Cinco De Mayo Art Project

You can make this decorative pinwheel very easily. You will need a 7 inch by 7 inch piece of construction paper or card stock, any color; craft paint in squeeze bottles or markers; crepe paper streamers; scissors; pencil or straw; push pin; and possibly small amount of clay.

Decorate you 7 by 7 inch square any way you want. Use bright colors. If using paint, make sure it has dried completely before continuing on.






Carefully cut from each corner toward the middle about three quarters of the way...make sure not to go too far. Fold in each point to the middle and secure with the push pin. Press the pin into a pencil eraser or through the straw. If using the straw you have to add a little clay to the back to keep the pin from falling out. Don't make it too tight. Make sure the pin wheel is loose enough to turn freely. I taped crepe paper streamers to the points. I cut mine streamers in half lengthwise so they weren't too wide. Again, use bright colors







Go outside and run! Let the wind twirl your pin wheel. Have fun for Cinco de Mayo

Vaccination Questions Answered

The American Academy of Pediatrics has posted a new resource, answering many questions parents and caregivers have about vaccinations for children. To see this page, please click here.

Keeping Busy

Scatter Joy







Lookin' For My Honey







Adirondack Retreat







Tweet Little Birdies





Fairy Dust





Green Botanical





Country Hen

House Mouse Challenge #34

Spring Lilac Bouquet!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Simple Art Project for Kids:

To make this picture or card front, you will need construction paper in green, brown or black, and any "flower" color. You will also need, scissors, and tape or glue.

Step 1- Cut out a green stem and two leaves. The size will depend on whether you are a making a picture to fit an 8 1/2 by 11 piece of paper or a card front.

Step 2- Cut out a umbrella handle in a "J" shape to fit over the stem.

Step 3- Glue or tape the handle over the stem. Glue or tape the leaves to the top of the stem. You can glue or tape this to blue paper, or a card front.

Step 4-Draw and cut out an umbrella shape, your choice of colors. Leave a small tab at the top as shown in first picture.







Fold down the tab and tape or glue it to the top of the stem.








With the piece down you have a lovely umbrella. When you flip it up, the April rain has brought you a beautiful May flower.

More Cards For April

The Great Turtle Race is Back!

Join the fun! Conservation International is hosting the Great Turtle Race 2009, tracking sea turtle migraton. Sign up for the news updates and let the kids learn about these magnificent endangered creatures. Get out a map so they can learn some geography skills as they track the turtles. Sign up here.

Good Reads For Earth Day 2009

Earth Day will be here on April 22. Here are two good books for kids:

First is "Planting a Rainbow" by Lois Ehlert, published by Harcourt, Inc. New York. This colorful book is by one of the great children's authors. If you have read any of her books, you know how young children love her simple story lines and bright engaging illustrations. Since it's time to start sowing seeds, whether indoors or outside, depending on you location, this book shows kids the steps to growing a wonderful flower garden. It gives them the names of all the tools and many flower varieties, while reviewing the names of colors. Everyone can grow a rainbow!

Second is a wonderful book for older children. "In the Blink of an Eye" by Dieter Wiesmuller, published by Walker & Co, New York. This book shows children that they can see many animals in nature if they just take time to look around. Each habitat has a close up of just an animal's eye. The kids can try to guess what animal it might be. At the end of the book, all the animals are named. It's a good book for teaching kids that while they are looking for animals, the animals might be watching them!

Art Activity Earth Day Headband
For this activity you will need some green construction paper, a piece of white card stock, an empty plastic bottle (to recycle), scissors, a stapler, and some crayons.
With a adults help, cut some 3 inch wide strips and staple them together to comfortably fit around the child's head, making the headband. Cut lots of different size and shape leaves from the green paper. Staple them around half the headband, overlapping them slightly to look like the top of a tree. AN ADULT NEEDS TO CUT A HALF INCH BY 7 INCH PIECE OF PLASTIC BOTTLE, ROUNDING OFF THE EDGES. Draw a simple bird shape from the white cardstock and color to match a bird you see in your neighborhood. Cut it out and staple it to one end of the plastic bottle strip. Staple the other end of the plastic bottle to the inside of the headband, centered behind the leaves. The bird will now float and bob over the tops of the leaves. On the back of the headband (the part without the leaves) write "Earth Day 2009". Wear it proudly to remind others to recycle, reduce energy and water usage, and protect wildlife.

Easter Treat Cup

This is a quick and easy way to let the kids make treat cups. Using a Styrofoam or paper coffee cup, cut down from the rim to form two large bunny ears. Draw on eyes and inner ears with markers, and add pipe cleaner whiskers. Fill with your favorite candy.

Lots of Variety

These are birthday, anniversary and baby cards that fit various challenges I have participted in over the last two weeks. Now I just have to remember which ones I made for which friends and family! I always have the person in mind when I begin, and try to match their personalities, but then I have a file box full and since I make them well in advance, I have to have my memory kick in. No senior moments allowed

Safety Notice!

Safe Kids Worldwide has a comprehensive list of children's products recalled for the month of March available now. To see the list, click here.