baby craft

Playing Peek-a-Boo and Pop Goes the Weasel! DIY Jack-in-the-Box Craft

momstown Kitchener-Waterloo moms and babies made their own Jack-in-the-Box crafts at Baby Basics!  When a baby is starting to understand the idea that something still exists even when it can't be seen, any game where things appear and disappear are always a hit! Peek-a-Boo, Where's Baby, and so many more fun games can be played at this stage of development.

 

Here are two easy Jack-in-the-Box activities using household recycled items! For more fun with boxes check out these ideas!

 

Jack-in-the-Cup

DIY jack-in-the-box craft

 

 

1.  Find a container for the "box"= plastic cups, but old formula cans, coffee cans, yogurt cartons, etc.

 

2.  Punch a hole in the bottom of the container using a chopstick, pencil, popsicle stick, or shish kabob stick.

 

3.  Glue or tape a fun "Jack" at the end of the stick! You can print off fun circus characters or tv show characters online and colored them. You could even use finger puppets, small stuffed animals or even a plastic figurine!

 

4.  Have fun with your safe jack-in-the-box that you can operate yourself. Simply pull the stick down so the toy has "disappeared", then quickly push it up when you want "Jack" to greet your baby. You can even add a "Pop" sound or "Boo" as you push the character up!

 

Kid-in-a-Box

 fun with boxes

 

1.  Use a carton or even a plastic bucket or bin that you have around the house or use an old diaper box.  Older kids can decorate the outside of their box and you can turn it into a cool ride!

 

2.  Put baby sitting down, inside or let your toddler climb in and hide.

 

3.  Sing this song as you pretend to crank the handle.... be sure to "POP" baby out or tell your child to "POP" out when you reach that part in the song! (warning, older children will LOVE this so much you will be doing it for hours!)

 

 

All around the mulberry bush
 The monkey chased the weasel.
 The monkey thought 'twas all in fun.
 Pop! goes the weasel.

A penny for a spool of thread,
 A penny for a needle.
 That's the way the money goes.
 Pop! goes the weasel.

Up and down the City Road,
 In and out of the Eagle,
 That's the way the money goes.
 Pop! goes the weasel.

Half a pound of tuppenney rice,
 Half a pound of treacle,
 Mix it up and make it nice,
 Pop! goes the weasel.

Posted by momstown team on 01/14/2013 - 11:48
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Baby's First Christmas: Footprint Christmas Trees

What a fabulous idea for grandparent's gifts for the holidays!

 

Both moms and babies enjoyed getting a bit messy and painting their feet with green washable paing. 

baby's first Christmas keepsake

 

Then you simply press your baby's foot onto the paper and add a gold star on top! 

 

Baby's First Christmas keepsake

 

Feel free to decorate your tree as you wish.  This is a really simple idea but makes a very cute keepsake for Baby's First Christmas.

 

If you love this craft, you will love this "MistleTOES" keepsake plate.

 

Submitted by momstown Oakville

Posted by momstown team on 11/29/2012 - 11:16
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Shredded Paper and Cereal Sensory Bins for Baby

At momstown Burlington's Baby Basics program, we are all about sensory activities.  And one of the best activities for your baby is to create a sensory bin.  Sure it sounds like a great idea, but so many mamas brush it off as being too hard or too messy.  But babies love new experiences, new textures, new shapes and colours.  And making your own sensory bin doesn't have to be hard.  Babies are interested in the simplest things and you can turn every day things into sensory activities for baby. 

 

Shredded Paper Sensory Bin

Sensory Bin One - You know all that paper you've been meaning to shred, but haven't quite gotten around to getting rid of yet? Spend 5 minutes with your shredder and not only have you done your good housework deed of the day - but you've got sensory material right there! Toss the paper into a bucket, a bin, or even a pile on the floor could work. Let baby explore and even climb right in.

 

sensory play for baby, momstown


 

 
Cereal Sensory Bin

 

Sensory Bin Two - So when I was a kid, every once in a while we'd wind up with those giant bags of puffed wheat cereal. Seriously? Who eats that stuff? However, it makes for a fantastic sensory activity. Check out momtown Burlington's bins filled with puffed wheat cereal, and a few letter shaped cookie cutters. Two minutes of work to throw together, and a whole morning of exploring and fun for baby.

 

sensory play for baby, momstown

 

You don't have to be super mom to make a super sensory bin.  Any new shape and texture can become an exciting new thing to explore for baby. 

