Groundhog Day Shadow Puppets

Groundhog Day is right around the corner. I live only a few mere hours away from the day’s big guy – Punxsutawney Phil! In celebration of the hope that Phil will emerge from his home in Gobbler’s Knob and not see his shadow (meaning an early spring), we’re making groundhog shadow puppets.

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These aren’t the traditional shadow puppets. Your child can use it as a regular animal stick puppet for hours of pretend play after (or before) she heads outside to see if her ‘Phil’ sees his shadow or not.

Before the art-making starts, why not add in a few fun facts about groundhogs (and Phil’s day). We have groundhogs a ’plenty in this area of the country. When my son was younger we had a family living in our backyard. He thoroughly enjoyed sitting on our deck and watching the little whistle-pigs (yes, that’s another name for them). He also enjoyed learning about the chubby, cute creatures:

·        Groundhogs typically weigh 12 to 15 pounds and are 20 inches long as adults. According to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, Phil weighs 20 pounds and is 22 inches long. He’s a big whistle-pig, isn’t he?

·        They are usually found in the northeastern and northcentral U.S., along with Canada and Alaska.

·        Usually solitary animals, they will stay with their young for a few months. That said, the family of groundhogs living in my backyard stayed together for at least two years (we moved after that, so I don’t know what happened to them. Especially because the not-so-whistle-pig-loving people who bought our house filled in all of the burrow holes, according to the neighbors).

·        They live in burrows, where they will hibernate for the winter. They also dig escape tunnels and holes.

·        Groundhogs are rodents of the species marmot. They are part of the squirrel family, according to National Geographic.

·        Even though they have the word “ground” in their name, these animals can climb and swim!

Now, on to the art-making:

Here’s What You’ll Need:

·        Brown craft felt (in 8x10-inch sheets)

·        Scissors

·        Clear-drying school glue

·        Cardboard – Reuse the sides of an old box

·        A dark marker

·        Tape

·        Googley eyes

·        Black card stock or construction paper

·        1 pipe cleaner

Here’s What to Do:

1.     Draw one oval and one circle onto the cardboard. The bigger your child draws them, the bigger the puppet. This is a great opportunity to talk about shapes – adding in a mini-lesson on math and geometry.
 

2.     Cut the shapes out.

3.     Place the shapes onto the felt. Trace around them.
 

4.     Cut the felt out.

5.     Glue the felt to the cardboard.
 

6.     Assemble the groundhog. Glue the circle head onto the oval body.
 

7.     Cut two semi-circles out of the leftover felt to make ears. Have your child glue these to the top of the head.
 

8.     Add a face to the puppet. Cut out an oval or semi-circle out of the black paper to make a nose. Glue this, along with two googley eyes to the circle face.
 

9.     Give Phil a smile. Cut an inch or two from a pipe cleaner. Have your child curve it to make a mouth. Glue it to the face.

10.  Turn the puppet over (after the glue has dried), and tape a rectangle-shaped piece of cardboard to the back. Your child can also use a thick craft stick.

After the puppet-making is complete, take Phil outside. Have your child hold him in the sunlight and look for his shadow on the ground. When you go back inside write whether or not the groundhog saw his shadow on the handle.

Add a book to the activity. Here are a few fun Groundhog Day reads for young children:

Who Will See Their Shadows this Year? By Jerry Pallotta and David Biedrzycki

Groundhog Day! By Gail Gibbons

Groundhog Day by Clara Cella

Go to Sleep, Groundhog by Judy Cox and Paul Meisel

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Valentine's Day Heart Gift Bag Craft for Kids

Kids’ crafts for Valentine’s Day are some of my favorite artsy adventures to take. The joy of this holiday is the “love” in it. So, in celebration of all things loving – here’s an art activity that you and your child can create together. With a few pieces of felt, a splash of sparkles and a little imagination, your little artist can make her very own fabric gift (or candy) caddy!

