I and the children LOVE these AMAZING trash liner jellyfish. So simple, and yet such an amazing addition to our OCEAN/SEA theme. I have added a Youtube tutorial at the bottom. To make these I used two 10 gallon commercial trashcan liners, the ones for small office trash cans, at a cost of about 5 cents and about 10 minutes of time each. #1 The first liner is opened up, four "corners" [just grab the edge about every 1/4 around] brought together and stapled, then stuffed down into the center of the bag to create a bowl shape. #2 For the second liner, cut off the sealed edge. It is accordion folded in fourths. Unfold completely and fold over once to create a square, giving you four layers of plastic. Cut off the edges and cut into spiral. I did about a 1 - 1 1/4 inch thickness. The wider the strip the shorter the "tentacles." I didn't try to be that accurate or to make a perfect circle. I knew once they were opened out that it wouldn't matter. You end up with a pretty long strip. I folded it in half and cut it to create two strips of equal length. Since it's actually doubled over double layers, this gives you 8 tentacles total. Spread them all apart. \ If you try to attach them without separating them first, they will cling to one another and not fall properly to create the tentacle effect. Once separated, join them all together, placing them randomly together in a circle and stapling together. Since you have two sets of four of the same cut, this is important that they not sit perfectly together or it won't look right. Stick the tentacle staple up against the inside of the bowl shaped bag and push up with your hand. Collect all layers on the top, along with a string to hang if wanted, and staple. You can't see the staple on the ones I have up. The plastic folds over and hides it. The layers are: TENTACLES TOP OF BAG gathered together and folded over [pic below] BOTTOM CENTER OF BAG STRING FOR HANGING All are stapled through at once. I can now make them with just one stable through the whole thing, but it is easier to staple the tentacles first, then the top of the bag, then the combined pieces. These are WONDERFUL!! I'm so glad I came across the idea. I think my process is MUCH easier than the original instructions, which used clear rubber bands. This is an original idea of Casa Haus English that her daughter created for a school assignment. She placed her jellyfish creation on a stick and used it as a movable puppet. Our jellyfish did the same, which is really cool, but with 2 and 3-year-olds, playing with plastic bags just doesn't work. So, ours are hung from the ceiling. TUTORIAL I have received several emails about the bringing the "corners" together step, so have created the following tutorial. A couple of things to note is that for this one I used smaller liners than the ones in this post, and I folded the first liner in quarters rather than opening it out and folding it in half, so the tentacles came out shorter. Only the last staple is necessary. If you are making a lot of these, you'll probably get to the point where you can just hold it all together and only use the one staple. Tags: ocean, sea, theme, unit, preschool, kindergarten, child, care, childcare, daycare, beach, jellyfish, animals, craft, art, decoration, puppet, plastic, bag, trash, can, liner
The Bible tells us to come out and be separate from the world, and this object lesson helps teach kids about the importance of doing just that as Christians.
Here is another really easy way to take up space and decorate for VBS! The kids will really enjoy these! Take a couple of boxes and wrap them in brown paper. Write things on them in black marker …
Wilderness-themed church room decorations made out of foam featuring bears, trees, faux stone, and more.
The Bible tells us to come out and be separate from the world, and this object lesson helps teach kids about the importance of doing just that as Christians.
Cardboard crosses can be decorated with washi tape, yarn, and scrap paper for Easter! Both kids and parents can enjoy this easy activity!
Brazil facts for kids: Learn about the country of Brazil, with fun facts about its Amazon rainforest, population, geography and history here at Nat Geo Kids
I made this and thought it was cute enough to share. Hope you enjoy it! Download here
I don’t know if you’ve noticed this as a parent, but kiddos have questions. One of LG’s questions recently made me realize it was time to take Bible study more seriously. “Momma, what is ‘my victory’?” (She asked this while listening to the song “My Victory” by Crowder.) There it was. The perfect opportunity to explicitly …
An amazing underwater theme party by Style Vine Events. Starfish, mermaids, an underwater cave and more in this fun and unique kids' party!
Sensory Play For Preschoolers made easy with these Snakes And Frogs Sensory Bin ideas! Use the great ideas listed to create a sensory experience for kids.
Are you looking for something easy to add to your Easter Sunday craft plans? Come check out our Popsicle Stick Crosses tutorial for kids!
