A friendship bracelet is fun to make, easy to give and very nostalgic. My kiddos enjoy creating things that they can give to family and friends. When I was younger I liked to make many things. One thing was beaded jewelry. Another craft I enjoyed working with was oven-bake/polymer clay. One more crafty activity I enjoyed was making friendship bracelets out of floss, or craft thread. There are so many patterns and designs to try out. For my boys, I decided to have them learn with this simple pattern.
Materials needed to make this friendship bracelet
First, gather the necessary materials. Craft thread or embroidery floss is, of course, is first on the materials list. Next, cardboard, at least 4″ in all directions, is needed. Scissors are needed to cut a 3″ to 4″ circle out of the cardboard. A pen or other writing utensil; a ruler; a compass and tape are the rest of the materials for this project. I tried to use an empty ribbon spool for the loom. It was already a round piece of cardboard and there was a convenient hole in the middle for the working bracelet to go through. That did seem to work, however, the notches could not be cut very deep. Sometimes the floss did not stay in place.
Prepare the loom
If not already done, use the compass to make a 3-4 inch circle on the cardboard. Cut out the circle and poke a small hole (about 1/4″) in the center.
With the ruler and writing utensil, draw 4 lines from one side to the other, equidistant from each other. **As when cutting a pie or pizza, with 8 equal-sized pieces. Number each line, clockwise from 1-8. **See the picture below as an example of how the ‘loom’ should look.
With scissors, cut a small notch (1/2-3/4 inch) on each line, from the edge towards the center of the circle.
Prepare the floss
Select the desired floss (color, texture, etc.)
To measure, have the recipient sit or stand straight and stretch one arm out to their side. Hold the end of the floss in front of or at the recipient’s nose. Stretch the other side of the floss to the fingertips of the extended arm. Cut the floss to that length.
Repeat for all 7 strands of floss. **Either choose 7 different colors or some of the same. In the Step-by-step visual aid (below), pink, green and white were all used twice.
Hold all 7 strands together and tie a knot on one side, about one inch from the end.
Push the knot through the center hole in the loom. (See picture below.)
Set up the loom
With the knot on one side of the loom, the rest of the floss is through to the top side. Separate each strand of floss and insert into each notch, beginning with number one and ending with number seven. Number eight will be left empty to begin the friendship bracelet. (See Starting Position below, in the Step-by-step visual aid.)
To simplify, I have included a visual step-by-step below of each step to make the bracelet. With #8 empty, count back counter-clockwise 3 spaces (to #5) and move that strand to the open spot. Continue counting back 3 spaces for each strand to create the bracelet. Keep the tension on the floss consistent.
Step-by-step visual aid
Starting position
Begin with all notches filled except the number 8.
Position 2
Move the thread from notch #5 into the empty #8 notch.
Position 3
Move the thread from notch #2 into the empty #5 notch.
Position 4
Move the thread from notch #7 into the empty #2 notch.
Position 5
Move the thread from notch #4 into the empty #7 notch.
Position 6
Move the thread from notch #1 into the empty #4 notch.
Position 7
Move the thread from notch #6 into the empty #1 notch.
Position 8
Move the thread from notch #3 into the empty #6 notch.
Position 9
Move the thread from notch #8 into the empty #3 notch. This starts at the beginning again.
Continue in this pattern until you have reached almost the end of the thread, or until it is as long as you would like. Tie a knot on the end to secure it.
“Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.” (2 John 1:6, NLT)
A Vet-themed birthday party is a fun option for an animal lover. My middle son has wanted to be a Vet since he was three years old. He loves animals, science, nature and learning what he can about all of those topics. Depending on the age level of kids for your party, there are many options for decorations, games, activities and favors. Your imagination is the limit as to what you can do.
The age level I was focusing on was 5-8 years old. Although, most of those kids were around 6 years old. I decided to have the kids pretend they were Vets and set up stations around the house. They pretended to be Vets, adopted a pet, crafted and played games.
Vet Name Tags
First, the kids had to identify themselves. They were each given a sticker name tag that had “Dr. ” written on it in permanent marker. The children participants could either write their name or have a grown-up write their name. Most of the kids were proud to wear their name tag sticker. However, some of the tags did not stay on their clothing very well. Another option is to write the name on a precut piece of card stock and slide it into the plastic sleeve of a pin name tag. Still another option, though pricey, is to personalize an appropriate-sized smock or lab coat.
Gearing Up
Once the kids were identified, it was time for them to gather their gear. Their ‘doctor’s bag’ was made out of a brown paper bag with handles. I cut out and taped a red plus sign to the outside of the bag. Inside their bag, each child had a clipboard and sharpened pencil. I purchased 6″x9″ hardboard clipboards. To each of the clipboards, I attached a blank check-up report.
