Category Archives: Share With A Kid

Making Acrylic Skin Magnets

I often use a glass palette when using acrylic paints and every few years it is time to peel the skin from the glass. This year I decided to use the skins to make bottle cap magnets, which would be a remembrance of the various paintings I have made over the past two years. You could easily transition this activity to work with kids simply by taking some of their original artwork, especially abstract pieces, and cutting the circles directly from that. These would make great gifts kids could give to mom or dad, or even as birthday gifts. They would also make wonderful fridge magnets to showcase their “masterpiece” artworks as well!

First step is to pull the skin from the glass.

Here is a large skin, you can see the gorgeous colors that the glass reveals on the skin.

After the skin is pulled, I place a gel thumbprint (that’s what I call them) onto the skin and cut around it. This makes the painting look like it is covered in epoxy.

I then glue the thumbprint, back side down, into the bottle cap and place a magnet on the back.

These magnets turn out gorgeous and are really simple to do.

DIY Car Shirt

I saw this post on Pinterest from The Blue Basket and thought it was one of the most fun ideas for Father's Day I have seen in a long time, especially if you have little ones who love to play with cars and dads or moms who love to get a back rub! Great DIY tutorial in the link below. I only wish I had little ones left at home to enjoy making and playing with this!
http://thebluebasket.blogspot.com/2011/09/tutorial-car-shirt.html

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Sweet and Sour Grapes

I saw this recipe floating on Pinterest and thought it would be fun to try for Easter! All it takes are washed green grapes, a ziploc bag, and one box Lime Jell-O. Shake them up and serve. Yes, I could have served them fresh but for a special treat they were yummy today. For an alternative you could use red grapes and raspberry jello too!

by Ardith Goodwin

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Amazing Enteroliths

An equine enterolith…aka..pearl created in the intestine of a horse. Gosh I love science!

Reshared post from +Koen De Paus

Horse Pearl

I am probably not shocking anyone when I say that most species of shelled mollusk produce pearls… But did you know that many animals, including humans, can generate mineral deposits as well? The process is very similar to how a pearl is formed.

"It is thought that natural pearls form under a set of accidental conditions when a microscopic intruder or parasite enters a bivalve mollusk, and settles inside the shell. The mollusk, being irritated by the intruder, forms a pearl sac of external mantle tissue cells and secretes the calcium carbonate and conchiolin to cover the irritant. This secretion process is repeated many times, thus producing a pearl."

The picture below shows off a "pearl" as well as its creator. The horse is obviously still a bit drowsy after having such a piece of art removed from its intestine. It actually looks rather beautiful but something tells me that these pearls probably won't show up around the neck of your loved one anytime soon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterolith

Via http://www.reddit.com/

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Parenting Networks on Google+ Circle

Last week I spent hours going through search to locate pages and people that actively share posts/resources about kids, for kids, and for parents of kids. With millions of users here I thought it would be easy, but it wasn’t. I did manage to come up with about 50 people/pages/organizations that were specifically found to promote kid play and family fun, but I haven’t actively engaged yet with all of them. If you are a parent here on Google+ with babies to teens and wish to connect with parenting resources here on Google+ this circle might be for you. If you are a parent/page/organization that is not in this circle but shares posts that promote creativity in kids, family fun, and education then let me know so I can add you. I would love to see Google+ become a hub of parenting/kid connections here on Google+. (For those of you who personally responded in my post the other day, I have a separate circle for parents in my personal network and added you to that.)

By Ardith Goodwin

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Reluctant Writers? Try Harris Burdick!

If I had to choose one book that inspired young kids to write, write like mad, and get angry when you wanted them to stop writing it would have to be The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, by Chris Van Allsburg. This book, or should I say “Image Prompts” lends itself to imagination, mystery, and drama……and kids LOVE IT!

A LOOK INSIDE THE BOOK

To start with, it’s a simple idea which fictionally shares the images of an illustrator that just so happens to disappear before his pictures could be published along with his text. What is left are 14 images, (drawn by VanAllsburg), with one caption at the bottom of each page. The book itself is the compilation of these images and captions….and a lingering mystery as to what happened to Harris Burdick. Several things capture young minds with this type of book, the mystery, the captions, and the images. Using mysterious images to spur the imagination is a great way to encourage reluctant writers to write.

