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crafts

Celebrate World Jellyfish Day With A Jellyfish in a Jar Preschool Activity

November 14, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

We are creating a jellyfish in a jar preschool activity that is part art project and part science to highlight World Jellyfish Day on November 3rd. Also, you’ll love How to Homeschool Preschool and Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft.

It is a fun but simple demonstration of how jellyfish move in the water and making the jellyfish together provides the perfect opportunity to talk about its anatomy.

The best part is that you can make it with trash, well at least items destined for the trash or recycle bin.

Celebrate World Jellyfish Day With A Jellyfish in a Jar Preschool Activity

What makes this cool science activity work the way it does?

Air is lighter than water, so any way that you turn the bottle, the head of the jellyfish will rise to the top.

Use these facts below to learn more about the moon jelly that closely resembles our jellyfish in a jar and some of the resources and activities I found to create an entire study or just a day of fun and learning.

4 Facts About Moon Jellyfish

Since our jellyfish in a jar activity resembles a moon jellyfish, we are going to swim right into it and learn all about this amazing invertebrate.

  1. Aurelia is a genus of jellyfish; they are commonly called moon jellies and are in the class Scyphozoa. There are currently 25 accepted species that fall under moon jellies.
  1. Moon jellies can be identified by four circles visible through the translucent white bell and short tentacles.
  1. Moon jellyfish can be found in oceans all around the world. They thrive in a warm environment and are often found near coastlines in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans.
  1. Moon jellies even went into space as an experiment on the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1991 as part of a study on the effects of weightlessness on the development of internal organs in juvenile jellies.
Celebrate World Jellyfish Day With A Jellyfish in a Jar Preschool Activity

Also, look at some of these books about jellyfish.

I always lean toward living books first, then add reference books.

7 Books and Resources about Jellyfish

Add some of these books and resources to your study of jellyfish.

Image for Jellyfish: A Natural History

Jellyfish: A Natural History

With their undulating umbrella-shaped bells and sprawling tentacles, they are compelling and gorgeous, strange and dangerous. In many places they’re also vastly increasing in number, and these population blooms may be an ominous indicator of the rising temperatures and toxicity of the oceans.

Image for Jellyfish (A Day in the Life: Sea Animals)

Jellyfish (A Day in the Life: Sea Animals)

Beautiful and translucent, jellyfish can be deadly but some are perfectly harmless. Learn about the physical traits of jellyfish, how they move, where they are found, and their hunting and sleeping habits.

Image for Moon Jelly Swims Through the Sea

Moon Jelly Swims Through the Sea

Describes the life cycle of a female moon jellyfish as she escapes the many hazards of the sea to develop from planula to polyp to ephyra to a young adult ready to lay her own fertilized eggs.

Image for Jellyfish - 70 Piece Tube Building Stem/Steam Toy

Jellyfish - 70 Piece Tube Building Stem/Steam Toy

SIMPLE DESIGN - FUELS CREATIVITY: One shape, endless possibility! Every brick easily connects to the next. Create colorful flat mosaics or work in 3-D to make more intricate builds. Mix and match any Plus-Plus set to bring more ideas to life!

Image for Jellyfish Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles

Jellyfish Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles

CHALLENGE GAME - Wooden jigsaw puzzles with uniquely shaped pieces are actually more challenging than traditional woodcut puzzles. It is absolutely going to be a great adventure!

Image for A Jellyfish Is Not a Fish (Let'S-Read-And-Find-Out Science Book)

A Jellyfish Is Not a Fish (Let'S-Read-And-Find-Out Science Book)

Describes the general characteristics and functions of a variety of jellyfish with emphasis on the ones to avoid.

Image for Bloom

Bloom

Once, the ocean was full of friends. Then a little jellyfish notices that things are changing--friends are disappearing! He sets out to discover the truth and learns that everyone has a part to play in protecting the careful balance of the ocean. "Bloom" refers to a substantial increase in jellyfish population that can be caused by climate change and pollution. In this beautifully illustrated, timely, and topical tale, the jellyfish band together to deliver an important message.

Additionally, look at these other jellyfish crafts.

Jellyfish Activities

Choose one or more additional activities to make your jellyfish study even better, allowing a deeper dive into the topic.

  • Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft that will be fun to hang up in your child’s room as a reminder of what they learned.
  • Make a Paper Lantern Jellyfish as you study their anatomy or habits.
  • I like art activities that serve more than one purpose like this Fine Motor Jellyfish Craft For Kids that will develop fine motor skills and muscles.
  • Create Black Glue Jellyfish Art for a dramatic art activity.
  • A colorful Suncatcher Jellyfish Kids Craft will brighten up your windows on any dark or sunny day.
  • Another craft that uses art and developing fine motor skills Paper Plate Jellyfish Craft for Kids
  • Jellyfish are the perfect shape for a cute and colorful windsock, check out this Scrape Painted Jellyfish Windsock.
  • Make these cute Egg Carton Jellyfish from just beads and egg cartons.
Celebrate World Jellyfish Day With A Jellyfish in a Jar Preschool Activity

Finally, look how to make this jellyfish in a jar preschool activity.

Jellyfish in a Jar Preschool Activity

You will need:

  • Large clean jar
  • Water
  • Small plastic bag
  • Scissors
  • Straw
  • String
  • Blue food coloring
Celebrate World Jellyfish Day With A Jellyfish in a Jar Preschool Activity

First, cut a square of plastic out of a store bag or ziploc bag that would fit inside your jar with plenty of room to move.

Cut strips through both sides, leaving a few inches uncut for tentacles, you may want to cut away a few of the strips so it is not so full.

