School is done tomorrow for my kiddos (cue the panic), so my mind has been in overdrive lately to find fun activities for them to do that will not only be fun but educational as well. And as fun as it is to play loud boisterous games and make sensory messes, there are times when momma needs a break and the girls need a quiet activity to sit and do. Plus, with a new baby in the house, the girls need to have a quiet outlet while she naps. I have read about quiet books and seen a ton of craft stick type crafts, so I brainstormed about a way to use craft sticks as a craft that can be used over and over again. Cue, my Quiet Time Craft Sticks! :)
Can't Get Started Without:
~Package of Craft Sticks (mine came in a pack of 75 from Hobby Lobby)
~A few tubes of Acrylic Paint in the colours of your choice
~Self adhesive Velcro pieces
~Paint brushes
If you were just wanting to make some Quiet Time Craft Sticks without any mess, you could buy some pre-coloured craft sticks and just apply the velcro (but where is the fun in that?!). The most enjoyable part of this project was letting Jaydn pick out her favourite colours and get down and dirty by painting the sticks herself. She had a blast!
So, yes, step 1, paint your craft sticks. :)
I wanted to let her paint on the kitchen table without the worry of getting paint everywhere, so I had the brilliant idea of putting down plastic wrap over the entire table. It worked excellently, and I could sit back and enjoy her going to town with those paint brushes instead of hovering over her trying to catch every paint drop. ;) We painted one side of each craft stick and let it dry, had lunch and then came back and painted the reverse side. Our sticks looked great, Jaydn did an excellent job!!
It was pretty quick and definitely easy. It was also neat because when I removed the plastic wrap, it was all painted and looked really cool. It was like doing another art project as well.
After both sides of each stick were dry, I put the Velcro pieces on the end of each stick. After I had done that I realized that in order for the girls to be able to make all the shapes and letters, some of the sticks would need to have Velcro on both sides and some needed Velcro pieces in the middle of the stick.
Once the Velcro was on, the sticks were finished! Such an incredibly easy project and the girls LOVE them.
What I also adore about these quiet sticks, is that they actually help teach the girls too. It was fun to see them work out which sticks would work best to create their desired shape or letter.
And when your kiddos are all done playing, all you have to do is throw your sticks in a small tupperware container and your clean up is complete. As Jaydn would say 'Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy'! ;-)
These were definitely a hit and I'm so glad that we made them!
What is your favourite quiet activity for your kiddos to do?
What a super craft idea!! I wish I had thought of this when my daughter was little!! And your girls are adorable!! Thank you for sharing this with us. Pinning to the party board. :)
ReplyDeleteOh my Tootsie would love this! I bet I could even talk her brothers into making them for her! It's a win-win for a busy mama!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing at Show-Licious Craft & Recipe Party!
~ Ashley
How many do you think you made with dots in the middle and dots on both sides?
ReplyDeleteI'd say about half Tiffani. They are a lot more versatile the more velcro dots you use. :)
Delete