Simple Felt Finger Puppets

At the end of a busy day, I love winding down with my husband and watching a good show on TV. However, being idle makes me slightly anxious, so I like to find something to do while I am sitting. Sometimes I fold laundry, sometimes I do a little work, and sometimes I craft. Recently, I decided to design and make some simple finger puppets. I set a goal to make 50 puppets to donate to a local children's hospital*.

Given that I was making these finger puppets for children, I wanted to make the designs simple and colourful. Below you will find some close ups of (and instructions for) my cheerful designs.

How cute is this felt dinosaur finger puppet? I cut two dinosaur shapes (a top piece and a bottom piece) from a bright colour of felt. I cut teeth from a piece of white felt and stitched them in place. I stitched the top and bottom pieces together, stuffed a bit of cotton into the head, and used hot glue to attach googly eyes.

And, given that my three boys are huge Star Wars fans, I designed a cute felt R2D2 finger puppet. I started with two pieces of white felt (cut into the shape of R2D2). Then, I stitched on the blue details (which are simple shapes) and a red dot. I finished by stitching the front and back pieces together.

Next, I designed an adorable baby bird finger puppet. I cut two pieces (a front and back) from a piece of yellow felt. Then I stitched on a felt triangle orange beak and two colourful felt wings. I finished by gluing on two googly eyes.

This simple felt mouse finger puppet is another cute option. I started by cutting two pieces (a front and a back) from grey felt. Then, I stitched two pink pieces onto the ears. I used hot glue to attach two googly eyes, and used fabric paint to draw a nose, mouth and whiskers. I finished by stitching the front and back together.

This felt owl finger puppet is also fun, and it can be made using different colour combinations. I started by cutting two pieces of felt into the shape of an owl. I stitched two wings and a beak onto the front piece. Then, I stitched the front and back pieces together, and used hot glue to attach two googly eyes.

This Minion felt finger puppet is a simple design, and kids will love it. I cut two pieces (a front piece and a back piece) from yellow felt, I stitched a black band to the front piece, and I stitched the front and back pieces together. Then, I used hot glue to attach a googly eye, and I used fabric paint to draw a mouth. I finished by tying a thread of "hair" to the top.

Monkeys are always cute and loveable, so I adore this little felt monkey finger puppet. I cut two pieces from brown felt (a front and a back piece), I stitched a white face onto the front piece, and I stitched the front and back pieces together. Then, I used hot glue to attach two googly eyes and fabric paint to draw a nose and mouth.

This little bird is decorated on both sides, and is super-cute. I cut two bird shapes, stitched a wing on each side, stuck a beak in between the two sides, and then sewed the two sides together (leaving a space for a child to insert a finger). I finished by adding an eye on each side with fabric paint.

I made 50 finger puppets and sent them to a sick kids' hospital. It was a wonderful feeling to pop them in the mail, and I highly encourage you (or your children) to do the same. Here is where I sent mine:

Volunteer Resources
Level 2 - Women's Building
IWK Health Centre
5850/5980 University Avenue,
Halifax, NS B3K 6R8

*NOTE: Some hospitals (like the one I sent mine too) have rules about having detachable pieces (like eyes and buttons) attached to puppets, so if you are planning to donate the puppets, use fabric paint instead of googly eyes.

These finger puppets would also be wonderful for putting inside plastic Easter Eggs. They will last longer than chocolate... and they are healthier too! I think the little chick would be an adorable Easter option.

And wouldn't they be cute to give away as class treats or to use as loot bags / goodie bags?

Which of my simple felt finger puppet designs are your favourite? My boys love the R2D2, and I love the green dinosaur... but they are all sweet. 

These finger puppets are wonderful projects for moms and kids who are beginners when it comes to sewing. The designs are simple, and the felt is super-easy to work with. Happy stitching!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Update: I just sent another 30 to the hospital. These two designs are perfect because they don't have any small parts, buttons, etc...

Fun Way to Recycle Plastic Eggs

This is a super fun way to recycle the plastic eggs that are leftover after Easter. With plastic eggs, an empty egg carton, and a sharpie, you can easily create a fun matching game for Preschoolers.

