Kids-Craft-A-Lot

All kids can be good. I believe many of the kids who are not so well behaved just need something nice and constructive to do with their time. Too much TV for too many kids AND PARENTS now days.

Kids don't need to veg out in front of the television like most adults do these days. What I'm saying is that your child needs some time invested in him or her and making crafts together is the perfect solution to that! Real time for bonding if you let it be. There's so many things you can do!

TV has its time and place, but don't be guilty of allowing your kids be in front of a television for 12 or more hours a day.

Did you ever consider cooking with your child as a craft? (They are also learning!)

What about building a dog house with Dad?

My kids and I LOVE Birthday Parties! They can be soooo much fun! Birthday parties can be crafty all the way around!

Crafts are much more than what you might have come to your mind.

Not only does crafts keep kids entertained, but it accomplishes a variety of other things as well:

- Builds positive self image
- Encourages self-discipline
- Rewards hard work and diligence
- Promotes hand-eye coordination
- Cultivates a love of learning
- Fosters cooperation with others
- Encourages their imagination

Doing kid's crafts can be messy and sometimes takes alot of effort to get everything out and ready, but the over-all results are so worth it! Below are some of the results we as a family have experienced

- The kids argued less among themselves and with me
- Discipline became easier and less necessary
- They played together better, even developed their own little games
- The kids did not want to watch television as much
- My oldest started helping me more with the younger ones and even wanted to help in the housework
- They all became easier to handle when we went out
- We have made memories that will last a lifetime
- We have lots of original artwork to decorate our home with

Doing crafts is a good way for the whole family to do something together and appreciate each person's own style.

Schedule a time or a day of the week for each craft.

Make sure you have all needed supplies for each craft.

Buy one or two things out of the craft section each time you go to the store.(That way you get a large on-hand supply of crafty things without spending a fortune getting it all at the same time, and you can be more spontaneous with the crafts you choose to do.)

EXAMPLES:
glitter, paper clips, paper fasteners, paints, markers, crayons, glue, googly eyes, beads, stickers, construction paper, typing paper, pipe cleaners, aluminum foil, fuzz balls, safety pins, etc.

"RECYCLE"...Don't throw that away! Save things that look "crafty".

Save old newspapers to catch the messy stuff!

Go to nearest dollar store and buy dollar plastic containers of all sizes for storing little things for your crafts.

Supplies needed:
1 large potato
straight pins
construction paper
markers or crayons
scissors
yarn
glue
googly eyes(optional)

Let child or adult draw ears, nose, mouth, eyes (can use googly eyes), shoes, and arms on their choice of colored construction paper. Cut out. Pin the "body" parts in the right places. Be sure to push the pins in all the way. Cut yarn for the potato pal's hair and pin or glue in place.

My kids have done this project over and over again because they like to name their pal and play with him/her when they are done creating him/her.

Rating for mom and kids *****
Most everyone will have the items needed on hand.

Supplies needed:
1 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon oil
2 Kool-Aid packages (unsweetened) different flavors

Mix the first 4 ingredients together. Divide in half, add a package of kool-aid to each half. Knead well. Keep in air tight containers or ziploc bags.

We just LOVE the smell and color of these!! Our favorites are tropical punch and lemonade. Your kids will have fun with this for hours!

Things you'll need:
Dry pine cones
Green glitter
Glue
Sequins

Directions:
Paint the pine cone with glue. Before the glue dries sprinkle with green glitter. Top with a paper star. When it dries you can glue on sequins or tinsel. Stand on the base for a mini Christmas tree or hang by adding a tie.

Tip: If you cannot find an open pine cone, Place some on a cookie sheet in a 200 degree oven. They will open as they dry.

Supplies Needed:
Envelopes
Crayons
Markers
Glue
Paper

Directions:
First, You'll need to seal the envelope. Then draw a nose, whiskers, or other features. Cut paper ears, hat, or hair.

YOU WILL NEED:
A collection of old newspapers, magazines, or colored paper
A black felt tip pen
A plastic container or drink bottle
glue

DIRECTIONS:
First tear out pieces of paper from the magazines of varying size or color. Sort the pieces into piles of similar color.

Select a plastic container and a color theme or pattern. Glue the pieces of the chosen color onto the container so that the whole surface is covered.

Once the glue is dried, draw a line with the black felt tip pen around the edges of each of the pieces of paper. The finished effect is a simple, but quite effective bit of mosaic art.

Things you will need:
shaving cream
plain typing paper
food coloring or dye
a flat bottomed dish

Getting started:
Squirt a layer of shaving cream into the dish. It doesn't need to be thick, just cover an area larger than the paper you are going to use. Sprinkle drops of different colored food coloring over the foam. Try not to mix the colors unless you are deliberately trying to create a different color by mixing them.
Next, take a fork and and create swirls of color in the foam. Once you are happy with your pattern, place your paper on top of the foam and let it soak in a little. Remove the paper and scrape off the foam with a knife, then allow the paper to dry.
After you have done a dozen or so papers, you may find that you need to either add some more drops of color, or you may need to re do your foam base from scratch.

You may want to set up a line somewhere so the kids can peg their paper out to dry. Once dry collect the pages into a colorful kid writing pad.

****My kids love this craft because these can turn out really pretty and it is alot of fun! It also encourages them to write family members on their newly created paper.****

What you'll need:

Hardware (washers, nails, nuts, bolts, etc.)
Household cement

It is so easy to make a sculpture...all you need is some nuts and bolts, screws, and/or any other hardware.

