Wordless Wednesday - Make Way for Ducklings

My daughter and I saw this mother duck and her ducklings while we were on a girl scout trip earlier this month. Aren't they adorable?

Find more of this week's Wordless Wednesday (or Wordful) posts at 5 Minutes for Mom.

Making Strawberry Jam - Children's Books about Jam / Jam Day by Barbara Joosse; Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban

"Jam on biscuits, jam on toast,
Jam is the thing that I like most.
Jam is sticky, jam is sweet,
Jam is tasty, jam's a treat --
Raspberry, strawberry, gooseberry, I'm very
FOND ... OF ... JAM!"
- Bread and Jam For Frances by Russell Hoban

After picking eight pounds of strawberries on Father's Day, I decided it was time we tried making a batch of strawberry jam. I called on the experts (my mom and grandma) for a little advice and decided to make the Sure-Jell cooked jam recipe found inside the box of Sure-Jell pectin. The recipe calls for 5 cups of crushed strawberries and 7 cups of sugar and makes a nice sized batch. My grandmother warned me that I should wear long sleeves and rubber gloves while boiling the jam on the stove because it tends to splatter. I felt a little silly wearing gloves while cooking but at least I didn't burn myself! I didn't can my batch but instead put the filled jars in the freezer after they cooled. It's been awhile since I've had homemade jam, and I had forgotten just how good it tastes! The jam is well worth the time and effort --- I am very FOND OF JAM (and so are my kids)!





Of course we enjoyed reading a few books while eating our yummy jam:

Jam Day by Barbara Joosse, illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully. Harper & Row (1987); ISBN 0060230967; 32 pages
Book Source: Copy from public library

"Mama and Ben take turns squashing the berries with a potato masher. Then Grandmam pours the mashed berries, shiny and red, into a big kettle to boil into jam."

An extended family gathers together to cook up a batch of strawberry jam in Joosse's Jam Day. Ben travels with his mother by train and watches all the families on the train with longing. "Ben and Mama are just two," and he wishes his family was bigger, not just two. When he arrives at his grandparents' house for a "Jam Day" he joyfully realizes that he is part of a big, noisy extended family. The family works together on Jam Day, picking strawberries in a large u-pick patch, hulling the strawberries and filling 22 jars with delicious strawberry jam. Even the men lend a hand, and Grandpap shows Ben how to make biscuits. McCully's hand-drawn outlines filled with watercolor details really capture the down-to-earth family life described by Joosse.

Kids can learn a bit about the jam making process from Joosse's book, though the majority of the book concentrates more on family togetherness. Reading Jam Day brought back memories of my childhood and made me more than a little nostalgic. I picked lots of strawberries out of my grandparents' strawberry patch and enjoyed my grandmother's homemade jam right out of a cut-glass dish, just like in the book. Interestingly enough, the family in the book uses wax to seal the jars of jam, a technique not often used anymore (though my grandma says she used to make jam this way). The book also references the song, "White Coral Bells," a beautiful song that can be sung in a round that I had rather forgotten about.

Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Lillian Hoban. Harper & Row (1964)
Book Source: Copy from public library

Frances, the familiar little badger, proclaims her love of jam in this classic picture book about a notoriously picky eater. Frances prefers bread and jam above all other foods and won't try anything new. She even trades her chicken-salad lunch with her friend Albert at school so she can eat bread and jam. Her wise parents yield to her jam desires, and, after eating jam day in and day out, Frances eventually learns of the advantages of varied diet.

This summer we started working our way through Hoban's beloved series about Frances, all perfect for early readers, and I must say that Bread and Jam for Frances is our favorite thus far. Frances sings amusing, rhyming songs throughout the book about her love of jam and why she dislikes other types of food like eggs and veal cutlets. My daughter can identify, especially since she also does not enjoy eating eggs. We read and enjoyed an original older version from our library, not the reillustrated, full color version. According to some other reviewers, some of the more recent versions are abridged.



Link up your weekend book posts at What My Child is Reading at Mouse Grows, Mouse Learns, and/or Kid Konnection at Booking Mama. Little Wonders Days is hosting a weekly Summertime Fun Party link-up. Making homemade jam is on our "bucket list" this summer. Join JDaniel4's Mom Read, Explore, Learn link-up every Friday.

