Kid Craft: Handprint American Flag!

Celebrate Independance Day this year by making a sweet little Handprint American Flag! You'll need a few supplies before you begin:

Supplies:

-red, white and blue paint

-blue construction paper

-paint brushes

-popsicle stick

-small star stickers

-glue stick

-scissors/paper cutter

-hole punch

-thin ribbon in red, white, or blue

Step to get you there:

1) Paint the palm of your child's hand blue and the fingers (not the thumb) red and white alternately (as shown in the photo).

(Steps 2 through 4 are conspicuously missing photos...I guess that's what happens when you have wiggle worms for kids!)

2) Place your child's hand, palm and fingers down, onto the construction paper and let dry.

3) Using scissors or a paper cutter, cut the construction paper to fit the handprint.

4) Have your child help you apply mini star stickers to the palm area.

5) Using a glue stick, have them apply glue to the top half of the popsicle stick (leaving room for little hands to grab the flag (as seen in the photo below).

6) Punch a hole in the upper left corner of the flag, and string whatever combo of the thin ribbon you wish. Tie the ribbon off and you are ready to celebrate!

Muffin Tin Monday - Theme: Patriotic/Fourth of July

Today's Muffin Tin Monday Meal theme is Patriotic. So, we did

a simple Red, White and Blue affair: Ice Cold Blueberries, Raspberries, & Babybel Light Cheese Wedges

Proof positive that even you can do a Muffin Tin Meal on vacation! We were vacationing in Palm Desert,CA last week and I packed muffin tin liners instead of a tin. When we were grocery shopping for the week, I made sure to get "red, white, & blue" foods for our trip. The kids thoroughly enjoyed it! Raspberries were new to them, this time around. But it was good to expose them-they got two down each. It was a good start! The cheese is not as white when placed up against those liners, but...well, it works for me!

Stay tuned this week, as I have some patriotic crafts coming as well as a Muffin Tin Monday related anouncement- (hint: it involves a giveaway and a swap...was that too much info?)

Did you make a Muffin Tin Meal? Won't you join us for our weekly blog carnival? Enter your Blog Post/Photo URL into the Mr. Linky form below!

No Need For The Sunday Paper

Tomorrow is Muffin Tin Monday, be sure to stop back by here to see what everyone will bring to the "table"...I also have something very exciting in the works related to Muffin Tin Mondays, so stay tuned!

On to this weeks NNFTSP links....

Marie at Make and Takes is giving away a Rosetta Stone Language Learning Program! Rosetta Stone is the premier Langauge Learning System and if you want to learn another language -this is the program for you. So, go enter the giveaway for your chance to win!

Lolly Chops crafted the cutest cupcake onesie! I want one! I want one!

Let's Explore: Make a Summer Journal for your kids! Journals, whether your kids write of not, are a great way to inspire creativity and to catalog events over a period of time-like those summer memories!

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Scripture For Sunday:

Ecclesiastes 3
A Time for Everything

1 There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace

Aren't you glad God's timing is not like ours?

From the Archives: Picture Placemat

This was, surprisingly, a very simple project. And my daughter loved eating at the table with so many pictures to look at! I included a few of her as a baby so she (and I) could see how she's grown! While I did not enlist my kid's help for this project it is certainly something they might love to do (my pictures had ink that kept coming off, so I opted to go this one alone-also the look on my daughter's face was priceless when she saw it).

Here's How:

Supplies:
1 sheet of 11x14 poster board (found mine at Wal-mart in a pack of four)
Twelve wallet sized photos (I printed mine from home, but you can get them printed that way too.)
Con-tact paper (for cheap laminating).
Die Cut letters for child's name (optional)

-First print and cut your photos to size. I cut the vertically placed ones to fit so it would make a nice square.
-Mount photos around edge of poster board with your favorite non liquid adhesive(liquid makes it bubble, I used the Kuyoko Dot Roller).
-Cut out letters for child's name (you can use stickers, die-cuts, or even just write it on!)
-Mount letters to center of mat using non liquid adhesive.
-Laminate
or
**special note: con-tact paper immediately sticks to photos and if removed will permantly destroy the photo-be sure everything in mounted securly before using the Con-tact paper.

