WARNING: This is addictive. Start slow.

by patternmemommy

Adding Applique

Consider this fair warning. Sewing is like the thing you swear you are never going to do. At least for me, I never really aspired to have stacks of fabric around, lose threads all over the floor and a sewing machine (OR THREE).

Never did I think vacations and little treasured moments of free time would revolve around sewing/fabric shops. Nor did I ever, in my most pitiful dreams, think that for a birthday gift, I would simply want an entire uninterrupted day to sew. WHAAT? The single version of me of long ago is cringing as I write this. But what did she know? The truth is… I LOVE IT. And so will you. However, your wallet will not. No worries. Obsession will help you cheat and steal to feed your addiction.

The first pair of pants I made for C! Prep-freakin’-tastic!

It is creative, productive and zen like all at the very same time. Sew I love nothing better than talking patterns, technique, fabric, thread and applique. Wait. Did I just say sew instead of so? Dear lord. I need an intervention… or a trip to the fabric store! If it seems like I’m in the deep end of the pool and you’ll need 10 years of practice to tread water next to me, think again! Seriously, once you have the right tools, this is not any more complicated than following a recipe in the kitchen or Google Map directions to get to grandpa’s house. Seriously.

And if you take a spin around the Internet, you’ll see, this is not your grandmother’s sewing. The fabrics are fresh, the quilts are modern and the clothes look fantastic.

So let’s get you started:

The Johnny pattern featuring a snowman applique!

MACHINE: Here are the two greatest tips I received when buying my first big girl sewing machine.

  1. If you can, try to buy one that has the “automatic button hole” feature. Bottom line, it’s a miracle and worth every extra penny to get it.
  2. Brand. Every sewist I know swears by their own brand of sewing machine. I have a Bernina and two Janomes and I love them all. So how do you choose? Do exactly as I tell you (and as it was told to me) find your local sewing shop. You are looking for one that will be around and also offers classes, generally has a culture of teaching and sharing about it. You’ll know you’ve found it from the moment you walk in the door. Buy whichever brand they are selling. Usually, they will offer mastery classes for free (that means they will teach you in a class setting every thing your machine does and make sure you know how to use it.) Generally they will also offer repairs and servicing which is critical. You can not go wrong by following this advice, even if you find the machine $30 cheaper on the Internet, the online dealer will not be capable of supporting you like a brick and mortar store can.

Another version of the Johnny pattern

LESSONS: If you already have a machine or you just bought one, turn to your local sewing shop for lessons. If you are in Charlotte, NC, turn to my trusted friend Jennifer Mathis of Ellison Lane Quilts. She is offering classes as well and has an incredible eye for quilt design. WHENEVER possible, I try to take a class even if it’s for a project that I know how to make. EVERY time I take a class from someone who really knows what they are doing, I always walk away with a tip or useful technique that makes my life easier.

PROJECTS:

  1. Pillow Case – This is a great place to start. And a pillow case can be completed in a morning. I just made one for Crowley, using this tutorial (complete step-by-step instructions with pictures) from Dana Made It, which is one of my favorite sewing blogs.
  2. Pajama bottoms – They are fun and easy and a great introduction into how garments are put together.

PATTERNS: Not all sewing patterns are created equal. Not even close! Before you run out and buy the patterns at the closest mega sewing store, STOP! They will make you second guess your decision to sew because they are complicated and difficult to understand. Plus every time I use one, I need to know origami just to fold it back up! Start with the following patterns (and just so it’s clear, this is my opinion from my experience. I am not being paid or rewarded in any way to recommend the following companies – though they can start sending me checks right now, if they like.)

  1. This pattern was a great place to start!

    Amy Butler – She is a fabric, pattern, sewing lifestyle designer. She has tons of free patterns on her website and great books with patterns included. I used Butler’s book Little Stitches for Little Ones to make PJs for Crowley and this project gave me so much confidence to try more children’s clothes. What sets her apart is the modern look of her designs and the very clear and easy to follow instructions. She absolutely spells it out.