Parents will need to go through the spare hardware bucket or go to a hardware store to get started. Pick out pieces that could be eye catching.It could be washers, nails, drapery hooks, nuts and bolts, screws, or whatever you have on hand. Have an adult help with glueing the hardware pieces together using the household cement. (Make sure the room is well ventilated, and keep the glue out of your eyes.)

Look at each piece and see what comes to mind. Insects are a great idea to create with these hardware pieces, but you may come up with something much more creative. Have fun with this crafty craft!

At certain times of the year you may find that making crafts is a great way to celebrate or enjoy a season, holiday, or special occasion. Below are some sorted seasonal crafts.

What You Need:

Construction paper -- orange, red, yellow, brown, and other earth tones
Crayons or markers
Scissors
Glue, tape, or staples
A long piece of green or brown yarn or string

What to Do:

1. Draw a leaf on a piece of construction paper. Make sure to draw a thick stem on the top (your leaf will hang from this stem, which will be folded over).
2. Cut out the leaf. Draw the leaf veins if you wish.
3. Fold the leaf's stem in half.
4. Attach the leaf to a long string using tape, glue, or staples. Make more leaves and attach them to the string.

How many times have you heard that infamous question-"Can I help?" while cooking in the kitchen? These famous words can sometimes become annoying, but we mustn't let them, right? After all, your kids will only be kids once. If you always say "NO", or "Not right now", or "Not this time", or "I don't have time", they will grow up and you will have missed your only opportunity to build some really fantastic memories. We cannot let these precious pleads go unheard. Cooking with your kids may be one of the best times to bond with them. They just eat it up! I suggest getting as many kid-friendly recipes on hand as possible. Plan to have a cooking with the kids night atleast once every couple of months. They will love it and the learning experience will last them a life time. Maybe you'll help create one of the world's finest chef's with a little time invested in the kitchen with your child.

Cooking with your kids takes:

Planning
Attentiveness
Time
Ingredients
Enthusiasm
No Worries
Communication
Encouragement

This is an acronym for PATIENCE! We could all use more!

A Pizza dough recipe - make your own pizza!
Why pay for fast food when with your own pizza dough recipe you can make your very own pizzas? Young kids might want a hand with the base, but they can have a lot of fun with putting on their own toppings (again parents of young children may want to cut up the toppings first). The thing I really like about having your own pizza dough recipe is the sheer variety of food you can produce with such a simple base.

Ingredients

1 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
½ Cup warm water
1 Cup flour

Mix yeast, sugar and water together. Leave to sit in a warm place for about 7 minutes (until yeast and sugar has dissolved). Add flour and mix to make a firm dough (adding extra flour as necessary). Roll out and now you have your pizza base. Then add your toppings according to your taste. Bake at 425 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Yum!

I have used this sauce for countless recipes. Very easy and economical to make.

Ingredients:
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Mix all ingredients together. Spread onto pizza crust. Add toppings and bake at 425 degrees for about 18-20 minutes. Delicious!

Try colorful plastic straws instead of wooden sticks to hold these treats.

Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients
4 firm ripe bananas
8 flat wooden sticks with round ends
1 to 2 containers (6 oz each) Yoplait® Thick & Creamy yogurt (any flavor)
3 cups Fruity Cheerios® or Honey Nut Cheerios® cereal

Directions
Cover cookie sheet with waxed paper. Peel bananas; cut bananas crosswise in half. Insert wooden stick into cut end of each banana half.
Roll banana halves in yogurt, then in cereal to coat. Place on cookie sheet. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
Wrap each banana half in plastic wrap or foil. Store in freezer.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft):No change.

Use a small Ziploc® Brand sandwich bag to color and pipe 2 tiny amounts of frosting in different colors. Add a dab of frosting and 1 drop of a different food color to 2 different corners of the bag, and knead 1 corner at a time until color is even. Snip off a tiny corner so you can pipe a smile or other design!

Substitution
String licorice can be used in place of the licorice twists and also would work well for outlining instead of the decorating gel.

Ingredients
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies
1 container (1 lb) vanilla creamy ready-to-spread frosting
¼ teaspoon yellow food color
3 drops red food color
2 chocolate-dipped marshmallow creme-filled sandwich cookies
2 gummy fruit rings
Betty Crocker® Fruit Roll-Ups® chewy fruit snack rolls (blue and red varieties)
Wafer cookies
Black decorating gel
2 licorice twists
Assorted candies (mini fruit-shaped candies and gumdrops)

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch pan with foil. Cut cookie dough in half crosswise. Cut each section in half lengthwise. With floured fingers, press in bottom of pan. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool completely in pan, about 15 minutes.
Remove cookie from pan by lifting foil; remove foil. Place cookie on large serving tray or foil-covered 14x10-inch sheet of cardboard. With long side facing you, cut 3 1/2x3-inch rectangle from upper right corner of cookie. (See photo.) Cut rectangle in half lengthwise; reserve for bus door.
Reserve about 1/4 cup frosting. In small bowl, mix remaining frosting and food colors until well blended; spread frosting over cookie.
Place sandwich cookies on bottom for wheels; use some of reserved frosting to attach gummy rings for hub caps. Cut blue chewy fruit snack roll to fit, and place on cookie for passenger window, windows on door, and driver's window; cut red and place for stop sign. Attach wafer cookies for driver and students' faces. Use remaining ingredients to decorate as shown in photo. Color very small amounts of reserved frosting for smiles, eyes and hair as desired.