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handsonhomeschooling

Kids Free Glass Blowing Lapbook on The History Of Glass Blowing

June 23, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, I have a free glass blowing lapbook about the history of glass blowing. Also, you’ll love more ideas on my pages Glass Blowing, Lapbook Ideas, and Best Homeschool Unit Studies.

Although glass wasn’t discovered during the Renaissance period, it did make a rebirth in that time period.

Around 1500 BC in Mesopotamia and Egypt the first glass vessels were made by shaping hot glass around solid cores of earth and dung.

Kids Free Glass Blowing Lapbook on The History Of Glass Blowing

After the glass cooled the plug was removed and it left a hollow form.

During the Roman era, new formulas were invented and perfected.

Glass was so precious Emperor Nero paid $500.00 for one goblet.

Glass blowing techniques were all but lost during the Middle Ages in Europe.

The History of Glass Blowing

However, around the 13th century, Venice became the center of glassblowing.

Having learned the secret of glass blowing through their trade with the Middle East, Venetian artisans revived the technique.

Because the furnaces represented a fire danger in Venice, whose buildings were mostly wooden, they were moved to the island of Murano.

It wasn’t long before the glass makers were the leading citizens of the island.

The artisans were granted the right to wear swords and enjoy immunity from prosecution by the Venetian state.

In the following centuries exports began, and the island became famous for glass beads and mirrors.

Kids Free Glass Blowing Lapbook on The History Of Glass Blowing

Today, even though the art of glass blowing has been shared all over the world.

Murano is still called the Glass Island.

Hands-on Glass and Glass Blowing Kids Activities

Next, add some of these fun hands-on glass and glass blowing kids activities.

  • How to Make a Medieval Stained Glass Craft
  • How to Make a Kids Fun Stained Glass Fall Leaves Craft
  • DIY Suncatchers with Glass Beads
  • Dale Chihuly Inspired Water Bottle Art Project
  • Dale Chihuly-Inspired “Glass” Sculpture
  • Dale Chihuly Macchia

And add some fun videos.

  • Amazing Glass Blowing By Professional Craftsman 
  • Glassblowing Video for Kids
  • Glass Art Workshop | Virtual Field Trip
Kids Free Glass Blowing Lapbook on The History Of Glass Blowing

Then add some more lapbooks to your learning day.

More Lapbook Ideas

  • Free Carnivorous Plants Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  • Free Peregrine Falcon Lapbook And Fun Unit Study Ideas
  • Lapbook Maya and Fun Hands-on Meso-America Unit Study Ideas
  • Coral Reef Printable Lapbook and Fun Hands-on Unit Study Ideas
  • US Westward Expansion Lapbook and Hands-on Unit Study Ideas
  •  Egg to Sea Turtle Lesson Plans & Lapbook
  • Texas Homeschool Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  • Strawberries Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  • North American Robin Bird Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  • Toad and Frog Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  • Ocean Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  • Titanic Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  • Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests
  • Ancient Rome Lapbook for Kids and Fun Hands-on Ideas

Next, add some of these books and resources to your glass blowing unit study.

Glass Blowing and Dale Chihuly Resources for Kids

Add some of these resources and books to your unit study about glass blowing.

Chihuly Art Kit Activity Book

This spiral-bound hardcover is an absolute necessity for those who like to travel creatively.

USA America Tacoma Chihuly Bridge of Glass Jigsaw Puzzles for Adults Kids

There is letter identification area behind the puzzle to assist in completing the puzzle. The finished puzzles can be used as artwork display and home decoration. Good travel souvenirs and gifts.

Chihuly: 365 Days

Dale Chihuly is renowned as the most prolific living artist working in glass, with hugely popular exhibitions in major museums around the world. Chihuly: 365 Days is a richly illustrated photo survey of his entire four-decade career, with more than 500 pictures showing all facets of his work—from intimate smaller pieces to the tremendous outdoor installations that have thrilled millions of visitors

Bonnie Fitzgerald's Guide to Mosaic Techniques: The Go-To Source for In-Depth Instructions and Creative Design Ideas

This complete resource of mosaic techniques and design ideas is sure to become your go-to reference. With clear step-by-step sequences, mosaic artist Bonnie Fitzgerald shows how to draw up an idea, cut and arrange tiles, and lay designs successfully.

