scarecrows

Scarecrow Craft Round Up

momstown's gotten busy rounding up scarecrow crafts for fall!

 

scarecrow crafts

Four great scarecrow crafts for all ages to enjoy!

 

1. Paper plate Scarecrow

Great for the youngest ones, just add a face and a hat to a fall-themed plate and you've got a fun decoration!

 

2. Paper bag Scarecrow

Brown bag and some pipe cleaners and googly eyes... turn it into a scarecrow. Preschoolers can do most of the work themselves and get creative!

 

3. Clay pot Scarecrow

If you have some pots left over from summer planting, clean them off and turn them upsidedown to make a scarecrow. Preschoolers and school-agers can design their own.

 

4. Mason jar Scarecrow

For some fine motor practice, take some common kitchen items like buttons, string and a mason jar and make a whimsical fall decoration for a centrepiece!

 

Posted by Teacher Mom on 09/27/2011 - 11:26
Labels:
ShareThis share this post

Mason Jar Scarecrow

Dig around in your cupboards for a mason jar, coffee filters, and buttons... that you can use - to make a scarecrow decoration with your kids!

scarecrow mason jar

You can make this with items you probably have around the house - a great way to recycle them!

 

scarecrow mason jar

What you need:

  • Coffee filters
  • Mason jar (or coffee can, or tin can)
  • String
  • Buttons
  • Ribbon (optional)
  • Construction paper or foam
  • Glue or tape

 

scarecrow mason jarWrap brown craft or construction paper around the mason jar. Secure with glue, tape or ribbon. Fold the bottom ends around the bottom of the jar to secure.

 

scarecrow mason jar

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glue on two or more coffee filters to the lid, to make the scarecrow's hat. You could decorate the hat too!

 

 

 

scarecrow mason jar

Use glue to secure button eyes, add a triangle nose, and use string to form the mouth - good fine motor practice for kids here!

 

 

scarecrow craftsIn the momstown craft room, we thought these two scarecrows would make great friends! Try our tutorial on the clay pot scarecrow.

 

Posted by Teacher Mom on 09/27/2011 - 09:11
Labels:
ShareThis share this post

Scholastic's Story County takes kids on a fun fall adventure!

story country

We loved Derek Anderson's amazing illustrations in Hot Rod Hamster, and were thrilled to received Scholastic's sponsored book for October - Story County - both written and illustrated by Derek Anderson.

Farmer, Dog, Pig, Chicken and Miss Cow set out to make a farm in this great story about friendship, teamwork and a few funny interpretations of 'farm life' (like jellybean crops!).

 

story country

Derek Anderson's colourful illustrations bring this fun story to life as the farm friends work together to build a farm, a field, a scarecrow, haystacks... and of course, a sky!

 

A great story for fall and to introduce children to different elements of a farm, in a fun and playful way! Illustrations are bright and engaging, and it's a perfect length for a playgroup or bedtime story.

 

momstown got an exclusive Q&A with author/illustrator Derek Anderson! Here are the highlights:

 

MT: My kids loved the little silly details like "instant farm field" and planting jelly beans. What inspired these 'magical' elements in the story?

DA: I'm so glad to hear your kids are enjoying those silly details! One of the things I love most about making books is taking ordinary things and putting imaginative twists on them. What if you really could grow whatever you wanted in a farm field... what would you grow? It was fun to explore the world of farming because my grandfather was a farmer and I spent a lot of time on his farm when I was growing up.

 
MT: The kids also loved the scarecrow - she looks at lot different than traditional ones - was there a particular inspiration for making the scarecrow more like a princess?

 
DA: When I make books, I try to create characters and then let them tell me what they want to do. They really do come to life in many ways and it's fun to see their personalities develop. Miss Cow definitely knows what she likes and doesn't like. The second I met Miss Cow and saw her fancy high heels, I knew she wouldn't behave like an ordinary cow. When I asked her what kind of scarecrow she wanted to make, she let me know. It was very easy- there was only one sketch for that page in the book.


MT: We noticed that the chicken carries around her eggs throughout the story - and my boys wanted to know, are these eggs to eat or eggs that will hatch?

DA: They're definitely eggs that will hatch! Maybe in another story? I don't know exactly who's inside those eggs yet, but I can't wait to find out!


