Snow Globe Art Project for Kids {@ Or So She Says}

I had this post put together several days ago, and here in Utah it looked more like spring than winter then.  But yesterday, Mother Nature delivered!  It snowed ALL DAY LONG!  Huge, white, wet snowflakes falling like cotton candy from the sky.  It was glorious, at least I thought so!

So, the snow globe art project I'm sharing over at Or So She Says today seems a bit more fitting than it did last week.  It's a great activity to do with your kids to bring a bit of the winter wonderland indoors.  And the snow globes always turn out as unique as each creator.  Provide a variety of embellishments to dress up the globes, and let your kids go crazy!   

Stop by and visit me at OSSS (click here for the entire post) for the supply list and how to.  

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you found a little something worth your time.

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Nature's Turkey {Simple Art Project For Kids}

Just popping in today with a little project my four-year-old and I did yesterday afternoon.

 

I realized the other day that I haven't made a single turkey with my boys this year, and  Thanksgiving is less than a week away!  The horror, I know.

Anyway, we decided to make a turkey from nature this time around.  I always love how these turn out, and the best part is you don't have to make or buy a single supply!  Mother Nature provides them all.

It's amazing what you can find outside this time of year.  At first glance, everything seems so dead and dreary, but take another look and you'll be surprised with what can be found.  This entire turkey (minus the hot glue and paper) was made from things we found in my in-law's yard.  Making the turkey itself was fun, but the hunt for materials was actually our favorite part.  We gathered leaves, berries, and a pinecone, then hot glued everything on to a white piece of card stock.  So simple, so natural, and of course, adorable!

What kind of turkeys do you like to make at your house this time of year?

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you found a little something worth your time.

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Eric Carle Inspired Garden Art For Kids

I was going through some papers the other day, and ran across these garden art pages my boys and I made quite awhile ago.  I had forgotten how cute they were!

My twins were only about three when we made these, so drawing the vegetables was a bit tricky.  The perfect solution?   Go Eric Carle style.  They just colored papers in different colors, and then I cut out the shapes of the veggies.

They painted some papers, and used crayons, markers, colored pencils, and whatever else we had.

Then I cut out the vegetable shapes and attached them to some card stock.  The boys helped me write each vegetable name when we had everything glued on.  And by the way, we have never ever planted an eggplant, but they had learned about it in a book, so we had to include it!

I also added a favorite garden quote, and then had my boys tell me what they liked about the garden.  I typed up what they said, and added them to the page.  Cute art, and some journaling as well .  It's making me realize we need to do this activity again!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you found a little something worth your time.

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$1 Dr. Seuss Folder Decor

It's probably because I don't teach any more (although as depressing as it was to see school supplies in the stores in July, getting all set up for a new year as always one of my favorite things to do as a teacher!), but I can't help but get a bit giddy when I see all the notebooks, folders, crayons, pencils, backpacks, etc... hitting the shelves.

I had a doctor's appointment for my pregnancy a few weeks ago, and my husband watched my boys.  And I can't go to Orem by myself without swinging by Target.  Target, all by myself- a happy place!

Anyway, I ran across these darling Dr. Seuss folders for $1 each.  I don't know if it's my boy's school, or just the fact that they're young, but they never really need folders.  I always want to buy them because they have such cute ones, but I've bought them in the past, and they've just sat in their backpacks all year.

So, I decided to buy the Dr. Seuss folders anyway, and use them as decor instead.  This red striped one had the quote on the front, and then Thing 1 and 2 on the back.  I just trimmed off the side of the folder for the front image, and then had to cut the side and bottom off the back image because of the bar code and what not.  But I actually love the two different sizes!

Then here's the other folder I bought.  I did the same thing with it, cut it down, and instantly had two great pieces of decor for my boys' room.  

Folders are really quite durable, especially if they're just hanging on a wall.  They're made of thick paper, and always have a nice finish to them.  Great for great looking art!

You can't beat a Dr. Seuss quote!  I love how positive and upbeat they always are.  

So, next time you're in the folder isle of your local store, see what you can find to use not only for back to school, but also for decor.  I think you'll be surprised at what you can find for just dollars.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you found a little something worth your time.

Linking up to these parties & Savvy Southern Style.

Favorite How to Draw Books for Kids

We gave my twins a How To Draw book for Christmas this past year, and it has proven to be one of those surprise gifts that gets used all the time!

As much fun as toys are, I like my boys to get books, art supplies, games, etc... for gifts.  I'm sure a lot of you feel the same way.

