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Tina Robertson

How to Make a 5 Arrows Craft | Iroquois Confederacy Facts

November 20, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

There were originally five nations of the Iroquois Confederacy who united to create one peaceful nation. Add this to my Iroquois Confederacy and Iroquois lapbook for an amazing unit study.

The Iroquois inhabited Ontario and upstate New York areas for over 4,000 years.

The Iroquois Confederacy was formed between 1350 to 1600.

How to Make a 5 Arrows Craft | Iroquois Confederacy Facts

And was originally made up of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca tribes. Tuscarora was later added in 1722.

Before the important treaty that brought them together these tribes were often at war with one another as well as with the Algonquin.

Learning about the history of these people does not need to be dry and boring, or even have to be part of a box curriculum.

You just want to include some fun ideas and crafts.

To make your study more hands-on I have a tutorial for how to make a 5 Arrows craft to represent the five original tribes of the confederacy.

Also, I have a wonderful array of facts about them, and some additional resources and crafts to make it fun and exciting.

Books about the Iroquois Confederacy

Also, look at these books to add to your reading day.

5 Books About the Iroquois

Learn about how the Iroquois lived.

The Iroquois (A True Book: American Indians)

A True Book: American Indian series allows readers to experience what makes each American Indian people distinctive and exceptional. Readers will get to know each tribes culture, influence and history

Hiawatha: Founder of the Iroquois Confederacy (North American Indians of Achievement)

Examines the life and career of the fifteenth-century Iroquois Indian.

The Iroquois: The Six Nations Confederacy (American Indian Nations)

The Iroquois have lived in what is now upper New York State and Ontario, Canada, for more than 4,000 years. In the 12th century, a man of their tribe called the Peacemaker convinced the five other nearby tribes - the Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, and Seneca - to work together with the Iroquois in a peaceful confederacy. 

Keepers of the Animals: Native American Stories and Wildlife Activities for Children (Keepers of the Earth)

These traditional Native American stories along with related activities show parents and teachers how to teach children the importance of wildlife in Native American traditions. As the stories unfold and the activities come to life, the importance of our connections to animals became apparent.Features traditional Native American stories.Includes field-tested activities appropriate for all ages.Connects wildlife ecology and environmental issues.Fosters creative thinking and the synthesis of knowledge and experience.The stories in this book present some of the basic perspectives that Native North American parents, aunts and uncles use to teach the young. They are phrased in terms that modern youngsters can understand and appreciate, along with eye-catching illustrations and photographs throughout.

Children of the Longhouse

When Ohkwa'ri overhears a group of older boys planning a raid on a neighboring village, he immediately tells his Mohawk elders. He has done the right thing—but he has also made enemies. 

Add more of these resources to your study.

Iroquois Confederacy Crafts and Resources

  • Check out this video on the Iroquois with a folktale and lots of information on the tribes.
  • Celebrate National Native American Heritage Day and Make a Fun Kids Iroquois Bracelet as an example of Wampum that was so important to them.
  • This easy tutorial will teach you How to Make a Longhouse For a School Project that is a great centerpiece for a diorama.
  • Learn How to Make A Spin Drum | 10 Native American Crafts for Kids. Spin drums were used in several ways throughout tribes across the nation.
How to Make a 5 Arrows Craft | Iroquois Confederacy Facts

Finally look at how to make this five arrows craft.

How to Make a 5 Arrows Craft

You will need:

  • Dowel rods 3/16” to ⅜”
  • Macrame Cord
  • Pencil Erasers
  • Scissors
  • Small Comb
  • Hot glue gun
How to Make a 5 Arrows Craft | Iroquois Confederacy Facts

First, cut roughly one hundred 5” lengths of macrame cord, you will need 20 pieces for each arrow.

How to Make a 5 Arrows Craft | Iroquois Confederacy Facts

Take 2 strands and knot in the center on one end.

How to Make a 5 Arrows Craft | Iroquois Confederacy Facts

Repeat 9 more times.

How to Make a 5 Arrows Craft | Iroquois Confederacy Facts

Line up your knots and run a line of hot glue from one side, across the back and over the other, allowing it to cool and harden.

How to Make a 5 Arrows Craft | Iroquois Confederacy Facts

Use the comb to brush out both sides of the cording, you want to fluff and frizz it out.

How to Make a 5 Arrows Craft | Iroquois Confederacy Facts

Trim the excess cording from each side, the length of your cording will depend on the length of the dowel rods

Place hot glue inside an eraser cap and press onto the other end.

How to Make a 5 Arrows Craft | Iroquois Confederacy Facts

When you have completed all 5 arrows you can lay them out, fanning a bit.

Run the cord in and out of several of them and then wrap around the whole bundle leaving a little slack.

How to Make a 5 Arrows Craft | Iroquois Confederacy Facts

Spread the bundle back out and hold it into place using a little hot glue.

