Pineapple Valentine Day Craft Idea for Kids Classroom Box

Make this Easy, Valentine Day Classroom Craft Idea for Kids from a 2-Liter Plastic Bottle: Recycle!

For this, classroom Valentine Box, we transformed a 2-Liter plastic bottle. Use this Pineapple Under the Sea for a Spongebob Theme Party or Valentine's Day classroom craft. Enjoy!

2- Liter Plastic Bottle Pineapple Classroom Valentine.

 Valentine Day Craft Idea for Kids Classroom.

The requirements for his classroom Valentine mailbox called for a shoebox.  Mommy's idea of using a 2-Liter bottle was extremely unsettling for Jake, but he thought the end result was A-W-E-S-O-M-E!

Looking for Pineapple Recipes or Clipart?

Sure, there was a little crying and a lot of pouting as he made his point. Apparently, the teacher's flyer had made it clear the project was to be no smaller than a shoebox.  And, "Mommy a shoebox is the perfect size; you just cut a slot in the top and glue on some hearts!" (Said in deplorable frustration.)  

Got a stickler for the rules? You might like Jake's Journey in Art.

Mommy did not have a shoebox to spare nor the extra cash to buy a new pair of shoes just for the coveted box. The cereal box, briefcase-looking mailboxes on Pinterest were tantalizing, but I wanted something different.

"Why can't we cut a slot out of a bottle and glue hearts on it or make it a rocket or something?" 

Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Do you hear that? It is the sound of Jake jumping up and down on the kitchen floor in desperate refusal. "We'll talk about it later, Jake." And with that, we were off to purchase Classroom Valentines.

One box of Spongebob exchange cards later, and Jake decided said detested bottle would make an awesome Pineapple. Genius.

How to Make a Pineapple Valentine Box

We cut a slit in the middle of the bottle to represent a window, cut wavy, one-inch strips from brown paper lunch sacks, and covered it with glitter. Then, Jake took a toilet tube, cut green leaves from construction paper, glued them to the tube, and stuck it on top of the bottle. Foamy stickers spell his name just above the window and a construction paper heart glued to the end of a straw decorates Spongebob's house for the Valentine holiday.



Recommended Reading:

Easy Classy Valentine 

SpongeBob's Secret Valentine *

Pig Valentine Idea










ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Eric Carle Surrealist Lesson Activities: The Nonsense Show Book Review

Surrealism in Children's Literature: Art Lesson Activities

Eric Carle has written and illustrated another book! The Nonsense Show is written to introduce children to Surrealism. Completely nonsensical, the beautiful illustrations will capture the heart of preschoolers while the concept will boggle the minds of everyone else. We've included a book review and Surrealist Activities for your Art Lesson planning, as well as, educational games and online lessons for homeschoolers. Enjoy!

Surrealism in Children's Literature: Art Lesson Activities.

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.* 

We were given a copy of "The Nonsense Show" for review.

Eric Carle Surrealist Activities: The Nonsense Show Book Review:
Surrealist Art Lesson

Art develops critical thinking. Many beloved children's book authors have tinkered with the idea of surrealism and Crazy Surrealism Art- Think, Roald Dahl, Dr. Seuss, Maurice Sendak, Lewis Caroll, and L. Frank Baum. So, it is no surprise that Eric Carle has joined the list. Always an artist first, the illustrations in The Nonsense Show don't disappoint. 

So, let's get started on our online lesson in Surrealism. Mati and Dada is a fun art cartoon for elementary kids. In this episode, they talk about the surrealist painter, Magritte.

The most famous Surrealist, Salvador Dali, is best known for his melting clock painting. Learn about Dali and Surrealism in the video below. The Dali video introduces a fun, group drawing game called, Exquisite Corps. Be sure to watch the full video for instructions on how to play the Art game with friends.

Art History Component. This free online Art History Game focuses on Surrealism. Recommended for (4-12th grade). It is for older children because a lot of reading comprehension is required. At first, it looks complicated, but it is essentially just a drag and drop into the timeline game. So, give it a try!

For BrainPop subscribers: Watch this movie on Surrealism.

After you review the book, The Nonsense Show, create your own nonsensical art. Below, are some fun ideas to try.

• This is an easy Surrealist art project for kids. Grab some paint or make your own water colors, make some splats with your brush, let them dry, and then study your art. What do you see? It is like looking for cloud creatures. Grab markers or colored pencils and create something surreal.

