20 Lucky Shamrock Crafts for Kids to Make this St. Patrick’s Day

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Click here to read 20 Lucky Shamrock Crafts for Kids to Make this St. Patrick’s Day on Hands On As We Grow

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Make fun shamrock crafts for kids to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!

St. Patrick’s day is full of fun and laughter for adults, lots of green beer, right? St. Patrick’s day is one of the two times a year my small town has a parade. We take it as a sign of spring and it makes us all happy to get outside and enjoy the fresh air.

After such a hard and very cold winter, I can’t help but wait and wait for the day that spring will come. I feel like it will be a really lucky day.

What better way to prepare for that lucky day than with some shamrock crafts for the kids to make?!

Lucky, Lucky Shamrock Crafts for Kids to Make!

P.S. So many of these shamrock crafts for kids to make are from the Hands On As We Grow archives. Some ideas other hands on moms who submit their craftiness.  Lots of hands on moms submit their crafty ideas, as well as fun activities, here on Hands On As We Grow.

Plus some are just from my favorite blogs that I couldn’t leave out!

Shamrocks means spring is getting close! There’s so many fun spring crafts for kids to make this time of year!

Are you a lucky four leaf clover or a shamrock fan? What shamrock crafts will your kids make?

20 Lucky Shamrock Crafts for Kids to Make this St. Patrick’s Day

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2CPbvBF

Click here to read 20 Lucky Shamrock Crafts for Kids to Make this St. Patrick’s Day on Hands On As We Grow

---

Make fun shamrock crafts for kids to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!

St. Patrick’s day is full of fun and laughter for adults, lots of green beer, right? St. Patrick’s day is one of the two times a year my small town has a parade. We take it as a sign of spring and it makes us all happy to get outside and enjoy the fresh air.

After such a hard and very cold winter, I can’t help but wait and wait for the day that spring will come. I feel like it will be a really lucky day.

What better way to prepare for that lucky day than with some shamrock crafts for the kids to make?!

Lucky, Lucky Shamrock Crafts for Kids to Make!

P.S. So many of these shamrock crafts for kids to make are from the Hands On As We Grow archives. Some ideas other hands on moms who submit their craftiness.  Lots of hands on moms submit their crafty ideas, as well as fun activities, here on Hands On As We Grow.

Plus some are just from my favorite blogs that I couldn’t leave out!

Shamrocks means spring is getting close! There’s so many fun spring crafts for kids to make this time of year!

Are you a lucky four leaf clover or a shamrock fan? What shamrock crafts will your kids make?

Follow-the-String Indoor Scavenger Hunt for Kids

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2fhOEch

Click here to read Follow-the-String Indoor Scavenger Hunt for Kids on Hands On As We Grow

---

An indoor scavenger hunt for kids is switched up with a little string and letters.

In an attempt to keep bringing the same fun for my younger kids, we just redid this string indoor scavenger hunt to spell your name with George.

Whether its their name, or finding little gems you’ve hidden along the way, it doesn’t matter. But having them find the letters of their name just adds a little fun learning twist.

To begin, I weaved yarn in and out, under and over, our dining room table and chairs.

I pulled the chairs away from the table toward the edge of the room.

Find 32 scavenger hunt ideas for kids that they’ll love to hunt for!

I started the string at one of the room by tying it to a chair.

Then strung it through the chair backs, legs, table legs, and so on throughout the room.

I weaved it so that George would have to step over chairs, bend and crawl under the table to follow the string.

I have letter foam stickers that I stuck to little pieces of paper. (You could just write letters on paper instead.) I made enough to spell his name.

I clipped those letters onto the string. I put them in order of his name, but he didn’t spell his name as he was going. It was done at the end, so the order doesn’t really matter.

From the starting point of the yarn, George ran his hand along the yarn to find his way through the course.

I guess this is more of an obstacle course than a scavenger hunt. But he searched for the letters of his name as he went through.

That was the main rule I had for the activity, to keep his hand on the string so he’d know where he was at (and not skip over to the string next to it and miss out!).

At the end, he spread out his findings to spell his name!

Like I said, we did this a long time ago with Henry, too.

Here’s his version from a few years ago.

During nap time, I set up this simple ‘follow the string’ indoor scavenger hunt for kids.

