Plan a Fun Party for Kids with a Balloon Car Theme for Boys or Girls

Struggling to find a unique theme for a boy's birthday party at home that is a fun party for kids? Why not have a Balloon Car theme. 

There are tons of things to do with Balloons. Here are a few for your next party planning checklist. Have the best party birthday party ever with these fun ideas for things to do with balloons.

Cute Birthday Party Balloon Clip Art.

Arvind Gupta makes toys from trash on his fabulous website offering many recycle crafts for kid, arvindguptatoys.com  He offers a great how to make a balloon car tutorial printable pdf.

Visit Arvind Gupta Toys for the tutorial.

Michael Floyd of BalloonHQ offers a balloon car tutorial for making a car out of balloons for a kid's birthday party. Not sure Id' have the patience for this one!

Balloon Car from Michael Floyd 
 looks like Barbie might like to take a ride in this one.

My favorite site for balloon art has to be The Balloon Pastor he has balloon pictures of full-size car costumes for kids including a Tow Mater. You'll have to hop over to check them all out. Here's an example of his work, Lightning McQueen balloon car.

Finally, PBS Design Squad has some great balloon science projects which are fun for a kid's party or perfect for a homeschool project. Show your magic trick skills with this unpoppable balloon trick or 2-wheel balloon car tutorial.

Unpoppable Balloon Party Trick from PBS Design Squad.

How to make a 2 Wheel Balloon Car  from PBS Design Squad.

Recommended Reading:

Phineas Costume Mask

More Balloon Clip Art

Jake's Journey in Art Mask Making 101: Phineas Mask and African Art Mask for Mardi Gras

How to make a Phineas Mask for Mardi Gras or Halloween Costume. Tip: It starts with a birthday party hat.

This latest in a series of Jake's Journey homeschool projects teaches the art of Mask Making and formal balance. We included a tutorial to make an African Art Pende Mask and a Phineas mask which is a little more fun for kids. You might also enjoy this Mardi Gras Bird Mask. Enjoy!

How to make a Phineas Mask 
for Mardi Gras, Halloween, or a Birthday Party Hat.

You need a cardboard birthday party hat, a cereal box, egg carton, gift bag, and construction paper. First, draw Phineas' hair (think reindeer antler.) Cut two sections, glue  a red gift bag (as pictured) or construction paper pattern onto the cardboard, let dry, and cut out. Cut a 2" slit in the center of the base of each hair piece, and slide them into each other. Next, cut about 1" off the top of the party hat. 

Draw pattern as pictured on paper folded in half.

It should look like this, cut two.

Take the hair piece and insert it into the hole in the top of the hat. Secure on the inside with tape.  Now, take your birthday party hat and wrap it in pink construction paper and tape with clear tape where it overlaps. Grab a second piece of pink construction paper and holding it in a cone shape, insert it inside the base of the party hat and attach with tape. For this step, it is helpful to have another set of hands. Push the interior cone to the front and attach a hairband inside the hat. Cut out two egg holders from the egg carton, color the center for eyes and attach (hot glues works best) to the front of your hat/mask.  Place the headband on your head as shown in the above picture. Voila!

You might also like to make a Perry the Platypus costume from a cardboard box. 

Make your own Phineas and Ferb Mask 
for a Costume from a birthday party hat.

Masks are a great way to teach the art of formal balance when both sides are exactly alike. Mask can look like animals, humans, or your favorite cartoon hero such as Phineas above. Make these masks to celebrate Mardi Gras.

Many tribes in African countries still use masks as part of their special occasions, or ceremonies.  Examples of Tribal African Mask  Jake chose the Pende Mask, "Panya Ngombe," which was hung above the door of the Chief's dwelling. It is a combination of human and buffalo features with incised triangular grids creating a checkerboard effect. 

Since, Jake seemed to enjoy this project, and the focus was on balance, I didn't split hairs when it came to neatness and creativity (always choose your battles).  Read more about Jake's Journey as a reluctant artist.  Anything to do with mythology, tribes, dinosaurs, he's all over it and loves to learn as much as possible, even if it means doing art!

Pende Mask.

Right click to print the Pende Mask Pattern Printable 
(Fold your paper in half).

Mayhem's "Cat/Person" African Mask.

