Kleas

nesting

I've been quiet here this past week.  There is a post that weighs heavy on my mind that I can't seem to write, yet it stops me from moving forward on other posts...does that ever happen to you?  

Maybe tomorrow...

...but for today...

Here's a project we did at the preschool last month.  I've been getting inquiries about what these were for.  I crocheted twenty little baskets with long handles for hanging out of hemp cord for this project. The kids each chose a little basket to fill with nest building materials for the birds.  I did this project once before at the preschool (wow! four years ago already!), click here for the details.  As we've had quite a lot of snow so late in spring, I thought it would be a great idea to give the birds a little help.  We talked about why birds build nests and what they use to make them and why it would be important for the nests to be filled with soft materials.

I try to trick the kids by adding a tray of pincones and shells to the mix, but I didn't fool anyone, they are all so smart and know they wouldn't make a very soft bed.

I love the flurry of excitment as the children eagerly fill their little baskets.

Some of them looked so fancy in the end several parents mentioned they couldn't stand to hang them outside and wanted to hang them in their homes.

Julen placed his on these branches outside his bedroom window and it's been such a joy watching the birds fly away with new findings.  Watching the bits of yarn fly up to the nests in the gutters was especially thrilling...we're planning to climb up there and take a peek once the nests have been vacated.

wheat berry grass

We made grass baskets last week at the preschool which is our traditional craft to do to celebrate the coming of spring.  We usually plant the wheat berries about a week before the kids are to take them home and try to plan it just before spring break so they can have a nice full basket of grass by Easter.  I also usually have a good stash of little baskets that I am always picking up at the thrift store, but when it came time for the project, I was surprised to learn I was short about six of them.  So plan B.

My boys eat a lot (and I do mean A LOT) of seaweed in our home.  We buy it at Trader Joe's. Sometimes I get it at the local asian market.  There is quite a bit of packaging, but as any teacher knows, good packaging can be re-used.  I gathered all my little plastic trays from the seaweed and discovered that the packages from the Asian market were a  bit smaller and therefore, we could wrap the larger tray in burlap and insert the smaller tray inside for planting.  It worked like a charm.  Best part is, when we lift out the smaller tray we could see all the little roots growing in the soil...such joy for my kiddos.

It's so satisfying watching grass grow.

sock bunnies

This was a fun sewing project we did at the preschool last week.  It was a bit of a process as I do work with kids three, four and five years old and needed to sit each child on my lap to assist with the sewing portion of these sweet little bunnies.  There are dozens of tutorials on the web to guide you through making a simple sock bunny.  I adopted some of the ideas I read about and made it our own to meet the needs of my preschoolers.

Whenever planning a project I like to consider what I hope the child will gain from the experience. Obviously, fine motor skills were tested here as they used needle and thread to stitch up the ears.  But even walking the children through the very basics is a learning experience for them.  They were first to turn the sock inside-out, lay it flat on a table, cut straight down the middle of the sock starting at the toe (to create the ears) and stopping just before the heel (which becomes the face, then stitch the ears (with help) then turn the sock so the stitching was on the inside and stuff.  That is a lot for my young kids and after they finished they rightfully beamed at their creations!  I was impressed that some of the older kids were quite skilled at the stitching portion.

While at the table turning their work, some of the kids used their bunnies as hand puppets giving me an idea for next year...

I love that they all looked so different after stuffing.  Each one becoming it's own little character.

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The children didn't stitch faces on their bunnies, they had pretty much exhausted themselves without the extra sewing.  But a few stitches for the eyes, nose and mouth can be cute too.

And how sweet they look sitting in the cubbies, waiting to go home.

initial stitching cards

This was a fun project the kids did at the preschool this week.  I wanted to come up with a simple stitching craft that would give me an idea where the children are with their understanding of sewing.  It also helps me see how their fine motor skills are improving.  

I thought they would enjoy stitching the first letter of their name...and I was right!!  They were thrilled at recognizing which initial was theirs.

• I started by roughly drawing the letters on squares of cardboard (these pieces came from the back of pads of paper and were just the right weight of cardboard for stitching) 
• next, using a screwdriver, I just roughly went around the letter poking holes about an inch apart
• before class I had pre-threaded blunt-tipped darning needles with yarn tying a big knot in the two ends of yarn, thus securing the needle
• after a brief explanation of how to do this stitching, "front-to-back, back-to-front", and to make sure they were pulling the yarn all the way through the hole before making the next stitch, I just let them get started

As usual, the kids all impressed me with their patience in working the stitches around the letter.  Some chose to go around twice filling in all the gaps, others were satisfied with just the running stitch.  I was also thrilled that the older kids who finished first, helped the younger ones who were struggling just a bit.  Well, I think it's time to get them started on their nature pouches! 

happy valentines day!!