  2. Oliver + S– This pattern and fabric company is the brain child of the wonderful Liesl Gibson. I CANNOT say ENOUGH about her patterns. And her whole concept. I have learned a ton about sewing from the tips she includes with each pattern. Her directions are incredible and you’ll feel enriched after having made a garment under her tuteledge. I have also noticed that when people have questions about a particular step and ask them in the forums on her website, she PERSONALLY answers in many cases. She just gets it. And she will have you quickly making items so incredible and professional and FABULOUS, you won’t believe it!

    Oliver + S Tea Party Play Suit

  3. Children’s Corner – The Johnny Pattern for boys is my favorite. I have made probably 30 of them and each one looks unique. It is so easy to customize and update so that not a single version looks like the rest! The directions are easy to follow. I’ll be making some for Baby Q. and will be sure to let you know and you can sew along with me!
  4. Scientific Seamstress has top notch incredible instructions for her patterns. I mean the layout of the directions are fantastic and easy for beginners or advanced to follow. I make the Easy Fit Pants by the dozens. They are suitable for boy and girl. Her approach to sewing is refreshing and simple while producing a great result! Tip: You can make this pattern more slim fit by taking an inch off the side seams. This pattern and others are downloadable as well.

Easy Fit Pant in action!

Any questions, let me know. If I don’t have the answers, I can point you in the direction of people who do. Welcome to the club slash cult. There is no exit!

Enjoy!

Anna

Crescent Moon of Yellow Cheese… How Delicious You Are!

by patternmemommy

Here’s a fresh spin on homemade goldfish! I found a fantastic easy recipe here. It’s fast, too.

We used cookie cutters to press out crescent moons for our Space Camp.

But we also made cheddar sharks…

…and dinosaurs…

and dolphins…

…and more.

How many cookie cutters can you fit on this extra bit of dough? Great problem solving for C!

I found these copper cookie cutters on the clearance aisle at TJ Maxx. And if you need more cookie cutters for your collection, a google search will turn up plenty of options.

These are the perfect back-to-school snacks if you can keep them around that long!

Enjoy!

Anna

P.S. To give the recipe at the link above, add a little hot sauce oR greek seasoning (about 1 tablespoon) to give your crackers a little kick. That’s just enough to give them flavor while still appealing to your littlest connoisseur.

Moon Phases for Toddlers (to my surprise it’s actually possible)

by patternmemommy

This is NOT the real moon. It’s the one hanging on C’s wall!

When I think about the phases of the moon and teaching or learning about them… well, I go back to fourth grade and failing the moon test. You know the one I mean, where you arrange the moon phases in order, define ‘waxing’ and ‘waning.’ Blah blah boring blah.

No offense to my 4th grade science teacher should she happen to read this. There were other successes. The day you had us blow air into a honkin’ set of cow lungs will be with me forever.  And the time the classroom pet black snake slipped down Molly’s shirt and she froze in fear. Well forget the success part. Never mind.

Anyway, in thinking of passing that misery onto Crowley, it was a burdensome mental puzzle I struggled to solve… until.. I met…Uncle Milton. While you may find the name troublesome “Uncle Milton: Moon in my room,” I assure this is a win win win. (But they really should run these toy names by  those of us with irreverent senses of humor.. that goes for the make-up namers too. Like today, no kidding, I am wearing Clinique’s Chubby stick in Mega Mellon. Seriously.) Back to the Moon in my Room, put this on Santa’s list as a big reaction must. And no, I am not taking any money, prizes or free gifts from Uncle Milton by saying this, though if you are listing and you want to send me money, I will email my address ASAP.

This is a plastic moon that hangs on the wall. And it lights up one lunar phase at a time, on demand or automatically cycling though them even 5 seconds for 30 minutes! But it only took Crowley five minutes to “GET IT.” And that, for me, is time and money (just under $20) well spent.

ONE IMPORTANT TIP: The moon in your room is controlled by remote control. Lose the remote and you lose the light. The package says this is for kids 6 and up. I can’t imagine why the age begins at 6. The battery compartments are screwed in. As long as you don’t set them loose with the remote (cuz you’ll never see it again), then I can’t see a problem. I think it could be a very neat addition to nursery decor as well, especially for the remote control feature. The baby cries. You hide outside door with remote and entertain baby with the moon light. Also, this will be a great toy for a loooong time. Michael and I are kind of jealous that little man has one and we don’t.