Stained Glass Projects for Beginners: 31 Projects to Make

31 step-by-step projects for copper foiled and leaded window panels, candle holders, mirror and picture frames, light catchers, and more

Minibooks Included in The History of Glass Blowing

Finally, look at the free minibooks included in this glass blowing lapbook.

  • Renaissance to Modern Front Outside Cover
  • Glass Island – Where Is It and Why Is It Called Glass Island
  • How Is Glass Used Everyday
  • How is Glass Colored
  • What is Glass
  • How is Glass Formed
  • When was Glass Discovered
  • Craft of the Renaissance
  • The Ancient Art of Glass Blowing
  • Lightning the Power to Make Glass
  • Hot Words a.k.a Vocabulary Words About Glass Blowing
  • Stained Glass
  • Glass Is As . . (Simile Book)
  • 2 Glass Blowing Notebooking Pages
  • 1 Coloring Page which can be used as a front cover or glue on back of your file folder lapbook

How to Get the Free Glass Blowing Lapbook

Now, how to grab the free lapbook. This is a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get access to my subscribers library and this freebie.

However, not all my freebies are in the library (wink).

I like to keep up to date with what is valuable to you so I can give you more, some freebies you must sign up again on the form below even if you are already a follower.

And it’s the only way I have of freely delivering them to you. Just follow the steps below.

1) Sign up on my list.
2) Grab the freebie.You’ll receive the freebie instantly.
3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Lapbooks Tagged With: glass blowing, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, history, history resources, lapbook, lapbooking, lapbookresources, lapbooks, renaissance

22 Hands-on Fun Ocean Sea Shell Activities For Teens

June 22, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have 22 fun ocean sea shell activities for teens. Also, you’ll love more ideas on my pages Oceans, Homeschool Middle School and How to Homeschool High School.

There seems to always be a lot of fun ocean seashell crafts for the younger kids but not so much for older kids and especially teens.

I found a great list of crafts that are fun and more challenging.

From tinkling wind chimes to elegant artwork there are plenty of choices here to use for fun craft projects that will brighten up their room or have a special place on the mantle

22 Hands-on Fun Ocean Sea Shell Activities For Teens

Before we get into the more creative stuff, let’s answer a couple of important questions about these beautiful beach treasures.

You can ask your teen and have him research the answers on their own or read to them about shells while they work on a craft.

And yes, teens still liked to be read to.

What Is A Sea Shell?

A seashell is a mollusk’s abandoned exoskeleton.

It was their protection, home, and a place for their muscle to attach to. 

While ocean sea shells seem to come in an endless variety of shapes, they’re all really versions of the same fundamental pattern – a spiral.

How Are Seashells Made?

During their daily life mollusks draw in salts and chemicals from the water around them.

As they process the materials, they secrete the calcium carbonate, which hardens on the outside of their bodies and begins to form the hard outer shell.

 As they continue excreting the calcium carbonate the surface grows and grows.

What Kind Of Creatures Live In Seashells?

  1. Clams
  2. oysters
  3. scallops
  4. and sea snails to name some.
22 Hands-on Fun Ocean Sea Shell Activities For Teens

If you don’t already have seashells on hand from your beach trips, you can grab one of these mixed bags off Amazon to use.

Then, I thought this tutorial on How to drill a hole in a shell would come in handy for a lot of projects below.

More Summer Fun Ideas for Teens

Next, look at these other ideas for teens.

  • 20 Fun Summer Learning Activities And Make A Rock Sundial
  • 10 Sea Shell Activities for Kids and Make Crystal Sea Shells
  • How Do Sharks Float STEM Activity Free Shark Unit Study & Notebooking Pages
  • 10 Edible Beach Crafts For Teens and Make Edible Beach Glass
  • Fun Pineapple Candle For Fun Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers
  • Super Easy and Fun Aquarium Jar Craft For Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers
  • Fun Making Ocean Layers Soap | Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers
  • 11 Fun Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers
  • A to Z List: 100 Fun Summer Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
22 Hands-on Fun Ocean Sea Shell Activities For Teens

Finally, look at these 22 ocean sea shell activities for teens.

22 Ocean Sea Shell Activities

Nothing shouts in summer more than hitting the beach, learning about the ocean and doing some fun seashell activities.

