Family Arts and Crafts

You have come to the right place if you are looking for fun, learning and engaging Family themed activities to do with toddlers, preschoolers and kindergartners. 

My House

Use a milk carton cut in half and cover with construction paper. Have children add windows, doors, trees, Etc. cut from construction paper (or draw on details) to resemble the child’s house. Have the children draw the members of their families (they always want to include the pets also) on tongue depressors and place them into the house. When finished the children form a town and take their “family members” to visit other families.

Dough House

The children are given a shape of a house. They are then supplied with play dough cutters that are in the shape of a mother, father, child, dog, cat and fish. The children are instructed to dip the appropriate family members in paint and then put in their home. Label the figures with the family member’s names.

Special Hands

Trace the child’s hand print twice. Cut out. Also cut out a long rectangle (this will be the arms). Glue one hand print on either end of the long rectangle (arms). Write on the arm part: My family is special because ___________________. Have the children finish the sentence.

Friendly Rainbow

Make a rainbow of our hand prints when studying friends. Just lightly draw on the arches of the rainbow on a large piece of butcher paper. Use different colors of paint to paint the children’s hand prints and make a beautiful rainbow.

Collage

Make a collage of pictures of things we like to do with our friends and family.

Hand Mural

You can also make a mural with their hand prints becoming flowers. Paint on stems and some grass with their hand prints for the flowers. Title it “Friendships bloom in our classroom.”

Family Puppets

Give each child a cut out of a person (kind of like a gingerbread man pattern). You can use the multi cultural colored paper (of course!) then the kids can decorate and make any family members they wish to. Then attach them to popsicle sticks and there you go.

Family Collage

Have the children go through magazines and find pictures of all the things their mothers do. Cut them out and glue them onto construction paper. The same can be done for dad. Another variation is to have the children cut out pictures to represent the people in their family and the things they like to do as a family.

Family Diorama

Bring a shoe box for each child.
Have the children:
Paint a background on the inside of it.
Make stand up pictures of your house and family.
Glue the pictures in your box.

Family Mobile

Illustrate a picture of each member of the family. Include the pet if the child has one. Cut out each family member. Glue each picture on strong paper or cardboard. Hang your pictures on a hanger with yarn or string to make a mobile. Print the last name on a piece of paper and fasten it to the hanger. Hang your mobile in the classroom.

Family Tree
Encourage your children to talk about all the people that belong in their family. Mother, father, sister, brother, grand parents, aunts and uncles. To make a family tree you will need: an orange juice can for each child, a small branch from a tree for each child, construction paper cut into circles and punched with a small hole, string or wool and some plaster of paris. Cover the can with paper and decorate. Go for a walk and have each child pick a branch to put in the can 2/3rds full of plaster. Allow to dry overnight. Ask the children to draw a picture on one side of a circle and you write the name of the family member on the other side. Punch hole and thread – hang on tree.

Family Tree

Give them each a tree shape drawn on a piece of paper and sponges cut into apple shapes have them sponge paint the apples onto the tree to represent each family member provider will write names on the apples.

Family Games and Activities

Family Project

Make outlines (silhouettes) of different family members: mom, dad, brother, sisters, self, and even pets and the children make a family collage. You could send home a piece of paper with a note asking for each member of the family to trace or have traced their handprint on the paper. Each person could decorate any way they wanted to. The children enjoy talking about their family’s handprints. Then hang them on the bulletin board.

Family Book

Each child is given a book at the beginning of the unit with a caption on each page. (Books can be made using newsprint and construction paper.) My mother is special because… My dad can… Grandparents are special because….The best part of being a brother/sister is… Each day the children are asked to draw a different picture and complete the sentence with you help. A wonderful book to bring home and ‘read’.

Rock Families

Take a walk and have the children collect four or five different sized rocks to make a family. Bring them back and paint them. Then let the children play with their families. Encourage them to make up stories about their rock families. For example have them name their rocks and tell what each one likes to do. Help them expand their stories by asking questions.

Shaving Just Like Daddy

Materials: whipping cream, mixer, bowl, small cups, crafts sticks or tongue depressors, mirror

Procedure: Give each child a small cup full of ‘shaving cream’ (whipped cream) and a ‘razor’ (craft stick). Looking into a mirror, the children put the shaving cream on their faces, all over their imaginary beards and mustaches.

Then, slowly and carefully, they ‘shave’ off their whiskers until they can feel their smooth faces. Next time they can give someone else a shave.

Be sure the children understand that real razors are not to play with.

Poem:
Put on the cream.
You can have a taste,
Now shave it off carefully,
And make a funny face!

Three Bear Family
First get a refrigerator or wash machine box and cut off one of the sides. Then on the center piece cut a peaked roof and a window on each of the sides. It’s no longer a complete box but an opened up “U” shape.

The kids can get on both sides of it and paint it using bright colors. When this is dry, use it as kind of a back drop for the house. The kids build beds, chairs, and a table using the hollow blocks – good math activity trying to figure out the different size beds: if we use two blocks for the baby bed, how many for mom’s and dad’s?

Same thing with the chairs. Provide pillows and blankets, and: a baby bonnet for baby bear, an apron and hat for mama bear, a tie and hat for papa bear, a dress and barrette with yellow curls for goldilocks, a giant bowl, middle sized bowl and baby bowl, a giant wooden spoon (the kind that hangs on the wall – a thrift store find), a tablespoon and a baby spoon.

