Category: Arts/Crafts

Arts/Crafts, Holidays, Parenting

Thankful Turkeys: A Thanksgiving Craft

Kirsten W. Larson

What’s the best part of Thanksgiving (besides the sweet potatoes and pecan pie)? Gratitude! This month I’m reviving a 2012 arts and craft activity, that invites kids to reflect on what they are grateful for.

Getting into a grateful mood

This is the cover to We Are Grateful, Otsaliheliga.

Before you get crafting, I highly recommend helping your kids get into a grateful mood. One of my favorite picture books for cultivating gratitude is We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Tracy Sorell, illustrated by Frané Lessac. After you read the book, brainstorm as a whole group some things to be grateful for.

Now on to the turkeys…

Thankful turkeys

Originally posted November 2012 — My little turkeys are thankful for many things this year: mostly LEGOs, chocolate, and their stuffed animals. Sigh. At least they’re honest.

In an effort to infuse some gratitude into the Thanksgiving season, we built these “thankful turkeys” out of pinecones. We will add a new feather each day (for five total) with things we are thankful for.

To build these turkey’s here’s what you’ll need:

  • Pinecone
  • Construction paper: brown, orange, red
  • School glue
  • Black marker
  • Googlie eyes (optional)

Here’s what you do:

  • Cut turkey body by tracing a figure eight on the brown construction paper. Make the lower circle (body) larger than the upper circle (head).
  • Using orange paper, cut a triangular beak. Cut a couple of oval-shaped orange feathers while you are at it.
  • Using red paper, cut a waddle. Cut a couple of red feathers too.
  • Glue waddle, then beak to the turkey’s head. Add eyes using marker or googlie eyes if you have them.
  • Write things you are thankful for on each feather, one item per feather.
  • Lay pinecone on its side. Glue turkey body to short, pointy end of the pinecone. Glue feathers to wide base of pinecone.

These make a great centerpiece. We’ll be using them to decorate the kids’ table. Now if only we can get some non-material items listed on those feathers…

Arts/Crafts, Education, educational activities, Holidays, Homeschool

ELA Activity: A Superhero for Today

Kirsten W. Larson

Each month, I spotlight a book-based educational activity teachers and homeschooling parents can use with their students. This activity is adapted from the educators’ guide for A TRUE WONDER, created by Marcie Colleen. You’ll find the complete guide here.

This is the book cover for A TRUE WONDER: The Comic Book Hero Who Changed Everything by Kirsten W. Larson, illus. Katy Wu.

Superhero costumes galore

It’s October, and nearly time for trick-or-treating. This is the time of year you’ll see kids everywhere dressed up like Black Panther, Spiderman, Ms. Marvel, or Wonder Woman.

Times have changed since Wonder Woman was created, as more superheroes have have joined the ranks representing more and more people in our society. For today’s activity, have students begin by making a list of today’s popular superheroes. Then have them answer:

  • What do these superheroes have in common?
  • Are there any who stand out as unique? How so?
  • Do you see any room for more diversity? How so?
  • Wonder Woman was created so that young girls could see themselves in her heroism. Where do you see a need for kids today to see themselves in a superhero?

Create your own superhero for today!

Have students create their own superhero. They should draw a picture of their superhero, list what makes them a hero (and super!), and create a poster introducing them to others.

Arts/Crafts, Education, Science/Math

Pipe Cleaner Constellations

Kirsten W. Larson
This is a picture of pipe cleaners, star beads, and constellations.

Looking for a simple activity to accompany THE FIRE OF STARS? Check out this pipe cleaner constellation activity from 123 Homeschool 4 Me. We did this activity at my Barnes & Noble book launch, and it was a huge hit.

What you need:

What you do:

  • Pick a constellation printable.
  • Slip on the the appropriate number of beads.
  • Space out the beads, bend, and shape until your constellation resembles the one on the card.

Note that some constellations, like the Northern Cross, may require adding a second pipecleaner plus trimming with the scissors. These more complex constellations are fun for older kids. Simpler constellations like Coma or the Big Dipper are easier for preschoolers.

We’ll make pipecleaner constellations at my upcoming event at Barnes & Noble Peninsula Town Center in Hampton, VA on Aug. 5 at 11 a.m. If you are in the Tidewater area, join me. Learn more here.

This is the cover for THE FIRE OF STARS
Arts/Crafts, Books, Education, Homeschool, Science/Math

Make Your Own Stellar Scene

Kirsten W. Larson

Each month, I’ll spotlight a book-based educational activity teachers and homeschooling parents can use with their students. This activity was created by FIRE OF STARS illustrator Katherine Roy. It appears in our educators’ guide, which you’ll find here.

