Make Your Own Mosaics

Color is the most essential component of a mosaic. Fliers and coupons are loaded with bright colors. Have your child cut these into various shapes and sizes. Scatter them on a piece of nice cardboard. As kids manipulate the resulting pieces, they can create numerous designs, from flowers to faces, and beyond. This provides a great learning opportunity. Teach your child words like “hue”, “tone”, and “value”. Help your child notice the lights and darks in objects, and manipulate the mosaic pieces to mimic them.

Once your child has created an attractive display, he or she can use a glue stick to adhere the mosaic pieces to the cardboard. Paint a black border along the edges, and you have an educational, personalized, wall decoration. Paper mosaics may also be used in the creation of decoupage projects.

Decorate With Decoupage

Beautiful flowering plants, animals, and more can be found in catalogue pages. For a quick and cheap decoupage project, have your child select and cut out their favorite images. Carefully coat the back of glass plates, which are readily found at yard sales, with Mod Podge, taking care to protect the face of the plate. Now your little ones can press their chosen images face down onto the back of the plate to create their own custom design! A second coat of Mod Podge seals the completed project, which remains food safe, as the front of the plate has not been altered.

Decoupage is a great way for kids to create many other custom items as well, such as trays, frames, boxes, and personalized gifts. For these, don’t be afraid to mix media! Glue bottle caps, beads, friendship bracelets, pinecones, buttons and more to your finished decoupage products to add even more interest and texture.

Learn About Fine Art

Many catalogues and magazines feature reproductions of famous works of art. Cutting out and compiling these images is a quick and easy way to create art identification flash cards. Simply paste the images on thin pieces of cardboard you can cut from your empty dry goods cartons from the grocery store. Your child can learn to recognize the different art genres, and individual artists’ styles.

These same images then can be re-purposed as doll’s house paintings. Kids can draw frames using gold paint markers, and hang their favorite miniature artistic works on doll’s house walls with a dab of museum putty.

Kids craft projects which focus on creating a useful object out of items which on their own serve no real purpose, teach children to be resourceful. Encouraging creativity at an early age promotes self-confidence and self-reliance.

Dazzle your kids with four sparkling sun catchers in a variety of fun dinosaur shapes! Children will love coloring these friendly dinosaurs to create unique window art.

• Brand: Melissa and Doug
• Type: Kids Craft Kit
• Style: Decorate Your Own Sun Catchers
• Design: Dinosaurs Assortment
• Condition: New
• Quantity: 4 per box
• Includes: Paints, suction cups, hanging cords, paintbrush, 4 sun catchers
• Uses: kids’ party favors activities, rainy day fun, daycare or summer camp projects, great gift idea!
• Recommended for children ages 4+

This wonderful craft kit for kids from Melissa and Doug company includes everything your child will need to create four colorful sun catchers in a variety of fun dinosaur shapes.

Your child can custom design the final product by using the included paints and brush to decorate the four blank sun catchers. Suction cups and hanging cords are included.

This kit makes a great gift item, or can be used so that your child can create unique gifts to give to grandparents, friends and family!

Perfect as a fun party activity or for summer camps, scout troops, daycares, and schools, one of these fun kids craft project kits would be suitable for four children. Each child could decorate one individual sun catcher.

Select your favorite Kids Craft Projects today!

What an adorable set for kids! This wooden picture frame is easy and fun to personalize. Create an eye-catching decoration for your room, or a custom gift to give a friend or family member.

• Brand: Melissa and Doug
• Type: Decorate Your Own Craft Kit for Kids
• Style: Picture Frame
• Size: holds 3×5 photo or drawing
• Condition: New
• Includes: wooden photo frame, glitter and craft glue, colorful plastic “gems’, paints, and a paintbrush
• Uses: rainy day activity, gift item, party activity, summer camps, schools, daycares and more!
• Recommended for children ages 4+

Involve kids in the creative process with this fun picture frame craft kit! Children will enjoy learning about the components of good design. Teach them about balance, line weight, color hues and tones, mixing paint, and more.

Give this great kit as a gift, or purchase several of them for fun party activities!

Is a special family member celebrating? Let your child create a memorable present for someone else. Kids will love personalizing this frame, and filling it with a favorite family photo, special note, or original drawing.

This is only one of many creative, fun kids craft projects available in our store!

Pick up your own Creative Kids Craft Project today!

Wow! Wonderful puzzle for young learners. This beautifully illustrated 48-piece circular cardboard floor puzzle features twelve children from around the world dressed in traditional ethnic clothing.

• Brand: Melissa and Doug
• Type: Floor Puzzle
• Style: Children of the World design
• Condition: New
• Educational Toy
• Great for schools, daycares, summer camps, and home!

Super-sized floor puzzles are a lot of fun to put together and view. Kids love scooting around to view them from all sides, pointing out various details as they go.

The Children of the World floor puzzle is a wonderful educational tool for small children.

The International Baccalaureate Organization programs within the public school system speak of “International Mindedness”, which is a term used to describe the awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the many different countries, cultures, and customs; and the presence of that awareness within everyday actions.

Instill a sense of international-mindedness in your child with this unique and beautiful floor puzzle. Teach your child to embrace differences and appreciate the uniqueness of individuals.

Give your child a desire to explore and learn about the world in which they live. Give them a sense of their own cultural heritage, and teach them about other customs and cultures as well. See the beauty and diversity to be found within this world!

The puzzle measures 32″ in diameter when completed. Extra thick pieces stand up to repeated use. Puzzles help develop hand-eye coordination, shape recognition and placement skills, memorization and problem solving abilities.