As a bonus, this holiday project promotes fine motor development. Yes, I know – all art activities in some way or another can help fine motor skills. That said, the “sewing” (that’s in quotes because your child isn’t really using a needle and thread) does require a high amount of dexterity. Don’t worry if your child looks like she’s fumbling through it. It’s a kids’ craft, and isn’t mean to look like Martha Stewart made it. When she’s done with the crafting she can fill the heart-shaped pouch and give it to a special friend or a family member.

P.S. – Fun is the key here! The world will not come to a crashing halt and grandma (or any other recipient of this heart-felt gift) won’t care if doesn’t look like a pro crafted the Valentine’s Day heart pouch.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

·        1 8x10-inch sheet of felt in a Valentine’s color such as red or pink

·        A marker

·        Scissors

·        Clear-drying school glue

·        Glitter

·        A hole punch

·        Thin ribbon or yarn (you can also cut the leftover felt into thin strips instead)—in two different colors
 

Here’s What to Do:

1.     Fold the felt in half. Place the sheet vertically and have your child fold it up from the bottom to meet the top.
 

2.     Draw a heart on the front. Your child should make the heart fill as much of the space as possible.
 

3.     Cut the heart out. If it’s a struggle for your child to cut through the folded-over felt (that makes a double sheet), have her cut out the marker-drawn heart first. Then she can place the heart onto the remaining felt, trace it, remove it and cut another heart out.
 

4.     Punch holes in the felt at the bottom and sides. Start with the first heart.
 

5.     Place the first heart on top of the one and use the marker to mark where each hole is. Have your child place a dot on the felt where she will punch holes.
 

6.     Punch the holes from the second heart.

 

7.     Stack the hearts.

8.     Thread a piece of yarn, ribbon or thinly cut piece of felt through the top set of holes. Tie it at the end (you may need to help your child with this step).
 

9.     Sew through all of the holes, ending up on the other side. Your child can sew an over-under pattern. Secure the end with another knot.
 

10.   Repeat the sewing steps with a second color. Reverse the over-under pattern. This will create an alternating color pattern.
 

11.  Draw with glue on the front of the pouch. Your child can create a heart, a pattern or write a special message such as, “I love you.”
 

12.   Sprinkle glitter over the glue.

Shake the excess glue off to reveal a glittering picture.
 

 

Read more of out holiday themed activities:

 

Sensory holiday heart art and science

 

Valentine's animal cookie treats

 

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Frosted Animal Cookie Valentine's Day No-Bake Treats

Frosted animal cookies – is there anything better? The princess pink and white icing, the sprinkles, the seemingly strange almost animal shapes (is it a buffalo-horse-seal or a camel?). Luckily your kids probably are in love with these tasty treats just as much as you are. I feel lucky that mine is. If not, I’d eat the entire bag in one sitting (and there just aren’t enough hours in the day to go to the gym for that long and work it off).

Valentine’s Day is coming up and I’m feeling very lovey. I’ve got my love for my family, my love for my animal cookies and my ever-present love for making Oreo cookie balls – that’s not to say that my love for my family is on par with a cookie. But, a few months ago I did fall in love with making no-bake cookie truffles. I made peanut butter pretzel truffles, pumpkin pie versions and lots of various holiday delights. And then I started using other cookies. A good friend of mine asked, “Aren’t the cookie good enough on their own? Do you really need to mix them with cream cheese and call it baking?” The answer is – yes! I’m not the best baker out there, so this is pretty much the tops for me. It allows me to feel like a culinary creative without having to even turn on the oven.

I know, that like Oreo balls, frosted animal cookie balls aren’t exactly original. I have no doubt that I’m not the first cookie-lover who shoved a handful in the blender. But, these were truly better than any box of chocolates that my husband would have maybe thought to buy for me.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

·        Frosted animal cookies- yay!

·        6 oz. softened cream cheese

·        Frosting

·        Red or pink sprinkle or sugar crystals

Here’s What to Do:

1.     Crush the bag of cookies (take a few out to save for later) in a food processor. You’ll need to make them into a sand-like consistency, so hand-crushing simply won’t do.