Celebrate World Jellyfish Day With A Jellyfish in a Jar Preschool Activity

Place a straw into the center and wrap a string just above the cuts to define the head (bell) of the jellyfish.

Celebrate World Jellyfish Day With A Jellyfish in a Jar Preschool Activity

Blow into the straw to fill it with air. As you pull out the straw, tighten and tie off the string to keep it filled with air.

Celebrate World Jellyfish Day With A Jellyfish in a Jar Preschool Activity

Fill the jar with water and a drop of blue food coloring.

If you add too much blue it will be hard to see your jellyfish.

Celebrate World Jellyfish Day With A Jellyfish in a Jar Preschool Activity

Use the straw to push the jellyfish down into the jar.

Celebrate World Jellyfish Day With A Jellyfish in a Jar Preschool Activity

Replace the lid and watch the tentacles dance around as you gently swirl the water.

To extend the activity a bit you can let your child use dry erase markers.

Use the markers on the jar to create a colorful world for your jellyfish to live in.

Celebrate World Jellyfish Day With A Jellyfish in a Jar Preschool Activity

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: crafts, elementary science, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool preschool, jellyfish, life science, ocean, preschool, science, siummer crafts

12 Middle School Winter Crafts & 5 Facts About Icicles | Beautiful Icicle Swag Craft

November 12, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

While crafts for young children are plentiful it can be harder to find middle school winter craft ideas. Also, look at my page How to Successfully Homeschool Middle School and more ideas for winter fun on my page Winter Season Unit Study.

So, I have found 12 fantastic winter-themed crafts and activities that your middleschooler will love.

12 Middle School Winter Crafts & 5 Facts About Icicles | Beautiful Icicle Swag Craft

From snowmen to winter trees and snowflakes I covered the gamut of winter themes.

Whether you want to use them as a fun activity to go along with a unit study or just as a fun craft, I have ideas.

Even if you do not live in a snow-filled icy region they are still fun.

Too, they can be educational when part of a full winter study.

Your child can learn about the weather in different parts of the country, or world.

In addition, crafts can be used to teach its effect on the environment and people and vice versa.

I also have a tutorial for a beautiful icicle swag craft that will be a gorgeous winter decoration in your home that counts as art and builds fine motor skills, which are still important in middle school.

Use it in conjunction with facts about icicles and you have incorporated science as well.

Next, look at some facts about icicles.

5 Facts About Icicles

  1. Icicles are formed when the outdoor air temperature is below freezing and heat from sunlight melts the snow or ice on anything sloped, like roofs. 
  2. The droplets of water falling freeze as they lose their heat to the cold air, as the water continues to drip down the outside of the icicle, the tip freezes faster than its base, which gives icicles the carrot shape that we know.
  3. There is debate over the length of the longest recorded icicle, but claims range from 28-45 feet.
  4. Icicles got their name from the Old English word for icicle-gicel. The Latin term stiria was translated to “ises gicel”, or “icicle made of ice”. “Ises gicel” was gradually formed to the word icicle.
  5. Icicles in nature are not smooth, impurities like salt and minerals dissolved in the water drop and create bumps. Icicles made with purified water are smooth like an ice cube.
12 Middle School Winter Crafts & 5 Facts About Icicles | Beautiful Icicle Swag Craft

Next, add some winter books and resources to your day.

I always lean toward living books and then add in reference books.

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.

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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.

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

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. 

Image for 2. Sneezy the Snowman

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”.

Image for 3. Snowmen at Night

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!

Image for 4. The Biggest Snowman Ever

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.

Image for 5. Over and Under the Snow

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.

Image for A Hat for Minerva Louise

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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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.

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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.

Next, here are some middle school winter crafts.

12 Middle School Winter Crafts

  1. Easy DIY Fun Salt Winter Watercolor Art Project for Kids.
  2. While this activity is often directed at younger children I think that middle schooled kids will still love to learn How to Make Borax Crystals – Icicle Ornament for Kids.
  3. These Winter Luminaries: Snowy Pinecone Candle Jars make a beautiful addition to walkways, porches, and kitchen tables.
  4. Perfect for winter sniffles and the flu, these Winter Shower Melts are a work of art.
  5. Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity.
  6. Make an Easy DIY Snowman Wreath to deck your doors with winter whimsy.
  7. Simple Rustic Snowflakes Ornaments DIY.
  8. I am always up for a trip to Dollar Tree because they have amazing items for crafts, use pizza pans, hats, and mittens to create a Pizza Pan Snowman.
  9. Winter Craft Ideas How to Make Fun Pinecone Flowers.
  10. Maybe it’s not a craft but these Edible Chocolate Pinecones are a beautiful art piece as well as a delicious snack.
  11. Learn How to Make a DIY Winter Checkers Game that is not only beautiful but creates a great way to pass long winter days.
  12. Friendship bracelets have made a huge comeback in the middle school set,  learn How To Make Winter Friendship Bracelet Craft For Tweens.
12 Middle School Winter Crafts & 5 Facts About Icicles | Beautiful Icicle Swag Craft

Finally, look how to make this beautiful icicle winter swag.

Beautiful Icicle Swag Craft

You will need:

  • White buttons, various sizes
  • ⅛” white or cream ribbon
  • Hot glue
  • White or cream yarn
12 Middle School Winter Crafts & 5 Facts About Icicles | Beautiful Icicle Swag Craft

First, cut a piece of yarn the length you would like your swag to be.

You might first determine where you want to hang it- on the mantle or across a window to decide on its length.

Cut ribbon into various 6”- 10” lengths, cut as many as you would like to have for your swag.