Photo Credit: www.justmeasuringup.com

How to Make a Seashell Wall Hanging

Learn how to make an easy seashell wall hanging for your home using your shells from the beach.

Photo Credit: craftbits.com

Nail Polish Seashells

Decorating keepsake seashells with nail polish is a fun and creative way to add a personal touch to your collection of shells.

Photo Credit: tinasdynamichomeschoolplus.com

10 Sea Shell Activities for Kids and Make Crystal Sea Shells

I have 10 sea shell activities today. And your kids will love making these fun crystal sea shells. Grab more ideas on my Seashore Watching Unit Study and Beach Lapbook.

Photo Credit: onelittleproject.com

Glitter Sea Shell Picture Frame

This glitter sea shell picture frame is impossible to mess up and is perfect for adding a touch of summer decor to any room.

Photo Credit: www.pillarboxblue.com

A Fabulous And Unique Handmade Candles Gift Idea

The big shells look even more fabulous, spray painted and used as candles on the table.

Photo Credit: familyfocusblog.com

How To Make A Seashell Crown [With Photos]

This is a step-by-step tutorial for a DIY crown made with a glue gun and wire. 

Photo Credit: www.pictureboxblue.com

How To Make A Beautiful Decoupage Shell Dish

This is my latest craft tutorial a beautiful decoupage shell dish.

Photo Credit: www.artsychicksrule.com

DIY Seashell & Bead Wind Chime

Wind chimes just say summer breezes and hammock laying to me. I just love the sound. This DIY seashell & bead wind chime is a fun summertime activity for your kids or you.

Photo Credit: happilyeverafteretc.com

How to Make Ocean Wave Sea Shells with Resin

This little resin project is the perfect solution for those shells you brought home on your last beach vacation! 

Photo Credit: alphamom.com

Sea Shell Mosaics

We’ve been collecting shells and sea glass all summer so this was the perfect craft for us

Photo Credit: www.lovelyetc.com

Silver Leaf Shell Necklace

This DIY silver leaf seashell necklace is super easy to make and looks beautiful.  It makes the perfect souvenir from your beach trip or gift for a friend.

Photo Credit: www.marthastewart.com

Seashell Keychains

This summertime seashell craft is just the thing for you and the kids to do for an afternoon of fun. 

Photo Credit: www.thekeeperofthecheerios.com

Seashell Terracotta Pots

What a fun project.

Photo Credit: www.sprinkledwalls.com

EDIBLE SUGAR SEASHELLS

These edible sugar seashells are a perfect summertime dessert topper that looks as realistic as they are beautiful as a cake or cupcake topper. 

Photo Credit: asocalwayoflife.com

Shell Tic Tac Toe DIY Decor

Are you in the mood for a functional and fun home decor piece? 

Photo Credit: sweetteal.com

4 Starfish & Seashell DIY Hair Accessories

Summer is coming, summer is coming! What a perfect time to accessorize your hair with some DIY hair accessories using seashells and starfish.

Photo Credit: craft.ideas2live4.com

Adorable DIY Seashell Book: 4 Easy Steps - Craft projects for every fan!

This seashell book project is a perfect gift for your beach-loving friends!

Photo Credit: homelyhens.com

Turn Whelk Shells into Beautiful Succulent Planters

First, you go to the beach…then you make the pretty succulent planters. 

Photo Credit: www.marthastewart.com

How to Dye Seashells

Featuring a myriad of colors, dyed seashells are a great way to add some creativity to your summer.

Photo Credit: www.apieceofrainbow.com

Anthropologie Style DIY Oyster Shell Trinket Dish

Turn
an oyster shell into beautiful trinket dish, paper clip holder, catch all tray, jewelry dish & ring holder. Great handmade gift for mom, and anyone who loves unique home decor and crafts!

Photo Credit: www.findingsilverpennies.com

Painting Seashells (with watercolor)

I thought this would be a great painting project to share – highlighting some beach treasures.

Photo Credit: www.wethreeshanes.com

DIY Beach Memory Jar with Photo

Create your own DIY Beach Memory Jar with sand, shells, and a favorite picture from
your last beach trip and keep those fun summer memories alive!