2.     Stir the cream cheese in. I prefer to do this with my hands. If your kids are helping you, it turns the ‘no-baking’ into ooey, gooey fun.

3.     Sculpt the mix into hearts. It is Valentine’s Day after all. Roll a scoop of the mixture into a golf ball-sized sphere. Make the bottom pointy and press your finger into the middle of the top to create the two heart humps. Flatten the bottom. You can also keep a few in ball form.

4.     Put the animal cookie treats onto a piece of wax paper and pop them into the freezer for an hour.

5.     Take the cookies out and cover them with frosting. Pick a Valentine’s color such as red or pink. I only had orange on hand. It was actually a super-low priced post-Halloween pick-up (it was something ridiculous like $ 0.29) – it had a 2016 expiration date, so why not? I used a few drops of red food coloring to get it the shade that I wanted.

6.     Shake the sprinkles or sugar on top of the frosting, covering it. Another option is to hand-crush a few leftover cookies into chunky pieces. Sprinkle them over the frosting for added texture and sweetness.
 

Are you looking for more desserts? Follow my Pinterest board for Valentine’s Day treats galore!

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Process Art Game and Puppet-Making for Kids

My arts and crafts storage is a mess. Really, truly. Maybe it’s the lack of time or maybe it’s the years of keeping a massive art closet super-neat and tidy at work (teaching kids at an art museum), but I can’t seem to keep the tissue separate from the clay or the googley eyes out of the glitter. Seriously, this is how I store it:

I don’t recommend storing your child’s art stash like this. But, if you have something similar going on (or a drawer, bin or box full of loose materials) here’s a way to use them, while encouraging your child to explore process art and her own creativity.

I’m a fan of putting out materials in the style of an art buffet. Your child can pick and choose what she wants to use, and create a mixed media type of collage. I used to do this at work when we had odds and ends to use up. This is kind of the same idea, but without setting up art stations or separate materials. Treat it like a game. Your child is going to create a piece of art, but what she makes is up to the materials that she gets and how it evolves. It won’t come out like the one here (at least, it doesn’t have to) and it might not look like anything specific in the end. That’s ok. The idea is for your child to explore and experiment with the materials that she has and use her critical thinking skills to create something out of them. Let your child know that it’s ok if she starts with one idea, and then it turns into something completely different.

Go into your bags, bins, boxes or whatever you have the arts and crafts stuff in and have your child grab a random bunch of materials. This is what we got:

 

Have your child sit and look at what she’s got. She can inspect, explore and feel the different items. Ask what she thinks she could make. She might find inspiration in one or two items or come up with an overall game plan. The yarn and hole punch in our materials pile inspired a marionette puppet made from paper.

 

Encourage her to use the materials in whatever way she wants until she feels like she is finished. Again, she may not have created ‘something’ or a ‘project’.

If you’re wondering how to make the puppet with your child, here’s the how-to:

Here’s What You’ll Need:

·        Card stock paper or poster board

·        Scissors

·        A hole punch

·        Yarn

·        Clear-drying school glue

·        Googley eyes

·        Modeling clay

·        Tissue paper

·        Tempera paint (and optional shaving cream)

·        Optional: Craft feathers, pom poms, cotton balls

Here’s What to Do:

1.     Cut out shapes. A circle for the head, a big rectangle for the body and smaller rectangles for the arms in legs. This is a great opportunity to talk about math (geometry) and science (the human body). Go over the vocabulary words for the shapes and the body parts that your child is creating.

 

2.     Punch holes in all of the spaces where the body parts connect – under the head, at the top, sides and bottoms of the body and at the arm and leg joints. Your child will also need to make a hole at the top of the head and at the bottoms of the arms and legs (for the strings to control the puppet).
 

3.     Use a different process for each section. Your child doesn’t have to make hers look like this. For the body, we mixed shaving cream and tempera for a wash of paint. The puppet’s body is also decorated with a butterfly made from craft feathers and pom poms.

