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6 Facts About Mountain Lions and How to Make a Fun Mountain Lion Diorama

July 28, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have 6 facts about mountain lions and a fun mountain lion diorama. Also, you may love the ideas on my post 6 World Wildlife Day Activities to Learn About African Lions.

Today, we’re making an upcycled mountain lion diorama that pairs perfectly with a mountain lion unit study.

Mountain lions have 40 different names. For example, look at these names.

  • Cougar
  • Mountain Lion
  • Puma
  • Panther
  • Catamount
  • Colorado Cougar
  • Texas Lion, and
  • Patagonian Puma to name a few.
6 Facts About Mountain Lions and How to Make a Fun Mountain Lion Diorama

They have the widest range amongst all the wild cats in the western hemisphere, covering parts of Canada, the United States, and most of the South American countries.

They make a beautiful and interesting subject for our latest diorama.

One thing I really love is a craft that uses recycled materials that we’re going to end up in the trash bin.

They’re likely to end up there eventually anyway but this gives a little bit longer life and saves a lot of money because we had to buy almost nothing for this project.

I used a science board I already had on hand from Dollar Tree but you can just use leftover cardboard from a delivery box.

You might need some small plastic animals if you don’t have any. I have a suggestion below that can be used for many things.

Before we jump in let’s learn a few facts about the mountain lion and what sets them apart from other cats in the wild.

Mountain Lion Diorama – 6 Facts To Pounce On

  1. Because their larynxes are different from those of other big cats, they never roar. Rather they sound more like a person whistling, a bird chirping, or even a woman screaming. You can listen to that eerie scream here. How eerie!
  2. The young look very different from mature cats, mountain lion cubs have blue eyes and dark spots when they are born.
  3. When you think of mountain lions you may think of slow, slinking creatures but they can run up to 50 mph.
  4. A mountain lion’s preference for prey is deer but as opportunistic predators, they will eat raccoons, elk, moose, antelope, mountain goats, horses, and bighorn sheep.
  5. They are amazing jumpers; they can jump as high as 18 feet off the ground.
  6. Mountain lions are not considered “big cats”, but they are the largest of the “small cats” at 90 to 175 pounds and standing 2’-3’ tall at the shoulder.

First, I like to grab my handy dandy anatomy books.

I was able to find information on panthers and mountain lions for comparison in our Wildlife Anatomy book.

6 Facts About Mountain Lions and How to Make a Fun Mountain Lion Diorama

In Nature Anatomy you can see a small excerpt on the mountain Lion but also information on mountains, some of its prey animals, and more.

6 Facts About Mountain Lions and How to Make a Fun Mountain Lion Diorama

Next, look at some more ideas for lion activities.

More Mountain Lion Activities

  • Mountain Lion Printable Craft.
  • How to Handle a Mountain Lion Encounter
  • How to Draw Cougars, Mountain Lion
  • Mountain Lion Coloring Craft
  • Mountain Lion Mask
  • Bobcat vs Mountain Lion: How to Tell the Difference
  • Here is a great National Geographic documentary on The Secret Lives of the Mountain Lion Family.
6 Facts About Mountain Lions and How to Make a Fun Mountain Lion Diorama

Finally, look how to make this mountain lion diorama.

How to Make a Mountain Lion Diorama

You will need:

  • Trifold science board
  • Brown paper bag/brown shipping paper
  • Styrofoam packaging
  • Green construction paper
  • Small pebbles and twigs with leaves
  • Green, blue, and tan craft paints
  • Hot glue gun
  • Small plastic animals
6 Facts About Mountain Lions and How to Make a Fun Mountain Lion Diorama

Once you have decided where your mountain lion is living, cougars like dense forests, coastal swamps, rocky cliffs, and mountain ranges as their habitat you can begin building.

I am walking you through creating a mountain diorama.

First, cut a trifold science board into half and then cut off half of that so you have just half of one flap and half of the center.

Next, cut off the other half of the centerpiece. We will use that for the base.

6 Facts About Mountain Lions and How to Make a Fun Mountain Lion Diorama

Paint the top blue like the sky and the bottom third a tan like your mountain color, tan for this model. Allow it to dry.

6 Facts About Mountain Lions and How to Make a Fun Mountain Lion Diorama

Grab the piece of cardboard you are going to use for your base and cover it in glue.

Crinkle up the green paper, smooth it, and press it into the adhesive on your board.

Crinkling gives your “grass” some nice texture.

6 Facts About Mountain Lions and How to Make a Fun Mountain Lion Diorama

Add additional color and texture with dabs of green paint if you like.

6 Facts About Mountain Lions and How to Make a Fun Mountain Lion Diorama

Once your background is dry, bend it so that it creates an L shape and adhere it to the base with a generous line of hot glue. Hold it in place until it sets.

6 Facts About Mountain Lions and How to Make a Fun Mountain Lion Diorama

Now, cut up your styrofoam to resemble mountain shapes.

6 Facts About Mountain Lions and How to Make a Fun Mountain Lion Diorama

Glue to the board.

6 Facts About Mountain Lions and How to Make a Fun Mountain Lion Diorama

Crinkle up a big piece of brown paper and then smooth it out as you did with the green.

6 Facts About Mountain Lions and How to Make a Fun Mountain Lion Diorama

Press all over the styrofoam to cover, glue in place, and add more as needed, trim off the excess.

6 Facts About Mountain Lions and How to Make a Fun Mountain Lion Diorama

Gather up the stones, moss, and twigs you have collected and glue them on the ground as well as up the mountain.

