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bigbooksbygeorge · 5 months

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The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Kids to Read in Spanish

Do you remember the first time you read a book and felt like you were transported into a whole new world? Well, guess what? It's time to buckle up because you're about to give your kids the ticket to that magical journey. But this time it's en español.

Whether you're a native Spanish speaker or just someone who appreciates the beauty and culture that comes with the language, teaching your little one to read in Spanish can be a rewarding experience for both of you.

So, let's get to it, shall we? Today, we're going to delve into the fun, fabulous world of letters, syllables, and big books in Spanish. Yes, you heard it right. Big books in Spanish that your child will fall in love with, and that will make the learning process a piece of cake Or should I say, un pedazo de pastel?

Start with the Basics: The Spanish Alphabet

Let's go back to the good ol' ABCs, shall we? But wait, in Spanish, we have a couple of special guests like "ñ" and "ll." Learning the alphabet is like learning the building blocks of a castle, and who doesn't want to build a castle?

To make it super engaging, let's turn this into a hands-on project. Get some poster board and markers, and create a colorful alphabet chart with your kiddo. Hang it up in a special place, maybe even their room, so they can proudly see their work every day.

And hey, remember that songs are your best friend. Sing the Spanish alphabet tune when you're driving to school or while doing chores. Before you know it, you’ll have a tiny artist singing the Spanish ABCs while coloring. Now that's what I call killing two birds with one stone: or should I say, matar dos pájaros de un tiro!

Syllable Shenanigans: Breaking Down Words

Alright, you've mastered the letters, so what's next on this fun-filled journey? Syllables. Think of syllables as the glue that holds our beautiful Spanish words together. And the exciting part? Spanish is so neat and tidy; the words often break down into syllables in a very straightforward way with children’s books.

Start with some arts and crafts time. Cut out syllables from magazines or newspapers and make a syllable scrapbook. Let your child glue down syllables next to pictures that represent them. For instance, next to a picture of a dog, they could glue the syllables “pe” and “rro” to form "perro."

And don't underestimate the power of movement. Get your little one to jump or hop from one syllable to the next written on the floor. Imagine how fun it will be for them to hop from "pa" to "pa" and shout "papá". It's exercise and education rolled into one. Now, how cool is that?

Visual Aids: Pictures and Word Associations

Who can resist the charm of vivid, colorful pictures? Visual aids can be a game-changer when it comes to learning. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but in our case, we'll start with just one or two in Spanish.

Let's take your child's favorite storybook and give it a Spanish twist. Use sticky notes to label the pictures with their Spanish names. So, every time you get to the page with a 'house,' you'll also see "casa" right next to it.

You could even make it into a weekend activity by going on a "photo walk." Take pictures of random things around the neighborhood, like a tree, car, or cat. Then, go home and make a cute little album, writing down the Spanish word next to each photo. As a bonus, this can be a treasured keepsake of your child's learning journey.

Ah, and what about your own home? Turn it into a mini-Spanish haven. Place labels on household items like "mesa" for table, "silla" for chair, and "puerta" for door. It becomes a 24/7 learning playground, plus your child will feel super proud as they go around the house reading these words.

The Power of Repetition: Story Time

Ah, the allure of storytelling. Imagine cuddling up with your little one and exploring magical worlds: all in Spanish. When we dive into stories, we don’t just read words; we live adventures. And guess what? The more often we relive these adventures, the more familiar they become.

Begin with a bedtime ritual. Choose a captivating children’s tale in Spanish and read it every night for a week. You'll notice something wonderful: after a few days, your little listener will start finishing sentences and predicting what comes next.

And what about some drama? Turn these story sessions into mini-plays. Assign characters to each other and act out the parts. Fancy yourself the Big Bad Wolf or the brave Little Red Riding Hood? Your living room will soon be the stage for epic tales from Spanish folklore.

Also, keep an eye out for those big books in Spanish with vibrant illustrations. The combination of pictures and repetitive phrases can create a mesmerizing effect. Your child won’t just be learning; they’ll be enthralled.

Be Interactive: Use Everyday Moments

Life is a classroom, especially for a curious child. The beauty of learning Spanish is that you can infuse it into the tiniest moments. Think of it as seasoning everyday life with a pinch of Spanish.

During breakfast, chat about what’s on the menu in Spanish. Pancakes? That's "panqueques". Milk? That's "leche". It won't be long before your child excitedly asks for "jugo de naranja" in the morning.

Stuck in traffic or waiting in line? Turn it into a spontaneous Spanish quiz! Ask your child to spot things outside and name them in Spanish. A tree is an "árbol", and a car is a "coche". Bonus points if they can use it in a sentence.

And how about a dance party? Yup, you heard that right. Put on some catchy Spanish songs and dance away. Not only will this help with vocabulary, but you'll also have some unforgettable fun-filled moments together.

Have Fun: Games and Activities

If there's a surefire way to make learning unforgettable, it's by wrapping it up in layers of fun. Spanish isn't just a language; it's a ticket to a universe of games and activities that your child will adore.

Ever heard of "Lotería"? It's the Mexican version of Bingo, and it's brimming with delightful imagery and Spanish words. Give it a try on a family game night. You’ll be yelling "Lotería" in no time.

For the tech-savvy kids, the digital realm offers a plethora of Spanish learning apps and games. Picture this: animated characters, vibrant landscapes, and challenging quests: all reading in Spanish.

And finally, how about a Spanish fiesta? Host a themed party with Spanish music, food, and games. Your child can invite their friends, and together they can have a blast while learning. Imagine them doing the conga line while chanting Spanish numbers. Uno, dos, tres, ¡fiesta!

To wrap it up, the journey of teaching Spanish can be as colorful, lively, and dynamic as the language itself. Remember, every game played, every story read, and every song sung brings your child a step closer to being a confident Spanish reader. Dive in, enjoy the ride, and let the fiesta of learning begin.

Conclusion

Remember, teaching your child to read in Spanish is not just about the words and letters. It’s about spending quality time together and embarking on a fun-filled journey into a new world. So dig out those big books in Spanish, put on your imaginative hats, and watch your child transform into a little lector (reader) who not only enjoys stories but also gains a valuable skill that will benefit them for life.

Childrens Big Books

#Big books in spanish #Books #Education #Kids #Spanish #Children

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lilpuppiepaws · 3 years

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🖍arts n’ crafts activities!🖍

🌈🖍🍄🌈🖍🍄🌈🖍🍄🌈🖍🍄🌈🖍🍄🌈🖍🍄

• finger paint!! get some colorful paper n use your hands to paint whatever you like!! (crayola’s washable paint is recommended!!)

• make a paper crown to wear! cut a long strip of paper with wide spikes on one side! (you can cut more than one strip n tape it together so it fits your head!) decorate it with stickers, glitter, n gems!!

