Thanksgiving Day Craft Ideas

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone this week!  If you know you'll be busy in the kitchen, keep the kids busy and happy with  one or more of these adorable crafting ideas from the Parents website.

Image from the O'Neil Sisters website.

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Shaen

Saturday Fun!

Just for fun, I thought I'd post some instructions for paper airplane making (in case anyone's looking for a simple, non-messy craft project this weekend!).  Click the image below to bring up a larger copy of the instructions.  Happy flying!

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Shaen

(Flashback) Pulled From the Vault- Thankful Turkey

Happy Thanksgiving!  In case you're looking for an easy kitchen-table craft to keep the kiddos occupied before the big meal, here's one we've pulled from vault for you that will remind everyone to keep a grateful heart and a smiling face today!

Thankful Turkey
Supplies Needed:
-paper lunch bag
-construction paper in fall colors (red, yellow, orange, brown) or white paper and markers
-scissors
-pencil
-stapler (younger kiddos: use the stapler with adult supervision!)

Craft Steps:
1) Open up your paper bag, roll down the top a few times, and staple the opening shut.
2) Cut out four or five feathers from construction paper.  Have your child write down simple things he or she is thankful for on these feathers (i.e. Mom, Dad, pizza, my bike, my baby brother, etc.).  Staple the feathers to the back of the bag.
3) Draw a simple turkey head on the front of the bag.  If you think you might need a little artistic help, check out these cute turkey head and feather printable patterns from Kaboose!
4) Use your gorgeous gobbler as a handmade centerpiece or a coffee table decoration.  It might even start some conversations among the grownups about all we have to be thankful for!

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Shaen

Take-n-Make #10: Color Mix-Up!

In our last Take-n-Make, the colors are all mixed up!

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Shaen

Take-n-Make #9: The Color Black

Check out today's Take-&-Make, centered on "The Color Black".

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Shaen

Take-n-Make #8: The Colors Brown and Gray

Check out today's Take-&-Make, focused on "The Colors Brown and Gray".

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Shaen

Take-n-Make #7: The Color White

Check out today's Take-&-Make, all about "The Color White".

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Shaen

Take-n-Make #6: The Color Purple

Check out today's Take-&-Make, centered on "The Color Purple".

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Shaen

Take-n-Make #5: The Color Blue

Check out today's Take-&-Make, all about "The Color Blue".

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Shaen

Take-n-Make #4: The Color Green

Check out today's Take-&-Make, focused on "The Color Green".

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Shaen

Take-n-Make #3: The Color Yellow

Check out today's Take-&-Make, centered on "The Color Yellow".

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Shaen

Take-n-Make #2: The Color Orange

Check out today's Take-&-Make, all about "The Color Orange".

 

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Shaen

Take-n-Make #1: The Color Red

Well, we've wrapped up Spring Story Time and are gearing up for tons of fun summer programming (you can check out the summer schedule in the left-hand column of this blog, or pick up a paper copy at your local library to hang on the fridge!).  Until things kick off on June 1, though, I'm going to give our readers who didn't make it to Spring Story Time a chance to view a season's worth of Take-&-Make craft sheets- just the thing to keep the kiddos entertained over these next few weeks! 

Check out today's Take-&-Make, focused on "The Color Red".

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Shaen

Story Time at Home: Let's Visit Russia!

Today’s Story Time at Home theme is Russia!  If you would like to share a picture of your story-time-at-home experience (i.e. You might send a picture of a finished craft project), just shoot us an email at ozarkregionallibraryyouth@gmail.com, and it might get included on our blog!  No names will be included with submissions for privacy reasons.

Let's Visit Russia Story Time

Books: 

Peter and the Wolf

by Sergei Prokofiev

and Chris Raschka

Cover image from Goodreads.

Rechenka's Eggs

by Patricia Polacco

Cover image from Goodreads.

Game/Activity: A traditional Russian folk dance is called the pereplyas.  Look up a few videos of this dance online, and then pull on a pair of fuzzy snow boots, and practice the new steps you've learned!

Snack: Satisfy your sweet tooth today, and bake some yummy Russian tea cakes (you might also have heard these treats called Mexican wedding cakes or snowballs).

Craft: Likely due to the harsh, cold winters Russia is accustomed to, Grandfather Frost is a popular fairy tale character.  Using a piece of black or dark blue construction paper for your background, use chalk to draw a picture of what you think Grandfather Frost must look like.

This is our last story time at home post for the season; I hope you've enjoyed trying out some new ideas!  And check your calendars... Spring Story Time is right around the corner!