I strung yarn around the room (a couple of rooms actually).

Looping it through furniture and toys, creating a tangled mess.

I found this string scavenger hunt idea for outside awhile back from Ready. Set. Read! but recently saw another similar scavenger hunt at Having Fun at Home with ribbons.

Find all sorts of scavenger hunt ideas for kids here.

With clothespins, I pinned stickers and letters to hunt for along the course of the string.

Henry awoke and instantly began climbing through, over and under the strings.

He wasn’t really sure what I had intended with this mess.

Luckily, during a quick potty break, I explained the rules:

• Start at the beginning of the string and keep a hold of the string.
• Follow the string throughout the scavenger hunt.
• Hunt for and collect treasures along the way.

Henry continued his climbing over and under each string as he came across it.

Crawling under the table where the string took him.

Finding treasures as he came across them.

In the end, the letters spelled his name (in order, but that didn’t matter since he wouldn’t put them down and they got all jumbled up in his hand).

There were also ‘treasures’ of Bob the Builder stickers.

Henry’s been continually playing with his machine (Bob the Builder) stickers as if they were toys.

What kind of indoor scavenger hunt for kids do you love to do?

Another indoor scavenger hunt for kids to do is search for letters and numbers! It’s great for matching upper and lowercase letters, along with practicing counting. Try it!

Pin this to save for later:

Follow-the-String Indoor Scavenger Hunt for Kids

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2fhOEch

Click here to read Follow-the-String Indoor Scavenger Hunt for Kids on Hands On As We Grow

---

An indoor scavenger hunt for kids is switched up with a little string and letters.

In an attempt to keep bringing the same fun for my younger kids, we just redid this string indoor scavenger hunt to spell your name with George.

Whether its their name, or finding little gems you’ve hidden along the way, it doesn’t matter. But having them find the letters of their name just adds a little fun learning twist.

To begin, I weaved yarn in and out, under and over, our dining room table and chairs.

I pulled the chairs away from the table toward the edge of the room.

Find 32 scavenger hunt ideas for kids that they’ll love to hunt for!

I started the string at one of the room by tying it to a chair.

Then strung it through the chair backs, legs, table legs, and so on throughout the room.

I weaved it so that George would have to step over chairs, bend and crawl under the table to follow the string.

I have letter foam stickers that I stuck to little pieces of paper. (You could just write letters on paper instead.) I made enough to spell his name.

I clipped those letters onto the string. I put them in order of his name, but he didn’t spell his name as he was going. It was done at the end, so the order doesn’t really matter.

From the starting point of the yarn, George ran his hand along the yarn to find his way through the course.

I guess this is more of an obstacle course than a scavenger hunt. But he searched for the letters of his name as he went through.

That was the main rule I had for the activity, to keep his hand on the string so he’d know where he was at (and not skip over to the string next to it and miss out!).

At the end, he spread out his findings to spell his name!

Like I said, we did this a long time ago with Henry, too.

Here’s his version from a few years ago.

During nap time, I set up this simple ‘follow the string’ indoor scavenger hunt for kids.

I strung yarn around the room (a couple of rooms actually).

Looping it through furniture and toys, creating a tangled mess.

I found this string scavenger hunt idea for outside awhile back from Ready. Set. Read! but recently saw another similar scavenger hunt at Having Fun at Home with ribbons.

Find all sorts of scavenger hunt ideas for kids here.

With clothespins, I pinned stickers and letters to hunt for along the course of the string.

Henry awoke and instantly began climbing through, over and under the strings.

He wasn’t really sure what I had intended with this mess.

Luckily, during a quick potty break, I explained the rules:

• Start at the beginning of the string and keep a hold of the string.
• Follow the string throughout the scavenger hunt.
• Hunt for and collect treasures along the way.

Henry continued his climbing over and under each string as he came across it.

Crawling under the table where the string took him.

Finding treasures as he came across them.

In the end, the letters spelled his name (in order, but that didn’t matter since he wouldn’t put them down and they got all jumbled up in his hand).

There were also ‘treasures’ of Bob the Builder stickers.

Henry’s been continually playing with his machine (Bob the Builder) stickers as if they were toys.

What kind of indoor scavenger hunt for kids do you love to do?

