it was a crafty kind of day

everyday most days I allow for a free choice session in our homeschool day.  this could be writing to our pen pal, arts & crafts, baking, or science experiments.  I do hope to take pictures and post on this stuff more regularly.


now when I say free choice I don't actually say it out loud, because if I did, Sam would think he has the choice.  in actuality, its my choice.  ok, well, sometimes Sam does get to choose, but only if I choose to let him choose.  if I don't care what we get into, then its his choice.   * hahahaha *  that's just how I do it and it goes much smoother that way!


we hadn't done arts & crafts for awhile.  when we do this, I try to start before Elliott's naptime so he can participate too.  this is why I get to choose.  having Elliott participate is a great learning experience for him, but some days, I'm simply not up for the challenge if you know what I'm sayin' ... and I think you do.


I have been using Abeka's 1st grade curriculum, and so far, I like it.  I wanted to have something that made the schedule for me.  I am better at cutting what needs to be cut & adding what I feel like we ought to add when there is an existing system.  I did my research and was able to get 3/4 of our stuff off of ebay.  in doing that I got a few extras, one being an arts & crafts book.


the project for January was better than most of the others, so I thought I'd share it with you.  your welcome :)


they suggest to make pictures out of toothpicks.  assemble your toothpicks on construction paper (a darker color will get the toothpicks to stand out a bit more), and you can make anything ... things with straight edges are easier of course.  a few ideas they gave - house, tree, toy, car, building, letters, numbers ... on and on you could go.  after you get a layout, glue them on.


there are toothpicks that have a flat edge, which makes this process easier.  I have also seen colored toothpicks ... such a thing as colored AND flat edged??  a crafter can only hope.


and of course when I decided to do this one, I discovered I didn't have any toothpicks whatsoever.  that happens to me a lot.  but I did have spaghetti!  and that worked just as well.  in fact, maybe a bit better for a couple of reasons.
1. you can break them to create various sizes
2. Elliott can eat them!  if it were toothpicks, I'm sure he'd try to eat those too ... so maybe this is more for my peace of mind than anything

and here is Sam's masterpiece.  excuse his psycho look, I think I just snapped the picture at the wrong milisecond :)  but he was awfully happy to do crafts today.  I guess its been awhile since we got into it.


he made a house and then got his name in there at the top.  he loved it.
2 thumbs up from us!