Sydney’s File of Fun

Mrs. Talley 4th block

Craft Ideas

Valentine's Day Picture Holder

What you'll need• Unfinished puzzle pieces (*Note: these can be found in

most craft stores. They are originally intended to be turned into invitations and mailed out, so they are often with the card making or cardstock materials. If you can’t find them, you could use pieces from an old puzzle instead.)

• Red, white and pink craft paint• Paint brush• Tongue depressors• Glue• Black marker

Valentine's Day Picture Holder Continued

How to make your Picture Holder Craft • If using the unfinished puzzle, remove the center four

pieces. Snap apart the remaining pieces. Paint the pieces red, pink or white.

• While the pieces dry, assemble your tongue depressors into a frame shape as shown in the photos. Glue them together.

• When the puzzle pieces are dry, assemble them back together (roughly) and glue them down to the tongue depressor frame as you go. This takes a good bit of glue.

• When you get all the pieces assembled, use the marker and write “I Love You To Pieces” along the bottom of the frame.

• Add in a photo of your child.www.allkidsnetwork.com/crafts/valentines-day/picture-holder.asp

Paper Leprechaun Hat

What you'll need• Green, black, and yellow construction paper• Green poster board• Glue• Scissors• Tape

Paper Leprechaun Hat Continued

How to make your Paper Leprechaun Hat Craft

• Cut a head band out of the green poster board that is slightly larger than the child's head.

• Cut a hat shape out of the green construction paper.• Cut a 2 inch black strip.  Glue onto the hat above the brim

and trim the edges to align with the slant of the hat.• Cut a yellow square that is slightly taller than the black strip. 

Cut the center out of the square leaving 1/4 of an inch boarder.  Glue on the middle of the black strip.

• Tape the hat to the headband (it works better than gluing it).• Tape or staple the head band so that it fits around the child's

head. Cut off any excess.

http://www.allkidsnetwork.com/crafts/st-patricks-day/paper-leprechaun-hat.asp

Easter Egg Chick

What you'll need• A 2 13/16" X 3 7/8" Styrofoam egg• Yellow craft paint• 2 yellow pipe cleaners• 1 red pipe cleaner• 2 googly eyes• Orange construction paper or craft foam• 2 orange pompoms• Paint brush• Scissors• White glue• serrated knife

http://www.allkidsnetwork.com/crafts/easter/easter-egg-chick.asp

Easter Egg Chick ContinuedHow to make your Easter Egg Chick Craft

• Use a serrated knife to carve the very bottom off the Styrofoam egg so it will sit up.

• Paint the egg yellow and let it dry. (tip: setting the egg on a Dixie cup is a great way to let the egg dry)

• Glue two googly eyes onto the egg.

• Cut a small triangle out of the orange construction paper or foam and glue on as a beak.

• Glue the two pompoms on the bottom of the egg as feet.

• Cut the red pipe cleaner into three pieces. Bend each into a loop and stick the ends into the top of the egg.

• To make the wings, start by taking a yellow pipe cleaner and bending one end into a 2 inch loop. Wrap to secure (see wing picture step1).

• Next, wrap the remainder of the pipe cleaner around so that it makes a second layer inside the first loop (see wing picture step 2).

• Finally wrap the rest of the pipe cleaner around so that it makes a third and final layer inside the second layer (see wing picture step 3).

• Insert the finished wing (see wing picture 4) into the side of the egg.

• Repeat these steps to make the wing for the other side of the egg.

Hand and Footprint Flower Craft

What you'll need• Construction paper• Scissors• Glue stick• Cup to trace around for center

circle• Picture of child (optional)• Pen

http://www.allkidsnetwork.com/crafts/mothers-day/handprint-footprint-flower.asp

Hand and Footprint Flower Craft Continued

How to make your Hand and Footprint Flower Craft• Trace your child's feet onto green construction paper and cut them out.

• Cut a 1" wide x 8" long strip of green construction paper to be the stem.

• Trace your child's hands onto two different colors of construction paper. We used 6 hand prints total to get a nice full flower, but our 4 year old is tiny. If your child is older or younger (or we should say has really big or really small hands) you may need to change how many hand prints you use.

