Activities to do With Older Kids: DIY Appliqued Duvet Cover

by Jordan Over the Easter weekend, my husband Brian and I took on a giant project: an appliqued duvet cover. It sounds easy, but it turned out to be four days of ironing, cutting, ironing, cutting, and ironing…when we finished it, though, I realized it was also an awesome project for a kid’s room. So, if you have a crafting buddy, a ton of patience, and don’t mind ironing a lot, you may want to try this project out for your child. Just a note that this project is better left to the adults; surprise your little one with the end result. I picture this working particularly well for those parents out there whose kids are fanatical about a particular theme that is hard to find or overpriced to purchase.

Here’s how you can do this for yourself:

YOU WILL NEED:

• a duvet cover. We got ours for $14.00 with pillowcases, at IKEA. Cotton is probably best.
• scraps of fabric: felt, cottons, flannel
• buttons as accents
• Fabric glue: I love Aleene’s, if you can find it.
• iron-on adhesive interfacing
• scissors and sewing basics
• parchment paper or cardstock
• large surface to work on
• a co-pilot. This is a two-person job.

WHAT TO DO:

1. Prep your duvet cover by washing and drying it. Don’t use any fabric softener: it will interfere with your adhesives. When it’s dry, iron it out.

2. Choose a design (we got some ideas off the internet), and choose your fabric accordingly.

3. Start drawing out your designs onto the fabric and cutting. Practice placing the pieces out.

Keep cutting.

And cutting.

And placing.

4. Iron all your pieces perfectly. I recommend throwing on a TV show.

5. Lay out your big sheet of interfacing. We got a bulk roll at Fabricland for 16.00. Place your pieces on it. We were careful to squish everything close together, yet we still ran out of interfacing. (This is when the fabric glue steps in.)

6. Iron the interfacing onto the fabric. We couldn’t flip the sheets over without displacing all our placement of the fabric pieces, so we lay file folders (ie cardstock) over the top of everything and just ironed a little longer than directed. Worked great.

7. Cut out all those fabric shapes again. Yyyyyyyep, it’s as much fun as it sounds.

8. Lay out all your pieces on your duvet cover, likely on the floor unless you have the biggest table ever. Follow the directions for ironing your pieces down. Because we had extra leaves, and the branches of the tree didn’t fit onto the interfacing sheets, we used fabric glue for some pieces. In retrospect, I might have used it on everything if I could have guaranteed that I wouldn’t get any ‘wet’ looking spots. The interfacing is stiff and has a ‘crinkly’ quality that is unfortunate, but I think it’ll soften over time.

9. Finishing touches: Brian sewed the owl’s button eyes into place. We’ll have to re-iron a few spots on the tree trunk where the interfacing didn’t quite meld with the duvet cover. But other than that, it’s pretty freakin’ spectacular!

This project took at least 8 hours spread out over 3 days. There were points where we were snapping at each other, where we fought over who lost the scissors, and where my hands were literally coated in fabric glue. We also went over our intended budget: I thought I’d have enough fabric at home to make all the leaves, but it turns out I didn’t have things on theme. Between the plain duvet cover set ($14), the fabric ($40 with lots left over) and the interfacing ($16), we spent $70 on this project. While I recognize that’s not much for a duvet cover, it’s a lot for a craft project that had a high chance of failing.

But, hurray, it didn’t fail. And now we have a personalized, on-theme bedding set that we absolutely adore. Because it’s surprisingly hard to find owl-and-mushroom themed bedding for grown-up beds. Perhaps you have an ‘old soul’ child, one that would prefer Paris-themed covers, or calculus-themed covers? Really, this project can be anything you want it to be. Just remember, if you make this with your spouse/partner, I can’t guarantee you’ll both emerge alive…or at least not with all your digits in tact.

*****

Jordan is one-half of the team that makes up Project: Priceless. Together, she and her husband, Brian, write The NEST. They are newlyweds living in Hintonburg/Wellington West--the artsy, hands-on, ultra-urban centre of Ottawa. They have no plans for kids, but do have a dog and plan to get another one when the time comes. In the meantime, they're blogging their married adventures together and have a particular fondness for DIY projects.

Walk and talk like an animal

by Mike Even as an adult, the idea of a giant sized rabbit that hops all over the world dropping eggs from its butt, intimidates me.