Here's how we celebrate at the preschool...

...by making paper plate hats...hearts and arrows of course!

We took a break from millet and brown rice for snack and got to have a treat!  These almond, date, cacao powder and honey cookies were delicious!  Also, they happily met all the requirements for the children with allergens and who are gluten free.  (recipe)

We read a special story...

...and the children made dozens of valentines to give to their famlies classmates.  (No picture!  I was too busy cutting ribbon, separating doilies, passing around the glue stick and helping with glitter.)  Such a mess and so much fun!

Before the children go home for the afternoon, I press a handmade heart into their palm.  In the past it has always been a stitched felt one but this year I painted on wooden hearts I bought at Michael's.

Parties are so much fun!

Then later at home, I helped my 8-year-old Star-Wars-obsessed boy help make his valentines for his classmates.  Good thing Anna did all the research for me.

Hope your day is sweet!  xx

yarn hearts

Here's what we made at the preschool this week...yarn hearts following these easy instructions by Aunt Peaches.  (Her site is full of wonderful heart making ideas!)  

They turned out really sweet and the children loved making them.  Drawing a heart right on the wax paper is such a great idea...it made it so easy for the little ones to push and shape their yarn into hearts.  We'll be making these again!

I've also been busy needlefelting a few valentine hearts for my boys.

Happy Friday friends!!  xx

honey locust pods

One of our girls from the preschool gathered a huge basket full of honey locust pods from her yard this fall and brought it to us as a gift.  The honey locust tree grows near the lake by my house but I have never seen such an abundance of seeds from one tree.  Who knows, maybe the squirrels like to snack on the ones near my house.  

Once the pods have dried, when you shake them they make a pleasant rattling sound, almost like a maraca.  So this week at the preschool, using acrylic paints and our dried honey locust pods, the kids carefully painted designs on them.  After they dried, we all enjoyed the sweet sounds they make.

Happy February and Happy Friday friends!!  xx

icicles

Last month at the preschool we made glass bead icicles.  Each child selected their beads and got a piece of fish line with a knot in the end to string them on.  I also gave each child a square of wool to set their beads on so they would not roll all over the place.  Once they were satisified with how their icicle looked, I tied the top with a loop for hanging.

This was a great exercise in using those fine motor skills.

Most of the children were excited to hang them on their trees at home and they also look quite fetching hanging in the window where they can catch the winter light.

blessings

We are counting our blessings as the boys are finally healthy after a two week plus fit of fevers and flu. First one got the bug, then the other.  I somehow managed to escape the illness.  Lots of crafting (and a few breaks for mama) took place at our dining room table and slowly we turned our house into a festive winter wonderland.

Warm blessings to you, my friends, and wishes for a safe, healthy and very happy holiday.  xx

old man winter and kids ATC swap

We had a lovely Thanksgiving.  I hosted this year and even made my first turkey.  Thanks for the recipe Martha!!  It was delicious and I guess with all that butter and wine, how could it go wrong?  

We had a huge temperature drop on Thanksgiving day and even saw our first snow of the season.  Julen celebrated by creating this "winter garden" on his nature table...so sweet.  He appropriately traded out white wool for the orange on the trees we made at the preschool.  

Thanks to Abbie and Ellie for hosting the kids ATC swap.  It was quite a success!  We did it once before, but Julen was not old enough to partcipate...this year he was and he was thrilled!!  

Julen made wet-on-wet watercolors with salt for his partners-he was grouped with six other four-year-olds.

...and here are the lovely cards he got in return.

Thanks go to Emmi, Esme, Gavin, Graham, Harper and Maya for their precious artwork.  

My eight-year-old went with a patterns and flower theme using markers on gessoed cardboard.

And here are the sweet cards he got in return.

Thank you Ella, Emmett, Erin, Finn, Frankie and Harper for your beautiful artwork.  Sorry to Gus whose card is not pictured...it went to school last week and didn't make it back home for the photo.  

Thanks again to the sister team at bright eyes + blue eyes for hosting this swap.  It was so well organized-I can just imagine how much work went in the planning.