Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in albuquerque, NM

It's Not a Stick, It's A...

by Alison

April 13, 2009

Kids love to create, and their definition of artwork can be quite different from ours.  This means that chances are your child would be excited about an art project regardless of the materials used.  So, why not take advantage of that and scout out your home or your backyard for some craft supplies that would otherwise go unnoticed or just end up in the trash?

Flowers, grass, and leaves make some great collage materials.  I like to use clear contact paper to eliminate the need for glue (which is especially good for the littlest ones).  Then I also will cover the creation with contact paper as well.  Instead of just using  these materials for a collage, use them to spell your child's name - flowers are great for dotting 'i's! 

 

 

Head inside and you'll find even more great craft supplies. Cut pictures from old magazines. Look for specific colors, shapes, or letters and help your child create his own color, shape, or alphabet book. Popsicle sticks are lots of fun, too. Glue on some yarn for hair, draw on eyes (or use google eyes) and clothes to make people.  Glue four together to create a square-shaped picture frame. Challenge your child to make other shapes. Decorate old food containers (such as cool whip tubs or juice concentrate cans) and turn them into keepsake containers, pencil jars, or banks. Leftover bits of yarn, fabric, ribbon, or wrapping paper make great collage materials.

Create a stationary set for your child using the envelopes that come with junk mail (or your bills, if you pay them online and don't use them), paper that's been printed on one side already (cut them into fun shapes to make them seem interesting), and some return address labels. Use an old shoebox to make a mailbox.

Think outside of the box and you're sure to find lots of art materials around the house.  Before you throw it out, stop and think, what could my child create with this?

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Let's Go Fly a Kite

by Alison

March 30, 2009

What better activity for a windy day than kite flying?  Simple kites are relatively inexpensive (buy several though, because they seem to break easily) or you can make your own using supplies you have around the house. These won't fly as high or as far, but I imagine your child will still love his kite that he made all by himself!  The simplest of all requires just paper, string and some crepe paper or ribbon.  Just cut the paper in a diamond shape to look like a kite (don't forget to cut some "sticks" out of the paper too to glue on one side) attach some string to the middle and the crepe paper to the bottom corner.  It will "fly" if your child runs around while holding on to the string. My son has made kites like this at preschool and he has a lot of fun with them.  The internet is full of directions for making your own simple kites. Some more involved than others.  Here are a few that I found:

• This bumble bee kite is made using just string and paper.
• Here's a paper kite that calls for a dowel or other piece of wood, so it's going to be a bit more sturdy than the others.
• A plastic grocery bag or garbage bag can be used to make a kite also.  Here's some directions that include a video as well.  I've never tried it, but I've seen grocery bags flying high in the air on windy days, so I imagine you could also just tie a piece of string to each bag handle and then join them together and perhaps make a pretty efficient kite.

The next time the wind is howling, no need to stay inside.  Just find an empty field (though your backyard will work well for these smaller ones) and fly a kite!  Come back tomorrow for more windy weather activities.  Read more...

5 Things to Do Outside When the Weather is Perfect

by Alison

September 30, 2008

I can't even believe how close to ideal the weather is here in Albuquerque! I could definitely do without the windy Spring days, however. So when the weather is just so beautiful that you feel it's a crime to stay inside here's some fun outdoor ideas for you. Feed the Ducks. You can usually find some hungry ducks at Tingley Beach Park. The Duck Pond at UNM is a good bet also. Another  Read more...