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: beach, crafts, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, ocean, sea shells, teens

Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time Fun Easy No Sew Dinosaur Mat

June 21, 2023 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today I have a no sew dinosaur mat craft if your child is reading Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time. Be sure to grab more Geronimo Stilton Books ideas and crafts on my page.

Do you have an early to middle elementary kid who loves dinosaurs?

First, grab a copy of The Journey Through Time (Geronimo Stilton Special Edition) to go along with this fun and easy no sew dinosaur mat.

The Journey Through Time Travels into Prehistory, which is the large period of time before written records or human documentation.

Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time Fun Easy No Sew Dinosaur Mat

 In the first section, it is a trip right into the middle of the Prehistoric Period.

The book takes Geronimo through the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods to learn more about the dinosaurs that once roamed the earth.

With great little factoids about different species of dinosaurs, bright illustrations, and an engaging story and a theory on how they disappeared, it is a great read for your child.

Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time Fun Easy No Sew Dinosaur Mat

Use vocabulary words from the story, facts, and drawings to teach your child all about this time of prehistory.

 Add in a few more fun hands-on ideas and you have a wonderful unit.

How to Incorporate the No Sew Dinosaur Mat Into Your Homeschool Units

While the dinosaur mat may seem like just play, it can also be used to label different dinosaurs to work in some science as well as language arts.

Write the names of various species or even words like volcano, river, etc.. on small pieces of paper and have your child place them next to their match.

Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time Fun Easy No Sew Dinosaur Mat

Work on easy math problems, just add dice and work on simple addition and subtraction.

Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time Fun Easy No Sew Dinosaur Mat

Let toddlers and preschool children simply play while you read aloud from Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time.

 You will be pleasantly surprised how much they pick up through hearing new vocabulary words and passive listening.

More Dinosaur Learning Fun

  • Make Salt Dough Dinosaur Fossils as a keepsake of your fun lessons.
  • Put together a dinosaur skeleton with pasta and a free printable.
  • Grab your toy dinosaurs and create a Dino Sensory Bin to allow them to explore textures while they learn about different dinosaurs.
  • Science Fiction for Middle School Fun Jurassic Park Quick Unit Study (DIY Insect in Amber)
  • Measure dinosaur toys with manipulative blocks to work on math skills like counting, spatial awareness, and estimating.
  • Make Homemade Dinosaur bones to incorporate dino anatomy.
  • Cooking is one of my favorite hands-on activities to include in a unit, these Dinosaur Track Cookies are a great math and science activity.

Besides getting prehistoric history, this first volume in the series also covers Ancient Egypt and the Medieval Period.

Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time Fun Easy No Sew Dinosaur Mat

There are over 3 journeys in one book and they can be read as individual mini units or all at once.

Geronimo Stilton Book Activities

Next, look at these other crafts to go with the books.

  • The Race Against Time Geronimo Stilton Activity Craft Fun Dragon Eggs
  • Geronimo Stilton The Second Journey Through Time Sun King Fun Medallion
  • The Journey Through Time Book And Knights Armor Engraving Fun Kids Craft
  • Journey Through Time Geronimo Stilton Time Warp Fun Lost City of Atlantis
  • Race Against Time Build a Fun Greek Water Clock
  • Out Of Time Fun Sir Francis Drake Ship Craft
  • Stilton Journey Through Time Series Fifth Journey Fun Eiffel Tower
  • 10 Things to Learn From The Fun Geronimo Stilton Chapter Books
  • The Fourth Journey Through Time Fun Cleopatra Collar
  • Learn About Mozart The Eight Journey Through Time Geronimo Stilton Series
  • The Geronimo Stilton Book Fourth Journey Fun Egypt Game
  • Geronimo Stilton Journey Through Time Craft a Fun England Tower Guard
  • Mouse in Space Fun Puffy Moon Craft (Glow in the Dark)
  • Down and Out Down Under Make a Fun Edible Coral Reef
  • Field Trip to Niagara Falls Summary And Fun Corn Craft
  • The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time Colosseum Craft
  • The Race Against Time Geronimo Stilton Activities: Fun Edible Spine
  • #2: Back in Time Mayan Craft
  • The Curse of The Cheese Pyramid Barbie Mummy
  • Who Is Geronimo Stilton Rodent Notebooking Page
Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time Fun Easy No Sew Dinosaur Mat

Finally, you will need only two things to make a no sew dinosaur mat yourself-felt and a hot glue gun.