Split the eggs apart, and use a sharpie to write a number on the top half of the egg. Then, use the sharpie to draw a corresponding number of dots on the bottom half of the eggs. 

I have 3 year olds in the weekly Preschool class that I teach, so I used matching tops and bottoms... but if you want to want to make it more difficult for older children, you can mix them up.

Cute, right? You could also use the eggs to help with alphabet recognition by writing an uppercase letter on the top of an egg and a corresponding lower case letter on the bottom of an egg.

This is a fantastic (and fun) way to teach number recognition and counting.

Do you have a little one that would enjoy this game that uses recycled plastic eggs? I love this simple way to teach Preschoolers about numbers!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Allergy-safe and Candy-free Easter Class Treats

Bringing Easter treats to share with classmates is a fun tradition that my boys enjoy partaking in each year. Festive cookies and cupcakes are always a hit with little ones... but because my boys' schools have strict nutrition and allergy policies, they always bring fun "non food" items for their friends. This year we are using pictures to create some adorable Easter treats.

My youngest son found some Easter pens at the dollar store that he wanted to give his friends this year. To make the pens special, we are attaching them to special pictures of my son.

I started by taking a picture of my sweet boy standing in front of a tablecloth that we purchased at the dollar store. Then, I used Picmonkey.com to add an easter picture to the front of his shirt and to add a holiday greeting to the photo.

Then, I got the pictures developed, and I used an X-Acto knife to make a slit above and below my son's fist...

and I slipped a pen into the slots so that it looks like my son is holding the pen.

Cute, right? It was a simple treat to make, and my little guy is super-excited to share these photos with his friends.

My middle son selected some stretchy dollar store bunnies to share with his class. We created smaller tags using his photo and Picmonkey.com, and we attached the tags to the bunnies using clear bags and curling ribbon. I love this little treat too, don't you?

Are you making anything special for your kids to share with their friends and/or classmates? If you are looking for a candy-free Easter treat option, perhaps one of these ideas will work for you.

Happy Easter!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Easter Rice Krispie Treats

Rice Krispie treats are wonderful because they are super-easy to bake, and they are always popular with children. Today, I am sharing a recipe for a festive and fun Easter version of this childhood staple.

To make this delightful Easter treat, I used the recipe on the inside of the Rice Krispie's box:

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
5 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 tsp real vanilla extract
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (I used the colourful "spring" edition.)

Directions:
1) Grease a large rimmed baking sheet. (I used waxed paper and a little bit of butter.)
2) Melt the butter in a large pot over low heat. Add the marshmallows, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the marshmallows are melted and the butter/marshmallows are well blended.
3) Stir in the vanilla, add cereal, and stir until the cereal is well coated.
4) Press the mixture into an even layer in the greased cookie sheet. (I used a sheet of wax paper to make this process a little easier.)
5) Chill in the fridge until set, and then use Easter cookie cutters to create fun-shaped Easter treats.

This is a wonderful treat to bake with kids at Easter. Cutting out treats into fun Easter shapes is the perfect job for children.

Cute, right? And they are delicious too!

Baking with children is a wonderful way to spend time together during the holidays. I hope you and your little ones enjoy these Easter Rice Krispie Treats as much as my kids did!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

DIY Easter Decor... made from dollar store chicks

I love DIY holiday decor, especially when it's made using inexpensive dollar store supplies. On a recent trip to the dollar store, I found 10 adorable little chicks for $2, and I knew I could craft something special with them. Below, you can see how simple it was for me to make DIY Easter decor from dollar store chicks, some scrap ribbon, and sticks my boys picked up in our backyard.

To make this darling craft, you'll need to gather your supplies: chicks from the dollar store, scrap ribbon, tree branches (that have fallen on the ground), and hot glue.

Then, cut a piece of ribbon, tie it to the ends of a branch, and use hot glue to attach the chicks. (I found it easier to put the glue on the branch, and then attach the chicks.)

Cute, right? My $2 package of chicks contained 10 chicks, so I made two versions of this craft. For the first one, I used a thick branch with a pink and green ribbon.

Then, I made a version with a thinner/longer branch and a piece of blue ribbon.

I love both of these dollar store crafts, don't you? Which version is your favourite? 

