Creative Family Fun

Your one-stop shop for kids activities and family fun

Terri Thompson

Science + Art: Craft Stick Bracelets

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Combine science and art to create this fun STEAM activity for kids, craft stick bracelets. Do a simple science experiment to bend your craft sticks and then decorate your new bracelet.

We once again combined art with science to make these fun craft stick bracelets.

How do you get a craft stick to bend without breaking? Can you transform it into a new shape?

We answered these questions with a fun experiment.

Combine science and art to create this fun STEAM activity for kids, craft stick bracelets. Do a simple science experiment to bend your craft sticks and then decorate your new bracelet.

Disclosure: There are Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations. You can read our full disclosure policy on our Disclosure Page for more details.

Supplies Needed:

Craft sticks
Container large enough to hold your craft sticks flat
Water
Drinking glass
Markers, washi tape, paint (or whaterever you want to use to embellish your bracelets)

Combine science and art to create this fun STEAM activity for kids, craft stick bracelets. Do a simple science experiment to bend your craft sticks and then decorate your new bracelet.

Before beginning, we examined our craft sticks.

Do they bend? Not without breaking!

The dry wood is hard and strong, exactly why we use it for a building material. But, we can make them flexible.

Historically, steam has been used to bend wood for tool making, boats, musical instruments, furniture and more. We were able to get the same effect with boiling water.

Here’s how we did it:

Place your craft sticks flat in a container. We just used a plastic storage container.

Set this container someplace where you won’t need to move it for awhile.

Next, and it’s very important that a grown-up does this part, pour hot, boiling water over the sticks until they are submerged. You’ll need to leave them alone for 30-45 minutes. You may want to soak more craft sticks than you actually need to allow for mistakes.

Combine science and art to create this fun STEAM activity for kids, craft stick bracelets. Do a simple science experiment to bend your craft sticks and then decorate your new bracelet.

Once your craft sticks have soaked for at least 30 minutes, it’s time to get them out and try to bend them.

I emptied the water and we started testing our sticks. We found them much more flexible than when they were dry.

But, we did discover that if you tried to bend them too quickly, the sticks would still break. Our discovery was that we needed to bend them slowly and gradually.

Once we did that we placed them inside our drinking glasses to mold them. We left them in the glasses overnight to dry. Once they are dry, they will hold the curve shape.

Combine science and art to create this fun STEAM activity for kids, craft stick bracelets. Do a simple science experiment to bend your craft sticks and then decorate your new bracelet.

After pulling our sticks out of the glasses and marveling at their new shape, we decorated them to wear as bracelets.

The girls discovered they they could fit two curved sticks together to form a circle and make a perfect bracelet. It was fun and amazing to try to bend wood!

Have you ever tried this experiment? How did it work out for you?

Make This a Family Adventure

Cost: Under $5.00. Free if you already have craft sticks at home
Planning Time: 10 minutes (or less). You will need to gather your materials and boil your water.
Ages: Ideal for 5 years and up. Younger children can participate and have fun as long as parents are involved
Time Needed: 1 hour needed for first step, which included about 30-45 minutes of soaking time. The craft sticks will need to dry overnight and then you will need about 20-30 minutes for decorating.
Note: Because this project requires drying overnight, plan this for a time when you will be able to have family time two days in a row. It’s a very fascinating project that even adults will like to do, so it is well worth the time spent.

Favorite Cookbooks for Kids

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I love cookbooks and I always have.

I probably own more than any one person needs.

So, in light of this love of mine, I thought I’d round up some of my favorite kid’s cookbooks I’ve read lately.

Disclosure: There are Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations. You can read our full disclosure policy on our Disclosure Page for more details.

Best for the Youngest Chefs

Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes: A Cookbook for Preschoolers and Up by Molly Katzen and Ann Henderson. Katzen is the author of the Moosewood Cookbook and she brings the same healthy recipes to kids. This cookbook is designed to help your child be the head chef and you, the parent, her sous chef. The recipes are all designed as snacks and are made from fresh, wholesome ingredients. Some examples are: Bagel Faces, Zucchini Moons, and Chocolate-Banana Shakes. Each recipe appears twice, once in the conventional form for the adult helpers and also in a pictorial format for the kids to follow. It empowers kids and helps them feel comfortable in the kitchen and is perfect for preschool-aged kids.