If you lay them out on the yarn you can determine how far apart you would like them.

And how many you need.

12 Middle School Winter Crafts & 5 Facts About Icicles | Beautiful Icicle Swag Craft

Lay out your ribbons, leaving enough room for each to place your buttons between them.

12 Middle School Winter Crafts & 5 Facts About Icicles | Beautiful Icicle Swag Craft

Set buttons out in the order you would like, large to small until you are satisfied. Leave about ¾” at the top without buttons.

12 Middle School Winter Crafts & 5 Facts About Icicles | Beautiful Icicle Swag Craft

If you are using very small buttons, you may want to taper your ribbons at the end so they are hidden behind the buttons.

Once you like your layout, run hot glue along half of the ribbon and transfer buttons from beside it directly to the glue on the ribbons.

12 Middle School Winter Crafts & 5 Facts About Icicles | Beautiful Icicle Swag Craft

Allow the glue to harden completely.

Flip each button icicle over and fold back the piece at the top to hot glue into a place where you would like it on the yarn length.

You want the folded-over piece to be shorter than the top button so trim it if needed so that it doesn’t show.

12 Middle School Winter Crafts & 5 Facts About Icicles | Beautiful Icicle Swag Craft

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

Fun Facts About Mold Fossils & 4 Types of Fossil Activities For Kids

November 11, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have some fun facts about mold fossils for you today as well as some hands-on ideas to demonstrate them and the other 3 basic types of fossils. Also, you’ll love my Amber – Freezing Gold Lapbook and Unit Study.

Kids love dinosaurs and everything about them, from the big names to learning about fossils, and just how on earth they disappeared.

We are going to be investigating as well as creating fossils from 4 simple categories – Mold, Cast, and True Form.

Fun Facts About Mold Fossils & 4 Types of Fossil Activities For Kids

We will dig into the definition of each, and you can choose an activity from each category to demonstrate the different types of fossils found.

To begin with, let’s define fossils.

Fossils are bits of plants and animals preserved from the past.

It can be a footprint, impressions, actual material like teeth and bones, or even what is created in the negative space of the impressions.

5 Fun Facts About Mold Fossils

Next, here are facts about mold fossils.

  1. Organisms buried in sediment may decay or dissolve away leaving a cavity or mold to form these types of fossils.
  2. Mold fossils are found in a variety of different rock types. For example, sandstone, shale, and limestone.
  3. Mold fossils are useful because they help researchers to guess the exact shape and structure of the organisms that created them.
  4. Most molds and casts do not contain the actual remains of an organism.
  5. Common mold fossils include things like skin, leaves, teeth, claws, and embryos.
Fun Facts About Mold Fossils & 4 Types of Fossil Activities For Kids

Additionally, look at these 4 types of fossils.

4 Types of Fossils

1.TRACE

These types of fossils are the ones you see that are made up of an imprint of or a mark left by an organism, rather than physical remains.

Trace fossils are produced in soft sediments. For instance, they can be a track, trail, footprint, burrow, etc., of an organism.

  • Exploring Trace Fossils By Making Dinosaur Footprints in edible mud, yum.
  • This Dinosaur Fossil Clay looks like a lot of fun and is a great sensory activity.
  • Here is a science project to Identify Trace Fossils using plaster of Paris.

2.MOLD

A rock that has a void where something once was or formerly lived is called a mold fossil.

This kind of fossil is made when an animal dies and its body decays, leaving an imprint in the sediment. It is the void portion of the fossil.  

  • A great example of a mold fossil that is also delicious is these Dinosaur Fossil Cookies.
  • This Sedimentary Rocks & Fossil Experiment is a busy hands way to teach how fossils are formed over the years through pressure.

3. CAST

Similarly, in a cast fossil, the mineralized sediment that fills the mold recreates the shape of the remains.

When the imprint fills in with minerals from sediment and groundwater and hardens to form a fossil it creates the cast. This is the filled-in portion of a mold/cast fossil.

  • In this Make Fun Edible Fossils and Free Magic School Bus Fossils Worksheet the brown sugar would be the mold and the white chocolate would represent the cast.
  • Here is a great step-by-step on How To Make Cast Fossils With Kids.

4.TRUE FORM

True form fossils are the kind that are formed when the animals’ soft tissues or hard parts do not decay over the years and are preserved in their natural form.

It can be because they are trapped within sap that hardens to become amber (technically this is classified as a gemstone) or frozen.

True-form fossils are also formed through desiccation, where they are completely dried out and preserved, or finally, through freezing, where all soft tissues remain intact.

  • Here is an example of an insect trapped in amber in my Science Fiction for Middle School Fun Jurassic Park Quick Unit Study (DIY Insect in Amber)
  • Another example of a true-form fossil is this tutorial for How to Make A Megalodon Shark Tooth Fun Homeschool Project.
  • I really like this Amber Fossilized Insect Soap because it has multiple uses, to teach about true-form fossils and to get kids squeaky clean.
Fun Facts About Mold Fossils & 4 Types of Fossil Activities For Kids

Next, add some of these books about fossils.

15 Books for Kids Crazy About Fossils and Dinosaurs

Your dinosaur loving kids will love some of these books and resources for a fun dinosaur unit study.

Image for Fossils Tell of Long Ago

Fossils Tell of Long Ago

What is a fossil? Sometimes it's the imprint of an ancient leaf in a rock. Or it could be the skeleton of a dinosaur that has turned to stone. With clear prose and beautifully detailed illustrations, award-winning author and illustrator Aliki describes the different ways fossils are formed and what they tell us about life on Earth long ago.