The next step was to select their patients. I purchased small (4-5 inch) stuffed cats and dogs from Amazon and had the kids select which one they wanted to adopt. Then, they could pick out grooming supplies. A comb and a washcloth were available for each pet. After their grooming, each “doctor” selected a blanket to keep their pet cozy.
When their pet was chosen and “cleaned up,” the kids could decorate a crate and create a collar before the pet’s check-up. I set up a table with a fleece-lined vinyl tablecloth for crafting.
Make a Crate
For the crate, I purchased treat boxes, similar to these. My husband cut an oval hole in one side (short side) for the pet’s head to poke through. The party participants could decorate the “crate” if they wanted to. Some of the materials that were available to the kids included stencils, stickers, foam stickers, glitter glue, colored pencils, markers and crayons.
Make a Collar
For the collars, I offered chenille stems (pipe cleaners) and plastic beads. The pipe cleaners were like these. For the beads, I supplied pony beads in solid colors and translucent. I also included some letter beads, both round and in a cube. The kids could choose what beads to use. For instance, some spelled out the name they gave their patient while other kids put their own name on the collar. Some collars were very colorful, without any letter beads. **Tip- make the collar tight enough to twist the pipe cleaner around the stuffy’s neck. It should be secure and not be too loose to fall off. Don’t completely fill the pipe cleaner. The amount of beads will vary due to the beads selected. Some will be a little larger or smaller. Plastic cups were used by some of the kids to sort their beads.
Vet Check-up
Previously, my birthday boy had received 2 Melissa and Doug Examine and Treat Pet Vet Playsets. We used some of the tools from that for the party. Equipped with their doctors’ bags, clipboards and check-up checklist, the kids started the medical examination. The checklist included ears, eyes, heart, nose, paws and tail. First, for the ears, there were cotton swabs and wipes to clean out any dirt that might be there. There was also an Otoscope from the Vet Playset. Next on the check-up checklist were the eyes. They could use an Ophthalmoscope to look into the eyes. Also, there were pretend eye drops from a bottle to clean or medicate the eyes. Those two items for the eyes were also from the Vet Playset.
Heart Check
After checking the eyes, the next part for examination was the heart. For the heart, I made pretend stethoscopes for each party participant. I used a headband and attached a ribbon with hot glue. Two circles of the same size were cut from white felt. Likewise, two hearts were cut from blue felt. Then, the hearts were hot glued to each circle and the circles (wrong sides facing each other) were hot glued onto the end of the ribbon. I was not sure if the headbands would be bothersome to the ears of any children. Therefore, my husband acquired some unused foam earplugs and hot glued them to the tips of the headbands. They turned out to be bothersome to some of the children, while others actually wanted to keep theirs on. If you would like more specific instructions on how to make the stethoscopes, click here.
For the nose and mouth I supplied some tongue depressors. The paws were cleaned with a wipe before examining. Last on the check-up checklist was the tail. Various bandages, mostly cloth or self-adhesive wraps, could be used for the tail. My kids have put stickers and bandages on some stuffies before. They do not usually come off well. Also at the end I had a bin with other vet tools (like a syringe, arm cuff and tweezers, most from the Vet Playset.
Games and Other Activities
There are so many animal games and activities for parties. The party was inside, as it was in January and my age range was 2-8, most of the kids being 6. Activities that were simple and fun, but not too involved, was the way to go. I found a few that fit the bill, some of which we did at the party. First, there was animal charades. The party participants take turns to act out an animal and to guess what that animal is. The second activity was a porcupine quill removal. About 10 toothpicks were stuck into a ball of play dough. The kids had to use tweezers to pull them out, one by one. The third activity was to play a pin the tail on the cat game. The fifth was to decorate bird finger puppets. The kids were not interested in the porcupine game, nor charades.
Pin the Tail on the Cat
One game that they did enjoy playing was Pin the Tail on the Cat. On a poster board I drew a cat. The tail was also drawn in place so that the players knew where they were to place the tail. Before the party my husband so kindly cut tails out of different colored construction paper. Each child selected the tail they wanted and wrote their name on it before playing. For blindfolds we used strips of non-see-through material. Each player had their own blindfold, so as to not spread germs.
Bird Finger Puppets
The other activity the kids wanted to do was to decorate bird finger puppets. I folded the paper beforehand in various different colors. The kids colored them to resemble birds.
You can check out the how-to for this easy paper folding craft here.
Cake and Decorations
The cake and decorations for my son’s Vet party were fairly simple. He was fine with it. He selected the cupcakes. Also, he got to contribute and decide on some of the decorations.
For the cake, we ordered half chocolate and half vanilla cupcakes from a local grocery store. They had cute and fun faces of dogs and cats on top. Overall, cupcakes seem to be simpler to serve. Utensils (forks) for eating, a knife for cutting and a plate for serving are all not necessary with cupcakes. To keep everything simple, we did cupcakes and an ice cream cup.