James Webb Telescope image of the Southern Ring Nebula.
Southern Ring Nebula IMAGE credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI 

Make Your Own Stellar Scene

The James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021 and is the largest optical telescope in space. It is capable of producing high-resolution photographs of ancient, remote galaxies like no telescope before it. Show images that the James Webb Space Telescope has taken to the class. 

  1. What are the different colors and shapes in these photographs?
  2. How do the photographs make them feel?
  3. How big or small do you think these scenes are? 
  4. What marks or textures could be used to represent these scenes in a drawing? 

Explain that illustrator Katherine Roy used an old toothbrush dipped in ink and watercolor to represent the star storyline in THE FIRE OF STARS: The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made Of. To make their own stellar scenes, students will need:

  • paper
  • old toothbrushes or paint brushes 
  • watercolor, paint, or ink 
  • water 
  • salt 
  1. Make a swirling circle in the middle of your paper. 
  2. Get a little more paint or ink on your brush and make bigger swirls. These are the gases orbiting your newly formed star.
  3. Try making some thick marks. Now try making some thin marks. What feels right to you? 
  4. Try adding spatter marks and salt to represent dust and particles.  

When the paintings are completed, display the paintings in a classroom gallery for their own view of the cosmos.  

THE FIRE OF STARS book cover
Arts/Crafts, Education, Homeschool, Science/Math

Constellation Projector

Kirsten W. Larson
This is a picture of author Kirsten Larson with the finished constellation projector.

Here’s an activity linked to THE FIRE OF STARS (Chronicle Books) perfect for the budding astronomer in your life. This constellation projector is simple to make with common household items. And the results are stellar, which you’ll see at the end!

What you’ll need

You will need: a flashlight, a toilet paper tube, tape, glue, scissors, sharp pencil, popsicle stick for spreading glue (optional) and constellation printable.

You will need:

  • a flashlight (or your phone flashlight)
  • a toilet paper tube
  • tape (washi tape looks really nice if you have it)
  • glue and a popsicle stick for spreading it if you want
  • scissors
  • sharp pencil
  • constellation printable, which you’ll find here at Homeschool 123 Homeschool 4 Me
  • Optional: construction paper or scrapbook paper to cover your toilet paper tube OR markers to color it.

Directions

This is a picture of Kirsten showing the constellations that have been punched and cut out.
  • Print out or copy the constellation printables on your printer, reducing them to 30 to 50% of the full size. You want the constellation to fit within the circle of the toilet paper tube.
  • Using the sharp point of the pencil, punch holes where the stars are on the constellation. Be very careful so you don’t poke yourself!
  • Cut a large circle around the constellation and and make little snips around the circumference so the edges fold more easily over the toilet paper tube.
  • Put glue on the edges where you’ve snipped, and glue the constellation over the toilet paper tube.
  • Cover the paper edges with washi tape or plain old scotch tape if you don’t have it.
  • You can decorate your toilet paper tube with markers or construction paper, and write the name of the constellation on the side.
  • When you are finished, go into a dark room or closet and put your flashlight inside the toilet paper tube to enjoy your constellation.
Kirsten showing how to bend the paper around the tube.
This is an image of the constellation project projecting lyra onto a wall.

For a video of a similar project, see this one from Natskies.

Arts/Crafts, Education, Homeschool

What Makes a Hero Lesson Plan

Kirsten W. Larson

Each month, I’ll spotlight a book-based educational activity teachers and homeschooling parents can use with their students. These activities are pulled from the educators’ guides developed for my books by author and former educator Marcie Colleen. You can download the full A TRUE WONDER educator’s guide here.

The Hero In Me

Brainstorm a list of the qualities and actions that make Wonder Woman a hero. Then undertake the following project:

  • Have each student lay down on a large piece of butcher paper while someone traces their body with a pencil. Alternatively, download a printable worksheet, like this Superhero Cape printable from Nurtured Neurons for students to use.
  • Once the student has the silhouette of their body or cape, they can write the things that make Wonder Woman a hero outside the outline.
  • Inside the outline, they can write some of the qualities they share with Wonder Woman or ways in which she has inspired them.
  • Then students can decorate their silhouette or cape. Photos and other images can be added to create a collage.
  • For extra fun, challenge students to come up with their own superhero name. (For grown ups, you can find a superhero name generator here.)
Arts/Crafts, Cultivating curiosity, Education, Homeschool, Parenting, Reading

Tools and Activities for Keeping At-Home Kids Busy

Kirsten W. Larson

For those who have students home from school due to COVID-19, children’s book creators are putting together a number of resources to keep your students occupied and engaged. Aside from creator content, I am also sharing some of my favorite sites for kid-friendly activities and content. My goal is to keep this site updated as I find out about more.