Anyway, we shopped and searched reviews around Amazon when ordering the book for our boys, and I have to tell you we totally hit the jackpot!  These books (we only have the monster one right now, but we'll for sure be adding to our collection!) are absolutely perfect for young kids.  My twins are seven and my four-year-old can even do many of the monsters with a bit of help from me.  The steps (six for each monster) are simple and easy to follow.  We've tried a few other drawing books, and my boys just get frustrated because the steps are so complicated.  Not these!  So, so easy!

This is one of my twin's latest monsters.  We try to draw something every day while on summer vacation, and with 101 monsters, they have plenty to keep them busy!

Here's my other twins' favorite monster. Their new technique is to sketch with pencil, then outline with black marker before adding the color.  I LOVE how these turn out!   I could even make a pretty good/scary looking monster with these books!

And last, but certainly not least is my four-year-old's monster.  He was determined to do what brothers were doing, but I was worried he'd just end up frustrated because he couldn't do it.  Well, I was wrong!  I did have to sit with him and kind of talk him through each step, but look what he was able to do.  He was so thrilled, and so was I!

You can find these 101 How to Draw books on Amazon for about $5 (awesome price!).  There is a fairy one that I'm sure my boys wouldn't go for, but I tempted to buy it for myself!

Happy drawing!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you found a little something worth your time.

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Kids Pinterest Board

Summer vacation will be here before we know it!  I start getting really excited for it this time of year, but often times a month into the summer I feel like I'm out of ideas to keep my boys entertained and out of trouble. 

Follow Brooke @ blissfulroots.com's board Kids on Pinterest.

So, today I share my Kids Pinterest Board with you so you can start following, or pinning whatever activities look like they might save your sanity this summer.  There really are so many fun things to do with your kids!  Not to say you have to jam every minute of summer vacation with some earth-shattering activity, but having a resource to turn to, and an plan can make all the difference! 

What are your favorite summer activities? 

On, and you can check out all 105 of my Pinterest boards here.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you found a little something worth your time.

Linking up to these parties & Savvy Southern Style.

Shaving Cream & Food Coloring Dyed Easter Eggs

I saw a package of all white fake Eater eggs at Walmart several weeks ago, and thought I needed them (white is becoming my favorite color these days), but resisted buying them because I really didn't know what to do with them.   Until... just the other day I somehow got thinking about the eggs again, and how the shaving cream and food coloring art activity we've done before could be the perfect match for the eggs!

I picked up a package (they were under $2 for a dozen) of the eggs, and my four-year-old and I decided to give it a try.  I wasn't sure if the food coloring would stick to the eggs (they aren't plastic, they're more papery than plastic) but it totally did.  We even tried it on one of our real chicken eggs, and it worked on that as well!

I have all the instructions here for doing the shaving cream and food coloring.  Basically, you'll spread a layer of shaving cream in a small cookie tray, drop drops of food coloring in the shaving cream, swirl the colors slightly with a popsicle stick, and then roll, or kind of stamp each part the egg in the colorful shaving cream.  When we do the shaving cream and food coloring art with paper, we usually scrape the excess shaving cream off with a popsicle stick, but for the eggs, we just wiped it off gently with a paper towel.

Like I mentioned, we had a dozen of these eggs, and they went way too quickly.  It's so much fun experimenting with the different colors on each egg.  And our hands were as colorful as the Easter eggs when we were done.  But all part of the fun!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you found a little something worth your time.

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Free Easter Egg Coloring Collage {From Doodle Art Alley}

My cooperating teacher (wonderful Mrs. Linda Lewis) gave me the cutest Easter egg collage coloring page to use in my classroom many years ago.  It was always one of my favorite activities to do with my students, and they had so much fun with it!

When I quit teaching after having my twins, I pretty much left all of my files for the teacher who took my place.  I figured she needed them much more than I did at the time.  And for the most part, I'm glad I did.  But every once in awhile I remember a really great activity, or page and kick myself for not keeping more. 

The Easter egg collage picture always haunted me.  Why didn't I keep a copy?  Well, awhile back I stumbled upon this picture.  I believe the one I used to have had more eggs, and they were smaller, but this one totally works!  In fact, I think the fewer eggs and bigger sizes makes it more doable for younger ones.  It's become a tradition to do one of these each year with my boys now.  (And be sure to print yourself a copy.  I could color hundreds of these.)  They're always amazing once completed! 

My four-year-old and I started this one, and it's not quite complete yet, but already looking fantastic!

Thanks so much to Doodle Art Alley for helping me out!  Click here to download your free Easter egg collage today.  And while you're there, take a look around.  They have some amazing downloads for your kids (or, if you're a coloring fanatic like me, yourself)!

Doodle Art Alley

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you found a little something worth your time.

Linking up to these parties & Savvy Southern Style.