cardstock (from the top going into the center of the paper). After the board is complete, you will fold down the tabs you have just created (the sides of the paper) and tape them together at the corners, so that the board is raised up off the playing surface. In each corner of the board, draw and color a blueberry bush. Use your hole punch to punch 15 holes in each bush. In the center of the board, draw a circle and partition it into 5 pieces (like you were cutting a pie). Put the following, one in each section of the circle:
Picture of 1 blueberry
Picture of 2 blueberries
Picture of 3 blueberries
Picture of a basket of spilled blueberries
Picture of an animal of your choice with a blueberry in its mouth
Cut an arrow shape from the scrap cardstock and fasten it to the center of the circle with the paper fastener/brad.
To play, fill up the bushes with the blueberries. Each player sits by one bush and has one basket. Spin the spinner and pick the correct number of blueberries if you spin the picture of 1, 2 or 3 berries, put all your blueberries back in the bush if you spin the spilled basket, or put one berry back in the bush if you spin the picture of the animal carrying off a berry.
(From Earth*School: Summer Harvest Fun, all rights reserved. Copyright Earth*School/Bonnie Vontz 2004 - 2010)
To begin, roll a supply of 60+ blueberries from your favorite clay and let them dry. Fashion 4 small basket/cup shapes from the clay as well and let dry. Be sure to make them slightly larger than the size of a hole punched with a hole puncher. To make the board, you will need some markers or crayons, good sturdy cardstock and tape, a paper fastener, scrap cardstock, and a hole punch (you will want either a long handled hole punch or an “anywhere” hole punch, the kind you place and tap with a hammer). Cut a ¼ inch slit in each corner of the cardstock (from the top going into the center of the paper). After the board is complete, you will fold down the tabs you have just created (the sides of the paper) and tape them together at the corners, so that the board is raised up off the playing surface. In each corner of the board, draw and color a blueberry bush. Use your hole punch to punch 15 holes in each bush. In the center of the board, draw a circle and partition it into 5 pieces (like you were cutting a pie). Put the following, one in each section of the circle:
Picture of 1 blueberry
Picture of 2 blueberries
Picture of 3 blueberries
Picture of a basket of spilled blueberries
Picture of an animal of your choice with a blueberry in its mouth
Cut an arrow shape from the scrap cardstock and fasten it to the center of the circle with the paper fastener/brad.
To play, fill up the bushes with the blueberries. Each player sits by one bush and has one basket. Spin the spinner and pick the correct number of blueberries if you spin the picture of 1, 2 or 3 berries, put all your blueberries back in the bush if you spin the spilled basket, or put one berry back in the bush if you spin the picture of the animal carrying off a berry.
(From Earth*School: Summer Harvest Fun, all rights reserved. Copyright Earth*School/Bonnie Vontz 2004 - 2010)
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Together Tuesday: Snowballs!
Last week, unexpected to me, we had a ton of snow dumped on us here in Connecticut – the kids are still making snowballs and sledding and desperately trying to make an igloo on our tiny deck. But you don't need snow to enjoy one of my favorite winter books, “Snowballs” by Lois Ehlert. After reading this story make your own multimedia snowmen using anything you can find around the house. Cut various sizes of circles out of white paper, and let your child choose 2 or 3 to glue onto a larger sheet of paper to make his/her snow person’s body. Then search your recycle bin, craft storage, kitchen, garage, etc. for wonderful found items that you can use to personalize your snow people.
Copyright Earth*School 2004-2010
Bonnie Elizabeth Vontz
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Together Tuesday: Happy Chinese New Year!
Yes, I know it is not Tuesday. But this weekend, I surprised A with an impromptu trip to Newport, RI for Valentine's Day ... we had a wonderful (albeit, cold!) weekend, came home all happy and rested. Opened the front door ... to see the bunnies had escaped! Somehow they managed to knock the top off their cage, get out AND PUT THE TOP BACK ON. Or they are ninjas. I am not yet sure. Anyway, thinking my biggest problem was bunny poop, we scooped them up, put them back, vacuumed and went to bed. Little did I know that the next morning when I went to start turning things on I would have problems not remedied by running the vacuum. Why bunnies like to chew through electrical cords and cable, I have no idea. And only live ones at that. Nibble, nibble, nibble ... and I had no internet, no printer, no serger and no speakers! So, yes, I know it is Thursday, but let's just pretend it is Tuesday, ok?
