Tori's Fun and Games!

I always have a busy week! I do lots of projects. You can do them too. I have a new project each week to tell you about.

June 20, 1999
Magical Glitter Butterfly
The butterfly is for Aunt Lizabeth.~Tori
This fun and simple project will surprise your child. They may want to do it over and over again. You'll have a whole collection of butterflies before they are done!


You Will Need:

  • Colored construction paper
  • Crayola glitter glue in several colors.
  • A paint brush

Directions:

  • Pick out a piece of construction paper.
  • Place it in front of you, landscape style. Fold it in half and then open it so that you can see a folded line down the middle of the paper.
  • Squeeze different colors of glitter glue on one side of the paper.
  • Swirl it around with your paint brush
  • While it's still wet, fold your paper over, smothing it down.
  • Here comes the magical part! Open it up. What happened?

June 12, 1999
Potting Soil Fun!
The dirt is black. It makes the flowers grow. It is ewie-gooy-messy.~Tori
It is a fun learning experience for little ones to explore the properties of mud, dirt and water. It's a great sensory experience and helps them learn basic science concepts. It might be a good idea to do this project before you begin gardening. ~Aunt Janet

You Will Need:

  • A Bag of Potting soil
  • A large tupperware, plastic or metal container. I like to use a large bucket or those containers you get from the hospital.
  • A Spade or shovel
  • A watering can, some cups and bowls
  • A little rake, ect. Any tool the children can use to explore with.
  • *Optional* Water

Directions:

  • Set up a spot outside with the large container and the cups, shovels, ect.
  • Fill the container with your potting soil.
  • Explore! Empty and fill the cups, dig holes, run your hands through it. Notice what happens when you dig the holes. Is the soil loose or packed tightly? How does it feel? What colors are in the soil?
  • Burry things in the soil. See if you can find them. What happens when you find them? Do they come out of the soil clean or dirty?
  • After you've explored the potting soil while it's dry, try mixing it with water. What happens to the soil when you water it? This will be messy! Be sure to keep the soil inside the container.
  • After all this exploring it's time to clean up. Empty the soil in your garden. Wash your hands and wipe up any spills.

June 5, 1999
My Own Garden
I have pretty flowers in my garden. I like the dirt and I can water them with Aunt Janet's watering can.~Tori

You Will Need:

  • Sterile potting soil
  • One or two 6 packs of flowers (easy growing plants like cosmos, marigolds or petunias are best)
  • A Spade
  • A watering can
  • A "little bit of earth"

Directions:

  • Find a sunny spot to plant your flowers. Flowers need sun to grow.
  • Dig 1 hole for each plant, about 6 inches apart and deep enough so that the plant will fit.
  • Fill the bottom of the hole with the potting soil. This will help the plants grow roots.
  • Gently remove the flower from the container.
  • Put the flower's roots in the hole and cover the roots with left over dirt and soil. Make sure the leaves and the flowers are above ground!
  • Water your flowers. Make sure you water them every day for about 2 weeks so they can adapt to their new home.


May 9,1999
A Playhouse!
I made a playhouse. I painted a box with pretty, pretty colors. It was messy fun! I play with pillows and blankets and my babies because I am Mommy. ~Tori


You Will Need:

  • A cardboard box large enough for children to climb into.
  • Nontoxic Poster Paints (These paints are supposed to be stain-proof, but sometimes the paint is very hard to get out of clothes. Mixing them with a nontoxic detergent makes cleanup so much easier. It also makes the paint bubbly, which is fun for little children!)
  • Paint Brushes
  • Newspaper (optional but recommended)
  • A Knife or Sharp Scissors (for the adult!)
  • Pillows and Blankets (optional)

Directions:

  • Wear old clothes or a smock. Take your box outside and set upon the newspaper, which should be spread out on the lawn.
  • Have your grown-up cut a hole for windows and a hole for the door. Tell Mommy and Daddy what shape the holes should be.
  • Use the paintbrushes to paint your house. Have fun! Sometimes it's fun to use your hands!
  • After the box dries, and you have cleaned up your mess, put some old blankets and pillows in the box.
  • Have a great time pretending!

May 2, 1999
A Simple Kite
Last week I made a kite. It flies and flies in the wind, but you have to run hard. I like my kite.~Tori
This idea is special because Tori came up with it all by herself. After seeing a kite on television, she decided to make her own. She looked about the house for the different materials. She had to improvise quite a bit. It made her kite all the more special. When doing these projects encourage your children to be creative and think for themselves. The fun is in making, doing, and discovering, not in how well the project turns out. ~Aunt Janet

You Will Need:

  • A piece of paper cut into a square 8"1/2 X 8"1/2
  • Crayons, markers or paints
  • 4 straws
  • Tape
  • String (I used a shoe lace for my first kite, but Pappa got me some kite string from the store for my other one.)

Directions:

  • Make sure your paper is cut in a square. Use the paints, markers or crayons to decorate the paper.
  • Put one straw along each side of the square.
  • Tape the straws to the paper.
  • Tape the string to the paper. Mare sure the string will hold on tight!
  • Now you can take it out to fly.

April 24, 1999
My Special Photo Album
Sunday and Monday I made a photo album. My book had angels and Christmas and stickers and my baby, and mommy and daddy on it. This is how I did it:

You Will Need:

  • A Small Photo Album with a plain cover
  • Alphabet Stickers
  • Photos that are special to you
  • Sticker Labels
  • A Pen or Marker

Directions:

  • Use the Alphabet Stickers to decorate the front of the album. Have mommy and daddy help you spell out your name with the stickers.
  • Decorate the inside with the rest of the stickers. This part is lots of fun!
  • Carefully put the photos in the slip covers. Make sure they all face the same way.
  • Put the labels on the pages. Tell mommy and daddy about the photos. They can write down what you say.
  • Now you have your own book all about you! Ask your mommy and daddy to read it to you.

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