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)

Full to the Brim - Kid's Book Giveaway List (6/24/11)

Please check out my other "Full to the Brim" posts as well. Many contests are still underway. I *try to* publish "Full to the Brim" every Friday. If I missed your book giveaway, feel free to mention it in the comment section or send me an email. Thanks for visiting my blog and come back soon!

My giveaway:
signed copy of What Does Cow Say? by Joan Holub Prize Pack - Ends 7/5

Book giveaways:
Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia- Book Giveaway Ends 6/28
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente (middle grade)
Great Kid Books - Book Giveaway Ends 6/30
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente (middle grade)
Just Children's Books - Book Giveaway Ends 6/30
Snowball’s Antarctic Adventures by Tim Ostermeyer
Just Children's Books - Book Giveaway Ends 6/30
Alice’s Pawfect Tea Party
Two2Read Raising a Reader - Book Giveaway Ends 6/30
ABC Book of your choice
Mundie Kids - Book Giveaway Ends 7/20
Too Many Blooms (Petal Pushers, Book 1) by Catherine R Daly (middle grade)
Sassy Moms in the City - Book Giveaway Ends 6/27
HUGE Summer Reading Sweepstakes Contest Sponsored by CHILDREN’S BOOK-OF-THE-MONTH CLUB (http://bit.ly/MySummerReading)
Savvy Sassy Moms - Book Giveaway Ends 6/30
HUGE Summer Reading Sweepstakes Contest Sponsored by CHILDREN’S BOOK-OF-THE-MONTH CLUB
Baby Dickeys Giveaways- Book Giveaway Ends ?
The Night Night Book by Marianne Richmond (board book)
Manager to Mom - Book Giveaway Ends 6/27
"Lift and Look" book: My Yummy Lunch Box by SoftPlay
Bilingual Readers - Book Giveaway Ends 6/27
Marina and the Little Green Boy: In the City/Marina y el niño verde: en la ciudad by Antonio Vicente
Biblio Reads - Book Giveaway Ends 7/1
Hot, Hot Roti for Dada-ji by F. Zia
City Mom - Book Giveaway Ends 7/7
complete Stella and Sam book series from Groundwood Books
Mama to 3 Blessings - Book Giveaway Ends 7/12
5 children's books from Sourcebooks
Mymcbooks - Book Giveaway Ends 7/2
Screamers: Poems and Drawings by Kenny Penny
Milk and Cookies - Book Giveaway Ends 7/6
Good Night Little Sea Otter by Janet Halfmann
There's a Book - Book Giveaway Ends 6/18
War & Watermelon by Rich Wallace (middle grade)
Turning the Clock Back - Book Giveaway Ends 7/8
The Secret Lives of Backyard Bugs by Judy Burris, Wayne Richards (Storey Publishing)
Rave and Review - Book Giveaway Ends 7/12
Paddywhack Lane Playset and Book

When Life Gives You O.J by Erica S. Perl Prize Pack Giveaways (middle grade/tween)
Our Kids Mom Ends 6/29
Busy Working Mama Ends 7/3
Abby Approved Ends 6/29
bassgiraffe's Thoughts Ends 7/15
Mom to Bed by 8 Ends 6/27


Fish for more children's book giveaways at Lori Calabrese's Fish for a Free Book linkup each Friday

I Am A Reader, Not A Writer also has a new book giveaway linky http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/ with lots of YA and some other kid's books.

VBS Craft and Activity Ideas Needed

Yes, despite my neglected blog, I'm still around! This week I've been busy with working on helping to plan our VBS. I'm currently looking for craft ideas, songs and other activities that correspond with the following themes:

- Jesus is Our King
- The Lord is My Shepherd
- God is the Great Creator
- Praise the Lord

If you have ideas or have posted on any of those topics, let me know.

I'm also looking for "the best" picture book version of Psalm 23. Any suggestions or favorites?

Back soon with more posts, I promise!

What Does Cow Say? by Joan Holub - Review and Book Giveaway

June is Dairy Month, and it's a pretty big deal here in America's Dairyland. Almost all the counties hold special dairy farm breakfasts this month. Last year we went to a breakfast on a farm that housed over 800 calves. While the breakfast was delicious what the kids really loved was picking their favorites and watching the workers bottle feed all those calves! Cows are definitely a familiar sight in Wisconsin. Even as tiny tikes my kids could point out a cow from a mile away and noticed all the cows in our picture books. Farm themed books are still a hit in our home.

