baby Picassos

Butterfly Footprint for Mother's Day

This week momstown Burlington Baby Basics got together to make a spring inspired butterfly footprint craft.  It's PERFECT for Mother's Day - and the moms got to keep one for themselves, and made an extra for Grandma!

 

Want to make your own butterfly footprint?  We've got a butterfly poem, a butterfly template and some tips for you below.

butterfly footprint

 

butterfly footprint crafts

 

Tip 1:  Try using a heavier weight paper - like cardstock, but NOT construction paper - which can tend to suck up the paint

 

Tip 2:  Use a clipboard - and bring the paper to baby's foot - not baby's foot to the paper.

 

Tip 3:  Place baby on the a cushioned flat surface, with head facing away from you, so you have easy access to their feet.

 

Tip 4:  One foot at a time!  Don't paint both at the same time - trust us - this craft can be messy enough!

 

Tip 5:  Use your hand to press the centre of baby's foot.  Those babies with high insteps sometimes take a little work to get a cute footprint.

 

Tip 6:  Take this craft to the next level and create the butterfly on the side of a dollar store flower pot- what a lovely gift for mom or grandma!

butterfly footprint gift

Butterfly Poem:

 

May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun.

And find your shoulder to light on.

To bring you luck, happiness and riches.

Today, tomorrow and beyond.

--Irish Blessing

 

footprint butterflies for mom

 

 

 

Happy Mother's Day!

Posted by momstown team on 05/03/2013 - 11:29
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Turn a handprint into a fish - a keepsake craft

This is a simple idea that works for kids of all ages - turn a child's handprint into a fish for an adorable keepsake. momstown loves that this craft works for kids of any age - it's a sweet baby Picasso keepsake, a toddler memory, or a preschooler creation!

 

handprint fish craft on tile

 

What you need:

  • Tile or canvas (or even just construction paper works too!)
  • Paint
  • Hands!

 

First, have the child paint the tile or canvas whatever colour they choose. This will be the background, so anything goes! Then, paint the child's hand (most love this step!) and have them press their handprint onto the tile. Hold for a few seconds, then lift up to reveal the handprint.

It's probably easiest if an adult has the job of adding the eye, nose, and bubbles for their fishy friend - how cute is that?

Thanks to CrockaDoodle Oakville for helping my son make this craft at day camp!

Posted by Teacher Mom on 07/23/2012 - 09:48
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baby footprint - a sweet craft for tiny feet

momstown's baby basics program at our Toronto chapters had babies making tiny keepsakes. These would be perfect for a Mother's Day or Father's Day gift, and to continue to do as your baby grows older.

 

baby footprint

This is a really fun one to do every few months, as those little tootsies grow....  All you need is a small canvas from the dollar store, some non-toxic paint, a paintbrush, and a permanent marker. 

 

baby footprint'Paint' your baby's foot thoroughly, then apply the foot to the canvas, and write their name and age below, then frame and enjoy!  A collection of these would look adorable on the nursery wall and be a beautiful keepsake for years to come.

 

 

 

 

momstown has some other ways to make footprints fun:

Footprint flowers

Father's Day footprint

Posted by Teacher Mom on 04/27/2012 - 13:31
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Glitter Water Globes - an easy craft for babies and toddlers

momstown Edmonton-South made this craft at their baby basics program - they were easy and fun, and the tiny babies had a great time playing with them when they were done!

 

water bottle baby


What you'll need:

  •     Small bottle (ours were from Walmart chubby brand)
  •     Small object to fill bottle - beads, poms poms, dice, pipe cleaners (cut up), buttons etc.
  •     Glitter
  •     Glue gun

 

water bottle babyFill bottle with objects as little or as full as your child wants (watch them closely as these are all choking hazards), add glitter and water.  Use the glue gun to secure the lid. 

 

You can glue a piece of fabric around the lid for those really determined little ones.

 

 

 

water bottle baby

This simple craft gives baby an experience with different textures and colours - and a great toy to shake and enjoy!

 

 

 

Posted by Teacher Mom on 04/27/2012 - 13:25
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Five Ways to Channel Your Baby's Inner Picasso

picassos

 

One of momstown's signature playgroups and unique events held across all momstown communities, is our famous Picassos in the Park! Sometimes it's baby's first introduction to painting... (and the outside venues really keep the mess out of our houses!)

 

Here are 5 ways to introduce your baby to painting!

 

baby painting

#1 - Paint with dandelions! Have your child use those yellow flowers (ok, weeds!) as paint brushes and go crazy on a big white sheet of paper (mural paper rolls work well).

 

cup stamp painting

#2 - Paint with cups! Dip them in paint and stamp them all over the paper. Choose cups that babies can easily handle and feel free to let them mix all their colours.

 

smear painting

 

#3 - Smear painting! Most babies love the sensory experience of dipping their whole hand in paint and fingerpainting. It is often worth it to invest in fingerpainting paper as the texture allows for smooth smearing and the paper is less likely to rip or get too wet.

 

oatmeal painting

#4 - Oatmeal painting! Yes, a perfect sensory 'paint' for babies is baby oatmeal! This is a great first introduction to painting and sensory activities for babies that are old enough for baby cereal and might be tempted to eat paint.

 

 

#5 -Pudding painting! My second son had pudding instead of cake for his first birthday (I couldn't resist letting him go at it in nothing but a diaper!) Young children can enjoy painting with pudding (and have a built-in snack!)

 

momstown hosts Picassos in the Park events in communities across Canada. One of the best things about this event is that you can bring babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and even older children - everyone can get messy, get creative, and have fun!

Check out this event in action at momstown Calgary North, momstown Guelph, momstown Georgina, and momstown Central Alberta.

Posted by Teacher Mom on 06/05/2011 - 09:16
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