Paint Pallet

Paint Pallet

I often use “Athens® Mini Fillo Shells” for quick desserts; the shell packaging is a plastic container with small wells. Having a feeling the containers would be useful I saved them…ta-da, one use for them is a kid friendly paint pallet! I pour a little paint into each of the wells, let my little artist go to town, when he’s finished I rinse the container and stick back in the paint basket. Sorry for the pour image quality, I had to use my camera phone.

FYI- Crayola smocks are great; inexpensive and washable.

Handprint Lilies

Handprint Lilies
Family Fun If you haven't guess already, I LOVE this magazine!

Materials
Pencil
White card stock
Scissors
Green Construction Paper
Hole punch
Green Pipe Cleaner
Tape
Yellow pipe cleaner
Hot Glue

Instructions
Have your child trace his hand onto a piece of white card stock (regular paper works too but isn't as durable) and cut out the shape. Cut two double leaves from green construction paper and punch holes in the centers where the leaves meet, as shown. Curl the paper fingers and leaves by wrapping them around a pencil.Wrap the hand around the top of a green plastic straw and secure it with tape. Slide the leaves onto the straw and tape them in place. For the flower's stamen, fold half of a yellow pipe cleaner in half and curl down the ends. Insert the folded end in the straw.



I used this activity for Valentine's Day. I traced my toddler's hand, ran off copies of the print. I created Valentine labels/tags on the computer and had my toddler paint and glitter the back. Finished product to the right.

Winter Sun Catcher

Winter Sun Catcher
Family Fun

Materials
Ice cube tray
Food coloring
Round cake pan
Ribbon
Plastic cup

Instructions
First, create colorful ice cubes by adding one to three drops of food coloring to the water in each section of the tray. Use only a few matching colors, as they will run together in the pan later. Freeze the cubes completely.

Fill a round cake pan about two-thirds full of water. To make the hole for the ribbon, set a plastic cup full of water in the pan. Place the pan in the freezer for an hour or so. Put the colored ice cubes in the pan, then let all the liquid freeze solid. Remove the plastic cup, flip the sun catcher out of the pan, then hang it outside with ribbon.

Pasta Doodles

Pasta Doodles
Family Fun

Materials
Construction Paper
Cooked Pasta

Directions
Boil pasta until soft, but not mushy (a little oil added to the water keeps pasta from clumping). Drain and rinse with coold water until it is cool enough to handle. Now your kids can pput their noodles to paper, shaping them into flowers or faces and stretching them into scenic landscapes. If a child wants to keep a favorite drawing, cover it with waxed paper and top with a heavy book so that it will dry flat (the pasta will adhere even after it hardens). Other pasta shapes also work well, keds can make a poodle out of elbow macaroni or a fire truck from a lasgna noodle and wagon wheels.