Kids Stuff World — The little things, the big things and all the "stuff" in between

Eco Art Camera: A Quick How To

by Stacy on April 20, 2012

Hey there folks, popping in real quick to share one of my children’s favorite craft projects with you and all Melissa & Doug’s blog readers (hi folks!!!! so glad you’re here, really! Hope you’ll stick around awhile and make yourself at home) This project comes to you just in time for Earth Day as part of a link up with my sweet friends Allie, Amy, Val & Zina.

We call it the Eco Art Camera because it is part art project, part craft project, made of 100% recyclables and all around awesome. Seriously, my guys played with these things for months before they eventually pulled the buttons and lenses off, then we added them back to the recycle bin and who knows what’s become of them now.
Pretty cool right? I was kind of impressed with them to, especially considering what we used to make them:
- an empty box of macaroni and cheese
- the lid from a large jar of spaghetti sauce
- half of a toilet paper roll
- a water bottle lid
- scrap pieces of aluminum foil, newspaper and string

As you’re about to see, tape and tempura paint were also used liberally …

We started by wrapping our box in newspaper and then using our favorite painting technique (not finger painting, but whole hand painting – the messier the better) to cover the newspaper and give the camera it’s color. You could skip this step altogether if you’re pressed for time, but it was my kids favorite part and what gave this project so much personality.

Wait for the paper to dry, we set them outside and went to the park for awhile.

When you get back wrap half of a toilet paper roll and a small piece of cardboard in aluminum foil – a piece of a cereal box or the inside flap of the macaroni box will work just fine. Tape the toilet paper roll to the flat piece of cardboard and then attach the new shape to the front of your camera to make the lens.

Separate the outer plastic ring from your spaghetti sauce lid and hot glue it to the top right of your box to create a viewfinder, anything could be used here really – feel free to get creative with it.

Glue the water bottle lid to the top of the box to act as your shutter.

Carefully glue your neck strap on to the sides, this was the only piece of this project I had to keep fixing for my guys. I never did come up with a really secure way to make it stay … maybe you will! And then you’ll be so kind to tell me about it Thanks.

That’s it, that’s all there is to it. Hand the camera over to your budding photographer and let them get busy snapping. There’s so much fun to be had.
These were a prominent part of our playroom for a very long time, until a toddler got a hold of them. If treated properly, they will last a long time. And if not, they’re simple to make so you can always whip up a new one using items from your recycle bin!

Happy Earth Day weekend folks, tell me have you ever made something using items from your recycle bin? If you have a post or a photo leave it in the comments section, I’d love to see it!

Let me know if you have any questions about any of the steps and do me a favor and join me on Facebook, I’d love to chat with you there.

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Silly, yet serious

by Stacy on April 15, 2012

Silly, yet serious.

That’s the best way to describe this little one right now. One minute she is all smiles and giggles and and the next she’s soulful; deep in contemplation, so quiet and demure.

She’s changing everyday, yet it is me who seems foreign to her. It’s a delicate time for the two of us, I catch her looking at me with those big blue eyes, so uncertain and so speculative. I can feel her beginning to pull away from me now — not quite sure how my role as a mother is going to fit in to her big, new and evolving life.

I knew this time would come for us, but I never dreamed it would start so soon. I feel as if we’re in the middle of some pre scripted dance routine, one I’ve danced a time or two before … yet in much smaller shoes. My first reaction is to hold on tight and never let her go, but I know that is not, nor can not be the answer. Instead, for now, I’ve chosen to show her how much I love her at least as often as I tell her. To listen to what she’s saying and offer her the biggest gift I know how: all my heart and all of my head. I can use these two not to lead her in life, but rather to guide her down this new path she is carving out as her own.

Most of all it seems these days I am hoping. Hoping that some how, some way deep down on the inside, she gets me. Gets me in a way I never really got my Mom, at least not until I was a mother myself. I’m also hoping she might stay my sweet and silly serious little girl for just a little longer …

What special moments did you capture this week?