4.     Make a face. Remember, we were using up the materials that we took out of the art bag – so some of the clay already had glitter mixed in. We used this to make a mouth and nose. The hair is made from unrolled cotton balls and there are two googley eyes.

5.     Decorate the arms and legs. The arms are a fluffy, textured tissue paper collage (simply tear off small bits of tissue, crumble them and then glue them to the paper).  The legs are made from modeling clay that is spread over the paper finger paint style and oil pastels.

 

6.     Secure the puppet together by tying it with yarn- through the holes that are punched. Add another piece of yarn at the top of the head, and more pieces at the ends of the arms and legs (your child will need longer pieces of yarn for the legs- as they are farther away).

 

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Winter Collage Art for Kids: Impressionist Style!

Does Impressionist art make you think of winter? Probably not. You might think of the seemingly sun-soaked pond of Monet’s Water Lilies or Renoir’s brightly-colored flower gardens. But, the American Impressionist Childe Hassam’s Fifth Avenue in Winter was a much chillier scene. Favoring darker colors than some of the French painters of the time, Hassam’s works provide a different type of artwork for your child to view and talk about.

If you don’t have the original artwork to look at (Fifth Avenue in Winter), you can view this picture or look at a page of an art book with your child. Start simple when viewing art with your child, and ask, “What’s going on in this painting?” As your child looks at it, help her to talk about what she sees, the colors that the artist used, where the painting is set, what time of day it looks like and what season it is. If she says, “its winter” – which she mostly likely will – ask her what she sees that makes her say that it is winter. As you’re talking about the painting, bring in the concept of perspective. If this sounds too mature for a young child, don’t worry, it isn’t. I’ve had this discussion with many, many, many preschoolers while teaching museum art classes. At its most basic the perspective talk can go something like, “Are the people in the background (point to this part of the paint) bigger or smaller than the ones in the front?” Your child will probably say, “Smaller.” That’s it. That’s what she needs to get, the further back something is, the smaller it looks. As she gets older you can delve deeper.

 

Now it’s time to make a snowy street scene. Instead of paint, this kids’ art project encourages your child to use multiple materials – and even throws in a bit of science. Let’s start with the street:

Your child is going to need oil pastels. Even though they look like crayons, they easily blend as your child smudges them with her fingers. Give her a piece of paper and ask her to draw a road down the center.  Remind her about perspective. Ask her if the back of the road (where it’s farther away) might be thinner or smaller. She can try to draw the road getting smaller as it goes into the background. It may not really get much smaller (or it might not look like a road at all)—and that’s ok. Just trying is the important part. Have her blend the colors in the road by layering different oil pastels. She can blend them with her fingers too.

 

Your child’s art doesn’t have to look just like the Hassam painting. She can make her own street scene. After the actual street is ready, she can add in buildings. This step brings in geometry. Cut different sizes of rectangles, squares and triangles. Have your child collage them to the paper using clear-drying school glue. Ask her where the bigger shapes should go, and where she wants to put the smaller ones. She can also add a few trees with oil pastels. I know, I know – it doesn’t look very wintery. That’s coming next.

 

It’s time for a snow storm! Not only will talking about winter weather bring in science, but the way in which you make the snow will too. You’ll need a bar of Ivory soap. Put it in a microwave-safe bowl that you don’t really want to use again. Ask your child what she thinks will happen if you heat the bar. Pop it into the microwave for 30 seconds (microwaves vary in strength, but I like to do 30 second increments to keep it manageable). Watch what happens! As it expands, take it out. Don’t let your child touch the soap until it cools. It is very hot (and super fluffy).

 

When it cools (it will deflate), have your child crumple the soap into snowflakes. Using the thinner edges makes this process easier and gives you finer flakes. Your child can dot the road, the buildings and the trees with glue. Sprinkle the soap flakes over the glue to create an imaginary snowstorm.

 

Tip the paper over the bowl to brush off any loose flakes. Now your child has a snowy winter collage!

 

Are you looking for more art and science ideas? Try out:

Abstract art with soap flake finger paint
 

Textured Valentine’s Day soap hearts

 

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