hands-on activities

DIY Easy Duct Tape Pencil Pouch Back to School Kids Craft

August 8, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

This diy easy duct tape pencil pouch back to school craft is a great way to start your year. Before you jump into learning how to homeschool or a full schedule, have some fun first.

As homeschoolers sometimes we don’t really get the full traditional back to school shopping experience, so I like to work in some fun activities to freshen things up and get them excited.

Even though we school year-round we take breaks and this is the perfect activity to jump back into a new unit.

DIY Easy Duct Tape Pencil Pouch Back to School Kids Craft

It would also make a great craft to do with your co-op or just a couple friends.

Offer a few duct tapes and bag sizes. And put them on a table with an example to invite them to create.

Fill it with pencils yes but it is sturdy enough to hold scissors, pencil sharpeners, protractors, calculators and more.

Just because you are not heading off to school outside the house doesn’t mean you don’t need somewhere to gather and hold all your small supplies.

How to Use the Duct Tape Pencil Pouch

We are going to make a full sized pouch to carry our watercolor palette and brushes in our backpack for nature hikes.

Upper elementary to high school will be able to complete this project on their own. However, younger kids might need a little help with the steps.

It is very user friendly for all ages.

Let your child pick up their favorite pattern on Amazon.

I have linked several of our favorites below or you can find some at Hobby Lobby near the art supplies like canvasses and artist paints.

I have even found a good variety of solid tapes at Dollar Tree, making it a very economical craft.

You can use duct tape for a great number of projects.

For example, you can make pouches in different sizes for different uses.

Besides pencils turn it into a makeup bag or for collecting specimens on a nature walk.

Cover a jar or can for a desk pencil holder, make a custom composition notebook, wrap around pens and pencils to coordinate with your pouch, or cover a plain phone case with it to jazz it up some.

Your pouch should last you the school year with normal wear and tear but should it not last it is very economical to make a new one.

Duct Tape Options and Patterns

Here are a few of our favorites duct tape patterns. I love this wave blue.

And I also love this checkered one.

And it’s so easy to make with only 3 components.

duct tape
gallon bag slider top
scissors

You probably have all three things in your home now.

How to Make an Easy Duct Tape Pencil Pouch

You can make your pouch the full size of the bag or adjust it to any size you like by cutting off the bottom at the measurement you prefer.

We made ours just slightly larger than half the bag.

If you want one that is not so wide you could use a quart, sandwich, or snack size bag too. Just make sure you grab the slider top.

Once you have cut your bag down to size lay a piece of your patterned duct tape on the bottom so that half adheres to the very bottom.

Fold it over and press into place to seal the bottom well.

You can repeat the process if you think you need the extra strength, but it is pretty strong with just one.

Next, rather than work your way up the bag you are going to want to put the next piece right up under then zipper portion of the bag.

This makes for less cutting. And depending on your pattern makes it easier to match them up.

Leave just a bit on each end to trim at the end.

Work your way down the bag by adding another two rows of duct tape.

The final row will cover up the folded tape of the bottom of the bag and cover half of the center row.

Flip and repeat on the other side.

Then, trim the excess to even with the plastic bag. Try not to cut into it, just right at the edge.

To finish off and reinforce the sides, overlap the tape so that half covers each side.

Trim off excess.

You can go a step further by adding names or other words with stickers, mix up patterns and solids.

Hole punch the bottom and it can be added to a 3 ring binder to keep everything together.

Other Back to School Craft Fun

What do you think? Are you ready for not back to homeschool?

3 Free and Amazing Amazon Rainforest Lapbooks for Kids

August 7, 2022 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, I have three free Amazon rainforest lapbooks which go with our Amazon Rain Forest Unit Study And homeschool lapbooks make great tools for master learning about a unit study topic..

These lapbook about the Amazon Rainforest covers so many subtopics that each of your children can spend time on whatever topics interest them. Besides you can make many or one from the different minibooks.

Take your time putting together this huge lapbook because it has about 35 minibooks.

3 Free and Amazing Amazon Rainforest Lapbooks for Kids

Because lapbooks are interactive hands-on tools, you want to take several days to create it.

One tip is to create each minibook while you’re learning about the Amazon Rainforest.

In addition, I’ve created Amazon Rainforest covers that can be used on the outside of the lapbooks or your child can do his own art.

Each of my children were different. My then high school teen didn’t want much art on the outside cover.

However, my younger two kids at the time loved creating the outside of the lapbook.

