Red Pandas

Making a poster is a creative way to show your knowledge and fun time to combine some art with education. A presentation is another way to boost your confidence and show your skills. So we decided to add this tool to our homeschooling box of fun.

In last two days we learned about Red Pandas and their habitat.
Did you know that Red pandas are NOT pandas at all?  Did you know that they climb down the trees mainly to go to the loo? Or that they have a false thumb?

This resource from National Geographic Kids is a great start to learn about these extraordinary animals. People used to call them Firefox or Cat-bears which is not  far from the truth. Although Red pandas are their own family in animal world they have some similarities with pandas, foxes and cats. But putting bears in the same basket will be the same as saying that Koalas are Bears ;-)

Watch this short video to learn more about these Firefoxes:

Making Earth Science

The fun thing with learning science at home is that you have enough time and space to do the experiment in your kitchen. Today we're going to show you how to find North and South with a needle.

All you need is 

1. a needle
2. a container for water
3. a little magnet (we used one from our fridge)
4. a flotation device. At home we use cork but outside a leaf or a stick can work too.

All you need to do is to magnetize the needle with your magnet and let it float on the water. The needle will align with earth's magnetic field and will show you the North and the South. It is easy to find East and West by sun location during the day. That way you can find out which side of the needle point North.

It's elementary my dear watson...

If you are looking for funfact about Magnets for your little ones check out this animation.
For more science stuff check this out.

Check the video below for tutorial
Cheers,
Natalie K

Homeschooling and COVID-19

Homeschooling here we come...

As you know, I love crafts and education. I would homeschooling my kids all the time if they would agree but alas they like going to school. I can understand the social part of it so I'm not fighting it but now that COVID-19 is here it is wise to stay at home. I'm so happy I finally can use our education games and have fun with the kids. The Kitchen Chem experiments are super fun!
I'll try to update here as much as I can.
You can download and print the PDF files (I will add  more files soon), watch our videos and follow our daily math challenge on my Facebook page.

This one is the easiest one for multiplication practice: The Multiplication Chase
Print or make your own cards. If you divide A4 to 5*6 rectangles you will need exactly 4 pages to create 2-10 timetable.
As a start you might want to choose which timetable you want to work on.

How to play?

1. Each day girls are doing the chase for 1:30 min. You set up your time.
2. Each opponent can use PASS as much as they want.
3. The PASS card will go to the opponent for extra cards at the end of the turn, getting them another chance to beat the high score.

We are doing it as daily game for points...at the end of the week the winner get to choose a price :-)
Welcome to our online FunTime.
Natalie K

Weekly TimeTable and Weekly Menu

Today I want to share with you a template for Weekly Menu and Weekly Timetable.
With kids being at home it's easier to get distracted by the screens. The schedule help them and us to stay on track and don't just loose time in front of the TV. It is OK to change times, It is OK not to follow your schedule to the minute and it's OK to do rest days. But it's easier to make those choices when you have a baseline.

Listen to your children and build your weekly menu and schedule with them not for them.

Self Portrait

I love to begin our KidsCraftClub with a topic that is close to our heart: identity, self expression and  wellbeing. And what is closer to ourselves than our self portrait? Self portrait helps us to explore our identity together and boost the participants' confidence. Last year we did Affirmation Dandelion, where we chose to surround us with Affirmations to support our emotional wellbeing. Today we are doing Self Portraits.

Self portrait is a fun activity for all the ages. It is not about drawing what you see in the mirror and it’s not about beings a painter. It is about building your confidence, making choices and expressing yourself. When I work with kids, I tend to give them structured choices: choose 3 things that you like to do. Sometimes setting the boundaries helps us make the choice. If you feel you have too many choices to choose from, dial them down. Eventually you might end with only two choices and your heart will always tell you which way to go.

Working on their self portrait, allows the kids to discover the things that they DO like about themselves, get connected to their dreams and aspirations, and eventually, experiencing art in its most simple, naive and festive way

How do we start?
✏️ You’ll need a pencil with rubber
🎨  Colouring equipment of your choice
📝 Two papers: one for drawing and one for writing. For drawing I like to use A3 and for writing A5.

⭐️ Start with the writing paper. Draw a line in a middle of the page.
⭐️ On the left side write your own descriptions.
For this activity I asked kids to:
1. Choose three things you like to do.
2. Describe yourself using 3 words.
3. Choose three things you would like to do in the future, better something you haven’t done before.
and if you want, choose some profession you like.
⭐️ On the right side, use one word as a symbol describing you what you wrote on the left. It need to be something you can draw. For example, if I describe myself as “loving” person, then the symbol will be ❤️ . If I like reading, then the symbol can be a 📖 . For traveling in the future, I could use a 🗺  a 🎒  or maybe a 🧭.