This is a clear and appealing science book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. It includes a find out more section with a glossary and activity guide so kids can create their own fossils for someone to find a million years from now.

Image for Dinosaurs! (New & Updated)

Dinosaurs! (New & Updated)

Gail Gibbons presents the most recent and up-to-date theories about the history of dinosaurs and dinosaur discoveries. She discusses the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods and the non-bird dinosaurs that lived during each time. Each dinosaur is explored in just the right amount of detail for young paleontologists, as this book brings these magnificent creatures to life again

Image for Digging Up Dinosaurs (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)

Digging Up Dinosaurs (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)

How did those enormous dinosaur skeletons get inside the museum? Beloved author-illustrator Aliki’s simple, engaging text and colorful artwork bring the long-extinct creatures to life for young dinosaur enthusiasts.

Long ago, dinosaurs ruled the Earth. Then, suddenly, they died out. For thousands of years, no one knew these giant creatures had ever existed. Then people began finding fossils—bones and teeth and footprints that had turned to stone. Today, teams of experts work together to dig dinosaur fossils out of the ground, bone by fragile bone

Image for How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?

How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?

A playful peek into the homes of dinosaur babies and their parents at bedtime!How do dinosaurs say good night?Brimming with humor and familiar good-night antics, here is a playful peek into the homes of dinosaur children and their parents at bedtime. Perfect for sharing and reading aloud, this is one nighttime book your own little dinosaur will want to read again and again.

Image for Dinosaur Roar!

Dinosaur Roar!

A celebratory edition of this much loved classic picture book, now twenty-five years old. This rollicking rhyming text is a joy to read aloud, and the charming and colourful pictures will appeal to the very youngest dinosaur fans. Originally published in 1994, Dinosaur Roar! by Henrietta and Paul Stickland is now seen as a modern classic, a book that every preschool child should have.In the back of the book is a wonderful pull-out poster showing the dinosaur characters.The book carries the endorsement of the Earth Sciences Department at the Natural History Museum.

Image for Dinosaur Bones

Dinosaur Bones

With a lively rhyming text and vibrant paper collage illustrations, author-artist Bob Barner shakes the dust off the dinosaur bones found in museums and reminds us that they once belonged to living, breathing creatures. Filled with fun dinosaur facts (a T. Rex skull can weigh up to 750 pounds!) and an informational "Dinometer," Dinosaur Bones is sure to make young dinosaur enthusiasts roar with delight.

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Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs

A long time ago there were dinosaurs. Big dinosaurs and small dinosaurs. Dinosaurs with horns on their heads or spikes down their backs. Dinosaurs with long, long necks and long, long tails. Imaginatively and with a masterful use of color, shape and composition, Bryon Barton brings to life a unique and endearing vision of what the world may have looked like once upon a time.

A long time ago there was dinosaurs. Big dinosaurs and small dinosaurs. Dinosaurs with horns on their heads or spikes down their backs. Dinosaurs with long, long necks and long, long tails.Imaginatively and with a masterful use of color, shape and composition, Byron Barton brings to life unique and endearing vision of what the world may have looked like once up ona time.

Image for Here We Go Digging for Dinosaur Bones

Here We Go Digging for Dinosaur Bones

This STEM-friendly musical fossil dig will have dinosaur lovers singing along as they learn the science behind paleontology.

Image for I Dreamt I Was a Dinosaur

I Dreamt I Was a Dinosaur

If you could be a dinosaur, which would you be? Would you roar like the ferocious T-Rex? Or soar overhead like the pterodactyl? In this playful early-learning book, Stella Blackstone s lyrical, rhyming text takes readers on an unforgettable Jurassic journey, while fabric artist Clare Beaton recreates the prehistoric world of dinosaurs using a colorful array of felt, sequins, beads and buttons.

Image for T Is for Terrible: A Picture Book

T Is for Terrible: A Picture Book

I am Tyrannosaurus Rex.

I am a dinosaur,

otherwise known as

a terrible lizard.

Tyrannosaurus rex is a terrible dinosaur; of this, everyone is certain. But is this dinosaur really so terrible? He IS very big and very hungry. True, he might even eat his neighbors for lunch. But from his point of view, he can't help it. After all, he's not a vegetarian . . .

Image for The Shy Stegosaurus of Cricket Creek

The Shy Stegosaurus of Cricket Creek

Meet George. He's strong, as a giant dinosaur should be, strong enough to wreck a plane! (Of course he thinks it's his old enemy, the flying Pteranodon.) He's loyal. He'll do anything to help Joan and Joey save their mother's ranch at Cricket Creek, even chase a bank robber. He's shy. He's so shy he gets Joan and Joey into hilarious, dinosaur sized trouble!

Image for The Magic School Bus in the Time of Dinosaurs

The Magic School Bus in the Time of Dinosaurs

The classroom is decorated as Dinosaur Land, but Ms. Frizzle-inspired by an archeological dig-craves a more authentic experience. The Magic School Bus turns into a time machine and transports the class back millions of years to an adventure where they learn about dinosaurs, their habitats and diets, and even a Maiasaura nesting ground.

Image for Fossils (A True Book: Earth Science)

Fossils (A True Book: Earth Science)

Fossils are one of the most important tools we have for learning about long-extinct wildlife.

A True Book: Earth Science series presents fascinating facts and fun activities that will engage the budding earth scientist, while exploring the fields of geology, meteorology, ecology, and more. This series includes an age appropriate (grades 3-5) introduction to curriculum-relevant subjects and a robust resource section that encourages independent study. In the 4.6 billion years since Earth was formed, many plant and animal species have come and gone. Readers will discover how fossils are formed, how paleontologists search for them, and what kinds of information they can provide.

