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photo credit: katekillet

Toddlers always enjoy making sounds, be it by just tapping objects or anything they can get their hands on. Teach your kids early to develop their love for music.

One simple musical instrument that you can do with your toddlers is a musical shaker made of ordinary things or recycled materials. Surely, it will be enjoyable for the kids to make, and play with!  To make their shaker colorful, the kids can add decorations on it.

Supplies:

• Two pieces of used plastic cups
• Dried lentils or beans
• Tape
• Colored construction paper (optional)
• Crayons or markers
• Glue
• Pair of scissors

Steps:

1. Clean up the cups very thoroughly.
2. Ask your child to take the dried lentils or beans and place them inside the cup.
3. Take the other cup and place it on top of the cup with dried lentils or beans.
4. Attach them with a tape (make it tight, so it doesn’t break open)
5. Take out your colored construction paper and wrap it around the shaker.
6. Assist your child in decorating the shaker with crayons or markers.
7. Ask your kids to shake it up and down, and side to side to make sounds.

Now, play the CD of your kids’ favorite songs and sing with them while demonstrating how you enhance the rhythm of the music using the musical shakers that you all crafted.  Add some fun dancing and surely the whole family would find great time and bonding.

photo credit: ktylerconk

Christmas is the most colorful and most anticipated celebration of the year all over the world. It is a special holiday characterized by twinkling lights, tinsel display all over town, glittering decors in the homes and stores. Children, especially love Christmas, and are always excited to celebrate Christmas every year.

You can make it doubly exciting for your kids by engaging them in creative activities in preparation for the season. One of these is making Christmas décor, like a Christmas glitter globe. Definitely, kids will love making their own home decor that they can display during the Christmas holidays.

What you will need:

• A glass jar with tight-fitting lid depends on the size of the globe you want to make)
• A Christmas figurine or figurines, depends on how many can fit in (e.g., Santa Claus with reindeers, Manger scene, or an angel)
• Waterproof glue
• Glitter (color depends on your preference)
• Water

How to make it:

1. Clean the jar and its lid. Take off labels and any residue of its former contents.
2. On the inside portion of the lid, glue your Christmas figurine with waterproof glue or glue gun. Stick the figurine well to prevent it from falling off.
3. Set aside until dry.
4. Fill the glass jar with cold water, about ¾ full only.
5. Sprinkle one tablespoon of glitter into the jar.
6. Check the jar lid to see if your figurine is completely dry. If it is, screw on lid and check water level. Add water, or spill out some of it if necessary.
7. Tighten the lid securely. Shake your glitter globe and watch your Christmas figurine sparkle inside.
8. You can use your Christmas glitter globe as a table décor, or as paper weight.

photo credit: relgar

Halloween is one of the most anticipated occasions among little children. The idea of knocking on the neighbor’s door for some “Trick or Treat” sounds very exciting for little kids.  And this requires them to wear their Halloween costumes.   It adds more fun and color to the celebration.  Halloween costumes, however, need not be very expensive. Parents can make these with their kids at home.  A very good example is a Halloween Pumpkin Mask which is easy and simple.

You can engage your children in making this to help them develop their creativity and ingenuity.  Always remember, assist your kid in using sharp and pointed materials to prevent them from cutting themselves.

Materials:

Here is another in the series of mothers day crafts.  This is really simple to make and your kids can put a picture of themselves in here which we mom’s always love!

Supplies:

• Foam Sheet (Can be found in a craft store or a Walmart)
• Scissors
• Glue
• Magnets
• A picture

Steps:

1. Find a circle or oval in 2 sizes to trace
2. Trace one small circle on one part of the foam sheet
3. Trace the larger oval or circle around it
4. Trace in another place the larger oval or circle
5. Cut out the larger oval/circles
6. Cut out the smaller one inside the larger cut out oval/circle
7. Cut a picture to fit the inside whole
8. Glue the picture in place and glue the front oval/circle piece over it (the one with the whole)
9. Glue magnets on the back to hang on the refrigerator

Enjoy!

This is a another fun idea from Toddler Crafts series on Mothers Day Crafts.  It’s really simple but, makes a special mothers day card.

Supplies:

• Construction Paper
• Scissors
• Glitter/stickers for decorating

Steps:

1. Fold one piece of construction paper in half, in middle put to cuts about an inch apart
2. Cut out a hear or flower from another piece of construction paper
3. Pull out cut out to make a square in inside of card
4. Take another piece of constructions paper and glue to outside of the card with the cuts in it
5. Glue Flower or heart to square cut out (you’ll now have a pop up card!)
6. Decorate card

Enjoy!