With our family, church, and school commitments; and with our ever-growing to-do lists, the focused time we are able to spend with our children is so important. It is true that much more is "caught" by our children than is taught. In order for them to catch our values, they need to be able to observe us living our values.
Whether you are a grandparent, relative, Mom, or Dad, there are precious
teachable moments that happen in our children's lives. Each month,
we will look at several
projects and craft activities you can do with children of all ages. These
projects will take less than an hour to complete, use minimal supplies,
and be a way
to share some teachable moments. Since it is the Easter season, as well as
a time of building family memories, this month's activities will focus on
ways to combine these themes.
Family Memory Books (Takes less than an hour)
This is a twist on the scrapbooks you may have made when you were young. The key is allowing the children to use their imaginations and creativity.
What You Need:
1. Cover work area with newspapers and then help each child pick out some
special photos of their favorite memories or favorite things.
2. Cut out parts of the photos into different shapes and sizes.
3. Take 12 pieces of various colors of construction paper and punch holes
in
the left side, tie yarn through the holes to create a memory book.
4. Have the kids use markers to decorate the cover with their names,
and glue
down special photos, etc.
5. On each following page, help the child cut out contrasting color construction
paper a little larger than each shape already cut out of photos (in step
3).
Glue photo and construction paper backing onto page. Talk about why
the
photos are important to them.
6. Use markers to write special memories, thoughts, poems, on that page.
7. Continue working on the next pages in the book. You could do
a page each
time you spend some craft time with the kids instead of trying
to complete
the project in the same sitting.
8. Be sure each page is completely dry before moving on to the
next page so
that pages are not accidentally glued together.
Easter Memory Eggs (Takes less than an hour)
Almost everyone can remember dying Easter eggs and then searching in the yard for the colorful eggs after they are hidden. Here is a new way to enjoy an old tradition.
What You Need:
1. Prepare egg dyes according to directions on kit.
2. Have kids color the hard-boiled eggs with crayons drawing pictures of memories, favorite items, shapes, etc..
3. Dip the covered egg into the dye. The crayon will keep the colored area from being colored. Remove the egg when it is the desired shade.
4. Blot egg with paper towels and let egg dry in egg carton. Display your creations as a centerpiece in a pretty basket with Easter grass. When you are all sitting around the table, have the kids explain what they drew on the eggs and why. It is a great way to share memories with each other.
For more Teachable MOMents craft ideas, visit our past issues!
