R is for Rainbow - a colourful alphabet craft

We love the element of surprise in this creative twist on a rainbow from momstown Newmarket-Aurora. Their Alphabet Play program made Rainbow letter R's!

 

R is for Rainbow

 

What you need:

  • Construction paper in rainbow colours - cut into strips
  • White construction paper
  • Glue
  • Scissors

 

Give each child a piece of white construction paper and strips of paper in various rainbow colours (one of each if you have it, or as many colours as you have).

 

Show them how to glue the coloured strips across the paper in a straight line. If you have older children they can cut out the strips themselves - it's great scissor work.

 

Once the rainbow pattern is complete, cut out a letter R from the rainbow - and glue onto another piece of construction paper. You've made your own R is for Rainbow!

 

momstown has lots of rainbow crafts to share:

Paper plate rainbows

Rainbow streamer hanging

Tissue paper rainbow craft

Posted by Teacher Mom on 05/10/2012 - 14:14
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Q is for Quarter alphabet craft

Remember rubbing coins through paper when you were a kid? momstown Newmarket-Aurora combined this with an alphabet craft at their Alphabet Play program - and made some great Q is for Quarter creations!

 

q is for quarter

 

What you need:

  • Construction paper
  • Cut-out letter Q's
  • Glue
  • Quarters 
  • Crayons
  • White paper for rubbings

 

Show kids how to make coin rubbings by placing the quarter underneath a piece of white paper, and rubbing a crayon on top. It helps to secure the quarter with a piece of tape so it won't move.There is a sensory element to this process as well as fine motor - kids can feel the impressions they create with their fingers.

 

Have children do as many rubbings as they'd like, then help them cut them out so they have paper quarters.

 

Children can then glue the letter Q onto construction paper, colour it however they like, and then decorate with their cut-out paper quarters!

 

momstown loves Alphabet Crafts because they give children a chance to really interact with letters - their shapes, sounds, and meanings. Q is also for Quack - you can turn the letter into a duck - click here to learn how!

Posted by Teacher Mom on 05/10/2012 - 14:14
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Clothespin horse craft for preschoolers

momstown Milton made these cute and easy clothespin horses in their Tales for Tots program. Make this fun farm animal craft with your kids today!

 

clothes pin horse

What you need:

  • Cardstock or cardboard for the horse shape
  • Googly eyes
  • Brown yarn
  • Clothespins
  • Glue
  • Brown crayon or marker

 

clothes pin horsePrepare the horse shape by cutting it out prior to the kids jumping in - especially for young ones.

 

Have them colour in the horse any way they like.

 

Cut small strips of yarn to glue on for the mane and a longer one for the tail.

 

Clip clothespin 'legs' on the bottom to make the horse stand up. He's ready for a spin around the farm!

 

Looking for more ways to use clothespins in crafts? Try out:

Clothespin Reindeer

Clothespin Bats

Clothespin Butterflies

 

Posted by Teacher Mom on 05/10/2012 - 13:56
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Book Review - Farm themed books for children

momstown's down on the Farm this month, and we've got some great children's books to recommend that will bring the farm to life for your little ones!

 

The Very Busy Farm by Alicia Zadrozny

very busy farmA mix-and-match/flap book where the children can flip the flaps to match items on the farm, for example, bread from wheat, salad from lettuces, apple pie from an apple tree. Very creative way to show different aspects of farm life!

 

 

 

Old Macdonald’s Farm by Liz Pichon

old mcdonalds farmA great ‘playbook’ – has the lyrics to the Old Macdonald song as the text, with illustrations of how to add actions to the favourite song! Also touch-and-feel for babies and toddlers to enjoy.

 

 

 

Baby at the Farm by Karen Katz

baby at the farmKatz does it again with a touch-and-feel book with baby-friendly illustrations and textures. A board book with some favourite farm animals – cow, sheep, pony, and chicks.

 

 

 

Rock a Bye Farm by Diane Johnston Hamm

rock a bye farmThe farmer in the story has to get everyone to sleep! Once he rocks the baby to sleep, he rocks the dog to sleep, the hens, the sheep, etc. until he rocks himself to sleep on the porch. Board book perfect for young audiences.

 

 

 

Spot Goes to the Farm by Eric Hill

spot goes to the farmSpot is at the farm this time, in the classic ‘lift the flap’ style and simple text. Spot is looking for baby animals at the farm with his dad, and as he looks through the farm he visits all of the animals. He finally finds the baby piglets and then discovers even more babies – kittens!

 

Do you have a favourite farm animal book? Share it with us!

Posted by Teacher Mom on 05/08/2012 - 09:09
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A great book for Children's Mental Health Awareness Week - Martha the Mouse

This week is Children's Mental Health Awareness week - and momstown has come across a great children's book that helps kids identify talk about their feelings while enjoying a fun story at the same time.

martha the mouse

Martha the Mouse is an adorable little character created by Karen Lang.  Martha the (confident) Mouse  helps children learn about how to deal with their anxieties and worries - just like Martha does.

 

martha the mouse

In Martha the (confident) Mouse, children hear Martha's worries about being shy and afraid to join the group. They watch Martha struggle with the anxiety of meeting new friends...

martha the mouse

Martha realizes that she's got to overcome her worries - and gains the courage to make new friends - with a simple and visual strategy to 'put away her worries'.

 

The story is whimiscally illustrated and speaks directly to many children's fears of making new friends, entering new situations, and how to deal with what worries them. It's a great way to talk to your child or group of children about what might worry them, and how they can identify their worries.

 

Children are naturally good at connecting books to their own world, and Martha's story speaks simply to them about a common anxiety many children face. Martha overcomes her worries and finds a way to be confident, and realizes that the mice she wants to be friends with are really very friendly and not scary after all.

 

Karen Lang has also written Martha the (inquisitive) Mouse - a story that encourages Martha and the reader to use their imaginations to be whatever they want to be!  

 

These wonderful stories with a true message for little readers are available through Martha the Mouse website as well as in select Chapters/Indigo locations.

 

Visit Kids Mental Health for more information on how to talk to your child about anxiety and other mental health concerns.

Posted by Teacher Mom on 05/07/2012 - 18:05
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5 Homemade Flower Crafts for Mother's Day

Nothing is sweeter than a small child with a bouquet of flowers clenched in his small fist, holding them out to his mommy. Whether they're dandelions or roses, we treasure them all.

 

This Mother's Day, we've got 5 great ways to make homemade flowers for mommy - they won't wilt and you can keep them forever.

 

flowers in grass

Flowers in Grass

 

footprint flowers

Footprint Flowers

 

egg carton flower

Egg Carton Flowers

 

coffee filter flowers

Coffee Filter Flowers

 

coffee filter flowers

Cut and Paste Flower

 

Surprise mom or grandma this Mother's Day with a homemade flower (or two) made by little hands!

Posted by Teacher Mom on 05/03/2012 - 11:55
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