What Does Cow Say? by Joan Holub, illustrated by Jannie Ho. Cartwheel Books (January 2011); ISBN 9780545274425; 18 pages; board book
Book Source: Review copy provided by author

Morning dawned and the sun came back, which woke up DUCK who went QUACK QUACK!"

I'm convinced that every baby should own a board book that shows farm animals and also encourages them to learn the different the animal sounds. What Does a Cow Say?, a nice-sized board book, not only features eight different farm animals and each of the animal sounds, but it also is a fun, interactive book with lift-the-flap mouths. As morning arrives, Duck is the first animal to wake up and all the other animals follow suit. The repeating text follows this pattern: "which woke up ____ who went ______." Each page spread shows a different animal -- duck, rooster, cow, cat, dog, sheep, donkey and pony, centered on a colorful, patterned background.

I especially like board books with a simple, repetitive text because it's easy for a young child to repeat and memorize, a helpful early reading skill. Jannie Ho did an excellent job with the illustrations in this one. The large, cartoonish animals really catch your eye, and I love how she included shapes in the colorful backgrounds so that parents can use the book not only to teach animal sounds, but shapes and colors! The book is solidly constructed and the flaps look like they are designed to stand up to typical toddler wear and tear. Even though my son is nearing the end of his board book phase, he still enjoys reading this one quite a lot and likes making the animal sounds and pointing out all the colors and shapes.

Joan Holub writes books for all ages of children and has authored and/or illustrated over 130 books. Currently her Goddess Girls series is very popular with tween girls. Aphrodite the Diva (book six in the series) releases this August. And I just noticed yesterday that her picture book Zero the Hero, set to release next year, is illustrated Tom Lichtenheld (the author I featured on my blog yesterday)! I know we'll be looking out for that picture book next February.

Related Links:
Joan Holub Website
Joan Holub Blog
Jannie Ho Website



Joan Holub has kindly offered to giveaway a farm-themed prize pack that includes a signed copy of the What Does Cow Say? board book, a small plush cow, and a barn carrycase.


For a chance to win, leave a comment relative to this post or answer the following question: What is your favorite farm animal?

• For contact purposes, if you are a non-blogger or your email is not accessible in your blog profile, please leave a valid email address within the comment section.
• Contest is open to US only
• Contest ends on Tuesday, July 5th, 2011 at 11:59 PM CST.
• Winners will be chosen at random and sent email notifications.

Three ways to gain extra entries (Maximum total entries is 4; please leave a separate comment for each entry):
1st extra entry: Blog about this contest then post your link in the comment section.
2nd extra entry: Follow me on twitter (iambrimful) and tweet about the contest.
3rd extra entry: Follow Me! or subscribe by email or RSS reader

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)

Cloudette by Tom Lichtenheld - Review and Using Rainwater to Paint a Cloud Craft

I always glance at the copyright page when reading a book -- you know, the part that contains all information like the Library of Congress Cataloging Data, edition and publication date. That part usually is not all that thrilling, but sometimes, SOMETIMES when the author feels particularly creative, the page will contain special little hidden messages. Cloudette by Tom Lichtenheld is a perfect example. Here's the illustration description on the copyright page:

"The illustrations are rendered in ink, pastel, colored pencil, and watercolor. The water part of the watercolor was collected in a bucket during a rainstorm, so this book is partially made of clouds. Thank you, clouds."

A cloud book made partially of clouds? A must read!

Cloudette by Tom Lichtenheld. Henry Holt / Christy Ottaviano Books (March 2011); ISBN 9780805087765; 40 pages
Book Source: Copy from public library

"Cloudette was a cloud. A very small cloud. Usually, Cloudette didn't mind being smaller than the average cloud. In fact, being small had lots of advantages."

Though Cloudette is content with her small size, she still wishes she could do "big and important" things like the other clouds -- cloud things like watering crops and making rivers flow. She is so small that she fits comfortably in the crook of the crescent-shaped moon and she's especially good at hide and seek, but what she wants most of all is to be able to help out in a big way. She finds out she just needs a little push!

