Why I Love Glow Sticks, Let Me Count The Ways

I love glow sticks and bracelets/necklaces. They seem like such a simple little thing, but they have a ton of uses! I try to always have some on hand because I can pull them out when the kids are going stir crazy and come up with something fun. Here are just a few of my ideas:

• Glow Stick Ring Toss. There are lots of ways to make a Glow in the Dark ring toss:
• Use a normal ring toss stick and use the glow necklaces or bracelets as the rings.
• Place a glow stick in a water bottle to create the stick and use glow necklaces or bracelets as the rings. DM Tip: I found it helped to have about 2 inches at the bottom of the bottom to help keep the bottle from tipping over.

• Easy Kid ID's in the dark for camping, walking at night, or trick or treating.

• Bath time fun. These would also be great to bounce around the house or outside.

• Tent line marker when camping. We always attach a glow stick to the end of the tent line where it is attached to the ground. It helps a lot once the sun goes down. Kids tend to run around the campsite and I am a klutz, so marking the tent lines helps keep us out of trouble.

• Add fun to drinks! You will need a colored cup, a clear cup, and a glow bracelet for each person. Place the glow bracelet in the bottom of the solid cup. Next, place the clear cup on top. Fill with ice and drink and watch their faces as the lights go out!

• Hide and Seek. Hide glow sticks in your yard (or in house if it is a cold or wet night) and have the kids find them. Alternatively, you could also hide only 1 stick and whoever finds it first gets to hide it again.

• Nightlight. If the power goes out, these are great to put on the kids and help them feel not as scared.

• Glow Stick Cotton Candy. You could use a LED stick (battery side far away from biting zone), so it is nontoxic for smaller kids who might bite the stick. (Do NOT bite the glow stick!)

 

What are your favorite uses for glow sticks?

Identify This: Part 65

If you know what it is, or just want to guess, post in Comments!

STOP! ANSWER BELOW.

It's a wasp nest.

Glowing Cotton Candy

Ok, so the cotton candy doesn't really glow. However, the stick does! We had a rainy day and I was trying to keep the kids occupied. I had straws, glow sticks, and cotton candy in a bag. Glowing Cotton Candy was born! DM Tip: My kids are old enough not to bite hard into the straw/glow stick, but this might not be good for younger kids to have.

You will need:

• Straws (the more transparent the better)
• Glow sticks/bracelets
• Cotton candy
• Tape, optional

Directions:
 1. Bend the glow sticks to get them to glow.
 2. Insert into the end of the straw. To keep the glow sticks in place, you can put a small piece of tape at one end of the straw.
 3. On the non-tape end, place the cotton candy on top of the straw and wrap or smooth the bottom of the candy to the stick. This step took me a little practice, but it can be done!
4. Enjoy! But make sure not to bite into the glow stick! (Not all glow sticks are non-toxic.)

DM Tip: I used straws that were longer than the glow sticks. That way when the kids held the sticks, the glow stick was at the bottom of the straw and there was less chance of them biting into the glow stick accidently.

The Weekly Review

I hope you all had a great week. We've still been busy with the house, but the kids are settling in well. Here are the posts from this week:

Rainy Day: A Word Find
Z is for Zebra, Zipper, and Zucchini. The last in the alphabet series!
Identify This: Part 64

Rainy Day: A Word Find

STOP! ANSWERS BELOW.

Z is for Zebra, Zipper, and Zucchini

Crafts:

• Coloring page (see below)
• Cut out a white Z. Next, cut out thin strips of black paper. Glue strips to Z to create a zebra colored Z. You could also cut out a white z and make a marble craft with black paint to create a zebra striped Z.
• See how many clothes you can find with zippers
• Make a zebra out of a paper plate or a zebra puppet out of a white paper bag
• Zoom around by running in zig zags
• Plant zinnias in your garden

Food:

• Zucchini (Broiled Zucchini, Stuffed Zucchini)
• Ziti (pasta dish)
• Zingers (snack food)
• Zero bars (candy bar)

Identify This: Part 64

If you know what it is, or just want to guess, post in the Comments!

STOP! ANSWER BELOW!

It's a roller!

Photo Boards

When I was packing up the boys' room for the move, I wanted them each to have their own photo board. The stores disappointed me though: all the boards were either too girly or too small. The colors also didn't work well with the wall colors the boys wanted for their new rooms. I decided to make my own, which turned out to be pretty easy.

You will need:

• Framed cork boards in the size you want
• Fabric
• Ribbon (cloth or fabric ribbon, not curling ribbon)
• Batting
• Glue gun and glue sticks
• Staple gun and staples
• Upholstery tacks
• Hammer
• Scissors

Directions:

1. Before buying your fabric, measure your cork board and add on an extra 1.5-2 inches on each side. You want the batting and fabric to fold over to the back of the board. 

2. Purchase your fabric and batting (and any other supplies you need too).

3. Lay your fabric down on the floor or table and place the batting on top. Smooth out. Make sure if you have a printed or embroidered fabric that the good side is placed facing down, not looking up at the batting.