How to Use the Rainforest Lapbook

Although some parents think the lapbook is a craftsy artsy project, it is far beyond that.

I think of a lapbook as a treasure trove of what interests the child. That can be used to teach your teach and to help him memorize important facts.

However, they’re are other ways to use lapbooks.

Use the lapbook to:

store nature things which interest your child
hold small paper games
illustrate art and drawings
showcase your child’s writing
keep math facts or rules that your want your child to know
contain maps of geographical areas

And because you don’t need a lot of supplies to create a beautiful lapbook each one can be unique.

Too, the beauty of saving your lapbooks is that you can come back another year and add one more flap.

Then, add more minibooks. So, only fill the lapbook until your child’s interest has piqued.

Come back later that year or years later and add an extension of a file folder and create more minibooks.

30+ Free Minibooks about the Amazon Rainforest

For example, look at the minibooks about the Amazon Rainforest to give you ideas of topics to cover.

I have put them in several groupings so you can see the minibooks. But they are in no particular order.

Four things needed in a rainforest.
Five Kingdoms of Life.
Five Little Monkeys story props.
ABC’s of the rainforest.
ABC Storage pockets.
Animal and Plant cells.

And also remember they are use to for varying levels.

Bird pocket.
Chocolate.
Different colored rivers of the Amazon.
Food of the rainforest.
Herbivores carnivores omnivores.
Jaguars.
Jungle art.

I have minibooks for young children to learn the ABCS of the Amazon Rainforest to learning about scientist.

Layers of the rainforest older.
Layers of the rainforest younger.
Layers of the rainforest 4 tab older.
Life cycle of kapok tree.
Lungs of the world.
Photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis wheel rain forest.
Pioneer microbiologist and father of taxonomy.

Also, you can pull out one topic like chocolate or the tropical fruits and focus only on that.

Plant label.
Products of the rainforest.
Rainforest facts.
Rain forest measuring.
Rainforest opposites.
Rain Force plants.
Rain forest in danger.
Rainforest vocabulary younger.
Reptiles insects amphibians of the amazon.
Save the rainforest.
The Amazon.
The canopy a beautiful roof.
The rainforest where is it.
Water cycle.
Why do we need plants younger.

This Amazon Rainforest is a HUGE 108 page download and enough to create more than 3 lapbooks.

Other Amazon Rainforest Resources

You’ll love these other Amazon Rainforest unit study resources.

Whether your create one or many you have plenty of minibooks to choose from.

Rainforest Lapbooks

How to Get the Free Rain Forest Amazon Lapbook 108 Pages

Now, how to grab the free download where you can make as many as 3 lapbooks. This is a subscriber freebie.

1) Sign up on my list.

2) Grab the freebie now.

3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

Cute Clay Pencil Earrings for Back to School Crafts For Kids

August 5, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

These cute clay pencil earrings for back to school crafts are plain fun. Also, look at my page The Dynamics of How to Homeschool Easily and Smarter for more fun ideas and tips.

So, don’t miss out on all the fun back to school craft ideas just because your child won’t be headed off to traditional school.

Have some hands on craft time with your kids and make a pair or several school themed earrings to wear to kick off your new year.

Cute Clay Pencil Earrings for Back to School Crafts For Kids

We school year-round but take a lot of breaks so these were great to welcome in our new unit!

Clay is great for creativity.

So, invest a little in these supplies and give your kids another creative outlet.

Also, making crafts is therapeutic and works those fine motor skill and appeals to the senses.

Additionally this is a great way to encourage your budding entrepreneurs.

A great little business idea is creating earrings for friends, family, co-op mates, and even to setup on facebook.

Clay – A Versatile Craft Material

Your child can sell handmade creations for a bit of money and learn about supply vs. demand, how to set prices for profit, the cost of supplies, and so much more.

Get creative and don’t just stop at making pencil earrings.

Use your clay to create paper, crayons, globes, beakers and more.

But they don’t have to just be for back to school craft ideas.

Add this idea to any of your unit studies.

For example, look at some of these ideas.

If you’re looking for an idea for a hands-on project for the Exploring Space and Astronomy Free Unit Study for Multiple Ages, then create a replica of a plant.
When studying China, create a map to wear on your child’s ears. How fun.
Are you studying about botany next? Then make some cute mushrooms or succulents.

Look at this Polymer Clay Starter kit, Oven Bake Clay, DIY Molding Clay kit.

Let’s dive into making these adorable clay back to school earrings.

This list is easy but too some of it you may not have around the house.