-Cut two sheets of Con-tact paper at a length a few inches greater than 11x14 so there is plenty of overlap.
-Pull back paper backing on contact paper, place sticky side up on table, place poster board picture side up on Contact paper.
- Peel other sheet of Con-tact paper, holding edges, gently lay paper, center first, down on paper. using the handle on a knife, or other flat edge, smooth out any wrinkles or bubbles.
-trim edges of Con-tact paper around the perimeter of poster board, leaving a few cm around the edge to seal everything in.

Viola! A personalized picture placemat!

**This post originally published on 9/16/09, republished 6/26/09

Wordless Wednesday: Emergency Vacation

Vacation must be so difficult... we're tired...



And we need help out of the pool...

For more Wordless Wednesday visit 5 Minutes for Mom

Blogging Advice For Mom Bloggers: Content is King

photo by cooljinny

I am by no means an expert...However, I've gotten a few emails as of late on the topic of blogging, so I'd like to take a moment and share with you one small piece of advice if you are just starting out or want to increase you readership. It's the most important rule in blogging. Here it is...

Produce good content.

Content is king in the land of blogging-everything else is just icing on the cake. The icing is important, it's what makes the cake look good. But, if you don't have substance, it won't be much of a cake, it'll just be icing.

So, in other words, write good stuff and people will follow. When blogging and writing good content it's important to remember your audience. Decide what you want your blog to be about. Is it cooking, crafting, parenting, kids, homeschooling, or a little bit of everything? For me, I write and share what I am most passionate about - putting the fun back into motherhood through topics on early childhood learning, kid crafts, DIY craft projects, and much more. My blog is an overflow of what I am already doing at home, hence the name "Her Cup Overfloweth".

So, what is good content? Good question. It must be useful, interesting and unique. If you write about cooking, recipes, and the general goings on in the kitchen-then focus on that and make it the best darn cooking blog anyone has ever read! Do research, link to other cooking blogs that inspire you, have a guest blogger in your area of focus. Be original with your content. No one will want to come you if they can get it somewhere else. I am often attracted to the content I can put into practice - a great recipe, a sweet DIY project, or a fun craft for the kids.

Lastly, I want to encourage you to write as often as you can. Good content must be fresh and relevant. People want to know about what you are doing now, not about what you did 3 weeks ago. If people tend not to post too often, then others tend not to look at their blogs too often. That being said I think there is definitely a balance and I am not encouraging you to post twice a day! Some mom bloggers post everyday, some post 3 times a week. I like to do a little of both. Some weeks it's everyday and others its only every other day. It just depends on what's going on "behind the scenes" if you will. A great way to post everyday is to schedule your posts a few days (or the night before) ahead of time. I am almost never awake past midnight, but I like to schedule my posts for those times because of the time differences (some of you are up at 3am my time!). If you use blogger, you can schedule your posts through the "post options" link just to the left of where you enter "labels". Enter the day and time and you are all set!

So, I hope this helps you a little (hopefully), and I am always available by email for any questions. I want to leave you with three of my fave blogging "go-to's":

blog coach - I love her approach to blogging. simple. encouraging. honest. you can even submit your blog to be critiqued by readers.

problogger - the ultimate

scribbit (click on her blogging label-she has some great posts that have really helped me!)

Muffin Tin Monday - Theme: Copy Cat

Today is Muffin tIn Monday and the theme is "copy cat". So, here's the idea. Make a fave muffin tin meal of another past Muffin Tin Monday participant as your tin for that week. You can search the archives here at Her Cup Overfloweth, the ones at Sycamore Stirrings (MTM's first home) and our Muffin Tin Meals Flickr Group for inspiration. Those archives will take you to the many blogs of MTM's participants! Just remember, to mention and link back to the blog/photo you are "copying" to be sure to give them credit as well as Her Cup Overfloweth.

(Pizza! Pizza! Thomas' English Muffin Halves, pineapple chunks, pizza sauce, shredded mozarella cheese{from a piece of string cheese!}, green peppers)

We admired Katy of Sycamore Stirrings and her DIY personal pizza muffin tin meal. The kids love it whenever they can have a direct hand in forging their own dinner and this was no exception! And English muffin halves are the perfect size for little hand and little mouths.

What did you muffin tin meal make for the "copy cat" theme this week!? Won't you share it with us?

No Need For The Sunday Paper

image courtesy of Lucky Me!