• free draw! draw whatever you want with whatever you want, on whatever you want!! (maybe not the wall or on furniture though ^^;;)

• paint rocks!! go outside and find some smooth rocks that are good in size! paint whatever you’d like on them! then put them in public places for others to find! :D

• make a collage! cut out pictures you like from old magazines (or print some out!) and glue them all together on a piece of paper or poster paper!

• make a sensory bottle! fill a bottle with water and glitter! maybe also a drop of food coloring or two! and perhaps some colorful beads or sequins! shake it all around and watch the things inside! you can also make a bottle with rice instead of water! sort of like an ispy kind of thing!

• make bracelets! use colorful beads n make fun patterns! and you could also use letter beads and put cute words on them! i also have a friendship bracelet tutorial here! <3

• macaroni noodle crafts! get any colored paper, and make fun shapes and designs by gluing macaroni noodles to the paper!

• make something out of clay! when it dries, you can paint it or decorate it with glitter! you could even use the figures you made to play with!

🖍🌈🍄🖍🖍🍄🖍🌈🍄🖍🌈🍄🖍🌈🍄🖍🌈🍄

#agere #agere community #agere blog #age regression #age regression community #age regressor #agere textpost #cglre #sfw cglre

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siebenschoen · 3 years

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old things, half forgotten

fandom: the wayhaven chronicles

pairing: (m!detective x Ava)

warnings: none, this is more a character study of my detective than anything else; part of a February Prompt list: day 1 - love letters

I’ve been really into twc lately, so of course the first thing that popped into my mind, when I decided to follow a prompt list “make it about wayhaven! make it about wayhaven!”. So, yeah, this happend. Fair warning though, this is spell check by nothing, but google docs - it’s late and I’m tired and just so happy that I managed to write something for the first time in months.

summary: Janosch comes home. Waiting for him is a box full of memories and a very judgemental cat.

Janosch closes the door behind him and kicks his shoes off. His bag lands somewhere on the floor between the front door and the coat rack, quickly followed by his jacket. Schrödinger eyes him in his wise, judgemental way from the open kitchen door.

“What?”, Janosch asks, more harshly than intended, but Schrödinger just meows and walks off - probably to stare out of the window and plot revenge. Janosch sighs. Shit, he thinks, shit shit shit. He moves to the living room and crumbles down on the couch.

The wall next to him seems so much higher than usual, with his head hanging off from the couch, it’s a light, soft orange that he picked out with Tina back when he first started at the station and had moved into a new apartment - his home, now. He remembers how they had painted the walls together - in old t-shirts and even older jeans -, Tina had made little hats out of newspaper for them both and ABBA’s Dancing Queen had been blasting in the background. Life had been so much easier then. He hadn’t been detective and the biggest problems in his life had been a non-existing mother and an ex-boyfriend, that he desperately needed to get over, not… not whatever the fuck is going on now.

Janosch smacks his hands over his eyes and lets out a deep, deep sigh. Maybe if he just tries not to think about it- but it’s no use. And he knows that it’s no use. He is too old to try to repress his emotions until his problems go away. Not that that ever worked for him. Problems tend to stay, he finds, stay and fester and get all nasty and disgusting if nobody deals with them. So, he has to deal with them.

He sits up, slowly rubbing his forehead. The question is how. How does he deal with his problem- his… crush. Is it a crush? He’s not sure. It’s attraction, that much is certain. He finds no shame in admitting that. Ava is an attractive woman, nothing wrong with noticing that. And he enjoys flirting with her. Enjoys that he can make her blush sometimes, but enjoys it even more when she doesn’t blush, but her lips lift into what is almost a smile and her eyes twinkle with what is almost playfulness and she almost flirts back. (She enjoys it too, he thinks, hopes.)

And, yes, he does care for her and the thought of her being hurt - hurt trying to protect him - makes his chest feel too tight and the air too thin. So, yeah, it’s probably more than attraction, probably also more than a crush, but that’s a scary thought and he’s not quite there… yet.

His gaze falls to one of the cardboard boxes that’s been pulled from the shelf and now sits in front of it. He planned on looking through that one today after work. Part of his supposedly annual cleaning regiment. Getting rid of old stuff, making room for new one. But that was yesterday evening, before Ava and he… well, before she had almost touched his cheek and he had almost kissed her and almost thought that she might want him as much as he does. (That much, huh?) Now it seems almost pointless. Why make room for the new, if the new doesn’t want to be here? But he grabs the box anyway and starts sorting through it.

It’s mostly pictures, still in their respective envelopes from then he got them printed, and he decides to keep them immediately. There’s a jar of sand that Tina had gifted him as a reminder from a holiday long, long, long ago and he looks at it for a moment. It’s just sand, he thinks. He can get into his car and drive to the beach if he regrets throwing it away too much. It lands on the steadily growing ‘keep’ pile.

Next is a little cotton bag that’s starting to fray at the edges. He turns it over and a collection of different shells falls into his lap. Some of them are broken, splintered into tiny, tiny pieces, that dust his jeans now. With a little patience he could probably glue them back together. He sighs. He is so bad at this. How is this supposed to work when he can’t even fight the urge to glue some old shells back together only to put them back into an old bag, which he’ll put into an old cardboard box never to be seen again?

He grabs a magazine - he can make out a headline about the right treatment of balcony plants in winter - from the coffee table and bushes the broken shells on it. That much he can throw away. That much at least.

He turns back towards the box, grabbing something from the bottom of it and pulling it out. It’s a small stack of notes. Shit, that’s something he hasn’t seen in a while. They are colourful pieces of square paper, the kind you keep on your desk to take notes, and he can see his own forcefully careless scrawl on it. The ink has slightly faded with the years, but not so much that he couldn’t read them anymore. “take care” reads the first one , “leftovers are in the fridge” the next one with a little star doodled in the corner, “i love you” the third.

He looks at the last one for a while. It’s a soft baby blue and the edge crumples between his fingers. It’s been years, he thinks, years. He used to leave them around the flat, when he lived together with Bobby, for him to find. He’d write them and imagine how Bobby would find them and feel loved or touched, at least. But the notes always stayed where he’d left them. At first he thought that maybe Bobby just forgot, but it was always Janosch who’d collect them at the end of the day and eventually he stopped.

He’s glad now that Bobby didn’t pick them up. He wouldn’t want him to have these now.

There’s an annoyed meow to his left. Schrödinger has returned from his plotting and is now looking at him with questioning, pale yellow eyes. “These are quite old, buddy. Older than you, I think.”, Janosch says, still holding the blue note. His cat meows again and he nods. “Yeah, I know. I’m just bad at getting rid of stuff.” He sighs. “But you’re right. It’s high time for these to leave.”

He collects the rest of the notes and moves to the kitchen - Schrödinger following and pressing against his legs, probably trying his damn hardest to make Janosch trip. He makes it in one piece though. He looks at the notes and suddenly he’s a college student again and in love and maybe-, he thinks but cuts himself off before the sting in his chest gets any worse and throws them in the bin. It’s better that way. It would have been better like this for quite a while.

