Pinterest Inspired: DIY Ruler Growth Chart

Pinterest-Inspired:

             DIY Ruler Growth Chart

These Pottery Barn knockoffs are all over Pinterest. I fell in love when I saw them and knew I just had to make one.

 



We purchased a six-foot board from Mendards and distressed it by hitting it with a chain. Then we stained it using a Walnut finish. Check for dry time on the can.

 

Next, I measured along the board using a mechanical pencil, tape masure, and combination square. I plan to hang this on the wall so I started at 6 inches. First, I measured in one foot sections, then 6 inches, then 1 inch. As I measured, I used a Combination Square to make straight lines. My 1-foot marks are three inches long. My 6-inch marks are two inches long. My 1-inch marks are one inch long.

Next, I traced my numbers using a stencil and pencil.

Finally, I traced the lines and colored in the numbers using a paint pen. Be sure to start at the top of the board so you aren't leaning on your lines/numbers. The paint take about 30 minutes to dry.

And, the finished product!

I absolutely love it! I just need to pick up a hook so I can hang it on the wall. Then to add Bug's birth and one year measurements.

Yucky Science

Yucky Science!

I recently taught a one-day, three-hour camp on yucky science. We all had tons of fun learning about Science in a fun and yucky way.

Check out these photos/links to see how you can bring the fun home...

Oobleck! Tons of fun for kids of all ages.

http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryhowtoguide/ht/makegoo.htm

Shrunked Apple Heads! These would be especially great for Halloween.

http://www.craftbits.com/project/halloween-shrunken-apple-heads

Tie-Dye Fish! I love the Angry Birds theme from this camper.

http://www.jugglingwithkids.com/2011/09/rainbow-fish-tie-dye.html

Germs! Learn how soap fights germs using pepper and dish soap.

http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistrymagic/a/peppertrick.htm

Be sure to check out these Yucky Websites as well:

Virtual Owl Pellet Dissection:

http://www.kidwings.com/index.htm

The Yuckies Site on the Internet. Be sure to check out the 'Gross & Cool Body' Section:

http://yucky.discovery.com/flash/

Create Your Own Virtual Rollercoaster. Not Yucky but Tons of Fun:

http://www.questacon.edu.au/indepth/maketracks/maketracks.html

Enjoy!

Bath Time Sensory Tub

Bath Time Sensory Tub

Bug is finally old enough for his first sensory tub. I am very excited to make more in the future. I have a ton of ideas and hope he enjoys playing with them as much as I enjoy putting them together.

I used a small plastic tub we had at home and different goodies from around the house.

A simple search on Google or Pinterest will give you tons of ideas for themed sensory tubs.

The Goodies: Cotton Balls, Bubble Wrap, Plastic Fish, Hairbrush, Water Beads, Tissue Paper, Plastic Shark, and of course, a Rubber Duck

Hey! What's in here?

And dumping out all the goodies. He loved pulling apart the cotton balls, chewing on the hairbrush, and hearing me pop the bubbles.

Enjoy!

Bug's 1st Birthday Gift: No-Sew Quiet Book

I've known for a while that for Bug's First Birthday I wanted to make him a Quiet Book. Quiet books are great for those times when you need your child to wait quietly such as church or a doctor's office.  They're all over pinterest and my favorite blogs. I love them! Unfortunately, I can't sew. And I was realistic in the fact that I couldn't learn how to sew and make a quiet book in a couple  months. So I opted for a no-sew version. I got my inspriation from checking out pinterest, coloring book pages, and file folder games on the web. All pages and accessories are laminated. The pages are held in a 1 1/2" binder.

Presenting, Bug's No-Sew Quiet Book...

Page 1: Thanks to mormonchic.com   'Dress The Bear'

There is a Magnetic Strip on the back of the bear and on the back of each outfit so it simply sticks on top of the bear.

Page 2: Wheels on the Bus

This is a Clip-Art sheet I printed. Wheels spin (attached with brads). Windows go up and down (attached with magnet). Door opens (attached with velcro).

Page 3: Match the Shapes

This is a coloring page I printed. I used pattern paper to trace the shapes. They attach with velcro.

Page 4: Noah's Ark

Thanks to mormonchic.com.  The extra animals are stored in the envelope. You match them to those on the ark via magnet.

Page 5: Dinosaure Color Match

Thanks to FileFolderFun.com. Attach the colored eggs to the dinosaur with velcro.

Page 6: Create a Cupcake

This is a Coloring Page I printed. The cupcake bottoms stay on the sheet of paper and you attach different tops via magnet.

Page 7: Africa Animals

Another coloring page. Match the halves of the animals.

Page 8: Number/Color Match

Another Coloring Page. Match the bottom of the egg to the top via velcro.

Page 9: Bee and Hive

Used a coloring page for the bee and the hive. Use your fingers to trace the lines to get the bee to the hive. Great small motor activity.

Page 10: Nativity Scene

Coloring Page via Oriental Trading. Add the sheet, shepard, and star via Velcro.

Page 11: Car Track

I just free handed this using felt. You can use the car that goes with it or a Hot Wheels car. This is velcrored to the back of the binder so it doesn't slide off.

I'm so excited to play with this with Bug! I hope he loves it as much as I do.

(Please Note: Because of the use of magnets, child should be supervised)

Child-Created Valentines

Happy (almost) Valentine's Day!!!

I am sending Valentine's with Bug to Daycare this week and thought it would be fun to create something different than the typical store bought Valentines. And, I wanted something HE could make. So here it goes, Bug's first time Finger Painting...

Add drops of Non-Toxic Paint to a piece of white cardstock. Any colors will work. We decided to go with a Jungle-Theme...

Let your child have fun smearing the finger paints while NOT eating the paint. This is where another adult comes in handy. Let paper dry. (And if you're like us, bathe baby)

To assemble the card, use a heart stencil to trace a heart on the back of your painted sheet. Cut out heart and glue to another colored piece of cardstock. Add a Valentines-themed message. We went with "I'm Wild About You" to go with our Jungle-themed Paint. Attach a snack (we are using animal crackers) and send to the lucky receipents.

Give Old Crayons a New Life

Do you have tons of broken crayons laying around? Or maybe your child's classroom does? Give old, broken crayons a new life...

These refurbished crayons are a great way to recycle old crayons. They are the perfect size for small hands. And, they are tons of fun!


The first step is to take all the paper wrapping off of your broken crayons. This is the most annoying and time consuming part. I've learned the quickest way to do this is to take a paring knife and slice through the paper; it should then peel off easily.

The next step is to place the crayons in a greased muffin tin. I'd suggest not using your newest, nicest stuff for this. Apply a good amount of cooking spray so the crayons don't stick. The amount of crayons you put in a tin will depend on him big you want your new crayons. I used about 4 crayons per slot. Use as many different colors as you'd like.

Put in a 275 degree preheated oven. Cook for 7-10 minutes. You will know it is ready to be taken out when all the crayons are melted. It will look soupy.

Let cool for a couple hours or overnight. It is ready to be taken out when the new crayon mold is hard. (Note: if the crayons do not slide right out, use a toothpick to go around the edge. Pop out and Enjoy!

Now, START COLORING!




Stayed tuned for how to use Cookie Cutters to create fun letters, numbers, and shapes!