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Valentines Day Washi Tape Wall Sticker Love Notes

Spread the love & make your special-someone’s day this Valentines Day (and every day there after!) with these super easy washi tape wall sticker love notes!

Whether they’re a morning person or they need coffee before social interaction, seeing a love note as cute as these when they get up is bound to bring a smile to their face!

Stick them on the wall, the bathroom tiles, a mirror, wherever; somewhere they’ll see as soon as they wake up!

Gather the kids and make someone’s day with these inexpensive & removable wall stickers!

>>> How To Make Washi Tape Wall Sticker Love Notes for Valentines Day

Ages: 3+
Time: 15 mins

You’ll Need:

Washi Tape
Baking Paper
Paper heart cut out
Scissors
Marker

To Make:

1 // Place a piece of baking paper over your paper heart cut out. This will act as a guide for your washi tape stickers! You could do this with any shape you like! Our hearts were about the size of post-it-notes.

2 // Starting from one end to the other, stick long pieces of washi tape across the baking paper, ensuring to overlap as you go until the heart is covered.

3 // Cut along the heart outline and that’s your sticker done!

4 // Write your note and find a place to stick it! Just peel the paper backing away and press onto the wall.

These stickers are removable; they won’t leave sticky residue or peel the paint off the wall!

Write a love note or change it up daily with a joke or a simple “Have a great day!”

Spread the love this #ValentinesDay with these easy #washitape wall stickers! @oliviasfoster #craftylivingkids

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For more Valentines Day easy kids crafts, check out these Baby Hand Print Flowers.

We’d love to see you spreading the love with our wall stickers! Don’t forget to tag us in your pics using the #craftylivingkids or #nannyshecando hashtags! Happy Crafting & Happy Valentines Day!

>> Do you have any special Valentines Day traditions?

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Olivia is a career nanny of 5 years and craft extraordinaire. Having travelled Australia working with many families, Olivia now resides in Sydney and cares for 7 children aged 15 months to 1o years old. Craft + diy activities feature prominently in their daily schedule. You can follow Olivia on instagram {@oliviasfoster} for crafty ideas and activities, and on her newly launched website A Crafty LIVing.com.

Make This Preschooler DIY Cutting Station

I’ve never met a child who doesn’t like scissors; and as we creep closer to the new school year, it’s an important skill for preschoolers to have. So we set about making this Preschooler DIY Cutting Station tutorial to share with you today.

Scissor skills learned with activities like the preschooler cutting station builds hand muscles and develops hand-eye coordination, which in time will be the key to manipulating objects such as pencils & crayons.

Cutting stations are so easy to put together! And boy, was it a hit! Mr4 spent 45 minutes snipping his way through paper, yarn, flowers and more.

>>> How To Make A Preschooler DIY Cutting Station

Here’s How To Set Up this DIY Cutting Station

In our cutting station we included;

Straws – Straws in your cutting station are a MUST! This was the favourite, so much so we had to go grab another handful! They’re bound to bring squeals & fits of giggles as the straws pop & go flying in all directions. If you’re able to find all the bits of straw that have now been flung around the house, collect them & use them as beads for a simple threading activity!

Paper Plate – Write letters or numbers along the outside of the plate, then cut between each letter and snip the tabs off! Do you think you would make a good hairdresser? Draw a face in the middle of a paper plate and get styling! All our faces however, ended up with no hair, due to extreme cutting!

Yarn & Curling Ribbon – These are both great for a cutting station as they’re easy to hold & snip! Mr4 held the yarn up in the air and snipped it into a million tiny pieces from the bottom, up!

Bubble Wrap –The bubble wrap can be a bit tricky to cut, definitely not for a beginner-cutter. Mr4 found he needed to cut slowly rather than a quick snip! Before cutting, we predicted the bubbles would pop when cut. To our surprise, they didn’t… (mega disappointment!)