Schrödinger meows up his leg. “Oh, now you are in bad need of attention? Stupid cat.”, he mutters, but picks him up and presses a kiss between Schrödinger’s ears. “I love you.” Schrödinger purrs - a little.

Janosch carries him back to the living room, ignoring the mess of envelopes and sand jars and broken shells he left behind (Because isn’t that what happens when you clean? You just make the mess worse?), and sits down on the couch. The cat, a warm, comforting weight on his lap. “You know”, he ruffles Schrödinger’s grey fur, who purrs in response, “I think she’d like them. The notes, I mean.” Schrödinger stops purring and opens his yellow eyes to judge him. Janosch laughs and then sighs. “Yeah, I have it bad.”

#the wayhaven chronicles #twc #my writing #my ocs #my ocs: janosch

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leahsouthernx · 4 years

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Artwork inspired by my headlines

“Scientists have managed to stop the progress of alzheimer’s in animals” - Good News Network

This drawing was inspired by the headline I chose about scientists stopping the progression of alzheimer’s in animals. I decided that I would start this piece of work by using a pencil drawing to emphasise working more realistic rather than abstract. I decided to not add any type or too much detail as I wanted to develop my work further digitally. This also meant not adding colour. The reason I chose to do this drawing was because of the idea that this would work really well as a feature in the background of one of my postcards. Pencil studies are also a strength of mine and something I enjoy which is another reason I chose to draw this.

This was my third piece about the scientist headline. I first created the mark makings on the background using ink and a roller to create a more rustic look. I then went in with a cut out of a microscope to clearly show that this work was about scientists and the developments made in science, which is shown furthermore by the cut out of a road which is part of the background to create the idea of it being a journey. I then created my own mark making of lines and arrows to show direction and progression in science. After this, I then went and found type saying “currents”, “spaceform”, and “the future” which are words within science, which is also why I used a stencil to create the letter ‘s’. The type saying “OVER 25%” is to represent the statistics within the topic.

This is my second piece inspired by the headline about scientists stopping the progression of alzheimer’s in animals. To counteract my other pieces of using no text, I decided to create his piece with only type. I ripped out part of an article that was about drugs, still fitting in with the headline, and then on some of the lines, I wrote out the rest of the sentence with a fine liner. I then cut out a title saying “WHAT MAKES YOU YOU?” relating the whole idea of alzheimer’s making you forgetful, and therefore resulting sometimes not knowing family and even who you are yourself.

“Climate protests work” - onetreeplanted.org

This piece of work is inspired by my headline I chose about climate protests. Again, I decided to do another drawing, this time of a fist in the air to represent protestors, which was created more realistic than abstract. I used more harsh shading and darker tones to create a more bold and prominent effect. This time, I decided to use type by cutting out the letters of the word ‘change’ from a page in a magazine that had lots of leaves and nature on it, continuing to follow my theme. However, to represent the actual change made by protesting, I reversed one of the letters, again to resemble the idea of making things happen, and the beginning of a more worldwide spread of change.

This was my second image that I chose to create about my headline of protests working. This time, I created a more abstract piece of work by. or being so deliberate with the placement of mark makings and images. I used green ink and a piece of string to create the lines across the page and also stuck down thin green thread. Choosing green again follows the theme of nature which is also why images of leaves are also stuck down. To further the mark makings a drew a very scratchy exclamation mark using black biro to emphasise the importance of these protests, due to it being a big movement created, and to also represent the danger both within protesting and nature itself. I also used type which I arranged to that the words crossed over each other, forming the shade of a cross to represent health, well-being and aid which are all things considered with climate change.

“Ocean cleaning world record broken” - onetreeplanted.org

This piece of work was inspired by the headline about the world record of ocean cleaning being broken. The main centre piece of this work is the image of a goldfish in the bottle which is to represent plastic pollution which follows onto topics such as recycling. I then decided to use cut outs of text in the shape of waves placing them both behind and in front of the bottle to show how plastic was taking over the ocean. The other image I chose was a more cartoon style charcuterie holding a record which he has broken. This is clearly representing the world record being broken but to also represent the heroes who cleaned our waters and actively volunteered to help save our planet. To create mark makings, I used blue water colour, creating circles to show the idea of bubbles, and then freehanded type saying “ocean”.

This is my second piece of work inspired by the headline about the world record of ocean cleaning being broken. I worked more abstract with this piece, being less deliberate with the placement of images and also the mark makings I made. I again used ink and string to create lines going in multiple directions to show the unpredictability of oceans and water. Oil pastels were also a good way to make markings, using two different shades of blue and creating circles to resemble bubbles and to also represent the idea of things being a full circle. This means that the circle started off by us producing products such as single-use plastics and plastic in general and us ending up having to clear it up. I decided not to have type as this would be something I will be doing digitally on photoshop, however, I instead used images of a wale in water, and waves.

“Circus uses elaborate hologram light show in response to mistreatment of performing animals” - Good News Network

This piece of work is inspired by the headline about circuses using elaborate hologram light shows in response to the mistreatment of performing animals. This work is incomplete as I plan to add type by hand, however, this drawing is of a ring of fire which is something often seen in performing animal circuses. I drew it in pencil and then went over with red and orange marker pen to emphasise the fire, creating a sense of danger and fear.

This is my second piece inspired by the headline about circuses, where I have used a cut out I found in a magazine which shows seats at the bottom, creating the idea of an audience, and a collage of people on top. The woman looks shocked which is to represent the response from some audience members when they are educated on the mistreatment of animals which contrasts to the man next to her which looks rather evil. This could be to resemble the people involved in the circus who think this mistreatment is okay. I then used a red oil pastel to create jagged markings to again show a sense of danger and fear. I then put “circus” on type at the top of the piece in order to show clear focus on the topic.

This is my third piece inspired by the headline about circuses. To make the background I used red ink and a roller and created a border to represent the typical idea of red curtains at circuses. I then cut out an image to resemble a ladder in response to how animals would have to stand on props for example, small buckets, balls ect. I also used an image of a spotlight and placed it facing towards the picture of the frightened horse due to show that the focus is on the animal and to highlight how wrong circuses are. There is also an image of two men on a horse, which has a red cloth over it to represent the audience.

Problem solving: One problem I faced was for the ‘PROTESTS WORK’ design where I found it difficult for the string to stick to the paper, after a few attempts, I realised that liquid PVA wasn’t working, and so I used a glue stick instead which worked. One other problem I faced was trying to arrange the cut outs for the ‘spaceform’ design. After multiple arrangements, I realised I was being to precise and that gaps work and look good.

