Creative Family Fun

Your one-stop shop for kids activities and family fun

Terri Thompson

Painted Suncatchers

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We’re trying to bring some fun spring colors into our house, so to decorate our windows, we made these fun and pretty painted suncatchers.

We’ve made suncatchers before using clear Contact paper, like these simple tissue paper ones or this flower garden.

But, this time, instead of tissue paper, we decided to paint our Contact paper.

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:

Clear Contact paper
Acrylic paint

Yes, it just take two supplies to make these pretty suncatchers.

I prepped the project by cutting squares of Contact paper. I peeled the backing off and taped them to our table, sticky side up.

I used painter’s tape to tape the Contact paper down just so it would not move around while the girls tried to paint.

I gave each girl a selection of paints and brushes. I asked them to think about spring while they were working. Both started painting their own interpretation of a flower garden.

My original plan was to cut flower shapes out of their painted sticky paper, but the girls did not want me to cut up their masterpieces.

So, when they were finished painting, we sealed up their paintings with a second sheet of Contact paper.

I did not wait until the paintings were dry to add the second square of Contact paper. Once it’s sealed, the paint won’t get on anything.

We hung our suncatchers up on our patio window so that they could get plenty of sunshine, plus we can admire their beauty every time we eat.

It was fun to paint on a new and different surface and I love the look that we ended up with.

Have you ever painted on sticky paper?

P.S. Apparently great minds think alike. Soon after we finished this project, I read this post on Picklebums about See-Through Paintings. You should check out their twist of this same project!

Shake Art Easter Eggs

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We’ve tried shake art, or painting with marbles, once before.

It was so much fun that I knew we ought to do it again

Easter seemed like the perfect time. So, we made this fun Shake Art Easter Eggs.

Try a fun art technique to make pretty paper Easter eggs with this fun project, Shake Art Easter Eggs. This activity is fun for kids of all ages.

This is such a fun art project, but it can get messy! Make sure to wear old clothes or smocks. You’ll also want to protect your work surface.

We worked over a vinyl floor that was easy to clean, but lay down a drop cloth if you’re working over carpet, tile, or wood floors.

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.

Try a fun art technique to make pretty paper Easter eggs with this fun project, Shake Art Easter Eggs. This activity is fun for kids of all ages.

Supplies Needed

Card stock (or other heavy paper) cut into an Easter egg shape
Various colors of paint
Marbles (or large beads)
Plastic bin

Try a fun art technique to make pretty paper Easter eggs with this fun project, Shake Art Easter Eggs. This activity is fun for kids of all ages.

How to make your Shake Art Easter Eggs

We began with a 14 liter plastic bin. You don’t even need one that large. A shoe box sized bin would work just fine.

I added the marbles and put a dollop of paint on each one. We used two to three colors for each egg.

Then we added one of our pre-cut Easter egg shapes.

Once we were set up, it was time to shake.

Put the lid on the bin if you don’t want to worry about paint-covered marbles flying all over! We left the lids off so we could watch the process.

Try a fun art technique to make pretty paper Easter eggs with this fun project, Shake Art Easter Eggs. This activity is fun for kids of all ages.

Our bin got messier and messier as we went along. Also, the colors started mixing.

You can tell the earlier eggs from the later ones, just from the amount of colors on each.

This was a fun messy project that the girls could have worked on all day… if we had that many eggs!

Try a fun art technique to make pretty paper Easter eggs with this fun project, Shake Art Easter Eggs. This activity is fun for kids of all ages.

Now we have a whole supply of pretty Easter eggs. Once they’re dry, we’re going to decorate a wall with them!

Have you ever experimented with shake art? You should definitely try these Shake Art Easter Eggs.

You may also like one of these fun Easter activities:

Easter Egg Dye Pour Painting

Pretty Easter Garland Crafts for Kids

Plastic Egg Bunnies and People

Tissue Paper Easter Egg at Kitchen Counter Chronicles

10 Ways to Play This Weekend: Week 32

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  1. Explore sounds by making a homemade kazoo with Buggy and Buddy
  2. Make an easy Easter egg garland with Kids Activities Blog
  3. Make adorable stone pets who live in their own matchbox houses with Red Ted Art
  4. Amaze your friends by putting a skewer through a balloon with Science Sparks
  5. Create name poetry with Mama Smiles
  6. Create at an Easter craft creation station with NurtureStore
  7. Make hand print flowers with Growing a Jeweled Rose
  8. Make a recycled spring garden with Creative Family Fun
  9. Play in a beautiful spring sensory bin with Small Potatoes
  10. Make finger print flowers with No Time for Flash Cards
How are you going to play this weekend? We’re going to be doing some Easter crafting!

Exploring New York City: Resource Post

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Map image courtesy of DaveCito, Creative Commons License

Do you want to do your own virtual exploration of New York City?

I’ve compiled a list of books, activities, blog posts, videos, and websites that helped us with our project.

Bear with me as this list is quite extensive, but I’m providing it in the hopes to help you create your own virtual journey through New York City.

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.