 

For other sensory bin ideas from momstown;

Farm animal water bins

Making cloud dough

 

 

Posted by momstown team on 11/23/2012 - 15:36
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I Love You This Much - Toddler Made Father's Day Card and Keepsake

With less than a week until Father's Day, we have been busy crafting and preparing.  Yesterday my little friend G. (24 months) and I finished our Father's Day card for her Dad.  This is a perfect project for kids who don't yet have the fine motor skills and patience to make our fingerprint cards yet.  It also creates a wonderful keepsake. Here is what the outside of the card currently looks like. Miss G. may add further decorations to it this week :)

 

 

And a sneak peak of the inside:

 

 

The bottom hand of the card extends to the full length of G.'s armspan, as if whe was stretching her arms out all the way to show Daddy how much she loves him. Here, you can see the card stretched out to it's full length:

 

 

The hands are removable from the card, making them a permanent keepstake of both her handprint and her height.  Here is how we made it:

 

Part One: Making the Handprints:

1. Put a few blobs of different coloured paint onto a paper plate, and smoosh your hand into it:

 

 

This part is fun!

 

 

Place your paint covered hands down onto a piece of carstock so that you have two handprints:

 

 

While handprints are drying, stretch your arms out, and have a friend or parent use a ribbon to measure your armlength. Trim ribbon to appropriate size.

 

Once handprints are dry, trim excess paper around them, leaving a small margin around each print. Turn one over, and glue one end of the ribbon to the back. Sandwich ribbon and handprint between two pieces of clear contact paper to "laminate" it. Trim excess contact paper around handprint. Repeat with second hand.

 

Part Two: Assembling the Card

Once your handprints are complete, fold a piece of coloured cardstock in half, and cut a small slit along the foldline. Your slit should be just long enough to pass the ribbon through. Fold ribbon in half, so that the two handprints are facing each other, and insert ribbon through the inside of the card. The handprints should be on the inside, with the length of ribbon forming a loop on the outside:

 

 

Secure one handprint to the top inside of the card using repositionable tape. Write you message on the inside:

 

 

Add a gift tag to the front of the card (or just write to/from) so that it looks like a present.  Add any additional decorations you would like. 

 

Wind looped ribbon around card towards the front of the card. Gather the ribbon into two loops, and tie around card to form a bow.

 

Give your card to Dad on Father's Day. When he "unwraps" it and opens the card, the second hand print will drop down to show Dad just how much you love him!

 

Posted by momstown Teach on 06/11/2012 - 17:22
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Q tip snowflake craft

Q-tips make a great craft material. momstown's turned them into snowflakes for an easy craft that even toddlers can do!

 

q tip snowflakes

 

q tip snowflakesWhat you need:

  • Q tips
  • Glue
  • Cotton balls (optional)
  • Black construction paper

 

 

 

q tip snowflakes This is the point where we figured out that you need to lay down the glue for the toddlers!

 

 

q tip snowflakesThat's better!

 

 

 

If you have a young child glue the pattern for them and they can attach the Q tips. Older children can put the glue on themselves. Add cotton balls 'snowballs' and you've got a great winter scene!

 

momstown has used Q-tips for all sorts of craft ideas, like:

Skeleton body

Rain painting

X alphabet craft

Grab that Q-tip box from the cupboard and get crafting!

Posted by momstown mama on 01/07/2012 - 22:33
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Apple Trees for every age

Three momstown kids - ranging in age from 1 to 6 - made three apple trees!

apple trees

Take your empty toilet rolls and you can make three different kids of apple trees!

1. Foamy tree with foam "apples" (baby and toddler version)
2. Mosaic tree with foam, paper and bead "apples" (preschool version)
3. Tissue paper apple tree (from the newly minted grade one!)

 

apple trees

What you need:

  • Toilet rolls
  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • Green paper
  • Red or green foam sheets
  • Red or green beads
  • Cardboard for tree backing (cereal boxes work well!)
  • Brown crayon
  • Green and red tissue paper

 

apple trees For all the trees you need a firm backing for the leaf part, so start by tracing a tree shape onto cardboard and have children cut out.

 

 

 

 

apple treesCover the tree shape in glue to prepare for the mosaic or foam tree.

 

 

apple trees

 

 

 

Here's the mosaic apple tree in progress - have your child cut out shapes and glue on to the tree. We have a scissor loving kid in our house so he had fun snipping pieces of scrap paper for the tree.  Then add red and green beads or red circle cut-outs for apples!

 

 

 

apple trees

For the foamy (simplest) version, cut out a foamy tree shape (use your cardboard cutout as a pattern) and have your baby or toddler glue on red circles and beads (careful for choking if doing this with a young one).

 

 

 

 

 

apple trees

Cut tissue paper into 2 inch squares. Have glue handy on a plate or scrap paper for "dipping". Dip small, scrunched up pieces of tissue into the glue and stick onto the cardboard baking to create the tissue paper apple tree. Use green for the leaves and red for the apples. This one was made by a 6 year old who had lots of patience, a young child may need a hand to complete with you.

 

For all tree styles, cut approximately half an inch on two sides of the toilet roll to create an insert space for the treetop to slip into to attach.

 

 

This is a perfect idea for a mixed age playgroup or family craft!

Posted by momstown mama on 09/12/2011 - 18:51
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