Image for Paleontological Fossils Sample- Paleontology Trilobite Fossil, Scientific Amber Specimen

Paleontological Fossils Sample- Paleontology Trilobite Fossil, Scientific Amber Specimen

A box of ten fossils: A box of this paleontological fossil sample contains ten of fossils, including sea clam fossils, trilobites, ichthyodonts, porphyrites, copal amber, graptolites, nematodes, phylloceras, corals, and spirals. Fossil specimen of algae.

Image for Ancient Fossils TOOB - Figurines: Dino Footprint, Giant Crab, Ammonite, Raptor Claw, T-Rex Tooth, Frog Skeleton, Sea Scorpion & More

Ancient Fossils TOOB - Figurines: Dino Footprint, Giant Crab, Ammonite, Raptor Claw, T-Rex Tooth, Frog Skeleton, Sea Scorpion & More

Step into Prehistory: This Toob contains 10 expertly hand-painted mini figurines of ancient fossils, including a Dinosaur Footprint, Giant Crab, Ammonite, Raptor Claw, Fossilized Frog, Trilobite, T-Rex Tooth, Fossilized Fish, Dinosaur Skin, and a Sea Scorpion.

Finally, look at this hands-on activity to go along with fun facts about mold fossils.

4 Types of Fossil Activities For Kids

Here is a quick activity to give your child a demonstration of all 4 types that you can use when studying fossils.

You will need:

  • Small dinosaur toys
  • Playdough
  • Kinetic sand
  • Water
  • Small container

First, place a small dinosaur in a little bowl covered with water and freeze.

Fun Facts About Mold Fossils & 4 Types of Fossil Activities For Kids

Once frozen remove it from the bowl.

Then explain that this is a type of true-form fossil like when an intact baby mammoth was found frozen in permafrost in the Klondike gold fields in the Yukon.

More commonly true fossils will be small things like insects in hardened amber.

Fun Facts About Mold Fossils & 4 Types of Fossil Activities For Kids

Use a small ball of playdough to demonstrate mold and cast fossils by making an impression with a small dinosaur toy.

Fun Facts About Mold Fossils & 4 Types of Fossil Activities For Kids

Pull it out and observe the impression it made (mold).

Now, you will want to explain what is a mold impression.

It is made when something was there at one time and decayed to nothing but the impression stayed over time.

Fun Facts About Mold Fossils & 4 Types of Fossil Activities For Kids

Carefully fill the impression with kinetic sand and press in firmly.

Fun Facts About Mold Fossils & 4 Types of Fossil Activities For Kids

Now flip the sand out, and look at the (cast impression) it made in your hand. 

While it’s not a perfectly detailed impression it gives your child a quick understanding of this kind of fossil.

Fun Facts About Mold Fossils & 4 Types of Fossil Activities For Kids

Next, let your child make footprints in the playdough.

This demonstrates a trace fossil that might have been left behind.

Fun Facts About Mold Fossils & 4 Types of Fossil Activities For Kids

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: crafts, earth science, earthscience, fossils, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, science

10 Toilet Paper Roll Winter Crafts | Make An Adorable Toilet Roll Winter Village

November 9, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Toilet paper roll winter crafts are a fantastic way to add a little fun to your winter-themed lessons. Be sure you grab more ideas for winter fun on my page Winter Season Unit Study.

They are fun for themes like snow, snowflakes, animals in winter, or any other topic.

Besides, we are creating a unique winter village that one child can make or the whole family can join in giving you unique colors and styles for your decoration.

10 Toilet Paper Roll Winter Crafts | Make An Adorable Toilet Roll Winter Village

Additionally, I have another 10 cute toilet paper roll winter crafts, interesting winter weather facts, and resources to make your winter study fun and exciting.

In addition, winter provides a perfect opportunity to engage your homeschoolers’ creativity, keep them entertained, and explore the wonders of the season.

Besides, incorporating craft activities into your homeschool routine not only enhances your child’s motor skills but also promotes imagination and expression.

7 Winter Weather Facts

  1. Winter solstice, which usually occurs around December 21st in the Northern Hemisphere, marks the shortest day and longest night of the year.
  2. Aomori in Japan is considered one of the snowiest cities in the world.
  3. The Northern Hemisphere experiences winter during the months of December, January, and February
  4. The Northern and Southern Lights, also known as Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis, are more visible during winter due to the longer periods of darkness.
  5. The Earth is closest to the Sun in winter, in January the Earth reaches the point in its orbit that’s nearest to the Sun.
  6. It can take a snowflake up to two hours to fall to the ground from a cloud.
  7. The North Pole is warmer than the South Pole.
10 Toilet Paper Roll Winter Crafts | Make An Adorable Toilet Roll Winter Village

Also, include some of these fun books about winter.

I lean toward living books for all subjects and add in non-fiction books too.

26 Winter Books to Read to Kids and For Kids Who Love to Read

Add in a few books to make your winter unit study complete. Add books for all ages.

Image for Winter Is Coming

Winter Is Coming

Day after day, a girl goes to her favorite place in the woods and quietly watches from her tree house as the chipmunks, the doe, the rabbits prepare for the winter.

As the temperature drops, sunset comes earlier and a new season begins.

Image for Hanna's Cold Winter

Hanna's Cold Winter

Hanna was a hippopotamus in the Budapest Zoo. Hanna and the other hippos thrived in the warm springs which flowed from the ground. One winter, however, it was so cold that the river froze.

Image for Over and Under the Snow

Over and Under the Snow

Part of the acclaimed nature book series that includes Over and Under the Pond, Over and Under the Rainforest, and Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, this volume takes readers on a cross country ski trip through the winter woods to discover the secret world of animals living 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 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. 