How to Make a 5 Arrows Craft | Iroquois Confederacy Facts

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: hands, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, Iroquois, Native Americans, nativeamerican, nativeamericans

How to Make Gingerbread Slime For Play | 9 Slime Craft Ideas

November 19, 2023 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

In honor of National Slime Day December 7th, I have 9 food-themed slime craft ideas as well as my recipe for gingerbread slime. Also, look at this cocoa slime at my post 3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities.

My concoction for gingerbread slime is soupy, foamy, and more of a liquid.

It is perfect for sensory bins, especially for little ones who need help mastering pouring and transferring.

How to Make Gingerbread Slime For Play | 9 Slime Craft Ideas

Made without borax, baking soda, or contact solution to create a safer sensory activity for even the smallest hands. 

You might want to head outdoors with this one or pick up a cheap plastic tablecloth or shower curtain liner to lay under the play area to catch the inevitable drips and splashes.

Slime is a popular and pretty beneficial sensory activity that kids have loved ever since it became a fad, one that is not going away anytime soon.

The good news is that it has so many benefits and of course, I am going to share them with you.

5 Benefits of Slime

  1. It helps develop fine motor skills through measuring, stirring, squeezing, pouring, twisting, and all the other fun things they can do with it.
  2. Is a great way to stimulate all the senses. I always like to add some kind of scent to my mixtures to be sure that all the senses are addressed.
  3. Helps children slow down and increases attention span and focus as they become absorbed in the play.
  4. Builds creativity and gives them another opportunity to use and expand their imagination. Plus, it’s just fun and we all need a little bit of that right?
  5. Slime introduces basic chemistry if you bring them into the creation process and even experiment with different materials.
How to Make Gingerbread Slime For Play | 9 Slime Craft Ideas

Next, add these gingerbread theme resources.

8 Books and Resources Studying About Gingerbread

Add some of these books and resources for a gun Gingerbread theme.

The Plan for the Gingerbread House: A STEM Engineering Story

The gingerbread man and woman need a new home! A team of kids struggle to create the perfect gingerbread house. The project guidelines are clear: the winning house must stand upright on its own and a gingerbread boy and girl must fit inside.Sounds easy?But creating is hard. Cookie burn, the icing it too thin, the house caves-in, someone is eating the candy decorations, and—Oh!—they forgot about putting the gingerbread boy and girl inside the house. Engineering is a creative process. That means you must learn to

  • overcome problems
  • and persevere.

Inspire budding engineers to think about the classic gingerbread house in new ways.

Gingerbread House Cookie Cutter Set

SAFE AND HEALTHY FOR YOUR FAMILY - The simple stainless steel Gingerbread House Cookie Cutter Set design is easy to clean, the folded edges are kind to hands, and the welded seam won’t come unstuck

The Gingerbread Man Padded

"Run, run as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!" Follow the gingerbread man as he runs from the old woman, the old man, pig, cow, and horse, and meets a sly fox. This padded storybook of the classic fairy tale features engaging text and delightful, colorful illustrations by Gail Yerrill. Designed to encourage vocabulary development and help children read aloud, this story uses large font types and vibrant, contemporary illustrations to help early learning skills. It's a perfect addition to any children's library.

The Gingerbread Boy (Paul Galdone Nursery Classic)

The classic tale of the old couple, with no children of their own, who bake a gingerbread boy to keep them company. Just as the little old woman is about to take him from the oven, he slips away and runs out the door past a cow, a horse, a group of threshers, mowers, etc. All follow in hot pursuit until the gingerbread boy meets up with a wily fox, and ‘at last and at last he went the way of every single gingerbread boy that ever came out of an oven . . . He was all gone!’ A wonderfully frenetic cross-country chase is depicted in Galdone’s broadly humorous color wash drawings.

Gingerbread Baby

Fairy tale about the Gingerbread Baby. Full-color illustrations.

12PCS Measuring Cups, Little Cook Colorful Measuring Cups and Spoons Set

The 12 different spoon sizes in this measuring cup set make it versatile for measuring a wide range of ingredients. The measuring spoons range from 1/8 tsp teaspoon up to 1 cup tablespoon, allowing you to measure small or large quantities with ease. This makes the measuring spoons set perfect for home cooks and professional chefs alike, as it can be used for a variety of recipes, from baking to cooking and more.

Gingerbread Man Cookie Cutter Set (Gingerbread Man 3 Piece)

Gingerbread Man 3 Piece

How to Catch a Gingerbread Man

Do you have what it takes to catch the Gingerbread Man? The famous storybook character has magically come to life and leapt from the pages during story time! Follow along as the Gingerbread Man runs loose in a bookstore with the help of Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes, Peter Rabbit, nursery rhyme characters, and more! If you set the right traps, you might…just might be able to catch this wily cookie and finish the fairy tale!

Also, add these food themed slime craft ideas.

