Mini Mallow Man

Posted in Kid's Corner by Selections By Sisters

Who doesn’t love a craft that you can snack on the ingredients while making!

Ingredients
Mini marshmallows
Pretzel Sticks
Glue
Construction Paper
White Paint
Black Paint or Black Marker
Orange Paint or Orange Marker
Smithing to hold paint

Directions
Draw three circles to make an outline of your snowman. I traced three different sized circular objects in the attempt to create perfect circles.

Using glue trace around one circle and allow your child to place the mini marshmallows on the glue. Continue the same way with the last two circles.

Using glue draw two lines off of the middle circle for the arms. Have your child place a pretzel stick on top of the lined glue for the snow mans arms.

Have your child dip a mini marshmallow into white paint, like a stamp, and use the marshmallow to make snow!

Paint on a hat, eyes, a mouth and buttons with the black paint. And a carrot nose, with the orange paint.

Allow to dry.
First winter craft of many! Enjoy!

2Dec2013

Our Newest ‘Family Member’

Posted in Kid's Corner by Selections By Sisters

December has just begun and I have caught my THREE year old checking out all of the holiday ads for the past week or so. He is actually quite obsessed with it and has even fallen asleep at nap time clinging to a flyer. We try our best to stress to him that the true meaning of Christmas is the birth of Christ but for a little kid that is too easily overshadowed by Santa and all of his shiny new toys. At the same time he has had some difficulty understanding that Santa only rewards children who have been on their best behavior with these treats.

Enter the Elf on the Shelf. At first I didn’t really buy into all of the hype but decided it could be a fun tradition to start with the kids that will encourage good behavior during the holiday season and just maybe it will carry into the new year as well. The cute boxed set includes an elf doll and a book explaining the story.

As usual the little guy was fascinated with just the box and hopped right in.

The elf made his grand appearance yesterday morning and we immediately read the book to Big H. The first thing he had to do was name the elf and he quickly chose ‘Chippy’ as that was the name of the elf in the cartoon he had seen on tv. The book goes on to explain that the elf will watch the child’s behavior during the day and then every night will fly back to the North Pole to report to Santa and then come back the next morning before we are awake. Each morning he will be hiding in a different spot. I have seen some pretty creative things that people have done with their elves and I have a feeling my husband will have a lot of fun with this. Here are some great ideas! The only rule is that children can’t touch the elf or he will lose his magic and won’t be able to fly back to the North Pole. Big H didn’t like this too much since all he wanted to do was play with him. I was a little worried that he wasn’t really grasping the whole concept of the elf. Then, not even twenty minutes after the elf had arrived, he rammed a truck into his brother’s face and without hesitation said “I’m sorry Chippy it was just an accident. Please don’t tell Santa!” I think I’m going to like having this guy around and hope that it’s a cute little tradition that will help keep the magic of Christmas alive in our house for years to come.

18Nov2013

Practicing The Finer Skills

Posted in Kid's Corner by Selections By Sisters

In an effort to be more organized for you, our reader, you can expect to find something to do with your kiddo on Mondays when you visit! Sorting activities strengthen a child’s logical-mathematical intelligence. In an effort to build on what Reagan already knows; removing stickers and pressing down firmly for stamps to work efficiently. And to strengthen weaker skills; color identification and sorting. I put together two quick and easy activities that assist in the strengthening of color identification, sorting, fine motor and verbal skills.

Materials

Paper
Pen
Tri-Color Labeling Circles

Create and label three separate categories. Add a corresponding color dot to each named category. While pointing to each color, verbally say the name of the color to your child.

Explain to your child what you are looking for them to do. If needed, place one dot, as an example.
Give your child a sticker sheet and allow for them to peel and place circles in corresponding categories. Lend assistance when needed. I redirect Reagan when a color ends up in the wrong category. I say: is this blue circle, pointing to the sticker that she just placed, the same as this red circle? pointing to the color category that she placed her sticker in. At this point she recognizes that the colors are not the same and moves the circle to the correct category.

Materials

Pen
Paper
Stamps

directions
Create a category for each stamp. Follow the same directions as with the labeling circles. The only difference with the stamps is that once it’s placed in the incorrect category, it obviously can’t be moved. We just use a pen and cross out the misplaced stamps.

Fun activities that assist in the strengthening of several skills!
HAPPY MONDAY!

17Nov2013

Christmas Photo Time!

