Naturally Educational » Home Arts
Spooky Halloween Creature Votive Candles
I’m guest posting on Make and Takes today…come check out our spooky Halloween votive candles! … Read entire article »
Criss Cross Applesauce
We went apple-picking and have two pecks of apples–and now the kids know what we mean when we sing “a bushel and a peck”? So, we made some applesauce and I think we’ll make baked apples and apple crumble and possibly some apple muffins. This is a great addition to our study of apples as well as a prelude to the (very basic) colonial lifeways studies we do in November. I need to get a canner, though, so … Read entire article »
How to Make a Flower Fairy
We made these Flower Fairies in early summer but I am just getting around to posting them. In the fall, we will make them with leaves. We had been wanting to make Flower Fairies for some time and I was inspired to finally give it a go when I saw these forest fairies at A New Bohemia during the Smart Summer Challenge. Materials: 1 wooden bead artificial flowers 2 chenille stems 1 metallic chenille stem embroidery floss or yarn glue dots or hot … Read entire article »
Filed under: 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergartners), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 9-11 (Elementary), 9-11 (Elementary), 9-12 (Middle Grades), Featured, Home Arts, Literacy, Spring, Summer
Weaving the Sun
Today is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. We have the most hours of sunlight and the fewest of darkness. Today marks the first day of summer for the Western calendar. For ancient people, this was midsummer (as in A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and St. John’s Day and was celebrated on June 24th. Summer began on May Day. Today we welcome the sun as our hemisphere tilts … Read entire article »
Filed under: 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 6-8 (Early Elementary), Featured, History and Culture, Home Arts, Science, Summer, Visual-Spacial, Weather
No-Sew Lavender Sachet (Guest Post)
While I am on a brief “maternity leave”, I am welcoming some of my favorite activity, craft, and education bloggers to share a post on Naturally Educational. Today, Maggie of Red Ted Art shares how to make “no-sew” lavender bags. Personally, lavender is one of my favorites for both its scent and colors. Every summer we enjoy the lavender labyrinth at Garden of Eve and bring fresh lavender into our home! Hello! I am Maggy and … Read entire article »
Filed under: 5-6 (Kindergarten), 6-8 (Early Elementary), Featured, Home Arts, Smell, Summer
How to Decorate a Candle with Pressed Flowers and Dried Herbs
We like to make homemade gifts for the grandparents for holidays. Since our family reads the blog, I don’t want to spoil this year’s Mother’s Day surprises. Two years ago, my daughter (then a few months shy of three years’ old) decorated pillar candles with flowers she had picked and pressed. This simple craft makes a fun gift for moms, grandmas and aunts. Materials a wide pillar candle small votives or clear wax for melting pressed flowers or dried herbs for … Read entire article »
Filed under: 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 6-8 (Early Elementary), Featured, Home Arts, Spring
I Can Eat a Rainbow!
I’m no nutritionist but I know that eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables is a great way to get a variety of healthy vitamins! While we are studying rainbows, we are also checking out nature’s spectrum of colors. And vivid colors in the flesh of fruits and vegetables signals a high level of nutrients. Getting children to eat healthy is wonderful but teaching them how to make healthy choices is even better. “Eat a Rainbow” is … Read entire article »
Chocolate-Covered Pretzels
Valentine’s Day may be over but we’re still enjoying some of the treats we made. The biggest hit was these chocolate-covered pretzels my daughter made. They are so simple and the heat is so low to melt the chocolate that your preschooler or even toddler can do them with very little help. You can customize the sprinkles for other holidays, too. All you need is Baker’s Chocolate, Pretzels (twists or rods), and sprinkles. 1. Melt chocolate on … Read entire article »
Filed under: All Ages, Bodily-kinesthetic, Featured, Home Arts, Science, Smell, Taste, Winter
Beaded Valentines Heart Ornaments
My kids love to bead and spend a lot of their independent art time just stringing beads on laces, chenille stems, ribbons, and more. So, for this project, we crafted beaded heart ornaments. Materials pony beads of various Valentine’s colors smaller, plastic, crystal beads of various Valentine’s colors chenille stem fishing wire or floral wire red or pink ribbon Directions: 1. Add pony beads to the chenille stem. You can create a pattern, like my daughter did, or just add them at random, like … Read entire article »
Filed under: 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 9-11 (Elementary), Featured, History and Culture, Home Arts, Winter
Our Handmade Christmas Gifts
My family reads this blog (thank you!) so I did not want to post these until after they had received their gifts. They would still make lovely Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and other special day gifts so I wanted to share them! For the grandmothers and great-grandmother and aunt, the children made these votive candle lanterns: Materials: pressed leaves or flowers tissue paper mod podge glitter glass bowl or candle holder (we got ours for $1-2 at Michaels) Directions: Apply a layer of mod … Read entire article »
Filed under: 1-2 (Toddler), 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 6-8 (Early Elementary), Featured, Home Arts
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About the Author
Candace Lindemann is a published children’s writer and educational consultant. She holds a B.A. from Yale University and an M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Working with school districts around the country and some of the most well-known companies in the education industry, Candace creates custom strategies, textbooks, and lesson plans. Her articles have appeared in print and online.
While Candace’s degrees prepared her for a career in education, she’s found that the best preparation for parenting is on the job training.
Contact Candace via e-mail, read her full biography, or connect with her using the social media icons below or on Google.
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