9 Food-Themed Slime Craft Ideas

  1. These 3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands-on Science Activities include a hot cocoa slime that smells fantastic and is perfect for the season.
  2. A warm scent that makes you feel cozy is cinnamon and it is the base in this Cinnamon Scented Slime that is perfect for fall right through winter.
  3. Grab a box of your favorite pudding flavor and treat your child to some Edible Pudding Slime, they will be busy for hours.
  4. Another great wintery treat, this Cranberry Edible Slime pays homage to that canned goodness that you can enjoy even if it’s not your favorite side dish.
  5. Calling all chocolate lovers, try DIY Nutella Slime for a yummy chocolate-y slime that is fun to make and play with.
  6. Here is a neat candy-themed one- Edible Starburst Slime and kids can pull, twist, flatten, and even taste it.
  7. This Cake Confetti Slime is too adorable and would also make a great homemade gift idea for friends as well.
  8. These drink mixes come in a very wide variety so you can make all your favorites with Soda Pop Slime, I have even seen them at Dollar Tree.
  9. Floam Candy Cane Slime Recipe is a great winter-themed idea and will make your house smell amazing if you add the peppermint scent to it.
How to Make Gingerbread Slime For Play | 9 Slime Craft Ideas

Finally, look how to make this gingerbread slime.

How to Make Gingerbread Slime For Play

Adding vanilla extract and gingerbread spices takes this sensory experience to another level creating wonderful aromatherapy that everyone will enjoy.

But do remind your children this is not an edible slime, even though it will smell yummy.

You will need:

  • 1 cup school glue
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
  • 1 Tablespoon Ginger
  • Vanilla Extract, to preference
  • Sensitive unscented shaving cream
  • 1 Tablespoon Dish soap
  • Brown craft paint-optional
  • Gingerbread essential oil-optional
How to Make Gingerbread Slime For Play | 9 Slime Craft Ideas

First, combine water and school glue in a large bowl, stirring until mixed.

How to Make Gingerbread Slime For Play | 9 Slime Craft Ideas

Stir in cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, and essential oil if you are using it.

How to Make Gingerbread Slime For Play | 9 Slime Craft Ideas

Whip in soap and the shaving cream and keep adding shaving cream to it as you stir it in until it becomes a thicker consistency that you like.

How to Make Gingerbread Slime For Play | 9 Slime Craft Ideas

If your gingerbread slime is not dark enough you can add a little brown paint to give it a deeper brown color.

How to Make Gingerbread Slime For Play | 9 Slime Craft Ideas

Pour the slime into a large shallow container.

Grab some kitchen items like a whisk, slotted spoon, measuring cups, funnels, and gingerbread cutters to add to your sensory bin gingerbread slime.

These will make it an even more immersive experience.

How to Make Gingerbread Slime For Play | 9 Slime Craft Ideas

You can also give your child a small amount of spices like ginger and cinnamon as well as vanilla to add themselves.

I even found some gingerbread sprinkles that make a nice add-in, they will dissolve away somewhat quickly though.

Finally, add some buttons and eyes to create the gingerbread man.

How to Make Gingerbread Slime For Play | 9 Slime Craft Ideas

This large container from Dollar Tree is great because it has a lid that you can put on it between “baking” sessions and once the slime is no longer good you can throw the whole thing out without worrying about washing.

How to Make Gingerbread Slime For Play | 9 Slime Craft Ideas

1 CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: elementary science, gingerbread, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, slime

How to Make an Adorable Q Tip Painting Snowman

November 18, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

We’re making an adorable Q tip painting snowman. Be sure you grab more ideas for winter fun on my page Winter Season Unit Study.

It is wall-worthy but also helps develop fine motor skills, improve grasp, dexterity, and hand-eye coordination, and helps calm a dysregulated child.

Then there is the slant to use it to explain and recreate Pointillism to your child and the artist most known for it George Seurat.

Besides, young children should be introduced to different painting techniques and artists.

How to Make an Adorable Q Tip Painting Snowman

Before you think that this technique is just for preschoolers, look at the 10 additional Q-Tip painting ideas I found that cover preschool through middle school.

Even adults can enjoy them.

The techniques are varied as well as the end results.

Sometimes they call for single dotting and others use bundles of q tips to create different looks.

Pointillism is completely filled in with dots over the entire canvas.

However, you can choose to not have your child do that much or do your project over time.

I don’t know about you, but I love a quick and easy-to-set-up, inexpensive but still adorable art project.

And all you need for this Q-tip painting snowman is Q-tips and paint, as well as a cute little artist.

4 Facts About Seurat and Pointillism Painting

Then add some facts for your children about art.

  1. Pointillism is a painting technique where tiny dots or strokes are painted close together. They’re so close that from a distance, they visually blend to create an image.
  2. Even Vincent Van Gogh showed his appreciation for this style, in his 1887 self-portrait he used very short brush strokes rather than dots, but it is still pointillism, Starry Night is an example as well.
  3. George Seurat is best known for his painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. It was painted from 1884 to 1886.
  4. In his short lifetime, Seurat created seven large-scale paintings, hundreds of drawings, and sketches, and about 40 smaller-scale paintings and sketches.
How to Make an Adorable Q Tip Painting Snowman

You can show your child many examples of Seurat’s work here on wiki art, print their favorites, and use them for inspiration for their own art projects.

