Posts tagged ‘Crafts with kids’
Chipper Crafts for Children: Recycled Fall Leaf Garland from Coffee Filters
Paper plates, brown paper bags, and torn up paper are things that are great to use to create awesome arts and crafts projects. Invest in some paint; and look around the house for string, old buttons, newspaper, and beans. Whatever you can find! You can even looks outside! Leafs, pine cones, and sticks are perfect craft materials.
Celebrate the Fall season with this fun art project for kids: Coffee Filter Fall Leaf Garland! As the weather changes and families start to spend more time indoors consider arts and crafts for your child, as a fun way to pass the time and keep the boredom away. Turn off the TV and have a Family Arts and Craft Day! …or Night!
Create a colorful and easy Fall leaf garland with your tot or in the classroom that will have everyone loving the new Autumn season! This craft is wonderfully simple, making it a perfect project for little ones. Using coffee filters instead of plain paper creates really vibrant leaves that will spruce up any area, whether it’s your child’s bedroom or home room! Stringing the leaves to create the garland encourages your tot’s budding fine motor development, and offering your child marker-drawn leaves introduces staying within the lines while painting. The result is a really beautiful Fall leaf garland the whole family/class will love!
What You’ll Need:
- Coffee filters (cone or round)
- Red, yellow, orange, and brown markers
- Red, yellow, and orange watercolor paint
- Paintbrush
- Scissors
- Hole punch
- String
Directions:
- Offer your child a length of string and use for lacing the leaves. To secure them in place, tie a knot after each leaf and continue stringing until you have used up all your leaves.
- Now, find the perfect spot for displaying your finished coffee filter Fall leaf garland and have a Chipper Fall everyone!
Chipper Recycle Crafts: Custom Mini Magnets
Recycled crafts not only make great gift for friends and family. Making and buying recycle crafts benefit our environment and reduce waste! Recycle crafts also help promote traditional crafts that are fading as people opt for cheap mass produced items. By buying or making handcrafted gifts, you can help keep those skills alive! All crafts, not just those that are made from recycled material, also encourages originality and creativity. Whether you are starting with the materials and find a suitable product to create from them, or you start with the product and have to figure out what recycled items can be used to create it, it requires ingenuity. This can only benefit art and crafts in general!
Instead of tossing out bottle caps, which are not recycled and go strait to a land fill or the ocean, create cute magnets with your kids! All you need are some caps, some magazines and a pair or scissors, magnet tape (very easy to find and inexpensive), and glue!
Cut out cute images or letters to spell your little one’s name or initials to fit inside the bottle caps then glue in. Then attach a small piece of magnetic tape to the back and stick to the fridge or other metal surfaces. These custom mini magnets are great for hanging your young artists’ drawings and paintings. They can be used for spelling out messages (or spelling practice!) and also make a great gift! There’s no better gift than one made with your own to hands for someone you love. Get Chipper today and get crafty!
Chipper Recycle Craft: Carton Wallet
There’s nothing Chipper likes more than making trash useful! Recycle a milk or orange juice carton into a clever carrying case for change, trading cards, and more with this easy craft idea. The carton’s cap keeps the wallet closed and you can get creative to customize and decorate this funky wallet!
The Carton Wallet takes about an hour to make and you will need:
-
- Half gallon milk or juice carton with plastic cap, rinsed
- Scissors
- Paper towels
- Tape
- Wallet Template
- Ballpoint pen
- Ruler
- Butter knife
- Craft knife or razor blade (optional)
- Decorations: beads, sequins, fake flowers, etc. (optional)
- Instructions:
FIRST, Cut open the carton so it lies flat, as shown; put aside the cap for now. Dry the inside with the paper towels. Tape the templateon top of the carton so that the top circle lines up with the spout. Mark the outline of the template with a ballpoint pen. Using firm pressure, trace the lower circle and the dotted lines of the template so that they transfer to the carton. (This will score the lines for easier folding.) A ruler will help you mark the straight lines. Cut out the shape from the carton.
- SECOND, Use scissors to cut out the lower circle as marked. (Tip: To make cutting out the circle easier, first make an X with a craft knife or razor blade.) Use a ruler and a butter knife to further score the fold lines.
