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Scrap Paper Monsters

Scrap Paper Monsters

Posted by on Oct 21, 2016 in Activities for Halloween, Literacy Activities, Motor Skills, Picture Book Activities | 0 comments

Have you read any books by Rebecca and Ed Emberley? Chances are, you have. They are a father daughter team who have created some pretty fantastic books. Their surprise twists on old classics, as well as their unique artwork,  set their books apart. My kids really enjoyed the book Go Away, Big Green Monster! so I made some feltboard pieces for them to retell the story, which you can check out here. We recently read and acted out the book If You’re A Monster And You Know It ; it was a hit with my five and two-year-old. Like most of the Emberley books, the illustrations consist of vibrant paper die-cuts, which were the inspiration behind this project!

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Magic Potion Experiments

Magic Potion Experiments

Posted by on Oct 20, 2016 in Activities for Halloween, Halloween, Science Activities | 0 comments

Hallowe’en is almost here, and what better way to get into the spirit than to concoct some colourful, frothy, magic potions!

My bugs really enjoy MineCraft and the Harry Potter series, so this was definitely an activity I knew they would both love. Besides, what kid can resist  the allure of experimenting and creating messy, bubbling, erupting, potions?! I even managed to get them to do some writing (disguised as fun, of course).

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Exploring Fall Colours

Exploring Fall Colours

Posted by on Oct 7, 2016 in Fall Crafts and Activities, paint printing, Painting, Picture Book Activities, Science Activities | 0 comments

Fall is such a beautiful time of year: the crisp, cool air; pumpkins swelling on serpentine vines; the moon, luminous and full; and, of course, the patchwork of colourful leaves blanketing the ground. leaf-art-2Yes, fall is definitely my favourite time of year! I’m pretty sure my bugs love it too, judging by how many times we had to stop on our way home from the bus stop in order to inspect and collect leaves. When we got home, my bugs didn’t want to part with their leaf collections, so we brought them inside and put them in a bowl on the table.

The next day I read the books Leaf Man, and Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf, by Lois Ehlert aloud to them. I displayed the books on the table, along with the leaves they had collected, and set out some other fall inspired materials as well. I didn’t give my bugs any instructions, I just invited them to explore and create. The result? Lots of lovely and unique artwork, some discoveries in colour mixing and matching, and an hour filled with inquiring minds and busy hands.

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