Books About Winter

Also, add some other fun resources to make this a winter and art unit study.

13 Snow, Snowman, Animals, and Winter Books

Add one or more of these books to your learning day if you're learning about snow, snowflakes, winter or just for fun.

Winter Cottage

Immerse Yourself in This Story of Love and Companionship Amidst Deprivation

It is the fall of 1930, and America has plunged into the Great Depression. On a remote dirt road deep in the snowy woods of northern Wisconsin, misfortune forces the impoverished Sparkes family to take desperate measures.

A wayfaring quartet consisting of thirteen-year-old Araminta (nicknamed Minty), her recently unemployed father-a poetry-quoting widower called Pops-and her younger sister, Eglantine (known as Eggs-a dreamer like Pops), and their dog, Buster, are on their way to Minneapolis to live with the curmudgeonly Aunt Amy. When their car breaks down and they are unable to fix it, the homeless four stumble upon a vacant summer cottage by a lake. In desperate straits, they decide to settle in.

1. The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter's Wonder

How do snow crystals form? What shapes can they take? Are no two snow crystals alike? These questions and more are answered inside this exploration of the science of snow, featuring photos of real snow crystals in all their beautiful diversity. Perfect for reading on winter days, this book by a nature photographer and a snow scientist will inspire wonder and curiosity about the marvels of snow. 

2. Sneezy the Snowman

B-R-R-R-R! AH-CHOO! Sneezy the Snowman is cold, cold, cold. To warm up, he drinks cocoa, sits in a hot tub, stands near a warm fire–and melts! But the children know just what to do to build him up again–and make him feel “just right”.

3. Snowmen at Night

Have you ever built a snowman and discovered the next day that his grin has gotten a little crooked, or his tree-branch arms have moved? And you've wondered . . . what do snowmen do at night? This delightful wintertime tale reveals all!

4. The Biggest Snowman Ever

When the mayor of Mouseville announces the town snowman contest, Clayton and Desmond claim that they will each make the biggest snowman ever. But building a huge snowman alone is hard! They work and work, but their snowmen just aren't big enough. Soon they have an idea. As the day of the contest approaches, Clayton and Desmond join forces to build the biggest snowman ever.

5. Over and Under the Snow

Over the snow, the world is hushed and white. But under the snow lies a secret world of squirrels and snow hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many other animals making their winter home under the snow. This beloved nonfiction picture book exploring the subnivean zone reveals the tunnels and caves formed beneath the snow but over the ground, where many kinds of animals live through the winter, safe and warm, awake and busy, but hidden beneath the snow.

A Hat for Minerva Louise

"Stoeke's second book about that intrepid screwball, Minerva Louise, is a rare find."—The Horn Book, starred review. The other chickens hate snowy mornings. But not Minerva Louise! To her a snowy day—like everything else—is an adventure. But this chilly, chipper hen needs something to keep her warm. What she finds—and how she finds it—will keep young readers cackling.

6. How to Catch a Snowman

Our heroes' entry for the snowman contest has magically come to life―and ran away! Can YOU help catch it? Get ready for snow much fun as you travel through a winter wonderland with running, skating, and bouncing through trap after trap to catch the snowman and claim the winning prize. Will the snowman teach our heroes a lesson they'll never forget?

The Big Snow

When the geese begin to fly south, the leaves flutter down from the trees and the cold winds begin to blow from the north, the animals of the woods and meadows, big and small, prepare for the long, cold winter ahead when the countryside is hidden under a deep blanket of snow. They gather food and look for warm, snug places in the ground, trees, caves or thickets, where they can find protection against the icy winds.It might have been hard for the birds and animals of the hillside to survive when the Big Snow came if their good friends, who lived in the little stone house, had not remembered to put food out for them.Here, in many beautiful pictures, the Haders show how winter comes to the woodland as the busy animals make their preparations.

7. Curious About Snow (Smithsonian)

The Smithsonian does things right and this Curious About Snow book is a
great introduction for curious kiddos with real images and simple explanations.

8. Animals in Winter

This is a clear and appealing book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. Introduce kids to basic science ideas as part of discussions about the seasons and animals.

9. Arctic Figurines, Including A Harp Seal, Husky, Caribou, Arctic Rabbit, Killer Whale, Walrus, Arctic Fox, Beluga Whale, Igloo, And Polar Bear

SET OF 10 FUN AND FRIGID FIGURES – It’s hard to stay warm at the North Pole, but you can discover its wonders in your home with these frigid friends. This TOOB includes a Harp Seal, Husky, Caribou, Arctic Rabbit, Killer Whale, Walrus, Arctic Fox, Beluga Whale, Igloo, and Polar Bear.

10. Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World

See the world in a whole new way! Acclaimed illustrator Julia Rothman combines art and science in this exciting and educational guide to the structure, function, and personality of the natural world. Explore the anatomy of a jellyfish, the inside of a volcano, monarch butterfly migration, how sunsets work, and much more. Rothman’s whimsical illustrations are paired with interactive activities that encourage curiosity and inspire you to look more closely at the world all around you.

10 More Fantastic Q-Tip Painting Ideas

  1. Make this beautiful Field  Of Tulips Q-Tip Painting. This can be done and enjoyed by all age levels and you will get unique results.
  2. This Cotton Swab Flower Painting is a great challenge for older kids and gives them different techniques for using the q tip, shading, and adding a 3-D dimensional look.
  3. A simple but pretty way to introduce your preschooler to Roy G. Biv is this Q-Tip Rainbow Painting Craft.
  4. Learn How to Make Name Art With Pointillism for a craft that your kids will love to display in their room or hang on their door to let everyone know it’s their space.
  5. This Easy Q-Tip Painted Heart Art is so pretty and a great way to brighten up someone’s
  6. Here is a great Georges Seurat Pointillism Art Lesson for Kids where they can recreate their favorite painting of his.
  7. Perfect for winter, this Pointillism Snowflake Art project comes with a free printable template and is a beautiful way to bring winter inside even if you have no snow.
  8. How sweet is this simple Cotton Bud Dandelion Craft?
  9. While this one isn’t a painting idea I couldn’t let it go without mentioning when I saw it, so many uses when you learn How to Dye Q Tips For Play and Learning.
  10. Kids Art Project: Q-Tip Star Art.
How to Make an Adorable Q Tip Painting Snowman

Finally, look how to make this q tip snowman.

How to Make an Adorable Q Tip Painting Snowman

You will need:

  • Q Tips
  • Craft paint
  • Construction paper
  • 3 different sized round objects
How to Make an Adorable Q Tip Painting Snowman

First, create your snowman outline by tracing 3 round objects of varying sizes (like cups, bowls, cookie cutters, etc.) onto your construction paper with a pencil.

How to Make an Adorable Q Tip Painting Snowman

Place a small amount of white paint into something like a little paper disposable cup.

It makes for such easy cleanup and no paint brushes to wash either.

Give your child several Q-tips and demonstrate to them, if needed, how to follow the outline.

How to Make an Adorable Q Tip Painting Snowman

Have them dot to fill in the circles.

How to Make an Adorable Q Tip Painting Snowman

Continue until all three circles are filled in.

How to Make an Adorable Q Tip Painting Snowman

They can also add snow falling down or a blanket across the ground.

How to Make an Adorable Q Tip Painting Snowman

Once the white is filled in, allow it to dry.

This is a great time for a cocoa break and a book.

Once the white is dry your child can add touches like buttons, eyes, a scarf, hat, and nose with any color craft paint they like.

Be sure to give them one q tip per color, again use cheap disposable cups from Dollar Tree for easy clean up.

Now at this point you can be done, or you can have your child completely fill in their page with dots to include sky, trees, etc.

How to Make an Adorable Q Tip Painting Snowman

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: art, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolinginwinter, snow, snowman, winter crafts, winter season

11 Fun Handwriting Activities For Preschoolers | Easy Cranberry Sauce Writing Tray

November 17, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

There are so many fun handwriting activities for preschoolers before they ever need to pick up a pencil. Also, look at my page How to Homeschool Preschool.

These activities will build not only their letter recognition but also fine motor, gross motor, coordination, posture, and letter formation.

I think it is important for kids to get a good mix of writing with different materials, crayons, markers, and even their fingers.

They can also practice letter formation with sticks, playdough, paint and so much more.

11 Fun Handwriting Activities For Preschoolers | Easy Cranberry Sauce Writing Tray

Mix it up to keep it interesting for them and they will not even realize how much they are learning and developing as it will seem like play.

I have found 11 fantastic ideas for writing in all the stages for preschoolers to get you started. Including some resources that would be a great addition to your preschool.

Too, I also have an easy cranberry sauce writing tray tutorial for you that is completely taste-safe and is a fun new texture for kids to try that sensory seekers will love.

Resources for Teaching Pre-Writing to Preschoolers

9 Preschool Writing Resources for Pre-Writers for Readiness to Write

Preschool means pre or before writing. That means they are not ready to write. You are teaching them prewriting activities to strengthen their fine motor skills.

Wooden Letters Practicing Board, Double-Sided Alphabet Tracing Tool Learning

 This Wooden Letters Practicing Board would get a lot of use. I see it in car rides, doctors' offices, waiting at restaurants, and many other times to keep them busy while they learn.

Magnetic Letters Double-Side Magnet Board - Foam Alphabet Letters for Kids Spelling and Learning

These magnetic letters kit is great because it grows with your child from first learning to write letters to simple sight words and right on through more advanced spelling words. I like items that you can get years of use out of.

