Home School – Be The Route

Summer Tie Dye Family Fun

August 29, 2021 Adriana

This is a summertime favorite at our house, turning anything old or new into a tie-dye creation! We aren’t professionals by any means and each time we tie-dye, we learn something new. There is definitely something so exciting about opening up your creation with anticipation and surprise. This year we watched a couple videos on YouTube to help us get a better spiral effect, which is what Leo (7) was really excited about creating. Lily (9) found a cool video on how to create a tie-dye effect that looks like rain falling. If you’ve never given tie-dying a try, here are some tips and videos to help inspire your tie-dying adventure!

Supplies:

Something made of cotton to tie-dye
Rit Dye
Plastic squeeze bottles to put your dye into
Rubber bands or string
a plastic bag to put your creation in once done to sit for a couple days

How To Steps:

First, slightly dampen your shirt (or whatever you choose to tie-dye), then tie up or fold it- we’ve included some links to video ideas for this below. My kids like creating bulls-eye patterns, spirals and an accordion pattern – sometimes they just drop the dye and tie up the shirt in a unique way and see what happens!
Next, put about a teaspoon or more of the Rit dye into your squeeze bottle, fill with water and give a little shake.
Then find a spot to work, I like putting a tray under the kids shirts to catch the excess liquid, and then squeeze your color onto your shirt.
Once finished, put your shirt into a plastic bag to sit for at least two days
After the two days, rinse your shirt in cold water, squeeze out and hang to dry
Remember not to wash your shirts with other clothes in the beginning because the dye may still run!

Have Fun!

Here’s a link for how to fold your t-shirts to create the spiral effect. We were very happy with how our spiral’s turned out! https://youtu.be/2UJkPKHvruk

This is also another great post on Artbarblog.com for how to fold shirts and tie-dye with Indigo.

Vivienne created a bulls-eye for her tie-dye shirt!

If you’re looking to add a little history to your tie-dying fun, below is a clip that describes the 1,500-year-old Art of Chinese Tie-dying:

Hope you’re all Enjoying the last few weeks of Summer in a Special Way!

Home School

Fun Summer Reads for 9-13 Year Olds, by Ava (12)

July 9, 2021July 10, 2021 Adriana

Here are some fun summer stories I have enjoyed reading, 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass, Unplugged by Gordon Korman, Flush by Carl Hiaasen, Summer at Forsaken Lake by Michael D. Beil and The Candymakers by Wendy Mass. Happy reading!!

11 Birthdays is the first book in the Willow Falls series. The main character is a girl named Amanda. Amanda shares the same birthday with her best friend, Leo. Every year since they were born they’ve celebrated their birthday together. But this year’s different, they are each having separate parties and Amanda hasn’t spoken to Leo for a year. But then something absolutely crazy happens: Amanda’s birthday starts repeating itself. What’s happening? And can she find a way to fix it?

This is a great book if you are looking for some laughs, an awesome friendship and a little magic.

Unplugged is a book about a spoiled son of a billionaire, his name is Jett Baranov. Jett’s always gotten everything he’s always wanted. But then his dad’s private jet drops him in the middle of some forest in Arkansas, in a nature camp called the Oasis. He is forced to hand over his most prized possession, his cellphone, then eat disgusting vegetables, and join in on a bunch of boring wholesome activities with kids he doesn’t want to hangout with. As the weeks go by Jett actually starts to enjoy being with some of the kids, especially when he and three others find a baby lizard pet that they name Needles. Jett realizes there is something fishy going on with the adults at the Oasis. How can he prove to his ‘friends’ that he’s not just some stuck up brat and figure out what’s up with the adults before it’s to late.

Flush is a story about a boy named Noah. Noah’s dad is positive that the owner of the Coral Queen, a local casino boat, is dumping sewage into the water. But there is no proof. Well, other than that going for a swim at the beach nearby is like diving into a toilet that someone forgot to flush! So, Noah’s dad decides that sinking the boat is the best idea. He was wrong. In a few days the Coral Queen is back in business, and Noah’s dad is in jail. So it’s up to Noah to find proof and stop the casino boat from dumping stuff illegally into the ocean…..if he can. Along the way he gets-to-know some interesting people-Shelly, a bartender on the Coral Queen and a pretty tough lady; Noahs younger sister, Abby, who is filled with trouble; and a mysterious old looking pirate. Noah has to come up with a plan to stop the crooked Coral Queen once and for all.

