Sometimes it is sad to say farewell to the warmth and business of late spring and summer, and if you live in a similar climate to mine or anything near it you may have to hurry, hurry, hurry, to get your fill of vitamin D, and fresh outdoor air. Yet for people like me ... parents ... Autumn means school... Yay! But for the children it may be hard for them to transition, as I know it is for me. Therefor keeping that in mind (yes they too go through rainy day boredom and winter blues,) a parents fall and winter arsenal of crafts and playtime activities can be the difference between heaven and its opposite on earth. That being said here are some craft ideas great for the up and coming weather change and flood of holidays approaching. Be sure to have your camera ready as many of these are priceless and include countless photo ops.
Paint ! Paint! Paint! A great way to encourage creativity, imagination and color knowledge painting is a wonderful way to spend time with you kids and relatives love holiday cards made from you artists. Paint though can start to get expensive if used frequently and I have discovered an easy recipe to make for or with your little folks, and if you love to recycle like me then save those old squeeze condiment bottles and use them for this. Here is a Pinterest link to the recipe. http://pinterest.com/pin/36521446951282148/
Wonder what to do with all those block sets or train pieces that have a billion parts to them? Well make some easy bags out of old pillow cases. Simply unstitch the top hem enough to put a button hole on, then using a safety pin to thread through the casing or hem, thread a ribbon, shoelace or another piece of fabric suitable. Boom! Bags for toys. We went on to paint them and make butterflies out of our feet prints in acrylic fabric paint. Here is a craft project I like to call footer-flies. When the feet a placed in reversed order, left in the right place and the right in the left place they resemble butterflies... We used this to preserve a memory in time for the familily.... http://pinterest.com/pin/412642384578874122/
Water sensory table getting no play and your kids going crazy? Extra rice or beans put into a sensory table provides lots of hours of activity on rainy, cold, and snowy days. In the fall collect leaves or pine cones to fill it or if you happen to have baby cereal laying around like I did after giving birth, use that as fake snow. Here is another link http://pinterest.com/pin/412642384578874216/
Anyway there are thousands of ways to engage your kiddos. Whether you are a grandparent, stay at home mom, single parent, or caregiver of young chitlens, use your imagination think outside of the box and put your kids into one... Haha kidding. But remember the last big box you played in? Well if you don't your kids will thank you to think back. Youngins love boxes especially those of the large size. Refrigerator boxes are like gold so if you know of anyone buying new appliances ask them kindly to save the box. Then make a door or window and you have an instant fort for hours of play.
Stay cozy, stay fun, and play with your kids like you are one... Because you are!
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