It makes a great roll-and-go activity while waiting at restaurants or doctors’ offices as well as at home on the kitchen table.

Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time No Sew Dino Mat

You are only limited by your own creativity here, whatever you can dream of you can turn into a felt masterpiece.

 However, I am going to give you a few tips for recreating a few things.

You will need:

  • Various colors of felt
  • Hot glue gun/sticks
  • Scissors

Use a by-the-yard piece of green felt for the base if you want a larger mat.

However, if you want to stick with the basic felt size you can attach 2 pieces side by side to make it larger.

And to secure them together and hide the seam, cut a wavy strip of blue to create water and glue the two pieces to the underside.

Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time Fun Easy No Sew Dinosaur Mat

Next, create grass and clumps of bushes by cutting green into ½” strips and cutting vertically not quite to the edge to make fringe. You can roll them up and hot glue the bottom to your base for bushes.

Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time Fun Easy No Sew Dinosaur Mat

Or leave it long, and glue along the bottom edge, depending on what you want to replicate.

Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time Fun Easy No Sew Dinosaur Mat

Cut white, tan, and gray felt into irregular circles for rock shapes and secure to the mat with hot glue.

Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time Fun Easy No Sew Dinosaur Mat

Finally, to create the centerpiece, the volcano, draw and cut out a cone shape with a flat top on beige fabric.

Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time Fun Easy No Sew Dinosaur Mat

Cut red, orange, and yellow stripes with an uneven edge for flames, and hot glue to the top of the volcano.

Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time Fun Easy No Sew Dinosaur Mat

Roll it, and secure down the edges with glue. Stuff with a little cotton filling or even just felt scraps.

Bend a small piece of the edge and secure it to the mat with glue, continue to fold and glue all the way around. Fan out the exploding lava.

Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time Fun Easy No Sew Dinosaur Mat

You can add other pieces like smaller ponds, quicksand, or whatever other features you would like on your mat.

Add small dinosaurs for play, counting, and more.

Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time Fun Easy No Sew Dinosaur Mat

2 CommentsFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: book lists, books, crafts, dinosaurs, Geronimo Stilton, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling

American Frontier Legends and Hero Paul Bunyan Blue Ox Craft

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

Today, I have a craft about folk hero Paul Bunyan if you’re learning about American frontier legends. Also, look at my Westward Ho Free Unit Study and lapbook.

What exactly are frontier legends?

They are the tales and ideas of people and places that exist at the edge of a civilization, particularly out west, during expansion.

American Frontier Legends and Hero Paul Bunyan Blue Ox Craft

Many famous names make the list but we are going to especially focus on the Tale of John Bunyan and his blue ox Babe of Wisconsin.

June 28th marks Paul Bunyan Day and no wonder, his legend goes way back to the 18th century and has been told in over 1,000 books.

American Frontier Legends – Paul Bunyan

Paul Bunyan is a giant lumberjack of folk hero tales in America and Canada.

These stories involve his superhuman strength and work. 

Although Paul Bunyan wasn’t a real person, he was probably based on people and ideas of the time.

What started out as an oral retelling of a folk hero for working-class loggers became tales of a man of mythical proportions.

American Frontier Legends and Hero Paul Bunyan Blue Ox Craft

Look at some of the tall tales told about Paul Bunyan.

Tall Tales told about Paul Bunyan

  • He created the mighty Mississippi simply by dragging his ax behind him.
  • He and his trusty rusty bovine, Babe the Blue Ox, dug out the Great Lakes.
  • As a child, his parents needed 10 cows, 50 eggs, and 10 containers of potatoes every day to feed him.
  • Paul went out and found a baby ox trapped in the snow, he took him home and warmed him up by the fireplace, but his fur remained blue. Blue grew larger every day.
  • He had trouble removing trees from a winding road so he tied the road to Babe and had him pull it straight.
  • Some say Babe and Paul are responsible for creating Puget Sound in the western state of Washington.
  • Paul brought 7 more men who were each 6 ½” tall and 350 pounds to his work crew. They were known as the Seven Axe Men, each one was named Elmer so they all came running when he called.
American Frontier Legends and Hero Paul Bunyan Blue Ox Craft

Also, look at more frontier legends to learn about.

