"Cloud Dough" {Tutorial}

Our children LOVE playing with messy crafts!! 

We usually try to do a Messy Monday craft.

~~Here is a little poem I have posted before and try to keep in mind whenever I have the daunting task of cleaning up after a very "Messy Monday!" LOL.~~

MY MESSY CHILD

As I sit and watch him play
I'm fully there in every way
A pour, a stir, a splish, a splash
I'm witnessing a joyful bash
Mistakes are made, and even praised  
He problem solves, my child’s amazed
Through play he learns of his self-worth
Something I’ve instilled since birth
No shame, no correction, just free to discover
The wonders of this world he will uncover
The day is done, his hands are red
There’s sand and shaving cream on his head
A passerby stares in dismay
“Oh Dear, why does he look that way?”
I smile with pride, and the comfort of knowing
That all this “mess” is helping his growing
From blue toenails to purple knees
I smile at my child.....who is so PLEASED.

AK 

This week, we made Cloud Dough again.

It is really simple. 

Cloud Dough

8 cups flour

1 cup Baby Oil (we like the lavender scented kind)

Just mix it together for 5 minutes and, voila!

Messy Monday Funday!

Be a blessing,

Aria:)

{H.E.E.T} Fall Apple Farm Tour!

My Homeschool Tour Group {H.E.E.T}=Home Educators Exploring Together took a tour

of a nearby Apple Orchard. It is family owned and operated and has been around since 1919. The current apple growers are 7th generation apple growers!! All of the apples are picked, sorted and packed BY HAND!! It was an amazing adventure!

We were able to tour the farm, the orchard, the museum, the packing/sorting area and the warehouse. 

We were also able to pick our own apples to bring home! We also had an informative slideshow presentation in a classroom setting and drank fresh apple cider, too. It was really a neat tour!

We have been to this orchard several times as a family, but it was much more interesting

to view it from the operations end. I have a whole new respect for how hard farmers work!

The girls thoroughly enjoyed themselves and we had an absolutely gorgeous fall day to 

enjoy spending some time outside!

{click on photo to enlarge}

Since it was so beautiful outside, we attempted to have

a picnic lunch at the farm.

Unfortunately, the bees wanted our lunch as much, if not more than, we did!

LOL. 

So, we headed to the minivan and ate there before driving back to town. 

Until next time..be a blessing,

Aria:)

*EASY* Contact Paper Collage!

Ready for a really easy, inexpensive and fun craft?

Well, just pull out some clear contact paper and tissue paper!

That's it!

{No messy glue to contend with either, LOL}

For the younger kids, tearing the tissue paper is a great way to build their fine motor skills (and pre-writing and cutting skills) and for the older ones, cutting the tissue paper is great practice!

The girls really enjoyed this project!

Be a Blessing,

Aria:)

Math Estimations

I found a really cute idea for a Math Estimation Craft on Pinterest 

{hop on over and follow us there} 

and decided to give it a try!

Our girls love math and love eating, so it was the perfect combinations, LOL;)

First,  just printed off the estimation worksheet and let the girls get the O's going.

We just traced their hands and let the girls estimate how many O's would fit in each.

Em really underestimated hers, but Elle was really close to her actual number!

Definitely a hit and a great follow up to our {H.E.E.T} Apple Cooking Class, where we 

played an Apple Estimation game as well!

Hands-on learning at its finest--so fun!

Be a Blessing!

Aria:)

Art Museum Visit

Our children love going to the local Art Museum.

We have been studying various artists in homeschool (Brueghel, Inness, Bierstadt, Jacob Lawrence and Piet Mondrian, most recently). We have learned about how artists use various mediums to create different pieces of art and also how they use shapes and lines in different ways.

It was really fun to take the girls back to the Art Museum armed with knew knowledge about art. They were really interested in looking at the various creations and also creating some art pieces of their own!

We had a really nice visit and a lively dialogue about the various artists and their work. Practical application, in a hands-on manner, has always been the best part of homeschooling!

 I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the artwork of Elijah Pierce. I was introduced to his work over 20 years ago by a Professional Mentor of mine in college. I was so happy to see a whole gallery of his works at our local museum-what a treat!

They have a really neat kids' area where they can create funny animals, make sculptures out of wooden dowels, create funny faces using metal instruments and play with dishes (and more)!

We even packed a healthy lunch and enjoyed it at the museum!

It was a wonderful family outing and very educational!

Blessings,

Aria:)