Things To Make and Do

For homeschoolers, or any family that enjoys doing art and craft activities at home, here are a few of our favorite books and projects from the past couple of years.  Just click on any of the photos to find out more about the product! 

Note:  I DO NOT RECOMMEND Sandy Lands Sand Art Kits.  I was so disappointed with them and really regret wasting my money.  To read my review of the Sand Art, click here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2483N7E84QTOB/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Books:



Usborne has a really great line of these activity books.  I've included here the three that we own and use regularly, but you'll find that there are many more with different themes, such as fairy tales, monsters, animals, and individual holidays.



Science Things to Make and Do has been especially useful to us as homeschoolers; it's easy to find projects to accompany our curriculum.



A larger, more comprehensive activity book from Usborne, I'd recommend this for anyone who wants a great collection on many different topics.



 I love the idea of using hand- and footprints in craft projects!  What a great keepsake! 



Calendar Kids also features art made from hand- and footprints.



Memory Makers has not only arts and crafts, but also includes poems, writing prompts, and drawing samples organized by monthly theme.
Kits and Projects:



My kids loved the Orb Factory Sticky Mosaics.  I can't wait to get some more; there are lots of different themes, including Pirates, Unicorns and Ponies, Jungle Adventure, Enchanted Forest, and more.  For younger children, there are simpler versions called My First Sticky Mosaics, also with many themes. 


If you're feeling especially ambitious, tie-dying t-shirts is a lot of fun!  I recommend doing it outside.  Lots of adult supervision is required, but kids will love being able to wear their own art.



This Monster Lab was our first experience with Shrinky Dinks, and we had a lot of fun with it.  There are other kits along this line, such as the Fairy Garden.  However, for half the cost you can get Shrinky Dink kits that don't include the backdrops.  Choices include Mermaids, Pirates, Dinosaurs, Jewelry, and many others.