Summer 2011

It's hard to believe August is right around the corner. Kids will be returning to school and it won't be long before the summer heat is gone.

Here are some fun and FREE projects to keep the kids busy with their last few days of summer vacation:

1. Make and decorate a kite. $1.00 at the local dollar store.

2. Get an old pair of sunglasses and let the kids decorate it by Painting them, maybe a little glitter or beads.

3. Make a bug catcher. Use an old spaghetti sauce jar, the kids can decorate it and try and catch some summer bugs. Examine them, research them online and then let them go. The kids will love it.

4. Find some garden rocks and paint them. Maybe one can become a dog and one a bird. It's a fun project for kids (and adults) of all ages.

5. For a fun neighborhood event check this out.

6. Or, just play outside.

A Mothers Love or Pork Chops?

In a zoo in California , a mother tiger gave birth to a rare set of triplet tiger cubs. Unfortunately, Due to complications in the pregnancy, the cubs were born prematurely and due to their tiny size, they died shortly after birth. The mother tiger after recovering from the delivery, suddenly started to decline in health. Although physically she was fine. The veterinarians felt that the loss of her litter had caused the tigress to fall into a depression. The doctors decided that if the tigress could surrogate another mother's cubs, perhaps she would improve. After checking with many other zoos across the country,the depressing news was that there were no tiger cubs of the right age to introduce to the mourning mother.. The veterinarians decided to try something that had never been tried in a zoo environment. Sometimes a mother of one species will take on the care of a different species. The only orphans' that could be found quickly, were a litter of weanling pigs. The zookeepers and vets wrapped the piglets in tiger skin and placed the babies around the mother tiger...

Would they become cubs or pork chops?

Take a look...you won't believe your eyes

Buyer of antique piggy bank finds something extra inside.

Thank's @INGDirect for this story. Check it out, a guy purchases an antique piggy bank online and finds some extra cash inside.

Scary thought, then very cool...

A friend sent this to me in an email, very cool.

Summer Butterfly Craft For Kids

This is a great project I just did with my Nephew. He turned 2 in April, and simple projects like this are a great way to get little ones excited about crafts. He loves to get creative and this little project is fun for the preschool set.

Egg Carton Butterfly Craft:

* 1 Egg Carton (Cut three slots for each butterfly you are making. So one egg carton could make 4 butterflies)
* Paint & paint brush.
* Coffee filer
* Markers
* Any type of glue (hot glue is better but whatever you have around is fine)
* Optional - Magnet

Give your child a coffee filter and tell them to color the filter with the marker any way they want. It doesn't have to be fully colored either. And when I mean color, even lines will work. Trust me, the magic will happen in a minute. Kids will love this craft because there is plenty you can do with coffee filters during the fall months. After they are finished, wet your kitchen sink and place the coffee filter in the sink. The coffee filter absorbs the water and you will notice the colors are blending together. Have your child watch you do this. Then squeeze it out and place it on a paper towel to dry.

While the coffee filter is drying let the child paint the egg carton that you have cut. If you have a little one you are working with like I did. Just let them paint somewhere safe, like the kitchen floor. Guide them but don't help them. Just make sure they stay on the egg carton. My nephew loved it, and each craft I do with him he gets better at using the art tools.

Make sure both items, the coffee filter and the egg carton are in a sunny place to dry. Should take about 30 minutes to dry. The last part is fun to do maybe while your child naps, then when they get up they try to find their butterfly "hanging" around the house.

Put glue all around the bottom of the egg carton. Then place the egg carton onto the colored coffee filter. After the glue has dried cut the coffee filter to resemble the letter "B". This will become the butterflies wings.

Then add a magnet (if you have one) to the back of the butterfly. It's a nice touch. You can have it hanging from a lamp, window frame or the refrigerator. Have your child look for their butterfly that they created.