Another indoor scavenger hunt for kids to do is search for letters and numbers! It’s great for matching upper and lowercase letters, along with practicing counting. Try it!

Pin this to save for later:

DIY Family Mailboxes for All Ages

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Click here to read DIY Family Mailboxes for All Ages on Hands On As We Grow

---

Let your little one play mail carrier with DIY family mailboxes from Rachel!

My girls love to write notes and draw pictures for others. Having a special place to “mail” their letters makes it easier for everyone.

These DIY family mailboxes are an easy way to get the whole family creating together! They also provide endless opportunities for creating, learning, and connecting.

Check out these other family time ideas!

DIY family mailboxes are simple to make!

There are many ways to make DIY family mailboxes. It should be fun and relaxing, so definitely don’t make a trip to the store for supplies.

You can make it work with just about anything. We used those clasping full-size manila envelopes.

You could also use file folders – just staple the sides shut. Two pieces of cardstock or construction paper stapled on three sides would work, too.

Once you have your “mailbox” figured out, collect some items to decorate them and get creating! We used fine-line markers, dot markers, stamps, and stickers.

Make sure each mailbox has the owner’s name on it – other than that, everyone should decorate however they want!

Hannah’s name was added too early in the process and got covered up with her decorating skills. But we still know which one is hers!

You could skip the possible confusion by adding names last or using a white sticker label instead.

I hung our DIY family mailboxes on the inside of the pantry door using some removable adhesive squares.

Now, whenever anyone wants, they can draw a picture or write a note for a family member and slip it in their mailbox.

The girls are having so much fun with our DIY family mailboxes. They love creating mail for others and finding something in their mailbox.

There are a ton of learning opportunities.

The kids are having so much fun, they don’t even realize how much they are learning!

For Hannah (age 4), we talk about colors and shapes when she is making a picture for someone. She is also starting to get into letters, so we talk about letters while I help her write notes.

Emma (6) practices her handwriting, phonics, and spelling as she writes her notes.

Izzie (8) is obsessed with writing in cursive, so she practices her cursive and spelling with her notes.

So much learning and they don’t even think about it!

What is your family’s favorite creative activity?

DIY Family Mailboxes for All Ages

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2HMKtPf

Click here to read DIY Family Mailboxes for All Ages on Hands On As We Grow

---

Let your little one play mail carrier with DIY family mailboxes from Rachel!

My girls love to write notes and draw pictures for others. Having a special place to “mail” their letters makes it easier for everyone.

These DIY family mailboxes are an easy way to get the whole family creating together! They also provide endless opportunities for creating, learning, and connecting.

Check out these other family time ideas!

DIY family mailboxes are simple to make!

There are many ways to make DIY family mailboxes. It should be fun and relaxing, so definitely don’t make a trip to the store for supplies.

You can make it work with just about anything. We used those clasping full-size manila envelopes.

You could also use file folders – just staple the sides shut. Two pieces of cardstock or construction paper stapled on three sides would work, too.

Once you have your “mailbox” figured out, collect some items to decorate them and get creating! We used fine-line markers, dot markers, stamps, and stickers.

Make sure each mailbox has the owner’s name on it – other than that, everyone should decorate however they want!

Hannah’s name was added too early in the process and got covered up with her decorating skills. But we still know which one is hers!

You could skip the possible confusion by adding names last or using a white sticker label instead.

I hung our DIY family mailboxes on the inside of the pantry door using some removable adhesive squares.

Now, whenever anyone wants, they can draw a picture or write a note for a family member and slip it in their mailbox.

The girls are having so much fun with our DIY family mailboxes. They love creating mail for others and finding something in their mailbox.

There are a ton of learning opportunities.

The kids are having so much fun, they don’t even realize how much they are learning!

For Hannah (age 4), we talk about colors and shapes when she is making a picture for someone. She is also starting to get into letters, so we talk about letters while I help her write notes.

Emma (6) practices her handwriting, phonics, and spelling as she writes her notes.

Izzie (8) is obsessed with writing in cursive, so she practices her cursive and spelling with her notes.

So much learning and they don’t even think about it!

What is your family’s favorite creative activity?

Learning Letters Action Game

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2EQ4BlR

Click here to read Learning Letters Action Game on Hands On As We Grow

---

Your child will have a blast with a fun learning letters action game that’s also a follow-the-leader activity!

