How to Make Craft Stick Fireworks Art

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Independence Day is just around the corner! Craft Stick Fireworks Art is the perfect 4th of July craft for kids. It’s easy, sparkly, and fun!

Craft Sticks Fireworks Art

Are you excited to watch the fireworks with your kids? There is nothing better than watching their eyes widen with wonder at the magnificent colors, shapes, and sparkle of fireworks.

Bring the fireworks home with this easy and frugal 4th of July art project for kids! Using craft sticks to make fireworks art develops fine-motor skills with a beautiful end result.

To Make This Craft You Will Need

• wooden craft sticks
• paper plate
• black construction paper
• paint
• glitter

Directions

Squirt several different colors of paint onto a paper plate.

Invite kids to dip the sides of their craft sticks into the paint.

Press the side of the craft stick onto the paper, creating a fireworks shape.

Sprinkle the paint with glitter while it is still wet.

Shake off excess glitter, then allow the painting to dry completely before hanging it up.

Isn’t it pretty? It’s fun to make in a variety of colors…especially red, white, and blue!

More Fourth of July Art for Kids

Click the links below to view more creative 4th of July ideas for kids.

• 4th of July Painting with a Straw
• Make a Fourth of July Flag Craft
• Fourth of July Jewelry

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Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream

5 Red, White & Blue July 4th Treats

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The 4th of July is the best time of year to show your patriotic pride. And if you are hosting a special bbq on the 4th, you will need these 5 Red, White & Blue July 4th Treats or crafts.

Family Food Live can be seen every Wednesday and Friday at 12 Noon EST/11 am CST on Facebook!  Today I’ll be live on the Quirky Momma Facebook page. But make sure you like both the Burnt Macaroni Facebook page and the Quirky Momma Facebook page now so you never miss an episode!

If you missed the last show, here’s a look.

Getting hungry yet? Here are today’s recipes.

Patriotic Fruit Flag

Shopping List:

• Package Blueberries
• 2 Bananas
• Package Strawberries
• 8 Wooden skewers

Instructions:

• Cut the bananas into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces (you will need about 32 pieces)
• Cut the strawberries into 1 to 1 1/2 inch piece (again you need about 32 pieces)
• Start by placing 6 blueberries on the top of 4 wooden skewers
• Finish those skewers layering a banana and strawberry 3 times
• Take the remaining 4 skewers and start layering the bananas and strawberries 5 time each so it matches up with the other skewers.
• This will look like an American flag once you are finished

Red, White & Blue Cupcakes

Shopping List:

• Red Velvet Cupcake Mix + 3 eggs, water, oil

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz. pkg Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
• Blueberries

Instructions:

• Mix together the cake mix with eggs, water, and oil
• Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full and bake for 14-19 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
• Meanwhile, make the icing by beating the cream cheese and powdered sugar together
• Add vanilla and slowly add the heavy cream until stiff peaks form
• Let the cupcakes cool then add icing to the top followed by a few blueberries

July 4th Strawberries

Shopping List

• Strawberries
• White Chocolate
• Blue sugar sprinkles

Instructions:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
• Using a double boil system, melt the white chocolate
• Once melted, dip the tip of the strawberry in the chocolate, then in the blue sugar sprinkles
• Place on parchment paper and put in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes until the chocolate hardens

Red, White & Blue Pretzels

Shopping List:

• Pretzel Snaps
• White Chocolate, cut into small squares
• Red, White and Blue M&Ms

Instructions:

• Add the white chocolate to the top of a pretzel snap and put on a paper plate
• Put in the microwave for 45 seconds until the chocolate is slightly melted
• Remove and add the red, white and blue M&M’s in the shape of a flower
• Serve once it hardens

This really fun idea is courtesy of Two Sisters Crafting.com

Red, White & Blue Rice Candles

Shopping List

• 3 cups Rice
• Red & Blue food coloring
• Mini votive candle

Instructions:

• Separate the rice into 3 different bowls with 1 cup each
• Add red food coloring to one bowl, blue to another and mix together
• Let dry and layer the red, white (plain rice) and blue in a small mason jar
• Add the candle to the top

This is fun for a table display for a July 4th party!

Join Family Food Live with Holly & Chris every Wednesday and Friday at Noon CST on either the Quirky Momma Facebook page or the Burnt Macaroni Facebook page!
We are also so excited to share our first Family Food Live Apron with you.  Be the first to pick one up and start cooking with us! Just click buy now below!