4. Place the cork board on top and cut the fabric and batting so that it overlaps the back of the board.

5. Pull fabric/batting taut and staple to the back of the frame of the cork board. It is easier if you do one side and then the opposite side to help keep the fabric tight. (Right then left, top then bottom)

6. Trim off excess fabric/batting.

7. Next, lay out the first piece of ribbon. I started out at the top left corner. Glue the end of the ribbon on the back of the cork board and let it cool. 

8. Bring the ribbon down to the bottom right corner, cut and glue to the back of the cork board.

9. Keep crisscrossing and gluing the ribbon to the back of the cork board. (See below if you need help picturing the layout. I had a hard time and had to restart a few times, so hopefully the drawing below helps you.)

10. Flip over so you can see the top of the photo board.

11. Hammer in an upholstery tack where the ribbon crisscrosses.

12. If the tacks stick out the back, you can trim with a wire cutter or cover with a dot of hot glue.

DM Tips:

• I found the upholstery tacks at Hobby Lobby, although other fabric stores will carry them too. If you are buying a lot of fabric or supplies, be sure to look for store coupons. Michael's and Hobby Lobby usually have weekly 40% off one item coupons.
• Bring a paint chip (or paint a spot on a white index card) with you when you shop for fabric. It will make finding matching or coordinating colors a lot easier.

Y is for Yellow, Yams, and Yaks

Crafts:

• Learn about yaks
• Make art only using yellow and yarn
• Play with a Yo-Yo
• Take a walk and find only things that start with a Y (yellow flowers, yellow jackets, etc.)
• Make a yak out of a paper plate
• Crack open an egg and look at the yolk. You could also hard-boil the egg, and eat the yolk and whites separately. How do the taste and texture differ?

Food:

• Yogurt (try making yogurt fruit flowers)
• Yams
• Yellow Squash
• Yeast Rolls
• Yolk (in an egg)
• Make Y shaped food (bread sticks, sugar cookies)

X is for X-Ray, Xylophone, and X-Box

We're almost done! X has thrown me for a loop and has proven quite the challenge to find food ideas, much less craft ideas.

Crafts:

• Coloring page (see below)
• Create a xylophone craft. Cut out a large X out of paper. Next, cut small strips of colored paper and paste down the center of the X. Cut out drum stick shapes from brown paper and glue on the X.
• Cut out long bone shapes out of white paper. Paste on a piece of black paper in an X shape to make an x-ray craft.
• If you have any x-rays of old injuries, get them out and let the kids take a look!
• Play tic-tac-toe (It does have an X in it!)
• This one is a bit of a stretch. Have a pirate day: make treasure maps with a big X to mark where the treasure is, have the kids make their own pirate flags and make sure there is a skull and crossbones in an X somewhere on the flag.
• Go to an office supply store and make copies on a Xerox machine
• Ask if they know anyone named Xavier
• Play on the X-Box
• Watch an X-Men show (if your kids are old enough)

Food:

• Xavier Souppe (An Italian soup. Click here or here for recipes. I have not tried this yet, but it looks interesting.)
• Xavier Steak (Steak topped with asparagus and Swiss cheese. Click here for a recipe.)
• Buy a bag of alphabet pretzels and eat only the X's for the day!
• Make X shaped biscuits, bread sticks, or sugar cookies

W is for Water, Wet, and Wild

Crafts:

• Coloring Page (see below)
• Make Wind Chimes 
• Make a windsock
• Make a walrus puppet out a paper bag and construction paper.
• Learn about walruses and whales while eating a snack of watermelon and wheat thins
• Create a wreath

Food:

• Watermelon
• Wafers
• Waffles
• Walnuts
• Wontons
• Wings
• Wheaties
• Wheat Thins
• Wheat bread
• Water

V is for Velvet, Violet, and Violin

Crafts:

• Coloring Page (see below)
• Let them help you make vegetable soup
• Paint a vase at a local paint-your-own pottery place, or paint an old jar or can to create your own vase
• Learn about violets, volcanoes, and vultures
• Plant some violets in your garden
• Make violet crafts. Cut out flower shapes from purple paper and glue on a small yellow circle for the center.
• Make Valentine's to leave for special people, even if it's not Valentine's Day!

Food:

• Veal
• Vegetables (Cut into fun shapes. i.e. flower carrots or cucumber slices)
• Vermicelli pasta
• Velveeta cheese
• Vindaloo
• Vinaigrette
• Volaille chicken
• Vienna (roll, sausage)
• Vegetable soup

U is for Umbrella, Unicorn, and Under

It's time for the letter U!

Crafts:

• Coloring Page (see below)
• Make an umbrella out of a paper plate and pipe cleaner
• Practice Up and Under
• Cut out a U shape in a sponge and dip in paint. Stamp out U's.
• Decorate the letter U with a unicorn and an umbrella
• Listen to ukulele music

Food:

• Ugli Fruit
• Upside Down Cake
• Make jello jigglers. Once set, cut out U shapes with a cookie cutter.
• For breakfast, make U shaped pancakes