Summer at Forsaken Lake is a really fun story. Three city-kids, Nicholas and his twin sisters are going to stay with their Great Uncle Nick for the summer, while their Dad goes to Africa for Doctors Without Borders. The summer starts off great, Nickolas learns how to sail, he finds out about his dad when he was a kid, and Nickolas makes friends with a local girl named Charlie. But then he finds an old movie his Dad made about a legend called The Seaweed Strangler, but his Dad never finished it. Nickolas and Charlie decide to finish the movie and along the way they find out some surprising things about the past.

The Candymakers is a book about four unusual kids who are picked to come to the Life is Sweet chocolate factory, owned by the candymaker and his wife, to create their own type of candy. The fist kid is Logan, the candymakers son. He’s been around candy his whole life. The second is Philip a boy who wears a suit and tie and rides in a limo. The third is Daisy a smart cheerful girl who likes to read out loud to herself. Last of all is Miles who is allergic to weird things. This is a fun, mysterious, and friendship-filled book with a lot of candy mixed in.

Have a fun filled summer!!!

-Ava

Adriana, Home School, Uncategorized

Caddie Woodlawn! Our New Favorite Family Read Aloud!

June 2, 2021 Adriana

If you’re looking for a great family read aloud this summer season, this book won our hearts! I don’t know how I didn’t come across the adventures of Caddie Woodlawn sooner over the years, but am so happy we found this and shared in reading it together as a family. All the kids, even my 11-year-old, were drawn in to this classic story.

Caddie Woodlawn is a true adventurer. Her courageous, charismatic, down to earth spirit is contagious. Caddie’s story is special because it’s based on the life of the author, Carol Ryrie Brink’s grandmother, the real Caddie Woodlawn. Caddie is a headstrong pioneer girl from Wisconsin who along with her siblings moves from one thrilling adventure to the next. She’d rather hunt than sew, plow than bake, and bravely befriends the Native American Dakota tribe defusing a potentially deadly conflict with the settlers. Caddie’s story and family life is truly inspiring and uplifting.

One of my favorite theme’s of the book is Caddie’s relationship with her father and her struggle to fit into the confined expectations of what it means to be a woman. Her relationship with her father is extremely touching. He encourages her to be wild and free and to figure out her path in life.

“A woman’s work is something fine and noble to grow up to, an it is just as important as a man’s. But no man could ever do it so well. I don’t want you to be the silly, affected person with fine clothes and manners whom folks sometimes call a lady. No, that is not what I want for you, my little girl. I want you to be a woman with a wise and understanding heart, healthy in body and honest in mind.”
Caddie Woodlawn

For those that homeschool there are so many historical events in this book that you can explore further with your children; the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, Slavery, Native Americans of the West, Pioneers of the West and many more. For further reading and projects we’ve used the books below as great resources and inspiration.

The Prairie Girl’s Guide To Life by Jennifer Worlick, Earth Maker’s Lodge Native American Folklore, Activities and Foodds by Barrie Kavasch and North American Indians the Hands on Approach to History by Haslam & Parsons

I hope you enjoy this award winning book as much as we did! Here’s to reading together and inspiring our children through history!

“Families – they’re our link to forever, lass.”
Caddie Woodlawn

Adriana, Home School

Visit Ancient Egypt with Kids: A lesson for Elementary age to Middle School

April 16, 2021 Adriana

The kids and I have been having a very exciting time exploring ancient Egypt in different ways over the past couple weeks. Although we haven’t left the house, we’ve traveled through the Egyptian desert, explored the tombs of ancient pharaohs, ridden down the Nile river, studied ancient hieroglyphs and worked with papyrus. Egypt is a fascinating country to explore, rich in history, art, geography, math and mystery. This school year I purchased Oak Meadow’s sixth grade curriculum and have been extremely happy with their Ancient Civilizations and English course book. The course book includes historical information, stories, discussion questions, writing assignments and projects. I have found that I can adapt it as a useful resource for all the children in our Egyptian explorations. Egyptology is also a fantastic resource book for all ages that is beautifully illustrated and extremely informative in a creative way.

Ava’s Giant Sundial in the last of our winter snow

The Egyptians were the first people known to divide the day into 24 hours. The Egyptians used a shadow clock or a sundial to tell time. One of our first Egyptian projects was to create a giant sun dial and keep a record of the time. To do this, Ava simply put a large stick in the ground and observed the shadow every hour marking each hour off with another stick. It was interesting to see how the shadow length changed with the hours of the day. If you’d like to give this project a try in the warmer weather you can try putting a large piece of paper in a sunny spot and securing it down with rocks. Place a piece of clay or play dough in the center and insert a pencil. Follow the shadow at each hour to mark the time. Another fun way to do this is with a large stick placed into the center of a sunny sandbox and watching the shadow each hour. If you live near the beach this is fun to do while you pass the time away in the sun!

