Catholic Homeschool Fun: Pumpkin Spider Craft

Whether you call it Autumn or Fall, the season of falling leaves and pumpkins is at hand. This always brings a plethora of craft ideas. This one was inspired by a Pinterest entry I recently pinned. The little white pumpkins were volunteers in our garden - but they can also be purchased at this time of the year.

Pumpkin Spider Craft Supplies

• Miniature pumpkins - white or orange
• Tea lights
• Pipe cleaners
• Googly eyes
• Markers - washable for younger kids, permanent for better coverage
• Hot glue gun
• Paring knife
• Wooden skewer

Pumpkin Spider Craft Instructions

• Trace around tea light on pumpkin and cut out plug
• Insert tea light, including metal holder
• Color pumpkin and give it a spider face - fangs and all
• Cut pipe cleaners in half to make eight legs
• Using wooden skewer, poke 8 holes into pumpkins
• One at a time, place a dot of hot glue on holes in pumpkin and quickly insert legs
• Glue on googly eyes
• Make a bend about halfway in each leg and then another, smaller section on the end for feet

Depending on the age of your youngsters, they can do more or less of this cute craft. Ours are young, so they did the coloring and drew on the faces. Enjoy your fall themed centerpiece at your kitchen table and enjoy the warm glow - both from the candle and on the face of your little one!

Become a Pro-Life Advocate - It Couldn't be Easier!

Abortion is a scourge on our nation; yet there are millions of faithful pro-life citizens across the land. Recent statistics have shown that, even after the reelection of the most rabidly pro-abortion president in history, our nation remains firmly in the corner of Life. In fact, the numbers of those who are pro-life are on the rise. Yet there is much frustration among the faithful. The recent mass carnageat an elementary school in Newtown, CT illustrates the duplicity exhibited by our government, when it comes to the value of Life. In an address concerning this horrific event, President Obama spoke these words.

“If there’s even one step we can take to save a child, then surely we have an obligation to try.

“Are we really prepared to say that we’re powerless in the face of such carnage, that the politics are too hard? Are we prepared to say that such violence visited on our children year after year after year is somehow the price of our freedom?”

The irony of Obama’s obtuse statement didn’t escape the millions of citizens who honor the sanctity of all Life – in fact it further fueled their frustration. Yet this is exactly what we are up against and why we must solidify our efforts. There are legions of us and together we can be the difference that swings our country back to a Culture of Life.

So why is it that so few people seem to be willing to fully commit to the issue? That is a question I ponder daily. Each new day finds me doing my best to focus on my Catholic faith and, by extension, furthering the pro-life movement. I’m quite bold about my positions on both counts and it would be difficult to mistake where I stand. Consequently there are also many like-minded people in my life – both locally and across the nation. Yet much pro-life advocacy support comes in private. I find that many people are still hesitant to take a strong public stand. Although I receive countless private messages of encouragement and agreement, I find that public support is somewhat timid.

pro-life activism 101

So what can be done?  

Go to the Catholic Sistas blog to find out how to easily make a Pro-Life difference!

Go to the Designs by Birgit fan page to see over 80 Pro-Life posters like the one above!

Source: catholicsistas.com via Birgit on Pinterest

Homeschool Update: Latest Projects

This old desk used to belong to Mama

Project #1 - Desk Renovation

Materials:

• Old desk
• Chalkboard paint
• Painting sponge or brush
• Painter's tape
• Damp rag or tack cloth
• Colorful baskets

New desk for Simon with nonstick surface - plus supply boxes.

Procedure:

• Renovate old drawing desk into a new preschool desk.

• Thoroughly clean and lightly sand the dry erase surface of desk

• Using a damp rag or tack cloth, wipe away all residue

Chalkboard for learning how to draw shapes.

• Using painter's tape, cover the wood frame

• Apply chalkboard paint 3x, allowing to dry 24 hours in-between

• Use small plastic baskets to accommodate school supplies

The upside? The chalkboard paint provides a slip proof surface for writing. Kids can enjoy hours of drawing or practicing their writing skills. The little plastic baskets hold all of their school supplies - 88 cents at Wal-Mart!

Project #2 - Bottle Cap Stamps (Pinterest inspired)

Materials:

• Soda bottle caps
• Foam stickers
• Wooden dowel rod
• Hot glue gun
• Washable poster paint
• Paint brush
• Paper plate
• Paper

• Cut the dowel rod into 3" lengths and set aside.
• Attach soda bottle caps to one end of each dowel rod piece with hot glue.
• Place one foam sticker on the top of each soda bottle cap.

Now your littles are ready to play! Squeeze a bit of washable poster paint onto a paper plate. Allow the child to either dip and stamp or to use a paint brush to apply paint to the sticker/stamp. They will be entertained for a good while enjoying their new skill! Have fun!