Being a stay-at-home parent can be challenging. You have to be “on” all day, every day.

On the other hand, you do get to monopolize all the sticky kisses, sweet hugs, and create priceless memories constantly. Plus, you get to enjoy those ah-ha moments, like the learning letters action game our Member of the Month created for her children.

Our Member of the Month, Rachel, knows firsthand the highs, and lows, of being a full-time stay at home mom.

“As a stay at home parent you don’t really get any praise or acknowledgment for the ‘work’ you do,” explains Rachel. “But also there is no one checking if you are ‘slacking’.”

Finding Community Virtually

It can be quite isolating, especially for parents who are going from working full time to being at home all the time.

Rachel uses The Activity Room as her source of inspiration and as a support system for those tough days.

“The Activity Room isn’t just ideas for play. It’s a whole support network for parents,” Rachel says. “I’m so encouraged everytime I post something and get a comment I feel like ‘yes I am doing a good job!’ and it gives me some accountability.”

“Many members post ideas and encourage each other to try things I wouldn’t have thought of and share ways to adapt activities which gives me more confidence to try new things,” gushes Rachel.

Plus, having a community to laugh with during “parenting fails” makes being a stay at home parent feel less lonely.

“I love it when people share epic failures, it makes me realize ‘it’s not just me’!”

Let’s Meet Rachel!

How many kids do you have and how old are they?

3 kids. 2 boys 4 & 5 and a girl 7 months old.

How long have you been in The Activity Room?

since December 2017

What is your favorite activity you’ve done in The Activity Room?

The Christmas tree letters match! We did a number match for the youngest, but it was so easy to adapt and kept the boys entertained for ages.

What’s your favorite thing to do with your kids when you get a few moments?

Their favorite thing is hide-and-seek! I like to go outdoors on an adventure. We often do a ‘bear hunt’ or go looking for ‘The Gruffalo”. We just wear wellies and waterproofs if it’s raining.

If it’s only a few moments I like to get out the masking tape and make a road or a maze on the floor to race the cars around. Sometimes I set this up when they’re at school / pre-school. They are super excited to get their cars out when they walk through the door.

What’s your best tip for doing activities with your kids?

Make it as mess free as possible for easy cleanup. we keep any “dry” activities on a mat. Everything for the activity has to stay on the mat.

This saves small bits and pieces being spread across the whole house. I can lift the whole mat up out of the way so the littlest one isn’t picking up anything she might choke on.

“Wet/ messy” activities are done on a tuft tray to keep everything contained and it can go straight out to the garden to clean. Rain is great for washing away the paint!

Anything on the kitchen table like baking or even stickers is done on a paper tablecloth that can be folded up with all the mess inside for a quick cleanup at meal times.

From Feeling Guilty to Quality Time Together:

Before The Activity Room, I spent a lot of time watching TV with my toddler feeling guilty for not making the most of my time with him but being unsure of what activities he’d enjoy.

Now with The Activity Room, I have an idea for every day, I spend more quality time with both of my boys and they even ask me to repeat activities.

I feel like a more successful parent as I feel less guilty when I do need downtime and let them watch cartoons. I know we’ve spent quality time together playing.

Share your favorite quote

“There’s no such thing as a perfect parent so just be a real one.” ~Sue Atkins

Activity to Share: Learning Letters Action Game

I’m trying to help my 4-year-old with his phonics so we’re doing a lot of letter games.

His favorite is where we write 4 letters on 4 pieces of card. Then, we place them in the corners of the room. We love this learning letters action game!

Then, I shout out a letter and the action he has to carry out to get to the letter, like dance to “A”, or bunny hop to “S”.

We can play this learning letters action game for ages!

Practice letter recognition with fun games!

How do you practice letter recognition with your children?

Learning Letters Action Game

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2EQ4BlR

Click here to read Learning Letters Action Game on Hands On As We Grow

---

Your child will have a blast with a fun learning letters action game that’s also a follow-the-leader activity!

Being a stay-at-home parent can be challenging. You have to be “on” all day, every day.

On the other hand, you do get to monopolize all the sticky kisses, sweet hugs, and create priceless memories constantly. Plus, you get to enjoy those ah-ha moments, like the learning letters action game our Member of the Month created for her children.

