Foiled Play

Miles saved up enough money to buy a toy monster truck that he'd been wanting and so we took his piggy bank with us when we went to the farm store (Yes... the farm store.  I once heard a co-worker quote her grandmother, "If Rural King ain't got it, you don't need it." It's true for all intents and purposes.) for some other items that we were picking up.  This one came with a little plastic fold-able car that could be smooched when the monster truck goes over it.  Miles was very excited by this, but of course the set only came with one such car.  Chris told Miles that, "Back in my day... we smoothed foil over matchbox cars to make cars to smooch with monster trucks."  I suggested that Chris show him all the ins and outs of creating your own smash-able cars for monster truck play.

He're how it's done.

Cut a piece of Aluminum foil large enough to cover a matchbox car (or truck). Smooth it over the top and sides of your vehicle.

Once you've smoothed the foil into all the little crevices, you can add details with permanent markers.

Play Monster Truck Jam!! until your heart's content.

Chris and Miles kept giving the foil cars shape and smashing them over and over.  By the end, the foil "cars" had a very realistic look of a car at the end of a monster truck rally.  

Some times the simplest ideas are the most fun.  Hours of fun for just pennies.

Galoshes

Galoshes are the one piece of foot wear that up to this point in his life that Miles has truly worn out.  He has gotten a ton of use out of them.  Part of it is that they slip on so nicely.  I don't care if he gets them muddy.  

Or wants to make the biggest splashes in the puddles that form by our house. 

Or experiment with techniques necessary to make the best ripples.  

Of course when he sits in the puddle it doesn't really matter what kind of shoe he has on his feet, the water will make a puddle nearly as big as the one in the yard as he takes them off in the kitchen.  

Shoes that allow and encourage outdoor imaginative play are my favorite.  I think that every child should have a pair of galoshes.  (They're cheep at the Rural King.)  Miles is on his third pair and they all get a ton of use.  

Still Life : Train

The other day Miles wanted to draw a train, so we had a little lesson in looking at the shapes to create drawings.  He asked how to draw a train, and so I put together his little wooded train on the table and we looked at the shapes that make up a train.  Then we began drawing.

He started with the engine using rectangles and circles.  He referred back to his toy train to get the details correct.

After he drew the train we talked about where the train was, so he drew the train on a track on a bridge that is up on tresses.  

He added further details to the picture by added a few skyscrapers to the picture.  

Here is the finished product.  

Chugga chugga Choo Choo!!! 

Melty Crayon Art

The other day, I was working on my home work, and I came across a video of the Ooey Gooey Lady Lisa Murphy doing Melted Crayon Art.  It looked like a ton of fun, so we pulled out the crayons, waxed paper, the electric griddle (although you could use a hot plate too) and some hot pads.  

I tried it first.  The crayon melting is very relaxing.  It is quite soothing and makes you calm down and take your time to enjoy the project.  Chris even took a turn and really enjoyed the experience.  Although he said that the end art work looked a bit "Juvenal."  To which I replied that it was an art project designed for children, but was glad that I could bring out the kid in him.  

Miles had a turn and we used Lisa Murphy's idea of a hot pad for his non-dominate hand, so he's have a place to rest it without getting burned.  

It is quite soothing to watch the crayons melt while you move them about.  

We made quite a few creations, trimmed the edges evenly and then hung them in the windows, so that they can have light go through and light up.  (Also to hide the cobwebs between the glass and the storm windows.)  

Here is Chris' "Yellow Fru Fru Flower."

Miles made these. 

Kandinsky inspired Swirly Tree

This was the first one that I created.  Primary Swirls.  

This was a great activity and I'm glad that we tried it.  I highly recommend it to anyone who is old enough to understand that the hot plate is .... well hot.  The activity can also be done on aluminum foil.  And after doing some I think that this could be a fun way to do art on a cotton fabric, but haven't tried this, so it could be a flop.  Let me know if you try before I do.  

25 points for creativity

25 points for cheep factor

50 points for entertainment value 

= 100% Awesome Fun