The decorations were very simple. We taped pictures of animals on the walls around the party area. Some of the decorations were pages from a puppy-themed calendar. Other pictures that were taped to the walls were also of animals, but pictures that my son drew and/or colored himself.
My vet-aspiring son and his friends had a fun time with all of the activities. They enjoyed the food. The weather that day was unseasonably warm, for early January. After cake and ice cream the kids all decided to go outside to play in our backyard. When they were ready to leave, the kids had their treasures from the party. The crate, collar, patient (dog or cat stuffy), a stethoscope, an ice bag, the clipboard, a bird finger puppet, any prizes they won and some snacks went along with each party participant.
This was a fun party to put together. I learned how to fold paper into birds for finger puppets. Also, I learned how to draw a cat on a large poster board. I was grateful that my son joined in to decorating and choosing items for his party.
“Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O LORD.” (Psalms 36:6, NLT)
On December 8th my kiddos did not have too much trouble locating Scout. He was on the hutch in our dining room, tucked on top of a popcorn box. The box was surrounded by popcorn and candy. It was a Friday, so Scout planned some family fun for the evening. He set up a popcorn bar and movie night. There were serving boxes, two kinds of popcorn and mix-ins. The mix-ins for the popcorn included Mini M&Ms, Reese’s pieces and raisinets. There were so many options for mix-ins, but our elf thought we would like those the most.
Scout had some signs with him to explain what we were to do. Click here to find and print the signs that he had. The signs our elf had were attached to colorful paper straws. Those straws were tucked under his arm, placed inside the plastic popcorn serving boxes and shoved inside the lid of a cardboard box.
Popcorn treat
The boys were so excited to finish dinner and enjoy the special treat from Scout. After dinner we quickly cleaned up and broke into our snack. Each kiddo picked out what popcorn they wanted. The options were plain, butter and kettle corn. We popped some corn and filled the serving boxes almost full. Everyone chose their mix-ins. My picky eater passed on the chocolate-covered raisins. Of course, my middle son had to have some of everything. Then, my youngest chose to have a bit of everything, as well. However, he requested extra mix-ins on the side.
Movie choice
Scout did not bring a movie. He did not bring any suggestions for what to watch, either. We decided to let the boys choose what movie to see while enjoying the yummy popcorn mixture. Of course, we had them chose from the Christmas movie options. “The Polar Express” was the movie of choice agreed on by all three of my kiddos.
“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful i all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NLT)
Painting or dyeing eggs around Easter is a popular activity. Simple or extravagant, many eggs are decorated for this holiday. When I was growing up I did not paint wooden eggs. I did, however, color real eggs a number of ways.
Types of Eggs
One way to decorate eggs was to use a blown egg. A blown egg is a real egg with the inside cleaned out. For those eggs, we used acrylic paint and a cotton swab as a brush. They are very fragile but can last for many years, if handled with care. My mom has some that are 25 or more years old!
Another type of egg decorating uses hard boiled eggs. However, hard boiled eggs need to be refrigerated shortly after being boiled. To decorate those, we would use a mixture of color tablets, vinegar and water. The eggs would be submerged into the mixture up to five minutes. When removed and dried, the eggs were dyed whatever color the mixture was. We used a clear crayon to draw crosses or designs or to write a name. The dye resisted the crayon marks. Therefore, whatever was drawn on the egg would show up.
Choosing Wooden Eggs
My kids don’t all enjoy eating hard boiled eggs. Therefore, we don’t make too many of them, otherwise we would end up wasting many eggs. Also, my kids are not ready for blown eggs. They are not gentle enough and would crack the fragile eggs. I decided to begin a new tradition with our family. They decorate wooden eggs. Every year they each paint one egg. The wooden eggs last for a very long time. Also, they are not fragile and easily broken like the blown eggs. My boys each have their own collection of painted wooden eggs.
Decorating Wooden Eggs
I purchase wooden eggs from a craft store, such as JoAnn Fabrics. If the base of the egg is round my husband sands it down. My boys use acrylic paint, either matte or gloss. After they are finished painting we put all three eggs on a paper plate to dry. After about 30 minutes I pick up each egg then set it back down on the plate. That is to make sure it does not stick to the plate while it is drying.
When the paint is completely dry, in about 24 to 48 hours, I coat each egg completely in mod podge. I like to use some with a gloss finish. Then, when that is completely dry, I use a permanent marker to write their name and the year on the bottom of the egg. Sometime after Easter we put the wooden eggs into cardboard egg cartons for storage. Each year my kids are eager to look at their eggs from the previous years. I like to see their creativity and how they change each year. None of the eggs are exactly the same. Their preferences in colors and designs change year after year.