More American Frontier Legends to Learn About

  • Lewis and Clark- Best known for their expedition, Corps of Discovery, from the Mississippi River to the West Coast and then back. Sacagawea is the most well known member of their traveling party. Look at my Lewis and Clark Unit Study and Lapbook.
  • Davy Crockett- “King of The Wild Frontier” was an American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier, and politician. It is believed he died fighting a battle at the Alamo.
  • Christopher “Kit” Carson-American frontiersman, fur trapper, wilderness guide, Indian agent, and U.S. Army officer. He fought a violent war against the Navajo that resulted in their removal from the Four Corners area to southeastern New Mexico.
  • Daniel Boone-American frontiersman and legendary hero who helped blaze a trail through Cumberland Gap. His family migrated to America to escape religious persecution. Look at my Daniel Boone North America Explorer Unit Study and Lapbook.
  • William “Buffalo” Bill Cody- Buffalo Bill was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. He supported women’s rights and suffrage as well as civil liberties for Native Americans.
  • Also, look at my Pecos Bill copywork included in my Westward Ho Unit Study and Lapbook.
American Frontier Legends and Hero Paul Bunyan Blue Ox Craft

Next, add some of these books and movies to your leraning day.

7 American Frontier Legends Books & Resources

Choose a favorite American frontier legends movie and book.

Bunyan & Babe

Travis falls through a magical portal which transports him to the world of American hero Paul Bunyan and his big, blue, talking ox, Babe

Kit Carson and the Wild Frontier

In 1826 an undersized sixteen-year-old apprentice ran away from a saddle maker in Franklin, Missouri, to join one of the first wagon trains crossing the prairie on the Santa Fe Trail. Kit Carson (1809–68) wanted to be a mountain man, and he spent his next sixteen years learning the paths of the West, the ways of its Native inhabitants, and the habits of the beaver, becoming the most successful and respected fur trapper of his time.

Tall Tale: The Unbelievable Adventures of Pecos Bill

A young boy's imagination summons cowboy legend Pecos Bill; who helps him save the family farm from a greedy land-grabber.

Who Was Annie Oakley?

You want girl power? Meet Annie Oakley! Born in 1860, she became one of the best-loved and most famous women of her generation. She amazed audiences all over the world with her sharpshooting, horse-riding, action-packed performances. In an age when most women stayed home, she traveled the world and forged a new image for American women.

Daniel Boone: Season 1

Fess Parker stars as one of the West's most iconic figures in Season One of Daniel Boone. 

Davy Crockett, King Of The Wild Frontier

Climb aboard for a rip-roaring adventure with Davy Crockett.

Buffalo Bill: Showman of the West: Host: Jack Perkins

The real-life adventures of William F. Cody, alias Buffalo Bill, whose exploits as a frontiersman were exaggerated and immortalized by writer Ned Buntline in his pulp stories.

Finally, look at how to make this adorable blue ox craft.

How to Make A Blue Ox Paper Plate Craft

You will need:

  • 2 paper plates
  • Large googly eyes
  • Blue, black, tan, and white craft paint
  • Craft glue or glue gun
American Frontier Legends and Hero Paul Bunyan Blue Ox Craft

You can make this entire blue ox out of just two paper plates. Set one aside for the head.

Using the 2nd paper plate cut out two long horns along the ruffled edge, and ears. You can cut them half on smooth and half on ridges if you like for some extra texture.

American Frontier Legends and Hero Paul Bunyan Blue Ox Craft

Cut an oval muzzle and two ears from the smooth section.

American Frontier Legends and Hero Paul Bunyan Blue Ox Craft

Then, cut a long curve on either side of the other plate to give a bit of shape to your ox head like this.

American Frontier Legends and Hero Paul Bunyan Blue Ox Craft

Paint that plate with a coat of blue and set it aside to dry.

American Frontier Legends and Hero Paul Bunyan Blue Ox Craft

While the first plate is drying, paint the muzzle and horns tan. Top the horns with a bit of black and finish off the muzzle with two long black nostrils. Allow it to dry.

American Frontier Legends and Hero Paul Bunyan Blue Ox Craft

Add a little forelock to your oxes head with paint, it really gives him a little fun personality.