Lily and Leo made papyrus boats origami style and decorated them in Egyptian hieroglyphs

I purchased some papyrus paper on Amazon and the kids had lots of fun making origami papyrus boats and bookmarks that they decorated with ancient hieroglyphs.

2-year-old Vivienne enjoyed cutting the papyrus up into little pieces

Leo and Lily enjoyed making their own mummy with this great kit I bought at the flee market a couple years ago

Another great find that both Ava and Lily have loved is Highlights Top Secret Adventures Book Club. Each mystery kit includes a world travel guide, puzzle challenge and detective game. The kids have traveled to many countries solving the mystery challenge using deductive reasoning skills, math, reading, puzzle games and other activities. Egypt just happened to land on our doorstep at the right time! This adventure series is something Lily, my 9-year-old, works on independently and loves! Leo, 7, also enjoys this adventure series, but needs my assistance in working through the clues and reading the guide book.

Reading Rainbow has an excellent episode on Egypt for grade school children.

We also enjoyed watching this NOVA special on Amazon Prime about the ancient pyramids

This National Geographic Special on Tutankhamun’s Tomb is fantastic.

And no lesson would be complete without some travels with Rick Steves! He has two great episodes exploring Egypt yesterday and today.

Have Some Fun Exploring Ancient Egypt with your Children!

Adriana, Garden, Home School

Getting Ready for our Victory Garden 2021: Seed Starting and Garden Planning With Your Children

April 8, 2021 Adriana

It’s the most Wonderful time of the year! Yes, it’s spring and signs of nature’s fertility are everywhere around us. Spring in New England is tricky. We had a short snow squall yesterday morning, yet by afternoon it was 50 degrees, sunny and the crocuses were all aglow. Spring is a very special time of year. Watching the grass turn green and spring plants shoot up out of the warming earth is rejuvenating. It gives me this new found energy and deep renewal of the soul. I find getting my hands in the dirt and growing our own food so therapeutic and rewarding.

The kids and I have been planning our Spring/Summer garden for months now. A favorite winter activity is to look through the seed catalogs and have each child plan their garden. I have found that when kids are involved in the process of selecting what they would like to grow and given a place in the garden to grown their own food, they have a new vested interest in what goes into their bodies and where it comes from. It is a responsibility that is so rewarding and will stay with them for life.

About a week ago we started most of our indoor seeds. Mike made a temporary shelf unit in our living room window housed with warming mats and grow lights. We started about 134 seedlings, mostly tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, onions and lots of different herbs for my cottage garden. Fortunately, we have had so many sunny days that I haven’t had to use the grow lights. Have to admit, I prefer not to as they light the living room neon pink and transform the space into a nightclub feel. The kids don’t mind, it inspires them to put on dress ups and dance around like crazy people!

After about a week most of our seedlings have sprouted! It’s exciting! Truly amazing that one small seed can provide us with so much life.

If you haven’t ever used a garden planner, I highly recommend it. They are very user friendly and help you plan when to start seeds indoors in your area and when to plant outdoors for both spring and fall gardening. I got mine at Seed Savers Exchange for around 5 dollars.

Two of my favorite Garden Activity Books when Gardening with kids are Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots by Sharon Lovejoy and The Garden Classroom by Cathy James.

Hope this adds a little inspiration to starting your own personal garden, with your children or with your grandchildren. Whatever space you have big or small, it can be a small start to a big adventure! Growing your own food is so rewarding to your soul and your health. It is a tradition that has been lost for many of us in our modern day food culture, but it’s never too late to learn and to teach your children! Giving them the gift of homegrown, healthy food, will last with them forever; in health and in heart!

Happy Spring!

Adriana, Food, Home School, Italian Roots

Spring Has Sprung: Easter Crafts, Baking fun and Celebrating Traditions with Kids

April 3, 2021 Adriana

Spring; A time for Reflection, Renewal, Rebirth and JOY!

Our house is a buzz with Spring Feaver! Spring has sprung; crocuses and daffodils are springing up in the garden beds, buds are popping out on the trees, garden seeds are getting started indoors, the chickens are laying eggs again, baby goats are being born on the farm across the street, it is a time of renewal, rebirth and joy! After a long winter and a time of great reflection, the earth reminds us that brighter days are ahead.