ENCHANTING AND EDUCATIONAL: A charming story and beautifully rendered illustrations invite readers of all ages to explore and learn about the "subnivean zone" (the space between the colder snow and the warmer ground) where many animals live in the winter, opening a fascinating window into the natural world.

Image for The Snow Day

The Snow Day

A young rabbit wakes up to wonderful news: A snow day! School is canceled, and the day that follows is rich with the magic and delight of the falling snow.

Image for Animals in Winter

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.

Image for Breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs

Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. But that was before he stopped talking to her and disappeared into a forest with a mysterious woman made of ice. Now it's up to Hazel to go in after him. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen,"

Image for Brave Irene: A Picture Book

Brave Irene: A Picture Book

This winning heroine will inspire every child to cheer her on as she ventures through a bitter cold snowstorm in William Steig's classic Brave Irene.

Image for Moominland Midwinter

Moominland Midwinter

Everyone knows the Moomins sleep through the winter. But this year, Moomintroll has woken up early.

So while the rest of the family slumber, he decides to visit his favorite summer haunts. But all he finds is this strange white stuff. Even the sun is gone! Moomintroll is angry: whoever Winter is, she has some nerve.

Image for Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

Blessed--or cursed--with an ability to understand animals, the Lass (as she's known to her family) has always been seen as strange.

And when an isbjorn (polar bear) seeks her out, and promises that her family will become rich if only the Lass will accompany him to his castle, she doesn't hesitate. But the bear is not what he seems, nor is his castle, which is made of ice and inhabited by a silent staff of servants

Image for If Polar Bears Disappeared

If Polar Bears Disappeared

The freezing ecosystem in the far north of the globe is home to many different kinds of animals.

They can be Strong, like a walrus Tough, like a lemming Resilient, like an arctic fox.

But no arctic animal is as iconic as the polar bear.

Image for The Very, Very Far North

The Very, Very Far North

An inquisitive polar bear named Duane befriends an array of animals as he discovers where he belongs in this charming classic-in-the making

Image for The Longest Night

The Longest Night

It is the longest night of the year, and the snow lies deep. All through the forest, animals long for dawn's warmth.

Strong and clever creatures boast that only they can bring back the sun. But the wind knows better.

Image for The Adventures of a South Pole Pig: A novel of snow and courage

The Adventures of a South Pole Pig: A novel of snow and courage

Flora the pig was born for adventure: “If it’s unexplored and needs to get dug up, call me. I’m your pig,” she says.

The day Flora spots a team of sled dogs is the day she sets her heart on becoming a sled pig.

Before she knows it, she’s on board a ship to Antarctica for the most exhilarating—and dangerous—adventure of her life.

Image for Wolf in the Snow

Wolf in the Snow

A girl is lost in a snowstorm. A wolf cub is lost, too. How will they find their way home?

Image for The Snowflake Sisters

The Snowflake Sisters

Crystal and Ivory snowflake take full advantage of this beautiful snowy evening in New York City as they travel to the park, fly through Time Square, journey past the Statue of Liberty, and more before coming in for their final landing of the day.

Image for Mr. Popper's Penguins

Mr. Popper's Penguins

A classic of American humor, the adventures of a house painter and his brood of high-stepping penguins have delighted children for generations.

Image for One Snowy Night (Percy the Park Keeper)

One Snowy Night (Percy the Park Keeper)

Percy the Park Keeper always feeds the animals in the park where he lives.

But one cold winter’s night Percy discovers that his little friends need more than food and he must find a way to help them find a warm place to sleep for the night.

Image for Dog Driven

Dog Driven

From the author of Ice Dogs comes a riveting adventure about a musher who sets out to prove her impaired vision won't hold her back from competing in a rigorous sled race through the Canadian wilderness. Perfect for fans of Gary Paulsen.

Image for Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

There are more animals to find among the trees, and the kindly figure with his "promises to keep" exudes warmth as he stops to appreciate the quiet delights of winter.

Image for Stranger in the Woods: A Photographic Fantasy (Nature)

Stranger in the Woods: A Photographic Fantasy (Nature)

Forest animals, awakened by the birds' warning that there is a stranger in the woods, set out to discover if there is danger and find, instead, a wonderful surprise.

Image for Owl Moon

Owl Moon

Late one winter night a little girl and her father go owling. The trees stand still as statues and the world is silent as a dream.

Whoo-whoo-whoo, the father calls to the mysterious nighttime bird.

Image for Here Comes Jack Frost

Here Comes Jack Frost

One cold morning a lonely boy wishes for something to do. His animal friends are hibernating, and he has nobody to play with―even all the birds have flown south.

When he meets Jack Frost, the last thing he expects is to make a new friend . . . or to discover how enchanting winter can be!

Image for Twelve Kinds of Ice

Twelve Kinds of Ice

With the first ice—a skim on a sheep pail so thin it breaks when touched—one family’s winter begins in earnest. Next comes ice like panes of glass. And eventually, skating ice! Take a literary skate over field ice and streambed, through sleeping orchards and beyond.

Image for Blizzard

Blizzard

With accounts from the survivors and period photos, a tale by the author of the Newbery Honor book, The Great Fire tells what is was like to live through the Great Blizzard of 1888 that crippled New York City with its fierce winds and blinding snow.

Image for Grandmother Winter

Grandmother Winter

Grandmother Winter lives all alone with her snow-white flock of geese. All through the spring, summer, and fall, Grandmother Winter tends her geese and gathers their feathers. Why?