Recommended Reading:

Timothy Hubble and the King Cake Party

How to make Mardi Gras Masks

Mardi Gras is Shrove Tuesday

Creative and Sensory Play Blog Hop = Fun Activities for Kids

I'm co-hosting a new blog hop for those who love to PLAY!  Nikki who works with children with autism and adhd is a Neurofeedback Specialist over at Spectrum Psychological invites anyone who has a great idea for play-based learning to link up in this fun, new blog hop. When we pool talents, we can't help but find fantastic, fun activities for kids of all kinds. Play is the best medicine for children with sensory disorders and issues. So, grab the code, add your link, and hop around the wonderful, play based blogs.

Grab the code.

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.spectrumpsychological.net/1/post/2013/01/play-to-learn-blog-hop.html" title="Play to Learn Blog Hop"><img src="http://www.spectrumpsychological.net/uploads/1/4/9/5/1495826/3711599.jpg?1358187461" alt="Play to Learn Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Blog Hop Rules

Feel free to link up to 3 posts related to play-based learning.  Please leave comments on 2 to 3 other linked posts and only link posts you have written yourself, no other link ups or blog hops.  It'd be awesome if you could add our blog hop badge to your site, either on your sidebar or in a post.  Thanks for playing!

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What She's Wearing: Valentine's Craft for Kids_Make a Doll Purse by Upcycling Gift Bags

How to make a purse from a gift bag for dolls or girls it makes a cute classroom valentine tote too.

She's wearing red for Valentine's Day, and so is her Teddy Bear with its upcycled gift bag purse craft. Ready to recycle? Grab a gift bag, (we like the shiny ones) and make a clutch hand bag for your favorite Valentine. It's easy and it doubles for a classroom valentine goody bag. Enjoy!

This purse or gift envelope was cut from the bottom of a large, gift bag.

Five Fab Classroom Valentine Crafts

Cut the bottom of a large bag to recycle the existing lines as a pattern or use an easy cheat and make your own pattern with a gift card envelope, separate it where it's been glued, lay it out flat, and trace it onto your gift bag. PDF pattern here tomorrow.  Fold the paper on the lines where the envelope had been glued folding a 1" section at the bottom of the envelope to serve as a base for your doll's clutch bag and also on each side.

Poke holes in the sides and insert ribbon for the purse strap. Tie a knot inside the purse at each hole. Get crafty and add a sticky gem or gems from the dollar store. Any American Girl Doll would kill for this purse, now if we could just find her some ruby slippers to match. Yep, I'm a matchy poo-poo.

Mayhem prefers high-top sneakers to ruby red slippers 
and teddy bears to "girly" dolls.

Recommended Reading:


Happy Valentine's Day, Mouse! (If You Give...)*


Valentine Recipe for Kids










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! :)

Kitchen Kids: Tips for Donut Frosting and Recipe for Icing, Frosted Donuts and How to Make Maple Glaze

Easy tip for donut frosting and easy recipes for icing frosted donuts

You don't need an expensive icing tube or even a fancy bag; here's an easy tip for donut frosting and easy recipes for icing frosted donuts and a maple glaze recipe. Enjoy!

Plastic Icing Bags with clothespins to keep 
the icing in place (works for toothpaste too).

You can purchase plastic cone/tube bags to use with recipes for icing or you can use plastic Ziploc baggies and cut a tiny hole (about 1'4") on one bottom corner then, roll it up as shown above. With this technique, you can use the tubes as a pen and write names with frosting. Use a larger opening to make and pipe ribbons and roses.

Make maple glaze recipe.

For the glaze:  1 C. Confectioner's Sugar, 2 Tbs. Hot Water, 1/4 C. Maple Syrup

How to make donut glaze: 

Blend confectioner's sugar, hot water, and maple syrup in a small bowl, drizzle over donuts.

For the frosting:  2 C. confectioners sugar sifted, 1/2 C. unsalted butter, 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, 2 tbs. milk, food coloring (if desired).

How to make frosting: 

In a bowl with a hand mixer (electric mixer on low), beat the butter until well blended and smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the sugar. Add  milk and beat together. On high speed, beat frosting until fluffy (about 5 minutes).Now is the time to add a few drops of food coloring if desired. Keep in airtight container so confectioner's frosting doesn't dry out.  



Recommended:

The Donut Chef (A Golden Classic)*

Cinnamon Doughnuts

Pin it! Online Scavenger Hunt January 14, 2013 Preschool Activities and Homeschool Ideas

Are you looking for Preschool Activities or Homeschool Ideas? Then you need to follow Pin it! Online Scavenger Hunt on Pinterest! Each week, hundreds of Homeschool providers and Preschool/Daycare teachers scavenge the Internet for the best ideas for preschool, pre k, and early elementary curriculum ideas and pin to our group board with 3500 + followers. You can pin or just follow the great ideas!