“The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, ‘Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD! Hail to the King of Israel!” (John 12:12-13, NLT)
We believe the reason to celebrate Christmas centers around the birth of Jesus Christ. The nativity is a representation of that. On December 6th, Scout had found a clever spot to hide. This was not where my kids would have looked. They never would have guessed that he would be visiting one of our nativity sets. Along with him, he left a note mentioning to our family how the nativity represents the meaning of Christmas. That meaning, he said, is the most important of all. This hiding spot and note did encourage some dialog with my kiddos. For instance, they asked some questions about nativity.
The Note from Scout:
GREETINGS, FAMILY!
I AM ENJOYING MY TIME WITH YOU. THERE ARE SO MANY TRADITIONS, MEANINGS AND ACTIVITIES WITH THIS TIME OF YEAR. REMEMBER ALWAYS THAT THIS, RIGHT HERE, IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART. GOD SENT HIS SON, JESUS, TO THE EARTH AS A BABY. CHRISTMAS IS A TIME TO CELEBRATE HIS BIRTH. FROM LUKE 2 IN THE NEW LIVING TRANSLATION BIBLE:
7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.
11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.
17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.
I DO LOVE IMAGINING THAT WHEN I READ IT. CHRISTMAS IS WONDERFUL FOR MANY REASONS, BUT THIS IS THE BEST AND MOST IMPORTANT REASON. REMEMBER THAT ALWAYS!
-SCOUT
“After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.” (Matthew 2:9-12, NLT)
The Elf on the Shelf was a phrase I had heard shortly before my oldest son was born. I did not look into it at all and had no desire to do this activity. If you are familiar with the Elf on the Shelf, you know having one can be as simple or as involved as you make it. Personally, I did not want to add another activity to the already busy month of December. Other kids talked about their Elf on the Shelf. I saw posts of the shenanigans of friends’ elves.
Our Intro to The Elf on the Shelf
My oldest son came home from pre-school one day. He was talking all about their classroom’s Elf on the Shelf. After hearing his excitement, I took notice when others shared ideas and photos about their Elf on the Shelf’s daily activities. My interest began to grow and I was a little open-minded about this activity.
That time of Year
One year we made our annual visit to see a particular Santa Claus. This was pre-COVID, so there was no social distancing. In the few years after COVID, before seeing this Santa, it is required to schedule the visit. At the time of our early visits we did not have to sign up for a certain day and time to go. Therefore, the line was long, mostly in the evening.
To pass the time one parent would usually stand in line while the other parent took the kids around to the different activities. One activity was making a craft. That usually included some type of ornament for the Christmas tree. Another thing to do was to build with Lincoln Logs. My two older kiddos competed against each other to see who could build the tallest tower without it falling down. My oldest son enjoyed building the most.
Kids could do target practice with archery and shooting. There was also a kinetic sand station. My middle son enjoyed all that there was to do, but mostly playing in the Kinetic sand. Many children also enjoyed watching the large fish in the big tank. Of course, there was also the fun of climbing on the boats and ATVs. Finally, kids could color while watching a movie.
As I stood in line I watched part of the movie, which was The Elf on the Shelf. Through watching some of that I was able to gain some additional insight into the story of the Elf on the Shelf. I was not completely focused on the movie, but caught bits and pieces of it.
The Movie’s Plot
The scout elves are sent by Santa to specific families. In the movie’s plot, a certain scout elf was sent to a specific family because the oldest child was beginning to not believe in Santa. The scout elf was tasked with trying to get the child to believe in Santa again, like he did when he was younger. As the movie went on, I learned a few details. The family gives the elf its name. That gives the elf its Christmas magic to fly to and from the North Pole every day. No one is permitted to touch the elf or it loses its magic and can’t fly back to the North Pole. When the elf gets back to the North Pole it must stay there in sick bay until it regains strength.
The Elf’s Task
The Elf on the Shelf flies to the North Pole each night to give reports to Santa about the family. Then, before the family wakes up, it flies back to the place where the family is. The elf is in a new spot every day and the kids get to search for it. In the movie the Elves on the Shelf got to know their family members and solved problems for them.
Set Rules/Specifics Early On
The Elf on the Shelf has become something a little different. It shows up either just after Thanksgiving or on December 1st. He or she still needs to be named by the family to gain “magic.” No one is permitted to touch the Elf on the Shelf or it loses that magic. Some parents adopt one or more loopholes for some of the rules. For example, some decide that adults can touch the elf to move it; adults can touch with oven mitts; or parents can pick up the Elf on the Shelf with tongs, if necessary.
It is best to set the rules about touching the elf early on. It would be a sad day for your child to see you pick up the elf with oven mitts on, not being aware that it was alright. Another idea for people touching the elf is for the last day he or she are with you. The kids are allowed to give a very gentle hug to say goodbye until the next year.