MT: My 4 year old wanted to know why the cow is wearing high heels!

DA: Another great question! Story County is not an ordinary farm, anything can happen there- cows can wear high heels, pigs can use mud to make whatever they want, you can grow anything in the fields, and you can even paint the sky! Oh, and in case you didn't know-- Story County isn't made up, it's real. It's right in the middle of Iowa and it's where I grew up. You can read more fun facts about Story County on my website!

 

Thanks to Derek for his insight into the wonderful world of Story County! We hope your little readers at home will enjoy a peek into the illustrator's mind!

Posted by Teacher Mom on 09/20/2011 - 12:15
Labels:
ShareThis share this post

Paper Plate Scarecrow

If you're like me and have fall-themed paper plates left over... you can make a paper plate scarecrow with your kids!

 

paper plate scarecrow

Got to say, those dollar store plates sure dress up nicely!

What you need:

  • Paper plates (any colour/design will do!)
  • Construction paper or foamy sheets (orange or yellow)
  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • Brown paint
  • Googly eyes
  • Red pipe cleaner (optional)

 

paper plate scarecrow Start by gluing on googly eyes and cutting and gluing a triangle nose.

 

paper plate scarecrowThen, add a mouth either by painting one on, or by gluing on a curved red pipe cleaner.

 

paper plate scarecrow Ben's scarecrow had to have a crown instead of the traditional scarecrow hat... yes it's very original!

If we'd had raffia I would have added that for hair - a nice touch of texture!

 

 

 

 

We've made lots of scarecrow crafts at momstown this month! Take a look at:

Paper bag scarecrow

Clay pot scarecrow

Posted by Teacher Mom on 09/19/2011 - 21:02
Labels:
ShareThis share this post

Paper Bag Scarecrow

Fall brings scarecrows and pine cones... so momstown combined the two to make a paper bag into a scarecrow!

 

paper bag scarecrow

Yes he has a big head... but aren't scarecrows supposed to be a bit mis-shapen?

 

paper bag scarecrowWhat you need:

  • Paper bag
  • Googly eyes
  • Brown pipe cleaners
  • Pine cones
  • Glue
  • Marker
  • Pom pom for nose
  • Orange foamy sheet or construction paper

 

paper bag scarecrow First, fill the top 1/3 of your paper bag with pine cones. Kids will love collecting these outside in the fall!

Then, take a pipe cleaner and cinch in the 'waist' of the scarecrow, wrap it tight to hold in place and the ends become the arms of the scarecrow.

If you want a girl scarecrow you can leave the bottom of the bag to look like a dress and put two pipe cleaners poking out for legs.

 

paper bag scarecrowThen you can decorate them adding googly eyes, pom pom nose, draw on a mouth, and add a scarecrow hat.

You'll see that Ben's version looks a bit more like a pirate... but hey, that might really scare off the crows!

 

Paper bags can be made into so many fun things... check out:

Paper bag hula skirt

Paper bag froggie puppet

Posted by Teacher Mom on 09/19/2011 - 20:51
Labels:
ShareThis share this post

Clay Pot Scarecrow

Scarecrows bring an autumn-themed look to decorations both inside and out... and to the craft room too. 

clay pot scarecrow

Make a clay pot scarecrow with your kids and see what personality they bring to their scarecrow!

 

clay pot scarecrowWhat you need:

  • Brown and orange paint
  • Clay pot
  • Orange foam sheet
  • Googly eyes
  • Glue
  • Brown pipe cleaners

 

clay pot scarecrow Turn the pot on its side. Glue on googly eyes, then paint a mouth and nose with brown or orange paint.

 

Cut out a hat shape from the orange foam sheet. Cut brown pipe cleaners and/or orange paper strips to make the scarecrow's hair. Glue to the top of the pot and then stick on the hat (it will cover the hair and hold it on tight).

This is a great craft to display on a windowsill. Just be sure to tell little ones that the clay pots will break if dropped!

 

You can also make your own clay pots out of air-dry dough  - check out the momstown kids at work!

Posted by Teacher Mom on 09/19/2011 - 20:40
Labels:
ShareThis share this post
12next ›last »