Who needs the Sunday Paper, when you have links like these?!

Smart Bottom Enterprises: I'm simply drooling over this file cabinet makeover! A little paper and whole lot of Mod Podge...So cute!

Wee Toes And Noggins: Wendy made this incredible crocheted new stone pendant. I'd love one in every color it can be made in!

Lucky Me!: These button caterpillars are so cute-a perfect summer craft!

Ohdeedoh: Help your tween and teen stay focused during the cleaning/organizing/decluttering process with this simple tip.

Our Homeschool Fun: She's hosting a fun giveaway for a funky artist paint set (includes some very fun textured brushes). And you'll want to subscribe, so you can keep up to date on (and participate in) her newest venture - a weekly giveaway blog carnival called Friday's Gracious Giveaways starting this coming friday!

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Scripture For Sunday

Hebrews 1:1-2

1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2This is what the ancients were commended for.

To read more of Hebrews 1, and about faith click here

Muffin Tin Meals FAQ

(this photo property of Sycamore Stirrings)

I'll be adding to this as the questions keep coming in, so bookmark it so if you ever need to know a little more about Muffin Tin Monday or Muffin Tin Meals *Muffin Tin Mom is the Official home of Muffin Tin Monday and the Muffin Tin Meal.

What is a Muffin Tin Meal?
Pretty simple here. It's a meal served in a muffin tin. For Muffin Tin Mondays we make them for our kids, but anyone can have a muffin tin meal! A muffin tin is also known as a muffin pan, cupcake tin or cupcan pan and for our purposes here, we also use silicone and paper baking cups, pans and tins.

What is Muffin Tin Monday?
A weekly blog link up, every Monday here at the Official Home of Muffin Tin Monday, Muffin Tin Mom, where we get together and link up posts about the Muffin Tin Meal we make for our kids. Sometimes there is a theme, and sometime there isn't.

Gimme the basics. How do I get started? A muffin tin + food is a you really need.
To get ideas you can browse other blogger's MTM submissions and browse the archives here at Muffin Tin Mom. A wonderful reader put together a post on squidoo about Muffin Tin Monday that shares product ideas and much more. Not sure if her links are affiliates, but I loved what she put together.

Did you come up with this idea? I've seen this on a lot of blogs
This blog carnival originated (the summer of '08) with Katy over at Sycamore Stirrings. When she moved to Luxembourg, she passed it on to me (an avid participant at the time). Katy originated Muffin Tin Meals on the Internet, and they have gained increasing recognition since this blog carnival has increased in popularity over the last two years. I would love for you to participate! I host it every Monday, here at Muffin Tin Mom. "Muffin Tin Monday" is the property of this blog and if you decide to participate and post about it, I would greatly appreciate a link back to Muffin Tin Mom. If you've seen it on another blog, then that person most likely saw it here, from Katy, or from someone who saw it from someone who saw it from...you get the idea.

How often are there themes?
We no longer do official themes in a " two on, one off" pattern. I will be announcing monthly optional themes and suggestions that can always be found on my sidebar. For a list of theme ideas: be sure to visit the Muffin Tin Meals Themes page.

What is the purpose for Muffin Tin Meals? Serving a meal in a muffin tin to kids has many benefits including: breaking up the lunchtime routine, serving foods in smaller more manageable portions for little mouths and introducing them to new foods in a fun and interesting way! It's a win for you: They eat. It's a win for them: It's fun.

Why did you do themes? 
Making the Muffin Tin Meals "themed" gradually became a mainstay of Muffin Tin Monday. Over the summer months last year, we took a break from themes and currently no longer do themed weeks YOu are always welcome to make up your own themed MTM and submit it to the blog carnival on Mondays. But, making a themed muffin tin meal is not necessary to participating each week. To see my thoughts on this be sure to watch my Muffin Tin Monday vlog

I want to do a themed muffin tin, do you have a list of ideas?
Sure do.  The Muffin Tin Meal Theme Idea page and How to create your own themed muffin tin meal.


Are there any official rules?

Please include a link back to Muffin Tin Mom, so that your viewers can see other muffin tin meals. This is considered good blog etiquette. The post must include a Muffin Tin Meal, but doesn't necessarily have to be theme related. And lastly...and this is important...please include your direct post's link (the url) and not the link of your blog/homepage, as this greatly inhibits your visitors from finding your muffin tin meal post after Monday is over. If you are unsure of how to do this, just email me and I'll explain it! Divided plates and bento boxes are wonderful, but for our purposes please stick to muffin tins, cups and liners. Thanks!

