Published on July 30th, 2009
One thing about bubble solution is that it’s super cheap. At the beginning of the season I marched stalwartly into Target to buy tampons (I avoid Target, because although I try to avoid new purchases, I am weak in the face of a deal), and somehow ended up with gallons of bubble solution for basically pennies. A lot of which the girls managed to spill into the minivan carpet on the ride home, so it was just as well that I bought extra—bonus carpet shampoo, I suppose.
Sometimes, however, you don’t want to buy something just because it’s a deal. Perhaps you have an empty container of bubble solution and just need some product, not the packaging, or perhaps you and your child like to experiment with recipes, or perhaps you’re just of the DIY mindset and would rather make something yourself rather than purchase it—admirable goals, all.
Read the rest of this entry »
Published on July 30th, 2009
You can make play dough a gazillion kabillion six million ways. Trust me—I have made play dough from laundry lint, and thusly I know my stuff.
As the packrat/eccentric lady/aficionado of bizarre craft projects and art experiences, I am the designated inheritor of a myriad of passed-down recipes for homemade art materials from both sides of my family. And having two little girls with a lot of time on their hands and a love for anything messy and hands-on, we have taken it as a project to make pretty much every recipe at one time or another. For my next few posts, I’ll be sharing with your our favorite and most unusual of the recipes we’ve collected.
First up: Do you have any sawdust?
Read the rest of this entry »
Published on July 30th, 2009
I could tell you all the educational reasons for making soap crayons—children’s learning should be experiential, experience with art should be as varied as possible, following a recipe utilizes math concepts, making something that you can use builds self-confidence and self-sufficiency, having a brand-new experience along with an adult adds adventure and models coping—but the truth is just that soap crayons are fun. You’re in the bath, so you’re supposed to be getting clean, but you’re drawing! With color! But the crayons, they’re soap! So you’re still getting clean!
Who would not have fun attempting to wrap their head around that?
To make soap crayons, you will need:
Read the rest of this entry »
Published on July 30th, 2009
It’s quite possible that I have found my favorite book, EVER! (I know that’s hard to believe since I devour books like some do coffee.)
Make It! by Jane Bull is A Cleaner Greener Book, this wonderful book contains basic information (turning trash to treasure & The 3 R’s), teaches kids how to sort recyclable materials (and focuses on donating to charities). Then it launches into numerous step by step instructions for making new things from our trash.
If your house is anything like mine, you likely have a multitude of little plastic toy parts. I’m constantly collecting tiny doll shoes, plastic spiders, bouncy balls, etc… and TOSSING THEM IN THE TRASH. Not anymore! Read the rest of this entry »
Published on July 30th, 2009
Kidzsack is an eco-friendly backsack made from 100% recycled cotton and soda bottles. A cute bag for back to school, the end of summer, or just to have for fun these bags allow a child’s creativity to come through.
The Kidzsack comes with a set of 8 washable markers that kids can use to decorate the bags. Then they can be washed and colored again. It’s usable coloring sheet for kids to enjoy.
Read the rest of this entry »
Published on July 30th, 2009
Eco-friendly pencils, soy crayons, smencils, Forest Stewardship Council approved colored pencils, banana paper notebooks, washable markers, recycled paper sketchbooks and journals…Stubby Pencil Studio has eco-back to school supplies for your little ones.
I love Stubby Pencil Studio because they have the cutest and most practical eco-art supplies for my kids. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on July 25th, 2009
I recently found the book Choose to Reuse (a green touch & feel book) while looking for an environmentally sound gift for a two year old.
What I like about this book: It’s produced sustainably. This fun story carries the message of reuse, which is the ultimate in recycling. In the story, a box becomes a princess castle and an old blue towel becomes a superhero cape. This delightful story entertains youngsters while giving them ideas for playtime and teaching a valuable lesson.
Our house is over-run with books because I fully believe in the value of reading. I also believe that owning books (and reading them together) is vital to a child’s development. (Disclaimer- Yes we do borrow a lot of books. We also frequently purchase secondhand books). If you are looking for a way to shed a few books (to make room for more, of course) or you want to start a service project with your children, check out EnviroMom’s suggestion for reusing old books.
If you own a few books which are beyond repair, here are some tips for reusing much of the book (remember to recycle whatever cannot be reused). Read the rest of this entry »
Published on July 9th, 2009
In part I we talked about rock painting and water play. For a fun afternoon of baking bread, visit my recipe at Eat.Drink.Better and get those kids cooking!
In our world (meaning the small space our family occupies, not the greater World as it is), we believe everyday is an outside day unless weather is at a dangerous extreme or the rain is coming down in buckets. However, here in Oregon, we do still have plenty of “Rain Days” which keep us inside for part of the day. Nearly every day finds us outside exploring, riding bikes, climbing trees, digging, and nature walking.
I’ve already mentioned that we enjoy collecting things on our walks… twigs, moss, leaves, pebbles, bark chips, pine cones, hazelnuts, whatever is laying about. We don’t ever take something off a living tree or plant because that could cause harm. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on July 7th, 2009
Yes, I’m back… hopefully on a regular basis. I’ve been MIA since my Mother passed away in April from ALS. It’s taken time to put the pieces together and let go of the anger enough to formulate coherent thoughts that others may actually want to read.
That said, I spend each day home with 8 children aged 9 and under which helps distract me. There are many hours in a day and that becomes apparent when you spend that much quality time together! I’ve been putting together some ideas to help us break up the day. Apparently, these kids can only spend so much time riding bikes and climbing the cherry tree.
I’ve decided to share activities we enjoy in the hope they may save you the hair pulling experiences I have had. We have many ideas, so they will be broken up into a several part series. Hopefully, you can implement some of them in your daily routines and perhaps even leave a comment or two with your favorite activities!
As always, our activities focus on being outside, exploring nature, family time, conservation, reuse and safety! Read the rest of this entry »
Published on June 30th, 2009
Rosie Hippo offers parents a place to shop for unique, handmade, organic, fair trade and eco-friendly toys.
They have toys made of wood, made of fair trade materials, they have stuffed animals, pretend play toys, and everything you need to spark your child’s imagination and give them something safe to play with. Read the rest of this entry »