To bring snowfall as soft as feathers and bright as a winter moon. To the woodland and all of its creatures, the arrival of winter is a gift.

Image for Wild Child

Wild Child

Lynn Plourde's text snaps and crackles like the leaves of fall as Mother Earth gently gets her daughter ready for bed.

And Greg Couch's extraordinary illustrations take readers from the soft greens of late summer through the fiery oranges of a fall sunset to the peaceful blues of early winter's eve.

10 Toilet Paper Roll Winter Crafts

  1. You will love my tutorial How to Make an Adorable Toilet Roll Snowman for Winter Crafts too.
  2. You won’t have to worry about this little Cardboard Roll Gingerbread Man Craft running away as fast as he can, Isn’t he just too cute?
  3. The Glittery Birds on Snowy Log Favor Boxes would be a great art challenge for older kids.
  4. Cute waddling penguins make a great winter study, at least when studying the 4 that live in arctic climates- emperors, gentoos, chinstraps, and Adélies. Make these Toilet Paper Roll Penguins Easy Winter crafts for Kids.
  5. If you are studying the tundra, Alaska, or Canada here is a cute Toilet Roll Reindeer craft.
  6. Winter Toilet Paper Roll Animals.
  7. Make this wintery Adorable Toilet Paper Roll Owl Craft for fun or to give your winter owl study a little depth.
  8. Arctic animals are a topic that you definitely want to cover in your winter study, this Cardboard Tube Polar Bear goes along perfectly with that.
  9. Winter Windsocks Craft.
  10. Last, can you imagine your living room filled with gorgeous glittering snowflakes you made during a lesson on how snowflakes are formed? Learn How to Make Paper Roll Snowflakes.
10 Toilet Paper Roll Winter Crafts | Make An Adorable Toilet Roll Winter Village

Next, add in some resources and activities for winter.

More Winter Crafts to Do at Home

  • Here are Snow and Snowflake Facts for Kids and a Fun Hands-on Exploding Snowman activity.
  • Winter Craft Ideas for Kids Animals in Winter Fun Snow Slime.
  • Crafts for Winter An Easy and Fun Polar Bear Fork Painting.
  • Let me show you How to Make an Adorable Toilet Roll Snowman for Winter Crafts.
  • Two Fun Candy Cane Hands-on Science Winter Experiments.
  • Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity.
  • These Cute and Simple Snowman Story Stones Winter Art Activities For Preschoolers are a great tool for open-ended play but also can encourage your child to develop their imagination and storytelling skills.
  • Julie of the Wolves Free Hands-on Arctic Unit Study.
  • Winter Craft Ideas How to Make Fun Pinecone Flowers.
  • Easy and Fun Pine Cone Snowy Owl Winter Craft for Kindergarten.
  • Fun Selfie Salt Dough Gingerbread Kids Activity for Long Winter Nights.
  • Easy DIY Fun Salt Winter Watercolor Art Project for Kids.

Finally, look how to make this adorable toilet paper winter village.

Make An Adorable Toilet Roll Winter Village

You will need:

  • Empty toilet paper rolls.
  • Craft paint
  • Card stock
  • Paint brushes
  • Paint pens or markers 
  • Glue gun/glue sticks
  • scissors
10 Toilet Paper Roll Winter Crafts | Make An Adorable Toilet Roll Winter Village

Pinch the top of each of your empty toilet paper rolls together and hot glue them all the way across.

10 Toilet Paper Roll Winter Crafts | Make An Adorable Toilet Roll Winter Village

Use a paper plate to make a pallet for all the paint colors that you want to use.

10 Toilet Paper Roll Winter Crafts | Make An Adorable Toilet Roll Winter Village

Also, once the glue has set completely, paint the exterior of the toilet paper rolls in whatever color(s) you like.

10 Toilet Paper Roll Winter Crafts | Make An Adorable Toilet Roll Winter Village

In addition, while you’re waiting for the paint to dry cut enough pieces of a neutral card stock into 2” x 3” rectangles, find the middle and bend it.

This will be the peak of your roof.

Use markers or paint pens to make shingles lines and whatever other textures you like on the roofs, make each unique.

10 Toilet Paper Roll Winter Crafts | Make An Adorable Toilet Roll Winter Village

Then, once the paint on the rolls has dried completely use markers or paint pens to decorate the houses.

Too, add windows, doors, and bushes outside the house, etc.

10 Toilet Paper Roll Winter Crafts | Make An Adorable Toilet Roll Winter Village

Add details like light in the windows, doorknobs and even a little snowman outside.

10 Toilet Paper Roll Winter Crafts | Make An Adorable Toilet Roll Winter Village

Add snow to your roofs by drizzling white paint straight from the bottle along the ridge line and letting it naturally drip or you can use a paintbrush to spread it as you like.

10 Toilet Paper Roll Winter Crafts | Make An Adorable Toilet Roll Winter Village

Lastly, once your roof is dried, you can hot glue it to the top of the house.

Use a small paintbrush to create icicles, drifts of snow on the ground, around the windows, and anywhere else you like to enhance the wintery scene.

Keep on creating an entire village and use them to decorate your tables or put them in a window to enjoy.

10 Toilet Paper Roll Winter Crafts | Make An Adorable Toilet Roll Winter Village

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: crafts, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolinginwinter, toilet paper roll, winter crafts, winter season

DIY Adorable Salt Dough Gingerbread House To Make With Kids

November 8, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Instead of using a box kit, look at this easy salt dough gingerbread house which you can keep year after year. Be sure you grab more ideas for winter fun on my page Winter Season Unit Study with free lapbook.