DAILY REFLECTION: Today’s session was an opportunity to stretch and challenge myself to produce a large quantity of work. I enjoyed the pressure of this, and found it made me work a lot harder, producing some really strong outcomes. It was also an opportunity to use my own strengths (drawing) to produce some good work.

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esmelbye · 3 years

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Worm Holes

Session: Creating screen print designs. Introduction to new assignment brief.

In this post I am going to be talking about my process and inspiration behind my screen print designs. To start off the materials I used where a craft knife, some glue, fine liners, watercolour paint and then I photocopied pages out of my Penguin book I was given to collage with.

To start off I began by photocopying pages out of my penguin book and then I enlarged them to create various sizing of lettering to use. I really liked how textured the letters got the bigger they where, they have a similar look to the bumpy surface of the moon.

I cut out different letters and sentences and then started putting collages together. Once I found bits that worked I would draw back into them using fine liners, water colour and some stencils.

One of my favourite things about these designs is the large letter “a” I have used in one of the collages. It is really effective at drawing a viewer in, so they can get a closer look of its texture and patterns. I like the fact that it is just the letter “a” as this leaves room for interpretation from the viewer. Words and letters can hold a lot of meaning and symbolism is peoples lives, by using just a single letter the viewer can decide what that letter represents. For me when I look at this piece the letter “a” represents “astro-” this is one way how I've managed to work our theme of space and stars into the art. astro- means something relating to the stars or celestial objects.

I took a lot of inspiration from David Carson’s work when creating my screen print designs. David often uses large, bold lettering in his collages that often do not have an obvious meaning, I wanted to try re-create this in my work. Giving it a sense of mystery as well as sparking questions in viewers. Like how the stars and planets do.

Here are the completed designs, I chose the “a” design as I felt it was the most visually pleasing as well as being the best to go with our theme. I added in things like the black outlined circle to give another focus to the piece, this is representing a black hole. I also thought this would work best at coming up on a screen print.

If I was to do this task again I would defiantly experiment more with different pieces to collage with such as different pages from other books or magazines, as well as creating a lot more designs so I could have a better variety to chose from. Making sure my skills improve after each design.

Here bellow is some of David Carson’s work I was inspired by, and I will also be making another post about the process of screen printing.

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theblessedbee · 6 years

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🌈 How to: Pocket Altar Kit 🐚

Hey witchblr, I just thought I would share a bit about my pocket altar that I spontaneously put together so I can take my craft with me wherever I go. I think this is an awesome idea, and If you can find ways to maximize space, you can actually take a great deal of stuff with you. Tins are very cheap, and you might already have exactly what you need at home to make this kit. This may be a great idea for you if you don't want or can't have a big elaborate altar in your home. It can be packed up and put away at any time.

🌼 My "Eclectic Seawitch" Altar Kit includes the following: 🌼

⚈ Pouch to hold contents of kit

⚈ Pouch for crystals & seashells

⚈ Homemade rose quartz pendulum

⚈ Various crystals: clear quartz, pyrite, opal, rose quartz

⚈ Various seashells: mini conch, mini nautilus, mini scallops

⚈ Ankh/ Cross

⚈ Spellbook and gold pen

⚈ Rose quartz worry stone

⚈ Bowl-shaped shells for burning incense and sage

⚈ Matchbook including incense cones, matches

⚈ Birthday candles

⚈ Vile of shasta sage, himalayan salt and cilantro seeds

⚈ Small mermaid statue

⚈ Seashell lipgloss

⚈ Lace altar cloth

⚈ Mini alchemy cards

⚈ Mini Log

⚈ Ohana Mirror

🌼 Top 10 Tips for an Alotid Tin Altar 🌼

🌱Use a tin, box or pouch! Anything you feel suitable to hold your kit.

🌱Choose a theme for your kit if you like! Model it after what kind of Witch you are classified by if you wish. Or it can be a bit eclectic like mine, try to be as creative as you can!

🌱Avoid painting the inside of the tin and glue some cardstock only instead to maintain magnetics, that way you can use anything with a magnet on the inside of your tin. Get chalkboard labels and a piece of chalk for your tin, write things all over!

🌱Use various mediums hot glue, rubber cement, modge podge, paints, glitters, textures, moss, petals, twigs, feathers, ect.

🌱Decorate the inside with some fun pattern papers, laces, anything pretty. Tear open some magazines!! use stickers, beads, crystals and other decorative items, glue them on!

🌱Personalize your kit! Include pendulums, worry stones, crystal grids, mirrors, oils, sage bundles, anything you would like to include for yourself. Switch out things that dont work for you. If a tealight is better for you than birthday candles, switch it out. Include wildflower or herb seeds to grow outside on your journeys!

🌱Decorate matchbooks! Stick pictures to them, inspirational words and paint them or add some glitter. Maximize your creative space. If you dont have room for a matchbook, cut the match stip off of the box and glue it into your tin.

🌱You can use the mini jars as candle holders if the opening is small enough to keep it sturdy. Bring an empty jar and other jars with ingredients in them to make spell jars on the go.

🌱Include pictures of people you care about, dieties, spiritual symbols and sigils. Anything meaningful for you. You can design it so you can lay it on its side to turn into a shrine for a diety.

🌱Keep a log book and get your friends to sign it if they participate for memories sake.

🌼 My Process 🌼

It's made out of an old Altoid tin I had laying around. Intially I had the urge to paint it blue and turquoise on the outside and white on the inside.

After drying, I got my glue gun out and glued various laces to the outside and I took apart an old pair of costume earings that I never wear. I glued the jewels to the top of the tin. I also used a 3d butterfly sticker as the main focal point. To make sure it sticks well I put a dab of glue from the glue gun in the middle. I painted around everything with gold glitter paint to accent the gold parts. I was really happy with the outcome, and not having to spend any money.

I included my favorite crystals, shells, especially my rose quartz pendulum and worry stone. My favourite is my heart-shaped rose quartz I recieved as a gift from my Boyfriend.

I decorated my viles with some old looking medicine labels I got from Michaels as well as some letter stickers to label them. It made it gave them a fancy apothecary look.

I decorated my matchbook as much as I could! I wanted to use up all my creative space including the inside of the tin. I utilized colored paper, stickers, jewels, beads, lace and ribbon, paint and glitter. Anything within your reach can be used if you use your own personal magick.

My kit includes a set of Mini Alchemy cards. I made them by glueing them to a pattern cardstock. I have a bigger version with the writings on the side but they were quite big and didn't fit right in the tin, so I decided to make mini ones with the mini card stickers. The mini versions dont have writings on the side, so I have a full guide in my spellbook.

With the same card stock I lined my tin so they match. I also made a Log and Diary Card out of some fancy paper I had. I have "Adventure Awaits" both on the inside of my tin and on the card, I thought it was cute they matched.

I included whatever I personally thought I would want when I'm out and about. You can tweak yours however you like! You may want to bless your tin and cleanse it if you wish, enchant it so that way it stays safe, and doesn't break as easily.