Our Member of the Month, Rachel, knows firsthand the highs, and lows, of being a full-time stay at home mom.

“As a stay at home parent you don’t really get any praise or acknowledgment for the ‘work’ you do,” explains Rachel. “But also there is no one checking if you are ‘slacking’.”

Finding Community Virtually

It can be quite isolating, especially for parents who are going from working full time to being at home all the time.

Rachel uses The Activity Room as her source of inspiration and as a support system for those tough days.

“The Activity Room isn’t just ideas for play. It’s a whole support network for parents,” Rachel says. “I’m so encouraged everytime I post something and get a comment I feel like ‘yes I am doing a good job!’ and it gives me some accountability.”

“Many members post ideas and encourage each other to try things I wouldn’t have thought of and share ways to adapt activities which gives me more confidence to try new things,” gushes Rachel.

Plus, having a community to laugh with during “parenting fails” makes being a stay at home parent feel less lonely.

“I love it when people share epic failures, it makes me realize ‘it’s not just me’!”

Let’s Meet Rachel!

How many kids do you have and how old are they?

3 kids. 2 boys 4 & 5 and a girl 7 months old.

How long have you been in The Activity Room?

since December 2017

What is your favorite activity you’ve done in The Activity Room?

The Christmas tree letters match! We did a number match for the youngest, but it was so easy to adapt and kept the boys entertained for ages.

What’s your favorite thing to do with your kids when you get a few moments?

Their favorite thing is hide-and-seek! I like to go outdoors on an adventure. We often do a ‘bear hunt’ or go looking for ‘The Gruffalo”. We just wear wellies and waterproofs if it’s raining.

If it’s only a few moments I like to get out the masking tape and make a road or a maze on the floor to race the cars around. Sometimes I set this up when they’re at school / pre-school. They are super excited to get their cars out when they walk through the door.

What’s your best tip for doing activities with your kids?

Make it as mess free as possible for easy cleanup. we keep any “dry” activities on a mat. Everything for the activity has to stay on the mat.

This saves small bits and pieces being spread across the whole house. I can lift the whole mat up out of the way so the littlest one isn’t picking up anything she might choke on.

“Wet/ messy” activities are done on a tuft tray to keep everything contained and it can go straight out to the garden to clean. Rain is great for washing away the paint!

Anything on the kitchen table like baking or even stickers is done on a paper tablecloth that can be folded up with all the mess inside for a quick cleanup at meal times.

From Feeling Guilty to Quality Time Together:

Before The Activity Room, I spent a lot of time watching TV with my toddler feeling guilty for not making the most of my time with him but being unsure of what activities he’d enjoy.

Now with The Activity Room, I have an idea for every day, I spend more quality time with both of my boys and they even ask me to repeat activities.

I feel like a more successful parent as I feel less guilty when I do need downtime and let them watch cartoons. I know we’ve spent quality time together playing.

Share your favorite quote

“There’s no such thing as a perfect parent so just be a real one.” ~Sue Atkins

Activity to Share: Learning Letters Action Game

I’m trying to help my 4-year-old with his phonics so we’re doing a lot of letter games.

His favorite is where we write 4 letters on 4 pieces of card. Then, we place them in the corners of the room. We love this learning letters action game!

Then, I shout out a letter and the action he has to carry out to get to the letter, like dance to “A”, or bunny hop to “S”.

We can play this learning letters action game for ages!

Practice letter recognition with fun games!

How do you practice letter recognition with your children?

Dr Seuss

A to Z Kids Stuff-Educational ideas and activities for young children http://ift.tt/2ofYe0u

Some ideas for Dr Seuss Day - March 2nd.

12 Snowy Indoor Activities for Kids this Winter

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2sIqUUV

Click here to read 12 Snowy Indoor Activities for Kids this Winter on Hands On As We Grow

---

Have tons of wintery fun with snowy indoor activities to do with your children!

It’s hard being stuck inside during winter weather. When that happens, it’s time for easy and fun snowy indoor activities.

Here’s a list of a bunch of fun snowy activities for the kids to do that are also all winter related and snow themed!

Most of these activities and crafts use things you might already have around the house, too. That makes it super simple to enjoy indoor winter fun.