Dying eggs for Easter is an age old tradition. In some European countries children place fresh leaves onto the eggs wrap them in gauze, tie a string around it and place it in a pot of boiling water and onion skins. When unwrapped the beautiful image of the leaves are impressed onto the eggs. It is no surprise that eggs, symbolic of new life, have become tied to the Easter theme of rebirth. Many European cultures dye the eggs red to symbolize the blood of Christ and serve the hard boiled eggs with their Easter meals. We have tried many different egg dying techniques over the years and a favorite around here at the moment is dropping bits of crayon shavings onto the hot eggs to melt into beautiful, bright colors spread across the egg and then dip them in some food coloring and vinegar water to add an added splash of color and joy in honor of spring.

Butterscotch Birds Nests

These are a tradition around here to celebrate spring and Easter. They are a favorite from my childhood and a no-bake treat that my kids look forward to making every year!

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Chocolate chips
1/2 Cup Butterscotch chips
3 Cups Chow Mein Noodles
Cadbury mini Easter egg candy

Directions:

Melt chocolate & butterscotch chips in a double boiler on the stove top
When chocolate mixture is melted, add the chow mien noodles and mix
Line a muffin tin with cupcake paper and spoon small scoops of noodle mixture in nest like shapes into tin
Place Cadbury eggs in center and let cool

Lily making Italian Easter Wheat Pie “Pastiera di Grano” A favorite from my childhood that my Nonna would make.

This is a traditional Italian Easter pie made using wheat berries, ricotta, lemon zest, eggs, sugar and vanilla. The taste and smell of it baking brings me back to my childhood Easter gatherings at my Nonna’s house. I haven’t yet mastered making it as good as my Nonna’s and not sure that I ever will, but we’re working on it each year!

A great historical educational program that we really enjoyed watching is Rick Steve’s European Easter. Full of history, tradition and Hope.

Wishing you all a Blessed Easter and a Rejuvenating Spring!
Brighter Days are Ahead!

“The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.”
—Harriet Ann Jacobs

Adriana, Food, Home School

Maple Syrup: A New England Tradition- Tapping Trees with Kids

March 13, 2021 Adriana

Nothing says New England quite like Sugar Maples and fresh maple syrup. The roots of modern American sugaring traditions lie heavily in Native American history and culture. In the early 1600’s before the arrival of European settlers, Native Americans were already tapping sugar maples and making maple sugar. The Native Americans in New England used maple sap to make cake sugar, grain sugar and wax sugar. During maple sugaring season, New England Native Americans would set up sugar camps. They would collect the sap in wooden buckets by creating V-shaped slashes in the tree to allow the sap to pour out. Since they couldn’t boil the sap in the wooden buckets, they would add hot rocks to help boil away the water and create a syrup-like consistency that would be made into products like brown sugar, maple sugar molds and wax sugar which was a taffy like maple confection made by pouring hot syrup on snow.

Sugaring was a skill that European settlers learned from Native Americans. Instead of making V-slashed cuts into the trees, the settlers drilled small holes into the trunk that allowed the sap to drip into metal pots which could later be boiled down over a fire. The settlers poured the syrup into wooden molds to create sugar blocks. The sugar blocks stored well and were used throughout the year for baking.

What started long ago, still carries on strong today. The hills of Western Massachusetts are dotted with Maple Sugar Shacks that come alive this time of year. It is amazing to visit these establishments and see how the sap is collected, stored and turned into syrup! Each year my kids have loved volunteering at a local Maple Sugar farm to help transport the sap down to the sugar house. They have learned so much about history and the hard work that goes into one gallon of Maple Syrup. Usually, about 40 gallons of sap are needed to make 1 gallon of maple syrup! That’s a lot of sap!

40 gallons of sap to make this gallon of Maple Syrup!

Maple syrup can be made from any species of maple tree. The highest concentration of sugar is found in the sap of the sugar maple. If you have some maple trees in your yard, it is a simple and very rewarding process to start tapping your trees. We picked up some sap buckets and taps from our local farmer supply store, but you could also use plastic food grade buckets. The best time to tap your trees is when the day temperatures stay consistently above freezing, but the nights still dip down below freezing. When we’ve collected enough sap we just put it in a pot on the stove until it boils down to syrup. It’s a great family tradition to share with your children. Who doesn’t love homemade pancakes and some homemade syrup!