Learning Without Tears - Pre-K Writing Book - Social-Emotional, Pre-Writing Skills

Once they are ready for writing, if you need a solid program to use for yearly evaluations or just to
see the progress on their own, Handwriting Without Tears is a very popular option.

Alphabet Learning Toys for Toddlers

271 Pcs Alphabet Sounds Teaching Tubs] Alphabet Learning Toy Set includes 26 Cardboard Cans with Plastic Lids, 52 Letter Cards (Uppercase and Lowercase each 26), and 193 Photo Cards
to encourage toddlers early learning of spelling and memory of corresponding objects.

Pre-Writing Basic Patterns Stencils

These tracing templates fine-tune developing motor skills, strengthen muscle-memory, and introduce essential writing elements

Preschool Skills: Tracing, Cutting, and Gluing, Scissor Skills, Fine Motor

If you are looking for ways to help your child get ready for school, or just looking to help them develop fine motor skills then this is the book for you! Developed by teachers, with the top skills that teachers look for in their students entering Kindergarten. This book will help your child learn how to trace lines, and use scissors and glue properly.

Crayons in a Rock Shape, 32 Count, Tripod Grip Made For Handwriting Development in Kids and Toddler

CRAYON ROCKS - Are simply the best coloring tool for young children! Made in rural Kentucky, USA from soybean wax, they are vibrantly colored and create beautifully textured child artwork similar to oil pastels.

2 Pack LCD Writing Tablet for Kids, Electronic Writing Pad, Colorful Doodle Board Drawing

LCD Writing Tablets for kids are so much fun and will encourage practice drawing and writing with very little encouragement from you

ReadyWriter Classic Edition : Stylus Skills, Printing, and Penmanship

One of my favorites that has been around for years for ages 4 to 8. Learn to write by drawing pictures and doing fun activities.

Also, look at more how to homeschool preschool activities.

How to Homeschool Preschool Activities

  • A Unique Flexible and Beautiful Preschool Homeschool Planner
  • How to Teach Homeschool Preschool From the Inside Out (And Preschool Skills)
  • Celebrate World Jellyfish Day With A Jellyfish in a Jar Preschool Activity
  • Fun Bat Anatomy Toilet Paper Roll Craft | 8 Bat Science Activities Preschool
  • Fun Resources and Books About The Human Body For Preschoolers
  • Make Cute Felt Leaf Sachets For Fall Leaf Crafts for Preschoolers
  • Fun Corn Life Cycle Preschool Sensory Bin and Printable Lifecycle Foldout
  • 10 Egg Carton Crafts For 2 Year Olds and Fun Nature Color Match Activity
  • Learn About Indigenous Animal Geography Fun Activity for Preschool to Elementary
11 Fun Handwriting Activities For Preschoolers | Easy Cranberry Sauce Writing Tray

Then look at these fun handwriting activities.

11 Fun Handwriting Activities for Preschoolers

  1. Before writing you can use playdough to learn about forming letters like with the Playdough Mat Name Forming activity here.
  2. This Rainbow Rice Sensory Writing Tray is tons of fun and most of us have plenty of rice in the pantry so give it a try.
  3. There will be lots of ooey-gooey writing practice with this Slime Writing Tray where they can use their fingers or something else to write with.
  4. If you want to avoid the mess or your child just doesn’t like messy hands try this idea for Shaving Cream Writing in a bag.
  5. A different take on the shaving cream but keeping the mess contained is to learn How to Make Sensory Bags PLUS a Letter and Number Card FREEBIE
  6. Who needs a pencil when you have a pile of fun play dough and a skewer? Check out this Play-Dough Writing Tray.
  7. I really love this idea for Q-Tip letter tracing, who knew such a simple household item could be so useful?
  8. How creative is this idea for Icy Letter Writing? A fun activity for winter or a great way to cool down and practice in the summer.
  9. Break out the watercolor paints for this Simple Watercolor Activity for name and handwriting practice.
  10. Prewriting activities like these DIY Alphabet Lacing Cards help a child learn letter recognition and formation while building the muscles and coordination they will need for actual writing.
  11. Pushpin Letters are good for coordination, and fine motor skills, and will help your child learn the grasp they will need for writing with a pencil correctly
11 Fun Handwriting Activities For Preschoolers | Easy Cranberry Sauce Writing Tray

Finally, look at how to make this easy cranberry sauce writing tray.

Easy Cranberry Sauce Writing Tray

You will need:

  • Shallow tray or dish
  • Canned cranberry sauce, pureed
  • Spatula or spoon
  • Fresh cranberries
  • Cardstock
  • Marker

First, open cranberry sauce and stir to break it up and make it as smooth as you can.

11 Fun Handwriting Activities For Preschoolers | Easy Cranberry Sauce Writing Tray

Pour into the tray and smooth it out with the bottom of the can.

11 Fun Handwriting Activities For Preschoolers | Easy Cranberry Sauce Writing Tray

Draw shapes, letters, and numbers on cardstock with a marker.