12 Snowy Indoor Activities for Kids to do this Winter

• Make gorgeous ice decorations to hang outside. From Red Ted Art.
• Use toilet paper rolls to make adorable snowmen. From Life with Moore Babies.
• Learn how to make a 6 pointed snowflake. From Preschool Powel Packets.
• An easy way to make glittery snowflake window clings. From One Little Project.
• Stamp snowflakes using pipe cleaners. From CraftoArt.
• Learn about angles while making snowflakes. From Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational
• Craft sticks and cotton balls (and other misc items!) make cute snowflakes. From Hey Mommy, Chocolate Milk
• Assemble snowflakes with Q-Tips! From Racing and Saving Mama.
• Paint snowflake negatives for wrapping paper. From Create with Your Hands.
• Make a window full of snow! From Hands On As We Grow
• Cut shiny snowflakes out leftover wrapping paper. From Kiwi Co.
• Make a snowman from craft sticks! From Mom on Time Out.

More ways to have fun this winter:

• 40 winter activities for toddlers
• 32 snow themed activities for kids
• 30 ways to make a snowflake
• 24 snowman crafts for kids to make
• 28 winter crafts for kids

12 Snowy Indoor Activities for Kids this Winter

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2sIqUUV

Click here to read 12 Snowy Indoor Activities for Kids this Winter on Hands On As We Grow

---

Have tons of wintery fun with snowy indoor activities to do with your children!

It’s hard being stuck inside during winter weather. When that happens, it’s time for easy and fun snowy indoor activities.

Here’s a list of a bunch of fun snowy activities for the kids to do that are also all winter related and snow themed!

Most of these activities and crafts use things you might already have around the house, too. That makes it super simple to enjoy indoor winter fun.

12 Snowy Indoor Activities for Kids to do this Winter

• Make gorgeous ice decorations to hang outside. From Red Ted Art.
• Use toilet paper rolls to make adorable snowmen. From Life with Moore Babies.
• Learn how to make a 6 pointed snowflake. From Preschool Powel Packets.
• An easy way to make glittery snowflake window clings. From One Little Project.
• Stamp snowflakes using pipe cleaners. From CraftoArt.
• Learn about angles while making snowflakes. From Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational
• Craft sticks and cotton balls (and other misc items!) make cute snowflakes. From Hey Mommy, Chocolate Milk
• Assemble snowflakes with Q-Tips! From Racing and Saving Mama.
• Paint snowflake negatives for wrapping paper. From Create with Your Hands.
• Make a window full of snow! From Hands On As We Grow
• Cut shiny snowflakes out leftover wrapping paper. From Kiwi Co.
• Make a snowman from craft sticks! From Mom on Time Out.

More ways to have fun this winter:

• 40 winter activities for toddlers
• 32 snow themed activities for kids
• 30 ways to make a snowflake
• 24 snowman crafts for kids to make
• 28 winter crafts for kids

Salt Paint for Toddlers: An Icy Winter Scene

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2CzemPg

Click here to read Salt Paint for Toddlers: An Icy Winter Scene on Hands On As We Grow

---

Toddlers will love to make an icy painting scene using salt paint!

This wintery sensory activity came about after an epic “Craft Fail” of trying to frost my windows with Epsom Salt. I had an entire box of it leftover and wasn’t sure what to do with it.

I did find one thing to do with it so far.

George made some icy salt pain with just glue and salt. He used the glue as a sensory material. It was a sticky, gooey mess! (And I loved it just as much!)

Make Sensory Icy Salt Paint

To be honest, I actually intended to use leftover spaghetti as a painting tool for this. George wouldn’t touch the spaghetti.

Instead, he dipped his hand in the bowl of glue I set out and used that as his paint tool.

What was really awesome is that the glue doesn’t just fall off his hands. He had to shake it off. Which made really cool designs on the paper.

The faster he shook, the thinner the lines it made. If he just let it fall, it pooled up in a spot.

Then he sprinkled some Epsom Salt on the glue.

And since George had glue on his fingers, the salt stuck to him, too! (He really didn’t like that too much.)

I loved the effect of the Epsom Salt as compared to regular kitchen salt. It’s much more crystallized when it dries.

In this case, bigger is better!

It was fun winter painting activity, and it will be nice to have on display for the next month or so.