Two of our favorite books about the Maple Sugar tradition and process:

**Sugaring** by Jessie Haas and **Maple Moon** by Connie Brummel Crook

Here’s a little glimpse in to a New England Sugar Shack Maple Sugaring Process:

Wishing you all a Very Healthy and Sweet Start to Spring!

Adriana, Home School

Ava’s Book Corner: 3 Great Books for those 11 and older That Inspire Hope through Hardship

February 26, 2021 Adriana

These three books, The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart, Pax by Sara Pennypacker and The Girl With More Than One Heart by Laura Geringer Bass are stories about overcoming hardships and sadness with hope and love. These books taught me that life is not always going to be easy and we need to live, enjoy and cherish good times.

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise is a story about a girl who lives in an old school bus with her dad. Five years ago she lost her mom and sisters in a car crash she hasn’t been home since. Now she finds out that the park where she, her mom and two sisters buried a memory box is about to be torn down. She has to get her dad to drive 3,600 miles without him knowing were he’s going. As she starts on a trip back home she is joined by five interesting people and one surprise guest. I liked this book because it had an exiting adventure, taught me that memories are important and that you can find strength from bad things that happen.

Pax is story about a boy and a fox. Peter has had Pax since he found him as a small kit cold and all alone. When his dad enlists in the military, Peter is forced to return Pax to the wild and move to his grandfather’s home. He knows he did the wrong thing, letting Pax go. So, Peter embarks on a journey to get Pax back. He has to travel 300 miles to where he left Pax. Along the way Peter has some trouble and meets Vola a woman who lives alone in the middle of nowhere. Peter realizes that Vola can help him and that he can help her. This book is a story of friendship and about fighting for someone you love.

Sometimes we can feel like we need another heart to get through hard times. When Briana’s father dies, she seems to grow another heart. A heart that talks to her and it sounds like her dad. The heart says things like “Be Your Own” and “Find Her!” Briana has no idea how she can be herself when she is struggling with her mother not getting out of bed, taking care of her little brother and dealing with her friends treating her different. How can she live without her favorite parent? This is a beautiful story that is filled with love and tells us that even in times of misery and sadness there is always a path to hope.

I hope you find some inspiration from these great books –
From, Ava

Adriana, Home School

Studying The Italian Renaissance with Kids: A Fantastic Art, History and Geography Adventure!

February 21, 2021 Adriana

Lily’s Fresco of our family at the dinner table painted on our basement wall!

Inspired by an Art History Class Lily (9) is taking on Outschool.com, the kids and I have delved a little deeper into the Italian Renaissance and some wonderful lessons in History, Art and Geography. Throughout history, no art movement has had an impact quite as profound as the Italian Renaissance. The Renaissance was a time of “Rebirth” and a renewed interest in the culture of classical antiquity. It is a period of great cultural change and achievement that began in Italy during the 14th century and lasted into the 17th century. Master artists like Michaelangelo, Leonardo DaVinci and Rafael adopted a more humanist approach to art. What started as a humanist movement soon spread to other areas including literature, religion, science and exploration. It truly is a revolutionary movement in time with so many magnificent outlets to explore!

Lily created her own altarpiece by painting an image on a wooden pallet

The kids and I studied Renaissance altarpieces, what they were used for, the art perspective, families that commissioned them and the history behind the work. Lily painted her own altarpiece on a piece of wood with some acrylic paints. She also created a mosaic vase after we explored the mosaics often found on church walls and ceilings created during the Renaissance and during the Byzantine Empire.

Lily and her fresco – a painting of our family at the dinner table

Inspired by Michelangelo’s works at the Sistine Chapel, Lily decided to try her hand at painting a fresco of her own on our basement wall. She captured our family at the dinner table! The Vatican Museum has a wonderful virtual tour of the chapel found here: https://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/cappella-sistina/tour-virtuale.html

Below is a great clip about Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel from ArtRageous with Nate.

If you haven’t ever explored “Rick Steves” programs he has a whole series called “Rick Steves Europe” that you can watch on YouTube. I think it originally aired on PBS programming, but can be found on Youtube too. The kids and I love watching these programs as it gives us a real look into the places we are studying. Below is a link to his episode on Florence, Italy and the Renaissance.

Our “Egg-speriment” inspired by Brunelleschi’s duomo

We love science in this house and “egg-speriments,” So, what could be more fun than testing the strength of the dome shaped egg! After learning more about Brunelleschi and his amazing architectural feat with the creation of the Duomo built at the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, the kids and I had fun testing out the strength of the dome shape.

