All posts filed under: Kid Stuff

Great Ideas for Wee Little Hands

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We’ve been very busy with summer camp and our little Tots have been experimenting with all sorts of materials. We’ve been doing a ton of art and sensory activities. Each day at camp we have a new theme and then base our art/sensory activity on the theme. Here are a couple ideas you could easily do at home with your little one. Not to worry if you don’t have access to a proper sensory bin, any shallow container will really do, the dollar store has a great selection! Craft Ideas Boat Pictures Cardboard, construction paper, cotton balls, blue tissue paper, blue, paper plates Zebras Paper plates (cut in half) black construction paper, glue, pompoms, cotton balls Weather Chart This was an easy and fun craft. We’re learning about weather and seasons and so this craft fit perfectly. We traced the kids hands and then helped them to cut them out. They used different colour tissue paper depending on the seasons. For the winter picture they stuck on cotton balls. Materials: construction paper, tissue paper, glue, …

Rainbow Fun Foam

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This is a great activity for toddlers/preschoolers (or really any kid who likes bubbles). It was easy to make and also worked as a fantastic learning tool as we were able to experiment with mixing colours.  Materials Dish Soap Water Handheld Mixer Food Colouring Large Bin Glass Bowl   Directions Using the handheld mixer, mix 2 tbsp of dish soap with 1/4 cup of water in a bowl. It will take about 2 minutes for the foam to form, at this point you can mix in some food colouring. Scoop out the foam and dump it in your “sensory bin”. For each colour I mixed two batches of the foam. The 1/4 cup of water and 2 tbsp of dish soap actually make quite a bit. I do suggest using this as soon as possible to avoid the bubbles from disappearing.

Making Mistakes

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So this month my son is really into markers, particularly the lids (which is definitely better as it means less marker on the walls however, it does mean that we constantly have marker on our hands). I’m not sure why anyone ever thought that non-washable markers was a good idea (or really my thought should be about what possessed me to buy them in the first place). My son’s absolute favorite thing to do is put the marker lids on his on his fingers (which he then appropriately calls marker fingers) and then tries to play with his toys which inevitably results in frustration since he can’t accomplish anything with markers on his fingers. What gets me, is that he still tries every time. My son is a clever kid, I know all parents think that about their own children, so I’m ok with the eye roll at your computer screen. My question is that how come toddlers will try something over and over again regardless of whether or not they keep getting the same …

Craft Ideas for All Ages!

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I just did a talk on how to nurture creativity within yourself and with your little ones. It was for a great group of moms who were really keen on getting their kids crafting more (my kind of moms). Creativity is so important and will be more and more in the generations to come as standard employment positions will cease to exist and we’ll need to think more creatively in the job market, or for resources, etc. Being creative to children is so natural. Ken Robinson describes creativity and children so perfectly in his famous quote: “we don’t grow into creativity, we grow out of it”. It’s important we nurture creativity in our little ones as much as we can and we can do so by encouraging them to think outside of the box, to explore and to use their imaginations. Find a space in your house that you can designate to “creating”. Ikea sells the perfect “craft” table for little ones and let them get started! For those of you that have kiddies who …

Increasing our Creativity!

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Creative projects have an endless amount of therapeutic benefits. Creating something with our own two hands leads us to sentiments of accomplishment and pride, these feelings are present in us even from the age of two when we draw our first circle or when we colour in our first picture. As we grow, our projects may increase in complexity but the feeling of achievement remains. Taking nothing and molding it into something allows us to gain confidence. We begin to value our self-worth and individuality the more we create, the more we put our ideas out there, the more we grow creatively. Creativity can help to foster: Self-esteem Imagination Determination Assertiveness Courageousness Perhaps some of us are scared by the word creativity because it is often associated with artistic abilities, however, creativity and artistic ability are not necessarily a complementary pair. One can be extremely creative in something and yet have no idea how to hold a paintbrush. We can be creative in our finances, in sports, in problem solving, in writing and even in …

Enchanted Forest & Mexican Fiesta!

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This past weekend we hosted two drastically different birthdays, an enchanted forest and a Mexican Fiesta! We had such fun planning and preparing, we made all the decorations ourselves and thought it would be great to share in case you are feeling so inclined to host your very own Fiesta Forest! The Enchanted Forest We found this great tree at DeSerres and it only took about 5 minutes to assemble. We hung the tree on the “birthday wall” and decorated around it using tissue paper butterflies and our birthday banner. To make the tissue paper flowers we found some great instructions on Pink Paper Peppermints. We then used kraft paper to make another tree, we decorated the tree with butterflies and mushrooms. The butterflies were made out of tissue paper and the mushrooms out of Bristol board. For the craft we made Modeling chocolate the night before. When the kiddies arrived it was all ready to go and they made beautiful creatures. We also used water colour pencil crayons on canvas boards to paint backdrop …

March Break Camp at Seasons!

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Wondering what on earth to do with your kiddies this March Break Camp? Look no further, we’ve got your solution. Send them to us for fun filled days of crafts, cooking, baking and lots more. Our camp is best suited for children ages 5-12 years old who like to explore their creative side. We also go on fantastic field trips to historic sites in Toronto and play outside (weather permitting) in amazing games of capture the flag or scavenger hunts. For more info, check out our website. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us: info@seasonsfamilycentre.com      

DIY Holiday Crafts!

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This past week I had the pleasure of doing a demonstration on DIY holiday crafts for the South Leaside Moms Group. Here are the coles notes for those of you who would like to try getting their craft on! Don’t be afraid of being creative, we all have a little crafty elf in us, somewhere. Wreath The wreath is definitely a holiday favorite and not only is it pretty but it also adds that scent of Christmas to your house. For those that don’t have a real tree make a real wreath! You can also put it on your dining room table and place some candles in the centre, makes a beautiful centrepiece. Materials 1 bough of pine 1 bough of evergreen or any other type of Christmas greenery 1 coat hanger Pliers Pine cones Ribbon Green Wire (can be purchase at the dollar store) Cranberries Directions Step 1: Using gardening shears cut off sections of your boughs that will be good size for your wreath. Using your pliers turn your coat hanger into a …