I hope this inspires you! Now go forth and make a kit for yourself!

𝐵𝓁𝑒𝓈𝓈𝑒𝒹 𝒷𝑒!

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wheezyboykaspbrak · 6 years

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it's 4am

ok i'm a collage artist and can you image eddie kaspbrak being a collage artist

- he used to scrapbook with his mother when he was around 8-9

- he would end up cutting out pictures from old magazines that his mother had instead of buying premade frames/stickers/additions. he would be using safety scissors obv and his lines would be really jagged and messy but he was always having such a good time.

- his favorite pictures are ones of trains, game advertisements, and pictures that include burnt orange colors

- sonia made him use safety scissors until he was 14 (when he was 11 he took a pair of regular scissors from school but his mom almost shit herself when she saw him ripping into some old magazines with some of the sharpest spears she claims she had ever seen in her life)

- he thinks the glue is really nasty feeling but he finds the process of rubbing it off of his hands really cathartic, peeling it off like dirty and dried skin making him feel clean. as long as he doesn't spill it, as he was sure his mom would have a damn conniption fit and a stroke if he did

- after awhile when he started using normal scissors he got really good with his lines! and with his repeat comic books he would cut out the characters and put them on random boxes to give to his friends as gifts, putting their favorite superheroes on them.

- he has a few boxes he made for himself, one of them covered in cars, which holds all his old toy cars and tracks (that he still likes to sometimes play with)

- speaking of! he likes to collage his own designs onto the small cars, using stuff like small flowers and words to decorate the toy roofs and doors.

- around his senior year he started making more paper collages about his thoughts and interests, and his friends start really liking the way he worked with color and design whenever he would share them (he hardly would, they would usually just see them laying around if they ever managed to drop by)

- uhh especially richie

- that boy has kept every collaged thing eddie has ever given them, and even allowed him to collage magazine flower pictures to his electric bass

- richie wants eddie to make him a band poster for him, mike, and bev

- of course eddie is a little hesitant but then he is immediately convinced after some well deserved coaxing and praising from richie

- basically, it takes him around 2 months to perfect it

- he comes to school for those months with new bandaids on his fingers from all the knicks with the scissors, little pieces of magazine paper stuck to the backs of his arms and sometimes on his cheek

- richie ends up picking them off and sticking them on himself, telling eddie that now that he has eddies artwork on him he's 'priceless'

- once he's finally done with the poster he is so hesitant to share it, but when he does mike and bev are all crowding in to hug him, telling him how good he did! and they are all giving him so many little compliments

- except for richie- it rubs eddie the wrong way but he doesn't say anything

- richie waits until mike and bev are done and gone with the poster reveal before he grabs eddie by the shoulders and gives him a few small shakes, grinning, wrinkling eddies shirt under his hands

- eddie is getting frustrated and is about to take a bite at richie and his actions until richie starts opening that big mouth

- 'it's perfect, eddie! it's so fucking phenomenal, it's just so you, but it's also so us? can you believe you almost let this once in a lifetime opportunity slip past your fingers, eddie, my boy!! but i knew you would do it, i knew you could do it, and it's so much better than i ever thought possible! and i- and i- !!!'

- he smacks the wettest kiss on eddies nose, then one on his cheek, and they both can't stop the smiles on their faces

- eddie goes home that day, red in the face any time he begins to even think of what richie said to him, and makes a collage almost entirely with a certain dark haired boy in mind

- it has stacks of wood, and teeth, so many teeth decorate the corners of the pages. the colors are red and yellow and blue, marlboro packets pieced together as the background. there's hands, halos, but there's no words- eddie knows there has to be words, richie worth more than a few

- so he starts cutting out letters, whole phrases, pasting them on in circular patterns

- and then a few that stick out the most, purposely, simply say 'it's us, peel it back, it's perfection' in different fonts, different advertisements, chaotic and somehow cohesive- just like them

#eddie kaspbrak #reddie #its four am and im trying my best #my hcs

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natalias13 · 4 years

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Going Postal

3rd March 2020

As one of my first workshops I am asked to do a side profile portrait collage which is inspired by Raymond Ray Jonson. His work is all mainly produced in black-and-white however with the things that we got given to produce this task I decided to do an interpretation of his work and not an exact copy and I wanted to do it in colour.

To start of the workshop we first had to get a side profile pictures of ourselves I asked a classmate of mine to take mine, as the picture doesn’t have to be perfect we just took it on each other’s phones. It was just to have a rough outline of the side profile.

This was then moved on to a Imac and then developed in photoshop. As most of the work had to be done physically there was only minimal detailing that we could do on photoshop I decided to change mine to black-and-white as I prefer my pictures to be plain and with less detail as possible. This gives me almost a plain canvas to work on.

We got provided the essentials of magazines, scissors, cutting mat, scalpels, glue, tape, ink and other accessories in which could help us to create this workshop. I decided to use scissors, pencil, A3 plain paper and glue.

I decided to cut around the outline of my side profile and stick it onto a clean sheet of A3 paper this was painted beforehand so I could get a clean black silhouette of myself.

For the the second piece I wanted to represent my self and my mind. The bright beautiful colours in the side portrait represent my kind, loving personality. There is images of clocks, vinyls showing my interests in music, words such as home this represents my security, food, geometry, plants, palm trees, maps and more, all of the images relate to me and my current situation and my mind. This work can be very powerful towards the audience it can send them a message or they might just find it visually pleasing.

I liked creating this work as there is no order to it and I can place whatever I want wherever, just as long I keep the silhouette of the profile I didn’t have to have an organised piece.

I enjoy this project as this means I could express myself and I could find images in the magazines that expressed me. I then also liked the process of laying the images out to create this silhouette and making sure that everything is included whilst still keeping the main aim in the overall image.

I believe that my own interpretation of this task was successful as it included what Ray Johnson does which is collage, it also allows the audience to get involved with the image, by questioning what is going on, making it even more interesting when you think deeper or make theories.

I could develop on this by maybe creating different moods or situations in the silhouette through the same process or inverting it or recreating the exact same piece as the artist did with my own style. This will expand my ideas and possibilities in my project.

Comparison No.1:

This is a comparison of mine and another students work. I found some similarity's and differences, with the similarities consisting of, both are a left side profile this is based on the artist’s style of work, there is also bright colours used, this shows that both of our mids are full of energy, emotion and creativity.

There won't be many similarities as we have different personalties, moods and interests so there will be more differences. The differences that I found in the students work are that they have a detailed silhouette, there's more space between the images, mood is: calm, relaxed, settled, this profile is also space themed, this is shown through the planets in and the neon lights which are galaxy like.

The differences in my work is that there is a lot of imagery, the mood is chaos, anxiety, fun, excitement, there is also key elements that related to me/that I liked, this is also how the two show difference as one is more open and relatable as the other one is mysterious. The audience may relate more to one than the other however I believe that this depends on the type or what mood they may be in.