• Glue the footprints to the bottom of the green strip to make the leaves.

• Glue the hand prints to the top of the stem in alternating colors to make the flower.

• Trace an appropriately sized cup on a piece of yellow construction paper. Cut this out and glue in the center of your hand print flower to make the center.

• Cut out a smaller circular picture of your child and glue it to the center of the yellow circle.

• On one "leaf" write the date. On the other "leaf" write:"This little flower is special, you see,because it is made from parts of me. My hands and feet made each flower part,to show I love you with all my heart."

Father’s Day Fishing Rod

What you'll needFishing Rod template• Construction paper• Cardboard (we used a flap of a diaper box)• Fish and Fishing Pole template• Googly eyes• Glue• Tape• Yarn• Stickers, gems, etc.• Markers, crayons, etc.

Father’s Day Fishing Rod Continued

How to make your Fathers' Day Fishing Rod Card

• Print our template and cut out the pieces. Trace the fishing pole template onto cardboard and brown construction paper. We did it this way because the box we used had printing on both sides. The paper is too weak on its own, so we wrote our message on the brown paper and then glued it to the cardboard so that it was sturdier. Cut out the fishing pole pieces.

• Trace the fish template onto construction paper and cut them out.• Have your child decorate the fish.

• Once the fish are dry, tape one side of a piece of yarn to the back of the fish and the other side of the yarn piece to the back of the end of the fishing pole.

• Write your message on the fishing pole. We went with "Our Gramps is a great catch!".

http://www.allkidsnetwork.com/crafts/fathers-day/fishing-rod-craft.asp

Food Ideas

Easter Basket Cookies

• Murray Sugar Free® Sandwich cookies Vanilla Crème

• Colorful Candies• Fruit Straws (or shoestring licorice)• Vanilla Frosting

Ingredients

http://www.snackpicks.com/en_US/holidays-and-occasions/easter/easter-basket-fun-kid-snack.html

Easter Basket Cookies Continued

2. Gently cut the top of the cookies off. I found that a gentle sawing motion worked well.

3. Dab a small amount of frosting onto one of the cut off top pieces. Then “glue” the cut off piece to the bottom of the cookie basket portion with frosting, so the cookie sits upright on top of frosting.

4. Insert the ends of the licorice piece in between the sandwich cookies as shown to create the Easter basket handles.

5. Spread frosting on top of the cookie between the straw ends.  Gently sprinkle colorful candies on top of frosting for the “eggs” in the basket.

1. Cut the shoestring licorice into eight equal sized pieces for eight basket handle pieces. Set aside.

Directions

Valentine Heart Treats

• Valentine sprinkles• Small red candies• Red and pink icing• Wax paper• Lollipop sticks• Rice Krispies Treats® See Recipe • Heart shaped cookie cutter-medium

size• White chocolate-melted• Red chocolate candy melts-melted• Dark chocolate-melted

Ingrediants

Valentine Heart Treats Continued

1. Make your Rice Krispies Treats. See Recipe.

2. Once the Treats are cool, cut out heart shapes, using the heart shaped cookie cutter.

3. Then have fun with these five ways to decorate the Treats.

Directions

http://www.snackpicks.com/en_US/holidays-and-occasions/valentines-day/valentine-heart-treats.html

Leprechaun Hats

Ingredients

1 Keebler®

 Deluxe Grahams

1 Keebler®

 Fudge Sticks

1 green Kelloggs™ Fruit Snacks1 tsp Peanut Butter

Leprechaun Hats Continued

1. Smear peanut butter on the bottom of the Keebler Deluxe Grahams.

2. Stick the Deluxe Graham to the edge of the Keebler Fudge Sticks (as shown in the photo above).

3. For the shamrock, cut a green Kelloggs Fruit Snacks in thirds and press pieces, sticky side down, onto the peanut butter.

4. Repeat for as many hats as you would like.These make fantastic party snacks!

Directions

Flip Flops

• 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup marshmallow creme 

• Food coloring • 48 

Keebler® Town House Toppers®Original Crackers 

• 8 to 10 large strawberries

Ingredients

Flips Flops Continued

1. In small bowl stir together cream cheese and marshmallow crème. Tint with desired food coloring.

2. Spread scant teaspoon of cream cheese mixture in center of each Keebler Town House Toppers Original cracker.

3. Lengthwise cut strawberries into thin slivers. Place two slivers on top of each cracker forming the “top of the flip flops”.