THIRD, Following the fold lines you marked, create an accordion fold on each side of the wallet. - FOURTH, Tightly squeeze the accordion folds. Fold the top flap down, pushing the spout through the hole. Screw on the cap to keep the flap in place.
LASTLY, Decorate with anything you have around the house, using a glue gun to attach items, fill with whatever you desire, coins or cards or pictures, and ENJOY! Recycling has never been this fun or cool looking!
Chipper Craft: 4th of July Recycle Craft
Time to show your patriotism! Spend some quality time with your kids this week to celebrate American Independence by making this fun 4th of July Firework Center Piece. Not only is it easy, for ages 4 and up, but it can also be made from all recycled materials! All you need is a toilet paper role and some of the grand red, white and blue colors!
- Toilet paper roll or Paper towel roll
- Red, white, yellow and blue paint. Alternately, you can use markers or crayons to avoid messy paints!
- *Paint brushes (only if using paint)
- Red and blue construction paper. Alternately, to save money and trees, use the color pages of magazines, in long strips. You can always find the color you need in ads!
- White tissue paper or white recycled paper (just flip over to use the white side and crumple to give it some flexibility!)
- Popsicle sticks are great but you can also use leftover pencils/sticks/straws and tape on the inside
- Glue stick, or tape to cover the roll
- Scissors
- Fat pencil or marker to curl strips
- *Paint brushes and palette (only if using paint)
Chipper Recycle Craft: Kitchen Roll Kaleidoscope
Occupying your kids during the summer can be challenging, especially when there is a significant age difference between them. Doing some home made crafts is one inexpensive way to connect with your kids and have some fun! Try out this Kitchen Roll Kaleidoscope craft idea on the next rainy day or when your kids are stuck inside complaining of boredom. It works surprisingly well and can be made from scraps around the house. Entertaining your children has never been easier or as environmentally friendly as this!
YOU WILL NEED:
- A kitchen roll
- Mirror card (or foil glued onto card)
- Small colorful transparent objects (e.g. beads, sweet wrappers, Lego ‘lights’)
- Three transparent plastic discs
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- Sticky tape
- Greaseproof paper disc (optional)
- Black paper disc (optional)
- Paper to decorate (optional)
Please note: All measurements given in this tutorial are based on you using a standard kitchen roll tube (23cm long with a diameter of approx 5.3 cm).
HOW TO:
1. Begin by cutting your mirror card into three strips (gluing some foil on recycled cardboard does the trick). The strips need to be 4.3 cm wide and 21cm long. Once cut, sellotape the three sides together to form a triangular prism. Make sure the shiniest sides face inwards. Push into kitchen roll tube so that the prism is flush at one end.
2. Cut two discs of plastic (some old food containers work perfectly for this). The circles need to have a diameter of 5.3 cm. One disc needs to be totally transparent whilst the other needs to be frosted. If you haven’t got frosted plastic to hand then simply glue a piece of greaseproof paper onto a transparent disc. Put the transparent disc inside the tube so that it rests at the end of the prism. Tape into place.
3. Pour your beads into the end of the tube. Don’t overfill as the beads need to be able to move around for the full effect!
4. Place the frosted plastic disc onto the end and secure in place with tape.
5. Turn the kaleidescope over. At this end you need to tape a disc of cardboard (5.3 cm diameter) with a peephole cut into the center. Also, glue a disc of black paper to the cardboard disc if you want it to look a bit smarter.
6. Decorate the tube in any way you fancy. Glue some colorful paper at either end if you want to still see the tube or go crazy with some markers. Adding a corrugated paper cuff to the middle of the tube so that you can hold the cuff with one hand and rotate the tube with the other is also a good idea.
Making crafts is as easy as going through the garbage and recycle bins then getting creative! What kind of recycled crafts has your family done or come up with? Chipper and friends would love to know : )
Chipper Crafts: Hand Print FLAG DAY craft!
Today, June 14th , is Flag Day! This week of June 14 is designated as “National Flag Week” and celebrates the United States adoption of our country’s strips and stars in 1777 as well as the formation of the United States Army in 1775. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day and in August 1949, National Flag Day was established by an Act of Congress. Today, we celebrate this patriotic day by raising our American flag, throwing parades, and creating red, white and blue crafts! 