It seems Cloudette isn't the only one that can productively brainstorm and create perfection and happiness. Clever books seem to pour of out Lichtenheld's mind, and we love each one. His books entertain both adult and child alike with witty dialog that accompanies the text, thoughtful word play and neatly drawn illustrations packed with tiny, often humorous details. After the first read, we went back just to make sure we didn't miss anything, like the cow perched on the moon or the "higher-up" that uses alliteration.

Lichtenheld's book got its start in a little way, kind of like Cloudette, with just two little scraps of paper. Cloudette provides a great example for kids and shows how something small can produce big results with the appropriate impetus.

P.S. Don't miss the UPC Code on the back and the rocket reference on the copyright page...the book is full of little surprises (Cloudette included)!

Related Links:
Tom Lichtenheld Website
Where'd That Little Cloud Come From? - MacKids blog
Happy Birthday Author - blog post




▪ ■ ▪ stArt craft - Using Rainwater to Paint a Cloud ▪ ■ ▪

It rained here this week so we had a nice puddle on our driveway just waiting for an art project. We couldn't let that little gift from the clouds go to waste! Inspired by Lichtenheld, the kids gathered up our watercolor supplies and headed outside to paint watercolor clouds using the rainwater.

The kids wanted to animate their clouds so they drew faces -- a happy cloud for one side and a stormy cloud for the other side. We let the painted clouds dry outside and after the clouds finished drying the kids attached paint stirrers so that could pretend to make their clouds float in the sky. With the addition of few raindrops on strings, the little clouds can "let it pour" and do big things.









A Mommy's Adventures hosts the "stART" meme (Story + Art) each week. Add your kids craft post to the Kid's Get Crafty linky at Red Ted Art's Blog. Join in Read Aloud Thursday at Hope is the Word. Wrote a post about play? Join the It's Playtime party! Find more great book tie-ins at JDaniel4's Mom Read, Explore, Learn link-up.

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)

Wordless Wednesday - Butterflies on a Lilac

Our lilac is a late-blooming variety and bursts with fragrance and flowers after all the other lilacs around are finished with their spring displays. This past Sunday we walked by the lilac and noticed three different types butterflies all fluttering among the blooms, sipping nectar. A rare sight indeed!





Find more of this week's Wordless Wednesday (or Wordful) posts at 5 Minutes for Mom.

Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel - Audio book

School is out, and my daughter is feeling a little sad about the end of kindergarten. While she enjoys her time at home, I think she is missing the structure of school. Things are a little more laid back and haphazard here. While I think it is important for kids to have plenty of unstructured play time, I do think that it is also just as important to keep some things predictable and familiar.

One of the changes we're making this summer is in our reading. So far, for the most part, we've neglected the audio book world. In an effort to shake up our routine this summer, we're incorporating audio books into our reading rotation. I'm not really interested in introducing my kids to the fancy, interactive book apps yet, but audio books we can manage. My daughter is already familiar with listening to audio versions -- she listened to plenty of stories at school. Audio books are great tools to use to help beginning readers become proficient readers.

Last night we sat down as a family and listened to our first audio choice: Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel. We checked out the HarperChildren's "An I Can Read Book and CD" set from our library. Honestly, I wasn't sure what kind of reaction to expect, especially from my three-year-old. After all, this beginning reader isn't exactly a short selection and the illustrations are small with muted colors. But, both kids listened to the narration and followed along, sometimes commenting on the pictures and laughing at all the funny parts of the story. To sum it up, the experience was perfectly delightful and one we'll most certainly repeat!

The narrator of this particular recording is Arnold Lobel himself. His expressive narrating skills are marvelously entertaining and the reading is accompanied by a nice, jaunty melody. If you're not already familiar with the book, the two main characters, Frog and Toad, reside near each other and spend their days together, living simply and supporting each other through various trials. Lobel's gentle humor is prevalent throughout the book. Frog and Toad's different personalities really shine through in his writing. The book is divided into 5 different stories about the friends' adventures: "Spring" - "The Story" - "A Lost Button" - "A Swim" - "The Letter." The reading level is just about right for my recently graduated kindergartener -- she can read the book with very minimal assistance.

My daughter loved the button story best of all. Poor Toad gets quite frustrated as he searches for his missing button. In "The Story" there's a picture that shows Toad dumping water on his head, and it baffled my son. He's still convinced the liquid in Toad's cup looks like milk, not water. And my favorite exchange: "One day in summer Frog was not feeling well. Toad said, "Frog, you are looking quite green." "But I always look green," said Frog. "I am a frog."