To support this lunar learning, I’ve rounded up some books. My thought here is to include a couple of science based books, but in the main, I wanted to books that spark the imagination. After all, the moon is the basis for so many childhood fantasies and day dreams which ultimately makes the science of it more interesting… in my humble opinion.

Eric Carle’s Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me is as good as his name on any book would suggest. This is the perfect introduction to moon science for a 3-year-old. While the phases of the moon are central to the story, this is not a fact driven science book, but an imaginative loving tale between father and daughter. At the end, of which, your little one will have absorbed the concept of a changing moon. And I found that C. took pretty quickly to the lunar vocabulary with ‘waning’ and ‘waxing,’ eager to give me demonstrations of both with his moon.

For your older children there is a new book (2011) out that is spectacular. It, too, is a picture book but written and illustrated for the older children. It’s called The Man in the Moon (Guardians of Childhood)The cover says ages 4 and up. But some of the scenes were a smidge scary, so read it first to see if your chid can handle some of the concepts. But if they can, this one is another pick for Santa’s sleigh. William Joyce’s storytelling through words and illustrations is tough to beat. This will capture your child’s imagination and take them for a fantastic ride. And this book is one of a series that spends time with each “guardian of childhood” like Saint Nicholas, the tooth fairy, etc. I will save ours for C and add to the collection as he gets older.

There is also The Moon Seems To Change written by Franklyn M. Branley and illustrated by Barabara and Ed Emberley. This book is intended for an audience of 5 and up and I’d say that’s exactly right. Now, I have no problem exposing C. to books a little out of his reach but he is exploring them at his level and not taking in the entire book. So if you have slightly older children, this is a great fit for actually getting down to why the moon appears to change. This is a great beginner science book.

And I have to say that having the moon in your room takes our favorite, Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd to a new level.

TODDLER TAKE AWAYS:

Again, NOT the actual moon.

  1. Investment in a lifetime love of reading
  2. Science Exploration
  3. Understanding of the world and moon around them
  4. Math
  5. Introduction to astronomy

There you have it, a successful lunar landing for a 3-year-old! Mission accomplished. Now wine.

Enjoy!

Anna

A Puzzler

by patternmemommy

Our voyage has taken us deep into Space by now. In addition to exploring the solar system through crafts, books, and science experiments… there is also play. This one is for my friends with craft aversions. No glue, tissue paper, paper plates or construction paper were used in the making of this post!

Solar System Floor Puzzle by Melissa and Doug

I found this Solar System Puzzle by Melissa and Doug and it’s the perfect size for Crowley. It’s just beyond his reach in terms of being able to put it together by himself so we work on it together looking for clues on which pieces belong together. It’s a great time for us to connect and he’s quickly figuring out how to do it all by himself.

C and his friend Liza are hard at work trying to put the planets in place.

There are a lot of great Space toys out there. As we play with some of them along our journey, I’ll let you know which are winners and losers. But I can tell you that I love buying puzzles for him because they are never one hit wonders. C really has to use his noggin to put them together each and every time. They will offer different types of challenges for a few years which is a lot better than the latest plastic junk toy that fascinates for a week. Not to mention, putting a puzzle together is a quiet experience which I really enjoy!

TODDLER TAKE AWAYS:

  1. Problem Solving
  2. Cooperation
  3. Science Exploration
  4. Hand-eye coordination
  5. Independence
  6. Spatial relationships

Enjoy!

Anna

Three Little Words that Have me Running to my Sewing Machine!

by patternmemommy

BACK TO SCHOOL!

With those three words, my “season” begins. This is my favorite time of year all the way up until the end of December. It is my sweet spot for sewing. I LOVE fall colors and fabrics. I love the themes, stories, and traditions these next few months bring. And, for me, there is no better opportunity to celebrate them and tell their stories than sewing!

