Arts and crafts party for kids: Recycled crafts, DIY children's craft projects

Kids love playing in snow. But below-zero winter wind chills force parents to keep kids in the house. Schools cancel recess if it's too cold. Excess time spent cooped up, makes for restless, irritable children. Looking for cheap, indoor activities for bored, winterbound kids? How about an arts and crafts party for kids? Here are cheap recycled crafts and children's craft projects to occupy sick, snowbound or bored kids.   Arts and crafts party for kids: Recycled crafts, DIY children's craft projects

Outdoor Summer Life Science Activities, Biology Nature Crafts

Life science, or biology, is an essential school subject. But kids often hate science because it's taught from boring textbooks in meaningless paper-and-pencil activities. Rediscover the inherent fascination of life science this summer with hands-on experiments and crafts. Teach green, using recycled supplies.  Outdoor Summer Life Science Activities, Biology Nature Crafts

Pagan Crafts, Wiccan Printables, Fairy Coloring Pages

No religion exemplifies "green crafts" like pagan. Wiccans and pagans teach us to embrace creation and respect our earth. Major holidays in the pagan calendar include Samhain (Halloween), Yule (Winter Solstice), Imbolc (Candlemas), Ostara (Easter), Beltain (May Day), Litha (summer), Lughnasadh (late summer) and Mabon (harvest). Wiccan holiday activities include bonfires, incantations and magic of all kinds. Here are free printable Wiccan, fairy and pagan coloring pages and crafts. These would fit in with seasonal holiday crafts. I've included literature and book selections, too. Free Printable Wiccan Craft Activities

Cheap Homemade Holiday Crafts, Home Decor on a Shoestring

I'm the original frugalista. In home decor, I'm all about recycled, cheap and (my favorite) free. At Christmas, I save big with homemade, re-purposed decorations. Here's my guide to decorating for the holidays on a shoestring. I use minimalist techniques combined with natural elements and recycled, homemade crafts.  Read more

Free Printable Thanksgiving Cut and Paste Activities

Looking for some quick, easy crafts for Thanksgiving? How about printing freebies from the internet? Use these cut and paste projects for classroom, homeschool, day care, scouts, senior centers or church groups. You can print turkeys, pilgrims, leaves, pumpkins and fall nature crafts. Keep busy hands and minds productively active making decorations, coloring pages, place cards and table decor for dinner parties. Print free invitations and have kids color them. Use printable greeting cards and thank-you notes.  Crafts and Printables for Thanksgiving

Green Recycled Halloween Pumpkin Crafts, Fall Harvest Craft Ideas

Planning your annual Halloween party or harvest festival? Or maybe you're planning a fall themed party for school or church? Here are easy recycled fall themed crafts that focus on autumn harvest and non-spooky Halloween fun. Easy, inexpensive crafts using materials from your recycle bin.  Eco Friendly Recycled Halloween and Autumn Harvest Craft Ideas 

Free Printable Summer Beach and Nature Craft Activities

Family Fun magazine is the best family magazine to hit newsstand since the Saturday Evening Post. Family Fun focuses on inexpensive, diy crafts, games, recipes and activities for the whole family. Here are free printable summer fun crafts and scrapbook activities from Family Fun's free printables page Printapalooza (click here for Family Fun Summer printables home page)You know I never can resist sharing links for the free printable activities I find all over the web. And with Family Fun, you can always be sure the you'll get safe, inexpensive, green, diy family activities from fun other great families. Free Printable Summer Beach and Nature Craft Activities 

Free Printable Easter Crafts Activities--Color-Your-Own Cards, Games, Puzzles, 3D Crafts

Easter is the highest season in the Christian church and the second largest national holiday in most countries. Easter has taken on a secular side. If you celebrate Easter with eggs, bunnies and Easter baskets here free printable Easter crafts and activities. Here are websites with free printable Easter crafts, greeting cards, Easter party games, Easter cut and fold crafts, Easter baskets, Easter bunny coloring pages, puzzles, mazes, plus a whole lot more. You can print crafts with Easter baskets, Easter eggs, bunnies, baby animals and all the cute Spring and Easter decorations. Read more at Free Printable Easter Crafts and Activities: Color Your Own Cards, Games, Puzzles, 3D Crafts 

