Fingerprint Apple Tree

Tuesday's theme at Story Time was apple related in honor of Johnny Appleseed's birthday (September 26, 1774). I have heard about Johnny Appleseed most of my life, but never knew his story. I listened intently with the children and decided to google him upon returning home.

The biggest shocker for me was that he was a REAL person! I had no idea! I also learned that he was a simple man, deeply religious, and a  vegetarian and wore his cooking pot on his head as a hat.

The take home craft was a fingerprint apple tree and is so easy to make.
(Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures until it was finished)

Supplies

Toilet Paper Roll
Brown and Green Construction Paper
Red Paint


1. Cut a strip of brown construction paper as wide as the toilet paper roll. Make sure it is long enough to wrap around the entire roll.

2. Glue the brown paper to the roll. (I had to paperclip the paper until it dried to make it stick)

3. Cut the top of the tree out of green construction paper.

4. Have your child make "apples" from their fingerprints with the red paint.

5. After the paint has dried glue the top of the tree to the toilet paper roll.

Pretty easy right? I'd love to hear how your project turns out!

Bubble Wrap Painting

Summer in Florida means hurricanes, rain, extreme heat & humidity and mosquitos the size of house flies. Needless to say, while everyone else in the country is out enjoying the warm weather and cool summer breezes, we are doing everything we can to avoid it. When we spend time outside (for short periods of time), it is in the wading pool, at the beach, on the boat, or playing in the rain. Everything else is an indoor activity. I truly look forward to fall and winter, when the weather is much more suited to outdoor fun. So that being said, it is sometimes difficult to find activities to keep the Big One occupied.

Last Friday, we were on a play date at Daycare Mom's House. Just as we were getting ready to leave, the repairman arrived to replace a part in her refrigerator. When the part was pulled out of the box, the Big One was drawn to the bubble wrap as if in a trance. Over and over she kept repeating "My mom always lets me pop the bubbles on bubble wrap." I can't even think of a time that we've had bubble wrap for her to pop. Anyway, the repairman gave the Big One the bubble wrap and we headed home. The Big One held tightly to that bubble wrap all the way home chattering about how she couldn't wait to get home to pop it. Thankfully it's only about a 10 minute ride. We got home, she played with it for a few minutes and then it was thrown aside, forgotten as she searched for some other exciting adventure.

The next morning we woke up and the Big One began the search for her precious bubble wrap. She was devastated when she realized that the Captain had thrown it away. The Captain does not like clutter around the house, so often I find that he has discarded various items I'm tucking away for my well intentioned craft projects. And since I had already promised the Big One that we were going to do a project with the bubble wrap, I did what any mother would do. I dug it out of the trash and washed it off. And then we got painting.

Making bubble wrap paintings is simple, and we had a lot of fun doing it.

Materials Needed

Bubble Wrap
White Paper
Paint
Paintbrushes


1. Cut the bubble wrap into squares. (I think when I do this again I will cut the bubble wrap into different shapes for more variety)

2. Put the bubble wrap flat side down and paint the top.

3. Press the painted bubble wrap on the paper to make different designs.

The finished product:

 

Originally posted on Mama's Mumbo Jumbo on 7/17/12