11 Fun Handwriting Activities For Preschoolers | Easy Cranberry Sauce Writing Tray

Cut them out, if you would like them to be able to be used often you may want to laminate them so they can easily be wiped off after messy play like this one.

11 Fun Handwriting Activities For Preschoolers | Easy Cranberry Sauce Writing Tray

You can also add a handful of fresh cranberries to explore a different texture but also they can be used to count when a child writes numbers with their fingers.

11 Fun Handwriting Activities For Preschoolers | Easy Cranberry Sauce Writing Tray

Look at that fine motor work!

11 Fun Handwriting Activities For Preschoolers | Easy Cranberry Sauce Writing Tray

Encourage letter and number writing but also free play in the sensory bin to make it a well-rounded experience.

I highly recommend taking this one outside or at least placing a plastic shower curtain liner under the area as it can be pretty sticky.

11 Fun Handwriting Activities For Preschoolers | Easy Cranberry Sauce Writing Tray

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: cranberries, fine motor skills, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, handwriting, homeschool preschool, preschool, teachingwriting, writing

8 Cool Winter Crafts for Middle School | Craft a Snowman Bead Necklace

November 16, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

If you have a middle school student that you are trying to get off their tech for a bit these winter crafts for middle school are a perfect distraction from texting and video games. Also, look at my page How to Successfully Homeschool Middle School and ideas for winter fun on my page Winter Season Unit Study with free lapbook.

Snowmen, snowflakes, and cocoa candles, oh my!

8 Cool Winter Crafts for Middle School | Craft a Snowman Bead Necklace

I have rolled up 8 adorable craft ideas to cover a lot of our favorite winter topics and will keep your teen screen-free for at least a little while.

Too, I have an easy tutorial for how to craft a snowman bead necklace as well and it is a great intermediate project for one child, a group of friends, co-op, or even the whole family to create.

You don’t have to stop with just one craft though.

Challenge your middle school child to choose another craft and learn some of these fantastic snowman facts, get outside and build their own snowman, or make a snowman-themed snack.

4 Winter Snowman Facts for Middle School

  1. In February of 2020 residents in Donnersbachwald, Austria, built a giant snowman named Riesi that towered above at 124.8 feet.
  2. According to scientists the best snow for building snowmen is moist or wet snow, which forms when the air temperature is hovering just above freezing- 0°C and 2°C.  When this happens some of the snow melts and makes water between ice crystals that acts as a glue to hold it all together.
  3.  Everyone’s an expert! There are more than 90,000 YouTube videos that teach you how to build a snowman, there is even a patent out there for the process.
  4. The classic song ‘Frosty The Snowman’ “Frosty the Snowman” was written by Walter “Jack” Rollins and Steve Nelson. It was first recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys and later recorded by Jimmy Durante in the same year, Jimmy’s version being used in the animated movie.
8 Cool Winter Crafts for Middle School | Craft a Snowman Bead Necklace

Then add some books for fun winter reading for your student.

I lean toward living books then like to add in some reference books too.

7 Books for Middle School Students to Read in the Winter

These books also make for a great read aloud, even older kids would enjoy piling up on the couch in the morning for a good story together.

Julie of the Wolves (HarperClassics)

Julie of the Wolves is a staple in the canon of children’s literature and the first in the Julie trilogy. The survival theme makes it a good pick for readers of wilderness adventures such as My Side of the Mountain, Hatchet, or Island of the Blue Dolphins.

This edition, perfect for classroom or home use, includes John Schoenherr’s original scratchboard illustrations throughout, as well as bonus materials such as an introduction written by Jean Craighead George’s children, the author’s Newbery acceptance speech, selections from her field notebooks, a discussion guide, and a further reading guide.

To her small village, she is known as Miyax; to her friend in San Francisco, she is Julie. When her life in the village becomes dangerous, Miyax runs away, only to find herself lost in the Alaskan wilderness.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Four adventurous siblings—Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie—step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change . . . and a great sacrifice.

The Call of the Wild (Reader's Library Classics)

The domesticated life of a powerful St. Bernard-Shepherd mix named Buck is quickly turned on end when he is stolen away from his master and put to work as a sled dog in Alaska. His once life of luxury turns into a life of survival and adaptation as he learns the ways of the wilderness.

Sweet Home Alaska

    It's 1934, and times are tough for Trip's family after the mill in their small Wisconsin town closes, leaving her father unemployed. Determined to provide for his family, he moves them all to Alaska to become pioneers as part of President Roosevelt's Palmer Colony project. Trip and her family are settling in, except her mom, who balks at the lack of civilization. But Trip feels like she's following in Laura Ingalls Wilder's footsteps, and she hatches a plan to raise enough money for a piano to convince her musical mother that Alaska is a wonderful and cultured home. Her sights set on the cash prize at the upcoming Palmer Colony Fair, but can Trip grow the largest pumpkin possible--using all the love, energy, and Farmer Boy expertise she can muster?