Comparison No.2:

This is a comparison between my work and Raymond Johnson's work which is the original artists that produced this style of work. As you may be able to notice there is many visual comparisons, this ranges from similarities such as left side silhouette profiles, both contain a range of imagery, they both show some characteristic e.g. I see my silhouette as a monkey and the other profile reminds me of a film character/or illustration (out of proportion head), I find that both of the images contain geometric shapes, the artists profile is filled more on the inside with geometric shapes as mine is the opposite and more geometric on the outside.

The differences in the artist profile is that his is based on social life and not mainly about him but others meaning it’s distant, mine is based about me meaning its close and personal, he uses dull colours, this creates a mood and atmosphere of sadness, loneliness, frustration? (maybe?) between the piece and the audience, however my piece is a much more upbeat and positive, allowing the audience to interact more with the work, also the bright and vibrant colours will be memorable with the audience, meaning this will allow them to remember my collage. The similarities allow both of the pieces to connect in some spectrums however the differences make them unique.

I believe that comparing the work has helped me to see the possibilities between the two pieces not only by how they can or are connecting with the audience but what the message or atmosphere they can really create. I will now be applying this to my future comparison work as I can see the potential of a good and bad work piece this can help me grow in development and ideas.

Ray Johnson

Who is Ray Johnson?

Ray Johnson was a seminal pop art figure in the 1950′s, an early conceptualist, and a pioneer of mail art. Born in Detroit, Michigan on October 16th 1927, he grew up in a working class neighbourhood, this means that his family didn't have much but they had just enough to support their children and live in a house and also put food on the table. He attended high school where he applied for advertising art program, in the summer he attended a drawing program at Ox-Bow school, an art institution. He them progressed and went to college, studying things such as painting with the Bauhaus facility, later on he then participated in festivals such as “The ruse of medusa” and visited many lectures with some fellow friends.

His work ?

In early 1949 he moved to New York and became an active participant in the downtown art scene. He started painting geometric abstractions which was heavily influenced by his former professor Josef Albers. He then later destroyed his work by turning it into collage. At first he was making Irregular shapes so called “moticos” his name for small scale collages.

From the early 1960′s Johnson would reuse his “moticos” cutting them up to create tiny compositions that he glued to small blocks of layered cardboard he then experimented with ink and paint, which will then convert into extremely complex collages which showed repetition and various semi geometric forms which related to the eccentric minimalism of fellow artist such as Louise Bourgeois and Eva Hesse. The colleges revealed his profound understanding of Cubism and his intent to exploring it in different forms. He also incorporated meaningful text into his work letters, fragments of words, names of celebrities, literacy figures, and art-world denizens, both historical and current. He pointed his views towards marvellous connections between them and the world of metamorphosing glyphs. Johnstons could turn ordinary life into art “gold”. Johnson would say that he did not make pop art he made “chop art”.

This image is another one of many art pieces that I like that R. Johnson produced.

Over all I believe that Ray Johnson is a good artist he may have come from a low income family but he has worked and experimented in every opportunity he had, he obviously loves what he does as he hasn't stopped producing. He obviously didn't come to what he does now through one simple step it was a range of experiments and tests that lead him to this sort of imagery, the experiments was with that he had around him he tried to corporate it into his art this not only inspired him but allowed him to develop and create.

Ray Johnson has inspired me to experiment with media, collage and the things around me. I could use the method of collaging and add it to my work but maybe with the relatable imagery and references, as well as media. I could develop this art by using different shapes instead of silhouettes and using black and white instead if colour or create the art just out of words. By doing this it will expand my ideas.

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andreafestefano · 4 years

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How to make a HUGE upholstered bulletin board

Hello there! I'm back with a project I've been planning for a few months! I was finally able to get to it last week. I've been holding off on starting until I could get a sconce installed on the wall first. I've only shared this side of my office once because it's hasn't been much to look at. I showed you this wall early last year:

It certainly wasn't awful, but it wasn't nearly as cool as the other side of the room!:

You can see how I built that wall of office built ins here.

Since that before picture I've changed out the TV for a slightly larger one and moved the dresser to another room. The bookcases gave me plenty of storage. (I replaced the dresser with a smaller table for the printer.)

I've had an idea for a big bulletin board in my head for a long time, but as I mentioned, I wanted to get a sconce installed first. If you have an outlet it's pretty easy for an electrician to run wiring for a sconce and switch. I've done it many times over the years!

I taped out the size for the board before starting:

I use painter's tape all of the time to figure out the placement and sizing of things -- it's great for figuring out furniture layouts too!

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I found the brass sconce here (I'll show you a closer pic in a bit) and it was only $36! It is an LED light, so if you don't like that brighter daylight look, you'll want to pick something else.

Step one: Hang particle board

I had to give my bulletin board a base on the wall -- otherwise I would be gluing the foam directly to the wall. I learned a long time ago avoid glue on the wall at all costs. :) My bulletin board size is four by six feet so three 2x4 boards were enough:

I think they were $7 each. (It would be slightly cheaper to get a 4x8 piece cut down, but I get impatient sometimes.) As you can see, the TV was staying. I left it up as I worked because I wanted the bulletin board to surround the TV mount as closely as possible.

At the bottom I cut the boards short so the cords could go through that channel:

I don't have a pic, but I later put my favorite cord hider down the middle with the cords inside. If I have to remove the TV I can still take it off the wall and pull the cords through the bottom.

Step two: Install foam boards over the particle board

I've used the large 4x8 insulation boards you can find at the hardware store for bulletin boards before, but they are bulky and hard to get home. (I'd have to score and cut it there to get it in my car.)

So instead I used this insulation kit I found at Home Depot:

I can't remember the exact price because I bought it so long ago, but it wasn't bad!

It comes with six sheets and they are about 3/4 inch I believe. One kit was plenty!:

I used Liquid Nails (in a caulk gun) on the back of each piece of foam to secure it to the wood:

As you can see I just pieced it together as well as I went. Cutting it down is easy, it's just MESSY. I used a razor to score the foam and it popped off with a pretty clean edge.

It looked like it had snowed in my office after I was done, but it worked!

Step three: Attach the fabric

This is where I made a little misstep, so learn from my mistake! It ended up working out much better in the end thankfully!

I used a staple gun to attach my fabric at the top and then started working my way down. You'll need to be patient with this part! To make sure the fabric stayed against the foam, I used this spray glue as I worked. Just spray over the foam and then smooth your fabric down as you staple it around the boards.

I removed the TV for the middle part and just cut through the fabric:

Trim the fabric and staple around the hole like so:

I could have taken the TV mount off and installed it over the particle board, but that seemed like extra work to me. Either way would work -- just be careful not to put the foam and fabric right up against the vents of your TV so it can "breathe."

