beach

Tie Dyed T-shirts

My son got a tie-dye kit for his birthday this year - and I was impressed at how quickly and simply we made some fun t-shirts for the kids!

tie dye shirts

What you need:

  • Shirt in your child's size; Walmart or craft stores sell them for under $5
  • Tie dye (you don't need a whole kit, you can buy just the dyes in bottles separately)
  • Gloves to keep dye off your hands
  • Elastic bands
  • Plastic sheet or garbage bag

 

tie dye shirts  Lay the t-shirt out flat, and pick it up by the centre of the front.  Attach a rubber band leaving about an inch exposed. Then align the rest of the shirt into a tube (as pictured) and attach elastic bands at intervals. Wherever you have the rubber bands, the dye will not penetrate (or not as much), so this is what makes the starburst pattern.

 

tie dye shirts

Let kids help and experiment with squeezing the different dye colours onto their shirts. You can get fancy with patterns but in my experience you can't really go wrong just letting kids enjoy the process. There is no 'right' way for a tie dye shirt to look - they are all unique!

tie dye shirts

Let the shirts sit out in the sun to let the dye set. We left ours for a few hours, then, opened them up and hung them to dry - then we got to see the amazing patterns we'd created!

tie dye shirts

What says summer better?

Posted by Teacher Mom on 07/25/2011 - 19:21
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Sunset Canvas Art

beach sunset

momstown has been exploring the beach all month but mostly sunny, daytime ideas. The idea of the sunset is one we had yet to create. Capture the beauty of the sunset in this painting exercise – all aged kids will love and appreciate this art project.

 

Our paintings were inspired by pictures my kids brought home from camp at the Southampton Art School - great paintings with the local lighthouse featured. We created our own versions here! All my kids participated (ages 5, 3, 1) and each painting was beautiful and nice enough to give as gifts for vacation momentos.


Supplies:

  • Mini Canvas (pick up a pack of 3 for a buck at the dollar store)
  • Variety of (tempra) paints (we usedregular paints, fingers & brushes and also these great paint filled brushes)
  • Black foam or construction paper, scissors and white glue


painting sunsets

 

baby painting on canvas

 

Paint a “sunset” and be creative! Kids art is often much better than adults – try to pick out which one of these canvas pictures was mine and which were ones by the kids. Their free flowing random painting made much better sunsets than mine!

 

sunset canvas


Once dry create a shape for the seashore – sailboat, lighthouse… anything that would be in the shadow along the horizon. Glue onto the canvas.

 

baby painting on canvas


Hang or display your works of art – and they ARE works of art! Great examples of how kids artwork can be really beautiful.

Posted by momstown mama on 07/24/2011 - 22:02
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Indoor Beach playdate

Too cold (or too hot) for a beach day outside? Bring the beach indoors with some fun imaginary play and craft ideas from momstown!

 

beach playdate Set up towels in the family room and have kids don their swim and scuba gear! Pretend there's a hot sun and you're on the beach!

 

 

 

 

 

 

beach playdateBring out the playdough and use seashells to cut, pattern, and create!

 

 

 

 

beach playdate

 

 

 

Put those bathing suits to good use and take a 'dip' in the bath instead of the pool!

 

BEACH PLAYDATE

 

 

Grab a few simple craft supplies and create some beachy creatures!

 

Cut construction paper into a crab shape, then add glitter glue or decorate with markers or crayons.

 

beach playdateServe apple juice with mini umbrellas and make your own hula skirts!  Have fun - the kids's imaginations will take over and maybe you can fake the beach yourself with a good book under a palm tree (or reading light!)

Posted by Teacher Mom on 07/24/2011 - 18:30
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Handprint and Footprint Lobster

momstown Calgary has been having particular fun with momstown's "At the Beach" theme this month. There are just so many fun projects that can be done with it like this Handprint and Footprint Lobster!



Supplies: Construction Paper, Scissors, Glue, Googly Eyes, Pencil for tracing, red marker  OR Paint the hand/footprints with red poster paint.
To make ours, we traced our hands and one foot onto red construction paper, and then cut them out and glued them onto a separate sheet of paper. Next, we used a red marker to connect the lobster's body (our feet) to its claws (our hands). We then drew red antenna, and glued on googlie eyes to complete the craft.
Another option is  to do this craft with paint. Rather than tracing and cutting out your hands and feet, simply cover them in red paint, and press them onto paper to make the lobster's body and claws.

Thanks momstown Calgary for sharing your cute ideas!

Posted by momstown mama on 07/20/2011 - 20:48
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Paper Plate Fish Bowls

Last Friday momstown Calgary North got together for a Picassos on the Patio playdate (never can tell the weather in Calgary so they made it "inside"!). In keeping with the momstown "At the Beach" curriculum theme for the month, momstown created these paper plate masterpieces that make it look like you are peeking at what is going on underneath the water.

 

All you need: paper plates, blue paint, brushes/sponges/fingers, construction paper fish & seaweed cutouts and glue.

We painted with sponges and our fingers to make the blue background:

Glued on fishes and seaweed:


Cut out the bottom of another paper plate and flipped it over to make the "fish bowl". Admired each other's creations:


And went home with memories, masterpieces, and new friends made. It was a marvelous momstown morning!

Posted by momstown mama on 07/18/2011 - 21:24
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Memory Beach Collage

beach collage

Take a walk down the beach and fill your bucket with rocks, shells and sand for your very own beach collage. Or visit the dollar or craft store for seashells, rocks and coloured sand and make your very own picture.

 

Shellsgluing beach collage
Rocks
Glue
Sand
Heavy corregate / cardboard for base (a clean Styrofoam meat tray would work too)


This is so easy to create – glue on heavy items first and make a personal collage. Spread glue thinly for the sand part, sprinkle it on and then shake the excess off. There's no wrong way to do this and every child will have fun securing the items they chose and be proud to show it off!

 

For other beach craft ideas - visit our Beach theme.

Heading out on a Family Beach Trip? Read our Do's and Don'ts for visiting the beach.

 

 

Posted by momstown mama on 07/18/2011 - 15:53
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