Adding color to the salt paint can be an added bonus too! One Perfect Day has some gorgeous colored salt painting!

Explore more with your toddler with these sensory activities!

How have you recovered from a Craft Fail? I’d love to see your story in the comments!

Salt Paint for Toddlers: An Icy Winter Scene

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2CzemPg

Click here to read Salt Paint for Toddlers: An Icy Winter Scene on Hands On As We Grow

---

Toddlers will love to make an icy painting scene using salt paint!

This wintery sensory activity came about after an epic “Craft Fail” of trying to frost my windows with Epsom Salt. I had an entire box of it leftover and wasn’t sure what to do with it.

I did find one thing to do with it so far.

George made some icy salt pain with just glue and salt. He used the glue as a sensory material. It was a sticky, gooey mess! (And I loved it just as much!)

Make Sensory Icy Salt Paint

To be honest, I actually intended to use leftover spaghetti as a painting tool for this. George wouldn’t touch the spaghetti.

Instead, he dipped his hand in the bowl of glue I set out and used that as his paint tool.

What was really awesome is that the glue doesn’t just fall off his hands. He had to shake it off. Which made really cool designs on the paper.

The faster he shook, the thinner the lines it made. If he just let it fall, it pooled up in a spot.

Then he sprinkled some Epsom Salt on the glue.

And since George had glue on his fingers, the salt stuck to him, too! (He really didn’t like that too much.)

I loved the effect of the Epsom Salt as compared to regular kitchen salt. It’s much more crystallized when it dries.

In this case, bigger is better!

It was fun winter painting activity, and it will be nice to have on display for the next month or so.

Adding color to the salt paint can be an added bonus too! One Perfect Day has some gorgeous colored salt painting!

Explore more with your toddler with these sensory activities!

How have you recovered from a Craft Fail? I’d love to see your story in the comments!

Create Simple Decorative Magnets

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Click here to read Create Simple Decorative Magnets on Hands On As We Grow

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Perk up your fridge with simple decorative magnets from Brigitte!

Making some decorative magnets together is a super simple craft to do with your children. The supplies are easy to find, too!

How to Make Decorative Magnets with Buttons

If your children can keep buttons and magnets out of their mouths, then you might be ready to try to fun craft. It’s a good way to practice creative planning and fine motor skills, like peeling.

You’ll need:

• buttons (affiliate link)
• adhesive magnets

You can also jazz things up with extras like stickers or glitter.

First, peel the backing from an adhesive magnet.

Then, stick the magnet on to the back of a button. Help younger children to center their magnet onto the back of the button

The button magnet is done- so simple!

Your little one may want to create her own little button flower.

To do this, draw and cut petals from construction paper. Then, hang the petals on the refrigerator with the newly created button magnet.

Do more with button activities and crafts!

How to Make Clear Stone Picture Decorative Magnets

Some preschoolers and school-aged children may want more of a challenge than the cute button magnet. If that’s the case for your children, they may enjoy creating a decorative clear stone magnet (while your little one is having fun with her little button magnet) with these easy steps.

You’ll need:

• paintbrush
• Mod Podge (affiliate link)
• adhesive magnets
• clear stones (we bought a bag at Dollar Tree)
• decorative paper or old magazines (for a picture to put on to the stone)

First, trace around the stone while holding it firmly over the chosen picture.

Next, cut on the traced line. It’s okay to cut a little on the outside of the line because it can be trimmed later if desired.

This is great cutting practice!

Using the paintbrush, add a layer of Mod Podge on to the flat side of the clear stone.

Place the picture face down on to the stone. Press firmly.

Let dry. If the paper doesn’t stick well, you may need to apply a thicker layer of Mod Podge and then let dry again.

Once it is completely dry, peel and stick the magnet on the back of the paper.

If desired, any excess paper can be trimmed from around the edges of the stone. The front side of the stone may also need to be wiped off with a damp washcloth.

Find another adorable craft that uses Mod Podge.

Whether your kids decide to make a button magnet or a clear stone magnet, these cute creations can be used to hang their latest piece of artwork on the refrigerator.

School-aged children may even be able to use their decorative magnets in their lockers at school. Simple, fun, and useful!

Besides stones and buttons, what other objects can you find to create cute decorative magnets to display?