But, also as an adult, I realize there’s a responsibility I have to my kids to keep the secret of the Easter Bunny alive. So no matter how scared I thought I might be by the sight of a giant bunny dancing around a bunch of kids throwing eggs at them, we packed up both the kids and made our way to the McMaze Great Easter Egg Hunt in St. Andrew’s.

The drive itself has become, for our family at least, part of the adventure, much as it was when I was a kid. ‘Back in the day’ me and my two brothers would pile in the back of our two-door Toyota Tercel. This in itself may not have been a problem had we been okay with being touched by one another. But since just the thought of a siblings leg touching your leg sent us into disarray, to say we had our battles in that car would be understating it.

Leah and Charlotte are no different, but since they’re secured in their safety seats, and not able to bother one another through touching, they compete with yells. On this occasion Charlotte was the clear winner and Leah settled herself in after a few minutes to enjoy the screaming for the rest of the hour-long drive.

We arrived at noon just as the very well hidden farm opened. Watching the line of cars stream into the grass parking lot gave us hope that this place, although foreign to us, might actually be a worthwhile trip.

At $10 for those of us over two (although we were using a Groupon coupon this time around), we had some big expectations.

Within thirteen steps, we knew it was going to be. Leah started walking like a chicken towards a chicken coop and then began talking to them.

“Hello chicken.”

“Bock, bock,” (is that how chickens sound?)

“You have a red face.”

“Bock, bock.”

Then she started walking like a donkey towards a donkey and started to talking to it.

“Hee haw, hee haw,” she said to the donkey.

Who looked right back at her but said nothing. Then it was to the barn cates, then to the doggies, then to the pigs, and then to a few cuddly rabbits who were, as expected, on prominent display.

“Would you like to pet the rabbit,” a nice girl asked Leah, holding out the white bunny for inspection.

Leah moved in close to give pets but was first met with more instructions.

“Why don’t you put the rocks on the ground before petting her,” she was asked politely but seriously.

And sure enough, in both balled up fists, Leah was carrying rocks, as if to brain the poor creature.

Of course, with the prospect of being able to touch something so soft, Leah dropped them and planted a big kiss on the fluffy bunny’s nose before, of course, talking to it as well.

“I love you bunny.”

Then we were off to the wagon ride that would take us to the Easter Egg Hunt---the real reason we had made the trek out to the woods in the first place. They have two wagons that take 20 or so people back and forth from the Easter Egg Hunt woods. One of them was pulled by a tractor and the other by two horses. We of course picked the horses.

To our great amusement, one of the big male horses was named Charlie, the same name we gave to our tiny female daughter. Ironically, on this day, it was our tiny female Charlie who outpooped the larger male horse Charlie.

At the end of our three minute ride, we were dropped off at a beautiful outdoor space that boasted multiple fire pits, a canteen and importantly the start of the Easter Egg Hunt trail. We awaited instructions, were handed a basket and a list of eggs we needed to collect in order to collect our chocolatey prize and set down the path. Leah popped from egg to egg, throwing the dirty ones away (making collecting more difficult since they were all resting on dirt) and putting the most colourful ones in her basket. Paying no attention to anyone else around her, she took about five minutes to collect the eggs she needed. During the hunt we did see, as promised, the Easter Bunny bouncing around the heavily egged areas giving high fives to kids and generally being Easter Bunny-ish. Leah thankfully, never showed interest in visiting though, so I was spared the indignity of hiding behind my wife as my young daughter chatted with a large rabbit.

We cashed in her eggs, collected our chocolate and waited once again for the horses. Leah was not nearly as interested on the ride back as she was focussing more seriously on popping her chocolate into her mouth than anything else. On the way out of the place she did find time to say goodbye to the animals in between bites. And while there were plenty of other things to entertain us---livestock games, swing sets, animal petting and a fresh food market, it was time for us to hit the road with two tired girls.

“Oink, oink, fat pig,” Leah said to the fat pig.

“Hee haw, hee haw small donkey,” Leah said to the small donkey.

“Bock, bock red faced chicken,” she said to the red faced chicken.

And like that, our day at the farm was over. We had a great time and the hour journey was well worth it. We notice too that they run special events throughout the year that match up with the seasons---the Hallowe’en set-up looked particularly impressive so another visit may be needed in October.

But for now, Leah had all the chocolate she needed in the back of the car. And that made the ride home a little quieter.

