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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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! […]
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.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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! […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]