Elf Behavior
Another thing about the Elf on the Shelf is that some of the elves get up to mischief. Some elves make lots of messes to try to be funny. They will also get themselves into a predicament. One example I have seen of Elf on the Shelf mischief is getting into a snowball fight with other toys. Another one is spilling flour on the floor and leaving tiny white footprints around the room. I was not interested in cleaning up after an elf and putting that on my ‘to do’ list. Sometimes it is also used as a scare tactic to get children to behave. I was not interested in that, either.
Beginning with an elf
Over the last few years my two oldest kiddos experienced the Elf on the Shelf in their classrooms. They were excited to share the elf’s names and what it was up to on a daily basis. One evening in November my husband and I were shopping by ourselves. The Elf on the Shelf kits were conveniently placed on a shelf at many adult’s eye level. My husband and I had not discussed getting one, but decided just then to purchase one. There were so many options to choose from. We could choose gender and skin color. Because we have boys we decided to get a boy elf, as well. We took him home and hid him until it was time for him to begin his assignment. It was time for my creativity to shine.
Also, look on The Elf on the Shelf website for more ideas, crafts, free printables and more!
Hidden in the tree
Hidden in the dining room light
Accidentally tried dog treats, thinking they were cookies
Brought his favorite cookies
Hidden among stuffies
Hidden in the nativity scene
Put bows on bedroom doors
Brought treats for a movie night
Christmas Scrabble board
Build with gumdrops and toothpicks
Brought slingshot (indoor snowball fight)
Brought Rice Crispy treat ingredients
Candy cane hunt
Gift-wrapped kitchen cabinets and drawers
Disguised as a Poinsettia plant
Eggcellent message
Made and hung up snowflakes throughout our home
Made a snowman out of clean socks
Candy food groups
Brought Christmas trivia cards
Toilet paper snowman
Hidden in a Christmas stocking
Zipline into tree
Toy donation basket
Made a gingerbread house
Inside a snowglobe
Melted snowman
Brought Christmas stampers and “Peas on Earth” riddle cards
Marshmallows and toothpicks to make snowmen
Gummy bear tree, hidden with bear stuffies
Make origami stars
Felt danish hearts with candy inside
Yummy tree cakes
“Listen to the words of the wise; apply your heart to my instruction. For it is good to keep these sayings in your heart and always ready on you lips.” (Proverbs 22:17 & 18, NLT)
My two older kiddos are currently into Pokémon. If I am being honest, I believe one of my son’s interest is because his brother is into Pokémon. Also, many of their friends like and trade cards. My kiddos battle cards against each other. One of them has read many Pokémon books. He knows lots of trivia about many of the Pokémon and trainers.
Initial Pokémon in our home
Pokémon in our home began when my oldest son was in second grade. One of his classmates gave all of their peers two Pokémon cards as a Valentine. That peaked a small interest in him. Then, for Cub scouts, all of the scouts in his ‘den’ were to bring in something they collected. My oldest took in his rock collection with fossils, gems, shark teeth and more. Two of his fellow scouts took in their Pokémon card collections. They were neatly filed in card guards inside 3-ring 2” binders. My son looked through his friends’ binders at the cards and asked questions. After that, the number of Pokémon cards in our home grew quickly.
Though I don’t understand how the card battles work and how the score is kept, I have learned some things from my sons’ interests. Also, I have learned some things by playing Pokémon Go! with them a little bit. I can identify about a dozen Pokémon.
My oldest asked for a Pokémon-themed party. His birthday is in the Summer, so we had is party outside. The only Pokémon related items were the few decorations I purchased and a pokéball piñata filled with candy. For decorations, I went with black, white and red colors. I was trying to match a regular pokéball. Table cloths were red and black. I found red, black and white pompom garland for added decorations. The cupcakes had red and black frosting. We had red, white and black tissue balls hanging from the deck roof. The rest of his party was water play. Therefore, when my middle son asked for a Pokémon-themed party, I went to Pinterest for ideas. His birthday is in the winter, so inside activities were necessary.
Inside Pokémon Party
The winter Pokémon party had some of the same decorations. This was a little different, though. For my middle son’s party I decided on dark blue, yellow and an aqua color. Paper cups were solid aqua and solid yellow. Pokémon plates were used to serve cake. For the second party we purchased a cake with yellow, blue and aqua, with four Pokémon characters on it. Plastic disks with Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle accompanied a light-up Pikachu on top of the cake. There were five Pokémon-themed activities for the party guests to enjoy. My son requested certain games to be played at his party. These included, “Pin the tail on Squirtle,” “Bean Bag Toss” and “Tin Can Knock Over.”
Game-Pin the tail on Squirtle
The first game was Pin the tail on Squirtle. To make this game, I drew Squirtle on a poster board, including the tail, and colored it in. Then, using copier paper, I traced the tail. The copy paper was thin enough to see the tail underneath. I was able to put the copy paper on top of the poster board and trace the tail. My husband made copies of the tail. There were enough tails for every guest plus a few extra. One evening I cut out the blank Squirtle tails. My plan was for the kids to color or decorate their own tail. For the blindfold my husband and I cut strips of fabric. Because sickness was going around, we made a blindfold for each guest plus a few extra. Each kid had their own blindfold.