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find more easy and inexpensive Easter crafts, recipes and ideas here.

5 Simple APRIL FOOL'S DAY Pranks

I'm not big on "pranks", but I do find it fun to do something simple and silly for the kids on April Fool's Day. Today, I am sharing 5 April Fool's Day pranks that are easy for parents and are guaranteed to delight little ones.

Check out these adorable April Fool's Day jokes for kids:

1) Make a pan of "Brown Es" -- Who can resist a pan of fresh-from-the-oven brownies? Set a pan of "brown Es" on the counter covered with tin foil. When the kids try and sneak one, they will get a funny surprise!

2) Set up a "Cereal Surprise" -- Before the kids come to the breakfast table, put a couple of drops of food colouring at the bottom of a bowl. Then, cover the food colouring with cereal. When the milk is poured into the bowl, it will change colour, and the child will get a delightful surprise!

3) Package up some donut seeds -- Who wouldn't want donuts for breakfast? Package up some Cheerios with the fun tag you can download for free here. Maybe you can even convince your little one to plant them. If not, you'll still have a simple and fun April Fool's Day breakfast.

4) Serve a fake grilled cheese sandwich -- Cake for lunch is fun, right? Surprise your kids by making them "sandwiches" using slices of pound cake and icing tinted with red and yellow food colouring. You could also toast the pound cake for a more authentic look. That's it... easy peasy!

5) Set up a googly eye surprise -- Add googly eyes to the food in the fridge using double sided tape. It doesn't take long to set up this prank, and the kids will get a hilarious surprise when they open the fridge.

Do you like to play jokes on your kid's on April 1st? Which of these April Fool's Day pranks will you try this year?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Hockey Team Treats

All three of my boys play hockey, and it is a huge commitment -- in terms of both time and money. However, I am happy to support their endeavours because they are learning a lot of lessons that can only be learned from being part of a team. As our regular hockey season comes to an end, I thought it would be fun to make a few hockey team treats for my 7 year old to pass out to his teammates at his year end party. I designed some adorable printable tags, and you can download them for FREE below.

For my son, I used Picmonkey.com to design custom tags featuring his team logo. I love the personalized tags, but if you aren't comfortable designing them yourself, I made a generic tag that you can just print and use.

Here is the custom tag:

Here is the generic tag:

To download the generic tag: right-click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4X6 photo.

I put packages of gum in cellophane bags and attached the tags with curling ribbon. Cute, right?

Are your kids on any teams? These team treats could easily be customized for any sport or activity. You could even use them for class treats or loot bags by changing the tag to say, "Thanks for being an 'Excel'lent friend."

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

8 Reasons you should go see the new "Beauty and the Beast"

Last weekend, my husband and I took our three boys to see the new, live action version of Beauty and the Beast. We LOVED it! I don't usually do movies reviews on this site, but I enjoyed it so much that I felt compelled to encourage my readers to go and enjoy this lovely movie with their kids. Today, I am sharing 8 reasons you should see Beauty and the Beast this weekend.

The NEW Beauty and the Beast is:

1) Full of back stories and new songs - If you loved the original, you will love this one too!

2) Extremely well cast - All the actors are as wonderful as their animated counterparts. 

3) Visually breathtaking - The sets and special effects are beautiful and magical.

4) Full of wonderful singing - Let's face it, a good musical is always enjoyable.

5) Guaranteed to make you nostalgic - If you saw the original movie as a child, you will love sharing this version with your children.

6) Great for all ages - At it's heart, it's all about the wonderful story... finding true love, good guys vs. bad guys, being different and being OK with it, and looking for beauty within.

7) Funny - In keeping with Disney tradition, there are jokes for all ages... and Josh Gad (as Lefou) is refreshing, hilarious and fun.

8) All about Belle... and Emma Watson was the perfect choice - She's lovely, strong, has a pretty voice... and let's face it... who doesn't love her?!?

Have I convinced you to go see Beauty and the Beast this weekend? If you have already seen it, what did you think? If you haven't already seen it, are you planning on going? I hope you and your kids love it as much as we did.