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Found Things

by Stacy on April 14, 2012

The kids and I have found a new favorite activity. I know it is a favorite because every night when I lay them down to sleep and ask what their favorite part of the day was, they say FOUND THINGS!!!

We’ve been preparing for our Earth Day project. I knew I wanted it to be something we could all participate in and something that would really help the kids to understand what it was that we were doing and why we were doing it. We talk a lot about the environment and the various ways we can do our part, but these are usually things we do in our home or in our local community.

This brings us to the Found Things. The project we’ve been doing in all of our spare time — traveling to and visiting as many outdoor spaces as we can, collecting “found things”. Found things can be anything really, neat little doo dads we find on the ground — bottle caps, squirt bottle tops, shiny things, round things, square things, you name it. Anything we find in nature that is not natural. We keep one bag for found things we want to use in our art project and another for just plain old trash we find along the way. While we’re out, we talk about the birds and the trees and the soil and the Earth and how they all work together. How everything in nature has a purpose and a place and how these “found things” don’t really belong there in the first place. We make sure to emphasize how important it is that we never discard items outside that don’t belong there.

Nature is beautiful. i love the way they see this, but now they are starting to understand how it all works together. The dots are connecting because we started composting this year, it has turned out to be a great learning opportunity. They are starting to understand all the things that can and can not be composted, and it has really translated for them to this experience as well.
These quiet moments together, outdoors, seeking and sharing have really made a difference in the way we are interacting with one another at home too. Our forest walks have taken me back to another time and place, back when I was a child on the Carolina coast searching for shark’s teeth. This may have been my favorite activity of all time and I love being able to bring that sense of wonderment and calm and mindfulness to my children. We plan to keep up our favorite new past time and I hope as they get older they will think back with fond memories of our time in the forests searching for “found things”.

Do you think you’ll try a “found things” walk with your kids?

Next up, Phase 2 of Found Things — the art project. In the meantime, please take a few moments and check out all the incredible Earth Day activities my kid blogger friends have come up with and please feel free to share a link or story in a comment of your own.

Earth Day Blog Hop

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Disneynature Chimpanzee & a Giveaway

by Stacy on April 9, 2012

Win a Disneynature Chimpanzee Prize Pack!

For the last few years, Disney has released an epic film just before Earth Day and used parts of it’s proceeds to champion a great cause. First, there was Earth, then Oceans, African Cats and now Disneynature’s newest True Life adventure, Chimpanzee. This one of a kind story takes you deep in to the forests of Africa and opens your eyes to a whole new way of life through the eyes of Oscar, an adorable young chimpanzee. Oscar has a playful curiosity and a zest for discovery viewers are sure to love. Oscar lights up the forest until a twist of fate leaves him to fend for himself. Luckily, he finds help from an unexpected ally.

FREDDY is the powerful and highly respected leader of Oscar’s chimpanzee family. He is in charge of keeping everyone safe and knows just where to go to find breakfast, lunch and dinner. Freddy takes his responsibilities very seriously, so he has little time for fun.

ISHA is Oscar’s loving mother and sole caretaker. She grooms him, nurses him and serves as his personal taxi throughout the rainforest. Like all mothers, she is challenged with Oscar’s restless ways—often missing out on well-deserved naps due to his shenanigans. But she loves her son dearly and would do anything for him.

OSCAR is a feisty, funny and adorable baby chimpanzee.
His high-energy spirit and sense of adventure shine as he plays with his little friends and learns the ways of the world under the watchful eye of mom Isha. But life in the rainforest isn’t always fun and games and Oscar has a lot to learn. He teams up with a very special and unexpected teacher who shares the most valuable tool of all: love.

SCAR heads up a rival chimpanzee group which always seems to be lingering on the edge of Freddy’s turf. They’d love to get their hands on the tasty nuts that grow in Oscar’s neighborhood and their constant presence keeps Freddy on his toes.