One by one, the guests lined up to take their turn at Pin the tail on Squirtle. One grown-up secured the blindfold on the next person in line. Meanwhile, another grown-up put a piece of painter’s tape on the back of the tail. Then, one by one, each guest tried to put the tail on Squirtle. I drew the tail on the poster board to identify the correct placement for the tail.
Bean bag toss Pokeball Game
The second game my son asked for was a bean bag toss game. The idea of this game is simple. There is a large poster board with a few holes cut out. The player tosses a bean bag and tries to get it into one of the holes. Looking at the game, I determined what items I needed and got to work. First, I went online and printed off a few pictures of Pokémon characters onto regular printer paper. At JoAnn, I purchased a black piece of poster board. I did not have bean bags on hand, so I chose something I did have. Plastic practice baseballs with holes were cleaned and converted into pokeballs. The desired size of the hole was cut out three times on the poster board. Then, the pictures of Pokémon characters were added around the holes.
My husband made something that resembled a fort out of a large cardboard box. In the front of the fort he attached the poster board with Pokémon on it. This held up the poster board and allowed the pokeballs to go through the holes. At first many of the guests enjoyed this game as it was to be played. After a little while their interests turned to playing with this game as a fort. Soon the whole thing was demolished. This was a fun game and was enjoyed by many. However, I would suggest making the cardboard into a triangle shape. It would work better to be used only as a support for the game and not large enough to be used as a fort.
Tin Can Knock Down
The third game my son asked for was to knock the tin cans over. To prepare for this game, our family had to eat lots of soup. I did not have a stockpile of empty cans on hand. However, we did have some cans with soup and vegetables in them. After emptying the contents of the cans, taking the labels off, then running the cans through the dishwasher, the cans were ready to be decorated. I measured the height and circumference of the can. Then, cut a piece of white paper to the right size, about 1/8 inch shorter in height and 1/8 inch longer in circumference.
I found uniform pictures of Pokémon faces, printed them and cut them out. The faces were then taped to the paper, then the paper was wrapped around each can. My husband secured the papers on the cans with two pieces of packing tape. I had ten small cans and six larger cans. Therefore, there were two stations of this game.
The tin cans required something harder to knock them over than the plastic practice baseballs with holes. Therefore, I used something else I had on hand. They were plastic practice baseballs without holes in them. Like the balls being used in place of bean bags for the other game, these were also converted into pokeballs.
Pokémon Activities
In addition to the games, we had a couple of activities. These were quiet things that each guest could do on their own, as they wanted. They could also do these activities with their grown-ups or other guests. One was a guessing game and the other activity was a coloring station.
Guess how many Pokeballs
The first activity was to guess how many pokeballs were in a jar. I purchased a pack of 100 mini ping pong balls from Amazon. We had some small circle stickers on hand. Each ball had a center seam line. I put one of the circle stickers on the seam. Then, with a black permanent marker, drew around the circle sticker and around the ball on the seam. After that, I filled in one side of the seam with a red permanent marker and removed the sticker. When completed, that made a mini pokeball (or 100 of them). Because he was turning 7, I wanted to have 77 ping pong balls in the jar. However, that many would not fit. Fifty-seven pokeballs fit nicely, though! I had that activity on a windowsill.
Guess Game Set up
There were a few items included in this activity. First, there was the glass jar with pokeballs in it. I tried a few different sizes of jars and containers before choosing the one that best fit for our activity. I set the jar filled with the pokeballs on the windowsill.
Beside the jar I placed a sign for the activity. The sign read, “Guess: How many Pokeballs are in the jar? Write your name and guess on a paper and drop it into the Eevee can! (0-100) *Kids Only.” The ‘0-100’ meant that their guess could not be over 100.
The ‘Eevee can’ was a tin can with a picture of the pokemon Eevee on it, placed beside the sign. In front of the sign there were strips of paper for guesses to be written onto. On the paper I wrote ‘Name’ and ‘Guess’ to identify which guest guessed which number. There was a wide range of guesses for this activity. They guessed from in the 30’s up to 99. One child did write down the correct amount.
Design Your Own Pokeball
The other activity we did was fairly simple to set up and do. On Pinterest, I found blank Pokeball templates. Using cardstock I printed out enough for each child to design at least three pokeballs. This activity was placed on the table. Many crayons were placed on the table along with the papers and a sign inviting the guests to create. The sign read, “Decorate and design your own pokeball!” Most of the kiddos put lots of time and thought into creating their own designs.
Some of his friends brought their pokemon cards. They looked through cards, traded some and enjoyed being together. Maybe someday I will learn more about the characters and the game and battles. For now, I am grateful that my kiddos enjoy time with friends and family.