Where can I find those super cute shaped tins,food picks, silicone pans and muffin cups? I must have them. Now.
I shop for mine many places:

• Michael's Arts and Crafts has a great supply of Wilton brand baking tins and cups. Wilton brand is a favorite of mine. They have quality products at affordable prices and they are available in stores
• Japanese Bento Box Supplies work great for Muffin Tin Meals. Google "bento supplies" or you can search Amazon. 
• Bake It Pretty is an online retailer of baking supplies that has adorable paper cups.
• allthingsforsale.com
• Pick On Us has a wide variety of food picks and skewers that are great for Muffin Tin Monday
• Can't afford those options? I check local thrift stores all the time.

What if I want to make my own food picks, cookie cutters, etc? Here are a few great tutorials you can try:

How to make food picks from perler beads

How to make food picks from polymer clay

How to make flag picks (with free MTM printable)

How do I store it all? 

Here is a great post on storage for all your MTM supplies 

Do I have to have a blog to participate? Not at all! But in order for us to see your submission, it must be uploaded somewhere on the web. So if you don't have a blog, then uploading it to a photo-sharing site like flickr.com works best. Then, come back to MTM, and link it up by clicking on the blue "add your link" button in the current weeks Muffin Tin Monday post. If you post via Facebook, be sure to set that photo to "public".

Submissions are accepted all week long via the most recent Muffin Tin Monday post.

 If you have any FAQ's you think should be included or want answered, leave me a comment!

Tracing Superheroes

Spontaneity brews the most interesting and unexpected fun! My son thought out of the box yesterday and traced his action figures onto paper and then colored them in! It was so much fun that I thought I would share it with you! Below is a "photographic reenactment"! Coach helped Little Dude with wielding the marker and it was another great activity for fine motor practice!

Preschool Activity: Tracing Shapes With Stickers!

This easy peasy activity is both fun and functional! All you will need is a shapes printable and some small stickers (preferably generic like smiley faces or stars). For the older preschooler, you can have them trace the shape with a marker, crayon, or pencil before they apply stickers. For the younger set, just stickers works great! And, the use of stickers also promotes fine motor skills and helps strengthen those little finger muscles!

Sad Little Banana & Chocolate Smiley Face Snack, optional...

Muffin Tin Monday

Welcome everyone to another weekly edition of Muffin Tin Monday! I am so glad to have many new visitors this week (and hopefully participants)! If you are new to what we do here, let me fill you in! Muffin Tin Monday is a weekly blog carnival where we post about a Muffin Tin Meal we made for our kid(s). Sometimes there is a theme. Sometimes, there isn't (see sidebar). What's a Muffin Tin Meal, you ask? It's simple: a meal in a muffin tin! And my motto is: You can be a basic or as detailed as you want! In other words, there is no wrong way to make a muffin tin meal. I am working up a Muffin Tin Monday FAQ, which should be available later this week.

("Clock" PB Sandwich, Babybel cheese "mouse food", honeydew, cantaloupe, & babybel x2)

This week, I happened upon Little Nummies (awesome kids food blog) and an adorable meal centered around Hickory Dickory Dock (the children's nursery rhyme). I reeeeally wanted to try it, so I thought I would incorporate it into this week's Muffin Tin Monday meal! There isn't much "rhyme" or reason to the tin, just some fun new stuff to try out on the kids!

Want to join us? C'mon, you know you do! Here's how: Make a muffin tin meal. Watch as your kids squeal with glee and beg you to make everyday a "Muffin Tin Monday". Post about it or add it to the Flickr Muffin Tin Meals Group. If you want, link back here in your post, so your viewers can see other muffin tin meals. Last, enter the link to the blog post or photo (i.e. www(dot)myblog.com/blogpost) below in the "Mr. Linky" form. You're done! I hope you decide to join us and as many of the regular muffin tin mamas will tell you, it is a ton of fun!

No Need For The Sunday Paper

(photo via Little Bidie Secrets)

I am still on a high from being a featured blogger over at The Secret Is In the Sauce. I am still not done visiting all the awesome blogs and women that came by to visit!