Then enact the play.

Food Experience

Have parents share favorite family recipe or tradition. Have parents come in and read to children.

Charting Families

Make a chart titled “How many people in your Family?” On a large poster board, list children’s names. Glue small people cutouts next to each child corresponding with the number of people in the family. Line them up neatly so the children can compare size of family.

Grow Your Own Family Tree 

You Need:
Large sheet of paper
Colored paper
Scissors
Paste
Crayons, markers, or colored pencils

Instructions:
1) Draw a tree on the large sheet of paper. Be sure to give your tree lots of branches!
2) Cut out a color paper shape to represent you — a circle if you are a girl or a square if you are a boy. Write your name on the shape and paste it on the trunk of your tree.
3) Cut out shapes for all of your present family members and others important to you — mothers, brothers, neighbors, pets. Write names on the shapes and paste them on the lower branches of your tree.
4) Cut out shapes for all your past family members and others important to you — grandparents, great-aunts, friends. Write names on the shapes and paste them on the upper branches of your tree.
5) Draw a picture on each shape that tells something about that person.
6) Congratulations! You have started doing genealogy — recording your family history!

More Family History Fun! 

Take your tree to a family gathering! Ask if there are more family members to add to your tree. Remember to add pictures, too.
Make a memory book! Have family members tell you their favorite family memory. Write them down in a notebook.
Create a scrapbook! Collect photographs, postcards, souvenirs and other items from your favorite family activities. Save them in an album or box.

Family Recipes and Snacks

Food Group Snacks
During family week take the time to discuss what we should eat to stay healthy. Talk about the different food groups and a food group for each day.
Encourage your children to have healthy eating habits.
Milk Products- milk, yogurt, ice cream, cheese
Fruit – fruit salad, fruit kabobs or sliced fruits.
Vegetables – an assortment of fresh vegetables, vegetable soup or a garden green salad.
Grain Products – muffins, crackers, toast or cookies for a real treat
Meat & Alternatives – chicken, peanut butter, eggs and tofu for something new.

Graham Cracker Houses
Spread with peanut butter and apply to sides of SMALL milk carton, decorate the houses with mini marshmallows, red hots, raisins, Etc.

Family Trees
Place broccoli stalks on each plate with a cherry tomato for each family member. Serve ranch dressing on the side.

Family Songs, Poems and Finger Plays

Song-“I Love Mommy” (or Daddy, Brother, Sister, Etc.)
(tune: Frere Jacques)
I love Mommy, I love Mommy.
Yes I do; yes I do.
And my mommy loves me,
Yes, my mommy loves me,
Loves me too; loves me too.

Families
Some families are large. (spread arms out wide)
Some families are small (bring arms close together)
But I love my family (cross arms over chest) best of all!

Title: A Day with Dad
My dad works in an office downtown,
And when he’s home, he works all around.
He cleans up dishes and that job’s hard;
Then he rakes up leaves and mows the front yard.
But Dad always finds some time for me,
And that’s what makes a family.

Title: Divorce
I didn’t understand at first
why Daddy went away.
I thought that it must be my fault
because he wouldn’t stay.
Did he still love Mom and me?
‘Yes,’ he said, ‘Of course.’
‘Then,’ I said, ‘Explain to me:’
‘What does it mean, ‘divorce’?’
This might be a good time to talk about divorce, and that it means that both parents still love their children very very much.

Both Fingerplays above, Divorce, and A Day with Dad are copyrighted by Terry Graham and published in Fingerplays and Rhymes, Humanics Limited. Both are used with the author’s permission. Thank you, Terry!

Sung to ‘The Teddy Bears’ Picnic’
Let’s all go to the woods today,
We’re sure of a big surprise.
Let’s all go to the woods today,
We’ll walk there side by side.
We know that we’ll have lots of fun,
We’ll eat and play and dance and run.
Today’s the day we have our family picnic!

Materials: Felt-tip markers. Making the Puppets: Use felt-tip markers to draw two eyes, a nose and a mouth on each finger of one hand.

My Family
Here is Daddy. (thumb)
Here is Mommy. (index)
Here I am for three. (pinky)
Together we’re a family,
As happy as can be! (clap!)

My House
Here are the windows,
Here is the door.
Come on in, I’ll show you more.
Here is the kitchen, the living room too.
A bathroom, three bedrooms, and a room for you!
An attic, a chimney, and a roof above.
And my house is a home,
‘Cause it’s filled with love!

My Puppy
My puppy has a doghouse,
just outside my door.
He licks me when I pet him
and wags his tail for more.
He’s always there beside me,
no matter what I do.
My puppy is my special friend,
and a family member too!

With My Family
Sung to ‘The Muffin Man’
Tell me what you like to do
Like to do, like to do.
Tell me what you like to do
With your family.
Edward likes to rake the leaves
Rake the leaves, rake the leaves.
Edward likes to rake the leaves
With his family.

Let the children talk about what they like to do.

Music In Our Home 
Mother plays the violin.
Daddy plays the flute.
Big brother blows the horn,
toot-toot-toot-toot.
Little sister keeps the beat
By clanging on a pot.
And I try to sing along
Whether I know the words or not.

see more at :

http://www.childfun.com/themes/people/families/