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Shaen

Story Time at Home: Let's Visit the Netherlands!

Today’s Story Time at Home theme is The Netherlands!  If you would like to share a picture of your story-time-at-home experience (i.e. You might send a picture of a finished craft project), just shoot us an email at ozarkregionallibraryyouth@gmail.com, and it might get included on our blog!  No names will be included with submissions for privacy reasons.

Let's Visit The Netherlands Story Time

Books: 

The First Tulips in Holland

by Phyllis Krasilovsky and 

Steven D. Schindler

Cover image from Goodreads.

The Boy Who Held Back 

the Sea 

by Lenny Hort, Thomas Locker

and Mary Maples Dodge

Cover image from Goodreads.

Game/Activity: Study the movement of windmills in an online video (try typing "windmills" into YouTube for some choices).  Then, placing your arms out at your sides, pretend to be a windmill.  If it's not too cold out, bundle up, and try this activity outside where you can feel the real wind blowing.

Snack: Enjoy a snack that reminds you of Holland!  Try a Dutch cheese, like Gouda, on crackers, or buy some cute windmill cookies.

Craft: The Netherlands is internationally known for its beautiful flowers, particularly its tulips.  Here's how to make some tulips that won't wilt!

• Gather an unused egg carton, scissors, sturdy tape, and several pipecleaners.
• Cut the egg carton cups apart, so they resemble tulip blossoms.
• Poke a pipecleaner through the bottom of each cup to represent the flower’s stem.
• Tape the pipecleaner in place with sturdy tape.  

I hope you enjoyed this idea for how you can recreate story time at home!  Check back in a few days for more fun, travel-themed ideas focusing on a new area of the world!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Story Time at Home: Let's Visit Mexico!

Today’s Story Time at Home theme is Mexico!  If you would like to share a picture of your story-time-at-home experience (i.e. You might send a picture of a finished craft project), just shoot us an email at ozarkregionallibraryyouth@gmail.com, and it might get included on our blog!  No names will be included with submissions for privacy reasons.

Let's Visit Mexico Story Time

Books: 

M is for Mexico by

Flor de María Cordero

Cover image from Goodreads.

What Can You Do With a Rebozo?

by Carmen Tafolla

Cover image from Goodreads.

Game/Activity: Fill plastic Easter eggs (or discarded toilet paper tubes with beads or pebbles, and seal tightly.  Put on some fast-paced music, and shake your hand-made maracas to the beat.

Snack: Cook an easy cheese quesadilla.  Sprinkle shredded cheese on one half of a flour tortilla.  Then fold the tortilla closed, and microwave for 45 seconds.

Craft: Make a piñata out of a balloon, newspaper strips, and flour paste.  Family Fun has a great tutorial!

I hope you enjoyed this idea for how you can recreate story time at home!  Check back in a few days for more fun, travel-themed ideas focusing on a new area of the world!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Story Time at Home: Let's Visit Japan!

Today’s Story Time at Home theme is Japan!  If you would like to share a picture of your story-time-at-home experience (i.e. You might send a picture of a finished craft project), just shoot us an email at ozarkregionallibraryyouth@gmail.com, and it might get included on our blog!  No names will be included with submissions for privacy reasons.

Let's Visit Japan Story Time

Books: 

Suki's Kimono 

by Chieri Uegaki and

Stephane Jorisch

Cover image from Goodreads.

Yoko by Rosemary Wells

Cover image from Goodreads.

Game/Activity: Make a rock and sand garden, first introduced to Japan by monks.  You can make your garden using simple items commonly found around the home: a cookie sheet for the base of the garden, cornmeal or flour used in place of the sandy ground, and small pebbles or stone for the rock formations.  Once your garden is set up, use a fork as a trowel, and drag it, tines down, through the cornmeal and around the pebbles to make beautiful patterns.

Snack: Make some candy sushi.  The Family Fun site (a favorite of mine) has a fun tutorial here.  Flashback: The library's first program for preteens was a candy-sushi-making competition held in summer of 2009!

Craft: Make a samurai hat through the ancient Asian art of origami, or paper-folding.  You can find instructions to make your helmet at this great origami site.

       

I hope you enjoyed this idea for how you can recreate story time at home!  Check back in a few days for more fun, travel-themed ideas focusing on a new area of the world!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Story Time at Home: Let's Visit Italy!

Today’s Story Time at Home theme is Italy!  If you would like to share a picture of your story-time-at-home experience (i.e. You might send a picture of a finished craft project), just shoot us an email at ozarkregionallibraryyouth@gmail.com, and it might get included on our blog!  No names will be included with submissions for privacy reasons.