Tomorrow is Muffin Tin Monday! Can I get a woot-woot?! I am looking forward to putting together something fun for the kids and to seeing what everyone else makes as well. Also, wanted to clarify the "copy cat" theme a little (see sidebar). The idea is to copy a fave muffin tin meal of another muffin tin Monday participant as your tin for that week. You can search the archives here at Her Cup Overfloweth, the ones at Sycamore Stirrings (MTM's first home) and our Muffin Tin Meals Flickr Group for inspiration. Just remember, to mention and link back to the blog/photo you are "copying" to be sure to give them credit. Also very important...please include your direct post's link and not the link of your blog, as this greatly inhibits your visitors from finding your muffin tin meal post after Monday is over. If you are unsure of how to do this, just email me and i'll explain it!

I have a ton of great links to share with you this week!

Currently Crafting: a-dor-a-ble play felt tea bags. Oh, how I want to make these and she did a fabulous job!

Jam Jar Boogie: (One of my new blog finds from SITS): her PB & J hack is a must do. I'm not kidding. It will change your school day morning routine!

John Deere Mom: This tilted towering flower pot has a special place on the virtual porch in my mind. I can't wait to put one in my own yard someday soon!

Little Birdie Secrets: Stamp out a dog tag key chain, perfect for that special dad for Father's Day. Little Birdie Secrets walks you through what to do and also what to buy!

Love, Actually: Take that special man in your life on a trip to the Big Apple without ever leaving your city with a this great idea from Cher.

Simple Mom: Ever wanted to know what cloth diapering is all about and what the options are? Simple Mom explains 4 Cloth Diaper options in great detail. If I we were having more kids, I might go this route!

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Scripture for this Sunday:

James 3:2-12
(emphasis mine)
2We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Summer Kid's Snack: Sharks On The Beach!

Start your Summer off right with a sweet and tasty treat that is sure to please your little ones (and they can help you make it!).

What you'll need:

-Vanilla Pudding (can also use yogurt)
-Crushed 'Nilla Wafers (can also use graham crackers) "Sand"
-Blue Sprinkles "Ocean"
-"Shark" fruit snacks available at Albertsons (Albertsons brand)

Assembly:

I put the 'Nilla wafers in a small plastic baggy that zips closed and I crushed them with the heavy end of a butter knife. We set everything out in bowls, ready to dish out. 1) Pudding 2) Top half of the pudding with sprinkles "water" and 3)the other half with the crushed wafer "sand". 4)Lay assorted shark snacks on top.5) Eat and enjoy!

To cut down on sugar and fat (I had sugar free pudding and reduced fat wafers.). It made me feel a little better, until they doused their snack with more sprinkles!! A good time was had by all!

I'm Featured on The Secret Is In The Sauce

Hello ladies! Oh Happy Day! I am the Featured Blogger today over at The Secret Is In The Sauce! Go check them out and see what the awesomeness is all about!

And if you are visiting from SITS, welcome!!! I am so glad you are here! Around here, our days are filled with a lot of this:

(muffin tin monday)

And some of this:



And maybe even some of this:

Hope you enjoy your visit! Grab a cup of coffeee and stay awhile!

Wordless Wednesday

If you are an artist or a crafter...you understand this photo...

These are my late mother's crafting scissors. She let me me all her crafting tools and supplies and that's her handwriting on those scissors. I will cherish them and use them often!

For more Wordless Wednesday visit 5 Minutes For Mom

Our Seedlings Are Growing!

Remember our Seed Starter Cups from Last week? Look!


Day 6 (Alyssum)





Day 6 (Pumkin Seed)


Day 7 (Pumpkin Seed)

We are really enjoying the process!

Muffin Tin Monday - Theme: Numbers!

A little birdie told me a secret...I might be a featured blogger over at The Secret Is In The Sauce soon. I am thoroughly humbled and completely excited! I {heart} those sits girls in a big way! So, if you are visiting from SITS, welcome! Grab a cup of joe (preferably with Coffee Mate's coconut creme flavored creamer-it's my favorite!), and stay awhile!