Yes, this Caldecott Honor Book classic is perfectly delightful! We highly recommend both the book and the audio recording.

Link up your weekend book posts at What My Child is Reading at Mouse Grows, Mouse Learns, and/or Kid Konnection at Booking Mama. Little Wonders Days is hosting a weekly Summertime Fun Party link-up. Audio books are one thing on our "bucket list" this summer.

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)

Full to the Brim - Kid's Book Giveaway List (6/10/11)

Please check out my other "Full to the Brim" posts as well. Many contests are still underway. I *try to* publish "Full to the Brim" every Friday. If I missed your book giveaway, feel free to mention it in the comment section or send me an email. Thanks for visiting my blog and come back soon!

My giveaway:
signed copy of Square Cat by Elizabeth Schoonmaker - Ends 6/20

Book giveaways:

Imagination Soup - Book Giveaway Ends 6/4
National Geographic Kids Almanac 2012
5 Minutes for Mom - Book Giveaway Ends 6/6
How Things Work in the Yard and Bugs by the Numbers {Blue Apple Books}
From the Mixed Up Files - Book Giveaway Ends 6/16
gift basket full of E.L. Konigsburg-inspired paraphernalia (middle grade)
My Four Monkeys - Book Giveaway Ends 6/20
How Things Work in the Yard and Bugs by the Numbers {Blue Apple Books}
My Four Monkeys - Book Giveaway Ends 6/13
His Shoes Were Far Too Tight compiled by Daniel Pinkwater
My Four Monkeys - Book Giveaway Ends 6/20
The Secret World of Whales by Charles Siebert
My Four Monkeys - Book Giveaway Ends 6/20
Read and Share: Stories about Jesus
Thoughts of a Mommy - Book Giveaway Ends 6/15
Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer
An Island Life - Book Giveaway Ends 6/18
Charlie and Lola prize pack
BabyCenter Momformation - Book Giveaway Ends 6/14
$100 movie gift card and copy of Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Frugal Family Tree - Book Giveaway Ends 6/24
Being Smart Books by Sterling Publishing
Fruagl Family Tree - Book Giveaway Ends 6/7
Who Hoo Are You? and What is Green? by Kate Endle
Book Dads - Book Giveaway Ends 6/19
The Daddy Book by Todd Parr
A Frugal Friend - Book Giveaway Ends 6/14
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss
That's IT Mommy - Book Giveaway Ends 6/4
StoryCraft Frog Prince Mosaic Book by Orb Factory
The Jacobsen Family - Book Giveaway Ends 6/19
Star Wars- A Pop-Up Guide to the Galaxy
Best Toys for Toddlers - Book Giveaway Ends 6/18
Dora the Explorer's Little Library Set
Muse Reviews - Book Giveaway Ends 6/18
Splish, Splat, Splat! by Rob Scotton


The Book Depository regularly hosts giveaways (open internationally). Click on the competitions link.
Wimpy Kid Prize Pack - Ends 6/17
Peppa Pig Prize Pack - Ends 7/1

Klutz Fabulous Flowers book giveaways:
UCreate with Kids Ends 6/11
All things Paper - Ends 6/11
Mommy Mandy - Ends 6/23
5 Minutes for Books - Ends 6/22
Real Moms Real Views - Ends 6/22
Trendy Mamas - Ends 6/13

Judy Moody Giveaways:
Skimbaco - Ends 6/15
Musings of a SAHM - Ends 6/20
2 Wired 2 Tired - Ends 6/16
Charlotte Mom Favorites - Ends 6/16
Sandy Toes and Popsicles - Ends 6/11
La Jolla Mom - Ends 6/10
Really Are You Serious - Ends 6/15
Mommy Gaga - Ends 6/13
Linny's Vault - Ends 6/14
The Momccupation - Ends 6/17

Bob Books Giveaways:
Energizer Bunny's Mommy Reports - Ends 6/25
Annie's Home - Ends 6/22


Fish for more children's book giveaways at Lori Calabrese's Fish for a Free Book linkup each Friday

I Am A Reader, Not A Writer also has a new book giveaway linky http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/ with lots of YA and some other kid's books.

