Our Goal This Week: Be Festive

It's been awhile since the kids and I did a project just for the fun of it. (As opposed to something for a letter day or because we needed to make an announcement or something.) My sister-in-law Sydni shared this really cool website with me called abcand123learning.blogspot.com where they have fun activities for kids. So I went exploring. I only looked at the holiday craft stuff, but there was a ton of other things I can't wait to go back and look at in the future. As it is, I got some really fun ideas for Easter activities, and am determined to try and do at least one with the boys each day next week so we can be festive. :)

Today we did tin foil eggs. You cut egg shapes out of cardstock, then wrap the cardstock in tin foil. Next you paint over the tin foil with acrylic paint (the website said other kinds of paint will work, but won't dry as nice looking). Then, while the paint is drying you take the back of the paint brush and scratch little designs into the egg to decorate it.  

While doing the project we learned that the thinner the layer of paint, the better the designs will show up. And also that you can't scratch the designs out once the paint is completely dry, so you kind of have to catch it at just the right time. Another thing, I didn't realize how long it would take to wrap all the eggs in tin foil. I was trying to do it as Lincoln painted, but he kept right up with me. If I ever to it again, I'll get the eggs wrapped before I let them start painting.

Both my boys had a good time. I didn't know if the acrylic paint would wash out of clothes, so I stiped them down and made them paint in their underwear/diaper. Ivan had to stop about half way through his first egg because he kept trying to suck on the paint brush (yes, while there was paint on it!) so he got to go take a nap instead. (He was crabby anyway.) Lincoln loves painting, and had fun making the designs too. Don't ask me why he insisted on painting with the bucket on his head, but that's what he wanted. Whatever.

I took 12 of the eggs and taped similar colors back to back, so when I was done I had 6 eggs. Then I tied a string to the top of each one and hung them in our window. For the remaining eggs, I think later this week I'll make a construction paper basket and let Lincoln tape them in there. Should be fun.