Mike Reynolds (blog/Twitter) is an Ottawa born-and-raised husband and father to two beautiful girls. He’s obsessed with making sure his daughter says ‘daddy and mommy’ and not ‘mommy and daddy’ and with finding junk he thinks will one day be considered an antique. He also blogs about his admitted cluelessness when it comes to raising children.

Flashback: Charlemagne Child Care Services Play Group

Charlemagne's pre-school programs still has a few spots left for the Fall - I highly recommend the program .  Check out Sara's great post about all their offerings! ~Lara by Sara

Tucked away at the side of St. Peter's Catholic High School in Orleans is one of our favourite drop-in play groups.  Charlemagne Child Care Services houses Charlemagne Nursery School and the Charlemagne Preschool Resource Centre.  Located at 750 Charlemagne Blvd, the drop-in play group, which is a satellite Early Years Centre , is open 5 mornings (9 to 11:30 am) and 2 afternoons (Monday & Wednesday, 1 to 3:30 pm) a week.  Tuesday and Thursday mornings are reserved for caregivers.

The bright sunny space is one of my favourite places to take the boys.  We like it so much that we've been regular visitors since 2007, when my oldest was only a year old.  The centre is set-up much like a nursery school or kindergarten classroom.  There are well-defined activity centres throughout the large room, including an art table, two sensory play areas, a dramatic play centre (kitchen, dolls, dress-up clothes), a play dough table, fine motor activities (puzzles, blocks), an infant area, as well as a small climbing structure and ride-on toys.  There's even a separate room, with a half-door, for children over the age of three.  Within the Kinder-room there are more sophisticated arts and crafts supplies, a reading corner, as well as 'big kid' toys, like Rescue Heroes and doll houses.

Because we visit the center at least once a week, I really appreciate the variety of toys, arts and crafts, and sensory activities.  Each activity area is usually centred around a theme, for example, during the Month of May we made Mother's Day cards, created tissue paper flowers, and used spring stickers and paint markers to make colourful pictures.  The sensory areas are even theme-based: in the fall the kids searched for animals in a big tub of leaves and at Easter they hunted for eggs in Easter basket grass.

The resource centre staff, Sheryl and Catherine, are welcoming and go out of their way to make everyone feel comfortable and part of the group.  There's a good mixture of regular visitors and occasional drop-ins, which makes this play-group a great place to meet moms who have kids of all ages.

Between 9 and 10 each morning the children engage in free play and then join Sheryl for circle and story time.  Sheryl has a great repertoire of stories, songs, felt stories, and finger puppets to capture everyone's attention.  Even the busy toddlers who have trouble sitting still (ahem, monkey).   Bring a (nut-free) snack to refuel after circle time.  While the kids are all eating its a good time to talk to other moms and childcare providers or check-out toys from the toy lending library.  There are three large binders to peruse that have toys appropriate for ages 0 to 5.  We frequently borrow large ride-on toys, which are a hit with both boys but too big to keep in the house on a regular basis.  The centre also has a great resource library with hand-outs on a wide variety of health and parenting topics, books, and videos.

The centre closes for the summer on Friday June 11th and re-opens on September 13th, 2010.  Make sure to check-it out before the summer hiatus: I'll be the one following the almost 2 year old whirling dervish from activity to activity.

Sara is mom to a 4-year-old firefighter and 2-year-old monkey.  You can find her at her blog, My Points of View

April: The month of Poetry

This post was written by Margaret Kirkpatrick at the Carlingwood Branch of the Ottawa Public Library. I was raised by a mother who recited poetry to us often. Some of the poems that were such a part of my childhood life are still a part of my adult life. It is my pleasure to introduce these books to you. My favourites, as I hope they will become favourites in your family as well. And next time you are at Ottawa Public Library, why don’t you ask the Children’s Staff which poetry books are their favourites? Have fun.

Animal Crackers: A Delectable Collection of Pictures, Poems, and Lullabies for the Very Young. Jane Dyer.

Readers will find poems that invite play and participation and others that set a mood or calm a baby. The poems are illustrated with Dyer's soft, old-fashioned watercolour paintings that create a warm, comfortable world in which children are safe and loved. The illustration accompanying Christopher Morley's "Animal Crackers" gives the reader a top view of a plate of cookies and a cup of cocoa, complete with melting marshmallow, waiting for the reader to join the feast. The handsome book design, adds to the charm of Dyer's delectable volume.

