Gold Coast Tea Party
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By Family Fun
Oct. 31, 2009
Total Time Needed:
30 Minutes or less
Want a festive decoration that won’t clutter up your porch? Try a patch of mini pumpkins small enough to fit in your child’s hand.
Materials
Acorns
Orange acrylic paint
Brown acrylic paint
Black permanent marker
Instructions
Remove the caps from a handful of acorns.
Coat each one with orange acrylic paint, adding a bit [...]
By Family Fun
Oct. 29, 2009
Total Time Needed:
2-3 Hours
This is one egg that trick-or-treaters will scramble to get away from: an orb of hatching spiders hanging from an entryway ceiling or a door frame.
Materials
White glue (we used a 7 5/8-ounce bottle)
2 bowls
Plastic spoon
Balloon (we used an 11-inch size)
Cheesecloth cut into 12 or so 3- by 18-inch [...]
By Family Fun
Oct. 16, 2009
Dried citrus rinds give this seasonal squash — and his companions — their un-natural good looks.
Materials
Craft knife
Hole punch
Glue dots
Spaghetti squash
Two limes
Black craft foam
Duct tape
Toothpicks
Large bolts
Black permanent marker
Instructions
1. Use a craft knife to cut a circle of rind from the top and bottom of an orange or lime for the eyes (a [...]
By Family Fun
Oct. 3, 2009
These totally tossable, squishable balls are lightweight and easy to grip, making them perfect for novice jugglers, beanbag games, or a good old game of catch.
CRAFT MATERIALS:
9 (11-inch) balloons (for 3 balls)
Funnel
2 1/4 cups of dried lentils
Scissors
Time needed: Under 1 Hour
1. Stretch the first balloon by inflating it halfway, holding it [...]
By Family Fun
Oct. 3, 2009
Set these little critters on an incline and watch them cartwheel a beeline to the bottom. The secret to their antics is a marble rolling around inside.
CRAFT MATERIALS:
Scissors
Card stock
2 nickels
Tacky glue
Toothpick
Marble (1 for each bug)
Black marker
Colored tissue paper
Glue stick
Time needed: Under 1 Hour
1. For each bug, cut a 5-1/2- by [...]
By Family Fun
Sept. 27, 2009
These rubber band rackets can be used with almost any kind of ball, including a tennis, Wiffle, or beach ball. A foam one is ideal for smaller play areas.
CRAFT MATERIALS:
Plastic pipe
Rubber bands
Time needed: About 1 to 2 Hours
Assemble the head: Use a fine-tooth handsaw to cut the PVC pieces shown below [...]
by Family Fun
Sept. 27, 2009
This wet and wacky game is as refreshing as a dip in the pool. On a hot day, even if you drop the ball, you’re still cool.
WHAT YOU NEED:
Gallon-size milk jugs (one for each player)
Tape
Ribbons
Water balloons
HOW TO PLAY:
1. Create the catchers by cutting the bottom off a gallon-size milk jug (one [...]
By Family Fun
Sept. 20, 2009
Just like the traditional Native American tepee that inspired it, this backyard shelter can be assembled and dismantled in a jiffy.
CRAFT MATERIALS:
9- x 12-foot canvas tarp or drop cloth
Measuring tape
Colored marker
Scissors
White cotton rope
Ten 8-foot-long white PVC pipes, 3/4 inch in diameter
Hacksaw (optional)
2 chopsticks or similar strips of wood
Time needed: Afternoon or [...]
By Jackie Fitzpatrick
Sep. 10, 2009
When Judy Grigg Hansen saw our recent request for ideas on making learning fun at home, she thought of her father.
He had a game for everything,” she says. To reinforce social studies, he would lead his seven children in a round of current-events hopscotch. To teach math, he’d cook up a [...]
By Family Fun
Sep. 13, 2009
For Jennifer Jones and her 10-year-old daughter, Lauren, getting ready for school each year means spending a few late-summer afternoons getting crafty. The Montgomery, Illinois, pair start by picking a piece of back-to-school gear, then set to work embellishing it. Past projects include covering a white metal lunch box (purchased from [...]