Here’s what inspired me last year. This fabric from Michael Miller is awesome. It’s called Dino Dudes (brown). A yard and a half yielded a raincoat and super-duper backpack.

The raincoat is made from the Casey pattern from the Children’s Corner. This hooded jacket is super easy to make. I spent about 5 hours total on my first one (was pregnant at the time and that slowed me down.) So it will come together even more quickly for you.

The matching back pack is a pattern from one of my FAVORITE designers of children’s patterns and fabrics Liesl Gibson of Oliver + S. This pattern is from her book Little Things to Sew. It is full of wonderful ideas. (And no, I am not being paid to say this. I really just love her. Hope she doesn’t read this and think I’m a weirdo.)

Instead of ‘D’ rings for straps, I used parachute clips.

The inside of this bag was particularly special. The week before school started, Crowley’s grandmother passed away. So, for the lining of the backpack, I embroidered some of the words of Mama Giovanna’s favorite song to sing to her grandbabies (nearly 30 of them!) “I love you a bushel and a peck…”

I love hiding messages in C’s clothes, quilts and just about anything else I sew for him!

For his back to school outfit, I employed the Johnny pattern from Children’s Corner. This pattern is easy to sew and easy to customize. Though I use 1/2 inch seams up the front and middle. Otherwise, I find it slips off the shoulders (which drives me crazy.)

The applique is the Chalkboard Alpha from Planet Applique.

When making the Johnny, try making the legs a couple of inches longer. Then, use a nice coordinating lining for the Jon-Jon. When leg bottoms are rolled up, the outfit will look fantastic and offer some room to grow!

Now, about this year… (Insert heart attack here) Happy Back-to-School Sewing!

Anna

A Toddler Date Under the Stars… @ 3AM!

by patternmemommy

Stargazers UNITE!

I’ve warned you about how my brain works… that out of the many voices talking in my head (sometimes to each other) not a one of them ever suggests I quit while I’m ahead or just let it be enough. And so in that fine setting, the thought started, “If I am going to teach Crowley about the stars… he’s going to need to see some actual stars.” But his 7:30 bedtime pretty much ends that idea. And then I think, “well, I could make just one exception and we can stargaze in the midst one of the greatest meteor showers all year?”

And no, when I saw the best viewing time was at 3 AM, it never occurred to me that a regular starry night say around 9:30 was adventurous enough.

So, I made a deal. “C, if you are a big boy all day (in other words, take a break from the discipline nightmare you 3-year-olds relish creating), I will wake you up in the middle of the night and we will go outside and watch shooting stars!”

He agreed. And his behavior was PERFECT.

3:30 AM – alarm goes off.

And when I entered Crowley’s room, gently nudged his shoulders, one of those rare moments of pure magic began to unfold. “It’s time,” I said, “It’s between bed time and wake up time. The shooting stars are waiting for you.”

He sat straight up and as I wrapped him in his coat, he said, “I so excited! This is so fun, Mom!”

I grabbed a quilt and we headed outside for the top of the driveway. And there it was, a bright crescent moon, Jupiter, Venus and shooting stars.

We watched for an hour, Crowley close in my arms, immersed in the wonder of this incredible universe. We were far, far away from our schedule, the realities of child rearing, and the fatigue those sweet new babies bring.

It was just the two of us and the stars and it was magic. As long as I have a memory, I will have last night.

Perfect!

Anna

P.S. Want to wake up your sleeping beauties? Next meteor shower is October 21st. That’s when Earth will pass through the debris field left by Haley’s Comet. Need help finding the debris field? Download this freakish app I used on my iPhone called SkyView. Point it at the sky and it tells you exactly which stars, constellations and planets you are looking at (and yes, I am too road-kill-tired to remove that preposition from the end of the sentence). Crowley thought this was amazing!

Fly Me to the Moon!

by patternmemommy

Lunar Sensory Bin for Preschoolers

Want your pumpkins occupied for the morning or afternoon? Send them straight to the moon. This lunar themed sensory bin is the ticket for space exploration! Your roasting pan will be home to a load of silky “moon sand”, space toys and small containers for sand molding. Here’s the step by step.