The Winter King

Ever since Cora's father disappeared through the ice, whispers about her family's "curse" have grown increasingly louder. Desperate to help her mother and siblings survive another bleak season in the Winter King's frozen grasp, Cora begins to bend (and even break) the rules she has kept since she was a little girl. But when she discovers a secret that's much bigger than herself, she realizes too late that she has put herself--and those she loves--in even greater peril.

Winterhouse (Winterhouse, 1)

Orphan Elizabeth Somers’s malevolent aunt and uncle ship her off to the ominous Winterhouse Hotel, owned by the peculiar Norbridge Falls. Upon arrival, Elizabeth quickly discovers that Winterhouse has many charms―most notably its massive library. It’s not long before she locates a magical book of puzzles that will unlock a mystery involving Norbridge and his sinister family. But the deeper she delves into the hotel’s secrets, the more Elizabeth starts to realize that she is somehow connected to Winterhouse. As fate would have it, Elizabeth is the only person who can break the hotel’s curse and solve the mystery. But will it be at the cost of losing the people she has come to care for, and even Winterhouse itself?

Northwind

When a deadly plague reaches the small fish camp where he lives, an orphan named Leif is forced to take to the water in a cedar canoe. He flees northward, following a wild, fjord-riven shore, navigating from one danger to the next, unsure of his destination. Yet the deeper into his journey he paddles, the closer he comes to his truest self as he connects to “the heartbeat of the ocean . . . the pulse of the sea.” With hints of Nordic mythology and an irresistible narrative pull, Northwind is Gary Paulsen at his captivating, adventuresome best.

Then, add in these other fun winter crafts for middle school.

8 Cool Winter Crafts for Middle School

  1. Fun Styrofoam Snowman Art Activity & 5 Facts About The Wonders of Winter.
  2. With just paper, glue, and scissors you can create a winter wonderland of Curled Paper Snowflakes to decorate the whole house.
  3. Not only is it beautiful but this Snowflake Soap serves a purpose and makes a great craft to keep or gift to friends and family.
  4. Check out these 10 Middle School Winter Crafts and Make a Sweet Smelling Hot Cocoa Candle.
  5. Think of the personality that can be infused into this cute DIY Wood Block Snowman tutorial. I think this is the perfect craft for everyone in the family to make together to represent themselves.
  6. I just love this Popsicle Stick Winter Bucket List idea. I have found that kids don’t need you less as they turn into teens, just in a different way. Create a list of things you would enjoy doing together throughout the winter season and let your middle schooler turn it into this fun tin pail bucket list.
  7. Sometimes a winter craft can be longing for spring, like with these Winter Craft Ideas How to Make Fun Pinecone Flowers that can bring a bright touch to a dreary winter.
  8. Easy DIY Fun Salt Winter Watercolor Art Project for Kids.
8 Cool Winter Crafts for Middle School | Craft a Snowman Bead Necklace

Okay so maybe this is less craft and more of a snack but it definitely looks like a work of art.

So maybe these Hot Chocolate Stir Sticks can do double-duty as your middle schoolers’ project.

Craft a Snowman Bead Necklace

You will need:

  • Elastic string
  • Unfinished wood beads
  • Unfinished wood spool
  • Plastic beads
  • Glitter
  • Craft paint
  • Paint pens
  • Hot glue gun/sticks
8 Cool Winter Crafts for Middle School | Craft a Snowman Bead Necklace

The first thing you want to do is string your unfinished wood beads for the snowman on a skewer, this is the easiest method for painting.

8 Cool Winter Crafts for Middle School | Craft a Snowman Bead Necklace

Next paint the beads with a light coat all over, leaving room between each to dry.

8 Cool Winter Crafts for Middle School | Craft a Snowman Bead Necklace

Also, paint a little unfinished wood spool black to make a hat.

If you would rather you can also use a scrap of fabric to make a cloth hat instead.

8 Cool Winter Crafts for Middle School | Craft a Snowman Bead Necklace

Once your first layer is dry, paint a second thick coat on them and then sprinkle with fine glitter if desired to give the snow a dimensional and glistening effect.

8 Cool Winter Crafts for Middle School | Craft a Snowman Bead Necklace

Allow the paint to dry then hot glue the 3 pieces together, leaving the hole on the beads vertical for the bottom two and going horizontally for the head so that it can be strung on the necklace.

Add your top hat as well.

8 Cool Winter Crafts for Middle School | Craft a Snowman Bead Necklace

Use paint markers to add details like eyes, a carrot nose, buttons, etc.

8 Cool Winter Crafts for Middle School | Craft a Snowman Bead Necklace

While the details are drying begin adding beads in whatever pattern you like to one side of the necklace.

8 Cool Winter Crafts for Middle School | Craft a Snowman Bead Necklace

Slip your snowman onto the string and repeat the bead pattern on the other side, going as far up the string as you like.

8 Cool Winter Crafts for Middle School | Craft a Snowman Bead Necklace

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: handicraft, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolinginwinter, middle school, middleschool, winter crafts, winter season

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