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

3D Easter Sharpie Art

Making holiday art with kids is a wonderful way to spend time together and to create some wonderful keepsakes. My boys made 3D Easter Sharpie art recently, and I absolutely love the way it turned out. Today, I am sharing a step-by-step tutorial and video that will allow you to make this easy and inexpensive project with your children.

To make Easter Sharpie Art:

1) Cut a 4X6 rectangle from an old cereal box.
2) Draw an Easter egg shape, trace with glue, cover with yarn, and allow to dry.
3) Cut a piece of tin foil slightly larger than the cardboard, cover the dull side with glue from a glue stick, and place over the egg design.
4) Secure the tin foil to the picture with tape (on the back).
5) Smooth out the tin foil (and press into the yarn) with a piece of felt.
6) Decorate with Sharpies, allow to dry, and place the artwork in an inexpensive dollar store frame.

Want to see how we did it? Check out our video: 

Each of my boys made their own Easter art, and I put their creations in dollar store frames. I love our new Easter decor, don't you?

I think this Easter artwork is perfect for children of all ages. If you make this project with your kids, let me know how it turns out. I hope you love this 3D Sharpie art as much as my boys and I do.

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

{Simple} Easter Egg Decorating Ideas

Every year my boys decorate Easter eggs, and it's always a lot of fun. Today, I am sharing 6 simple ways that you can decorate Easter eggs with your own kids.

First, you'll need to get the eggs ready. I like to hard boil Easter eggs by putting them in a large pot and covering them with cold water. Then, I bring the water to a boil, turn off the heat, cover, and let stand for 13 minutes. I remove them from the water and let them cool down in the fridge.

Cool eggs are perfect for decorating, and here are 6 easy and creative ways to decorate Easter eggs:

1) Dye them.
2) Use Sharpies.
3) Use temporary tattoos. (Small ones work best.)

4) Use store-bought wraps.
5) Use stickers.
6) Use glue and glitter.

Decorating Easter eggs is a fun Easter tradition, and it gives kids the opportunity to get creative. Give them a bunch of supplies, and let them use their imaginations. It's amazing to see what they come up with!

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Easter Bunny Paper Bag Treat Bags

Sometimes the wrapping is just as fun as what is inside a package. This is definitely the case with these simple Easter treat bags made from plain, brown paper lunch bags. Kids of all ages will love making (and opening) these adorable brown paper bunny bags!

To make the bags:

1) Start by cutting the bag (per below).
2) Spread out the bag to reveal four ears.
3) Colour the inside of the ears with a pink marker.
4) Cut the two ears off the back of the bag.
5) Fill the bag with goodies, and tie with a ribbon.

Isn't this adorable?

I think this bag is a wonderful way to give Easter goodies to neighbours, classmates, and/or friends. What goodies will you put in these simple Easter treat bags?

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Strong Female Role Models Aren't Just Important for Little Girls

Yesterday was International Women's Day, and my social media feeds were filled with images of moms, daughters, sisters, and girlfriends. I saw a lot of people writing about the importance of teaching their daughters to be strong women, and it got me thinking about the fact that it is equally important for me to teach my sons to honour and respect the women in their lives.

If my boys learn to honour women when they are young, they will grow into respectful men... and it is my job to make sure it happens. Here are a few things I am doing:

1) From an early age, I have always taught my boys that there are NOT "boy things and girl things". My boys craft and bake, and they play sports on co-ed teams.

2) My boys see that my husband respects me, listens to me, values my opinion, and treats me with kindness. His example is teaching them how they should treat the women in their lives (now and in the future).

3) My boys are lucky to have wonderful women role models all around them.

4) My boys see strong women in the entertainment they watch.

I want my boys to see examples of strong women at home, in their community, and in the entertainment they watch. Studies have shown that role models from the entertainment they choose can have a lasting effect. Here are three of my boys' favourite Netflix shows that feature strong female role models:

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Dragons Race to the Edge

Trollhunters

I'm always reading and hearing about children being bombarded with negative images via social media, so I am grateful to Netflix for providing me with positive options for my boys. Who are some of your favourite female role models?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure: I receive special gifts and perks as part of my affiliation with Netflix.... however (as always) the opinions on this blog are 100% my own.