The spray glue method worked GREAT! Almost too well -- the problem was, after I was done I could see the minor imperfections in the foam (because the fabric adhered so well). I wish I would have taken a photo to show you. It wasn't crazy noticeable, but enough that I knew it would bug me.

Thing is, I bought a fabric for this project months ago, but when it came time to install it, I chickened out. It was out of my comfort zone a bit, so I went with a basic cream tweed fabric instead -- trying to play it safe. But when I got it up, not only could I see the imperfections...but it was BORING. 😂

Sooooo...I went back with my original fabric and LOVED it. I should have stuck with my gut, but it ended up being a good mistake because the first layer of fabric hid the imperfections. (I installed the final fabric over the first.) After I got my fabric up, I painted and installed trim around the whole thing to frame it out:

I carried the beautiful green (called Vintage Vogue) on the built ins over to this side of the room and I absolutely love it against the fabric.

The fabric makes a statement but isn't busy. A larger print (like a floral) would look great, but I was worried it would get super busy with the photos/notes I want to put on here. Here's a closer view of the art light:

You can see how bright the LED light is!

I am SO in love with how this turned out!! I found my antelope (faux) fabric at Hobby Lobby for 40 percent off, but you can also find it here online:

The little console was from At Home and it's perfect for extra printer paper and ink.

I've already started filling up the board with things I've wanted to display for awhile -- some inspiration pics, mementos and recent magazine spreads:

Aren't those huge letters fun? I found those at Hobby Lobby too. I think they still have them!

It turned out just as I had envisioned all these months. I love that I have a spot to display these in a "neat" way:

Here are a few things to think about if you tackle this project:

Use a fabric with a loose weave -- something that will allow your pins to get through easily (and won't show or snag when you pull them out).

Remember you can only go as big as your fabric width -- length can be as long as you want. If you want one piece of fabric, you can only go about 50 inches across.

To avoid seeing any imperfections in the foam you can do a layer of a thin fabric (like muslin) over it first. I think anything with a pattern (like what I ended up with) would also help to hide it.

Here's a look at the before of this wall again:

And how it looks now!:

I have plans for one more big project in this room! But after wanting to do this big bulletin board for so long, it feels complete to me for now. Have you created a big bulletin board like this for your home?

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Here are a couple of other ideas for office organization! You can also make a HUGE chalkboard using my tutorial here:

Or use an old frame to create a bulletin board as well:

(I later changed it out to a magnetic board instead of using pins!) See more of our home here. To shop items in our home, click here! Never miss a post by signing up to get posts via email.

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leocowlercuriosity-blog · 5 years

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Developing with collage

Within this session i wanted to develop my work further doing something that i haven't done in this unit and that is to start cutting things up and creating a new piece of work, i used collage to create something new from the screen prints i had made in the last session. I purposely made a few to many because i wanted to cut them up and collage them back together. i done this because i wanted to push my developing further and find new ways that my outcome could be achieved. i started of by cutting up my work into any shape, i feel like cutting random shapes makes the collage better because the work becomes more abstract and i feel like it flows a lot better. after cutting them out i put them together into a specific order so i could then start glueing the work down.

This work was also inspired from Rauschenberg as he is one of my main influencer throughout this unit. i wanted to take the fact that he uses secondary images and bold colours and then incorporate it into my work, but i wanted to do something that wasn't screen print, this then gives me the option to think about new things instead of screen print, i want my work to explore a lot of different developments before i get to my final outcome, this allows me to look at a variety of my own work and see what i am better at before making the decision to make my final outcome.

These are some collages i found that i am interested in taking influence from. i like the way the artists have used bold colours and incorporating letter type in there work, this is something that i will be doing in the next session and then developing it further to create an outcome that hopefully i can push further to create a message within the work.

I will be doing this by finding secondary images from magazines and then cutting them all out and collaging, i could also push it further by putting it through the printer a few times to give it some bold colours and add another media. this gives my work a variety. i also would like to blow it up in scale to practise for my final outcome.

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amityso-blog · 4 years

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jesseneufeld · 4 years

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Learning Through Play: 101 Ways To Keep Young Minds Occupied At Home

Parents, right off the bat, let me say that there is no right way to be feeling about the current situation. Relief, anxiety, excitement, dread are all normal. We’re all figuring this out as we go along and doing the best we can. Virtual high-five!

This is not a homeschooling post per se. This is about the importance of play as learning, and letting our kids play to restore some balance we don’t always manage in our typical over-scheduled lives.

Here’s the good news if you’re stressed about making sure your kids are still learning why they are at home: they are. I recently attended a workshop with a local homeschool coordinator. The biggest thing I took away was a reminder that all play is learning.

Why Kids Need to Play

Play is how kids learn about the world. Theoretical and Applied Playworker Bob Hughes (awesome title!) lists 16 different types of play that are central to physical, mental, emotional, and social development. By manipulating objects and trying things out (“I wonder what will happen if I give the dog a haircut?”), using their imaginations to role play different scenarios, and moving and challenging their bodies, kids play to learn:

How their bodies work

Laws of physics

Laws of nature

How to interact with other people, and the consequences of breaking social norms

How to follow rules, and the consequences of breaking those, too

Play builds neural connections and motor skills. Through play, kids get to act out adulting (as in playing house), tap into their creativity, and discover their passions.

Importance of Play

Play is not optional. There is a reason that it’s Primal Blueprint Law #7 and Mark has written about it frequently here. (I’ll put some links at the bottom.) Yet, we all know that kids don’t play today like they used to for a variety of reasons. If this time at home offers one thing, it’s time for playing. This means getting free play, movement time, social time, music and arts time, and family time—checking a bunch of Primal boxes.

I’m not just talking about the kids, by the way. I’m talking about the adults in your house too. How much do YOU play in your normal life? I’m guessing not enough. A lot of the ideas here are fun for the whole family.

Play to Learn: Indoor and Outdoor Activities for Kids

For obvious reasons, I’m not listing things that involve going to parks or other public places. If you can still go for bike rides or kick the soccer ball around outside, great! You can do these inside or in your yard if you have one. I also didn’t list too many options that might necessitate shopping for materials. Pick the ideas that work for you given the ages of your kids, what stuff you already have at home, and how much space you have.

Before You Begin…

If you’re like us, you have a stash of art supplies, board games, boxes of legos and blocks, and sports equipment stuck on shelves and in closets. Dig it out and take inventory. What do you already have in your home that your kids can play with? Even bigger kids enjoy revisiting things like blocks and playdough, especially when they’re stuck at home.

Creativity Stations

I have a friend who, when her kids were little, would put out a craft or art project every night. When her boys woke up in the morning, it was waiting for them to explore at their leisure. It made for a lot of fun and peaceful mornings in their house. (Yes, she’s a supermom.)