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Here are a few of our favorite products from Family Food Live (affiliate links)

• • • Fresh Baby Ice Cube Trays with lids
    • Cuisinart Food Processor
    • The I Heart Naptime Cookbook by Jamielyn Nye
    • Giant Popcorn bowl
    • Individual Popcorn bowls
    • VillaWare Uno Classic Waffle Maker
    • VillaWare Farmyard Waffle Maker
    • Taco Holder
    • Pyrex Baking Dishes
    • Hand Blender
    • Pizza Peel
    • Pizza Wheel (cutter)
    • Pizza Stone
    • Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Double Burner Reversible Grill/Griddle
    • Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless 5-1/2-Quart Saute Pan with Helper Handle and Cover
    • BPA free lunch containers
    • Egg Rite Egg Timer
    • Fit and Fresh container
    • One Touch Electric Bottle Opener
    • Half Pint Wide Mouth Mason Jars
    • Ninja Professional Blender
    • Zoku Quick Pop Maker
    • Williams-Sonoma Open Kitchen Half Apron in Red or Blue
    • Plano Half-Size Stowaway with Adjustable Dividers - for road trip snacks
    • Curious Chef 3-Piece Nylon Knife Set
    • Cuisinart 2 Quart Ice Cream Maker
    • Victorinox Fibrox Straight Edge Chef's Knife, 8-Inch
    • Lemon Squeezer
    • Mason Jars
    • Crockpot
    • Apple Corer
    • Popcorn Bowl
    • MaxiMatic double burner hot plate
    • Glass Egg carton
    • Black & Decker 4 slice toaster
    • Hamilton Beach Hand Mixer
    • Cuisinart 8-cup Food Processor
    • Meat Mallet
    • Ice Cream or Cookie Scooper
    • Norpro Butter Keeper
    • Norpro Butter Keeper
    • 3-Piece Veggie Peeler
    • Garlic Press

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10 Ways to Practice Writing Your Name

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Writing your name and writing it properly is quite the accomplishment for our kids. Writing their name and labeling things as theirs  is a big deal to kiddos.

Help give them the confidence early with some of these fun name writing practice activities.

Download our FREE Woodland Creature Line and Letter Tracing Packet

Gel Bags. These are brilliant. Fill a giant ziplock bag with about half a bottle of hair gel and some food coloring. To use, write their name on a page. Lay the gel bag over the paper. Your kids trace the letters to make their name.

Sandpaper letters. Kids love sensory experiences. This one helps your kids recognize that letters need to be formed in a particular order. Write their name on sandpaper. Your child needs to use yarn to form the letters of their name.

Dot-to-Dot. This is an especially useful technique for older kids who have learned all the wrong habits. Create a series of dots and number from where they start. Your kids need to follow the dots in order. Start with lots of dots and as your child gets more practice, remove dots.

Glittery Letters. Review their name multiple days in a row. Using a stiff piece of paper or cardboard, write their names. Your child traces letters of their name with glue. Cover the glue with glitter. When it has dried you can trace the letters with your fingers.

Scramble and Unscramble the Letters. One of the precursors to writing their name is recognizing it “ and deciphering the order of the letters in their name. Practice putting letters in order from left to right with this fun name activity.

Rainbow letters. Give your child a handful of crayons. They get to trace their name over and over again. Each time using a different crayon. You will be surprised at how fast your kids will become experts at writing letters with this technique.

Chalk-Board Swabs. If you have a chalk board this is super handy and fun! Write their name on the board with chalk. Give your kids a handful of cotton swabs and a capful of water. Your kids need to erase the letters using the swabs.

Highlighter Letters. Write the letters of their name with thick lines using a bright highlighter marker. Your kids trace the letters “ their goal is to stay inside the line  of the highlighter markings. As they become a more confident writer, make the letters thinner and smaller.

Street letters. Form the letters of their name in tape on the floor. Grab the bin of cars. Your kids get to drive around the letters of their name. Encourage them to move their vehicles along the roads the way they would write the letters.

Play Dough Etching. Etch your child’s name into play dough using a pencil. Your child can trace the lines. Then roll it flat and trace their name very softly. Your kids need to etch their name deeply following the lines you made. The tension of the dough will help develop the muscle motor control needed to write.

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25 Essential Oil Play Recipes for Kids

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We have been finding more and more ways to use our essential oils. It seems like we find something new every day!   Today we are sharing our favorite ways for your kids to PLAY with the oils. Here you’ll find playdough recipes, DIY’s and even an essential oil hair-do!

If you’ve been loving all of your essential oils and are looking for ways to bring your kids in on the fun, you’re going to love these.  This post and many of the linked posts contain affiliate/distributor links.

25 Essential Oil Play Recipes for Kids

Treat Soap – Kids Activities Blog

Lemon Scented Cloud Dough – Lemon Lime Adventures.

Calming Construction Play – B-Inspired Mama.