This week's winner is a new collaborative pinner, Jessica Grove she pinned a plant collage animal for the key word, 'things to do with house plants' in honor of National House Plant Day January 10.

Animal Plant Collage from Animalarium.blogspot.com

This week's keyword search terms are:  Things to do handwriting (Nat'l Handwriting Day 1/23), Winter Animal Crafts (Animal Blessing 1/17 Day), Eskimos (Eskimo Pie Day), Hug Crafts/Lessons (Nat'. Hugging Day 1/21), Football Curriculum/Crafts. 10 pin limit (1 per topic) ~ NO AD LINKS. Pins must lead to blog or PAGE of source. 

Still have questions? Join the Facebook Forum to chat with others and discuss rules and guidelines.


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Creative Country Sayings: Inspirational Quotes: Enjoy the Little things in Life

Never Forget to Enjoy the Little Things Quote

Ahh, life full of great ideas for creative country sayings and inspirational quotes. Remember climbing trees? What? You've never climbed a tree? You should go do that before it is too late! Enjoy the little things in life!

Enjoy the little things in life, they're really the big things. 
Go climb a tree today!

Recommended Reading:

Would You Teach a Fish to Climb a Tree?*

The Tree Climber's Companion*
















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! :)

Preschool Sensory Play Activities: How it all got started!

Sensory Messy Play and Preschool Activities

We've had many great years teaching messy play and preschool classes for The Play Connection and hope the future will send even more blessings our way. Here are our top sensory and messy play preschool activities from 2013. What a blast from the past!

This post contains affiliate links.

Here is a listing of our top posts of 2013. Many offer great ideas for fun, preschool activities, clip art, and lots of fun for kids! Enjoy!

1. Christmas Eye Candy: Photos of Christmas Trees in Snow Clipart
2. Angie's Homemade Artisan Bread Recipe
3. New Year Preschool Party Ideas and Activities for Kids
4. Lots of Snowmen and Marshmallows Christmas Crafts and Activities for Kids
5. Fun for Kids with Phineas and Ferb Printables
6. Lots of photos of Bread Clipart
7. Cute Valentine Clipart and Free Printables for Kids Classroom Valentines
8. 9 New Year Activities for Kids with games for kids too
9. Marshmallows: Fun for kids SENSORY game great for preschoolers
10. The Tooth Fairy Sagas: Free Toothfairy clipart and true Mommy Drama
11. Activities for Kids: Make your own snow for Sensory play fun for kids
12. Birthday Party games for Kids and Moms on a budget
13. Our new Series Made the cut! Creative Country Sayings and Inspirational Quotes

Memories from 2008 - 2012.

Here's my favorite Homeschool Lesson from 2013.

Primary and Complementary Color Homeschool Art and Science Lesson.

Jake's Journey in Homeschool Art Lessons and Projects for Kids

(Pre K to Elementary)

There are many Homeschool Lessons in this series, so make sure you click the labels under each post. (Still Life, Water Coloring for Kids, Weaving, Self-Portrait activities, Building Models for Science, Christmas Gingerbread House how to diy, Color Theory Lessons, Primary Colors, and even some History  along the way - it's art to me how we've designed our lives throughout the years. I hope you will follow along on the journey.)

We published a Kitchen Kids Cookbook with mix and make recipes for kids. We helped fund raise for Santa's Elves of Indy, we started Homeschooling through INCA (Indiana Connections Academy,) and we moved to a house in the country. 

2013 holds many dreams as we look forward to gardening, raising chickens, goats, and hopefully bunnies and alpacas, get that YA novel published, and share a few of the many stage plays and skits for kids I've written over the years. Bring it! I am excited to get started :-) 

What does your future hold? Leave a comment and let us know.

Follow us on Pinterest (Kids Creative Chaos and Pin it! Online Scavenger Hunt for Pre school Curriculum) and Google +  Can't find us on Twitter? Check the right sidebar for a link we're @playconnection. 


Recommended Reading:

Fun with Messy Play: Ideas and Activities for Children with Special Needs

Play Out: How to develop your outside space for learning and play

I've got another giveaway for Indiana! Who wants to go to Disney on Ice?