SUPPLIES:

Flour (10 cups)

Baby Oil (1.5 cups)

Space Toob

Earth (squeeze ball from local toy store)

Containers, lids and small beach toys that are great for molding our “moon sand”

DIRECTIONS:

STEP ONE: Have your munchkin measure 10 cups of flour. And one and half cups of baby oil.

STEP TWO: (PARENT ONLY) Put flour in your mixer (or mixing bowl) and turn on low speed (wire wisk attachment) and pour in baby oil. Turn to a high speed until “moon sand” is completely mixed.

STEP THREE: Pour “moon sand” (which is known on the Mommy Blogs as cloud dough) into aluminum pan or similar container. Add toys and containers for making moon castles and let them play.

WARNING FOR FELLOW TYPE A’S – This is messy! And I mean MESSY. Here’s a strategy for coping. 1) Put your kids in clothes that can be covered with flour. 2) You too. 3) Put this bin in the backyard or front yard, preferably over grass.  4) Take off your wedding ring! That should do it!

This is the mess after only 5 minutes. Grassy lawn would have been a better location!

This is a great time to use the toys to talk about the moon landing and the recent landing on Mars. This is a great material for them to trace their letters into! You can also just back up and let them play independently. Best part is, when they are done playing, just return moon sand to an airtight container and you can use it again! The “moon sand” is silky soft and great for other sensory bin afternoons and you really can build sand castles out of it.

TODDLER TAKE-AWAYS:

  1. Hand/eye coordination
  2. Fine motor skill development
  3. Imaginative play
  4. Exploration of Science, technology and space exploration
  5. Measuring/Math
  6. Sensory exploration

Enjoy!

Anna

P.S. Our little inquisitive Baby Q was napping when we undertook this space exploration… and as it turns out, due to the mess factor, that was a really good thing!

3-2-1 Blast Off!

by patternmemommy

C’s friend, Liza, helps us count down Discovery!

Want an exciting way to teach your pre-schooler to count backwards? Watch video of Space Shuttle launches. This is how we are starting our day, by watching Discovery launch over and over again… and counting along!

With the launch looped in the background, we embark on making our very own Space Shuttle, using a paper towel roll for the body of the shuttle. Here’ s where I found the idea. Their instructions are fantastic and easy. The only change I made was to the fiery engines. Instead of using bits of red construction paper, we used yellow and red tissue paper. I think it was easier for my preschoolers to manage and added a bit more flair.

This project is perfect for the 3-year-olds and they did each step themselves which made these little monkeys proud of themselves. And out shuttle looks at home in our own little corner of outer space.

To wrap up our morning in the Adventure Room, we turned to the Cat In The Hat.

This book is modeled on the new PBS TV Show The Cat in the Hat Knows A lot About That! This book does a great job of giving a quick and fun overview of space. It is a bit difficult to find a long list of picture books that focus on space, but my search continues. This is a good one.

TODDLER TAKE AWAYS:

  1. Math Skills
  2. Science
  3. Creativity/Arts
  4. Fine motor skill development
  5. Imaginative Play
  6. History of Space Exploration
  7. Vocabulary expansion
  8. Reading

And this is the perfect adventure to share with a friend.

Enjoy!

Anna

The Days You Just Say UGGH!

by patternmemommy

Ever spend an ENTIRE day doling out discipline? I mean the whole day; to the point that you can actually feel your brain cells give up, surrender, and die? @&!#%^!

So instead of writing a blog post last night, I had a nice cold beer.

Cheers!

Anna

P.S. We’ll be back in the game tomorrow. Your parenting tips are welcome.

Letters in Space

by patternmemommy

Now that we have our brilliant night sky, time to fill it up with space words, images and letters! We are starting the letter ‘A.’

‘A’ is for Alien!!!!

I love him so much, we made three more. And stuck them on Mars as… drumroll please… Martians. No brainer.

A is for asteroid…

‘A’ is for Asteroid

We simply used paint sponges for the asteroids since they are craggy looking.

