Human Design and Parenting: Here are 5 ways I'm applying Human Design to Motherhood (and how you can too)...
Seems like everyone's talking about the importance of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) these days. And hey, I get it. We live in a highly technological world that's rapidly advancing in all sorts of new ways. We want our kids to be be creative and adaptive problem solvers. But maybe you're like me and you deeply love arts and crafts. They're your jam. And maybe you're unsure how to dive into all this STEAM goodness. Hey, I get that too. Hopefully today's post will help. In this post I sharing over 40 ideas for arts and craft projects that also happen to incorporate STEM ideas. Yup. Here are some of my favorite artsy crafty posts...which also happen to have a little STEAM-y oomph to them! This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for the support! For my full disclosure policy, click here. Here's a quick guide for how to combine STEM learning with Art Projects- You could try... Making art materials with kids Encouraging kids to study and experiment with their art supplies Making art to illustrate STEM ideas Building toys with kids Folding Origami with kids Alright. You got the quick guide. So now let's roll up our sleeves and break down each of these ideas! Make Art Materials with Kids Store bought art materials are awesome. They're quick and easy to use. But did you know that there's a TON of science involved in making these materials? (Side note- I recently read this book and cannot recommend it enough. History, science, intrigue... who knew all these things went on to create colors!) To help give kids a firsthand experience to this process, try making your own art supplies together! Cutting, mixing, melting, cooking, combining, problem solving..... they get to be a color scientist! With a little bit of science, technology, engineering and mathematics know-how, you can create any of these art supplies from everyday materials! DIY Paint With Water Pages Homemade Watercolor Paints Corn Syrup Paint DIY Quill Pens 2 Ingredient Body Paint Recipe 3 Ingredient Body Paint Recipe Sidewalk Chalk Paint Homemade Finger paint Glowing Skin Tattoo Markers DIY Glow in the Dark Chalk DIY Eggshell Sidewalk Chalk DIY Sun Prints DIY Giant Scratch board Art Spinning Top Markers Experiment with Art Materials Another easy way to incorporate STEM ideas with arts and crafts is by intentionally exploring and studying the different properties of your supplies. For example, what happens when you apply heat to crayons? What happens when water drips onto marker? Can markers draw on all surfaces? When kids explore questions like these they are being creative and thinking unconventionally. Some examples of these types of activities include... Rainy Day Process Art Sharpie Tie Dye Melted Crayon Rocks Comparing Art Materials with preschoolers Melted Crayon Art Use Art to illustrate STEM ideas Let's face it. Understanding STEM ideas can be tough. Luckily, many concepts are more easily understood with accompanying visual explanations. We can use art projects to help teach or clarify these difficult ideas for kids. Some examples of these types of projects include... Understanding Pi with String Art Number Chart Art Exploring Pi with Colorful Art Exploring the idea of 100 with Colors Creating Pattern bracelets with kids Exploring symmetry with Inkblot Shirts Learning about dinosaur skeletons with Tape Resist Art Learning about ant colonies with Tape Resist Art Fall Leaf Scratch Art: Showing how leaves change colors Learning about the solar system with clay jewelry Flower Pigment Pounding with Kids Exploring Cameras with Flashlight Painting Build Toys with Kids I'm a lover of all classic toys... as well as a cardboard hoarder. Yup. It's a pretty great combination. (Or a dangerous one... muah ha ha!) I love turning cardboard into all sorts of fun toys with my kids. We get to be artsy-crafty engineers, designers, and mathematicians all at once. Some examples of our favorite handmade toys include... Straw Rockets 1 sheet Kite Cardboard Climbing Circus Men Toys Rocket Launcher Tube Toy Cardboard Toy Launcher Awesome Cardboard Train and Car Bridge DIY Flying Whirly Copter Toy Cardboard and Soda Can Cars that Drive themselves! Climbing Spaceship Toy Light-up Cardboard Airport Runway Toilet Roll Airplanes Moving Lego Conveyor Belt Spare Parts Wooden Car Pizza Box Garage Cardboard Space Shuttle Cardboard Cash Register Use Science to Make Art Does "art" always have to be created using conventional materials? No! Why not use scientific ideas to create your own STEAM-filled art? UV Light Bracelets Magnetic Sculptures Watercolor Resist Notebooks Grow Easy Crystal Flowers Grow Crystals on Nature Grow Mini Crystal Sculptures Fold Origami Origami is such a beautiful art form. You use your creative, artsy side to fold and manipulate a simple flat sheet of paper into something entirely different. You also explore math ideas like geometry in an intuitive way. And, did you know that origami even inspires NASA scientists to think about solar panels in a different way? We've got tons of unique and cute origami projects! Phew. That was a long list. Want more? Awesome. I'm so glad! Hopefully you try out a couple of the projects above and find yourself really enjoying the whole process with the kiddos. And if you're looking for even more ideas... then I definitely recommend you check out this AWESOME NEW STEAM book for kids! STEAM KIDS! It's packed to the brim with over 50 hand-on projects that you can do with the kids... right now. This book is a collaborative work of love by several STEAM-loving bloggers . We're engineers, homeschoolers, educators, designers, and moms who put together over 50+ fun activities for kids 4-10 years old. Our goal is to excite and motivate kids to explore STEAM ideas in a hands-on-way. You can visit Amazon to purchase a book today! Or, if you prefer, you can also purchase an e-book version! And, join our STEAM kids Facebook group to meet over 700 like minded individuals who are trying to tackle STEAM learning as well. (I'll see you there!) Happy STEAM-ing, friends!
