Pasta Jewelry

I found this project in a Family Fun magazine - my almost 3 year old LOVED it!  This is the project that has perhaps kept her attention longer than any other we've done!

Making jewelry from pasta!

All you need is:
a box/bag of larger, easy to string pasta (we used rigatoni)
vinegar
food coloring
zip-top bags (or other sealable containers)
yarn/string
a twist tie
cookie sheets and paper towels

First, dye your pasta.  Since we had the standard, 4 color food coloring box, we did 4 colors.  So, I got 4 ziplock bags, and divided the pasta among the bags.  Then C poured a few teaspoons of vinegar and several drops of food coloring into each bag.  I sealed the bags, and let her shake and squish away!

Line some baking sheets/pans with paper towels, and dump the pasta out.  Spread evenly and allow to dry.

Isn't it pretty?

Cut lengths of string to make necklaces or bracelets (make sure they are big enough to pull over your head for necklaces; she insisted on bracelets, but we could only fit 3 or 4 "beads" per length and I didn't particularly enjoy these).  Twist one end of a twist tie around one end of the string, and straighten out the rest to make a "needle".  Loosely tie one pasta bead to the other end.  Let kiddos string away!  Once they fill a length of string, untie the pasta piece and securely tie the ends together - voila!

Manatees from A to Z

Manatees!  My favorite marine mammal.

Note - special section for kids at bottom of post

I wrote two articles about them - one regarding their natural history, and the other their conservation.  I hope you'll check them out!

 I have had the amazing opportunity to snorkle with them, and let me tell you - there are few experiences as awesome as being side by side with an extremely large yet extremely gentle marine mammal like this.  And even more amazing to me is that they seemed to seek out human company.  At times they would swim into the "off-limits" zone (meaning off-limits to human divers, to afford them a peaceful human-free zone when they wanted it), only to turn around and come back to me once they realized I was no longer with them!

If you are interested in manatees and conserving them, you must check out this organization.  I hope you will sign up to receive their action alerts, helping manatees whenever possible.

They also have the option to "adopt" a manatee - these make great gifts!

Manatee Kid Zone

The Save the Manatee site has a great page just for kids!  And another for educators!  Whether you're a teacher looking for classroom materials, or a parent looking for fun activities to do with your kids, you're sure to find something usable!  Here and here are links to a bunch of free manatee stuff.  Enjoy!

Edible Art

Sometimes I like to leave my daughter in her high chair while I unload the dishwasher or do something there's no way she'll accommodate if she's on the floor.  So, I wanted an activity to keep her occupied while I did such.  I saw this idea in a magazine.

Get a silicone basting brush and some kind of edible "paint", such as yogurt or pudding, and let them create a work of art right on their highchair tray!

I found this at Bob Evans:



It works great!  I do not give my daughter sugary foods, so opted against pudding.  Instead, I went with the plain whole milk yogurt that's a staple in our fridge.  My new conundrum?  How to safely "color" the yogurt.



Just like with the crayons, she's not really that into this activity yet, so we've only done it twice.  Against my better judgement, I used food coloring (I know, I know, I've preached and preached against artificial coloring).  Before we do it again, I need to come up with some natural alternatives.

Suggestions???

Colorific!

I figured my little koala bear was getting old enough to enjoy coloring, so I went on a search to find the perfect materials for her little hands.  I knew the crayons had to be safe for her, and found these that I found were just the thing:

Melissa and Doug 10 Jumbo Triangular Crayons (non-roll, non-toxic, stronger than regular crayons!)

She has a little table/chair set, so I wanted to find some cheap recycled paper that would cover the entire top so I could tape it down and prevent the table from being colored on.  Here's what I came up with:

Faber-Castell Recycled Newsprint Art Paper 18" x 75'

It's a roll, so I just roll out the desired amount, tear it off and tape it down with masking tape.  Perfect!



Now if I could just get her to love coloring as much as I THINK she should!  ;)