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7, NLT)
The Fall tree craft is fairly simple to do with most ages of kids. The fall trees add no some color and fun to a cold and dreary day when indoors is the place to be. It is also adjustable for different looks and sensory experiences. For younger ages, fingers, cotton swabs, small sponges and paint brushes can be used as tools. Additionally, older kids can use the same tools but can be more precise when creating the leaves. They can also use markers and pens to draw details on leaves and other objects.
Fall tree template
First, decide on a tree silhouette or just the trunk and branches. I found one on Pinterest similar to this one. There are several options online for this. Or, if you are so artistically inclined, draw it yourself and make as many copies as needed.
Paper for the Fall tree craft
Next, decide what to paint onto. Printer paper, or copy paper might work well for your needs. Knowing the crafters I was going to have, I thought a thicker paper was the best option. My project was for a first grade class party. Some first graders tend to go heavy on the paint. A thinner paper would quickly fall apart with a large amount of paint. I opted for a thicker paper, such as card stock. Mixed media paper and canvas are other ideas, as well.
Fall tree craft tools
After the tree silhouettes are on as many papers needed, it is time to collect tools. As mentioned before, be creative with the tools, based on the age group that will make this craft. Our fall trees were created during a class party. Easy clean-up was an important factor for us. We decided to go with cotton swabs as our tool for application. They would make small circles and could be used to “draw” other objects. Also, the cotton swabs are easily disposable. Additionally, we used small paper plates to put the paint on.
Fall tree craft paint
Finally, the last supply necessary for this craft is paint. For colors, we chose red, orange and yellow. Other options for fall tree colors include some greens, burgundy, brown and even some grey hues. Choose any color you associate with fall leaves. In addition to paint colors, there is also type of paint to decide on. For little kids, washable paint means easier clean-up. This is especially true if it is not possible to work with each child individually. Personally, I prefer to use acrylic paints. The texture of acrylics, along with versatility, is most appealing to me. Also, acrylic paint is easily cleaned from many surfaces with the use of baby wipes. Of course, the sooner the paint is tended to, the easier it is to clean up entirely, no matter what kind of paint it is.
Create Fall tree craft
After gathering all of the necessary supplies, allow your artists to use their creativity. Squirt a small amount of each paint color onto a paper plate. Use an amount about the size of a quarter or half dollar. Set the paper, plate with paint and tools on the workspace. Let them create as desired. If you would rather, demonstrate for them how to use the tools.
Be creative
All 3 of my kids had fun with this activity. My oldest decided to also make a leaf pile under the tree. My other two kiddos saw their brother’s idea and adopted it for their own picture. Keep in mind, if the paint is too thick on the paper it will take longer to dry. This activity can be done with a tree silhouette, as described here. Another idea is to use a wreath silhouette and add oriental bittersweet or pyracantha berries with the leaves. This can also be done with other holidays and seasons, as well. For example, a green wreath silhouette with red or colorful dots for winter. Another idea is for a gumball machine and the colors representing the gumballs inside the machine. Be creative and have fun.
Fall Tree Dab Painting
Kids of almost any age can create a picture for Fall with paper, paint and cotton swabs (or fingers, paint brushes, etc.).
Materials
Card stock paper
Acrylic paints in Fall colors
Markers and pens (optional, for older kids)
Tools
Cotton swabs
paper plate
paint brushes (optional)
Instructions
Add some paint to the paper plate, in desired Fall colors.
Dab cotton swab into one or two colors of paint on the paper plate. Just enough to get paint on it.
Dab the cotton swab with paint on it onto the paper, creating small circles.
Continue with all of the colors until the tree is as full as desired.
If desired, use markers and pens to add detail.
Notes
Card stock paper is suggested, however, printer paper or art canvas would also work, depending on your artists.
Acrylic paints are suggested. However, kids washable paint would be fine, too.
Markers and pens are listed as an optional material. This is for older kids that might want to add detail to the leaves or something else to their page.
Cotton swabs are suggested. They used to create dots (leaves) on the bare tree. The paper plate and cotton swabs are used for easy clean-up. Kids can use their fingers for a similar look.
“I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.” (Hosea 10:12, NLT)
Door hearts are simply what they sound like. They are paper hearts that I put on my family’s bedroom doors. I write something kind about each person each evening on the heart. One heart is added to the door each evening.
Small versus large Door Hearts
Most of the times I have done door hearts I have used one small heart per day. Once or twice I have used a single larger heart for the whole month. My kids seem to enjoy the smaller hearts better. Each morning they open their bedroom doors and look for the newest heart. With the larger hearts, my kids became not as interested. They were still eager to see what I wrote, but did not have to search for the new message. They enjoy not only the sentiment, but also the search.