When you finish making your list with symbols, it’s time to draw. Start with the face. It’s ok to look on Google pictures for inspiration. Incorporate your symbols into your portrait. Maybe my 🧭  can be as a pin on my shirt. Maybe my ❤️  will be a hairpin or an earring. Music lovers might use 🎧 or 🎵 as a symbol. Your symbols can be anything anywhere on the paper.
And remember that it’s not about how well you can draw but expressing what is your world made of.

So what makes you YOU?

Natalie K

Family Chores Lucky Draw

I love working with lists. I have a list for my workshops, a To Do list, a list for groceries, weekly menu and the list for cleaning. These lists make my day-to-day easier and give me a sence of achievement and progress. So I though how can I engage our whole family in setting up and cleaning the house? A Family Chores Game!!!
I made a tear away list of what I want to be cleaned and set up the rules. At the end of the week we will do a ruffle draw with our own prizes such as movie night, double scoop ice cream, morning cuddle or maybe even breakfast in bed. The prizes have to be something you can Do, Make or Share. Spending family time as going for a double scoop ice cream counts as Share. Movie night will be a Do and breakfast in bed definitely a Make.
Last minute add:  Extra lucky ticket - Brushing our hairy puppy Bella 🐶 .
I hope girls will like the lucky surprise after school 😉
Love,
Mom who never sleeps

You own Cryptex DIY

How to create a Cryptex out of cardboard boxes?

Do you like puzzles? What about codes? Or maybe you would like a secret box that no one can open beside you. Join this DIY to create your own Cryptex puzzle box using cereal cardboard boxes and toilet paper rolls. You can create your own code using letter, numbers or even symbols of your own creation.

What do you need:


Printable PDF of Cryptex and Cryptex code if needed
4 empty cereal boxes.
1 toilet paper roll
1 paper towel roll
hot glue gun
5 beads
marker
scissors

Thank you for watching

You can find the Printable Cryptex PDF here.

* On the Cryptex PDF you will find a Big wheel and a Stopper. Although I didn’t use the Stopper in my video, you can glue it between each wheel if needed.
* My codes are printed on cardboard printable paper which gives it the antique look as an old paper. The other option is to use newspaper, lettering or create your own symbols.

Have Fun!
Natalie

Best Piece Ever

Happiness is those little moments you enjoy timelessly. A moment when you don’t look outside the window to watch the sun goes down. It is a moment when you fully engage yourself doing something you enjoy. Today I had one of those moments and what can be better than to share it with someone you love.

My daughter asked me if I can help her to draw a wolf. She had a specific image in her mind - a howling wolf and a full moon on a dark night. Yesterday when I was organizing my art shelf, I’ve  found a pack of new oil pastels. I thought maybe Liz will be interested to try a new art technique using soft pastels so I’ve looked for Youtube tutorial of a full moon drawing. We even found one with a howling wolf. She was skeptical. It looked too hard but we decided to try anyway. We started it three times and only on the third paper we passed drawing the skies. Still it was my happy moment. Sharing this new expirence of learning. She even told me “mom, it’s ok to make a mistake” 😍
The happy moment was more like half an hour 😃 . I helped her with the smudging but she did everything by herself with a little guidance from me and Youtube tutorial. She was so proud of her drawing she called it her Best Piece Ever and decided to bring it to her art class at school.

Thank you my dear of sharing this moments of happiness with me. ❤️
Love,
Mom

Craft as a tool of Manifestation

If you are wondering what we are doing in Kids Craft Club... we are creating our Reality.

It is so important to learn the stages of manifestation. First comes the idea which can be inspired by something you read, seen or dreamt about. Then you put it down on paper as a sketch using words and drawing. You are following with organizing all the materials you need (keep in mind it’s ok to change some of it during the process) and Only then you put it all together.
This is why we always start with pencil, piece of paper and a bowl for resources.
This is why I’m teaching the kids to work with patterns throught sewing plushies and design their own bags.
Art and Craft teaches us much more than just gluing papers together.
Just Do Craft and Be Happy
Natalie

Be Youself

When someone asks me “How long have you been a crafter and artist?” My answer is “I’ve never stopped.” Craft is another sense we experience our world through as children. During school years some of us busy learning with our minds and some still need to get their hands dirty and crafty.
I love to use different material in my crafts. It took me several years as a teenager to finally Be myself in my crafts and stop listening to all those one-discipline teachers:”You are not suppose to combine acrylic with watercolors!” “Don’t mix this with that”, “Jewelry is not woodworking!”etc. 