I’m adapting this idea by designating a “creativity station.” Realistically, you might as well call this the “mess station.” Maybe it’s a card table in a corner of the living room, on the deck, or in the garage. I’m just giving up my kitchen table for now. Lay out a bunch of supplies and let them have at it. These stay out for several days at my house, then we clean it up and get out something else. Here are some ideas:

Art labs

Coloring/painting

Supplies: paper, coloring books, crayons, markers, paint, stamps, stickers—whatever you have!

Ideas: Encourage kids to explore textures by using different types of objects as stamps: sponges, cookie cutters, leafs and sticks from the yard, legos, etc. Make footprints with action figures. Keep a bowl on hand that they can put dirty stuff in to wash. Also keep a pile of rags nearby for wiping dirty hands before they touch the wall.

Collage

Supplies: Paper; old magazines, newspapers, circulars, coupon mailers; glue; safety scissors

Ideas: Give kids a theme (e.g., food, their favorite person) or just let them make whatever they want.

Mosaic

Supplies: Construction and tissue paper in different colors; glue; scissors (optional); bowls to keep colored confetti separated (optional)

Ideas: Have kids cut or tear colored paper into small pieces like confetti, then use the pieces to create mosaic art. You can use coloring book pages as a “pattern,” or they can draw their own or make it free-form.

Science lab

Supplies: Plate or baking sheet; plastic table cloth or drop cloth (optional); containers of different sizes for mixing and pouring; water; food coloring; baking soda; pipettes, medicine droppers, etc. (raid the medicine cabinet); measuring spoons; baking soda; vinegar in a spray bottle; dish soap

Ideas: Let kids make “potions” and practice pouring from one container to another. Sprinkle baking soda on a plate, “decorate” with drops of food coloring, then spray with vinegar.

There are a ton of ideas for easy and fun science experiments online, too. Check out this lemon volcano and these 10 experiments you can do with water.

3-D creations

Supplies: Clay, playdough, tape, toothpicks, chopsticks, straws, rubber bands, paper clips, corks, pipe cleaners, anything else you can find around

Ideas: This is fun for free play, or you can challenge your kids to build something specific, like a bridge that will actually hold a small weight.

Make your own playdough recipes here and here. (Yes, these are not Primal recipes!)

Archeological dig

Supplies: Plastic tub with moon sand, kinetic sand, or dirt; small toys (e.g., plastic animals, blocks, marbles, plastic eggs filled with “treasure”); spoons, paint brushes

Ideas: Bury objects for your kids to “excavate.” Have them build ancient ruins.

Make your own moon sand recipes here and here.

Family Time

Family dance party

Let older kids create a custom playlist

Freeze dance: Let someone control the pause button; when the music stops, freeze and hold the position

Minute to win it games (check Pinterest for ideas)

Family book club

Sing-alongs

Card games

Board games

Dice games

Have a “campout” in your backyard. Make a campfire in a fire pit, place a bunch of candles in a circle, or have your kid make a pretend fire out of sticks and paper.

Make a family tree (including genealogy research if you want)

Go on a family vacation without leaving the house! There are so many ways to “travel” online. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Visit the Tembe Elephant Park in South Africa

Watch the Northern Lights live (best viewing hours are 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. EDT.)

Tour the Carlsbad Caverns

Visit a museum

See the Great Wall of China

Tour the Vatican

See the animals at the San Diego Zoo and the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Go to the opera

Take in a Broadway play

Go scuba diving

Go to outer space

71 More Activities for Kids

Color the driveway with chalk

Use chalk (outside) or masking tape (inside) to make hopscotch or foursquare

Make noodle or bead necklaces

Draw a comic

Illustrate a favorite book or story

Listen to a song and “draw” what you hear

Origami

Make a flexagon

Gather up broken crayons make something new with them

Move like an animal; take turns guessing which animal the other person is being

Primal essential movements

Resistance exercise with (light) hand weights and resistance bands

Make an obstacle course

Jump rope

Hopping on one foot contest

Do a handstand

Play hacky sack (make your own filled with rice or flour)

Put on as many clothes as you can, then try to do jumping jacks or burpees

Learn to breakdance

Yoga

Meditate

Make a drum kit with bowls and buckets

Make “instruments” like castanets and boomwhackers with household objects

Build a pillow fort

Build a cardboard box fort, paint and decorate it

Build a catapult

Build a Rube Goldberg machine

Make a birdhouse

Identify birds or bugs in your backyard

Learn about animal tracks and make your own

Weed the garden

Dig a hole

Plant an indoor herb garden

Cook together

Learn about food preservation; make sauerkraut or yogurt

Smell boxes: place objects with a distinctive smell—a candle, an orange cut in half—inside an empty tissue box and take turns guessing what’s in there

Touch boxes: same as above, but you have to reach in and feel the object without looking

Learn to tie knots

Make a solar oven

Learn how to build a fire (supervised, obviously)

Make a sundial

Learn how to use a compass

Get a bucket of water and test what sinks or floats

Learn to sew

Follow a finger knitting tutorial

Crochet a small project

Make a t-shirt scarf out of an old shirt

Make tissue paper flowers

Play charades

Make puppets and put on a show

Play hide and seek

Play sardines (the opposite of hide and seek – rules here)

Make the letters of the alphabet with your body

Play 20 questions

Play I spy

Make a word chain

Dig out the old point-and-shoot camera and learn to take pictures

Cloud watching

Build towers and knock them down

Yard scavenger hunt

Find something in the house for every letter of the alphabet

Make a yarn spider web

Juggle

Speak pig latin

Learn a new language

Use a magnifying glass to explore objects up close

Freeze little plastic toys, marbles, etc. in bowls of water, then test ways to free the toys most quickly. Try different techniques like rubbing, spraying with warm water, or sprinkling with salt.

Blow bubbles; make your own bubble solution and bubble makers

Bring some flashlights in a dark room or closet and make shadow puppets

Balloon “hockey” with balloons and brooms

In the snow: fill spray bottles with water and food coloring and “paint” the snow

Give the Kids — AND YOURSELF — A Break

The idea isn’t to keep your kids occupied every minute of the day. It’s ok if they complain about being bored every once in a while. If they are like most modern kids, they aren’t used to having a ton of time on their hands. Present them with options, but let them figure it out on their own if they are old enough.

Your house might be messy and chaotic right now. Your kids might be too. They are certainly not immune to the stress and anxiety in the world, especially your older kids. It’s ok if you don’t have a schedule with neat blocks of school time, movement time, snack time, and chore time, and if your kids haven’t gotten out of their pajamas in a week. Your kids are going to be fine no matter what.

This is not nearly an all-inclusive list. What else has your family been doing to have fun while #stayinghome?

Resources

More play activities and lots of homeschooling resources from Unschool.school

100 Ways to Play from the Boston Children’s Museum

More play activities and homeschool ideas from Beyond the Chalkboard