C rolled the sponges in paint and we glued them to a letter ‘A’ made from construction paper. Easy!

Inspired by this incredible 3-D paper crafting, we simplified the concept and made an astronaut in the shape of the letter ‘A.’

And we did so while watching the moon landing on YouTube which Crowley got the biggest kick out of!

TODDLER TAKE AWAYS

  1. Letter recognition
  2. Reading foundation
  3. Creative Development
  4. Increased awareness of Space, science and history of space exploration.
  5. Sensory work
  6. Fine motor skill development
  7. New vocabulary!

More Space adventures tomorrow!

Enjoy!

Anna

DIY Curiosity Rover!

by patternmemommy

Did you watch the coverage of the Curiosity Rover landing on Mars? What a thrill! While the world saw a marvel of modern engineering, I saw that and something else! I saw two paper plates, an apple sauce cup, string, and tissue paper. Yes, this is what I’ve become. But I’m very cool (at least in the eyes of a certain 3-year-old).

Want to make your own Curiosity Rover, too? Let’s get started! NOTE: This is not hard, but it is more complicated than most of our other projects. So your toddler will participate in this project but it will require your careful attention as well. (It’s just sick what raising kids is doing to me. As I wrote those last line, I thought “What’s gonna work? Team Work! What’s gonna work? Team work!” Uggghhhh. Wonder Pets. I think this is a cry for help.) Anyway, this craft is certainly appropriate for older children as well.

INSPIRATION:

Check out this cool animation from NASA, as you scroll down the image, the graphic shows you the various phases of landing and how the space craft changes to accomplish each task. We chose to make a model of Curiosity just as it deploys the parachute!

SUPPLIES:

  1. Cheerioes
  2. Two Paper plates
  3. Elmer’s glue
  4. Tissue Paper
  5. Apple sauce cup
  6. Tape
  7. String
  8. Needle (with eye large enough to accommodate string)
  9. Sharp Scissors
  10. Silver and gold paint

INSTRUCTIONS:

STEP ONE: (Kiddo friendly step)

The Cheerioes will act as your rivets. Turn one plate upside down. This will serve as the top of your space craft. Place Cheerioes around the plate. Glue to plate.

STEP TWO: (Kiddo friendly step)

Paint your plate silver.

STEP THREE: (Kiddo friendly step)

Turn over your second plate and paint with golden paint. This will serve as the bottom part of your space craft (though you can omit the bottom all together if you want a lighter flying craft.) Let them dry.

Nothing like taking your inspiration from the stars above!

STEP FOUR: (Parents Only)

Take your Applesauce cup and put a hole through the center of it. Make this hole large enough to accommodate 16 pieces of your string.

STEP FIVE:

Now we’ll work on the parachute. Take a piece of tissue paper and fold it in half. And again, fold it in half. Cut one side until you have a square instead of a rectangle.

Now, cut off the corner so that when you open the remaining paper, you will have a circle.

STEP SIX: (Great Step for older children)

Take 16 pieces of string. Ours are about 1.5 feet long each. Begin taping them to the edge of your tissue paper. Make sure that if you tape a string to the very top. Next, you tape one to the very bottom.

Keep working with the exact opposites of the circle as you make your way around. Top and bottom, then right side and left side, etc… until all 16 pieces of string are taped to tissue paper and are more or less the same distance from each other. If it’s easier, mark each spot with a pencil first.

STEP SEVEN:

Flip your parachute over and place tape on the backside of the tissue paper to reinforce where strings are attached.

STEP EIGHT: (Parents only)

Now, thread a string though the needle and pull the string through the hold in your applesauce cup. Repeat for all 16, careful not to tangle them.

STEP NINE:

Once you make sure that they strings are more or less the same length to your cup, you may tie the bundle of string tails into one giant knot inside the cup.

STEP TEN: (Parents Only)

Cut a hole slightly smaller than your applesauce cup into the middle of the paper plate that serves as the top of your space craft.

STEP ELEVEN:

Feed your parachute through the underside of the hole in the plate, pressing your applesauce cup up into place. Tape cup to underside of plate for stability.