6 Facts About Mountain Lions and How to Make a Fun Mountain Lion Diorama

Add a water source coming down the mountain across the land, animals always like to stay near a good water source.

6 Facts About Mountain Lions and How to Make a Fun Mountain Lion Diorama

Place your mountain lion and a prey animal or two.

I think our mountain lion is stalking the thirsty raccoon who stopped for a drink.

6 Facts About Mountain Lions and How to Make a Fun Mountain Lion Diorama

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: animals, diorma, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolscience, life science, lions, science

How to Make a Fun Bottle Buddy of the Trailblazing Pilot Amelia Earhart Craft

July 27, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have a fantastic Amelia Earhart craft to go along with any study you might be doing about the famous trailblazing pilot. Also, look at Amazing Facts about Amelia Earhart and Fun Aviator Goggle Craft.

Amelia Earhart broke records opened the world of aviation for women and inspired many to push flying to its limits.

How to Make a Fun Bottle Buddy of the Trailblazing Pilot Amelia Earhart Craft

To honor her life while we learn about her accomplishments, we are making a bottle buddy Amelia Earhart craft.

It is perfect for an at-home project or would be great as part of a co-op presentation.

“I lay no claim to advancing scientific data other than advancing flying knowledge. I can only say that I do it because I want to.”– Amelia Earhart

7 Fun Facts About Amelia Earhart

  1. Amelia was the first president of the organization the Ninety-Nines, an organization for women aviators.
  2. Amelia Earhart was just the 16th woman to earn an international pilot’s license.
  3. She was the first female passenger to fly across the Atlantic.
  4. Amelia was the first woman to fly across North America and back on a solo journey.
  5. She was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
  6. She set a world altitude record of 18,415 feet.
  7. If she had succeeded in circumnavigating the globe, Amelia Earhart would have been the first woman to manage the feat.

“Some of us have great runways already built for us. If you have one, take off! But if you don’t have one, realize it is your responsibility to grab a shovel and build one for yourself and for those who will follow after you.”- Amelia Earhart

Also, look at some of these resources about Amelia Earhart.

6 Fun Amelia Earhart Resources

Bring your aviator unit study to life by adding some of these fun resources.

Who Was Amelia Earhart?

Amelia Earhart was a woman of many "firsts." In 1932, she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1935, she also became the first woman to fly across the Pacific. From her early years to her mysterious 1937 disappearance while attempting a flight around the world, readers will find Amelia Earhart's life a fascinating story.

Amelia Earhart (Inspired Inner Genius)

Then, you will love our child-friendly biography of Amelia Earhart! Use this exciting biography book to instill timeless values & principles in your child.

I am Amelia Earhart (Ordinary People Change the World)

Amelia Earhart refused to accept no for an answer; she dared to do what no one had ever done before, and became the first woman to fly a plane all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. This biography follows her from childhood to her first flying lessons and onward to her multi-record-breaking career as a pilot. This friendly, fun biography series inspired the PBS Kids TV show Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum. One great role model at a time, these books encourage kids to dream big. Included in each book are:   • A timeline of key events in the hero’s history   • Photos that bring the story more fully to life   • Comic-book-style illustrations that are irresistibly adorable   • Childhood moments that influenced the hero   • Facts that make great conversation-starters   • A character trait that made the person heroic and that readers can aspire to 

Amelia Earhart: Pioneer of the Sky! (Show Me History!)

When Amelia Earhart became the first woman to make a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932, she immediately became an American icon and a subject of endless fascination for generations to come. In Amelia Earhart: Pioneer of the Sky!, the story of the bold and daring aviator’s life is presented in graphic novel format, with full-color illustrations and historically accurate details. From her hardscrabble childhood to her final flight—and mysterious disappearance—Earhart’s journey will entertain, captivate, and inspire readers of all ages.

The Story of Amelia Earhart: A Biography Book for New Readers

Amelia Earhart became the first woman pilot to fly alone across the Atlantic Ocean in an airplane―and she broke many other flight records before her mysterious disappearance. Before she made history and changed the world for pilots everywhere, Amelia was an adventure-loving kid who wasn’t afraid to be different. She worked hard and learned how to fly airplanes at a time when many people didn’t think women should be pilots. Explore how Amelia Earhart went from being a young girl growing up in Kansas to an American hero and a celebrated pioneer of flight.

Safari Ltd In The Sky TOOB

In the sky themed figurines by Safari Ltd. Airplanes, blimp, helicopter, hot air balloon, space shuttle and more replicas have been handpainted and researched for accuracy. Pieces come in a clear """"toob"""" with a globe top and facts on the inside. These figures are perfect for displays, playing pretend, and more! 12 pieces per package.

Next, look at some more resources and activities to learn about Amelia Earhart.

More Amelia Earhart Resources and Activities

Add some of these fun activities to your post.

  • Amazing Facts about Amelia Earhart and Fun Aviator Goggle Craft
  • How to Draw Amelia Earhart Tutorial
  • Women’s History Month Craft – Amelia Earhart’s Airplane
  • Amelia Earhart Fact File
  • How to Make a Paper Airplane Launcher
  • How to Make a Fun Bottle Buddy of the Trailblazing Pilot Amelia Earhart Craft
How to Make a Fun Bottle Buddy of the Trailblazing Pilot Amelia Earhart Craft

Next, look how to make this fun bottle buddy craft.

You can use any size bottle that you have on hand from a 16 oz to a 2 liter for this project. This is all about low stress.

We are not using a template; it will be quick and easy to measure right on the bottle.