A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson. Pictures by Barbara McClintock.

McClintock’s illustrations will attract a whole new generation to this timeless book of poems. This book has been a favourite in our family, throughout generations. Stevenson's interest in cultivating the world of the imagination is beautifully done. If you are looking for a poem to begin with, try My Shadow, or The Swing. Favourites at our house! Lego builders will love Block City, and Bed in Summer will be a perfect poem for summer bedtimes.

Rhymes Round the World, Kay Chorao

These 40 poems and songs offer children a taste of many different cultures. Most are anonymous or traditional nursery rhymes. The tone is light and joyous. Sweet illustrations of babies and toddlers engaged in playful activities depict the universality of children everywhere. And talking about universality – I like the poem Day’s End. Try Kay Chorao’s other books as well. They are all available at Ottawa Public Library.

Sleep, Baby, Sleep: Lullabies and Night Poems. Selected and Illustrated by Michael Hague.

Keeping with our bedtime theme, here is a book full of “lullabies and night poems”. This collection of 51 bedtime rhymes is divided into lullabies, night poems, and musical arrangements for piano and guitar. Lovely illustrations, for some old-favourite poems, and some new ones too. The thought of going to sleep while being read poems, or even better, being song poems seems a kind of perfection.

Til All The Stars Have Fallen: Canadian Poems for Children. Selected by David Booth. Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton.

This superb collection of poems is as varied as it is delightful. The illustrations, rendered in watercolour, ink, and linoleum-block printing, are so different from one another, and so right for each individual poem, that it's hard to believe they were all done by the same artist. Like the poems they illustrate, they are humorous, pensive, dreamlike and playful, soft and bold. Some of the poems demand to be read aloud as much as others need to be seen on the page. Kady MacDonald Denton is an illustrator to discover, and to enjoy.

Eric Carle’s Dragons Dragons & other creatures that never were. Compiled by Laura Whipple.

A well-chosen, gorgeously illustrated collection of poetry: not only dragons but a worldwide collection of fabulous beasts--yeti, Quetzalcoatl, okolo, Pan, kracken, and many more--. The interest level is consistently high--especially when coupled with Carle's flamboyant art. The mid-section is a four page spread of a Chinese Dragon, which will capture every readers’ attention.

The Dragons are Singing Tonight. Poems by Jack Prelutsky, Pictures by Peter Sis.

A combination of author, illustrator, and subject that is certain to have a great deal of appeal. Dragons are verbally and visually portrayed in this collection with wonder, whimsy, and a touch of wistfulness. The richness of Prelutsky’s language and the playfulness of the imagination are abundant; and Sis's illustrations are charmingly unique, sometimes deceptively simple, and certainly filled with the kind of playful wizardry that invites viewers to return again and again to these pages.

Do you read poetry with your children? What are some favourites?

Playing with shadows

by Alanna

There is nothing like a little sunshine to make uplift everyone's spirits.  You can't walk down the street without someone smiling or saying hello and smiling (or is that just the friendly nature of Ottawan's?)  The other thing you can't help but noticing one's shadow.  Polka Dot noticed first, during that burst of summer weather we had a few weeks ago.  As we are waiting for Lily's bus in the morning the shadows are amazing and then again at Noon they are even better.  He decided that it would be fun to "step" on me (my shadow) which then lead to a game of shadow tag.  From there, the shadow games exploded.

Tag turned into hiding in peoples shadows.  We made it into a fun gme where we pretend we have four arms and two heads.  It get's pretty silly, but I love the laughter first thing in the morning.

Later in the day we take out our chalk or paint brushes dipped in a puddle, and trace each others shadows.  The kids love how tall they are.  The next step is to retrace our shadows at different times of the day.  They will be amazed. While we are playing I get alot of "scientific" questions from Polkadot (he's BIG into science these days)  We have extended the learning into finding out what is needed for a shadow to appear.  It has been a great learning experience for all of us.

Next week we are going to do shadow puppets and maybe a shadow box.  It is amazing what can happen when you are just standing waiting for a bus. I guess it doesn't have to be boring after all.

Alanna is a mother of two beauties, Nora age 3 (aka coconut) and Avery 5 (aka polka dot). Former ECE turned mother, party planner and blogger.  Never a dull moment around this house.