Pop Up Flowers -- A Spring Toddler Craft Idea

Our new normal these days is to bribe curly girl with a craft in order for her to sit down to dinner.  Once she eats her dinner, we have a project to work on.

This super easy and cheap craft idea made her very happy! 

What You'll Need:

Paper Cups (bigger than Dixie Cups, but smaller than Solo Cups)

Paint (we used acrylic in pink and yellow)

Construction Paper

Scissors

Glue

1. Cut a paper cup in 4 or 5 places from the top of the cup to the base.  Spread 'petals' out to form a flower.
2. Begin painting!

    3.  While your toddler is 'Monet-ing'  cut out the stem and leaves from green construction paper and glue to a full piece of dark construction paper.  Use this time to discuss the simple flower parts (stem, leaf, petals) and discuss how mixing paint makes different colors.



    4.  Allow paint to dry and adhere the flower to the construction paper with glue.

Leprechaun Hat Pit Trap -- We're Over These Mischievous Leprechauns!

This year the leprechaun infestation in our house is out of control! I know these little guys will be gone after St. Patrick's Day. But until then, they are causing mischief all over the house!  Green toilet water, trails of shamrock confetti, green milk, and even St. Patty's stickers on all low surfaces that the little creatures can reach.  I've had it!  So Curly Girl and I  made our own Leprechaun Trap!

Our hope is that the leprechauns will not be able to resist the gold coin, climb the ladder to get it, step on the false top, and fall into the pit. 

I found this idea on and attribute it to Spoonful.com.

Leprechauns have big egos, so a giant version of their own hat is irresistible to them. Once they step on the false top, you'll have caught your own pet leprechaun.

You'll need:

Cylinder Oatmeal Container

Green, Yellow, and Black Felt

Glue

Twigs

Gold Coin

Oatmeal Clay (oatmeal, flour, water)

The hat is a recycled cylinder oatmeal container wrapped with green felt secured with Elmer's School Glue. To make the trap, we cut a hole in the lid, then cunningly concealed it with a circle of green felt that will give way when the leprechaun steps on it.

Leprechauns love to break rules. The sign telling them NOT to climb the ladder is sure to lure them in.

Natural materials make these woodland creatures feel at home. The ladder is made from twigs we found in the yard held together with glue.  Climbing to get to something higher is sure to entice the wee adventurers.

So that the top doesn't give way too soon, use a lightweight bait, such as a gold coin.  Leprechauns can't resist cold coins!

What to do with the oatmeal that came out of the container?  Make Oatmeal Clay and make a rock for the base of the warning sign.  1 cup oatmeal, 2/3 cup flour, 1/2 cup water and green food coloring.

Crafting Gone Bad Warning -- I somehow made it to 47 years old not knowing food coloring doesn't wash off. So I'm so glad we ran out of time for Curly Girl to make the rock, otherwise she would have gone to daycare today green as the Hulk.  The other kids would be all 'What's up with the green kid?'  Dodged that bullet!  I, however, will be the one to galavant around today with green hands!

Good luck trapping your leprechauns!  I'm finding from my research online that very few leprechauns are actually trapped.  Despite powerful bait like Lucky Charms cereal, gold coins, and doll shoes (leprechauns are cobblers by trade), most hopeful leprechaun trappers have caught only chocolate gold coins and candy bars, accompanied by notes taunting them with "Good try," or "Can't catch me!" They really are wiley.

As everyone knows, leprechauns hoard pots of gold, and if caught, must reveal the treasure's location to their captor.  So wish us luck!!

Sending Hugs to Papaw and Great-Grandma

I struggle all the time with the fact  that Curly Girl's elderly family members aren't close by.  Her Papaw and Great-Grandma, both in their 80s, are far away in Tennessee and Missouri.  We can at least call Great-Grandma, who is still sharp as a tack, but I can't talk to my Daddy anymore.  He suffered two major and many minor strokes in the last few years which has rendered him unable to speak.  So phone calls aren't even an option, and he doesn't want to email.

When Curly Girl was born, I was great at sending pictures.  I have since slacked off and feel really guilty about it.  I also feel guilty that while there have been a few trips to Tennessee to see her grandfather, and one trip with Great-Grandma coming from Missouri for her Christening, she has not been able to spend quality time with them, and therefore won't have many memories.  So I'm going to try to step it up a bit and do more about that -- talk about them, tell stories and use their names in songs we sing.

Curly Girl is a GREAT hugger.  Her little hands and arms wrap so tightly around you, and when she hugs you she says "Awwwwww".  It's so cute!  Her Grandfather and Great-Grandmother are totally missing out on this experience!  So we made them  'hugs' to send in their next pack of pictures, which I finally found time to get printed.

We traced Curly Girl's hands on construction paper (that was WAY more time consuming and dramatic than I anticipated) and cut them out.  We then held her against her will with her arms out to measure her arm span with ribbon.  We attached the hands to the ribbon with tape and made the sign.

THESE ARE MY

HANDS

AND

ARMS

WHEN YOU NEED

A HUG

WRAP THIS HUG

AROUND YOU!

These are going out in the mail today and will hopefully give a virtual hug to her Papaw and Great-Grandma, two beautiful people I intend to keep in her memory.