I have seen these in the past made with a foam ball for the head, you could certainly do that, but this was a very frugal and no-fuss way to make it with things you probably already have on hand.

Because we may all be using different size bottles, I am not going to give exact measurements.

I measured mine simply by holding the felt up to the bottle, marking and cutting as needed.

How to Make A Bottle Buddy Amelia Earhart Craft

You will need:

  • 20 oz, 1 or 2-liter bottle
  • Craft felt-brown, black, tan, white, red
  • Paper bag
  • Google eyes
  • Light brown/yellow yarn
  • Hot glue gun/glue sticks
How to Make a Fun Bottle Buddy of the Trailblazing Pilot Amelia Earhart Craft

First, remove the label from the bottle and wash it out well.

You can add back in a few inches of clean water to act as a weight because your bottle buddy will be a bit top-heavy.

Because we have layers, we are not going to wrap each color felt all the way around so want to cut a piece of tan felt (pants) that wraps around the base of your bottle and is about ¼ of the height.

How to Make a Fun Bottle Buddy of the Trailblazing Pilot Amelia Earhart Craft

Cut a rectangular piece of white (shirt) that goes from the top of the tan to an inch or two below the neck of the bottle and wraps around about 1/3rd of the bottle.

You can tape them down temporarily with low tack tape to make sure that your whole bottle will be covered.

Next, wrap a piece of dark brown (bomber jacket) around the bottle so that it just overlaps the white and the tan pants at the bottom, and has an inch or so of excess at the top.

We are not going to glue them down yet because we must put her head on first. Set these pieces aside for now.

Make a head by stuffing a brown paper bag with scrap felt or paper, squeezing and moving it around until you are happy with the shape.

How to Make a Fun Bottle Buddy of the Trailblazing Pilot Amelia Earhart Craft

Bottle Buddy Amelia Earhart Craft

Draw on a mouth, nose, and eyes or use google eyes if you like.

How to Make a Fun Bottle Buddy of the Trailblazing Pilot Amelia Earhart Craft

Use hot glue to attach a few short pieces of yarn that will be coming out of her pilot’s cap, you don’t have to do the whole head unless you want to.

How to Make a Fun Bottle Buddy of the Trailblazing Pilot Amelia Earhart Craft

Trim the excess off the bag then wrap it around the neck of the bottle and tie it on tightly with a piece of string. We are ready to start putting her together.

Hot glue the shirt and pants in place and use a marker to draw the center leg line on the pants.

How to Make a Fun Bottle Buddy of the Trailblazing Pilot Amelia Earhart Craft

Wrap the dark brown piece of felt you cut to use as a jacket and glue it in place, leaving some excess at the top, fold this down to make a collar.

How to Make a Fun Bottle Buddy of the Trailblazing Pilot Amelia Earhart Craft

Cut a long piece of skinny red felt and make little fringes on either end.

How to Make a Fun Bottle Buddy of the Trailblazing Pilot Amelia Earhart Craft

Wrap and hot glue into place around her neck.

How to Make a Fun Bottle Buddy of the Trailblazing Pilot Amelia Earhart Craft

To create her pilot’s cap, center an entire piece of 8×12 fabric onto her head letting some of the hair peek out. At this point, you can add more if you feel like it needs it. Hot glue the center down.

How to Make a Fun Bottle Buddy of the Trailblazing Pilot Amelia Earhart Craft

Cut the flaps and any excess off then continue gluing it in place all the way around.

How to Make a Fun Bottle Buddy of the Trailblazing Pilot Amelia Earhart Craft

To finish off Amelia’s’ pilot costume we need to make her flying goggles.

Start by cutting a rectangle long enough to wrap over the top of her head from one side of the cap to the other.

Use a black marker to draw the eye openings.

How to Make a Fun Bottle Buddy of the Trailblazing Pilot Amelia Earhart Craft

Cut eye holes out.

How to Make a Fun Bottle Buddy of the Trailblazing Pilot Amelia Earhart Craft

Affix to the top of her cap with hot glue.

How to Make a Fun Bottle Buddy of the Trailblazing Pilot Amelia Earhart Craft

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: Amelia Earhart, aviation, crafts, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling

7 Facts About the Inca Empire & Make a Fun Incan Ruins Model

July 26, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have 7 facts about the Incan Empire and your kids will love this Incan ruins model hands-on activity. Also, you’ll love my Free South America Printable Lapbook and Fun Hands-on Unit Study Ideas.

In a learning journey to South America, you must be sure to visit the Incan Ruins with a fun hands-on activity or two.

We are making a unique Incan ruins model with a little paint and a handful of unfinished blocks.

7 Facts About the Inca Empire & Make a Fun Incan Ruins Model

Also, you’ll learn a few important facts about the ruins, and discover a few more activities to help your child know more about this culture that helped shape future civilizations.

While creating your Incan ruins you can watch a video about their history or talk about the architecture that they are well known for.

This is a culture rich with history, from its architecture to the symbols, traditions, food, and its rise and fall.

And this is an interesting period of early history that lends itself wonderfully to many crafts and activities.

 7 Facts about the Inca and the Incan Ruins

  1. At Machu Picchu, each stone was perfectly cut to fit together so tight that mortar was not needed to keep the walls standing.
  2. The Inca Empire lasted for just one century, with most scholars believing it started around the 13th century.
  3. The highly advanced Incan Road system, which is known as Qhapaq Ñan (“royal road” in Quechua) was over 25,000 miles long.
  4. The Incas had a unique communal concept Called Ayni, which translates today for you, tomorrow for me. They believed in an interdependent society and that every individual must give before receiving. The Inca pooled together all they had and made sure everyone was taken care of.
  5. The Incas were mostly vegan, only eating special meats for special occasions.
  6. Inca was the largest pre-Columbian empire in the Americas, it covered 770,000 square miles.
  7. The Inca Empire fell to the Spanish conquistadores under the rule of Francisco Pizarro in 1533 CE.

