DIY Pinecone Christmas Trees

As a child the magic of Christmas was always in the decorations, especially ones that my brothers and sisters and I had made ourselves. Every year our mother would pull out the decorations we had made over the years and floods of great memories always came to mind.

I set out to do a simple project with my little ones, something easy, fun with instant results. These Pinecone Christmas Trees were perfect for my 3 year old and almost 2 year old.

Apple Tree Handprint Project

 

With Thanksgiving coming up next week we have been talking about giving, sharing and loving your family and friends. A great way for children to relate to this in real life is to read them a story about the subject. That is why we have been reading The Giving Tree , a family favorite. All this reading sparked the Apple Tree project below! I love it when the story continues into real life, it really seems like the children are understanding and absorbing what we are teaching.

 

 

Minutes to spare MONSTER HANDS!

Halloween is this week, it always seems to sneak up on us but there is still time to get in those last minute craft ideas with your little ones. Here is a quick and easy Monster Hand Craft you can do in minutes!

All you need is washable paint, paint brushes, paper, googly eyes, a permanent marker and little hands :)

DIY Activity Dice for Kids!

As the days get darker and rainier here in Washington we tend to spend more time inside the house, and the feelings of being cooped up start to set in. I am always on the hunt for frugal and DIY ways to keep ourselves active and entertained, these Activity Dice we made are a fantastic way to get them moving!

Very few supplies are needed. 1-2 "square like" boxes, wrapping paper of some kind, several colors of construction paper, a marker, scissors and tape.

A Preschool Activity

 

Getting anything done around the house is nearly impossible with my 2 1/2 year old always on my coat tails. I am always trying to think of ways to keep him busy even for just a little while so I can get a few things done without my little shadow. 

The other day while cleaning out some craft supplies I found two bags of brightly colored rice and some equally as bright buttons of all sizes. I thought it would be great to have him sift and sort is way through the buttons and rice. I mixed the bags of rice together added the buttons and set him free. He sorted them by color, shape and size and even taste tested it a bit :)  The buttons were a bit tricky to find in the colored rice so it kept him busy for a while. Not only did it give me a moment to myself but I loved that he was learning through play, my favorite way to teach!!  

I am always looking for ways to keep the kiddos entertained around here. Do you have any tips or tricks to keep your little ones occupied? I would love to hear them.