Are your arms tired? Been there. During the first few months of your baby’s life, it seems like all
Gentle parenting is a popular parenting method that raises wildly successful kids. Learn about gentle parenting & how to start today!
Got wiggly kids? Getting your kids to sit still in church can be challenging. Get 6 fabulous tips straight from a mom and former children's pastor.
With a few new babes in the world, and some friends now Mamas, I thought I would update this post on our favourite action songs for babies! Songs for babies are simple, fun, and oh so educational! Action songs for babies - even more so! My Benjamin just loves these songs - I hope your
Toddlers can be cute as a button and show you more love than you thought possible while also exhausting you beyond belief. Here are the best toddler parenting tips.
Does your toddler seem to be a tiny terror lately? Can you just not seem to get a handle on the tantrums and boundary pushing? Are all the timeouts and yelling just not working? I was once where you are. I was having doubts and confusion on how I should be handling my toddler's behavior.
If you wonder how to stop toddler hitting using a gentle parenting approach these proven tips will help you without having to use the punishment.
Frustrated when your child disobeys on purpose or pushes your buttons? Learn how to discipline a toddler who doesn’t listen or ignores you.
At the top of the world, the Inuit culture has developed a sophisticated way to sculpt kids' behavior without yelling or scolding. Could discipline actually be playful?
Rosie was recently going through a hitting stage .
How to help a speech delayed child | From speech therapy activities to PECS communication boards, we’ve rounded up 32 tips & activities to get you started!
Teenagers face a lot of challenges, and sometimes it's hard to tell them apart from normal behavior or a hint of something more serious.
Inside: How to help an anxious child to deal with intense feelings - 5 powerful strategies that can make a difference for a child who struggles with fears or worries. My son was standing in
Learn how to discipline a 1 year old with practical, loving and respectful discipline tips to start your parenting journey right.
We were getting out of the park to go home after a morning my son spent with his best friend. I was still angry, and he probably felt this because he was quietly riding his
Are your kids not listening most of the time? Follow these 5 tips to learn how to get a child to listen and follow directions - with no yelling.
Critics of radical unschooling sometimes challenge both our learning style and our parenting style. Here's how we respond!
Sometimes we get too soft in our parenting. We want the best for our children, and we sometimes don’t realize that the best for our child doesn’t always look very pretty. These are called “consequences.” Today I wanted to talk about consequences that make sense for kids. It’s our struggles and our consequences that make...Read More
Are you having a challenging time with your toddler? Here are 10 phrases that work like magic when your toddler doesn't listen to you.
If you wonder how to stop toddler hitting using a gentle parenting approach these proven tips will help you without having to use the punishment.
Do you know how to best discipline a child who won't listen? Read now to learn how to discipline kids and take back control with these parenting tips.
Implement gentle parenting by focusing on the relationship and fostering a positive relationship of empathy and mutual respect between parent and child. Gentle parenting focuses on the relationship with the child and fostering a positive relationship
Get the full scoop on how to use gentle, respect based discipline strategies for disciplining a 3 year old. Learn simple strategies to use everyday.
Do you catch your 3-4 year old in a lie quite often? You might be feeling frustrated when they don't tell you the truth. You want them to tell the truth but nothing is working so far! Here are some gentle strategies to deal with a lying 3-4 year old.
Ok, so first off, I am not opposed to kids watching shows or having screen time. In fact, it has been a life saving tool for me as a mom. Especially in seasons of life when my goal is to just keep the house from burning down, like when we had 3 kids under 4.
Lately, my husband and I have been working with our children to help them study the Bible. We have family Bible time each day where we have Scripture daily readings and pray. Most recently, the
Do you catch your 3-4 year old in a lie quite often? You might be feeling frustrated when they don't tell you the truth. You want them to tell the truth but nothing is working so far! Here are some gentle strategies to deal with a lying 3-4 year old.
Inside: Does your toddler struggle with listening and cooperation? If your toddler's favorite word is 'no' - you're not alone! Find out how to get your toddler to say 'yes' more with these simple, practical parenting tips. No matter how many cute little words your toddler may know: mamma, dadda, dog-dog, baby “NO” is without a doubt their favorite word. One might even say it’s their
Coming up with effective consequences for toddlers is not always easy. Here are some consequences they might understand.
Learn how to discipline a 1 year old with practical, loving and respectful discipline tips to start your parenting journey right.
Learn how to discipline a 1 year old with practical, loving and respectful discipline tips to start your parenting journey right.
Want to know what life for us growing up in the 80s? Here's the truth of what we experienced as 80s kids growing up in the 80s.