Posted in Kid's Corner, Style by Selections By Sisters

It’s mid November and time to start planning for the 2013 Christmas card! I would absolutely love to do another photo card of the entire family, but since my husband was appalled by my photo choice for last year, above photo, he has kindly suggested that we just keep this year about Reagan.

We had some lovely pictures taken by EIEIO Photography a few weeks back and the shots of Reagan are definetly Christmas card worthy. However, I have been admiring Kristen Koppers Photography on Facebook for sometime now, so when she posted a children’s only Mini Session on Facebook; I jumped at the opportunity to work with her! The session is super short, no time for a change of clothes and only one background.

This is ultimately a session for the Christmas card, so ‘Christmasy’ attire is in order.

This is part of the email sent by the photographer:
Each session is about 20 minutes. I will be using a cream background and a cream wood floor as well as my cream “shaggy” rug. I have lots of organic/ earthy trees/ greenery with some vintage crates, stools and chairs. I recommend keeping clothing classic.

I adore the word classic.

Classic Choices…

1. Casey Cardigan 2. Button Down Oxford Shirt 3. Gigi Pant 4. Patent Tortoise Ballet Flats

1.Plaid Bow Back Top 2.Gigi Pant in Velvet Dot 3.Glitter Bow Oxfords

I’m in love with the plaid shirt, but worry about the ‘tent’ look on my super tiny kiddo. Reagan loves the sparkle shoes, so I would love to snag a pair in her size, regardless if they ended up making the photo cut. Here’s hoping we find what we want in her size!

Christmas Card Savings:

Snapfish – 30% off with code HOLIDAY2013

tinyprints – 25% off with code SW1117

ShutterFly – 40% off with code UP40CARDS

14Nov2013

Thanksgiving Themed Crafts

Posted in Kid's Corner by Selections By Sisters

We have a blast crafting and when it’s an idea that Reagan came up with; it’s even more fun! We’ve been reading various Thanksgiving themed books preparing for the upcoming holiday. There are several pictures that Reagan points out time after time and the other day she asked if we could make our own turkey and a baby in a bunting ( remember the nursery rhyme : Bye,Bye Baby Bunting). After searching through the craft supplies we found some great pieces to make some fabulously colorful crafts!

Our first craft started a couple days back and can be found here.

These are great fine motor and color identification skill activities!

Popsicle Turkey

Materials
Several Popsicle Sticks -we used 8 wide sticks
Paint- I try to stick with washable
Paint Brushes
Cups for Paint
Paper- water color paper is thick and holds up well
Scissors
Glue- we used modge Podge
Two google eyes
Brown paper
Orange paper
Red paper

Directions

Paint one side of each popsicle stick the color of your choosing. Allow to dry.

Place a dab of glue at the bottom of one Popsicle stick. Place another Popsicle stick on top of the first, fanning the second out from the first. Continue this pattern until you’ve used all sticks. I placed something with some weight to it, on top of the sticks to hold them together while drying.

We didn’t have any brown paper, so Reagan painted white water color paper brown, for the turkeys face.
Cut out a brown circle, for the turkeys face and glue on two google eyes.

Using a piece of paper that Reagan painted on earlier that day ( you can use orange and red construction paper); we cut out a beak and a gobble. Using glue, attach both to brown circle. Glue face or the bottom of the top Popsicle stick.

Corn Husk

Reagan was given a fabulous deep red & deep purple corn husk when her class went on their pumpkin patch field trip in the middle of October. Using her fine motor skills; Reagan created this wonderful corn husk!

Materials

Dried Corn Husk
Glue
Paper
Pen
Bowl
Scissors
Paint Brush

Directions

Have your child remove kernels from ear of corn and place into a bowl.

Freehand draw an ear of corn.

Using a paint brush, have your child paint glue onto your drawn ear of corn.

Place kernels on top of glue.

Cut husks off ear and glue at the top of the ear of corn. Press down and allow time to dry.

Prettier than the real thing!

My Little Indians

Instead of making buntings for her babies; Reagan and I decided to use the fabulously colorful feathers, that we found in the craft box, to make super easy headbands.

Materials

Colorful feathers
Construction paper
Glue or tape
Scissors

Directions

Cut construction paper into inch/ inch and a half wide strips.

Have your child sort the feathers into colored piles.

Have your child pick a few feathers to line up in the middle of your strip of paper. Glue or tape feathers to paper. When making doll head bands only one strip of paper is needed, when making one for your child two or more strips may be needed. Tape additional strips together.

Wrap strip around head and secure ends with tape. This will allow the headband to fit the head perfectly! Don’t tape to the head!

So much fun!!

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