Portland Metro Area Child Care News

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and this is a wonderful craft that all the kiddos can help with.  While you’re preparing the craft ingredients and putting the wreath together, discuss with your kiddos the importance of reduce, reuse, and recycle.  Explain that the paper towel tubes don’t need to be thrown away when they could be made into beautiful art.  Talk about what recycling is, and where garbage goes.  The earlier you instill the importance of reduce, reuse, recycle, the more apt they are to do it naturally.

What you’ll need:

1. Wire Coat Hanger
2. 7-8 Paper towel rolls cut in half.  Some people use toilet paper rolls, but it’s against the rules for Registered and Certified Family Child Care Providers due to cross contamination of germs from the bathroom to little hands.
3. Valentines Day colored paints such as red, pink, white, and purple.
4. Red, pink, and white construction paper, foam, or, if you have enough time, you can have kids cut heart shapes out of white paper and paint them
5. Tape
6. Glue
7. Scissors
8. Optional-Ribbon

What you’ll do:

1. Teacher or Parent-cut the paper towel rolls
2. Paint the tubes various colors and let them dry
3. Teacher or Parent-bend the coat hangar into a circle.
4. Cut a slit into each roll, but only half way through, so you can slip the roll over the hangar
5. Slip the rolls onto the hangar
6. Tape the rolls together where they meet for stability
7.  Cut heart shapes of all sizes out of the construction paper or foam.  If you’re using white paper and letting the kiddos paint the hearts, make sure they have time to dry before you move to the next step.
8. Glue the hearts to the tubes and voila!  You have a wreath for Valentine’s Day.
9. Decorate the wreath with a ribbon if you would like a little extra pizzazz.

Every child loves making these Candy Cane Reindeer, and they’re quick and easy too!

You’ll need:

Candy canes

Pipe cleaners

Sharpie black marker

Yarn for optional pieces

Red pompoms are optional for a Rudolph nose

Googley eyes are also optional, but you can use the black sharpie instead as well

• OPTIONAL-before the project, I made scarves for the reindeer.  They are super fast and simple, I just used a crochet hook and made a chain 30 long and tied off the ends.  I also wrapped yarn around my four fingers ten times, slid it off, tied it together in the middle and clipped the loops, creating crazy hair that my students tied on the reindeer’s head.

• Give each child a candy cane and a pipe cleaner to wrap around the candy cane where it bends, creating antlers.

• Have the child either glue on eyes and a nose, or my students drew faces with a black sharpie marker.

• Give the students the scarves and crazy hair to tie on, and voila!  The easiest candy cane reindeer ever, and the children love them!

One of the funnest and most creative holiday craft ideas is the Egg Carton Christmas Ornament.

What you’ll need:

1 egg carton for every 4 students

Tempera paint

Glue

Glitter

String

For the teacher:

Scissors sharp enough to cut the egg carton apart

Beforehand, the teacher needs to cut the egg carton apart and poke holes In the top of each egg carton cup.  Each student gets 3 cups from the carton.

First, have the students paint the outside of the egg carton cups.

When the paint is dry, either let the children dip the carton cups in glue, or use glue to create designs on them.

Then, the students can cover the cups in glitter and let dry.

When the cups are dry, have the students tie a knot in the bottom of the string and thread one cup through.  Next, have them tie another knot higher up on the string and thread another cup through so that it stops above the first cup.  After that, do the same thing with the third cup, then tie a loop in the top so that they can hang it on their tree.

Whether this project is the one children wrap up and give to parents as a gift, or they take it home just as a project, it’s sure to be one that will be tucked away and brought out every year.

As the students are creating this project, you can discuss the importance of recycling.

Even though the leaves are dying, and fall has wrapped its chilly fingers around us all, it’s the perfect time to grow something new.  Herbs are perfect for winter growing because they can be sustained in the house during the cold months, and they add a fresh flavor to everyday cooking.  Growing herbs in the house have also been shown to boost your mood during the grayness of fall and winter.  In the spirit of living green, here is a recycle-reuse project your daycare kiddos are sure to love all season long.

What you’ll need:

1 milk jug cleaned and dried

Potting soil

Seeds

Plastic wrap

Old plate or other planter bottom to keep the water from leaking

FOR THE TEACHER ONLY:

Scissors

irst, cut the bottom half of the milk jug off.

Next, poke three or four holes in the bottom for drainage.

Put the planter on the plate, or whatever you’re using to catch excess water.

Then, fill with potting soil and sprinkle with seeds.  Water.

Cover with plastic wrap until the seeds germinate.  Make sure not to let the soil dry out.

Remove plastic wrap when the plants come through the soil and keep watered until seedlings are old enough to transplant.

This is a wonderful project to add to your curriculum.  Have students observe, discuss, and predict.