Now that the kids are out of school you will need fun activities to entertain them and keep them busy and occupied. When my children were small they loved to finger paint, which, as you all know, is  messy. When the weather got warmer, I would put my girls in their bathing suits and give each of them a paper plate “palette” with several  dollops of finger paint colors. Then I would put a  white  shower curtain liner on the driveway and let them paint away. More often than not they ended up painting each other, but I didn’t mind. At the end of the day I hosed them down along with everything else.  They had a blast. It was moments like that, watching my children experience sheer creative joy that I thought to myself, “Do not for one minute ever tell me that you did not have a wonderful childhood.”

Note: Make sure the finger paint is washable. I have learned from experience that certain colors, like green, don’t always come out. Just in case, make sure you and your kids wear clothing that you don’t mind getting a few stains on. Happy painting! If you try this project, please write in and leave a comment so we can all hear about how much fun you had.

Another great group activity for a birthday, play date or class project.

Materials:
Small clay flower pots
Tile grout
Trowel or knife to smooth grout
Decorative objects like tiles, sea glass, sea shells, beads, acorns etc.
Damp cloth

Give each child a small flower pot and some tile grout to smear on the outside of the pot. Explain to them that they are going to decorate the outside of the pot with the objects. They can cover the entire pot or make a pattern. It is up to them to use their own imagination and creativity. Once the tile is set and the objects are secure, gently wipe away any tile grout that is on the decorations. If you have time, you can take this project one step further by planting flowers in the pots.

This is a great activity for kids to do at a birthday party, especially a sleepover, and it also makes a wonderful gift for grandparents. Can be transferred onto a sweatshirt too.

Materials:
Plain white T-shirts (cotton/poly blends work best)
Fabric crayons (available at craft stores)
Plain white paper
Iron and ironing board
Piece of cardboard

Using the fabric crayons, have the children draw a design on the piece of paper. Set your iron on the cotton setting and place the cardboard between the front and back of the T-shirt. Place the design on top with the drawing side down. With the iron, apply an even pressure across the entire design. Remove the paper and the design will be transferred onto the shirt. Tip: Remind the children that the design will be reversed so if they are writing words or a message they should write it backwards because the finished result will be the mirror image of the original. Caution: Children should be warned that the iron is hot and adults only are to touch the iron.

These go very nicely with the Button Bracelets.

You will need:
Decorative shank buttons
Pipe cleaners in assorted colors
Scissors

For each ring, cut a pipe cleaner about 4 inches long. Thread it through the hole in the back of the button, placing the button in the center. Wrap the ends of the pipe cleaner together to form a ring, lengthening or shortening depending on the size of your finger. You may need to trim it a little bit. Be sure to twist the ends securely so that you don’t pinch your fingers. Wear them and be glamorous!

This is a quick and easy fun project you can do with all those extra buttons you have lying around the house. If you need more, you can always buy them in bulk at craft stores like Michael’s and Beverly’s. This project is also a perfect birthday party activity. Can be adjusted for a seasonal activity using season themed buttons like heart shapes or Christmas trees.

You will need:
1-inch wide elastic
Strong needle and sewing thread
Scissors
Assorted buttons in various shapes and colors

Cut a piece of elastic about 2 inches longer than your wrist. Before you start, think about a design or theme idea. You may want buttons of similar colors like all primary colors, all pastels or just black and white. Buttons in the shapes of flowers or bugs could be a garden theme. Try all square or all round buttons. You get the idea. When you have a plan, start sewing the buttons onto the elastic leaving an inch blank on either end. Overlap the edges of the elastic and sew the ends together. Make sure you use a lot of stitches so your bracelet is secure. When you are finished, sew on more buttons to cover the stitches.
Note: You can use 2 or 4 holed buttons as well as shank. Sew the holed buttons on first and then fill in the blank areas with the shank buttons.

Planning a birthday party at home and stuck for an idea for a theme? How about having a “crafts party”? Begin your party by having the children decorate their own party hats.

Materials:
Plain cardboard party hats
Decorations like sequins, beads, jewels and stickers
Markers or crayons
Ribbons, long fabric strips and lace (optional)
Scissors
Glue

Give each child a hat, some glue and an assortment of decorations. Watch them have fun using whatever materials are available to make really inventive, creative hats. It is a good idea to write each child’s name inside the hats so there aren’t any mix-ups. If you cannot find plain party hats you can always improvise with oak tag (available at art and crafts stores). Older children can cut out their own hats either cone-shaped ones, crowns or tiaras.

Nothing seems to fascinate a child more than the science of homemade crystals. Since crystal making is a popular classroom project, why not supplement your child’s education at home with the following experiments? All can be made with ingredients and supplies commonly found in most households. Be sure to have a magnifying glass on hand so your child can examine her creations more closely.

Charcoal Crystal Garden

Materials:
6 or 7 charcoal briquettes
6 T. warm water
6 T. liquid bluing (available in the laundry section of the grocery store).
4 T. table salt
1 T. ammonia
Food coloring (optional)

Layer the charcoal in a shallow pan. In a separate bowl, mix the water and bluing together, stir in the salt and ammonia. Pour evenly over the charcoal. In a little while, you will see white fluffy crystals forming on the crystals. For different crystal colors, place a few drops of food coloring onto the coals after pouring the solution. You can keep the garden growing  by adding more solution every day.