Stress Away Playdough – Love and Marriage

Lemon and Eucalyptus Playdough – One Perfect Day

Lavender Sensory Rice – Wugs and Dooey

Sick Day Slime – B-Inspired Mama

The Lorax Sensory Bottle – The Pleasentest Thing

Soothing Lavender Playdough – B-Inspired Mama

Peppermint Scented Salt Dough – Lemon Lime Adventures

Lavender Cloud Dough – Growing A Jeweled Rose

Scented Science Experiment – Lemon Lime Adventures

Calming Glitter Slime – Lemon Lime Adventures

Lemon Playdough – Kids Activities Blog

Vegetable Colored Playdough – From Playtivities.

The Calm Down Bun – Happily Ever Mom

Scented Sensory Beans – Kids Activities Blog

DIY Snow – Playtivities

Pink Lemonade Playdough – Fireflies and Mud Pies

Stress Away Water Beads – From Parenting Chaos

Lemon Playdough – Powerful Mothering

Glow In The Dark Slime – From Really Are You Serious

Vanilla Playdough – The Life of Jennifer Dawn

New to Essential Oils?

Ha! Me too…awhile ago.

It can be overwhelming with so many oils & choices.

This exclusive package {available for a limited time} gives you everything you need to get started and the information you need to know what to do!

As a Young Living Independent distributor, I started with their AMAZING starter kit & then added a few things I thought you might like…

…like a super huge essential oil information manual. I use mine ALL THE TIME. It is a place you can look up information about each oil individually or find information by looking up the problem you want to solve.

…like an Amazon gift card for $20! You can use it for additional resources or accessories OR just whatever you want!

…like membership in our group’s private FB community. This is a great place to ask questions, get suggestions and find out how other people are using their essential oils. As part of my team, you can also choose other groups like our business building or blogging communities as well.

Check out this article for more information about how to get this essential oil deal from Kids Activities Blog.

 

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22 Adorable Maternity Photo Ideas

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We love photos but maternity shots have to be at the top of the list of cute photo taking opportunities!

We’ve seen our fair share of amazing pregnancy photo shoot ideas and even goofy ways to announce a pregnancy, but these photos really took the cake! If you are expecting, or know some one who is, be sure to scroll through and choose your favorites!

Maternity Picture Ideas

Are you waiting to either find out the gender of your little one OR not announcing it till their big day??  This is a cute maternity announcement photo.

What a cute belly idea – this would be perfect photo for the baby-book.  It is an “I can’t wait to…”  list (from Lizzie of her plans with her daughter)

If you already have kids, try to capture those last moments before your new child arrives.  Love how this mom took a pregnancy shot of her with her son mere days before his sibling arrived.  What a special moment.

 

Offer a sneak peak or a window into the womb.  I love the “heart” hands with a recent  sonogram over the belly in this mommy-and-me-shot.

 

 

Let’s be honest, the pregnancy countdown begins the moment you see those tiny lines on a pregnancy test. These tally marks on the belly  are a tangible way to take a maternity photoshoot  capturing  that countdown in a memorable (and adorable) way!

Do you and your hubby have a favorite sport?  This couple enjoys, you got it, Baseball.  Use paint in a maternity photo to decorate the belly to commemorate the sport your future kiddo will grow up loving as much as you do!

I make Humans.  A little bit sassy, this idea for baby bump photos had us laughing! A throwback to another era with a modern twist, this mama is definitely letting her strength come forth!

In our technology age, one of the cutest pregnancy picture  ideas we’ve come across is the loading sign. You can get it painted on your belly for a fun photo shoot or even grab the shirt  for everyday laughs.

Pregnancy Photo Ideas

Yes. We’re in love with shadows, but this maternity selfie is one of the most gorgeous maternity poses! Even if you are not able to hire a professional maternity photographer, this is one you can do yourself that will still preserve this wonderful time in your life as you wait for the arrival of your newborn.

A shadow of what is to come, we are in love with these pregnancy photos that involve the dad casting a heart shaped shadow of the mom’s belly. Love, life and laughter all coming so soon as a family grows together in love. The artistic aspect of these maternity photos totally make us swoon!

We all tracked our pregnancy with those charts “your child is not the size of a walnut” and later “they are the size of a small grapefruit”.  What a great idea – take a photo along with the food that is representing the size of your baby as they are growing.  It is a fun week-by-week pregnancy photo idea.

You can even make your own chalkboard to track your pregnancy week by week. Write baby’s size on the board, your pregnancy cravings and other symptoms. It will be a fun way to do pregnancy photos and document your pregnancy without forgetting a thing!

One of the most fun baby announcements is revealing the name! We loved the idea to use children’s blocks to spell out the child’s name over mom’s belly. What a sweet reveal through photos to share with friends and family!

