Quality Time Activities

Ah, Spring. Time for long strolls in the park, picnics outside, and fun crafts to get us all in the mood for Spring.

In this article, I give three simple crafts everyone will enjoy making.

Barnyard buddy magnets

This is a craft that I did several years ago, and will probably do again now this Spring with my girls.

You need:

Colored cotton balls (one ball for each magnet you want to make.You can find colored cotton balls at any craft store.)

Flat magnets
Felt squares-yellow,white, brown and black.
Scissors
White glue or glue gun (If glue gun is used, you will need approximately two glue sticks to make three dozen Barnyard buddies.)

Extra small googly eyes
Black fine tip permanent marker
Plastic bunny or cat whiskers (Again, craft stores will have these in stock)

Cut ears and two small triangles, chick feet, and bunny ears from felt. Set small yellow triangles aside. These triangles will be used for the beak on the chick.

Next, make the creases on the ears for the bunny buddy.To make ear creases for the bunnies, put a spot of glue on the ear's bottom edge and pinch together in the back. Use a small safety pin to hold together until the glue sets.
While you are waiting for the glue to set on the bunny ears, glue the googly eyes to the cotton balls, then glue the magnets to the backs of the cotton balls. Once the creases on the bunny ears are dry, glue ears to the top of the cotton ball designated to be the bunny, and the yellow triangles on the chick buddy.

Decorate bunny further with whiskers. You're done!

Crocodile letter holder

Our family did this craft at Vacation Bible school a few years back. The nice thing about this craft is that you can also make it into a magnet for your fridge.

You need:
Clothes pins (the type that have a spring in the middle)
Paint (colors are your choice)
Small googly eyes
white felt for teeth (optional)
white glue

Paint the clothespin and then cut teeth out of the white felt. Teeth look best when cut in the zig-zag pattern. Glue teeth to each side of the front of the clothes pin (The front the the part that opens.)
Glue the googly eyes on the front side of the clothes pin. Let paint, dry and you are done!

Squirrel/Bird feeder

Now, I know some reading this have older children, and you are thinking to yourself, these craft ideas are for smaller children. I haven't forgotten you.

My older kids make squirrel feeders every spring and place them in our back yard. Now, this craft has a two-fold benefit because the kids make something nice and they can study wildlife up close (without getting too close of course.) Another benefit to this feeder is we also have seen birds eat out of this feeder too, and then we have the opportunity to study the birds that come into the yard to eat!

Here's how to make a squirrel/bird feeder:

31 popsicle sticks
glue stick
exterior varnish (optional)
non-toxic pain (optional)

This project will take a few days because the glue should be allowed to dry overnight.
Take 6 popsicle sticks and lay side by side. This will serve as 1 side. Glue the narrow sides together. Do this with 6 popsicle sticks 5 times. so you will have a total of 4 sides, 1 bottom when all is done. Allow to dry.

After the glue us completely dry, Glue all for sides plus the bottom together and allow the whole structure to dry. For the remaining popsicle stick, you can use this as a perch if you wish to use this as a bird feeder as well as a squirrel feeder.

Once the feeder is dry, paint as you wish, but do not paint the inside. If you wish the feeder to last longer, and exterior varnish should be applied to the outside and placed somewhere precipitation will not get to it.

Fill the feeder with wild bird seed and nuts such as acorns, and you are all set!

I hope everyone reading this will try at least one project from this article. Kids love when they can create things with their parents, and it forms a stronger bond that last s years to come!

Have a wonderful and creative Spring!