Oh, I'm loving my new mantle in my foyer! The weather changed this week and it made me ready to put together a fall display. I left a few elements of my summer version and then added some more natural textures and a pop of a beautiful orange. (oops, the hammer and dust masks are NOT part of the display!) I filled a glass vase with some natural pods and dried naturals. I put a flamless candle in a unique iron piece I found at Goodwill. I bought four inexpensive floral bunches and tore them apart so I good attach them to a small grapevine wreath. I love the pop of orange (I know, it looks red in this picture.) This is a view from my upstairs bridge. Oh, it's so fun to have a mantle again! I already have a few small touches up my sleeve to add when it gets closer to Halloween! Internet Inspirations: Here are some fun decorating ideas for fall. Seriously, how easy is this? And yet it's such a cute combination for the kitchen or dining room table. (by Phyllis Hoffman) This is made by taking white carnations and spraying them black (I believe with a floral dye.) After arranging them, black licorice are placed in the container to hide the stems. A really cute party accent! Another easy, but gorgeous display. Gather you glass containers (or get some cheaply at Goodwill-there are always tons there) and grab those candles. Fill with various nuts for a natural look. Both of these arrangements are made by gathering either the wheat or cattails and tightly binding them with ribbon or raffia. (martha stewart)Martha always finds such lovely stems of berries. I'm really loving the yellow pitcher they're in. Look at all these lovely branches, some painted fun shades, some dangling elegant lights or charming birds: Where could I get such cute little lights? Darling! (woman's day) (phyllis hoffman) (such pretty things) I LOVE the painted blue branches with the silver container. What a beautiful combination. (by sfgirlbythebay) These branches were painted black and added to a pebble-filled vase. Easy, again! I love how this one is in a lovely gray pumpkin with some grass and twisty sticks holding decorative pumpkins. What a cute centerpiece! That brings us to the most popular fall decor item, the pumpkin. Look at all these inspiring ways to display them: With all the scrapbooking stickers out there, this could be done in minutes. I love the black color! (caromel colours) I love the shades of these metallic mini pumpkins. They're so gorgeous together. Oh to have the talent to paint these cute argyle pumpkins! (by heather bullard) (hgtv) Love the natural with the mercury glass pumpkins. (by homemadesimple) These painted black and white pumpkins are stunning. These leaves were just mod podged on! (let it shine) (meredith) I adore the combination of the silver with the white pumpkins. I turns out so elegant. (southern living) What about these knobby and warty pumpkins? The colors look wonderful next to that lovely aqua color. Very unexpected. (martha stewart) There's something so lovely about this arrangement. I love the combination of the orange, grays, greens and the unexpected touches of gold. A cute idea for the front porch. (diy showoff) These "mumkins" would be easy to do using a fake pumpkin shell and placing your mums in them. With a cute face, you've got a darling addition to the front porch. Did you know that these heirloom pumpkins grow these colors? I may have to see if I can grow some next year! (martha stewart) How darling are these?! I want to make a whole army of these guys. Love the look of the crystal glass and the gourds. And just for laughs, here's a killer pumpkin snowman: (my kids think this in hysterical!) I hope you were inspired to create lovely and unique fall displays. Have fun! I'm participating in: Show and Tell Saturday Weekend Wrap Up Party DIY Showoff Fall Festival Frugalicious Friday Saturday Nite Special Show off Your Stuff Creation Corner Link Party Frugal Friday The Nester Mantle Party
Do your kids love playing with cars? These free printable roads make playing with cars even more fun!
Amazing Crocodile Birthday Party Ideas + Supplies! These crocodile party ideas are sure to inspire!
An amazing underwater theme party by Style Vine Events. Starfish, mermaids, an underwater cave and more in this fun and unique kids' party!
Octopus Tag Rules If you’ve never played Octopus Tag, now is the time to try this fun outdoor game. It can be played by all ages and even the adults can have fun. A great family game for all ages. It’s a great game for family get-togethers or for a party game. For additional fun, […] Read more...
Search through our Halloween party ideas for recipes, decorations, party favors, and more to ensure your monster bash is a graveyard smash!
Sponge Painted Cherry Blossom craft is an easy painting activity for toddlers. Create beautiful textured cherry blossoms with a sponge!