Star of the Sea by Janet Halfmann - Book Review and Puffy Paint Starfish Craft

During our visit to Shedd Aquarium last summer my kids stuck their hands in a special touch pool located in the Polar Play Zone and felt the surfaces of sea stars. They loved the interactive exhibit, but we were in a rush, we didn't take time to really study the creatures. June is National Ocean Month so we're dedicating part of our time this month to learning about the animals in the sea, starting with the sea star. The sea star (also called starfish) is truly a fascinating ocean creature, and Wisconsin author Janet Halfmann just released an amazing picture book about the unique species.

Star of the Sea: A Day in the Life of a Starfish by Janet Halfmann, illustrated by Joan Paley. Henry Holt / Christy Ottaviano Books (May 2011); ISBN 9780805090734; 32 pages
Book Source: Review copy provided by publisher

"Beneath the crashing waves, another kind of star clings to the rocks with hundreds of sticky tube feet. She is an ochre sea star, the common starfish of the Pacific Coast."

This book provides a fascinating and exciting look into the life of a sea star. A female ochre sea star makes her way onto the shore and hunts for food. The sea star passes by sea anemones, crabs and other sea animals until she finally discovers a mussel bed. With amazing strength the sea star pries the shell open using her tube feet and devours the mussel. After she finishes her meal she encounters a dangerous enemy. The gorgeous college illustrations by Joan Paley depict the sandy shores and colorful ocean water with beautiful pictorially textured detail. The end of the book includes a nice, two-page, informative overview of sea stars.

Every time I read one of Halfmann's books, I'm amazed at how much information she slips into her books. She has a unique ability to inform without overwhelming the reader and also skillfully draws the reader into her stories. Such is the case of Star of the Sea. Early on, the reader feels a special connection to the sea star and begins to see the sea star as a unique personality, a creature to root for even as it devours a mussel and especially when a seagull attacks. My kids were a little concerned when the sea star loses one of its rays, but Halfmann quickly explains that the lost ray will eventually grow back. Thanks to Halfmann, we learned a ton about sea stars and hope to see a real one again someday.

Related Links:
Janet Halfmann Website
"Star of the Sea: Ten Years in the Making" - MacKids blog


Janet Halfmann is currently hosting a release party for her new book. Visit her website and enter for the chance to win one of five signed copies of Star of the Sea. Contest ends on Friday, 6/9/2011 at midnight.


▪ ■ ▪ stArt craft - Homemade Puffy Paint Sea Star Craft ▪ ■ ▪



Tactile art projects help kids explore through touch and are great for toddlers and young kids. Since we're not likely to get a chance to touch a real sea star anytime soon, I thought it would be fun to make a pretend version using homemade puffy paint. I first saw a version of homemade puffy paint on mumma made it.

This was our first time experimenting with homemade puffy paint and it was so fun that we'll be making more paint soon. It's simple to make and yields super impressive results.

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon Self-rising Flour (I used the flour we had on hand Gold Medal Unbleached All-purpose - worked fine)
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Water (I used a little more than this to thin the paint out)
Food Coloring

Mix together the flour, salt and water. (If you want a larger amount of paint, just make sure to use equal amounts of the flour, salt and water.) Add food coloring to mixture and stir. Voila! The paint is ready for your project.


Create a sea star -- Apply puffy paint liberally to the paper. (We used cardstock)


When painting is finished, place in microwave for a short time. We microwaved our pictures for 15 seconds on high, but time will depend on your microwave. We removed the picture from the microwave when the paint started to puff up. Cut out the shape of the sea star when the paint cools.


See, doesn't it puff up nicely? My son loved this part of the process. The paint feels leathery. If you wanted to add a little rough texture after microwaving, you could draw a few spine lines with glue and spinkle sand on top.


Create the ocean by following the same steps used to create the sea star.


Glue the sea star and ocean waves to a piece of sand paper to create a cool touch-and-feel ocean scene. Add a few sea shells for more tactile fun.





A Mommy's Adventures hosts the "stART" meme (Story + Art) each week. Add your kids craft post to the Kid's Get Crafty linky at Red Ted Art's Blog. Join in Read Aloud Thursday at Hope is the Word. Show off your ideas at ABC & 123 Show and Tell. Wrote a post about play? Join the It's Playtime party! Find more great book tie-ins at JDaniel4's Mom Read, Explore, Learn link-up.

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)