You know you want to go to see Disney on Ice, Worlds of Fantasy with Cars, Toy Story, Tinkerbell, and the Little Mermaid. Giveaway! Giveaway! Giveaway!

 

Disney on Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy! 

All you have to do is comment below for one entry. We'll have tickets waiting for you. Join Tow Mater, Woody and more for a fun evening on the ice Wednesday, January 23, 2013. For additional entries subscribe to our Newsletter + 10 or Like Kids Creative Chaos on Facebook + 10. You must respond to email within 24 hours or forfeit prize. Rafflecopter will choose the winner. You don't have to win to attend! Use the code below for discount tickets.

Disney on Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy!  

January 23-27, 2013  

at Bankers Life Fieldhouse 

Discount Code for Disney on Ice 

Code:  SAVE4

$4 off all performances (excluding opening night)

Valid on $24 tickets, Valid NOW - Jan. 22, 2013

Limit of 6 tickets - Available on-line only

Phineas and Ferb Activity Pack Printable

Tow Mater Coloring Page Printable

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Feld Entertainment has generously donated the giveaway tickets.

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Pin it! Online Scavenger Hunt for Preschool Curriculum ~ Week # 1 ~ 2013 Winner

It's a new year! What a great time to start following all the fun over on Pinterest. Each week, we host a scavenger hunt for the best preschool ideas on the web. There are 5 keywords to search and pin. You can follow for great ideas or join the fun and we'll add you as a collaborative pinner. As a pinner you get a chance to win crafty, kid-related prizes each week!

Creative Country Sayings and Inspirational Quotes: Home is where your story begins

Country Sayings are the Best Sayings Like this Home Quote

Everyone needs a pick me up we've got lots of creative country sayings and inspirational quotes. Click the searchables at the bottom of this post for more inspiration and southern sayings.

Inspirational Quotes ~ Creative Country Sayings.

Recommended Reading:

Quotes for Kids

Butter My Butt and Call Me a Biscuit: And Other Country Sayings, Say-So's, Hoots and Hollers

Winter craft ideas for Kids: How to Make Snow for Pretend Sensory Play in Ice Age and Christmas Village

Make Fake Snow with Wax Paper

This winter craft idea for kids focuses on how to make snow for your Ice Age Dinosaurs. In this DIY, you'll use wax paper. Enjoy!

Ice Age creative play with Dinosaurs, Diego, and
wax paper snow activity for kids.

We've shared many sensory activities for kids, but this winter one is the cat's meow! So, I've been saving a a bag of snow since my Grandmother passed away.  I inherited it with a few pieces of her snow village.  A few years ago, I used store bought snow for my village, as I wasn't ready to use hers or risk losing it around the cats and little ones. This year, I pulled it out and dumped it around my village.  It was as remarkable as I remembered. Enjoy!

 Winter Preschool Activity

And then, it wasn't... 

The cat kept climbing in it spreading it all over the floor. During the holidays, I brushed it under the table to clean up later. Later came, I began carefully picking up the pieces preparing to place them in a baggie for next year, when somehow the glistening bits of fake snow appeared more familiar than I'd ever known. This wasn't fake snow at all.  It was tiny pieces of shredded wax paper!  I made a collage with snowy scenes around my house so you can see how natural it looks.

Make Fake Snow out of Wax Paper.

Ice Age Dinosaurs, Sensory Snow Play.

Grandma's fake wax paper snow village versus real snow
covered pine trees in the landscape.

Sneaky Grandma, surprising me from the grave. I hadn't realized she was so creative. One year, on my parents twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, she volunteered to get SILVER vases for the table centerpieces.  She brought them just before the guests arrived, and I was astonished to see plastic glasses of some sort wrapped in aluminium foil. Not her crafty-ist moment. It felt a little tacky for what I had planned, but certainly creative. 

And now, the snow.

What an easy project for your snow globes, snowman in a jar, I -spy Christmas ornaments, or just for an ordinary day of creative play with plastic animals or Legos.  We decided to play Ice Age with ours.  I'll save Grandmas, just thinking how she took the time to craft it makes me smile.

So, grab your wax paper.  Do not cut it. Tear it into tiny shreds and store in a Ziploc bag for your kiddos. So easy, so fun and perfect for SENSORY PLAY!  Thanks, Grandma!

What will you pretend?


Recommended Reading:

National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Dinosaurs (National Geographic Little Kids First Big Books)*

Dinosaurs! by Gail Gibbons*

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! :)