Directions

http://www.snackpicks.com/en_US/for-kids/flip-flops.html

Puppy Snack

• 1 Kellogg's® Pop-Tarts®Frosted Chocolate Fudge Toaster Pastry

• 2 Keebler® Town House Toppers® Original crackers

• 1 miniature marshmallow• 2 chocolate chips• 1 small piece of chocolate• 1 red fruit flavored snack or jelly bean• 1 snack pack of Keebler® Scooby Doo!

™ Graham Cracker Sticks Cinnamon

http://www.snackpicks.com/en_US/for-kids/puppy-snack-slideshow.html

Puppy Snack Continued

7. Open snack pack of Scooby-Doo! Graham Cracker Sticks and place in dish.

1. Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut a heart out of the Pop-Tarts toaster pastry.

2. Cut the mini marshmallow in half.

3. Stick the chocolate chips into the marshmallow halves and press into Pop-Tarts toaster pastry.

4. Cut the top off of the piece of chocolate and place cut side down for the nose.5. Place the Town House Toppers crackers upside down for the ears.6. Cut the fruit flavored snack to look like the tongue.

Directions

Goldfish in the Pond Rice Cakes

Ingredients• 4 plain rice cakes• 1/4 cup whipped cream

cheese• 2 drops blue food

coloring• Goldfish crackers for

decorating

Goldfish in the Pond Rice Cakes Continued

PreparationPut the whipped cream cheese into a small bowl, and add two drops of food coloring. Stir until it becomes the color of the sea.

Spread one tablespoon of cream cheese on each rice cake.

Place the Goldfish crackers standing up in the "pond."Serves 4.

http://kidscooking.about.com/od/snacksdipsappetizers/r/GoldfishRicecak.htm

Indoor Games

Catch the Lion by the TailWhat you'll needYellow fabric "tail“

How to play• Kids sit in a circle on the floor. One party

goer, the lion, tucks a homemade tail (a yellow piece of fabric with a knot in one end) into his waistband.

• The lion begins circling the group, touching each child on the head and saying "Lion." When he decides he wants some action, he touches a player on the head and shouts "Hyena!“

• The lion then must dash around the circle and take the hyena's spot before the hyena can grab the lion's tail.

• If his tail is snatched, he remains the lion; if he sits where the hyena was without losing his tail, the hyena becomes the new lion.

http://spoonful.com/family-fun/catch-lion-tail

Find Your Heart-Mate

Supplies:• Construction paper hearts• ScissorsHow To Play: • Cut hearts in half either in

different angles, or with decorative large cutting scissors. Hand out the hearts and have the children find their heart-mate!

http://holidays.kaboose.com/valentines-searching-games.html

Protect Me

How to Play Ask for two volunteers-one to be the Tempted and the other the Tempter-in a group of no more than eight kids. The object of the game is to protect the Tempted, who'll stand in the center of the group's tight circle. The Tempter tries to tag the child in the center by reaching through the circle. Kids in the circle can maneuver to keep the Tempter out, but they must stay locked arm-in-arm. When the Tempted gets tagged, new kids get to be the Tempted and the Tempter.

http://childrensministry.com/articles/10-active-indoor-games

Chair Basketball

Preparation:- Four orange squishy playground balls- Four baskets- Masking tape

How to Play Chair Basketball:1. Place masking tape on the floor to split the room into two equal sides. Divide everyone into two equally numbered teams. Arrange the chairs into three equal, spaced rows (or as close to being equal as possible). Place a basket on the corners of each side.

2. Ask for one volunteer from each team to be the “runner”. The Runners will be able to get up from their chairs and pass the ball to their teammates- but cannot pass to the opponent’s side. Runners cannot shoot the ball as well.