Next, add some of these books and resources to your South America unit study.

13 Resources for a Study of South America

Add some of these fun books and resources to your study of South America.

South America (Rookie Read-About Geography: Continents)

An incredible variety of climates and biomes span the territory of South America. As a result, the continent contains some of the greatest biodiversity on Earth.

Rookie Read-About: Continents series gives the youngest reader (Ages 3-6) an introduction to the components that make each continent distinctive and exceptional. Readers will get to know each continents' geography, history, and wildlife. In this book readers learn about the continent of South America, including the geography, native animals, people and more.

Ancient Civilizations: Aztecs, Maya, Incas!: With 25 Social Studies Projects for Kids (Explore Your World)

A full-color, compelling book for ages 7 to 10 offers a deep dive into the three sophisticated ancient civilizations of Mesoamerica―the Aztecs, Maya, and Incas― through hands-on STEAM projects, essential questions, and loads of fascinating facts!

Why were there more than 3,000 steps built at Machu Picchu? Why did the Aztecs roam Mexico for nearly 200 years before finding a place to settle? How did the Maya study the movements of the stars and the planets? Ancient Civilizations: Aztecs, Maya, Incas! With 25 Social Studies Projects for Kids takes kids ages 7 to 10 on a guided tour to experience the history, culture, economics, and daily life of the Aztecs, Maya, and Incas.

Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia

A man, his burros, and his books bring joy to children in remote Colombian villages in this inspiring book based on a true story by celebrated picture book creator Jeanette Winter.Luis loves to read, but soon his house in Colombia is so full of books there’s barely room for the family. What to do? Then he comes up with the perfect solution—a traveling library! He buys two donkeys—Alfa and Beto—and travels with them throughout the land, bringing books and reading to the children in faraway villages.

Secret of the Andes (Puffin Newberry Library)

An Incan boy who tends llamas in a hidden valley in Peru learns the traditions and secrets of his ancestors. 

My Mama's Little Ranch on the Pampas

In the sequel to On the Pampas, the author recalls her first year on the small Argentinian ranch purchased and managed by her mother, in an account that includes a visual dictionary of the Spanish words and geographical terms used in the text.

Tales from Silver Lands

Atmospheric woodcuts illustrate this Newbery Award–winning collection of 19 South American folktales. Charles J. Finger heard the tales firsthand from native storytellers, whose fables of talking animals, witches, giants, and ordinary people in supernatural settings provide remarkable insights into regional values and culture. The first of the stories, "A Tale of Three Tails," tells of an age when the rat had a tail like a horse, the rabbit had a tail like a cat, and the deer's tail was plumed like the tail of a dog. "The Magic Dog" recounts an act of kindness to a stray animal that helps overcome a witch's curse. In "The Calabash Man," the creatures of the jungle assist a suitor in winning his bride, and in "El Enano," a greedy troll's insatiable appetite leads to his downfall. Packed with adventure and full of surprises, these and other stories emphasize the importance of hard work, courage, and loyalty.

Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time

In 1911, Hiram Bingham III climbed into the Andes Mountains of Peru and “discovered” Machu Picchu. While history has recast Bingham as a villain who stole both priceless artifacts and credit for finding the great archeological site, Mark Adams set out to retrace the explorer’s perilous path in search of the truth—except he’d written about adventure far more than he’d actually lived it. In fact, he’d never even slept in a tent.

Journey to the River Sea

With the memorable characters and plot twists she brings to her best-selling fantasies, acclaimed author Eva Ibbotson has written a hair-raising novel, set in turn-of-the-last-century Brazil.Accompanied by Miss Minton, a fierce-looking, no-nonsense governess, Maia, a young orphan, sets off for the wilderness of the Amazon, expecting curtains of orchids, brightly colored macaws, and a loving family. But what she finds is an evil-tempered aunt and uncle and their spoiled daughters. It is only when she is swept up in a mystery involving a young Indian boy, a homesick child actor, and a missing inheritance that Maia lands in the middle of the Amazon adventure she's dreamed of. Readers of every generation will treasure Ibbotson's lush historical adventure that harkens back to the beloved classics of Frances Hodgson Burnett and Louisa May Alco

This Place Is Wet

Can you imagine living in a place where there is so much water some houses need to be built on stilts to protect them when the river rises? Or where it is so wet that some plants can grow on the sides of trees with their roots gathering water from the air? In This Place Is Wet, you'll find out all sorts of things about what it's like to live in the rain forest of Brazil. Try to imagine living there!

Bolivar: American Liberator

It is astonishing that Simón Bolívar, the great Liberator of South America, is not better known in the United States. He freed six countries from Spanish rule, traveled more than 75,000 miles on horseback to do so, and became the greatest figure in Latin American history. His life is epic, heroic, straight out of Hollywood: he fought battle after battle in punishing terrain, forged uncertain coalitions of competing forces and races, lost his beautiful wife soon after they married and never remarried (although he did have a succession of mistresses, including one who held up the revolution and another who saved his life), and he died relatively young, uncertain whether his
achievements would endure.