Chinese New Year wall hanging
Gung Hay Fat Choy! Create a special Chinese New Year wall hanging to decorate your house during your celebration. Red is the color traditionally associated with Chinese New Year, so start off with either red paper or red fabric. The year 2006 is the year of the dog, so add a painting, drawing, magazine cut out or photograph of a dog if desired. If your child is able, copy some Chinese characters (link in language activity #1) onto the wall hanging, or write “Happy Chinese New Year”. Other symbols or items to include on your festive wall hanging are: quotes from Confucius, lanterns, swirls of exploding fireworks and dragons.
From Earth*School: Late Winter Holidays
Copyright 2004-2010, Bonnie E. Vontz
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Together Tuesday: UnBirthday Day!
Tomorrow is my son's 6th birthday. In honor of his birthday, this Together Tuesday post features Day 25 from our Earth*School unit "One Day Fun Days", the UnBirthday Day!
Day 25 – Un-Birthday Day!
* Birthdays only come once a year and that waiting is hard – declare it Unbirthday Day and have a party just because! Send out invitations to a few friends in advance of the date to ensure having people to celebrate with … after all, chances are it will be their unbirthday as well.
* Make an Unbirthday cake – Prepare your favorite cake with your favorite frosting, but pout on one candle for each person in attendance. Sing Happy Unbirthday to You! And have everyone blow out the candles together.
* Spread the unbirthday love – Donate a new toy to a children’s shelter to give as a birthday gift for someone there. Clean out your closets and donate unused toys and outgrown clothing to a children’s shelter to brighten someone else’s unbirthday day.
* Pin the candle on the cake – Cut out a simple cake shape as well as a candle shape for each player. Blindfold each child, one at a time, spin him or her around once or twice, then let him/her try to pin the candle on the cake.
* Plaster of paris birthday cake – For this project you will need some birthday candles, plaster of paris, a plastic container (that can be cut with scissors if need be), cooking oil or spray, paint or food coloring and a disposable butter knife. Oil the inside of the plastic container. Mix up some plaster of paris and pour it into the container. This will be your cake. Let it set. When it is almost completely set, add the candles, pushing them in to make the candle holes. Remove the candles and let the cake finish hardening. Turn over and tap to unmold. You may need to cut away the plastic container with sharp scissors. Mix up another small amount of the plaster of paris mixture, this time using only half the water suggested. This will be your frosting. Color your frosting with paint or food coloring and apply to your cake with the butter knife (be careful not to get it into the candle holes or you will not be able to add those back on again. You may want to frost it with the candles already in place). Let dry completely before using for imaginative play.
Book List:
* Happy Birthday to You
by Dr. Seuss
* Some Birthday
by Patricia Polacco
* A Little House Birthday
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
* Froggy bakes a Cake
by Jonathan London
Day 25 – Un-Birthday Day!
* Birthdays only come once a year and that waiting is hard – declare it Unbirthday Day and have a party just because! Send out invitations to a few friends in advance of the date to ensure having people to celebrate with … after all, chances are it will be their unbirthday as well.
* Make an Unbirthday cake – Prepare your favorite cake with your favorite frosting, but pout on one candle for each person in attendance. Sing Happy Unbirthday to You! And have everyone blow out the candles together.
* Spread the unbirthday love – Donate a new toy to a children’s shelter to give as a birthday gift for someone there. Clean out your closets and donate unused toys and outgrown clothing to a children’s shelter to brighten someone else’s unbirthday day.
* Pin the candle on the cake – Cut out a simple cake shape as well as a candle shape for each player. Blindfold each child, one at a time, spin him or her around once or twice, then let him/her try to pin the candle on the cake.
* Plaster of paris birthday cake – For this project you will need some birthday candles, plaster of paris, a plastic container (that can be cut with scissors if need be), cooking oil or spray, paint or food coloring and a disposable butter knife. Oil the inside of the plastic container. Mix up some plaster of paris and pour it into the container. This will be your cake. Let it set. When it is almost completely set, add the candles, pushing them in to make the candle holes. Remove the candles and let the cake finish hardening. Turn over and tap to unmold. You may need to cut away the plastic container with sharp scissors. Mix up another small amount of the plaster of paris mixture, this time using only half the water suggested. This will be your frosting. Color your frosting with paint or food coloring and apply to your cake with the butter knife (be careful not to get it into the candle holes or you will not be able to add those back on again. You may want to frost it with the candles already in place). Let dry completely before using for imaginative play.
Book List:
* Happy Birthday to You
by Dr. Seuss
* Some Birthday
by Patricia Polacco
* A Little House Birthday
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
* Froggy bakes a Cake
by Jonathan London
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