Playing to Learn

I have to admit, I'm new to homeschooling toddlers. Back in the day, I homeschooled our now 24 year old from 5th grade through 8th. That four years was filled with structure and many activities including Science Olympiad, plays at the local theater, and a myriad of sports. We used the Seton curriculum and I loved it for it's concise methodology. Our day began with 7:00 a.m. Mass, where Mark served every day, and lasted until early afternoon - depending on his motivation that day. Mark has ADD, so I had to build in plenty of 'change ups' in order for him to be able to focus. Do religion - empty the trash, work on history - shoot a few hoops. He wasn't like our other children who would sit for long periods of time, nose to the grindstone, and get work completed all in one long session.

Although there are similarities in an ADD child and toddlers, the older child came equipped with a developed  skill of handwriting and other previously learned lessons. With young children, they really are a clean slate. I don't necessarily have to 'unteach' anything yet there is a lot of prep work for later learning. While this set of kids is well versed in the basics - colors, shapes, letters and starting sounds, numbers and simple math, their fine motor skills are very primitive at this point. I've done different things to help them with this - for example, Clean Finger Painting and working with sorting small colored pebbles. It's been encouraging to hear suggestions from mothers of toddlers in my Facebook Homeschool group and to use ideas gleaned from blogs and Pinterest. All in all, I'm quite pleased with the past two weeks.

The aforementioned play breaks can be a continuation of learning, however, and I have found that we all enjoy new approaches. Today, I decided to give another Pinterest idea a try. I made an indoor badminton game using paper plates, paint stirrers, and balloons. They learned sharing, team work, and hand-eye coordination. I was quite surprised at how well the two-year-old did! Here's what I did:

Materials:
2 large paper plates
2 wooden paint stirrers
1 balloon
Stapler


Create:
Center paper plate over wooden stick, leaving enough sticking out one end to create the handle.
Staple securely into place on the paper plate side.
Blow up the balloons.

Balancing

Play:
Give each child a 'racquet'
Instruct them to volley the balloon back and forth, trying not to allow it to touch the floor.
You can also give them each a balloon.
Another excercise is to tell them to balance the balloon on their racquet as they walk, without allowing it to float away. This will teach them balance and patience.

The resulting hours of fun will stimulate their imagination, help them expend lots of energy, and serves as a great incentive for neatly completed work.

Balloon and paper plate badminton. 

Homeschool: Clean Finger Painting

OK, I'll admit it...I hate 'messy'. Even as a child, I just didn't get the concept of a - eeww - sandbox. I would stand there, fingers splayed, until my mother came to clean me up. This continued into adulthood and people would often remark, in wonder, about how I could help my husband set tobacco and come out looking fresh as a daisy - after 8 or 9 hours under the scorching sun, handling thousands of little tobacco sets. I'd learned how to stay clean even in messy circumstances.

Fast forward to parenthood and you might note that my adult children still associate a 'good' toy with one that comes with a case. That way, the one toy at a time rule is much simpler and even young children can be employed to help clean up their own mess. At All Saints Catholic Home School this idea reigns supreme. I can whip out hand and foot prints with nary a drop of paint spilled and even cooking with the kids is a tidy enterprise.

With a 2 and 4 year old to teach, however, I am having to look for ways to aid their manual dexterity. Both kids know their colors, shapes, letters, and numbers so the natural progression seems to suggest that it's time for some writing practice. Anyone who has taught hand writing to young children, however, will tell you that it's a time-consuming endeavor. Simon is a typical boy and goes at everything with male gusto. His lines become too long, his S's have too many curves and his O's look more like a tornado about to hit.

Note how all of the I's are one long line. lol

I've already found a couple of very helpful ideas on Pinterest and they seem to be doing the trick. One, very simple one, is to simply draw out his letters with a yellow highlighter and then allow him to trace them. For added incentive, I allow him to use a coveted ink pen! I do this at the top of every paper as well as papers dedicated specifically to this task. He is already showing some improvement - when he slows down enough to resist the temptation of racing through the effort.

I tried another Pinterest idea today and both kids enjoyed it immensely - and there was absolutely no mess!!!

Materials:

Board or tabletop
Gallon Ziplock bag
Finger paint
Tape - I used the blue, low-stick painter's tape

How to Assemble:

Open bag and squeeze paint into interior...I used four colors
Carefully flatten bag to remove excess air and zip.
Lay on board or table top and tape on all four sides.
Voila! Allow kids to mix colors by pressing against the colors in the bag.
When they have enjoyed their color mixing, ask them to trace letters or shapes.

This is an idea that can be used over and over again...even on car trips or outdoors. Instead of making two, I only made one to teach them about taking turns. It also makes it more desirable when each one doesn't have one...at least with my crew! Enjoy!