Rock Candy

This is the one crystal-making project your child can actually eat!

Materials:
Powdered sugar
Hot water
Foil
Glass or wide-mouthed jar
Heavy string,  a pencil and paper clips.

Pour 1/4 cup hot water into a mixing bowl and add enough sugar until absolutely no more will dissolve, approximately 1 cup. Next, tie two or three lengths of string to a pencil, and fasten a paper clip to the other end. Pour the solution into a glass with the weighted strings in the solution. Several days later, as the water evaporates, you will see the crystal formations on the string.

Borax Crystals

These crystals look like snowflakes and make great winter, window-hanging decorations. They can also be used to decorate Christmas trees.

Materials:
Wide-mouthed jar
String
Pencil
Pipe cleaner
1 cup boiling water
3 T. Borax
Food coloring (optional)

Take the pipe cleaner and fashion it into a shape like a star or heart. Tie a piece of string to one end and suspend it into the jar until the shape is about 1/4″ from the bottom of the jar. Tie a pencil to the other end of the string and rest on top of the jar. In a large measuring cup, mix together the Borax and boiling water until dissolved. If you like, you can add some food coloring. Pour solution into the jar and in just a few hours, a hard, crusty crystal will form on the outside of the pipe cleaner.

Rock Garden

Materials:
Small, smooth rocks
2 oz. Alum (found in the spice section of grocery stores)
1/2 cup boiling water
Clear glass bowl

Wash the rocks and place them in the bowl. Mix alum and water together in a small measuring cup until completely dissolved. Pour over the rocks and in a few hours you will see alum crystals forming as glass-like squares.

Pass the Salt…

Materials:
Hot tap water
Cup
Salt
Aluminum pie plate or plate covered with foil.

Pour hot tap water into the cup until it is about half full. Add two teaspoons of salt and stir until dissolved. Repeat until no more salt will dissolve. Pour  enough liquid into the pan until just the bottom is covered. Let it sit undisturbed and check occasionally over the next few days. The longer you let the crystals grow, the larger they become.

Pass the Epsom Salt

This experiment is particularly effective when performed with the one above. It illustrates the different types of crystals that form when using different types of salt. Repeat the steps as in the above replacing the table salt with Epsom salt. Be sure to pour any leftover liquid down the drain. One difference you will notice is the Epsom salts are made of the mineral magnesium sulfate. As the water evaporates, the molecules in the Epsom salts join to form long, overlapping crystals. Regular table salt is made of the mineral halite and when halite molecules are joined again they form in a cubelike pattern.

Crystal Hunt

Crystals are all around us.  They are in the ground and on jewelry. You have probably eaten crystals at meals. Sugar and salt are both made of crystals. Have your children hunt for crystals and hold them up to the light or under a magnifying glass to determine if they are indeed crystals. Take a trip to the library and read up on the many different types of crystals and the minerals that crystallize in them.

My daughter Eva is taking a multi-media art class in school.  A few weeks ago they went on a field trip to Goodwill to gather clothing to make into wearable art. This is Eva’s version of a straw skirt. She made it by hot gluing plastic straws to the outside of the skirt. I thought it was very clever. Looks great with the red sneakers.

It’s amazing what you can do with paper and few other household items. You can make projects that fly, float and spin through the air.

Materials:
Regular notebook paper
Tape
Large paper clip
Scissors
Handkerchief or square piece of fabric
String
Pipe cleaner or twist-tie
Light weight small toy
Crayons, markers or water-based fabric pain

Paper Airplane

Fold a piece of paper in half. Then fold down the corners as shown.  Fold the paper in half again. Then fold each side down to the center point.  When you fold down the two sides you make the wings of the airplane. (fig. D.) Put a small piece of tape across the wings to hold your plane together. If you choose, you can decorate your plane with crayons or markers. Happy flying!

Paper Helicopter

Cut a piece of paper into two rectangles 2-inches by 8 1/2-inches. Follow the diagram and make the three cuts shown with  scissors. Cut #1 will be the helicopter blades. When you make that cut, fold the blades in opposite directions at the fold line. Cuts #2 and #3 will help you fold the bottom of your helicopter into thirds, as shown. When you have the folding done, fold up the bottom about 1/2 inch and use a large paper clip to hold it in place. Color the blades with crayons or markers. When you drop the helicopter, watch it twirl to the ground!

Parachute

Start with the a handkerchief or square piece of fabric.  If you like, your child can decorate it with markers or fabric paint. Cut four pieces of string each  exactly  4-inches in length. Tie each string to the four corners of the cloth. Tie the loose ends of the strings to a small loop made from the pipe cleaner or twist-tie. Cut another short length of string, tie it to the bottom of the loop, and tie a small lightweight toy to the other end. Drop the parachute from a high spot, like a stairwell, or throw it up in the air and watch it float to the ground!

Create musical hanging chimes with a few simple materials  found in the hardware store.
Materials:
Small embroidery hoop or stick
Large nails of various sizes
Fishing line or sturdy string

Cut a length of fishing line, tie one end under the head of the nail, and secure the other end to the embroidery hoop. Continue tying the nails around the hoop at regular intervals until the frame is full. When finished, strike the nails gently and listen to the bell-like chords. Then hang it outside and let the wind create soft, gentle tones