Let's Visit Italy Story Time

Books: 

Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola

Cover image from Goodreads.

The Legend of Old Befana
by Tomie dePaola

(Can you tell I like dePaola books?!)

Cover image from Goodreads.

Game/Activity: Play a game of bocce ball.  If you haven’t played bocce before, just think of it as being similar to bowling- in your yard!  In the traditional game, you give each team four wooden balls.  A smaller ball called the pallino is set in place first.  Then each team tries to roll the wooden balls, one by one, so that the balls land as close to the pallino as possible.  Whoever gets closest to the pallino wins the game!  When we play bocce in story time sessions, I like to use four Nerf balls (no injuries with Nerf!) and a Ping-Pong ball for the pallino.

Snack: Grab a slice of pizza, of course!  In a more authentic imitation of the original Italian pizza, be sure to layer your crust with plenty of olive oil, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese.

Craft: Paint with spaghetti!  Pasta is a staple in many Italian diets, and it's not just good to eat- it's fun to make art with, too.  Dip uncooked spaghetti noodles (or cooked noodles, if you want to experiment with a different texture) into washable paint, and brush across a sheet of paper.  Bellissimo (beautiful)!

I hope you enjoyed this idea for how you can recreate story time at home!  Check back in a few days for more fun, travel-themed ideas focusing on a new area of the world!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Story Time at Home: Let's Visit Israel!

Today’s Story Time at Home theme is Israel!  If you would like to share a picture of your story-time-at-home experience (i.e. You might send a picture of a finished craft project), just shoot us an email at ozarkregionallibraryyouth@gmail.com, and it might get included on our blog!  No names will be included with submissions for privacy reasons.

Let's Visit Israel Story Time

Books: 

Welcome to Israel!

by Lilly Rivlin and 

Gila Gevirtz, et. al.

Cover image from Goodreads.

Sammy Spider's First Trip 

to Israel by Sylvia A. Rouss

and Katherine Janus Kahn

Cover image from Goodreads.

Game/Activity: Tambourines are an ancient Israeli instrument mentioned in the Book of Exodus.  Make your own tambourine by stapling two paper plates together and filling with small pebbles, beans, or beads.  Play your tambourine, and notice how the sound changes when new materials are substituted for the filler.

Snack: Make a potato latke, such as is traditionally eaten during Hanukkah.  Mix together 2 cups of frozen hashbrowns, 2 beaten eggs, 2 tablespoons of milk, ¼ cup of chopped onion, and 2 Tablespoons of flour.  Drop the batter by spoonfuls into a heated skillet, and flatten into cakes with a spatula.  Brown on both sides, and then serve warm with applesauce.

Craft: Make a miniature copy of the Israeli flag.

• Gather a blank, white index card, as well as glue, blue markers, and six toothpicks (you might have some of these left over from our France Story Time at Home a few weeks back).
• Color your toothpicks blue. 
• Glue the toothpicks into the shape of two, separate triangles.
• You can make a Star of David for your miniature flag by overlapping and gluing together the two triangles; one triangle will be right-side-up, and the other will be upside-down.   
• Glue the Star of David onto your white flag, and let dry.  

I hope you enjoyed this idea for how you can recreate story time at home!  Check back in a few days for more fun, travel-themed ideas focusing on a new area of the world!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Story Time at Home: Let's Visit Hawaii!

Today’s Story Time at Home theme is Hawaii!  If you would like to share a picture of your story-time-at-home experience (i.e. You might send a picture of a finished craft project), just shoot us an email at ozarkregionallibraryyouth@gmail.com, and it might get included on our blog!  No names will be included with submissions for privacy reasons.

Let's Visit Hawaii Story Time

Books: 

The Hawaii Snowman 

by Christine and Michael Le

Cover image from Goodreads.

Pig-Boy: A Trickster Tale
from Hawaii
by Gerald McDermott

Cover image from Goodreads.

Game/Activity: Ok, so the hula hoop didn’t originate in Hawaii, but the “hula” dance sure did!  For this silly exercise in music and movement, dig out your old hula hoop (or snap one up on the cheap at a yard sale), and try to dance the hula while hula-hooping.  Impossible?  You won’t know until you try!

Snack: Keep your snack simple.  Buy some canned, sliced pineapple, and savor the flavors of island life!

Craft: Make a flowered, paper lei.  The Family Fun site has a great tutorial using cupcake liners!

I hope you enjoyed this idea for how you can recreate story time at home!  Check back in a few days for more fun, travel-themed ideas focusing on a new area of the world!

Keep reading!

Shaen