Free Printable: My Summer Bucket List

This year the kids and I are sitting down and putting our Summer Bucket List down on paper so we don't forget all the fun stuff we want to do. Instead of just listing them out I decided to make our list a little more festive and go all sand bucket style.

First we printed the bucket and shovel out on different colors of card stock and did some fine motor work cutting them out.

Then we punched holes in the bucket near the top rim and looped the ends of pipe cleaners through them to create the handle. Just before folding over the second end of pipe cleaner we hung the shovel on the "handle". A sand bucket isn't nearly as fun without a shovel!

The kids really liked decorating their bucket lists and have proudly displayed them on the Pecorino Galleria di Frigorifero.

You can download this project for yourself HERE or by visiting my Educents store. Just print out the bucket page and shovel page onto card stock or heavy construction paper. I printed them out onto different colored card stock and let the kids decorate how they wanted.

What sort of things are on your Summer Bucket List?

Free Printable: School House Coloring Page

I've been neck deep in summer time happenings, projects for my husband's business The Zoo Health Club, baby prep (2 weeks to go!), and trying to tie up loose ends with client projects. Unfortunately that has meant that fun illustration stuff has fallen by the wayside.

Here's a quick coloring page I created for one of my in-house pint sized art directors that I'd love to share with you. Click HERE to download!

How My Son Became a Superhero

This summer my son's 4th birthday party was superhero themed.  In typical DIY designer fashion I couldn't just go all out Marvel, so I created Luc his own superhero icon.  It's even printed as an 18x20 framed poster in his room.  It's pretty sweet.

Invites were made to fit into a regular #10 envelope.

Each invite was sent with a "Design Your Own Superhero Mask" activity page.  You can download the printable version HERE.

But however was I to seal the envelopes to allude to the TOP SECRET within?  How about some custom super easy stickers?  I designed a return address sticker and ZAP, BAM, WHAM stickers to be printed on address labels (with Avery 5160 template).  Download your own blank TOP SECRET label sheet HERE and ZAP, BAM, WHAM HERE.

I also made the birthday boy a t-shirt with iron-on transfer paper.  I learned that it's best to print on a medium quality setting when using the "for dark fabric" transfer paper.  I went through 5 attempts before the print stopped bleeding into the other colors.

I made him a cape with an adult XL t-shirt and the mask is two layers of felt, my beloved Heat-N-Bond, and 1/4in white elastic.  I made about 12 of these for each of his friends and they were a crazy hit.  I'll post a pattern soon!

Happy *belated* Birthday my little superhero!

DIY Mini Haunted House: Milk Carton Edition

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https://sarahpecorino.com/blog/diy-mini-haunted-house

Kids Craft: Halloween Paper Plate Spider

Here's a quick, simple, and relatively clean Halloween project for the kids, Paper Plate Spiders.  Start to finish probably took us 30 minutes.

Materials:
• paper plates
• paint
• construction paper
• tape
• glue
• spider eye print-outs (if needed)
• yarn for hanging

Tools:
• paint brushes
• stapler
• scissors

Directions:
1.  On a nicely protected surface paint the undersides of two paper plates in a matching color.  We chose to make an orange spider and a purple spider.

(And there is NO shame in busting out the hair dryer to make things move along.)

2. While painting is occurring (or before hand if you're good at planning ahead) cut a piece of construction paper vertically into 8 strips and fold each one like an accordion.

3. Once paint is dry, turn over one plate and quickly tape four legs towards one side of the plate and four legs toward the other.  This will hold them in place so that when you put the other plate onto the first you sandwich the legs and they won't fall out while you staple around the perimeter of the plates.  Be sure to staple the end of a long piece of yarn into the top of your spider so that he can hang from his web.

(I didn't get a picture of the actual stapling, but I'm sure you'll get it once you see the final product).

4. Draw out some crazy, scary or pretty eyes on another paper plate, cut them out and glue them onto the front of your spider.  If you're not too sure about your eye drawing ability (I have faith in you!) you can download a page of eyes HERE and print it out on card stock.  Don't forget to make a mouth or even a nose.  Hey, who says your Halloween spider can't have a nose?  Luc told me he wanted his spider's mouth to be like "mer...rrrr...eerrr..mrrr" which translates into a zig-zag, of course.

Let me know how yours turn out!  I bet you could scare a few grandmas with spiders this big!

Printable: Winter Dress Up Girl

The printable Winter Dress Up girl has finally arrived!  Click on the images to download, then print, color, cut and dress!  You can also download them both with one click HERE.  Thanks for stopping by!

Printable: Mitten Match

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https://sarahpecorino.com/blog/mitten-match

Printable: Winter Dress Up Boy

I made this winter dress up activity for Luc.  Have your child color in then cut out (or have an adult cut out) each item of clothing and dress the boy for outdoor fun!  Feel free to click on each image and download the two pages below, or download them both with one click HERE.

I'm thinking about making a sort of loose curriculum to entertain him this winter and to keep me on a schedule.  I think that having something to focus on each day will help me to balance the 2 year old and the infant better.  When I was younger I spent several years working at a preschool, so I have a good idea of how to run it, does anyone have suggestions from doing this with their little own ones?