3. When you say “go”, each team tries to toss the ball into the basket. A basket made from the third row is three points, second row is two points, and first row is one point. The team with the most points after fifteen minutes wins the game.

http://www.greatgroupgames.com/chair-basketball.htm

Might I Bite?What you'll needPaper, 1 piece per playerPenTape

How to playTo get started: Write a type of animal on each piece of paper. Place the papers in a bowl, then have each person pick one and tape it to another player's forehead without showing that player what it says (you might want to cover your mirrors to prevent peeking!).

To play: Each person asks the others yes-or-no questions ("Do I have fur?" "Do I have horns?") in an effort to figure out his animal. Keep playing until everyone guesses his identity.

Our testers' twist: Try other themes, such as cartoon characters, famous people, food, or articles of clothing. Make certain to choose characters or items that everyone will recognize (Grandma might not know who Shrek is).

http://spoonful.com/family-fun/might-i-bite

Outdoor Games

Preparation:- You’ll need to play in an area where everyone can easily run around.- At least 40 balloons* equally divided by three different colors (you might want to have extra balloons, in case some become popped before the actual game begins)- Ribbon/Yarn, cut 1 1/2 feet long (one ribbon/yarn string for every balloon) - Trash bag (to pick up the balloon pieces after the game)

How to Play Balloon Stomp:1. Split everyone into three equal teams and hand out the balloons, one color per team. Each person needs two balloons.

2. Each person needs to blow up their balloon, knot the balloon's end, and tie a balloon to their each of their ankles/shoes using the ribbon/yarn. 

3. Once everyone is done, explain the rules: When you say “go”, the players must stomp and pop other teams’ balloons. The players can only run within the set boundaries. The players cannot use their hands. If both balloons have been popped, the player must sit out of the boundaries and is out of the game. The remaining team with at least one balloon intact wins the game.

Balloon Stomp

http://www.greatgroupgames.com/balloon-stomp-game.htm

Red Light, Green LightTo play, one person is chosen to be the traffic cop.

All the players stand on the starting line and the traffic cop has his back to the rest of the players. When he says "green light," players try to run to the finish line.

When the traffic cop says "red light," he turns around and players have to stop in their tracks.

If the traffic cop catches a player moving, he sends them back to the starting line.

First person to cross the finish line wins and becomes the new traffic cop.

http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/games/redlightgreenlight.html

The BlobPreparation:- You’ll need to play in an area where everyone can easily run around

**Note: Before playing, let everyone know the boundaries of the playing/running area. If anyone exceeds those boundaries, they will be part of the Blob.**

How to Play The Blob Game:1. Pick three volunteers. Have the volunteers line up in the front and hold each other’s hands. These volunteers will start off as the Blob and must hold hands at all times.

2. The purpose of the game is to not be touched by the Blob. If a person is touched by the Blob, the person becomes part of the Blob and must hold hands with a person on either end.

3. The Blob tries to tag everyone while running together and holding hands. The last person standing wins the game.

http://www.greatgroupgames.com/the-blob.htm

Land, Sea, AirThis game is for 5 or more people and should be played outside or in an open area.

To play this game, you just need to draw a line on the ground.

Pick one person to be the caller.

The caller calls out the commands, "land," "sea," or "air."

If the caller says "land," everyone jumps behind the line.

If the caller says "sea," everyone jumps over the line.

If the caller says "air," everyone jumps up.

If land or sea is called twice in a row, the second time, you don't move.

If air is called twice in a row, jump up both times.

If you jump on the line or make a mistake, you're out.

The last person still jumping is the winner.http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/games/landseaair.html

Simon Says Spin-OffCome up with three words that have the same first letters. For instance, blue, ball and boy.

When the leader calls out one of the words everyone has to step to the right.

When she calls out another, everyone has to step to the left, and another, everyone has to stand still.

So blue everyone has to step to the right, ball everyone has to step to the left, boy everyone has to stay still.

If someone steps the wrong way, he or she's out.

The last person left playing is the winner.

http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/games/simonsaysspinoff.html

Bulletin Board Ideas

http://www.myclassroomideas.com/?attachment_id=1902

http://www.myclassroomideas.com/tag/autumn/

http://tradingideas.orientaltrading.com/educators/k-6/be-environmental-friend-bulletin-board

Coloring Pages

http://www.coloringkidz.com/cgi-sys/suspendedpage.cgi http://www.coloringpages7.com