The book comes in hard back, paper back, or what I love, a large set of individual images in a portfolio set. VanAllsburg’s website also gives the reader lots of resources and opportunities to read what others have written about the pictures, and transitions you into his new book, The Chronicles of Harris Burdick quite well.

Here is a couple of pics of the images:

I want to offer several helpful hints in using this text with young ones who aren’t quite ready to write yet all the way up to preteens.

Pre-Writers (Young enough to listen to a story, dictate it, but not write it) = If you are homeschooling this age group, or thinking about it when they get old enough,  sharing these images with your kids can be so much fun. The first night you introduce them to the story….of who Harris Burdick is and what might have happened to him. Then you show them the pictures, and help them ‘tell the story’ of what they think happened in the images. Start with one image at a time. Tape record their responses if you like or video them. Then, ask them questions, get their wheels turning. You may choose to use one image per night, per week, just whatever you feel is best for your kid/kids, key is: have fun with this. Storytelling is what it’s about here….which helps a child become a great writer.

Young Writers (Young enough to write sentences which describe, but are grammatically immature) = These writers love a mystery! They could talk and talk about what they ‘think’ happened, but when it comes to writing it out, conventions get in the way and they get frustrated. Allow this type of writer the freedom to write in draft mode. Get their thoughts down on paper, and then work with them to ‘polish’ up their ideas with grammar. Key here is: Have them focus on juicy tidbits(five senses) and energetic verbs whenever possible. Those two writing components are what create the strongest writing and build a solid foundation for mature writing.

Juicy Tidbit Example: (Plain) The dog ran across the road. (Juicy)With both ears wagging and drool dripping from his face, Barney charged across Bentley Street after a rabid squirrel.

Energetic Verbs: (Plain) walk  (energetic) stroll, meander, skip, dance, strut, etc…

Writers with Wings (These writers are usually in the upper elementary grades, they are adept at writing paragraphs, but may find the act of writing tedious and not enjoy it. Some of these writers already have a love of writing though, depending on their instinctive gifts.) This age group is the one that I found would argue with me about having to stop writing…..which made my day. They wanted to write and write and write. As a writing coach or teacher, that is exciting, but setting structure and time limits is important for this age…if you are in a school setting. For this group of writers, this is where you want to lead them into showing their own voice in their stories, having a strong use of energetic verbs, juicy tidbits, but most importantly, a “hook” at the beginning of their writing that draws the reader in. Having a strong beginning is important to keep the readers attention. Remember though, if you are helping a reluctant writer, allow them the freedom to HAVE FUN with this activity rather than put the emphasis on “writing correctly.” Kids must learn to love writing before they will be willing to learn to write well.

Because Chris VanAllsburg has created such an interactive website to go along with this book, kids these days will be drawn to it if they are naturally inclined toward technology or mystery….or both. They will also find the second book, The Chronicles of Harris Burdick captivating as well.

Reluctant Writers need to find the joy and love in writing and not see it as a chore. The best way to do this is allow them to write about what they LOVE, what they find fascinating, or what they find ‘cool.’ The Mysteries of Harris Burdick is one children’s book that has these qualities and I have yet to find a child that wasn’t mesmerized by it.

Parent Tip: Read through the text before sharing it with your child. Decide how to add some emotion and drama into the parts, pick your favorite one, and sell the concept. The more fascinated you seem to be…the more they will be. (Writing along with your child is also a great way to show a reluctantwriter that it can fun as well.)

by Ardith Goodwin

Rock Painting Steps for Kids

Hey parents, I am part of The Kid’s Co-op group which shares weekly hands on activities that boost creativity for kids. This week my post is about painting rocks and you will also find tons of other links as well to wonderful kid friendly/family friendly activities for your toddler through pre-teen. If you have little ones at home this is a great resource for sure!

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All Things Ardithian! – Simple Rock Painting For Kids
One of my fondest memories as a child was spending the time to create a box full of ‘rock people,’ googly eyes and all, and going with my mom to the local flea market to sell them. To this day…

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By Ardith Goodwin

Simple Rock Painting For Kids

One of my fondest memories as a child was spending the time to create a box full of ‘rock people,’ googly eyes and all, and going with my mom to the local flea market to sell them. To this day I can recall the cigar box I toted them in, the little table I placed them on, and the ecstatic feeling I got when I sold every one for 25 cents each! Now, I have no clue if a kind soul felt sorry for me, because they weren’t too pretty, but nonetheless, my rock stars went to a new home and the love of rock painting and crafting was instilled in me at a young age. This week, I had the chance to spend the day with my nephew Noah, and what did he choose to do? Paint rocks! A boy after my own  heart.