For this simple science experiment…

Wash and dry some egg shells. The more the better because they do eventually crack under pressure!
Place 4 egg shells of about equal size on a flat surface and gradually stack books on top until…. the eggs break!
Then weigh your books to see how much weight the eggs held. Ours held a surprising 19 pounds worth of books!
If you’d like to have your child practice the Scientific Method, you can have them each write down in their note books a Hypothesis for how much weight they think the eggs will hold, or how many books and then compare the results with their “scientific educated” guesses.

This experiment is a great way to incorporate art, architecture, history, geography and a math lesson!

Below is a great clip about how the Duomo was built.

This is only just the beginning! There are so many fascinating directions you can take when exploring Italy and the time of the Renaissance. The kids are currently working on painting their own self-portraits and creating some DaVinci inspired machines!

Some great books and audio recordings for those ages 6 and up to explore these topics further are:

DK Series Eyewitness Books are full of great information

Along with…

Masters of the Renaissance: Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and more (The Jim Weiss Audio Collection)

Here’s to Inspiring some Great Artists of Today!

Adriana, Home School, Projects

All you Need is LOVE: Family Valentine Fun and Crafts

February 7, 2021 Adriana

Valentine’s Day is such a special time of year to spread some love and cheer. It’s a time to celebrate love and friendship, to spend time together as a family crafting, baking, making Valentine’s, having tea parties and eating lot’s of chocolate! The kids and I have been busy making some holiday crafts and working on our Valentine’s, for each other, family and friends. This year more than ever, it’s extra special to send out some handmade Valentine’s to those who might need an extra reminder that they are not alone and are loved!

A favorite and simple craft for kids of all ages and one that is adaptable with the seasons and holidays is making sun-catchers for your windows. My kids love making these and never seem to run out of creative ideas for their festive sun-catchers. I particularly love seeing them light up our dining room like stained glass especially during the colder, darker winter months. All you need for this craft is some sturdy card-stock paper, contact paper, tissue paper and scissors.

Directions:

First have either you or your child cut out the frame design out of card-stock. For the one above we made a heart.
Next, cut out your contact paper so that it will overlap a bit on the frame of your card-stock. Then, peel the paper off the contact paper to reveal the sticky side and stick it to the frame.
Cut up the tissue paper and stick it to the sticky side of the contact paper. It’s as easy as that!

Another favorite in our house and a great way to introduce children to sewing is making hand-sewn felt hearts! Teaching your children to hand sew is one of the best skills you can give to them. It helps develop fine motor skills, builds self-confidence and patience. It also helps children practice communicating and following instructions along with encouraging them to use their imaginations and creativity. I have sat with all my children from an early age (2 or 3) and practiced hand sewing skills either with felt projects or lacing cards. It’s an activity that you can share in together with your child and as a family. We often gather round the dining table with our hand sewing supplies and listen to a good audio book or music and spend time crafting together. It is a calming and therapeutic activity.

To make these felt hearts all you need is some felt, embroidery floss, fabric scissors, some stuffing (could be actually stuffing, or cut up old clothes) and a sewing needle.

Directions:

First have your child draw their design on the felt with chalk. Fold felt in half so that you can cut out two equal shapes at one time (the back and front of your project). Cut out design with fabric scissors.
Next, cut a medium-length strand of embroidery floss (not too long or the kids tend to knot or tangle). Layer your design one on top of the other and start sewing around the edges of the felt, leaving a 2-inch wide space open to fill with stuffing. If your child is young, you can help them push the needle through and pull it out always reminding them to pull the needle away from themselves.
After stuffing your design, then sew the gap closed. You can then run a string through the top to hang your stuffed creation. We made our Valentine Hearts and tied them to some yarn to hang together in the window as garland.

Like sun-catchers, another craft we love making for all seasons are jars decorated with tissue paper to put candles in and cozy up our home. This simple craft was made using a recycled jar, some tissue paper hearts and Elmer’s clear glue (modge podge and regular Elmer’s glue work well too and dry clear).

Directions:

Wash and dry a glass jar
Cut out tissue paper designs
brush glue with a paint brush onto jar, place tissue paper on the glue spot and then brush glue on top of tissue paper so that it won’t tear off easy. Spread glue over each spot at the time you are ready to adhere the tissue paper.
Let it dry

Leo’s handmade February Calendar with a heart mandala design

Bake a special treat, set the table for your Valentine’s Tea Party, put a candle in your Heart jar, gather round the table and share in some Love, Laughter, Valentine’s and Chocolate– Enjoy!

From our Family to Yours, Sending you all a day full of Friendship and Love

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