Easy DIY Fun Earrings Supplies

Earring Kit
Variety Clay Pack
Clay Roller Machine or a hand roller
Small craft stick
Skewer

Once you get all your supplies gathered remember you can make several pairs.

First, preheat your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

How to Make Back to School Pencil Earrings

Then, pinch off a piece of yellow clay and roll it through your clay roller a few times on the second to last thickness setting.

We really just eyeballed the amount.

There wasn’t enough the first time,vso we just pinched off a bit more and added it before we went through again.

You can also use a simple roller. But we love our clay machine and use it every time we create with clay to get uniform thickness.

I set most of my earrings at the thicker of the two settings on our clay roller.

Use a small wooden craft stick as a template to get straight sides and an even width for your two pencils,

Cut on either side with a thin sharp knife and repeat for the next one.

Remember though that they don’t have to be perfect, they are kid and handmade after all.

Cut the top and bottom at the same time to get your desired length.

Repeat with a small amount of pink after rolling it flat. Use the craft stick vertically and horizontally to cut two squares for the erasers.

Again, use some tan to make the wood of your pencil and repeat with the sides. Cut the length off at the same time so they are uniform.

Then, cut a point on your pencil tips.

Get a bit of texture by using the sharp end of the skewer to draw up the top of the tan and create the shaved section of the pencil.

Add a tiny piece of black clay to the bottom as a pencil led, shape a point with your fingers.

Connect your 3 pieces, pressing them gently together.

Wet your finger and smooth the joints together.

More Back to School Craft Ideas

We ran each of our entire put together pieces through the roller one more time to help the colors cling to each other.

Draw a few lines in the yellow to create some pencil detail.

Take the flat end of your skewer and pierce a whole through the eraser close to the top.

But leave enough room that it doesn’t break because its too thin.

Carefully pick up the clay pieces and transfer to a baking sheet.

A think scraper or even a knife make it easy to slide up and transfer.

We use our little toaster oven for crafts like this rather than heat up the big oven.

Bake at 200℉ for 20 minutes. Check and make sure that they are hard and no more moisture remains in the clay.

Bake for 5 more minutes if needed to bake completely through. Allow to cool fully before removing.

Use a needle nose plier to open a jump ring and thread it through the hole you made on the eraser.

Place a French hook earring loop through the jump ring as well and close completely the jump ring with needle nose pliers.

Be sure that the hook faces away from the front of the pencil earrings

If you prefer you can skip creating a hole in the earrings and use e6000 glue to affix a standard post earring to the back instead.

If you’re like us you want dangly earrings so we went with fish hooks.

What do you think, are you ready for back to school and look cool?

Geronimo Stilton Adventure The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time (Mayan Craft)

July 31, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Your kids will be off to another Geronimo Stilton adventure when they read the next Geronimo Stilton books. The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time will delight your kids who love to time travel.

Too, I have a hands-on history LEGO temple craft which will keep your learners engaged.

Add in my Meso-America Lapbook about Ancient Maya and you have a full history and literature unit study.

Geronimo Stilton Adventure The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time (Mayan Craft)

Besides being a special edition book, the time machine will take your kids to learn about ancient Rome in 45 BC, the Maya Empire 1005, and to the Palace of Versailles in 1682 CE.

You could just use this wonderful book for reference about those history topics. I always have a great history encyclopedia close too if we want to do further research.

Although the fun and adventurous Geronimo Stilton is on another adventure, this book can be used for historical fiction.

Geronimo Stilton Books Reading Level

In addition, if you not heard about this fun series of books, here are some quick facts.

Geronimo Stilton is a fun loving and adventurous mouse who runs a newspaper. However, as he states his favorite activity is writing adventure stories.
The books are full of color pictures and crazy fonts. This may be distracting for some kids, but others love it.
Geronimo Stilton’s author is Elisabetta Dami who is an Italian author of children’s book. She also has a passion for archaeology and visiting historical places which she embeds in the books.
And the reading age is 7 to 10 years old.

The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time (Geronimo Stilton Special Edition)

And wow was this little book packed!

While it is a fun book with lots of great illustrations and font type, color, and size changes to keep it interesting for readers I love that it was so chock full of information.

Today, we focused on the Mayan civilization, but will come back to these other time periods in the book.

Back in Time, The Second Journey Through Time

Another tip, if you didn’t want your kids to read the entire book for the sake of time or because you have a reluctant reader is to focus on the middle section which is the Mayans.

Each story is distinctly broken up. You can have your children read the first part to find out how Geronimo travels.