What to use for Door Hearts
To make the door hearts, I used some cardstock that I already had. Examples of paper colors are tan, pale pink, light purple, and mint green. Any light colored paper works, so that the writing is clearly visible. My cricut paper cutting machine made quick work of making many hearts in a short amount of time. If a cricut and a heart cartridge are not available, you could purchase some online, instead.
The search term to use is “scalloped paper hearts” or “heart hang tags.” The correct size is around 2 inches. I made and purchased enough for each person in my family to have enough for every day of the month. You can do that, or only put them up until Valentine’s Day. When I used a large heart, I just purchased some paper heart doilies from the Dollar Store in January. For those, I only purchased 1 per family member.
What to write on the Door Hearts
Any number of words or phrases can be written on each heart. For example, I wrote a positive action that was completed. This included being kind to a specific person; doing chores without being asked; doing well on school work or some other positive activity. Another topic I wrote about was physical. An example of this was how I liked their hugs; they have a nice smile; their outfit was nice on them and anything else positive about them. Sometimes I wrote a scripture verse to encourage them.
I pray for my family to always know they are loved and that my words are reaffirming to them. Positive words are usually better than negative. One of my kids’ love languages is words of affirmation. This activity of writing door hearts blesses him and shows him even more love. My other family members feel loved and blessed by this, as well. Sometimes my husband writes a door heart for me. He doesn’t always remember to do it, but I appreciate it very much when he does!
“Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgement. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.” (Psalms 1:1-6, NLT)
When I was younger shrink film was popular. Shrink film was made of a thin sheet of polystyrene. We colored in shapes that were previously printed on the film or drew our own. Then, after the project was colored with colored pencils or markers, the shape was cut out with scissors. After that, it was placed on a cookie sheet and baked in the oven. When it was taken out, the shrink film was a hard piece of plastic, smaller than the original size.
Shrink film ideas
I enjoy scrolling through Pinterest to find ideas for projects. There are some creative ideas to do with shrink film. For example, for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or Grandparent’s Day, make a keychain using a kid’s handprint. I have done something similar with my kiddos. They use a blank sheet of shrink film and randomly color or draw on it. Then I select a spot on it that appeals to me the most. They put their hand on it and I trace their hand. Next, the shape of their hand gets cut out. Then, if desired, a hole is punched somewhere on the palm of the hand. Finally, the shape is heated per package instructions.
My kiddos are creative people and I knew they would enjoy this craft, especially my oldest two. They could make quite a few of them with little materials. The ornaments would look fun either on the small tree in their bedroom or as small gifts to family.
Gathering Materials
The materials were easy to gather. My local craft store had the shrink film in stock. I have about 3 different sizes of hole punches. The smallest one was best. Some crafting supplies I like to always have on hand are permanent markers in various colors. After gathering the materials and tools needed, I went online to find the best ornament templates for this project. I printed out the templates I chose (you can find them here). It is a plus that the shrink film is opaque. I put the film on top of the ornament template and secured it with masking tape. Then I traced the ornaments onto the film with a black permanent marker. My kiddos did their part of coloring the ornaments. Then it was up to me to cut then bake them. It was as simple as that.
Yield: 12 Shrink Film Ornaments
Easy Shrink Film Ornaments
Use shrink film, permanent markers, an ornament template and your creativity to make small ornaments for a tree, as a small gift from a child or to make a package more festive.
Materials
Shrink film (found at many craft stores)
Permanent markers in many colors
Ornament Template
Tools
Scissors
Hole punch, preferably small
Oven (with adult supervision)
Instructions
Gather materials.
Place a sheet of shrink film on top of ornament template and secure with masking or painter’s tape.
Trace the shapes and designs of the ornaments onto the shrink film.
Using permanent markers, color in the ornaments on the shrink film as desired.
With scissors, cut out each ornament carefully.
Using the hole punch, make a hole in the top of the ornament, be careful to stay within the margin of the ornament.
Place ornaments onto baking sheet.
Bake per instructions on shrink film packaging.
Remove from oven and let cool.
Add a hook, ribbon or floral wire to hang the ornament.
Notes
Kids might enjoy watching the shrink film at work. It will shrink, curl up and then flatten back out.
Colors become darker with the heating process.
Remember, the whole thing will shrink, so the size of the hole from the hole punch will also get smaller. That is good to remember depending on what you are using to hang your ornament.
Colored pencils could also be used, if desired, instead of permanent markers.
When storing them, be sure to package them securely. They will be a strong, hard plastic after heating. However, the ornaments could still break.
Some of the ornaments we made did not fully flatten. There are many variables as to why that might be. One reason could be due to which side they were heated on. Another reason would be if the oven does not cook evenly and they were at a slightly different temperature. (Or if the door of the oven was opened and cool air got into the oven while they were hardening.)
“The LORD says, ‘I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name.” (Psalms 91:14-15, NLT)