Easy Surrealist Art project for kids from Le Dada de L'enfant Terrible blog.

• Paint like Eric Carle with easy Art Techniques.

• Language Arts Component. To get into the mindset for creating surrealist art, sit down and free write. Start writing whatever pops into your head. Don't edit, don't try to make it go somewhere- just write!

• The Art Room Plant shares this fun drawing activity. It is similar to the game in the Dali video above.

Fun Surrealist drawing activity for kids from The Art Room Plant.

Recommended:

Dada and Surrealism Art for Kids

Jake's Journey in Art: Water Color Lesson

Get The Nonsense Show by Eric Carle

Child Development Psychology: Sensory Play Aids in the Learning Process

Early Childhood Development: Learn with Sensory Play

The psychology behind a child's ability to focus academically or follow rules can be positively influenced by the environment. Parents and caregivers can help children with sensory processing disorders or developmental issues ease into everyday activities with simple games and activities.

Lego Thomas Memories From: A Day Out with Thomas the Tank Engine Train

Thomas the Tank Engine Built from Legos

Thomas the Train in real life! Nothing is more exciting for a Preschool Boy (or girl). The Giant LEGO Thomas the Tank Engine was too cool at the Day Out with Thomas in Connersville.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Blast from the Past ~ 2007

Lego Thomas Memories From: A Day Out with Thomas the Tank Engine Train.

Giant Lego Thomas the Train.

The real life Thomas the Train, Tank Engine.

So happy to meet Thomas and take a ride.

So tired after a fun filled, long, hot day.

Ticket Info for Thomas near you

Recommended Reading:

Jake's Journey in Art Folk Art Paper Craft

Ideas for a Race Car Theme Birthday Party

LEGO Play Book: Ideas to Bring Your Bricks to Life

Book for Tween Boy: The Last Kids on Earth

Looking for Books for Tweens Who Don't Like to Read

Struggling to find a book your teen (or you) will like to read? "The Last Kids on Earth" by Max Brailler fits the bill. This is the ideal book for tween boys and girls. All we had to do was read the book blurb and our kids were clamoring to be the first one to read it! Want your own copy? Scroll down to find out how. Enjoy!

Book for Tween Boy: The Last Kids on Earth .

The Last Kids on Earth is a chapter book with lots of awesome
illustrations by Douglas Holgate. The illustrations are a great way to convince your reluctant reader to try it. The book is great as a group read for younger kids and a perfect tween read for kids 10-13 years old.

What's it about? Yeah, the title says it all.

Ever since the monster apocalypse hit town, average thirteen year old Jack Sullivan has been living in his tree house, which he's armed to the teeth with catapults and a moat, not to mention video games and an endless supply of Oreos and Mountain Dew scavenged from abandoned stores. But Jack alone is no match for the hoards of Zombies and Winged Wretches and Vine Thingies, and especially not for the eerily intelligent monster known only as Blarg. So Jack builds a team: his dorky best friend, Quint; the reformed middle school bully, Dirk; Jack's loyal pet monster, Rover; and Jack's crush, June. With their help, Jack is going to slay Blarg, achieve the ultimate Feat of Apocalyptic Success, and be average no longer! Can he do it? 

Want more? Here's a FREE PRINTABLE COMIC DOWNLOAD.

The Last Kids on Earth Book Review

Here's what Jake has to say about it:

• " I loved this book!" "If they don't make a sequel or a bunch of sequels they are crazy! I can't wait to read more."

Good news Jake; the sequel is coming in 2016!

• "I didn't like the idea of having a gigantic monster as the main enemy, but I did like teaming up with your enemies, the apocaplyptic scene, and having to survive as long as you can in a mutated world."

• "If I were writing a book like this, I would probably remove the gigantic monsters. Perhaps, add slightly more danger in it- make them basically nomads. I want more characters!"

• "To survive in a post apocalytpic world, I would gather up all useful supplies in the house and then be a nomad and collect things as I go along."

Want your own copy? Leave a comment below, and you are automatically entered to win. We'll choose a random winner on Oct. 31, 2015. Good luck!

Recommended:


Jake's Journey in Art

The Last Kids on Earth*


*This book was given to us for review, but it is not a sponsored post. All words and opinions are our own.


ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products. *We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Chitika, Google Adsense, and Social Spark ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Cool Things to do with Chicken Nuggets: Make Kid Friendly Appetizers

Kid Friendly Chicken Nugget Appetizers

School is back in session, and after all that hard work, hungry kids need something fun to eat. Our kid friendly chicken nugget appetizers are one of many cool things to do with chicken nuggets! Best of all, when you buy Tyson® Chicken Nuggets, you can help your school! Scroll down to learn more about Tyson Project A+™. Enjoy!

Cool Things to do with Chicken Nuggets: Make Kid Friendly Appetizers.

Tyson® Chicken Nuggets are made with 100% natural ingredients, all-white meat, and they are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Whether you make our kid-friendly appetizers for a party or as an after-school snack, your kids will get a kick out eating nuggets in a surprising, new way. Since they are breaded, you don't need to add more carbs to make mini chicken sandwich sliders- just use the nuggets as the sandwich breading!

We added a pickle and some ketchup to our chicken nugget appetizers,
and they were a huge hit!

To help your school, start collecting Tyson Project A+™ labels from specially marked  packages. Visit Walmart.com/ProjectA+ to nominate your school. Share a compelling story that includes why you are nominating your school through Tyson Project A+™. The school with the most nominations will receive a packet of labels worth $1,000 to help their school get a head start on collecting Tyson Project A+™ labels!

 

 Share on social media using: #WMTProjectAPlus

Though we currently homeschool, we nominated our old school, Robey Elementary. Robey is a fantastic school that nurtures children and offers many opportunities for gifted students.



Even though we were moving from the district, my son was still offered the opportunity to attend the gifted program.

As a preschooler attending their preschool program, they quickly recognized his strengths and often allowed him to work and play at his own pace. In kindergarten, once again his abilities were nurtured. Then, in first and second grade, he was able to study his special interests in more depth. This kept him interested in school, as he was beginning to hate it due to boredom.

"I already know that." And, he did... We're so thankful the school was paying attention.


Recommended:

Easy Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe

Jake's Journey in Art: Mask Making 101

Easy Mini Cheeseburger Sliders Recipe

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Tyson. The opinions and text are all mine.

ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Homeschool Resources: Varun's Quest Review

Great Resource for Homeschoolers

Homeschooling help for parents: Looking for a great resource for homeschoolers? Our website offers many educational resources for homeschoolers. Below is a review of Varun's Quest a wonderful book for homeschoolers of any age. Keep scrolling because we've also added links to our favorite homeschool resources. Enjoy!

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I get a small commission.

Jake's Journey in Art includes Language Arts.
Here he reads the beautifully illustrated Varun's Quest by Timothy Goldsmith.

Science Books for Homeschoolers

• We were given the opportunity to review Varun's Quest, which is a wonderful science book for homeschoolers. Varun's Quest is a fictional tale depicting non-fiction science. The story is fun to read aloud as a family or in a group setting with the ideal audience being 2nd - 5th grade. Older children will enjoy reading the story themselves and then sharing the details with "the class."  The author of this creative tale, is Yale Biology Professor, Timothy Goldsmith. Get your copy here: Buy Varun's Quest.

An elf leads children through the story quest while he shares all about the science around us. It starts with an informative science lesson on bees. Jake, enjoys the way the stories unfold and likes that the stories are based on reality. Whenever he isn't sure about something, he Googles to find out more, so these stories have evolved into a full blown science curriculum. He'll write questions in his daily science journal and then look them up later on Google. What a great way to teach science to your homeschooler! For a fun activity, pair this book with Bee Movie.

We used the book as a catalyst for making scientific posters, doing science experiments, and of course, to practice creative writing.

• Our all time FAVORITE Science Books for Homeschoolers are the Life of Fred Science books. These books are great for kids of any age. Parents will enjoy them too. Anyone reading Life of Fred will learn something new!

• Gail Gibbons Encyclopedia Series are a wealth of information for anyone who enjoys reading. All of her books are beautiful illustrated. They cover science, history, and art. While these books may be at a higher reading level for early elementary students, younger children will enjoy looking at the pictures while listening to the stories.

• More Science Stories for Kids.

Homeschool Resources

• Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers is a homeschool blog full of homeschool advice and curriculum.

• More Homeschooling Helps and Curriculum from Kids Creative Chaos.