Arts/Crafts, Books, Cultivating curiosity, Writing

The Anti-Resolution Revolution

Kirsten W. Larson

This year I participated in Julie Hedlund’s 12 Days of Christmas for Writers. As part of the process, Julie challenged us to reflect on our 2016 successes so we could build on them for 2017. This is a more positive path than creating New Year’s resolutions, which are often built on negativity and efforts to fix things that went “wrong” in 2016.

I enjoyed the time spent combing through my 2016 journals and reviewing all I was able to accomplish. Julie challenged us to share our lists, so here is mine in no particular order:

  • Signing with my wonderful agent, Lara Perkins of Andrea Brown Literary. I couldn’t ask for a bigger cheerleader, better brainstorming partner, or tougher editor.
  • Having Lara submit my first picture book to publishers. Though it hasn’t sold yet, we have been close a couple of times, and many editors offered encouraging words about my work.
  • Finally holding nine of my books written in 2015 in my hands. They include the six-book Protecting Our People series (Amicus), my first book with Capstone (Special Ops), and my two latest from Rourke.
  • Receiving a good review from School Library Journal on the Protecting Our People series.
  • Writing six new books for the school and library market, including four for Amicus, one for Capstone, and one for Rourke.
  • Researching and/or drafting five new picture books.
  • Revising four existing picture books.
  • Finishing a young adult novel I started as part of 2015’s NaNoWriMo and partially revising it.
  • Reaching thousands of young readers and writers during visits to seven schools and one public library.
  • Taking two courses that stretched my writing: Novel Writing through UC San Diego and Renee La Tulippe’s Lyrical Language Lab.
  • Reading many books on writing and creativity, including Big Magic, Creativity Inc., Story Genius, The Originals, Year of Yes, Writing Poetry from the Inside Out, On Writing, In the Palm of Your Hand, The Artist’s Way.

Putting together this list has me excited to start work in 2017. What did you accomplish in 2016?

 

Arts/Crafts, Homeschool, Parenting

Summer Plans

Kirsten W. Larson

Yowza! I looked at the calendar and realized there are less than three weeks left in the school year. It’s time to start planning for at-home summer fun.

  • First up? Makerspace. The kiddos recently expressed an interest in having their own robot lab. Right now, this has included scavenging parts from the garage (old training wheels and wood, for example) and toting around their toolboxes. I think we could build an outdoor makerspace using tips I found here.
  • Random Acts of Kindness. We are brainstorming ideas for ways that we can be kind to others, especially people outside of our own family/friend circle. We’ll put strips of paper in a jar so we can pull out one or two ideas a week.
  • In fourth grade, my gifted and talented class did lessons based on DRAWING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BRAIN. I ordered the book several months ago and hope we can all do the lessons together.
  • Writing and Reading. Of course! We’ll set aside time for everyone to write and read. Here’s a great idea for DIYing a journal. Also, Barnes and Noble is offering a free book for students who compete a reading journal. Download it here.

What are your summer plans?

Arts/Crafts, Books

PPBF: The Noisy Paintbox

Kirsten W. Larson

So I guess Perfect Picture Book Friday has become Perfect Picture Book Saturday. Sorry I’m a little late. Without further ado…

NoisyPaintbox

TITLE:  The Noisy Paint Box

AUTHOR: Barb Rosenstock

ILLUSTRATOR: Mary GrandPré

PUBLICATION INFO: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2014

ISBN: 9780307978486

SOURCE: library

INTENDED AUDIENCE: ages 4+

GENRE: historical fiction picture book

OPENING and SYNOPSIS:

“Vasya Kandinsky spent his days learning to be a proper Russian boy. He studied books of math, science, and history.”

From the publisher:

“Vasya Kandinsky was a proper little boy: he studied math and history, he practiced the piano, he sat up straight and was perfectly polite. And when his family sent him to art classes, they expected him to paint pretty houses and flowers—like a proper artist.

But as Vasya opened his paint box and began mixing the reds, the yellows, the blues, he heard a strange sound—the swirling colors trilled like an orchestra tuning up for a symphony! And as he grew older, he continued to hear brilliant colors singing and see vibrant sounds dancing. But was Vasya brave enough to put aside his proper still lifes and portraits and paint . . .music?”

THEMES/TOPICS: biography, art

WHY I LIKE THIS BOOK: I seem to be on a Barb Rosenstock roll lately, but she’s one of my all-time favorite historical writers. In this book, she uses onomatopoeia and repeated refrains to keep the story zipping along. GrandPré has done a masterful job of recreating the artist’s world and art.

RESOURCES/ACTIVITIES:

  • Random House has developed a CCSS-aligned teacher’s guide here.
  • The book itself includes back matter including some of Kandinsky’s paintings and Web sites for further information.
  • Do you have a noisy paint box? Can you paint a picture with no flowers or trees, but only intended only to make you feel?

You’ll find way more cool books at Susanna Leonard Hill’s “Perfect Picture Books.” Every Friday folks review a host of new books. Join us!