This is only one of many great floor puzzles in a variety of difficulty levels.

Select your favorite Floor Puzzles today!

Very useful and durable, this magnetic wooden alphabet set features both Upper and Lower Case letters! Kids love magnets, and this is a great way to encourage beginning language skills.

• Brand: Melissa and Doug
• Type: Magnetic Kids Toys
• Style: Wooden Alphabet Set
• Upper and Lower Case Letters
• Presented in an Attractive Wooden Storage Box
• Unique Educational Toy
• Parents’ Favorite
• Recommended for children ages 3+

Teach your child the ABCs, phonics, and to spell short words with the colorful, magnetic pieces.

Arrange them to spell short sentences (I am out / I am in), teach combination sounds (th, -ing), and emphasize long vowels (Tim + e = time, not + e = note).

Use them for tracing, or trace around them to create stencils or flash cards. Use them on the refrigerator, or magnetic dry erase boards!

This is a gift that will grow with your child as you change the way it is used.

Grab your Magnetic Wooden Alphabet Set today!

Reinforce good behavior with this fun, re-usable, magnetic responsibility chart from Melissa and Doug. Teaching responsibility is more effective when results are tracked and positive behavior is rewarded.

• Brand: Melissa and Doug
• Type: Magnetic Kids Toys
• Style: Magnetic Responsibility Chart
• Two Magnetic Wooden Dry Erase Boards
• Fabric Hinges
• Reusable
• Unique Educational Toy
• Parents’ Favorite
• Great Instructional Toy for Autism or Special Needs
• Recommended for children ages 3+

A great tool for parents and kids alike, this sturdy set features 90 magnets, colorfully printed with an assortment of meaningful tasks, household chores, reminders, and fun happy faces.

From saying "Please" and "Thank you" to putting the toys away, the assignments on the printed magnets become fun when positive behavior is rewarded. The fun, colorful happy faces give your child reason to please.

Also included is a blank magnet upon which to create your own assignment.

A great toy for autism and special needs children, the magnetic responsibility chart will help your child stay organized and focused by helping to establish a routine in which good behavior is the norm.

Post this attractive, magnetic chart where your child can easily see it, and use it to teach the days of the week as well. The two, fabric-hinged, wooden, magnetic dry-erase boards provide ample room for storage and memos.

Pick up your Magnetic Responsibility Chart today!

Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center

www.virginiaaquarium.com

Virginia Aquarium
717 General Booth Blvd.
Virginia Beach, VA. 23451
(757) 385-FISH (3474)

Located in Virginia Beach, the Virginia Aquarium is a favorite destination for ocean lovers.  Two main buildings housing numerous exhibits are connected by beautiful trails with fun activities and displays along the way.  Climb up for a tree top view of the lovely Owl Creek area; get a hands on view of rays, horseshoe crabs, and more in the two touch tanks; see the sea turtles and sharks being fed; explore the outdoor aviary and so much more.  There are two gift shops and a café.  Plan to spend the day here.

Virginia Living Museum

www.thevlm.org

524 J Clyde Morris Blvd
Newport News, VA 23601
(757) 595-1900

The Virginia Living Museum showcases the natural beauty of Virginia’s wildlife with outdoor animal habitats from woods to wetlands, and an aviary, all connected by a beautiful boardwalk.  Inside, native plants and fish fill a variety of aquariums, and education centers offer everything from fossils to a hive of bees.  There is also a nocturnal life display area, and a touch tank.  A gift shop and café are on site.

Metro Richmond Zoo

www.metrorichmondzoo.com

Metro Richmond Zoo

8300 Beaver Bridge Rd.

Mosely, Va. 23120

(804) 739-5666

The Metro Richmond Zoo is located outside of Richmond, in Chesterfield County.  It offers a wide variety of animals, a sky ride lift above the animal habitats, a petting area with herd animals, a fun “train” ride, gift shop, cafes, and more.  Feed and pet the giraffes, meander through the aviary, watch the penguins get their morning meal, and enjoy spending the day walking around with the peacock.

Children’s Museum of Richmond

www.c-mor.org

2626 West Broad Street
Richmond VA 23220

804-474-7000

The Children’s Museum of Richmond is located next door to the Science Museum of Virginia.  Featuring a variety of fantastic, hands-on, interactive displays and activities, the Children’s Museum is an excellent destination for kids.  Climb, tumble, listen, learn, and create.  From the art center to the large climbing “tree”, there is a lot to see and do.

Science Museum of Virginia

www.smv.org

2500 West Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23220
(804) 864-1400

The Science Museum of Virginia offers traveling exhibits on the lower level, as well as permanent displays on the upper levels.  There are classrooms and an Imax Dome in addition to the various museum displays.  The Science Museum of Virginia is located next door to the Children’s Museum of Richmond, and there are numerous restaurants within walking distance of both.

Dinosaur Land

www.dinosaurland.com

Dinosaur Land, Inc

3848 Stonewall Jackson Highway
White Post, VA 22663
(540) 869-2222

Fax (540) 869-0951

Dinosaur Land is a fun, outdoor park featuring large statues of a variety of dinosaurs.  There is a gift shop on site, and the facilities include an area which can be reserved for birthday parties.  It is a fun destination for little children who love dinosaurs.

More to be added:

Norfolk Zoo

Bristol Caverns

Natural Bridge

Lurray Caverns

Crabtree Falls

St. Mary’s Trails

Chris Greene Lake

Lake Sherando

Camp Friendship

Round Hill Farm

And others…