Crafting Stories - Bear on a Bike

Today we read the story Bear on a Bike which is a great book with awesome artwork!  We also made a megaphone.  The idea that my daughter and I had was that the kids could read along and when the story repeats, the kids could use their megaphones to "read along" (aka scream "Bear on a bike as happy as can be, where are you going bear?  Please wait for me!")

The Book:

The Craft:

It may not look like much but these are a lot of fun!

• Take a large piece of paper and let the kids color it.
• Then roll it into a megaphone shape.
• Staple it to secure it.
• Punch a hole at either side and tie a ribbon between the two holes (this is the best - then they can sling it over their shoulder - very cool!)
• Hand it back to the child so that they can finish decorating it with stickers.

Enjoy!

 

Crafting Stories - Paper Bag Princess

This week we read a book about a princess and a dragon!  This craft is easy to pair with any number of princess and dragon books.  But my favorite princess and dragon book is The Paper Bag Princess!

For this book we did two crafts.  The first was a dragon and the second was a crown (for all the princes and princesses!)

 

Dragon Craft

• Take a plastic cup and hot glue on a popsicle stick, two pom-poms and eyes.
• The kids then tape on crepe paper around the cup's opening to look like fire.

 

Crown Craft

• Cut out the shape of a crown.
• Punch a hole at either end and use string for tying it on!

Enjoy!

Crafting Stories - What was I Scared Of?

Book: What was I Scared of? by Dr. Seuss

Craft: A pair of scary green pants with nobody inside them!

 

 

The Book:

This is a story about a little character that goes out in the night and keeps stumbling on the "a pair of scary green pants with nobody inside them"!  He gets scared and runs away until one time he finds the scary green pants crying...they bond and then the pants are no longer scary.  Then when they pass each other at night - they happily say "Hi".

 

 

 

Craft:

This craft will make a pair of green pants that can say "Boo" and "Hi".  Like the pants in the story, the craft pants can "scare" people with its "Boo" and happily say "Hi" to people.  My four year old hid behind the island when her Dad came home and put the pants with the "Boo" and "Hi" signs sticking out.  When her Dad saw the pants, she jumped out and said "BOO!" <pause> "Hi!".  Totally adorable!

 

 

Materials:

• Green construction paper
• A bright colored construction paper (eg yellow)
• A dark colored construction paper (eg black)
• Marker
• Scissors
• Hole puncher
• String
• Stapler 

How to:

• Cut out 2 pieces of green construction paper in the shape of pants (template: template link)
• Staple them together around the sides a bottom so that there is a pocket at the top.
• Cut a circle out of a bright color (we used yellow) and write "Hi" on it.
• Cut a circle out of a dark color (we used black) and write "Boo" on it.  We used "Boo" cut out of white paper and used a hole punch to make the circles for the "B" and the "o's".  You can also use chalk to write "Boo" on dark paper.
• Punch 2 holes in the pants.
• Punch a hole in each of the circle pieces.
• Tie one circle piece to each of the holes in the pants. 
• Decorate the pants!
• Scare somebody! 

 

Enjoy!

Crafting Stories - If You Give A Mouse A Cookie

This week we read If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and then followed it up with a craft to make a mouse puppet and (of course!) cookies!

Story: If You Give A Mouse A Cookie
Craft: Paper bag mouse puppet

First we read our story - If You Give A Mouse A Cookie

 

Then we did our craft - Paper Bag Mouse Puppet

 

For this craft, I printed off the template from http://www.dltk-teach.com/rhymes/paper_bag_mouse_puppet.htm Then we cut and colored the pieces.  We glued them onto the paper bag to make a mouse!  Then we took some circles cut out of brown construction paper and decorated them to be the "cookies"!  Some of the kids glued a cookie into the mouth of their puppet.  So cute!

And since our mouse ate cookies in the story - we had to eat cookies too! 

 

Enjoy!


 

Crafting Stories

Today we started reading stories and doing arts and crafts that go with the story!

Story: A Very Hungry Caterpillar
Craft: Painting a caterpillar!

First we read our story - The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Then it was time for the craft! 

 Here's how:

• Moms drew three circles on white paper by tracing yogurt cups.
• We used Sharpies so that it would show through the paint.
• We also added legs and feet to our drawings and a nose, mouth and antennas.
• Then we gave the kids one paint at a time and asked them to paint each circle a different color.
• When the painting fun was done - they picked out a set of eyes and stuck it into the paint to make their own very hungry caterpillar!

Enjoy!