ABOUT THE FILM: Directed by Alastair Fothergill (“African Cats” and “Earth”) and Mark Linfield (“Earth”), and narrated by Tim Allen (ABC’s “Last Man Standing”), Disneynature joined forces with the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) for a special “See ‘Chimpanzee,’ Save Chimpanzees” program.

For every moviegoer who sees “Chimpanzee” during the film’s opening week (April 20-26, 2012), Disneynature will make a donation to JGI through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund in order to protect chimpanzees and their habitats. For more information, visit Disney.com/Chimpanzee.

Now for the fun part,

To help get your little ones excited about the film, Disneynature is offering one KSW reader (sorry, US residents only) a Chimpanzee prize pack. This prize pack includes a special Making of the film book, a reusable Chimpanzee tote bag and an Oscar plush toy. Giveaway is open till midnight April 15th, use the form below to enter to win – Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Life in an Instant: I DID IT!!!

by Stacy on April 3, 2012

I know Life in an Instant didn’t publish on Sunday, but I have a good reason … Saturday morning I woke up at 4:45 am, laced up my sneakers and took a 40 minute bus ride to Bastrop, Texas to complete my very first half marathon, Zooma Texas.

It was still dark as our bus made its way up and down the narrow winding roads I would soon be climbing with my own two feet. I must admit, I was overly apprehensive. I doubted my ability and forgot all of the many, many miles my sneakers had racked up leading up to this very moment.

There wasn’t much time to doubt myself, the sun was rising and racers were being called to the starting line. I gave my sister in law one last hug and she was gone, up to the front of the line where faster runners belonged. Suddenly, I was all alone. The countdown began and we were off.
I had spent months carefully selecting each song that would escort me on my journey, but someone had other plans for me. A different playlist sounded in my ears and the notes and words could not have been more perfectly selected for my journey. I didn’t even make it across the starting line before my eyes were filling with tears.

I turn the music up, I got my records on
I shut the world outside until the lights come on
Maybe the streets alight, maybe the trees are gone
I feel my heart start beating to my favorite song

The songs kept coming just like that, as if they had been perfectly orchestrated for what and how I was feeling, so uplifting. I had done my research, I knew the obstacles that lay in front of me. The 2.5 mile mountain that started the run, the next 5 miles of up & downs. I was more than intimidated, yet somehow my feet found the way.

The miles ticked by. The first 8 came much faster than I thought they would … but those last 5.1, well they seemed to take forever. Lucky for me, I had a support network cheering me on. Messages from my husband, tweets from my friends and this adorable fella rooting me on
That last show of support came in my darkest hour of the run and gave me the strength I needed to dig deep and push through till the end. Thanks Tricia! You guys were a lifesaver.
I dedicated the last three miles of the run to my kiddos, spending a whole mile focusing on each of them helped take my mind off of the fatigue I was feeling. This shot was right after I got Tricia’s tweet and found a second wind, I powered it out and as I came along that last half mile stretch the racers who had already finished started cheering me on. As I rounded the last curve and saw the 13 mile marker, my sister in law was there waiting for me (LOVE YOU MEGAN — FOREVER AND EVER). Somehow I found the power to sprint to her, we high fived and I ran across that finish line.
The post race rewards were breathtaking, I highly recommend you check out the Lost Pines Resort if you’re ever near Austin or Bastrop, Texas. I know my family will be taking a trip there as soon as I can arrange one! I’m ready to experience all that I’ve seen firsthand with the ones I love now, lazy river and all.

I still can’t believe what we accomplished, to think when we toyed around with the idea in November I wasn’t even able to run a mile. We “trained together” via text and email — she lives in California. We cheered each other on during long runs and kept up with one another on dailymile. We were dedicated and found a way to make it happen.

It truly is amazing what your body can do if you can get your mind to be quiet long enough to let it! I’ve wanted to tell you all for so long now, but didn’t want to let anyone down. Now that I’ve achieved my goal, I have a few notes and lessons learned I’d like to share with you. If you have any specific questions you’d like me to answer or just want to leave a kind word, I sure would appreciate it.

So tell me, what did you do this week?

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