Make bracelets with meaning! These Salvation Bracelets are easily made with Pony Beads and Elastic Cord. Bracelets are one size fits all! Perfect for Vacation Bible School, Children’s Mini…
After looking all over the web for help making sea weed for our pirate display this year I came up empty. I stumbled upon this by accident and thought
I made a palm tree for my bulletin board by using a palm top from Hobby Lobby (on sale for $5) and a pool noodle from Dollar Tree. The pool ...
Give painting a bit of a twist by swapping a regular paint brush with a dish sponge! This spring flowers sponge painting art project was created using just that and just look how wonderful (and
Alligator craft ideas are always fun to make. This easy alligator craft idea is fantastic to make with little ones in the preschool setting or at home.
Cut outs and instructions to make five green and speckled frogs. Includes -5 frogs -log -cattail/swampy background Can be used to make felt or magnet board characters. Directions for Popsicle stick frogs are also included. ...
Often kids don't have the opportunity to learn more about snakes! Let's learn about snake species - sensory salt dough nature activity.
We celebrated our sweet Ben’s 6th birthday today. Please excuse me while I crawl into the fetal position and cry for a few minutes. OK. I’m back… let’s talk about the party. I turned Ben loose on a kids’ party idea website last month (what was I thinking?!) and he decided that he wanted an “Alligator Swamp Party”. You might think that I was thrilled with this theme, given my South Louisiana Cajun heritage, but I must admit that I have not watched a single episode of Swamp People. I was a little bit lost in the beginning. Thanks to Pinterest, things were back on track pretty quickly! We are so excited that our new neighborhood has a pool, and it also has a covered picnic area adjacent to the pool that residents can reserve. Swamp theme + 100 degree June weather = Pool Party! Once we had the location and theme set, I got to work on the invitations. Ben loved them! :) His party ended up being pretty small (a drawback of having a birthday near the 4th of July – everyone always seems to be out of town). Regardless, he had a blast swimming with his friends and eating lots of yummy food and treats. Happy Birthday, Benji! The birthday banner For this party, I just planned the food around the swamp theme. There really wasn’t anything else to plan because we just played (and played and played and played) in the pool! We had potato chips, watermelon, chocolate covered strawberries, grape ka-bobs, lime jell-o, dirt cake, green Hawaiian punch, and swamp dogs (aka hot dogs). The birthday cake had a swamp scene complete with a tree stump, cattails, a frog, a snake, and an alligator. For favors, Ben and I made some homemade gak using this recipe. We put it in little push pop containers with a little wrapper that said “Enjoy some swamp slime!” I was able to snag one picture with my two (when they came by to scout the food table). Two of my favorite guys, ready for a swim. After a quick bite to eat, it was splash time. They played HARD until it was time for cake. In fact, Ithink this was the first party where I’ve had to initiate cake time – normally they’re bugging me about it from the time the festivities start! Hooray for parties at the pool! Cheetohs + swimming = best day ever! I love how Noah’s shirt rides up his belly like Pooh Bear. I picked up this cute ring toss alligator game on Amazon. They boys tossed rings for a bit. Then they wrestled the gator and rode him around the pool a lot! Then Brian decided they should try to toss rings at Ben. Nice cannon ball, Jonhenry! Splashing around with Tanner Gracie usually sticks to the kiddie pool, but her little inner tube gave her the confidence she needed to jump into the deep swamp waters! Checking for gators… Ready…. set… JUMP!!! All that jumping & swimming was hard work – so it was nice to be able to join Sweetie for a relaxing float. Paw Paw was in charge of keeping Noah from drowning. Sometimes he was more successful than others. Thankfully Noah’s bestie, Rylan was around to cheer him up! Brian had a friend to play with, too. :) I was finally able to drag the boys out of the pool for cake. Brian & Randy miraculously lit the candles (despite the crazy strong breeze), and we sang to Ben. Ben did a great job blowing out his SIX candles (while JH gobbled a gator tail in the background.) Before his friends left, they each gave Ben a sweet gift. Jonhenry was showing him how to work the little basketball game that he gave Ben. Such concentration. Tanner, JH & Ben trying to warm up – it was chilly outside of the pool. Ben had a great time with his buddies! The boys all played so well together and really tired themselves OUT! I’m guessing that Ben will be requesting lots of pool parties in the future. Once again, I can’t believe my BABY is SIX!!! Didn’t he just look like this? Happy Birthday, Benji Bear!