• TeacherSherpa is a website that offers free printable worksheets in every subject.

• Make Corn Muffins as a Science Project with your Homeschooler

• College Level Entrance Exams for Homeschoolers

• Teachers Pay Teachers is full of teacher created materials for teachers and homeschoolers.

• MobyMax is an online educational app for homeschooling with curriculum that adapts to your child's learning to find and fix gaps.

• Acellus Power Homeschool can be used as an app or as full school with access to teachers.  Check out Acellus Curriculum for Homeschool Students. We currently use the middle school courses. There are lots of classes to choose from including music and art!

• Science and Health Curriculum and Resources for Homeschoolers

• Fair Trade Science Lesson for Homeschool

• Dr. Seuss Resources for Homeschoolers

• Open Letter to Future Homeschoolers

• Homeschool Curriculum Resources and Supplies

• Lewis and Clark online Homeschool History Lesson

• For more homeschool resources follow us on Pinterest!

.

Recommended Reading:

Cave Science Project Model

The Complete Book of Maps and Geography, Grades 3 - 6

The Everything Homeschooling Book: All you need to create the best curriculum and learning environment for your child

KCC Kids Make Native American Art and Crafts in honor of the Wampanoag Indians contribution to Thanksgiving

Studying Native American Art and Crafts? 

Get crafty with Alex Toys and celebrate the Wampanoag Indians.  Without them, we'd have nothing to celebrate. Here are companion activities for your lessons on Native American History.

Native American Footprint Headband Craft

Mayhem wanted to go outside and collect stones and leaves in her pouch like a real  hunter-gather. "Indian Dress" paper grocery bag tutorial.

What a fun word, Wampanoag. Here is a site with fun facts about the Wampanoag. We learned some Wampanoags are from Natick, Massachusetts where the Daddy was born.


Wampanoags today  See the real Mayflower here. See our version here.  Daddy is not Native American, but Mommy is related to Pocahontas about five different ways- her Indians are known as the Powhatan or Virginia Algonquian. One day, we'll write a post about this relationship.

Tie Dye Fashion Groovy Tote Kit from Alex Toys ~ Fun way to learn about dyeing clothing.

Alex Toys has great products for your Thanksgiving celebration or to help teach Native American ways and honor their contribution to our country in the classroom.

I wanted to teach dyeing with the Tie Dye Fashion Groovy Kit and teach weaving with their Native American Loom, but the projects seemed a bit daunting for a six year old, eight year old, and an OCD Mom. So, I kept  putting it off. 

We'll do that post next week. We can do it tomorrow. It just has to be done by Thanksgiving...

The Tie Dye kit by Alex Toys is awesome, super easy, and nearly mess free ~ we did most of it in a tub in the kitchen sink.

Soaking items to dye before tying off with rubber bands and twist ties.

Knotting off patterns with bands included in the kit and recycled bread bag twist ties.

Projects ready to dye. The included, Groovy Tote and some of our old, stained t-shirts.

I've done some tie-dyeing in the past, but this was so much easier. Although, the kit was for one tote bag we had enough dye to dye several things. I wish we had prepped more items. We decided to use some of the dye to make super messy, water color paintings in the sink.

Leave lots of white space for better contrast and to keep colors from bleeding together.

This is our only mess! How great is that?

Squirting dye on paper and blending with plastic spoon.

Secure your items in plastic bags for 24 hours.

Patience is a virtue. Enclose in plastic bags for 24 hours to set the dye, remove bands, lay flat to dry for another 24 hours, and then wash and dry.

The bag was included in the kit and we did three shirts and several paintings.
All bottles are still half full! This would be great for a birthday party or classroom. 

Tie Dye Paper Art  ~ Less Squeeze is Best

Tie Dye Paper Art ~ Learning Phase

The loom? Oh my the loom, it was far too daunting for this post. See our weaving experiences in Jake's Journey in Art ~  Home-school Weaving. 

Native American Fruit - Persimmons

Weaving is tedious work that takes time. Imagine if you were a Native American making clothing to keep warm.

Popsicle Stick Indian Craft for Preschoolers

Next month, celebrate the spirit of giving with Santa's Elves of Indy as we collect, wrap, and donate gifts for those needing a little extra help this Christmas season.

AlexToys.com donated these toys for our unbiased review.
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