Every Monday, I host a blog carnival called Muffin Tin Monday where a bunch of us moms, dads, and caregivers share blog posts about the Muffin Tin Meal we serve to our kids! Sometimes there's a theme, sometimes there isn't. There are a ton af great reasons to make a muffin tin meal - breaking out of the monotony of everyday lunches, introduce new foods in smaller portions, create a family tradition, and so much more! There is even a Flickr Photo Group devoted to Muffin Tin Meals. It's full of inspiration! Wondering if kids like it? Just ask all the moms and kids who participate! This week's Muffin Tin Monday theme is Numbers! How did you work the theme? Here's what we did. We had a ton of fun!:

Zero: Apple cored an sliced
One: Licorice
Two: Broccoli Spears
Three: Rolled Turkey Slices
Four: Grapes
Five: Potato Bread shaped like a 5

We brought out these for fun with our meal:

The big hit was the "5" and the Zero apple slice. And someone went and got the string to lace the bead blocks...

What did yo make? Share it with us!
"Mr. Linky" is having trouble today, so if you don't see a form below to enter your post, come back later today or leave a comment with with your post!

No Need For The Sunday Paper

Muffin Tin Monday is tomorrow my friends and the theme is Numbers! I can't wait to see what you ladies bring! Be sure to enter the link to your muffin tin monday post and not just your blog!

This weeks' links...

A great book for the cupcake lover (who doesn't love cupcakes?) is Hello Cupcake! by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. They also have a fantastic cupcake blog where they feature even more adorable and delectable ideas!

Heidi at Blue Eyed Blessings details out how she made those clever water bottle tags!

The Crafty Crow: This children's craft collective is beyond fabulous and is adored by many. Currently running is a an alphabet series of children's craft projects collected from around the blogosphere. Her collections are always fabulously interesting, unique and inspiring.

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And as always, a portion of the Bible for Sunday:

Proverbs 14:29

He who is slow to anger has great understanding, But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.

My Favorite ABC Song : Alphabet Song by Barbara Milne

After awhile most ABC songs can sound alike and get very...well, let's just be honest, annoying. And as a preschool teacher, I have heard quite a few ABC songs! However, one in particular, Alphabet Song, by Barbara Milne is by far my favorite. Her lilting voice is perfect for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and even their parents! I love it. I could listen to it over and over and not get tired of hearing it and signing along! Barbara is an accomplished singer-songwriter with a background in children's music and early childhood education. Alphabet Song is part of a CD called Sounds Like Fun created for Discovery Toys and is available for purchase through both Discovery Toys and Tender Learning Concepts. She has other songs I love, such as Counting 1-30 & I Love You So Much. A video of Alphabet Song is available via Barbara's YouTube channel and highly recommend checking it out (psst...have your kidlet join you!).

Sunshine Patterning Activity

Practice an ABAB pattern with your preschooler (useful for building pre-math skills) using a large circle and rectanglular strips (1 1/2 by 3 inchs). We alternated yellow and orange several times to fit around the "sun". We will also be using it as a summer countdown calendar (there are twelve "rays", perfect for the twelve weeks of summer!).



It would make a great craft without laminating and velcro, but I wanted it to last all summer long and for the kids to be able to do it over and over again!

Here's the other side. can't decide which is the front and which is the back. I like them both!

Recycled Jello Container = Seed Starter Mini Pot

We learned about the life cycle of flowers today and how they go from a seed to a flower! We used recycled jello containers for mini pots (yogurt containers would also work!). We chose an annual, perennial, and pumpkin seeds. Our focus was on the process and less on results.

Here's how we started. Can you see my son in the background with his gloves on ready to get dirty? He chose the pumpkin seeds...we'll see how that goes!




To keep track of our planting, I photocopied the front of the seed packets, cut them out and used packing tape to adhere them to the cups.



Next, we added the soil. I was going to go organic, but I thought miracle grow moisture control might help speed things up a bit and protect the little seedlings from my tendency to over water.


We added water to each cup...

And set them on a ledge by a window for maximum sunshine. We were going to keep them outside, but we have rabbits and squirrels that like to get into things!

We followed up our planting with a set of seed to flower picture sequence cards that detailed out the process. While I like this set, it is missing a picture of the roots growing, which I think it important! It did help reinforce our planting and the kids loved it. I mixed hem up a few times and asked the kids what order they went in.

Too bad the wait is several days to see anything sprout! I guess it's another lesson: patience.