The Preschooler’s Busy Book (19 page)

Valentines your child has received

Hole punch

Thread or yarn

Coat hanger

Have your child punch holes in his valentines, thread them onto a piece of thread or yarn, and hang them from a coat hanger to create a mobile.
Hang the finished mobile from a curtain rod.

Plain or construction paper

Scissors

Can of spray-on artificial snow

Fold several pieces of paper in half and cut out heart shapes in varying sizes.
The pieces of paper out of which the hearts have been cut will serve as stencils.
Tape them to the window in an interesting arrangement and spray with artificial snow.
Remove the stencils to see the heart shapes on the window.

Plain or construction paper

Scissors

Tempera paints, liquid

Hole punch

Yarn

Photo of your child (optional)

Glue (optional)

Cut a heart shape as large as your child’s hand out of plain or construction paper.
Dip his hand in liquid tempera paint and press it on the paper.
When the paint is dry, punch a hole in the top of the heart, and string yarn through it to make a necklace.
Write a valentine’s message on it, and glue a picture of your child on the other side, if you wish.
Send or give the heart necklace to a special friend or relative.

Poster board or heavy construction paper in valentine colors (white, pink, red, purple)

Hole punch

Tape

Ribbon in contrasting colors

Photo of your child (optional)

Glue (optional)

Magnet (optional)

Cut a large heart shape out of poster board or heavy construction paper.
Punch an even number of holes around the outside edge of the heart.
Tape one end of a ribbon between two holes, leaving an inch or two free to make a bow later, and show your child how to weave the ribbon through the holes, starting at either the bottom or top of the heart.
Tie the ends in a bow.
Help your child write a valentine’s message on the heart.
If you like, glue a photo of your child to the front of the heart and a magnet to the back.

Whether or not St.
Patrick’s Day is a big deal in your family, this holiday can help break up the monotony of the last days of winter.
Dress in green and invite a few friends over for a small St.
Patrick’s Day celebration.
Make Green Hats (
see below
) together and play a few simple games.
Serve green Finger Jell-O (
page 85
) and cupcakes or sugar cookies with green icing (or decorate them as a party activity).
Color white grape juice green with a drop or two of food coloring, or serve limeade or green Kool-Aid.
Wind up the day with your own St.
Patrick’s Day parade, wearing homemade hats and marching to the beat of drums (coffee cans or other large cans with lids), a Pie Plate Tambourine (
page 152
), or other homemade rhythm instruments.

Green paint

16-by-20-inch sheets of newspaper

1-by-2-inch piece of sponge

Plastic lids (for paint)

Fold sheets of newspaper in half, short end to short end.
Fold the top corners (folded end) over so they meet in the center.
Fold up the bottom edges so they meet the folded edges.
Pour a small amount of paint in a plastic lid, dip the sponge in the paint, and let your child decorate the hat.

While this game works best with a few children, you can still play when there’s just the two of you.

Green construction paper

Scissors

Cut a shamrock out of green construction paper.
Choose a child to be “it.” While other children hide their eyes, “it” hides the shamrock within a designated area.
Everyone then opens their eyes and tries to find the shamrock.
The finder gets to be “it” for the next round.

Easter is the traditional Christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It is also a time to celebrate the coming of spring and all the joyous signs of new life.
Consider holding a small Easter party for your child and a few friends.
Make some Easter Bunny Ears and decorate eggs with your guests.
Have an informal Easter parade with decorated wagons and tricycles.
An Easter egg or candy hunt can be held either indoors or out, depending on the weather.
Remember that children enjoy the planning and anticipation, so start your Easter crafts and activities early.

Large paper plate

Small paper plate

Glue

Stapler (optional)

Pink construction paper

Scissors

Crayons or markers

Cotton ball

Glue a small paper plate to a large paper plate to form the head and body of a bunny.
Cut out bunny ears from pink construction paper and glue or staple to the head.
Draw the bunny face with crayons or markers, and glue a cotton ball on the back for a tail.

Construction paper in white and pink

Scissors

Glue

Stapler

Use white and pink construction paper to cut out bunny-ear shapes—two white and two pink, the pink being slightly smaller.
Glue the pink ears onto the white ears.
Glue the ears onto a long strip of construction paper, measure to fit your child’s head, and staple the ends together to form a headband.

Large Easter basket

Pan, large enough to hold the basket

Wheat seeds (about 1 pound)

Vermiculite (about 1 pound)

Plastic wrap

Grow a miniature meadow right in your own Easter basket.
About a week before Easter, line a large Easter basket with plastic wrap and fill with vermiculite up to two inches below the rim.
Sprinkle the wheat seeds on top of the vermiculite, set the basket in the sink, and add water until the seed bed is moist.
You won’t have to water it again before Easter.
Set the basket in a pan and place it in filtered sunlight.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap to keep moist; remove the plastic after two days.
The wheat will begin to sprout during the next few days, and by Easter morning, you will have real Easter grass for hiding your Easter eggs.

Paper plate

Scissors

Pink construction paper

Glue

Pink or white pipe cleaners

Yarn

Hole punch

Turn a paper plate into a bunny mask.
Hold the plate against your child’s face and mark where the eyes and nose holes should be.
Cut out the holes for the eyes and nose.
Cut out bunny ears from pink construction paper and glue to the plate.
Use pipe cleaners for whiskers.
Punch a hole on each side of the plate, and attach two pieces of yarn on both sides to tie the mask onto your little bunny’s head.

Papier-Mâché Paste (see
page 363
)

Pie tin

Balloon

Tape

1-inch torn strips of newspaper or paper towel

Paint

Paintbrushes

Colored tissue paper (optional)

Shellac

Mix up some Papier-Mâché Paste and put it in a pie tin.
Inflate a balloon and tape it to the top of the table.
Dip strips of newspaper in the paste and place them on the balloon, overlapping edges slightly.
Cover the balloon completely and let dry.
Have your child decorate the covered balloon by painting an Easter egg design, or cover the balloon egg with a layer of tissue paper in pastel Easter colors.
Finish with shellac for a shiny, glazed effect.

There are many ways to decorate an Easter egg without using commercially prepared egg dyes.
You can make your own dye with food coloring or vegetables, or you can make pretty eggs using crayons, paint, fabric, yarn, seeds, and other materials to create different effects.

If you are using hard-boiled eggs, keep them refrigerated.
Do not eat them if they are not refrigerated or have been sprayed with acrylic.
If you are creating special works of art, use blown eggs instead of hard-boiled.
Blown eggs are more fragile, and probably not a good idea for really young children, but you can keep them from year to year.

To blow an egg, poke a small hole at each end of the egg with a large needle.
Push the needle inside the egg and twist until the yoke is broken.
Hold the egg over a bowl and blow hard through the hole at the top until the shell is empty.
Rinse the eggshells well and allow to dry completely before decorating.
(Save the raw eggs and scramble them for breakfast, or do some baking with your child.)