We’ve been enjoying a lot of indoor paper crafts lately, and a few days ago we made some little slotted animals based on a wooden set that I made awhile back. Cutting the animal shapes out and putting them together was just the right amount of challenge for the kids. They were quite focussed, and...Continue Reading
After posting my Wooden Turkey, many of you thought it would be fun to make sometime similar out of cardboard. Good idea! I tried to simplify the design as much as possible so that it would be fast and simple to make. If you want to try it out, there are directions and a printable...Continue Reading
It seems like Thanksgiving decorations are so difficult to find. Most stores just move straight from Halloween to Christmas and Hanukkah. So yesterday, I decided to make a little wooden turkey decoration for our mantel. As a child, I remember lying on my Grandparent’s living room floor and being able to pull things off the...Continue Reading
Hey Everybody! I’m Joel’s younger sister and I love to tackle big fiber arts projects, but now that I have two kids my time for crafting has diminished quite a bit. My new favorite craft is embroidery because it is quick, versatile and satisfying. I was inspired by photos of your embroidery based on Joel’s...Continue Reading
Here is one of my favorite toys from when I was a kid. My mom just found it in the attic. I can’t see any markings on it, but I just learned from my Facebook friends that it’s from Brio in Sweden. Such a great design! Very short movie below if you want to see...Continue Reading
We’re having a beautiful October so far here in Portland, and the kids are very excited about Halloween! Most of the excitement is about making decorations for the house. My son and I were going to make some paper bats for the window, and I decided to turn one of mine into a puppet. Flying...Continue Reading
Little E is always fascinated to watch her big brother and sister ride on all of their bikes and scooters. She often tries to sit on them and scoot around. I always wanted to try making a ride-on toy when the twins were little, but never had the time. So I finally got my chance!...Continue Reading
Here is another connect the dots worksheet you can print out for the kids. They sure are fun to make! (If you missed the first one, here is the link: Connect the Dots Worksheet 1) Have a great day! Click on the image below, then print.Continue Reading
In the last week of summer break, my son told me one morning that he was bored. So I asked him if he’d like to make a slingshot. He definitely said yes! I’d actually been thinking about this project for awhile, and I believe the design ended up having the perfect balance of safety and...Continue Reading
Baby E has officially mastered the Toy Slot Box, so we decided to try making a variation that would provide a bit more action. I used a cereal Box for this one, and it actually works quite well. Sometimes the coins will roll 10 feet across the floor! There are simple directions below if you...Continue Reading
Here is another worksheet to try out with your kids. This time I decided to spice things up a bit by making it a short story. After they’re done reading and writing, maybe your child will want to decorate their story by coloring it in! Click on the image below, then print! Click here...Continue Reading
I finally tried painting fabric and made some simple little dolls. Last night I laid out a few scraps of muslin and the non-toxic acrylic paints I always use for kids stuff. (See my favorite tools page if you’d like.) I kept the paint pretty watered down so it soaked into the fabric. It was...Continue Reading
I got requests from some of you for a connect the dots worksheet, so here is my first attempt. When the kids saw what I was doing, they weren’t too interested. But I printed some out this morning and did one myself. I told them it was pretty tricky to find all the right numbers,...Continue Reading
Last night the kids could already hear some firecrackers going off, so this morning they wanted me to print out the fireworks coloring sheet I made last year. They took a very long time, carefully coloring in all of the little shapes. Nice! Printout is below, if you like. Happy 4th of July! Click on...Continue Reading
Baby E has been having a lot of fun with a vintage cash register toy, but it’s too hard for her to get the coins into the small slots. So I made some round circles out of scrap wood, sanded them, and cut a few slots into a shoe box. Then the kids and I...Continue Reading
Our twins are starting kindergarten in the fall, and have been really excited about reading and writing. Yesterday morning at the breakfast table, I drew this worksheet to give them a little practice. They were very proud to fill it out. I think we’re going to have a lot of fun practicing over the summer!...Continue Reading
The kids and I found a cool how-to pop-up card book at the library. So this Father’s Day, we’re making animated fire breathing dragon cards for the grandpas! I drew a dragon out and the kids wrote on it, then tomorrow they’re going to color it in. Sweet! If you want to get in on the action,...Continue Reading
My five year old daughter has recently discovered the fun of catapulting things with her spoon. To bring the action a bit further away from the table, I decided to make some very simple catapults out of scrap wood. After dinner we spent the entire evening catapulting Star Wars Lego figures outdoors. It was super...Continue Reading
We’ve just moved to another house here in Portland, so it’s been a busy and exciting month. Moving is huge task on its own, but when you add kids into the mix, of course, it’s an even greater challenge. We still have a ton of unpacking to do, but so far, we’re really loving our...Continue Reading
Making your own toys from things around the house is a fantastic way to help the planet. Very low carbon footprint, and when you’re done playing with them, they can even be recycled. Here’s a little round-up of some favorite earth-friendly projects. Happy Earth Day! Recycled Denim Ball Tin Can Telephones Wall Hanging Box Aquarium...Continue Reading