Have your kids create their very own personalized flag to celebrate! It’s a simple but unique craft and a fun way to start off the summer break.
You will need:
6) Punch a hole in the upper left corner of the flag, and string whatever combo of the thin ribbon you wish. Tie the ribbon off and you are ready to celebrate!
Celebrate our vast, amazing country this week and fly your flag high! Check for parades and events at your local parks and community centers and don’t forget to be Chipper! 
Chipper Tips: 5 Fun Outdoor Activities for Kids of All Ages!
Summertime means all the kids are out of school and restless for some fun! To avoid boredom driven mischief and lazy days in front of a screen, get them outside and active! It can definitely be a challenge to occupy kids of different ages at the same time, but there are lots of things that the little ones can do while your older children have fun too! Here are a few great activities to keep them all busy, as well as provide some beneficial exercise and nature-inspired learning!
1) Bean Bag Toss! Draw different throw lines for children of different ages! (You might even let toddlers walk up to the target and drop their bean bag into the hole!) Don’t have bean bags and a target? The kids can do an exciting craft and make a Bean Bag set themselves! It’s a whole lot of fun and better than having toys thrown around the house or at each other!
2) Water Play! With supplies as simple as a wide plastic bowl (or water table) and a collection of cups, older children can experiment and learn about volume and cause-and-effect, while younger kids develop fine motor skills and enjoy a cooling splash! Getting a small pool is always great for the little ones and a home-made slip and slide is a ton of fun for the bigger kids! Learn how to make one here.
3) Hopscotch! Older children can play according to traditional directions (toss a marker into the number squares in order, hopping to pick it up each time without stepping out); younger children can take a turn tossing a marker anywhere on the game, or just hopping from square to square.
4) Sand Play! No matter their skill level, children of all ages can play in the sand together! If your demo-minded toddler and architect big kid have different ideas about how to treat a sandcastle, try introducing play figures instead of building tools for a dino dig, moon landing or other imaginative play. Here are some fun sand molds Chipper like to use. And don’t forget to wear some sun screen! Buy your All-Natural, Paraben-Free Chipper sun stick here!
5)“I Spy” Nature Game! Each player uses a pair of binoculars (real or crafted out of toilet-paper rolls) to find something in the yard. With older children, you can play a guessing game or challenge them to spot smaller objects such as a bird’s nest. Younger children will enjoy just playing along or counting items in broader categories, such as trees or flowers. Scavenger hunt activity:Make a list of things for your child to look for through his binoculars. These can be simple things like a bird or a tree, or more specific things for older children, such as certain types of plants or leaves and specific colors of animals. Check off the things as they are discovered!
Summer Learning!
Schedules change and the regular day’s order shifts as school ends and summer break begins. Kids tend to forget about their normal school activities and their after school chores when summer starts. The house becomes a crazy mess and months of learning disappear very quickly with out some productive activities to exercise your child’s mind and body!
Avoid this Summer Slump by having your kids take a little time out each day to read or play scholastic games. Take them to the library on those extremely hot days. Having them help out around the house is a great way to keep them busy and teach them responsibility (and keep the house looking nice!).
To keep writing skills fresh, buy children a notebook and let them decorate the cover (another fun craft activity!). Then tell them it’s their vacation journal and have them write down three things that happen each day. Plotting out your summer travels on a map is another fun way to keep up critical thinking skills.
Helping hands made by Girl Scouts at their 100th Year Anniversary. How have you helped out today?
Enroll your child in summer programs. Most community centers and churches hold day camps and week-long summer camps. Recent studies have shown a direct correlation between violence and the lack of time spent in nature. Getting outside the house helps engage both mind and body and can do nothing but good.
Chipper loves lending a hand anywhere he can and in our newest book, Helping Hands, teach kids the importance of using our hands in helpful ways for their family, friends, and the planet. By positively reinforcing the good that comes when we all work together, children will be ready to lend their hands and hearts around the home, school, and community. Get Chipper this summer and make your child’s play educational as well!
Planting Party!