Ada's Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay

Ada Ríos grew up in Cateura, a small town in Paraguay built on a landfill. She dreamed of playing the violin, but with little money for anything but the bare essentials, it was never an option...until a music teacher named Favio Chávez arrived. He wanted to give the children of Cateura something special, so he made them instruments out of materials found in the trash

Mayans Aztecs Incas Coloring Book: Coloring Pages of Ancient Mexico Civilizations for Adults and Teens

Mayans Aztecs Incas Coloring Book – Fun And Education For Adults and TeensMake the perfect gift for anyone who loves coloring! Enjoy this Mayans Aztecs Incas Coloring Book for Adults and Teens. Click the cover to reveal what’s inside!About this book:

  • 40 original pages drawings of Symbols, Warriors, Masks and Mandalas.

The Inca Empire (A True Book: Ancient Civilizations) (A True Book (Relaunch))

Explore the Inca empire, including how the Incas survived in the mountains, how the empire was built, and why it disappeared.

A True Book: Ancient Civilizations series allows readers to experience what makes each ancient civilization distinctive and exceptional as well look at its influence on the some of the practices of the modern world. This series includes an age appropriate (grades 3-5) introduction to curriculum-relevant subjects and a robust resource section that encourages independent study.

More Incan Empire and Ruins Resources

  • Watch The Rise And Fall of The Inca Empire to learn more about the Inca, this is a great video for late elementary through middle school.
  • How to Make Paper Mache Mountains to Celebrate Chimborazo Day
  • Another interesting video centers around Machu Picchu,  Guide to Machu Picchu for Children: Lost City of the Inca for Kids on YouTube.
  • 9 Free South America Country Reports for Kids Notebooking Pages
  • Make a simple Metal Foil Inca Sun as you learn about the importance of this symbol to the Incas.
  • 9 Free South America Country Reports for Kids Notebooking Pages
  • Appreciating the Culture of South America Through Dance
  • Make a Peruvian Weaving Project and learn how important the different patterns were to each tribe.
  • An important part of the Inca history was their textiles, which were called tocapus which had checkered layouts, filled with repetitive geometric patterns. Here is an example to color on Incan pattern coloring page.
  • These stuffed Crinkle Paper Llamas are perfect for preschoolers learning along with older kids.
7 Facts About the Inca Empire & Make a Fun Incan Ruins Model

Finally, look how to make a fun Incan ruins model.

How to Make an Incan Ruins Model

You will need:

  • Small unfinished blocks
  • Grey paint
  • Black Paint
  • Sand
  • Green cardstock or model grass
  • Cardboard or wood piece for the base
  • Paintbrush
  • Tacky glue or hot glue
7 Facts About the Inca Empire & Make a Fun Incan Ruins Model

Start with a rectangle of wood or cardboard for the base.

I had a scrap of long balsa wood I used. Cover with glue and press your model grass or green cardstock down over it.

7 Facts About the Inca Empire & Make a Fun Incan Ruins Model

Trim off the excess so it just fits the base.

7 Facts About the Inca Empire & Make a Fun Incan Ruins Model

Use library books or search Google to find an image of Incan ruins that you want to recreate.

We went for the Sacsayhuaman Terrace Gateway because it seemed easy and interesting enough to recreate with our wooden blocks.

You can use tacky glue which is a little quicker drying than school glue or hot glue to affix your “stones” in the design you have chosen.

7 Facts About the Inca Empire & Make a Fun Incan Ruins Model

Be sure to not only glue the top and bottoms together but to give it good structure add glue to at least some of the side touching pieces.

7 Facts About the Inca Empire & Make a Fun Incan Ruins Model

To create longer stones glue 4 or 5 pieces together and let them dry before placing them atop the doorway.

7 Facts About the Inca Empire & Make a Fun Incan Ruins Model

Mix up 3 parts gray paint to 1 part sand to get a gritty sandy texture.

7 Facts About the Inca Empire & Make a Fun Incan Ruins Model

Paint your mixture all over the structure you built with a heavy hand, allowing some to completely fill in the cracks.

7 Facts About the Inca Empire & Make a Fun Incan Ruins Model

You can brush off some of the excess when it’s partially dry.

Before the gray is completely dry dab on a bit of black paint to age it.

Allow everything to dry completely.

7 Facts About the Inca Empire & Make a Fun Incan Ruins Model

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, history, history resources, homeschoolhistory, Inca, south america

How to Make An Adorable Trinket Dish Handcraft For Kindergarten

July 25, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, we’re making an adorable trinket dish handcraft for kindergarten. Also, grab my other tips, ideas, and crafts for kindergarten on my page Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum.

There is nothing sweeter than a handmade craft using little ones’ literal hands.

This trinket dish handcraft for kindergarten is a wonderful way to keep those hands little forever.

I love all sorts of handprint crafts for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners.

How to Make An Adorable Trinket Dish Handcraft For Kindergarten

But there is something special about this one that can be used every day and will be a reminder for years to come of how sweet those hands were.

At this age, you are really beginning to see those lightbulbs go off in their head.

Kindergarten is such a sweet time and grade.

You are really beginning to see those lightbulbs go off in their head.

They are not babies but not yet adolescents.

15 Ways to Make a Handcraft for Kindergarten

School is fresh and new for them, and most projects are met with fun fresh eyes.

Besides the tutorial for the trinket dish, I gathered up 14 more fun ways to make a hand craft for kindergarten.

You will find paper crafts, more clay, hand towels, and lots of other neat ideas.

14 Ideas for Handcrafts for Kindergarten

Add a few of these handcrafts to begin your learning day or use some of them for back to school memories.