STEP TWELVE:

Attach plates. I used scotch tape.

You are done! Now it’s time for a test flight! Holding your space craft by the center top of the parachute, drop it from a high surface and watch it slow down as it reaches Earth!

TODDLER TAKE AWAYS:

Introduction to engineering, math, science, and building. An interest and appreciation for the science behind the Mars landing. Ownership and investment in Mars exploration. Exposure to Space and the scientific process. Development of problem solving skills.

Best of all, it’s a thrill to watch the parachute work!

Enjoy!

Anna

P.S. a great read for your little martian is Skippyjon Jones, Lost in Spice by Judy Schachner. It’s the perfect fun companion to all the talk of Mars!

In a Bonus Room Far Far Away…

by patternmemommy

‘M’ is for Mars! We are taking our cues from the  Mars Curiosity Rover and spending the rest of August exploring Space! The images and information coming from the Red Planet will play a big part (Twitter handle @MarsCuriosity .) NASA does a fantastic job explaining their work in terms that I understand and Crowley gets excited about! Outer Space here we come!

We’ll use books, art, sensory activities, math and science to explore the “Final Frontier.” Our journey begins in the Adventure Room (which is what I’ve named that… ummm… awkward bit of architecture called a bonus room.) Our ocean and beach simply need a night sky, so here we go!

We are making a crayon-resist mural. This is a super fun way to bring the heavens to life. Whether you do this on an 8 x 11 inch sheet of paper or 18 feet of contractor’s rosin paper, the effect is the same: fun for the whole family and a wonderous moment for your little one. One of my boys is three and he loved this project but it’s suitable for children of all ages. You can make it as complex or as simple as you wish.

We are making ours large enough to run the entire length of the adventure room to set the stage for our weeks-long adventure through the solar system.

YouTube provides plenty of visuals of comets, planets, stars, etc. I had my iPhone on hand while we populated our mural with stars.

Reading The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System by Joanna Cole and illustrated by Bruce Degen also helps connect our art project to what’s actually happening in outer space. Netflix also has the companion DVD to the book, which we will watch this week. C. LOVES these Magic School Bus DVDs!

Let’s get started!

SUPPLIES:

  1. Crayons
  2. Paper (you can make this project as small or as big as you like – we used contractor’s paper so that we could make ours run the length of the room.)
  3. Black tempera paint (washable and non-toxic) cut with water. We went with 1 to 1 ration
  4. Paint Brushes or sponges
  5. Paper towels

INSTRUCTIONS: (you can do this in a day or over a period of a week or longer – whatever works for your schedule and your pumpkin’s attention span)

STEP ONE: Fill your paper with stars, planets, meteorites, comets and don’t forget the moon.

For Crowley, we also added many “Space” words to help with letter and word recognition. We also added the Italian words in many cases. NOTE: The harder you press with your crayon and the more densely you fill in the object, the better your planets/stars/moon will resist the black paint later on.

STEP TWO: Paint your paper with the black paint. C has never used or seen the crayon resist technique so we took the time to ask him what he thought would happen when we covered our crayon drawings with black paint. He, of course, was certain the black would cover every star and planet completely. Having this conversation created a moment for him when the crayon repelled the paint and became even more vibrant. It was like a magic trick in his eyes. This was the best part for his dad and me!

STEP THREE: Use a paper towel and wipe it across the drawing or mural to sop up excess paint.

STEP FOUR: Let dry!

STEP FIVE: Hang it (we used blue painter tape to attach the mural to the wall and covered that up with black gorilla tape. This will make it easy to take down without damaging paint on the walls.)

Wonder if all of this is capturing Baby Q’s imagination, too?

You are done! Fun! Fun! Fun!

TODDLER TAKE AWAYS: Creative exploration of the Universe, support in letter and recognition, vocabulary expansion, foundations for science and technology.

Back tomorrow with more tales of our Galactic Journey!

Anna

P.S. I’m searching high and low for great Space books that have strong and engaging story telling as opposed to just plethora of factoids. Do you have any favorites?