By Ardith Goodwin

ROCK PAINTING STEPS

Supplies Needed

*I purchased Noah his own kit from a local book store, Painting On Rocks, which came with 6 rocks, small tubes of paint, a paint brush, and a how to book. A kit is not necessary, but it’s a great option if each child wants their own set of supplies.

Non-Toxic Acrylic Paints

One detail brush, One Flat brush

One Sharpie Marker

Pencil

Acrylic Sealer

Steps To Paint Rocks:

Painting rocks appears pretty simple, but there are steps to take to make sure your child ends up with a smile rather than a frown. Priming your rocks is the key to success and I can’t stress that enough. Many acrylic paints can be transparent and the color will not show well on a dark or non-porous surface. Always use flat, white acrylic paint to prime each rock before beginning.

1. Prime Rocks With Flat White Paint

2. Use a pencil to sketch your design before you begin to paint.

3. Apply first coats and decide if you need to apply a few extra coats for the color to show. (blow drying between coats makes this step go quickly.)

4. The last bit of paint on the rocks will be the detail layers. These are the dots, glitter, and juicy tidbits kids can add to make an ordinary rock look extraordinary. The crab in this image below has lots of dots added at the last minute. It made a big difference.

5. Once all the layers are dried, use an acrylic sealer to protect the paint.

Noah called this his Angry Bird rock.

This was one of our favorites, simple clouds, but really pretty.

*****If your child intends to place these rocks outside for any length of time, the best paint to use is called “Patio Paint” which you can get from your local craft store. It is specifically made to weather well and lasts for years, at least on the rocks in my garden.

This art activity is one of the most basic that kids will love to do but with a few tips, a child who tends to be a perfectionist will find success. You can purchase round, flat rocks at the local craft store as well, or make a day of rock hunting part of the agenda.

TIPS

1. Show your child how to sketch basic shapes on paper first. Trace the shape of each rock on the paper and sketch inside the lines so that they know exactly what size and place to begin the designs on their rocks.

3. Abstract designs are easy, and picking three colors is a manageable combination for many kids.

4. If using a book, some images will be more complicated. Decide ahead of time if a guide is a good idea or not.

5. Glow in the dark paints make gorgeous, really swell rocks and kids love them. Consider adding a final coat of GITD paint before sealing.

6. If you are working with an older group of kids, you can add pieces and parts to the rocks by using Super Glue or a Glue Gun. Parental Supervision is required due to the heat of the Glue Gun.

CALLING ALL KID BLOGGERS AND PARENTS!

This activity is part of The Kid’s Co-Op weekly round up! Each Friday we post a list of tons of great, kid friendly activities. You can view the list to get ideas, or you can participate too. Go to your favorite kid site, Pinterest Board, or your own website and copy the link of your activity. Scroll down to the bottom of the list below and click on “Add Your Link.” If you are a kid blogger and would like to participate in our Linky group let me know!

Shaving Cream Sensory Play

One of the activities I used to love sharing with my students was Sensory Play using shaving cream. When spelling words needed practicing, math problems needed figuring out, and color theory needed discovering, we grabbed our mats and Barbasol and went to town. (It was also a great way to clean their desks, hands, and leave the room smelling fine.)

By Ardith Goodwin

If you have a child that struggles with spelling word practice or is learning their subtraction or addition facts,  give them the chance to incorporate play into it. 

When teach color theory the addition of food coloring is a ton of fun, but I always had kids where an art smock and plastic gloves so the dye didn’t stain their hands. When I use this at home, we just dive in with no gloves because it washes off really well. 

And for those of you with an inner child wishing to be whimsical with your significant other, this works great on the bathroom mirror to leave an “I love you” to an unsuspecting someone…..cleans the mirror well too,

I’m headed to bed with the vision of this little dude in my head

Rock on little man, rock on!

Reshared post from +Yvonne S

Just rock and roll ♥

slavesoul.com

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