 

Best for the Older Chefs

Better Homes and Gardens New Junior Cook Book  This is the updated version of my first cookbook. You’ll find recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between with such fun names as Brainiac Blueberry Parfaits, Jurassic Juice, and Wheels-on-the-Bus Pasta Salad. Each recipe is pictured which makes it easy for your young cook to pick their favorite recipe. The recipes are simple (despite the fun names) and are full of good-for-you ingredients. It’s a perfect first cookbook for your elementary-aged kids.

 

 

 

Tour the United States Through Food

The United States Cookbook: Fabulous Foods and Fascinating Facts From All 50 States by Joan D’Amico and Karen Eich Drummond. I love this cookbook for its concept; you can cook your way through all 50 states. The book is divided regionally from New England to the Pacific States. Each state is introduced with facts, a brief history, a list of food products that are produced there, and a reason why each recipe was selected. You can make Key Lime Pie from Florida, Swedish Meatballs from Minnesota, or Taco Soup from New Mexico. This is a fun addition to a geography curriculum or just a great way to learn about the United States.

 

 

Explore the World Through Food


The Kids’ Multicultural Cookbook by Deanna F. Cook Travel to 41 different countries around the world through such recipes as Chicken Curry from India, Apfelpfannekuchen (Apple Pancakes) from Germany, and Peanut Butter Soup from Ghana. This book is also peppered with facts, stories about real kids from around the world, and simple cultural activities. It also includes fun party ideas such as an Around the World Ice Cream Sundae party with suggestions for toppings from 26 different countries, or an International Cook-Out with ideas for foods and games from around the world. This is a fun cookbook to use to introduce your kids to many different countries.

 

 

Learn About Math in the Kitchen

The Math Chef: Over 60 Math Activities and Recipes for Kids by Joan D’Amico and Karen Eich Drummond We all know that cooking is a great way to reinforce math concepts, but this cookbook takes it one step further. Each chapter begins by introducing a math concept, then follows with math activities involving cooking and yummy recipes. Learn about math concepts such as measuring, fractions, geometry and more. Answer such questions as “How much does a handful of fettuccine weigh?” by making Fantastic Fettuccine or “What’s the diameter of a cupcake?” by making Nutty Carrot-Top Cupcakes. The recipes are healthy and use easy-to-find ingredients. This is a fun book to help reinforce math concepts at home. No worksheets required!

 

What is your favorite cookbook for kids?

Alicewinks ~ A New Interactive Version of Alice in Wonderland

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*Disclosure: This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Alicewinks. The opinions and text are all mine.

Alice in Wonderland has seen many reincarnations over the years (150 years to be exact!) and Alicewinks is the latest. Not only does Alicewinks tell the original story, it is also animated with the original illustrations of several artists between the periods of 1901-1922. It’s beautiful and enchanting and my girls would not stop watching it.

Alicewinks is best viewed on an iPad, although you can view it on your Kindle Fire or Nook as well (as we did). We opted for the read along version since my oldest daughter is a beginning reader. If you prefer, you can just listen and watch without the words along the bottom.

So why should you check out Alicewinks? Well, it’s fun. Kids love the story. The illustrations are beautiful and perfectly animated. And, as we learned, it’s perfect for traveling. Load up the iPad with the story and suddenly you have something you can feel good about your kids viewing. The story is long; it’s the length of the original book. But, it’s perfect for a long car or plane ride. If your kids are not familiar with the story, Alicewinks is the perfect introduction. It’s also a fun alternative to those that are familiar with the story of Alice in Wonderland.

And by the way… it’s not just for kids! Any grownup with a love for classics would enjoy the beautiful illustrations paired with such a well-loved story. I think I loved it as much as the kids did!