American Frontier Legends and Hero Paul Bunyan Blue Ox Craft

Once everything has dried begin attaching all the pieces with glue, place the muzzle low, and add large googly eyes above it. Glue on ears and horns, let the glue dry.

American Frontier Legends and Hero Paul Bunyan Blue Ox Craft

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: crafts, follk hero, frontier, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, literature

Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

June 18, 2023 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today I have an easy mosaic art sea turtle activity. Add ideas from my fun From Egg to Sea Turtle Nature Unit Study & Lapbook page to make it for multiple ages.

Activities for middle schoolers can be a little more challenging to find.

So, we did this mosaic sea turtle activity to let them show off their artistic side while they learn at the same time.

It uses only 3 items and is great for art but also helps continue developing fine motor skills, patience, planning, creativity, and problem-solving.

Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

 While putting together the mosaic your middle schooler can watch a video on sea turtles, listen to an audiobook, or listen to you read aloud.

While this is a more challenging activity, a patient elementary student could handle this as well.

Studying marine biology covers science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and is a wonderful option for middle or high school.

Even without a curriculum, your child can get a well-rounded education through interesting texts, videos, field trips, and hands-on learning like this sea turtle activity.

5 Fun Sea Turtle Facts

First, look at these sea turtle facts.

  • Jellyfish are the main food for the leatherback sea turtle.
  • The digestive systems of adult hawksbill sea turtles can neutralize the sharp, glass spicules and the toxic chemicals that are found in many of the sponges they eat.
  • Olive ridley turtles practice nesting in large groups, known as “arribada”, in fact, the mass group can include up to 300,00 individual females laying their eggs on the beach.
  • The Kemp’s ridley turtle is the most endangered sea turtle species, and the smallest.
  • Loggerhead turtles take up to 39 years to reach sexual maturity.

We used Ocean Anatomy as our reference for the design and found plenty of great sea turtle information like the life cycle, identifying different species, and what types of things endanger them.

The first thing you need to do before starting is decide on your design.

Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

 It can be simpler than mine if you like, you can just make one larger sea turtle with a rainbow of beads all the way around it or come up with an even more intricate design.

You can create adult or baby sea turtles for your design, a nest on the beach, swimming in the ocean, or a combination of both.

More Sea Turtle Activity Ideas

  • If you can’t include a field trip to your own local aquarium to see the sea turtles check out Loggerhead MarineLife Centers Live Turtle Cam.
  • Here is a  simple Sea Turtle Art Project by Easy Peasy Art School on youtube.
  • Hands-on Egg Carton Sea Turtle Life Cycle Activity
  • This step-by-step clay turtle is another fun project for older kids.
  • Cutest Ever Egg Carton Sea Turtle Craft and Learning Activities for Kids
  • Egg Carton Sea Turtle Life Cycle Activity
  • Travel Channel has a list of places where you can observe sea turtle nests in the U.S. if you happen to live near or are traveling near the beach.

Also, look at some of these books about sea turtles.

10 Sea Turtle Resources

Add some books about sea turtles and hands-on resources to your lesson or unit study to bring it to life.

Sea Turtles

Sea turtles are fascinating. Hatched from eggs smaller than a baseball, some can grow to weigh over a thousand pounds. Once adults, they can live to be around 100 years old. And when it's time to nest, they migrate more than 1,000 miles. With colorful, clear illustrations and straightforward text, Gail Gibbons introduces the eight kinds of sea turtles living in the ocean today. Learn the similarities and differences with labeled diagrams and experience the hatching of the tiny turtle babies with detailed illustrations. This updated edition now includes the most up-to-date information about these beloved reptiles, as reviewed by an expert vetter in the field of herpetology.

I'll Follow the Moon

Celebrating the love between mother and child comes an achingly beautiful story that has captured hearts around the world. Written by a new mom, by accident, when she sang a little song to her fussing newborn, I'll Follow the Moon proudly donates proceeds to charity: every book saves a turtle.