Photo Credit: thechirpingmoms.com

Flamingo Handprint with a Book & Snack Too!

 Collectively, flamingos are a favorite in our house, so this sweet book was an instant hit

Photo Credit: www.shared.com

Tiny Little Hands You Can Take Everywhere with You That Will Melt Your Heart!

Do your little ones come home from school with those adorable paper handprint crafts they make from time to time? Mine sure do! However, I must admit they sometimes end up in the back of a drawer or torn, which is why I must tell you about these fantastic shrinky dink handprint keychains!

Photo Credit: fromabcstoacts.com

All About Me Hand Print Book for Preschoolers

Even if they’re technically not in the reading stage just yet, creating a book that is all about them is such a fun way to get your preschooler excited about learning!

Photo Credit: www.artycraftykids.com

Autumn Handprint Tree

Autumn is a gorgeous, colourful season that never fails to get the creative juices flowing and if you’re looking for an opportunity to explore simple colour-mixing techniques within a seasonal theme, then this Autumn Handprint Tree art project is the one for you.

Photo Credit: theimaginationtree.com

Sand Clay Recipe and Handprint Keepsakes

Make some handprint keepsakes using this simple, homemade sand clay recipe for long-lasting memories and sweet gifts. Add shells and treasures collected on beach visits too, to incorporate holiday memories which will last.

Photo Credit: www.midgetmomma.com

Leaf Handprint towel

These cute DIY Leaf Handprint Hand towels are a cute way to dress up your kitchen for the fall season. Handprint crafts are such a fun and easy way to decorate and keep the memories of when the kids are little!

Photo Credit: www.avasalphabet.com

Homemade Handprint Garden Stones

Do you have someone in your life who uses their hands to care for others in all they do? When I reflect on this question, I instantly think about my mom. She loves to nurture her friends and family, plants and animals and all living things

Photo Credit: childhoodmagic.com

Cactus Handprint Craft An Easy Handprint Art Idea

  • Handprint art is fun and accessible for all ages of children. My elementary-age daughter enjoys these projects and they are great for babies and toddlers as well.
Photo Credit: myhomebasedlife.com

Mail A Hug |

Looking for an easy and thoughtful kid friendly craft to do for someone that you miss!? This mail a hug is the perfect activity. 

Photo Credit: www.gluedtomycraftsblog.com

Handprint Graduation Keepsake

Are you looking for a creative and meaningful way to commemorate your child’s graduation? Why not make something they can cherish forever- a keepsake handprint craft that doubles as décor or even a gift!

Photo Credit: www.thebestideasforkids.com

Handprint Suncatcher

There’s nothing better than a homemade craft that doubles as a keepsake. Today we have this adorable handprint suncatcher craft to share with you.

Photo Credit: www.messylittlemonster.com

Handprint Flowers - Paper Lily Handprint Craft

There's something so special about our children's handprints when they're little! We love making handprint crafts at home; it's such a lovely way to treasure childhood memories as our little ones grow.

Photo Credit: www.gluedtomycraftsblog.com

Handprint Fish Puppets - Craft Idea For Kids

This fun kids craft is perfect for a pretend “under the sea” show. All you need are some inexpensive materials and a little imagination!

Photo Credit: www.easypeasyandfun.com

Chicken Handprint Craft for Kids

Hand print arts and crafts were always popular with younger kids, I mean who doesn’t love to use their hand as a paintbrush?

Next, look at some more kindergarten homeschool rresources.

More Kindergarten Homeschool Resources

  • Shark and Oceans for Kindergarten Fun Sight Word Activity
  • 12 Easy Pick Up And Go Homeschool Kindergarten History Curriculum
  • How To Determine The Best Beginner Reading Books For Kindergarten & Recommendations
  • Kindergarten Crafts for Winter An Easy and Fun Polar Bear Fork Painting
  • How to Make A Fun ABC Flip Book Fingerprint Activity for Kindergarten
  • Homeschool Kindergarten Life Science – Hands-on Fun Nature Tree Study
  • 40 Awesome Earth Science Movies for Kindergarten
  • Growing a Seed Activity For Kindergarten Science Kids Activity
  • Native American Activities For Kindergarten Create A Fun Cradleboard Craft
  • Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium
  • Pond Life for Kindergarten Activity Build a Fun Beaver Dam
  • Easy and Fun Pine Cone Snowy Owl Winter Craft for Kindergarten
  • 4 Fun and Engaging Bat Activities for Kindergarten
  • Native American Crafts for Kindergarten How to Make a Kids Pinch Pot
  • 10 Best Homeschool Phonics Curriculum For Kindergarten
  • 15 Fun Resources For History for Kindergarten Homeschool
  • 19 Fun Hands-on Rainforest Activities for Kindergarten
  • Rainforest Crafts for Kindergarten: Make an Easy Paper Plate Monkey
  • How to Create the Best Homeschool Schedule for Kindergarten (free printable)
  • 60 Favorite Top Homeschooling Materials for Kindergarten
  • 10 Affordable and Complete Homeschool Kindergarten Curriculum
  • How to Effortlessly Blend Kindergarten Homeschool Subjects & Life
  • BEST Free Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum With A Gentle Approach (List)
  • Delightful Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum Which Promote a Love of Learning
How to Make An Adorable Trinket Dish Handcraft For Kindergarten

Finally, look how to make this fun and adorable trinket dish for your precious little one.

How to Make a Trinket Dish Handcraft for Kindergarten

There are so many sweet ways you can use this keepsake trinket dish, from storing keys to spare change out of your pockets.

