Make It Monday: Paper Windmills

A fun project for kids and crafty mom's alike!

What you'll need:

Paper

Art medium  - paint, crayons or markers work equally well

Ruler

Scissors or cutting wheel

Pin

Straw

Beads

Cork

Directions:

Paint. Have your little one colour or paint a sheet of paper to their hearts content. Let it dry. 

Cut it to size. Cut a 6" x 6" square out of the little artists painting.

Fold. Align two opposite corners and fold the square in half. Repeat with the remaining opposite corners. The result will be a creased X when the square is unfolded.

Pierce a hole in the centre of the X.

Cut slits. Following along each of the four creases, cut a slit until it is one inch from the centre hole.

Pierce corner holes. Imagine your square as four triangles that meet in the centre. Pierce only the right side of each triangle that meets at a corner of the square. Refer to the image below.

Form the windmill. Slide a pin through each of the pierced corners so they meet in the centre and push the pin through the centre hole. Note: If the painting is one sided, such as this, you can choose whether you want the painted side to be within the windmill blades or on the outside meeting at the centre pin.

Assemble. Thread a large bead onto the back of the pin. Following the bead, pierce the pin through a plastic straw. Finally thread on a second large bead and pierce the end of the pin into a small piece of cork.

Voila! Now your little one can proudly watch their masterpiece function as a whirling windmill. We put ours on display in a vase for a fun spring art piece.

 Happy Monday!

Baby: The Opportunivore

Opportunivore - noun

An animal that eats or attempts to eat anything and everything within reach.

Of close relation to the omnivore, the opportunivore differs in its obvious lack of limitations when choosing an object to consume. While the omnivore easily identifies and consumes only edible plant and animal products, the opportunivore adheres to no such constraints. 

Opportunivore's have been known to attempt consumption of objects including but not limited to...

Plastic food,

toy balls too large for its mouth,

blocks of any colour or shape,

and even its own shoes.

Although the opportunivore thoroughly enjoys the hunt for these obviously non-edible objects,

it is always appreciative of a little helping hand.

Caution: When in the vicinity of an opportunivore always keep close eye on on the proximity of its mouth. The opportunivore will often attempt consumption of anything and everything near its mouth (ie. a playground swing).

Although the opportunivore will consume edible plant and animal products it has an equal appreciation for things that are not edible (ie. eating utensils).

The opportunivore has adopted the age old adage "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again"

You have been warned. Please take proper precautions when approaching the opportunivore.