Ocean Anatomy: The Curious Parts & Pieces of the World under the Sea

Follow Rothman’s inquisitive mind and perceptive eye along shorelines, across the open ocean, and below the waves for an artistic exploration of the watery universe. Through her drawings, discover how the world’s oceans formed, why the sea is salty, and the forces behind oceanic phenomena such as rogue waves. Colorful anatomical profiles of sea creatures from crustacean to cetacean, surveys of seafaring vessels and lighthouses, and the impact of plastic and warming water temperatures are just part of this compendium of curiosities that will entertain and educate readers of all ages. 

National Geographic Readers: Sea Turtles

Who could resist celebrating sea turtles? They may seem like lazy ocean reptiles drifting with the oceans’ currents, but they are actually long-distance swimmers that spend their entire lives searching for food and a mate. What’s more, they come with their own built-in GPS, returning to the exact beach where they were born to lay their own eggs. Kids will learn all about these tranquil and mysterious animals through brilliant photography and illustrations, plus the trusted and distinctive content you love from NG Kids!

Tammy Turtle: A Tale of Saving Sea Turtles

A book that tells how turtles survive with the help of protection programs.

Our Sea Turtles: A Practical Guide for the Atlantic and Gulf, from Canada to Mexico

The book's pithy, well-organized sections are lavishly illustrated. It is a guide for anyone who is the least bit curious about these fascinating marine animals. Bite-sized installments harmonize with multiple images on each page to make this book a unique and entertaining resource. The story it tells covers understanding, experiencing, and saving our sea turtles, with descriptions of how these endangered animals contribute to our happiness and why they deserve a helping hand.

Sea Turtle Scientist (Scientists in the Field)

The mother turtle has a vital job to do: dig a nest in which she will lay eggs that will hatch into part of the next generation of leatherbacks. With only one in a thousand of the eggs for this critically endangered species resulting in an adult sea turtle, the odds are stacked against her and her offspring. 

4 PCS Sea Turtle Life Cycle

Children can see how animals change and grow. Realistic detail showing a different stage in the development of animals.

Uniquely molded textures and richly painted details bring them to life and help inspire creativity for kids.

It is a great way to expand the growth with children through physical science.

Follow the Moon Home

A triumphant story of environmental activism, community, and friendship: Acclaimed activist Philippe Cousteau and renowned author Deborah Hopkinson team up to offer a story of the powerful difference young people can make in the world. Meet Viv, who has a new home and a new school by the sea and follow her as she finds her way in a new place and helps bring together a whole community to save the sea turtles of the South Carolina coast.

The Life Cycle of a Sea Turtle

Describes the life cycle of sea turtles discussing reproduction, birth, and adult life.

Finally, look how to make thise fun mosaic sea turtle activity.

How to Make a Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity

You will need:

  • Pony beads
  • Cheap round cake pan (Dollar Tree)
  • Permanent markers
Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

Grab a small round cake pan.

I suggest using a Dollar Tree pan because you will not want to use it for food once the chemicals from the beads have contaminated it.

Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

Place it where you will be working, you want to move it around as little as possible once you start working on it.

If your beads are not sorted, spread them out so they are easier to sort through, we put ours on a larger baking sheet.

The easiest way I found to lay out the design is to start in the middle with your turtle. Start with a diamond shape and a head and flippers.

Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

Tweezers are very helpful to put beads into place, especially when you get into more detailed or crowded areas.

Ocean Mosaic Art

Continue working on your design, you can create a water and sand background.

Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

Add white for waves and you can even make a baby sea turtle popping out of an egg on the beach. 

Fill the entire surface, you want your beads to not be able to move much at all.   

Until you fill it all in you will probably need to reposition your more detailed work a bit.                                                                                                                             

Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

Once your pan is filled in carefully move it into an oven preheated to 375℉.

Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

Bake for 20-30 minutes until melted.

Here is the design after 10 minutes in the oven…

Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

20 minutes…

Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

30 minutes…

Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, you will hear a little crackling and popping as it cools and releases from the pan.

Once cool it will flip right out of the pan.

Trust the process, even when you flip it over to the smooth side you are gonna think it doesn’t look like much, but we are going to fix that in this next step.

Flip to the smooth side and use a black Sharpie to trace the outline of your turtles, this gives them a little definition and really makes them pop.

If you want to hang it for display, you can hot glue a loop of ribbon to the back.

Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

1 CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: elementary science, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, life science, nature study, science, sciencecurriculum, sea turtle, turtles

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