I enjoy using this type of clay with little ones because it is much less messy than other kinds and is so easy for them to work with.

You will need:

  • Crayola Model Magic
  • Craft Paint
  • Paint brushes
  • Clay roller /rolling pin
  • Clay cutter/ craft stick
  • Shallow bowl
How to Make An Adorable Trinket Dish Handcraft For Kindergarten

First, begin by having your child roll out their clay to about ⅓” to ½” thickness.

Handcraft for Kindergarten

Make the whole piece a little larger than their hand.

How to Make An Adorable Trinket Dish Handcraft For Kindergarten

Next, press their hand firmly into the clay. You will want to push on every finger and the palm to get a good impression.

How to Make An Adorable Trinket Dish Handcraft For Kindergarten

Too, cut a circle around it, you can cut freehand or use a bowl as a guide. Let them do as much as they are able.

How to Make An Adorable Trinket Dish Handcraft For Kindergarten

Next, lay it gently inside a bowl or basket to give it a slightly rounded shape,

Also, you should not need to press firmly and lose any detail, it should naturally curve into shape.

How to Make An Adorable Trinket Dish Handcraft For Kindergarten

Set aside to dry.

Have your child fashion a small heart from a leftover piece of model magic and press it a little flatter.

How to Make An Adorable Trinket Dish Handcraft For Kindergarten

Allow both pieces to dry, you will find that it is somewhat dry after 24 hours and will be completely dry after 72 hours.

Paint the heart and set it aside to dry.

How to Make An Adorable Trinket Dish Handcraft For Kindergarten

Paint the hand, I find that watering down your craft paint makes it flow much better and helps the details, like the ridges in the hand pop a little more.

How to Make An Adorable Trinket Dish Handcraft For Kindergarten

Carefully paint around the hand with contrasting watered-down paint.

How to Make An Adorable Trinket Dish Handcraft For Kindergarten

Glue the heart into the place and let it dry.

Once dry flip the dish over and write your child’s name and date on the back in permanent marker (especially if you have more than one child to keep track of!)

You can use your trinket dish to hold small toys, jewelry, paper clips, and other small items.

How to Make An Adorable Trinket Dish Handcraft For Kindergarten

Or your glasses on the side table…

How to Make An Adorable Trinket Dish Handcraft For Kindergarten

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: back to school crafts, crafts, kindergarten

5 Ideas to Kick-Start Your New Homeschool Year By Including Others

July 24, 2023 | 5 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

You’ll love these 6 ideas to kick start your new homeschool year. Also, you’ll love How to Plan Your First Homeschool Year When You Don’t Know How To Start.

I value traditions when it comes to kicking off our year.

Plenty of photos and quirky poses at the beginning of our new school year are a must in my home.

However, the boys have enjoyed our year more when we included others and socialize (gasp ..can you believe we do).

5 Ideas to Kick-Start Your New Homeschool Year By Including Others

Sure, I have made special breakfasts and bought new homeschool supplies which I love.

But there is something about being with other homeschoolers as we start off our year that keeps us stoked the whole year.

5 Ideas to Kick-Start Your New Homeschool Year By Including Others @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

The feeling of excitement is contagious when the kids see each other again.

Not only does it excite our kids, but as moms we enjoy the camaraderie also.

Too, maybe it’s the feeling that you know you are not alone as so many others have decided that not only are we doing this another year, but this is our way of life.

5 Ways to Include Other Homeschoolers in Your New Homeschool Year

It’s the warm feeling of security deep down knowing I won’t have to kiss my sons good-bye and send them off.

Maybe it’s the mother in me and not the teacher when we start our school year, but it gets harder to separate the two each year.

1. Start the Year At the Museum

From a simple idea of starting our year off with others at a museum when the children were little to including way more homeschoolers, we have always preferred being with others to celebrate.

5 Ideas to Kick-Start Your New Homeschool Year By Including Others

Also, you’ll love some of these books.

5 BEST How to Homeschool Books

I've rounded up some of the best books to help you get started homeschooling.

Homeschooling for New Homeschoolers: When You Don't Know Where to Begin

Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers is a real eye-opener on homeschooling. It will alleviate a lot of the anxieties about getting started homeschooling. Reading each chapter’s highlights will give you encouragement, knowledge, guidance, and peace of mind to homeschool with confidence. The best part is that you’ll be educating the person who loves your kids the most in this world--YOU! Armed with the knowledge to make better choices in curriculum will empower you to continue the path of home education. Unlike many books based on one family’s experience, Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers is also based on Tina’s many years of mentoring hundreds and hundreds of new homeschoolers at live workshops. When you don’t know where to begin Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers equips you to successfully homeschool your children.

The Unhurried Homeschooler

Homeschooling is a wonderful, worthwhile pursuit, but many homeschool parents struggle with feelings of burnout and frustration. If you have ever felt this way, you’re not alone! Most of us need to be reminded of the “why” of homeschooling from time to time—but "The Unhurried homeschooler" takes parents a step further and lifts the unnecessary burdens that many parents place on themselves.

Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler's Guide to Unshakable Peace

Those who have made the decision to homeschool their children have done so out of great love for their children and a desire to provide them an excellent education in the context of a warm, enriching home.

The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning, and Life

Parents who are deeply invested in their children's education can be hard on themselves and their kids. When exhausted parents are living the day-to-day grind, it can seem impossible to muster enough energy to make learning fun or interesting. How do parents nurture a love of learning amid childhood chaos, parental self-doubt, the flu, and state academic standards?

Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom

Education has become synonymous with schooling, but it doesn’t have to be. As schooling becomes increasingly standardized and test driven, occupying more of childhood than ever before, parents and educators are questioning the role of schooling in society. Many are now exploring and creating alternatives.

2. Start the new homeschool year with a fun group dance.

Then years later, we had a true Texas hoedown and started off our school year a few years back by square dancing.

We pulled out all the stops, kicked up our heels and had Texas Bar B Q (or you could have Memphis style Bar B Q or Kansas style Bar B Q, or …..okay okay) complete with all the trimmings.

5 Ideas to Kick-Start Your New Homeschool Year By Including Others

5 Ideas to Kick-Start Your New Homeschool Year By Including Others

There was no shortage of great food and great cooks among our homeschool moms which I find is the case in many events I have hosted. I love the generosity.

Include Other Homeschoolers in Your New Homeschool Year

5 Ideas to Kick-Start Your New Homeschool Year By Including Others

We hired a “true” caller and his “gang” to teach us how to square dance and this is what we “learned” on our 1st day of school.

5 Ideas to Kick-Start Your New Homeschool Year By Including Others

We invited the whole family, grandma and grandpa to celebrate the start of our new year with us. Kelley, Cynthia and I coordinated one of our most memorable back to school parties with our group.

Pssssst……..this is a good way to include those in your circle of family and friends that may not be up on your decision to homeschool. Include them in your fun at the beginning of the year.

5 Ideas to Kick-Start Your New Homeschool Year By Including Others

That way you really set the standard for how your year will start and then they will know right from the beginning you are a rebel…..tee hee hee

3. Head to the skating rink for a fun cold indoor activity.

Actually, according to the kids it was a tossup between the square dancing one year and ice skating in August another year.

5 Ideas to Kick-Start Your New Homeschool Year By Including Others

See if you can rent the ice skating rink just for your back to school party and ask for a more reduced rate even if they don’t advertise.

Remember, most businesses welcome customers in the morning or early afternoon when public school is back in session and their business is slower.

5 Ideas to Kick-Start Your New Homeschool Year By Including Others

{Tiny ambushed one of our Seniors that year.}

Of course playing in the snow in August outside was the icing on the day for us that year!

4. Let someone else teach the first day. So memorable.

Rendezvous at the Reef was another big hit with the group. Start off the new year by somebody else teaching a class and learning about the ocean.

From Public School to Homeschool For a Relaxed Lifestyle

  • Transitioning from Public School to Homeschool For a Relaxed Lifestyle
  • How to Cope Successfully With Homeschool Mental Stress
  • How to Begin Homeschooling A Teen Lagging Behind
  • How Early Should I Begin Homeschooling My First Child & Free Checklist
  • 5 Ideas to Kick-Start Your New Homeschool Year By Including Others

We headed to Galveston, which is by the coast/ocean to have a class about ocean life and life at the reef.

5 Ideas to Kick-Start Your New Homeschool Year By Including Others

5 Ideas to Kick-Start Your New Homeschool Year By Including Others

My kind of instructor who includes hands-on things for both older and younger children to hold and learn about as she teaches.

5 Ideas to Kick-Start Your New Homeschool Year By Including Others

Things like watching the penguins being fed and watching all the sea life and not in our home class room gets us so excited about the new year.

5. Host a Not Back to School Geography Quest.

The Not Back to School Geography Quest was also another big hit with our group.

5 Ideas to Kick-Start Your New Homeschool Year By Including Others

We had hands on items from the country the kids chose, experiments to watch and even tasted some food from other countries.

5 Ideas to Kick-Start Your New Homeschool Year By Including Others

5 Ideas to Kick-Start Your New Homeschool Year By Including Others

One of the moms getting ready to serve home made salsa after the kids presented information on Mexico.

More Tips for the New Homeschool Year

  • Grab my book Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers: When You Don’t Know Where to Begin.
  • Get Organized – Rev Up for the New Homeschool Year
  • It’s a New Homeschool Year and My Child Wants to Go Back to Public School
  • Top 10 Tips To Getting a New Homeschool Year Rolling
  • How to Plan Your First Homeschool Year When You Don’t Know How To Start
  • Start the Homeschool Year Off Right: 5 History Ideas for the First Week
  • 7 Advantages to Starting Your Homeschool Year in the Summer
  • 4 Benefits to Planning Early for the Next Homeschool Year
  • Free Pre-Homeschool Year Planning Checklist For Your Homeschool Planner
5 Ideas to Kick-Start Your New Homeschool Year By Including Others

5 Ideas to Kick-Start Your New Homeschool Year By Including Others

Young or old, anybody can join in this kind of party and everybody learned something.

Though we have had many years that we have spent with others, I wished we would have done something every year.

It has meant the difference between a mediocre start to our year with the kids tolerating all my pictures and poses and a memorable one.

Don’t just set aside a day or two, take a week or more to get in all those back to school pictures and plan a special event or party even if you just include one more family. 

What is one week in a 52 week year year if you school year around?  I have never regretted the work in coordinating all the events, but I have regretted not planning more.

Studying our square dance moves, gliding on ice and playing in snow in August, rendezvousing at the reef or ocean and “jet- setting” through countries mark years that we won’t easily forget.

How will you start your first day or first week of school?

5 CommentsFiled Under: Be an Exceptional Homeschool Teacher, Begin Homeschooling, How To - - -, Kick Off Your Homeschool Year Tagged With: newhomeschoolyear

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