Alternatives
to Party Loot Bags
Something’s
happened to birthday parties. The cake gets eaten, games
are played and gifts are still given — but then the
loot bags come out. The children pull toys, candy and jewelry
from lovely, hand-sewn bags. Suddenly, goodbyes are forgotten
and the entire party becomes overshadowed by chaotic looting.
Cardboard
Box Halloween Costumes
Some
adorable costumes have come to light using little more than
a cardboard box, some paint and lots of imagination. Here
are several ideas to choose from. Happy Halloween!
Essential
Art Supplies for Creative Kids
Creativity
brings joy to life. Stimulate kids' imaginations by having
these inexpensive supplies on hand.
Old-fashioned
Ways To Inspire Your Kids
Walk
through any toy store and you will see walls and walls of toys
that are loud — toys that require batteries, have flashing
lights or look like your child's favorite movie character. But
what about those of us who want to raise children with imagination
and curiosity? I'll tell you what we do. We choose to fill our
houses with some of the following old-fashioned items.
The
Magic of Homemade Easter Eggs
Here's a list of some natural food items you can
use dye eggs. Boiling the egg with the natural materials produces
a dark color. Vinegar is added to act as a mordant (which helps
the dye set), except with onion skins. Lighter shades can be achieved
by boiling the plant materials in enough water to cover them for
20 to 30 minutes. Then strain out the materials, put dry, hard-boiled
eggs into the hot dye and add a teaspoon of vinegar.
Make
Your Own Christmas Crackers and Holiday Poppers
They are made from
pretty paper wrapped around cardboard; when pulled by the ends
so that the wrapper is broken, the friction causes a piece of
paper inside called a cracker snap (which is treated with an explosive
chemical called silver fulminate) to make a noisy pop.
Homemade
Cornstarch Clay
Directions for making home made clay to
use for play or make ornaments and sculptures.
Essential
Art Supplies for Creative Kids
Creativity brings
joy to life. Stimulate kids' imaginations by having these
inexpensive supplies on hand.
Crafting
With Homemade Salt Dough
Folk art -- and in particular, the art of making craft objects using salt dough
-- has become a very popular hobby in recent years. Getting started requires
only the minimum of equipment and materials, most of which are already in your
kitchen.
Make
your own Toothpaste
Making
your own toothpaste is both easy and cheap.
Make
Your Own White Glue
70
Uses for a Humble Jug of Vinegar
Science
in the Blink of an Eye
Help children develop a love for science or nurture their already growing interest
with these simple experiments. Ever wanted to catch a cloud in a bottle? Now's
your chance! Pour just a splash of water into a two-liter plastic bottle.
Light a match (a grownup's job) and
drop it into the bottle. Immediately replace the lid and squeeze the bottle a
few times to watch your cloud form.
