Let's share Arts and Crafts ideas

[Anonymous]

Thought it would be nice to start a thread with ideas for arts and crafts projects that were a hit or a miss.

Tried an altered version of Rain Painting:
http://www.housingaforest.com/rain-painting/
Used sidewalk chalk on paper. Instead of rain, we used the hose on mist. It didn't work out as well as I hoped, but LO still had fun.

Bubbles snakes were a big hit!
http://www.housingaforest.com/rainbow-bubble-snakes/
I didn't use food coloring because I didn't want the mess, but the bubbles worked surprisingly well! Decided not to save the bottles/socks after, although the blog says you can if you let them dry out.

Crocodile was a hit too....
http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/CrocodileCircleTimeFun.htm
I found cards with colors, shapes, animals, etc in the dollar bin at Target. Kids requested it EVERY time I asked them if they wanted to play a game.

I haven't tried any of these yet, but the website was recommended to me and I can't wait to try some of them out!
http://www.messforless.net/2013/02/18-fine-motor-activities-for.html

[Anonymous]

Get a copy of "Earthways". Best ever book for this, IMHO.

[Anonymous]

My charge and I just started making our 3rd puppet theater. We pick a book to base the play on. For the theater, I pick out three or four main elements of the scenery and we do large one hued watercolors to cut the elements out of (all brown for a tree and stump, a large yellow sheet for the moon and stars, etc...)

At the end of two/three weeks we read the book and put on our show!
It's a great project to stretch out over a few weeks and to come back to when we need some quieter time.

http://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-doorway-puppet-theater/2009/04/27/

[Anonymous]

I work with younger toddlers and I love sensory bags! Specifically the alphabet bag for working on letters and their sounds.
http://www.growingajeweledrose.com/2012/07/fun-with-sensory-bags.html

We've also done a few other sensory activities from that blog that were a big hit, but were admittedly a big mess. Oh well. My MB frequently tells her son to get dirty when she's leaving in the morning!