Then skip to the Maya Civilization, saving the other parts for another unit study.

We incorporated history, art, science, reading, and more into this fun LEGO activity.

I was impressed by how much history is covered.

These are the things this section covers.

Exploring the Americas
Maps of the Yucatan Peninsula
Tropical Rainforest
Mayan Fashion and Customs
Chichen Itza
The Legend of The Mayan Sun god
Pok-Ta-Pok
Mysteries of the Maya

You’ll love learning just as much as your kids.

We put together a simple LEGO build to share that will help keep your kids engaged while you teach them all about the Mayans.

Here are some simple instructions but encourage your child to use critical thinking to put it together as well.

Challenge them to make it bigger and use the whole baseplate!

Geronimo Stilton – Build a LEGO Temple of Kukulcan

You will need:

A large LEGO baseplate
A couple handfuls of LEGO- Cream, brown, or yellow

If you don’t already have a collection of LEGO, look at the large creative box.

LEGO is an amazing learning tool for all ages and this is a good basic set to start with.

Even your teen will still love learning with them and creating.

Start by creating a base that is 10×10 studs wide on your baseplate.

So that is the little studs that stick up on top of the LEGO.

You can do it with a combination of 1×2, 2×2’s, and 2×4 sized bricks. They don’t all need to be the same.

Place your next layer leaving a border of 1 stud showing all the way around on your base layer.

Continue the same way, leaving a 1 stud border around 4 more times until your top is just 1 or 2 2×2 bricks stacked.

Create steps by centering 1×2 bricks all the way up.

Your pyramid of Kukulkan is done!

To extend this lesson a little bit I also challenged the kids to create rainforest animals using LEGO.

We used this page on rainforest animals for inspiration!

This little add on activity gives your kids some science and art with their history lesson and its fun to see what they come up with.

Look at the kids activities from the rainforest.

And the undergrowth..

Other Geronimo Stilton Books and Activities

You’ll love these other tips on the Geronimo Stilton books.

And if you love this book, check out Journey Through Time and the topics are how the dinosaurs became extinct, how the Great Pyramid of Giza was built, and what life was like at King Arthur’s court.

Also, if you have younger kids they’ll love this Geronimo Stilton 12 Inch Plush Doll Character while you read aloud. (adorable)

When I do these simple hands on activities I like to let the kids work on them while I am either doing a read aloud or showing a short video on our subject.

They absorb information while their hands work believe it or not!

To round out a mini study you could also use the book to…

Create other famous structures from Chichen Itza
Have them make a salt dough map of the Yucatan Peninsula
Create a list of resources from the rainforests
Taste test some of those treats from the rainforest (a multi sensory approach works great and kids will never forget where those items come from)
Create ancient Mayan fashion from scrap fabric
Look up vocabulary words from the pages like-cacao, artisanal, obsidian, toxins, etc…
Create a Mayan hut with popsicle stick
Make Mayan Flatbread
Create a Maya Calendar
Recreate their own version of Pok-a-Tok

Fun Pineapple Candle For Fun Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers

July 27, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Squeeze in more fun summer activities for middle schoolers by making this fun pineapple candle. Plus, there is more to homeschool middle school than just academic subjects.

Middle school kids love to do crafts year-round or do we call them activities.

Besides, this fun pineapple candle can be used in several ways.

Add it to a homeschool area, to your tween or teen’s room, or do it along with my huge Amazon Rain Forest Unit Study.

Fun Pineapple Candle For Fun Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers

Too, pineapples are bromeliads and bromeliads grow in tropical areas. So, add this summer craft as another easy activity to your unit studies.

Fun Facts About Pineapples

Pineapple is neither a pine or an apple but are made up of lots of berries that have grown together.
Pineapples take 18-20 months to be ready for harvest.
Pineapple plants produce only one pineapple at a time.
Hawaii produces ⅓ of the pineapples in the world.
Pineapples actually originated in South America not in Hawaii like many think.
The pineapple is a symbol of hospitality.
The largest pineapple on record weighed a whopping 17.76 pounds.
The top of a pineapple can be replanted to grow a new pineapple plant.
Pineapple juice makes a great meat tenderizer.
Pineapple is a member of the Bromelioideae family and Ananas genus.
Pineapple plants grown between 3.3 feet and 4.9 feet in height.

Because summer isn’t over yet and there is still plenty of time for fun as well as learning before the temps start to cool a bit, let’s make this cute pineapple craft.

Summer Craft for Homeschool Middle School

This project is fairly easy and kid friendly with a few safety warnings and maybe a hand pouring of the hot wax for young children.