If you and a friend are pregnant at the same time, baby bump photos together are basically a requirement. Although the possibilities are endless this shot of mommy best friends and baby best friends definitely melted our hearts!

 

Maternity Photo Shoot Inspiration

Get silly.  Grab some paint and show your little one how much they mean to you with a big red heart!  Paint always makes photo shoots more fun!

Put the sonogram into your pocket.  What a cute way to feature your belly in silhouette along with the image (sonogram) that you look at *so* many times throughout the day!   Cute maternity photo shoot.

 

SO goofy!  If you have a partner who loves to laugh at himself, go for it!  Document all of the bellies in your household.  I love the sympathetic pregnancy shots.

How babies are made.  It’s the age old question “where do babies come from”.   According to this family they come from a lot of air! This is one adorable way to announce your pregnancy and document it until your little one arrives!

 

You can use your maternity photos to reveal your kiddo’s gender.  These baby booties are just adorable!

 

Do you have favorite pregnancy poses that you like to do when you are pregnant? If you are still prepping for pregnancy  or trying to recover from your stretch marks, we can help with that too!

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Canada Day

A to Z Kids Stuff-Educational ideas and activities for young children http://ift.tt/2s3Uwad

Information, history facts, and activities on Canada for school-age children.

How to Make a Simple Paper Plate Marble Maze

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Sometimes you just need a quick and easy activity for kids. This paper plate marble maze uses basic paper straws and glue. It’s perfect for car rides, lazy afternoons, or a quick STEM activity for school.

Paper Plate Marble Maze

When the kids are bored and you feel out of ideas, paper plates always come to the rescue. With a little imagination, paper plates can become anything kids dream.

This paper plate marble maze is easy to put together. You only need a few supplies, and kids can easily customize their own mazes. If kids want to, they can paint their paper plates in advance.

To Make This Craft You Will Need

• white paper plates
• paper straws
• tacky craft glue
• marbles or round beads
• scissors
• felt tip pen

Directions

After gathering supplies, invite kids to cut the straws into shorter pieces with scissors. We enjoyed having a variety of sizes.

Show kids how to glue their straws to the paper plate to create a maze. We used tacky craft glue, but white school glue would work as well.

Creating the maze requires some planning as kids will have to decide where the start and end of their maze is. You may wish to have kids design their maze on a piece of paper first! It will be fun to see their project come to life.

When kids are done creating their mazes, it’s challenge time! Can they get their marble or wooden bead from the start to finish without dropping it? After they succeed, invite them to trade mazes with a friend.

More Paper Plate Crafts for Kids

We love crafting with paper plates. Click the links below to view more creative ideas for kids:

• Paper Plate Frog
• Paper Plate Sun
• Paper Plate Watermelon Suncatchers

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Superhero {Inspired} Coloring Pages

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Get your boys coloring! Here are some recreations of our favorite superheros.

Coloring is a great way to help your kids develop pre-writing skills.  They learn how to control their crayons as they stay within the lines (or not – ha!).

Too often coloring pages are cutesy.  Not something my boys want to get crazy with.  Today, we have coloring pages inspired by Spiderman, Captain America, Batman and Mighty Man.

 

 

 

Which superhero is your kids favorite??

 

Download these four coloring pages at The Printables Library at Kids Activities Blog!

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D Is For Duck. Letter D craft

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We are continuing our Fun With Letters  series with this super cute letter D for Duck craft.

It’s a really simple craft that you can help your kids engage into learning letter D.

As always, my kids enjoyed working with feathers and pompoms. It’s their favorite craft material.

Supplies needed for letter D craft

• Letter D cut out. Preferably yellow color.
• 1 large yellow pom pom
• 1 googly eye
• Little piece of orange construction paper (for the beak)
• Yellow feather
• 1 orange pipe cleaner
• White construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue

Instructions

1. Trace and cut out yellow D letter.
2. Cut out a little heart from an orange construction paper (for the beak)
3. Cut orange pipe cleaner in half. Shape each piece to look like duck feet (1 longer piece with 3 “fingers” in the bottom)
4. Glue duck’s legs at the bottom of letter.
5. Glue the feather on the side of letter D.
6. Glue on the googly eye on yellow pompom and glue it on the letter.
7. Glue on the orange  beak (the orange heart that you cut out).

Your letter D for Duck craft is done!  

Watch a short video of how our  D for Duck craft was done. It turned out so cute!

Fun With Letters Preschool Alphabet Resource

Continue your Letter C learning by signing up for our email series Fun With Letters. This preschool alphabet resource is full of activities, worksheets and coloring pages.

ACTIVITIES TO EXTEND LETTER  D LEARNING

Letter D  handwriting sheet  

Letter D  printables and worksheets  

Letter D  coloring pages  

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