This salt dough version of a gingerbread house is far easier to make and assemble than the “edible” version which let’s face it isn’t edible at all.

Too, hot glue is much faster to work with than icing.

We are going to make our houses in the style of those lovely old-fashioned cinnamon ornaments.

DIY Adorable Salt Dough Gingerbread House To Make With Kids

Not only do they smell wonderful, but cinnamon will naturally give your gingerbread house its rich warm brown color. 

You can also add more cinnamon essential oil every so often to boost the scent, it will soak right in.

Younger children can make a salt dough gingerbread house with help.

But your middle and highschooler will be able to make their whimsical creation on their own from start to finish.

However, while you are working on your gingerbread house why not turn it into a fun mini-lesson complete with trivia, edible versions, books, and a few more hands-on activities to make it even better?

6 Facts About Gingerbread

  1. National Gingerbread Cookie Day is celebrated annually on November 21st.
  2. Historians say that the first known recipe for gingerbread came from Greece in 2400 BC.
  3. The largest gingerbread house ever built was made in Bryan, Texas. It stood a whopping 60 feet long, 42 feet wide, and 10.1 feet tall. 
  4. The initial popularity of gingerbread houses in Europe was because of the Grimm story Hansel and Gretel.
  5. The word gingerbread is from the old French word ‘ gingerbras’ which means preserved ginger.
  6. It is believed that the concept of the gingerbread man was first proposed by Queen Elizabeth I, gingerbread animals were already popular, but she wanted to give little edible caricatures to nobility. 

DIY Adorable Salt Dough Gingerbread House To Make With Kids

Add a living book to this fun hands-on activity.

8 Books and Resources Studying About Gingerbread

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

Image for The Plan for the Gingerbread House: A STEM Engineering Story

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.

Image for Gingerbread House Cookie Cutter Set

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

Image for The Gingerbread Man Padded

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.

Image for The Gingerbread Boy (Paul Galdone Nursery Classic)

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.

Image for Gingerbread Baby

Gingerbread Baby

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

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

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.

Image for Gingerbread Man Cookie Cutter Set (Gingerbread Man 3 Piece)

Gingerbread Man Cookie Cutter Set (Gingerbread Man 3 Piece)

Gingerbread Man 3 Piece

Image for How to Catch a Gingerbread Man

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!

Then here are more ideas for a gingerbread house.

More Gingerbread House Ideas

For a little variety here are a few more ways to celebrate National Gingerbread Cookie Day or any day.

  • If you want to go edible here are some easy but precious Graham Cracker Gingerbread Houses to make as well.
  • For younger children, this Gingerbread House Paper Bag craft is perfect and uses easy supplies you already have on hand.
  • Popsicle sticks are always a fabulous craft Popsicle Stick Gingerbread House
  • You could make this Gingerbread House Craft For Kids half-size, make a bunch, and create a fun garland with an entire neighborhood of gingerbread houses.
DIY Adorable Salt Dough Gingerbread House To Make With Kids

Finally, look how to make this fun gingerbread house.

How to Make a Kids Salt Dough Gingerbread House

You will need:

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup table salt
  • ¾ cups cinnamon
  • 1 Tablespoon cloves
  • 1 Tablespoon ginger
  • ¾ cup water
  • Rolling pin
  • Hot glue gun/sticks
  • Craft paint
  • Cardstock
DIY Adorable Salt Dough Gingerbread House To Make With Kids

The first thing you want to do is decide how large you want your gingerbread house or decide how many you want to make.

The recipe above creates one house that is roughly 4 1”2 inches long on each side and 5” tall.

Choose your size and then shape, cut the 4 walls and 2 roof pieces out of cardstock making sure that facing walls and roof pieces are symmetrical.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine all dry ingredients until well-mixed.

DIY Adorable Salt Dough Gingerbread House To Make With Kids

Add water and stir until combined, you want to add water until mixture sticks together but not sticky.

DIY Adorable Salt Dough Gingerbread House To Make With Kids

If it’s too wet add more flour, too dry add water.

DIY Adorable Salt Dough Gingerbread House To Make With Kids

Lay a silicone liner or parchment paper on a large baking sheet.

DIY Adorable Salt Dough Gingerbread House To Make With Kids

I find it’s easiest to roll the dough and cut it right on the cooking surface because moving it tends to stretch and distort the shape.

Roll your dough out pretty thin about 1/8” to 1/4” thick is good.

DIY Adorable Salt Dough Gingerbread House To Make With Kids

Lay your cardstock templates on top of the dough and cut around them using a sharp knife.

DIY Adorable Salt Dough Gingerbread House To Make With Kids

Remove excess dough from between the pieces and discard or you can use them to make extra little decor items.

DIY Adorable Salt Dough Gingerbread House To Make With Kids

Bake for 3 hours, flipping the pieces halfway through. If at the end there still seems to be moisture in the dough let them sit a bit longer in the warm oven until completely dried.

Remove it from the oven and let cool.

Now, you can either assemble and then decorate with paint or do most of your painting.

Let it dry, and then glue it together, adding additional paint to cover up your joints.

I like to paint the basics before assembling.

DIY Adorable Salt Dough Gingerbread House To Make With Kids

Hot glue one joint at a time and hold it into place until the glue sets.

Use white craft paint and a small brush or white puffy paint to add on your snowy icing.

Add a thicker amount to the peak of the roof by squeezing it right out of the bottle to cover the roof joint and make it look as if snow has piled up.

Once all the paint is dry your gingerbread house is ready to go on display.

DIY Adorable Salt Dough Gingerbread House To Make With Kids

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: crafts, gingerbread, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, winter crafts, winter season

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