Well, I say mix it all! Create and Be Happy!

I can’t wait for tomorrow when five girls will design their shirt in the way they like, as part of our Kids Craft Club on Tuesdays. Maybe they will use colours, maybe ribbons, maybe fabrics and maybe beads or maybe all of it and some more. I know it’s just an hour and a half but I’m happy to share that magical hour where they can Be Themselves  in the craft. 

Be Yourself,

Natalie

My new tea crafts

What a crafty Sunday. I'm so excited to show you my new cotton tea bags and a warmer of Tea Goddess.

All made of 100% cotton with Bamboo braided yarn. 

Tea box

I have lots of tea. Those little boxes of 10 tea satchet. And everyday I'm bisy in opening them again and again deciding which one will I make today. Half of the boxes were empty so I've started to reorganize all my tea closet.

Empty box here, empty box there, scissors lying around and my creative mind started to create...my new Tea Box! 

One Box to keep them all

One Box to bring them

One Box to show them all 

And in the cup to steep them!

 Have a nice cup of tea

from  Natalie

Samhain Blessings

A year passed by and it's Samhain time again. Although I live in Southern hemisphere now, I still feel connected to the otherside. Now is a time of reconnecting to our roots and honouring the ancestors. Today I welcome Cerridwen and thanking Rhiannon. And I welcome you to go down into the Labyrinth, connect to your subconscious and work with your shadow. 

            *Ink on tea stained paper*

May the Owl guide you on your way toward your goals,

May the Salmon give you wisdom in your choices,

May the Horse help you overcome your obstacles,

And May the Hare fill your life with Abundance.

Samhain blessing to all.

~Natalie~

Fairies are Welcome

Merry Equinox ! Happy Ostara and Mabon everyone. Our new project is a fairy garden. Today we finished first edition of our Autumn Fairy Garden but we still need some greenies.

Everything is hand made, even the bowl. The bowl made of newspaper with Autumn leaves glue on it. The fairy house is made of toilet paper rolls. Most of the wooden things like ladder and flower box are made of wodden matches sticks and the base of the well is bottle caps.

So with a lot of love, hands and vision we present you our first Autumn Fairy Garden! Ta da!!!!

Oh and there is a night light 😊

Enjoy

~Natalie~

"Out of the Deep" trilogy

My new "Out of the Deep" trilogy: Nautilus, Octopus and Jelly Fish.

After many dreams of ocean deep creatures I've desided to draw some of them.
Ink on tea stained paper.

 

 

New tea...a lot of new tea

 

Whoooo I'm excited!!!
I went to the supermarket today and found small Twinings tea boxes for 1$ !!!!
Of course I took every type I found in there :-)
So here is my new stash: Earl Grey, Pure Green Tea, Chai, Strawberry, Lemon and Ginger, Extra Strong English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, Lady Grey, Lemon Squizzed, Orange and Cinnamon, English Breakfast and Australian Afternoon.
What a Bliss!!!!

 

It's colouring time

I'm so excited!!!! All illustrations are finished and now is the time for colouring. I get to make a dress and pick up the colour of her shoes. The goal - two weeks tops and then think of printing.

I feel that now I'm finally ready to finish my other three books for children.

Did I write that I'm excited? 😊

~Natalie~

My new book

I'm writing and drawing my new book these days. I called it "I wish I could".

I'm so excited !!! 

I finished mine seventh illustration and so pleased with it. Now need 3-5 more and I will start painting all of them. I hope to finish the all illustrations this week and the book itself it two weeks tops.

This book is dedicated to my family and friends who I miss so much.

Stay tuned, more to come!

~Natalie~

Australian afternoon tea

"When in Rome, live as a Roman do" as said  Saint Ambrose. 

So I'm sipping my new Australian Afternoon Twinings tea in my Australian afternoon and making my new creation - Snow owl clay candleholder.

Sometimes I think my blog should be called Tea and Owls :-D

~N~

Morning Tea Owl

Well if I'm not enjoying my Roy Kirkham Alpine Strawberry tea cup at least my Owl should :-)

*Watercolor on paper*

Have a nice morning,

Natalie