The girls went to a friend’s house on Monday, so that I could work on finishing up God’s Little Explorers (it will be complete and ready next week)!!  While they were there, my friend’s daughter worked on some projects with the girls.  I LOVED this project, so I asked permission to share it!

This project also goes perfectly with the book we read for this month’s Virtual Book Club for Kids!  The author of the month is Leo Lionni, so I picked out the book A Color of His Own.  We then observed various animals and insects in their natural habitats, discussed camoflauge, and sketched a few nature objects in these Nature Journals.

Homemade “Tree” Cover Nature Journals

Supplies:

• Old file folder
• Scissors
• White paper
• Masking tape
• Brown shoe polish
• Paper towels
• Title for the cover (you can use this Printable “My Nature Journal” if desired)

1)  Cut down the file folder to the size you want your journal.  You’ll also want to cut the pieces of paper down to fit inside the cover.  Staple the paper inside the cover.

2)  Lay the cover flat and add strips of masking tape to the outside.

3)  Cover your work area.  Dip a paper towel in brown shoes polish and smooth onto the tape.  Allow to dry.

4)  Cut-out and glue the title on the cover.

Head out on some fun nature walks with your Nature Journals and enjoy the beautiful world God created!

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Check out the other people in the Virtual Book Club for Kids and the activities they did.

You can also link up your ideas for Leo Lionni books here:

In less than two weeks, I have the privilege of attending the Teach Them Diligently Convention in Omaha, Nebraska! I cannot wait! The girls and I are counting down the days!

I wanted to let you know that today (May 20, 2013) is the last day to register online for the convention. The cost is just $55 for your whole family (grandparents and children included), and there is also the opportunity to register your child or teen in special programs for an added cost.

Some of my favorite speakers will be there–including Sally Clarkson, Voddie Baucham, Ken Ham, Debra Bell, Pam Tebow and so many more!

I’ve been wanting to try this Puzzle Hunt activity for quite some time, but I always forget to try it during Easter when we have the eggs out!  I was cleaning out a closet (I’m in one of those simplifying moods again) and ran across the tub of plastic eggs, so I decided to go ahead and give it a try.

This activity combines two of my girls’ favorite things:  putting together a puzzle and going on an Easter Egg hunt.  Unfortunately, all three of them were feeling a little grumpy yesterday, so things didn’t quite go as planned {but they rarely ever do anyway}!  One of them loved the egg hunting part and cried when it was time to put together the puzzle.  One loved the whole thing–including the puzzle-putting-together part.  The other refused to do anything and sat in her room reading a book.

Welcome to my world. 

Puzzle Hunt Activity for Kids

Supplies:

• Plastic Eggs
• Puzzle pieces
• Basket

1)  Find a puzzle with pieces small enough to fit in the plastic eggs.  Put one piece in each egg.  If your puzzle is quite large, you may want to put more than one piece in each egg.

2)  Hide the eggs.  Have your child go on a hunt to find them.

3)  Open each egg one at a time and separate the pieces–edge or middle part.

4)  Put the puzzle together!

Afterwards, we decided to do a few more eggs hunts since I had the eggs down from storage already. 

I think this could be a great idea when it’s really hot outside and you need an indoor activity!  Also, you can find more of our Easter Egg and Easter activities for kids here.  You can find 101 Days of Summer Fun for Kids here.  I’ll be adding more ideas to the list in June!

Feel free to email me if you have a fun summer activity idea for kids!

This week’s 10 in 10 Blog Hop from iHomeschool Network is “toys that have lasted in my home”, and I thought I would share a few of our favorite toys.  These are toys that we’ve had for a while that the girls still play with…and toys I anticipate they will continue to play with in the future!

Please note that these are not all inexpensive toys!  Sometimes, I do find it to be a good investment to buy quality toys (or ask for them as gifts)!

1)  Legos

Obviously you can’t use these with little bitty ones, although you can start with Duplos!  Once your child is ready, they can start with simple ideas…and build as elaborate as can be (robots, model cars, and more).

2)  Wooden Blocks

We have two sets of these Melissa & Doug wooden blocks and use them to build all kinds of things.  When the girls were small, we built bridges and roads and made letters from the blocks.  Now, they can build castles, zoos, and farms.

3)  Magformers

These are expensive and I would’ve never thought to buy them myself, but a friend has given us a few sets of these Magformers.  They are awesome!  When your child is small, they’ll get a kick out of the magnetic properties and sticking them together.  As they grow, they can make all kinds of structures with them.

4)  Basketball Goal

Our basketball goal was actually a Father’s Day gift, but I purchased one that was adjustable.  The girls love practicing now on the short goal, but we can easily move it up as they grow (or when dad and mom want to play)!

5)  Play Kitchen

This one may be a stretch, but we got it as a gift six years ago, and they are still playing with it almost daily.   Add in some old pots and pans and my girls will play happily for hours–especially if they can take the pans outside and make mud pies!  If you can afford it, I would recommend a wooden play kitchen.

6) Craft Box and Art Supplies

I keep a box filled with various recycled goodies–boxes, cans, containers, lids, and more.  The creations the girls make have changed over the years, but they still love a good craft or art project using materials from the box!

7) Animals or Bug Stuff

We have tons of miniature animals picked up from our local Orshelns.  These are some of our favorites because they are so realistic compared to some of the cheapy plastic ones you can get.  They are great for learning about animals, building zoos or farms, and more (we use them with the blocks and legos)!

Also, bug stuff is popular around here!  Bug jars are easy enough to make (or you can buy a simple one), and they seem to keep kids of all ages entertained.  We also love the Insect Lore Live Butterfly Garden.

8)  Doll House

This one may only be pertinent if you have girls, but the girls got this one year as their Christmas present, and they love it.  I, personally, love this KidCraft Majestic Doll House.  It’s pricey (although I got mine about $45 cheaper than it’s priced right now and had some gift cards from Swagbucks), but all of the toys with it are wooden and it’s big enough for Barbies, too.  You can see–it is an enormous dollhouse!

9)  Board Games

I keep the game closet stocked with various board games.  Classics like checkers, Blokus, and Jenga can be “adapted” to your child’s age.  Sometimes we completely change the rules, too!

10)  Swing Set

This is probably a favorite!  I do wish we had saved up and gotten a little bit larger jungle gym.  It’s served us well for the past three years, but my eight-year-old can swing high enough to make the leg come up sometimes!  If I did it again, I would save up for a bigger swing set to last for many more years!

How about you?  What is your one favorite toy that has lasted in your home?