New York City Overview

Books:

New York City (Cities) by Joanne Mattern (This book is not easily found to purchase, but this one or other similar books about New York City can be found in the children’s section of your local library.)
123 NYC: A Counting Book of New York City by Joanne Dugan. A fun counting book using actual photographs from New York City.
ABC NYC: A Book About Seeing New York City by Joanne Dugan. Just like 123 NYC, this is an alphabet book using real photographs from New York City.
This Is New York by Miroslav Sasek. This beautifully illustrated book was first published in the 1960’s. The current revision contains updated information.
Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin by Duncan Tonatiah. Two cousins, one in New York City and the other in Mexico, write letters to each other describing their daily lives
Alphabet City by Stephen T. Johnson. An alphabet book using photographs of “found” letters throughout New York City.
Good Night New York City (Good Night Our World) by Adam Gamble. A simple board book which takes you through the day saying good morning and good night to many New York City landmarks.
A Walk in New York by Salvatore Rubbino. Join a young boy and his Dad has they take a walking tour around New York City.
Eloise: A Book for Precocious Grown Ups by Kay Thompson. Read the classic book about Eloise, the little girl who lives in the Plaza Hotel.

Other Book Lists:
Six Great Books About New York City from Design Mom
Kids Books About New York City from Silly Eagle Books

Activities:
Cityscape Printmaking
Roadtrip USA: New York from Confessions of a Homeschooler
New York City coloring page from Education.com

Virtual Tours:
Gray Day in New York City from Imagine Childhood
Exploring Geography: New York City from Mama Smiles
Walking Across the Brooklyn Bridge from 52 Brand New

Statue of Liberty

Books:

The Statue of Liberty (Symbols of Freedom) by Tristan Boyer Binns. A great introduction to The Statue of Liberty containing facts, history, and more.
Emma’s Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty by Emma Glaser. A beautiful tribute to Emma Lazarus and her poem “The New Colossus,” which is carved on The Statue of Liberty.
A Picnic in October by Eve Bunting. A sweet story of a family who celebrates The Statue of Liberty’s birthday every year. A great introduction to immigration and the many things Lady Liberty represents.

Website:

National Park Service: The Statue of Liberty. This is the official Website of The Statue of Liberty. You’ll find fun facts, history, photos, and even a virtual tour.

Activities:

Statue of Liberty Measuring
Statue of Liberty Dress-Up Kit
Making Lady Liberty’s Torch from Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational

The Subway
Books:
A Subway for New York by David Weitzman. A thorough history of the subway system. Better suited for older children, aged 7 and up.
Down in the Subway by Miriam Cohen. A fun story about a young boy’s subway ride and the people he meets.

Activities:

Subway Acrostic Poetry

Taxis

Books:
Taxi: A Book of City Words by Betsy Maestro. Take a taxi ride through the city and learn many new words along the way.
The Adventures of Taxi Dog by Debra Barracca. Join a stray dog as he rides with a taxi driver throughout New York City

Activities:

Pretend Play – Invisible Taxi from Inner Child Fun

Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) and Andy Warhol

Books:

Andy Warhol (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists) by Mike Venezia. Part of a fantastic series of art books for kids, this book will give you a thorough overview of Warhol and pop art.
Uncle Andy’s by James Warhola. A delightful book written by Andy Warhol’s nephew describing his uncle and his family’s visits to New York City and Warhol’s house.

Website:

Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). This is the official website of MOMA. Explore the museum and view their collection on-line.

Activities:

Becoming Warhol: Kids Art Activity
Warhol Art Trading Cards from Art Activities for Kids
Warhol-Inspired Wall Art from Red Ted Art
Exploring Pop Art a la Andy Warhol from Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas

Other Topics to Explore

Times Square, Wall Street, the Brooklyn Bridge, skyscrapers, Central Park, Broadway, jazz music, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and fashion design.

In truth, there is a wealth of information about New York City. I barely just scratched the surface on this post. I encourage you to explore this great city with your kids; there are so many fun activities to do!

Becoming Warhol ~ Kids Art Activity

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New York City is full of museums, so it was hard to pick one for us to talk about during our exploration of New York City.

But, I ultimately chose The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). It allowed us to see all sorts of fun examples of art and well as introduced one particular artist, Andy Warhol.

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.

After viewing examples of his artwork, both online and in the book, Usborne The Children’s Book of Art: Internet Linked, we were ready to make our own Warhol-inspired artwork.

We used Marilyn Monroe, by Warhol, as our inspiration.

We talked about how the picture looked like a real person, but the colors were different. Warhol used bright colors such as pink and yellow in his picture.

We talked about how art could be anything. It could be realistic or not. Or in the case of Marilyn Monroe, it could be a combination of both.

Then, it was time for the girls to get to work.

I prepped this project by printing out a full letter-sized picture of each girl in black and white.

I found a picture of just their faces since it was most like our inspiration piece. I then got out our markers and told the girls to have fun.

They were a bit hesitant and their first instinct was to try and color their pictures as realistic as possible. So, we looked at our inspiration again. Aha, inspiration struck!

The girls made bright colored hair, hot pink lips, electric blue eyes, orange noses, cool bows, and lots of freckles.

Yes, we became Warhol!

To round out our learning, we read Uncle Andy’s by James Warhola. Warhola is Andy Warhol’s nephew and he wrote and illustrated this delightful picture book describing his childhood visits with his eccentric uncle. It was a fun and very kid-appropriate introduction to Warhol.

Have you studied any of the great artists with your kids? Which ones have you learned about?