This elder statesman of the American Revolution was born in 1706. He was the oldest signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Franklin was also a scientist, diplomat, author, printer, publisher, philosopher, philanthropist, and inventor.  One of the things Franklin invented was a musical instrument called the “armonica.†Franklin’s inspiration for the […]
Turn your child into a bean counter! Put dried beans into a cup. Now ask your child to take them out of the cup, counting as he or she goes. When the cup is empty, fill again, this time with another amount. Repeat as many times as you like. For added fun, glue the beans […]
Celebrate National Bird Day! Â In cold climates, the ground is hard in winter, making it difficult for birds to get enough food. Why not assist our fine, feathered friends by making a simple cereal necklace? String any cereal with a hole in the middle (preferably one without a lot of sugar) on about two […]
Of course, spaghetti is great for eating, but did you know it’s terrific for painting with, too? Let your little one dip cooked, cooled spaghetti in paint, then drag the pasta across a piece of paper for some squiggly modern art fun. While your child is painting, teach him, or her, the silly song “On […]
In 1888, Marvin Stone patented the spiral winding process to manufacture the first paper drinking straws. Stone was already a manufacturer of paper cigarette holders. His idea was to make paper drinking straws. Before his straws, beverage drinkers were using the natural rye grass straws. Stone made his prototype straw by winding strips of paper […]
Collect pictures of nutcrackers. You will find them in books, magazines and so on. Look at all the different styles and if possible, hang pictures of different options around the room while working on the project. You can also read the story of Clara and her nutcracker, and play the music from the ballet while making […]
Veteran’s Day is November 11th, a few days away.  books:  Veteran’s Day (read about holidays) Veteran’s Day Visitor The Wall  We sang the following songs:  America, the Beautiful          Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory          My Country Tis of Thee         The Star Spangled Banner We discussed what Veterans Day is all about […]
The idea behind the wreath is for visitors to my home to add what they are thankful for to the wreath. Each visitor writes his name on the tip of the clothespin and what he is thankful for on the handle of the clothespin. When the season is over, I will have a fantastic collection […]