Toddler + Arrow + Target = Fun

by patternmemommy

Perhaps ‘toddler’ isn’t the first word that comes to mind when you think of archery. But today’s Olympic activity has me convinced otherwise!  I found this idea on Toddler Approved and knew it would be a hit at my house.

SUPPLIES:

1. Paper

2. Coloring implement of your choice

3. Paint

4. BBQ Skewer

5. Cork

6. (Optional) Cardboard backing for your target. Nail and hammer to attach to tree.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Show your lil’ pumpkin what they are aiming for. We checked out these videos at NBC. (and note to friends who edited this video. More arrows flying through the air. Less white guys talking about it)

2. Draw your target. Attach to cardboard for support and nail it to a tree.

3. Skewer your cork (about mid way through the cork)

4. Dip end in paint (we used an old apple sauce cup to hold paint)

5. Throw that arrow

Repeat! All morning! Fun!

TODDLER TAKE AWAYS:

Hand-eye coordination, target practice, creative arts, exposure to a new sport and old fashioned fresh air : )

Enjoy!

Anna

A Lantern to Light your Path

by patternmemommy

It is a long road to the Olympics. It’ll be easier to navigate with a lantern to light your path. So we are making a Chinese paper lantern and taking this opportunity to learn about another country participating in the games. To make one lantern takes about five minutes so this is a great project when time is in short supply at your house!

SUPPLIES

  1. Construction Paper
  2. Toddler safe scissors
  3. Tape or glue
  4. Crayons, stickers or markers for decoration

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Decorate your paper
  2. Fold it in half, length wise
  3. Cut strips on the fold, stopping an inch from the edge. I drew lines for C as a guide. At the end of each line is what we called a ‘stop button,’ just a drawn circle that was his signal to stop cutting. This worked BEAUTIFULLY and afforded him a great deal of independence in cutting  the lantern himself. And he did a great job, too!

4. Open up your folded paper

5. Roll the short ends and glue or tape together.

6. Cut and glue on a strip of paper at the top.

You are done! Now read the story of Mulan to your munchkin. You can stick with Disney’s version or explore The Ballad of Mulan which is an ancient Chinese poem about this warrior heroine. A Google search turns up lots of information!

TODDLER TAKE AWAYS:

  1. Exploration of the world around us, foreign cultures, and history
  2. Opportunity to build those scissors skills
  3. Development of independence and creativity

Enjoy!

Anna

A Message in a Binding

by patternmemommy

Okay, sewing peeps! This post is for you! Especially my new friends participating in the #talknt twitter chat on Tuesday nights.

Crowley is now 3-years-old. And when Baby Q was born this winter I knew it was time for C to get his very own big boy bed. And if there is something I’ve learned about my complicated little man, is that he likes to be involved in the process! I knew exactly where to start: the bedding!

I am not sure how I stumbled onto this fabric, but I am so glad I did. The line is called Fox Trails from Doohickey Designs. When C. and I first spied it, it was love at first sight. Specifically, Crowley was wild about the camping scene “camping toss in blue.”

I love that the illustrations look like they just popped out of a children’s book!

So I worked up a digital design board of coordinating fabrics and let C. pick out the ones he loved. Once they arrived, I got busy sewing!

And now he has a quilt for his big boy bed, a patchwork pillow case, two patchwork shams and an argyle lumbar.

To give these pillows a little substance, I lined the front and the back (envelope closure) with a tan batiste. This gives the pillows an upscale, professional feel.

I used my embroidery machine (Bernina) to monogram the lumbar.

I don’t have a long arm quilter, but my walking foot did a great job!

And my favorite part of all… a secret message from Mommy embroidered onto the binding before I attached the binding.

A Message in a Binding!

I intentionally placed this bit of embroidery on the underneath of the bottom of the quilt. This way, as he gets older, he won’t feel embarrassed by all the mommy love and yet he’ll know it’s there but none of his friends will. And the truth is, I love to hide little messages in most things I make for the children, including the linings of their rain coats and longalls!

I’ve cut all the scraps into 4-inch square for an extra throw quilt. I’ll post that once it’s finished!

Enjoy the stitching!

Anna