Going green means not only recycling and buying organic. It means growing your own food too! The food industry in America pollutes our environment almost more than any other industry in our country. The chemical, processed foods and preservatives we eat are making us unhealthy and unhappy. Help make sustainable, organic food for you and your loved ones by making your own garden! Or plant one together at your school or local community building.
There’s no better way to getting your hands dirty and spread your enthusiasm for healthy eating with your friends than by throwing a food party! You can host an indoor gardening party or an outdoor celebration! All you need is some empty egg cartons (for growing seedlings that can be transplanted later), or pots (with holes in the bottom), dirt or compost, and a few little shovels or even large spoons. Pick up some certified organic seed packets at a gardening store or order online at www.seedsofchange.com. Buying seeds here will ensure that your planting party seeds are NOT genetically modified (GMO).
Hybrid or GMO seeds are sterile and less nutritious. Since they don’t reproduce, they actually harm the biodiversity of our food sources. Also, using GMO seeds supports a vicious and expensive cycle that forces our farmers to buy new seed every year rather than following the ancient tradition of collecting and cleaning seeds after a harvest and saving them to be replanted to grow into more produce year after year. Certain natural strains of seeds have long histories. Recycled by farmers for over 150 years, these seeds need to be preserved just the way they are. We all want our food to be fresh, simple and pure!
If planting an indoor garden versus a window or outdoor garden, make sure to chose vegetables and herbs that can be grown in a confined space and don’t need much other than a little sunlight and water. Some good seed choices would be peppers, heirloom or cherry tomatoes, r simple herbs such as sage or marjoram. Gather your friends, divvy up the seeds and other supplies and get planting! Make a copy of the care instructions for each type of plant for everyone! Also make sure to only one type of seed gets planted in each container.
Keep in touch and let each other know how each of your little “farms” are faring. Make sure to transplant when the sprout get about two inches high if you used egg cartons (maybe throw a second Transplanting Party!). Then when they have fully grown, harvest your plants and make a feast! It’s yet another great way to get everyone together and when you all eat the delicious produce you all grew with your own two hands, nothing tastes or feels better! You can even keep the cycle going by cleaning your seeds and starting over gain by replanting next year.
Anyone can start their own little garden! It’s a great, fun way to get people growing their own veggies, herbs, and even edible flowers! GO GREEN AND GET CHIPPER TODAY!
What’s Your Hurry?
Our high-speed 21st century lives are all about convenience and getting things or going somewhere fast. By rushing through the day though, many important moments are missed and our brains and bodies are left drained and exhausted. Recent studies also suggest that our increasingly fast-paced world may contribute to an increase in childhood anxiety disorders, attachments disorders, behavior difficulties, and even attention problems.
Taking a few moments to literally smell those flowers outside the office building or by stopping with the kids to take a walk in the park greatly improves our physical and mental well-being. Humans cannot stay healthy while burning the candle from both ends, as they say. We need rest, relaxation, and recreation and there’s no better place to find these necessities than in nature. Spending time with your child to think about think about things, to clear the mind, to have fun is far more important than we realize.
This baby two-toed Sloth is having a good old time slowly creeping through the trees.
Looking at the leaves or rocks and finding little critters like Chipper the Squirrel are priceless connections with your children that they will remember forever. You will appreciate each other and your time together more. Slowing down our conversations and interactions with our children heals and builds on relationships and allows them to learn and grow at their own pace. It’s not always easy to slow down when everything around us pushes us towards speed. Here’s an app about Bruce the Banana slug to learn about his slow but important adventures: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bruce-the-slug/id417401777?mt=8.
Slowing down gradually is the best strategy for you hard-core rush–aholics. Prioritizing “play time” or scheduling in breaks is another way for those of us love structure. Calling is “exercise time” may help with people who feel guilty about what most of think as “wasting time.” Nothing could be farther from the truth. Teaching yourself and your kids to take some time out in order to eat a meal together or just stare at the clouds will lower the family stress, bring you all closer together, and enrich life overall. Need more strategies to slow down? Check out this great article How to Slow Down & Simply Enjoy Your Children: www.iecounseling.com/uploads/Tools_of_Trade_W05.pdf. Also, check out our fun Nature Walk activity and craft to try out on your next outdoor break: http://www.letsgochipper.com/nature_walk.php
