Something Fun for Everyone
Though the winter weather outside has been calm so far, it seems like a good idea to have kiddo-friendly activity ideas up your sleeve if the trend changes. Here's a quick list of recent books chock full of ideas suitable for every type of family budget or range of interests.
Authors Claire Gillman and Sam Martin detail a variety of boredom-busting activities, both indoor and outdoor.
Kids Guide to Paper Airplanes by Christopher Harbo
If you have a budding engineer in the family, this one provides instructions and diagrams for making a variety of traditional paper airplanes.
Sort-of-difficult Origami by Chris Alexander
Though not for novices, the step-by-step instructions are well-explained and illustrated. Fold and fold and fold again to make a fox mask, a penguin, a seal, and more.
Valentine Crafts by Greta Speechley
The simpler crafts give this title its shine and offer a great way to help your child craft a special gift for that special someone in their life.
Scrapbooking Just for You! How to Make Fun, Personal, Save-Them-Forever Keepsakes by Candice F. Ransom
The author offers a solid introduction to a very popular pastime with examples geared mainly to girls, grades 4 and up.
Modeling Clay Animals by Bernadette Cuxart
Using non-drying clay, follow basic tips and instructions to create animal sculptures, including ladybugs, giraffes, crabs, dogs, rabbits, and turtles.
Carla Mooney and Samuel Carbaugh outline the basics of Washington's life, accompanied by doable, historically-informed activities. An interesting choice for President's Day learning, grades 3-5.
Everyday's a Holiday : Year-round Crafting with Kids by Heidi Kenney
Craft ideas for classic and not-so-classic holidays. Many of the ideas can be adapted, and re-adapted, to "celebrate" holidays of your own making.