In celebration of the 150th Anniversary of Alice’s Adventure’s in Wonderland, Alicewinks brings the story’s classic illustrations to life for digital audiences through animated video and rich narration. To download this one of a kind iBook, visit iTunes.com/alicewinks

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Alicewinks. The opinions and text are all mine.

Ready for Kindergarten Book Study: Name Recognition

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*Disclosure: I was sent a free copy of the book in order the participate in this book study. All opinions are my own. There are Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations. You can read our full disclosure policy on our Disclosure Page for more details.

(Image via Deborah Stewart, Teach Preschool)

One of the many benefits from writing this blog has been the amazing people I’ve met.

One such person is Deborah Stewart from Teach Preschool. Deborah is an amazing preschool teacher, knowledgeable in all things early childhood, and is always willing to share her knowledge with you and I.

Now, she’s sharing her knowledge in a brand-new book Ready for Kindergarten!: From Recognizing Colors to Making Friends, Your Essential Guide to Kindergarten Prep. To kick off the book launch, I and several other kid bloggers are participating in a blog book study of the book.

I’ve got a 4-year-old who is only one year away from Kindergarten. Even though I’ve walked this path before (my oldest will be in 1st grader this coming year), I still don’t feel all that prepared to send her to school.

Deborah’s book will be a big help for us throughout the year. The ideas are play-based and easy to incorporate into everyday life.

Even if you only have 10 minutes a day, you can help your child get ready for Kindergarten.

For my part in this book study, I decided to focus on Chapter 12, “It’s All in a Name.”

It’s important for your child to be able to recognize their name by the time they go to Kindergarten. They’ll need this skill to find their supplies, their seat at a table, or even where to hang their coat.

Name recognition is different from writing their name. As Deborah says: “name recognition is being familiar enough with the combination of letter as a whole to recognize them as being her name.”

Here are a few of the ways we’ve helped our girls learn to recognize their name at home:

 

1. Name puzzles: I made simple name puzzles to help my girls learn their name. My youngest has always loved puzzles, so I thought she would love the challenge of putting together her name. These are very easy to put together. I typed her name in a big, fun font, and then cut into pieces. I cut each letter separately, but you could also cut in syllable chunks. For an even easier version, write your child’s name on an index card and cut between the letters.

2. Letter Tiles: I typed up several versions of my daughter’s name and cut each letter individually. She can sort them or try to spell her name with them. If you don’t want to make your own letter tiles, use Scrabble tiles or magnetic letters and isolate just the letters needed to spell their name. For a super-simple version of letter tiles, write each letter on an index card.

3. Display it! This is probably the simplest and most important way to help your child recognize their name. Label things. My daughter helps us write her name in folders, notebooks, letters, or cards. Label your child’s coat or shoes. Hang name art in their room. Write their name on the back of their artwork. Keep exposing your child to her name in simple, everyday ways and she will be able to recognize her name well before she walks into that Kindergarten classroom for the first time!

Thank you Deborah for the opportunity to review your book and participate in this blog book study!

If you have a preschool-aged child, this book is a perfect reference. Believe me, you won’t feel overwhelmed with buckets of things you need to teach your child. Instead you’ll feel empowered. Deborah offers easy, achievable ideas that don’t involve worksheets or workbooks. Yes, you can get your child Ready for Kindergarten!

10 Ways to Play This Weekend: Week 49

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  1. Make an animal hand print alphabet with Red Ted Art
  2. Create super cute lid animals with Toddler Approved
  3. Cool off with some Raspberry White Chocolate Ice Pops with Creative Family Fun
  4. Perform some experiments to learn about friction with Science Sparks
  5. Play Color Golf with School Time Snippets
  6. Fly giant paper airplanes with Fireflies and Mud Pies
  7. Make beautiful stain glass name designs with Teach Kids Art
  8. Paint with edible Jello finger paints with The Imagination Tree
  9. Flip some sight word pancakes with Playdough to Plato
  10. Find a fun new poetry book to read with The Pleasantest Thing
How are you going to play this weekend?