Homeschool Kitchen - Fruit Chews

So today is the first day of school for All Saints Catholic Home School! ASCHS hasn't been active since our youngest was in 8th grade - some ten years ago! Of course, as a stay-at- home Nana, I have certainly done my share of creating teaching moments for my young charges, but today we began in earnest once again.

Simon is 4 and will be taught a combination of pre-school and kindergarten material. He comes well equipped already. He's known his letters by sight from about 18 months or so and can recite the alphabet, count, and sound out the beginning letters of words already. Math has also come easily to him and he can do simple addition such as 3 + 3 = 6.

Rachel is 2 and knows letters and numbers by sight as well as shapes and colors. She must have inherited (and assimilated) Simon's natural propensity for absorbing anything and everything she hears even once. Although she is still quite the precocious, active toddler, she is also determined to please - at least most of the time. Add the fact that she is potty trained, and I am happy to say that the revival of my role as teacher should be quite smooth.

In addition to beginning class time, I have always added a bit of practical learning into the mix. Today, after writing, math, and drawing, we had a kitchen lesson on how to make your own fruit chews. As anyone who has children knows, these little bits of gelatinous goodness are on most children's short list of favorite snacks.  Since we have been working very hard on making most of our meals from scratch, due to a new-found determination to eat healthy and natural, fruit snack creation seemed a logical step. So when I saw a pin on Pinterest, it went into the 'do it now' hopper of my brain. We purchased all of the necessary components yesterday and the kids and I made them - lickety split!

These are actually tiny ice cube trays

Preparation:

Gather: small sauce pan, measuring cup, plastic spoon and molds.
Lightly spray your molds with Pam (for easy removal).

Ingredients:

1/3 cup apple juice (the original recipe calls for water)
1 pkg Jello
1 pkg Gelatin

Apple juice, Jello,plain gelatin, Pam and molds.

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, make sure that the dry ingredients have completely dissolved.

Carefully pour mixture into molds until almost full.

Refrigerate for about 20 minutes and then pop out of molds onto a paper napkin (absorbs any condensation).

Allow to set and adjust to room temperature.

Serve or store. They do not have to be refrigerated and will stay edible for much
longer than they will last!

First day of All Saints Home School - A is for Angel.

FREE printables here.

Simple Easter Bunny Wreath

I saw a lovely Easter Peep wreath on Pinterest and wanted to make it with the kiddos. When I checked out the instructions, however, I was disappointed to note that the project required an embroidery hoop and hot glue. It really didn't seem like the kids (2, 4, and 6) would appreciate having Peep bunnies to work with and then 'ruin' them by rendering them inedible, so.....


My take on an edible Peep bunny wreath - created last minute! (3 children obviously means three wreaths ;-) )

First, gather your materials:

3 - packages of Peep bunnies (I chose 3 colors)

3 - 10" paper plates

1 - small bowl of pancake syrup

Then begin:

Separate the Peep bunnies...the kids can do this while the adult...

cuts the rim off the paper plate and

writes an Easter message in the center.

 

Now for the fun and messy part:

Dip finger into syrup and apply a thick layer of syrup around the edge of the paper plate...this is your 'glue'.

Watch their expression when you actually tell them to lick their finger clean!

This is the educational part:

Place Peep bunnies on syrup in a color pattern.
Using the materials that I have laid out, you will have exactly enough Peep bunnies to make three complete wreaths.

When you have placed all of your Peep bunnies, place a heavy book on top of the wreath and allow to dry/adhere.

NOTE: Since many children abstain from candy for Lent, they can now simply place their wreaths into a gallon zipper bag...all three fit nicely into one. Won't they be pleased to have this ready-to-eat treat on Easter?!

(Sorry to be so late in posting this, we made this days ago but a stomach flu on my part prevented posting.)

Quick n Easy Palm Sunday Prep

Pinterest has become almost as much of a problem for many of us addictive souls as Facebook! In an effort to justify the time one spends there (on Pinterest) it is therefore necessary to 'prove' how helpful the site can be. Below you will find a photo of what the kids and I did in preparation of Palm Sunday and links to the wonderful blogs who supplied those ideas!

ENJOY!

Simon just turned four

Rachel is two

A word of warning, however. Working with a four year old and poster paints does not strain one's patience nearly as much as working with a two year old - just sayin'. We did have a good time and the outcome was great! What a wonderful, hands-on way to teach little ones about Jesus' entry into Jerusalem!

HOSANNA!

Catholic Icing gives a step by step tutorial, as well as many cute examples, of the foot print donkey.

Impress Your Kids posted the hand cutout palm craft that made such a cute accompaniment to our donkeys.

NOTE to bloggers out there...this post also proves that posting your blog posts on Pinterest can drive traffic your way! See! Another 'proof' of the usefulness of Pinterest!. Ha, ha...happy Palm Sunday to you and yours!