Rediscover the Barney bag for green, cheap kids' craft fun

Barney the bouncy purple dinosaur celebrates his 20th anniversary this year. In 1992, PBS adopted the character into the series Barney & Friends. Over the years, the children's show and its outgoing host have gotten mixed reviews; people either love or despise it. I was early in my mom career with a 3-year-old, 2-year-old and infant when the show aired. My children didn't watch much television and when they did, Barney wasn't their first choice. We did pick up one idea that has become a family tradition: the Barney Bag. Looking for green, inexpensive, easy, creative crafts for anywhere-anytime fun? Why not revisit the Barney Bag? Here's a Q-and-A to get started. Read more at Rediscover the Barney bag for green, cheap kids' craft fun

Homemade Cardboard Knight Suit of Armor Halloween, All Saints Eve Costume

Homemade Cardboard Knight Suit of Armor Halloween, All Saints Eve Costume A knight is a popular costume both for Halloween and Catholic All Saints Eve parties. For Halloween, the knight may be a character from Dungeons and Dragons, World of Warcraft, Beowulf or King Arthur. At an All Saints party a knight may be St. George or St. Martin of Tours. He might also be the Roman Centurion who helped Jesus and His Mother. Here's a DIY guide to make a suit of armor out of cardboard from your recycle bin. Perfect for any adult or child dragon-slayer. Read more

Free Printable Harvest Crafts, Plant Science Activities

This article is part of a series of six articles comprising six lessons in a science unit on plants. It has applications and adaptations for grades K-10 and addresses biology, math, social studies, writing (research and creative writing), literature, art, music and physical activities. The lessons are interactive and multisensory. You'll find lessons, printables, games, projects, web resources and literature connections. This article covers lesson one in our science unit; we will explore overall plant structure of the plant. Each section might take a week or two depending upon how much of the lesson you use. I've listed the content area that each lesson addresses. As always I'll begin with unit scope and sequence. Lots of "green" crafts! Read more...Gardening, Plant Science Unit - Plant Structure

Green, Recycled Crafts Supplies Organization

When I homeschooled our four children, we lived on one income in a mobile home. Space and money was limited. Here is my diy, budget homeschooling materials list. I've included organization and storage tips, using  shoe boxes, plastic laundry bins and plastic bins with drawers. Read on for how to

Science Recipes--Oobleck, Goop, Silly Putty and Other Dr. Seuss Crafts

Dr. Seuss celebrates his birthday on March 2. We celebrate Dr. Seuss legacy of literature. Dr. Seuss's charming fable Bartholomew and the Oobleck is pure Seuss fun. Here are recipes to make oobleck with your children, homeschool or students. Read more

Free Printable Color your Own Christmas, Kwanzaa, Epiphany Greeting Cards

We're so fortunate in the US, to have so many rich and varied holiday traditions and cultural observances in which to participate: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa. Here are free printable Christmas, Kwanzaa and Hanukkah color your own greeting cards to share.  Read more

Easy Homemade Advent Calendar Craft

Advent is the four week period before Christmas. Advent calendars make a great way to countdown the days until Christmas. You can purchase an advent calendar, print of of the many free Advent calendars or make your own with this easy craft. Read on

How to Make Holiday Centerpieces Like Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn

I shopped recently at Crate and Barrel and the Pottery Barn. Lovely stores--very expensive. Both stores had beautiful holiday decor and centerpieces displayed. I made mental notes on how to create these holiday crafts cheaply from natural, recycled sources. Read on

Free Printable Turkey Crafts for Thanksgiving

Free Printable Turkey Crafts for Thanksgiving What would the Thanksgiving holiday be for children without turkey crafts? I've been hunting web wide to bring you free printable Thanksgiving turkey crafts for your children, day care, home school, classroom, 4H group or scout troop. Read More

Eco Friendly Recycled Harvest Crafts

Eco Friendly Recycled Halloween and Autumn Harvest Craft Ideas
Planning your annual Halloween or harvest party? Here are great fall themed crafts that focus on autumn harvest and non-spooky Halloween fun. Easy, inexpensive fall crafts using recycled materials. Read More

How to Make a Gourd Birdhouse

How to Make a Gourd Bird House- Easy Green Nature Craft
On a family visit to a local apple orchard and pumpkin patch, I discovered a great 'green' nature craft: Gourd bird house made from a Mexican bottle gourd. Gourd bird houses are easy, inexpensive, eco-friendly crafts, perfect for classroom or homeschool. Read More

Recycled Cardboard Appliances and Furniture for Play House- Sink and Refrigerator

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Easy, DIY Recycled Cardboard Play House Furniture and Appliances: Sink and Refrigerator When I was young, my parents made an entire play house for me from recycled cardboard boxes. This series of articles gives step-by-step instructions to make easy appliances and furniture. In this article: sink and refrigerator. Read More