Too, if you love crafts, you may have several of these things on hand.

If not, add to your growing list of supplies by using the list below.

List of pineapple craft supplies.

Small Glass jar
Fake Succulent (Dollar Tree)
Soy Wax Beads
Yellow Candle Wax Colorant
Candle Wicks
Pineapple Fragrance Oil
Sharpie or Paint Pen
Glass microwavable container
Green paint

I like to use wax beads for a few reasons rather than cutting up a big slab of wax.

First, they melt faster and more evenly and second, they make it easy to measure the amount needed for irregular shaped containers like this one!

Also, you can buy an individual scent for your candle.

But when you purchase the variety pack it was a better deal than just getting one.

Plus, you will have plenty of wax beads left over from your bag to make other candles throughout the seasons.

How to Make a DIY Summer Pineapple Candle

Begin by taking a sharpie or paint pen and draw upside down V’s to create the spikes of a pineapple. Then let it dry.

Next, use green craft paint or spray paint to make the screw on the lid green, set aside to dry.

Fill your glass jar with beads where you want the top to be.

And add a few more tablespoons worth because as your beads melt they will fill in the spaces in between and you will have less than you did while they are whole.

Afterwards, place the wick down inside the jar and curl the excess around a pencil to keep it straight in the jar.

Then, pour your measured amount of wax beads and a small piece of yellow colorant into a microwave safe glass container.

Heat in 30 second increments until completely melted.

Shave off just a bit of your candle colorant and mix it. Continue to do this until your desired yellow shade is reached.

Stir in fragrance oil, again just keep adding and stirring until the scent strength you like is reached.

Carefully pour melted wax into your jar and let it cool completely.

Trim the wick with scissors to slightly shorter than the jar.

Finally, grab your jar lid and hot glue the plastic succulent to the top to create the crown.

Other Pineapple Themed Summer Fun Ideas

We really enjoyed this pineapple summer craft to help us finish up our summer and now we have a lovely home decor item that the kids have pride in creating and they beg for us to light.

Pineapples are delicious and they smell amazing, making them a great subject for this summer craft don’t you think?

hands-on activities

DIY Easy Duct Tape Pencil Pouch Back to School Kids Craft

How to Use the Duct Tape Pencil Pouch

Duct Tape Options and Patterns

How to Make an Easy Duct Tape Pencil Pouch

Other Back to School Craft Fun

3 Free and Amazing Amazon Rainforest Lapbooks for Kids

How to Use the Rainforest Lapbook

30+ Free Minibooks about the Amazon Rainforest

Other Amazon Rainforest Resources

Rainforest Lapbooks

How to Get the Free Rain Forest Amazon Lapbook 108 Pages

Cute Clay Pencil Earrings for Back to School Crafts For Kids

Clay – A Versatile Craft Material

Easy DIY Fun Earrings Supplies

How to Make Back to School Pencil Earrings

More Back to School Craft Ideas

Geronimo Stilton Adventure The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time (Mayan Craft)

Geronimo Stilton Books Reading Level

Back in Time, The Second Journey Through Time

Geronimo Stilton – Build a LEGO Temple of Kukulcan

Other Geronimo Stilton Books and Activities

Fun Pineapple Candle For Fun Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers

Fun Facts About Pineapples

Summer Craft for Homeschool Middle School

How to Make a DIY Summer Pineapple Candle

Other Pineapple Themed Summer Fun Ideas

More Fun Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers

Categories

Archives

hands-on activities

How to Use the Duct Tape Pencil Pouch

Duct Tape Options and Patterns

How to Make an Easy Duct Tape Pencil Pouch

Other Back to School Craft Fun

How to Use the Rainforest Lapbook

30+ Free Minibooks about the Amazon Rainforest

Other Amazon Rainforest Resources

Rainforest Lapbooks

How to Get the Free Rain Forest Amazon Lapbook 108 Pages

Clay – A Versatile Craft Material

Easy DIY Fun Earrings Supplies

How to Make Back to School Pencil Earrings

More Back to School Craft Ideas

Geronimo Stilton Books Reading Level

Back in Time, The Second Journey Through Time

Geronimo Stilton – Build a LEGO Temple of Kukulcan

Other Geronimo Stilton Books and Activities

Fun Facts About Pineapples

Summer Craft for Homeschool Middle School

How to Make a DIY Summer Pineapple Candle

Other Pineapple Themed Summer Fun Ideas

More Fun Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers

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