Cheap rainy (or snowy) day fun
Three activities that are super cheap and tonnes of fun that I thought I'd share. We've had our share of colds, fevers, and snowy weather keeping us indoors and these made for something new and different to do.
1) Make Your Own Photo Jigsaw puzzle: $6.75 for a wooden kit (Melissa & Doug); less than that if you just get a heavyweight laminate. The Melissa & Doug wooden kits are available in Imaginarium toy stores or online at amazon.com. Probably other places too, but those are the two that I've found them.
You don't need a kit to do this; you can just laminate and cut up a 5x7 portrait into 9 or 12 pieces on your own. But the kit is fun and cheap and easy, and more durable, and they feel more like a storebought puzzle, which makes it a novelty for the kiddo. Although heavy Duty laminating sheets will actually last a while.There are also special 4x6 photo laminating sheets are pretty cheap and you can get up to 50 sheets for less than $5 depending where you shop. It's perfect for those school photos. Bobbin loved both making the puzzle itself as well as putting it together over and over and over again. Because if there are some things 3 and 4 year olds love it's:
- Showing off their counting skills
- Showing off their number recognition skills
- Showing off their matching skills
- Putting together puzzles
- Dumping all the pieces of a puzzle out on the floor
- Looking at pictures of themselves and talking about how beautiful they are :)
And this activity has it all! Bobbin hasn't quite mastered her skills at cutting on a line so I did that part. Older kids will be able to cut the pieces out themselves by cutting along the lines. But I had her match up the number on the back of the picture with the number on the puzzle piece, and hand them to me, I applied the picture piece to the puzzle piece and then she would put it in the puzzle frame. It's now one of her favourite puzzles.
2) Face painting $3.00 to $6.00 depending on the quantity of colours and the quality of the face paint, and it will last for a long time so you'll get multiple uses out of it. Or if you've got a bunch of old lipsticks and eyeliners that you're willing to sacrifice, don't bother buying anything at all! You can also probably find a recipe for making your own at home. Crayon form is easiest for kids to master and the least likely to make a mess elsewhere. Give them a hand mirror and let them go to town on their own face and yours. Why the heck not? When was the last time you had rainbows on your cheeks? Most stuff you buy will wash off with regular soap and warm water without much rubbing or effort, or Wet Wipes and won't stain fabric. Works well for play dates too. Just ask Squeaky Zee :)
3) Stained Glass Windows. For this you need two sheets of 8 1/2 x 11" construction paper, several sheets of various colours of tissue paper or celophane, and a roll of clear transparent contact paper (the kind with the grid on the back works great) or adhesive laminating sheets. And I have to admit that the idea for this particular project was not mine; I got it from Bobbin's preschool.
- You or your kiddos can cut the tissue paper or cellophane into small pieces. Can be squares or random shapes. Just snip away. Kids who are learning to cut with scissors will like doing this part. Put them in a bowl and mix them up.
- Take the two sheets of construction paper and fold them in half, cut out a large, simple shape in the middle (a simple tree or star for christmas; egg for easter; heart for valentines day; etc). Set one aside. These are your window frames.
- Cut two pieces of contact paper slightly larger than the construction paper (eg so that it provides a 1/4 to 1/2" border) . Apply one to one of the construction paper window frames. Set the other aside.
- Press the pieces of tissue paper or cellophane onto the sticky side of the contact paper that is accessible through the shape in the window frame. Cover the entire space until nothing clear is left. Shake off any excess.
- Take the other construction paper frame that you set aside and apply it on top of the first to hide the edges of the tissue paper. Then take the contact paper that you set aside and apply it to the finished project. Tape it to a window and let the sun shine in!
Enjoy :)