Flowers & Leaves – Explore the insides of flowers & leaves by using your scissors as a dissecting tool! This is a wonderful activity in it self. Add a magnifying glass & some tweezers to a tray of nature clippings & you’re ready to dissect! For the added bit of drama, include a pair of science-goggles or glasses.

Paper – Take a few long strips of paper and draw a series of lines (straight, curved, zigzag etc) & shapes to cut along. Long, narrow strips of paper are also perfect for snipping into lots of tiny pieces! Props if you have a paper shredder!

Magazines & Junk Mail – Being so close to Christmas, your cutting station could be as simple as cutting things out of magazines/junk mail and pasting onto a wish list for Santa! Of course before cutting, we had to have a quick browse through the brochure and decide what we’re wishing for!

Cutting skills are an important #schoolreadiness skill for preschoolers to have – @oliviasfoster

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For more from @oliviasfoster, you can find this Spring Garden Paper Seed Shredder Tutorial, and a DIY Rainbow Sandpaper Scratch Paper.

As always, supervision is required when children are using scissors. Make sure your child is using scissors appropriate to their age and remember to talk about how to safely hold, use and carry scissors. Cut in a direction away from your body and always be seated whilst cutting!

Overall, I dub this 45 minute long activity a SUCCESS! // Does this sound like something your child would be keen on? Give it a go & let us know how it goes! Tag me, @oliviasfoster &/or #craftyliving & #nannyshecando in your posts!

I’ve never met a child who doesn’t like scissors – @oliviasfoster Make this #DIY Cutting Station

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>> If your nanny kid or child is going to school next year, this diy cutting station might fine-tune their school readiness

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Olivia is a full time career nanny based in Sydney, Australia. She is passionate about children and child development. She uses creative and fun activities to develop teachable moments. Olivia shares an insight into her ‘nanny life’ on her social media accounts. You’ll find Olivia on Instagram & Pinterest at @oliviasfoster, sharing Arts, Craft & Activities for Babies, Toddlers and Preschoolers. Up next for Olivia is the exciting launch of her website ‘A Crafty LIVing’, coming soon!

Toddler Friendly Easy Kids Christmas Craft

To start our holiday crafting, this week we’re sharing a toddler friendly easy kids Christmas craft.

What makes this easy kids craft so toddler friendly is that it needs a substantial amount of glue for the pompom’s to stick; and if you have a toddler, you know they’re renowned for putting copious amounts of glue and paint on their projects.

With a little bit of help, Miss2 created some sweet festive Christmas hats with paper plates & pompoms! Here’s how to make a Christmas Tree Party Hat with your toddler.

>>> How To Make A Christmas Tree Party Hat

Toddler Friendly Easy Kids Christmas Craft

Ages: 2+
Time: 20 mins + drying time

You’ll Need:

Paper plate
Washable kids paint (green)
Pompoms
PVA glue
Stapler
Elastic cord
Scissors

To Make:

1 // Mark the center of your paper plate and then cut a line from the outside to the center.

2 // Curl the ends of the paper on top of one another to create a cone shape.

3 // Staple the ends together. We stapled one at the top and one at the bottom to stop it from opening and unraveling.

4 // Paint your paper plate and allow to dry.

5 // Now to decorate your tree! We used sparkly tinsel pompoms but you can use whatever you like! I found PVA glue worked well as it is quite thick, thus working well to hold the pompoms in place. (A few still needed to be reattached & held until the glue bonded.)

6 // Once dry, cut your elastic to size and staple to the sides of your hat.

**An adult should perform steps, 1 – 3 & 6

This craft needs a lot of drying time; especially with the abundance of paint & glue used. As toddlers are notorious for their inability to be patient, we spread out this project over the day.

Early learning easy kids Christmas craft – @oliviasfoster #DIY Christmas Tree Party Hat #toddlercrafts

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We painted our hats in the morning after breakfast and by lunchtime the hats were dry (thanks to a hot summer’s day)! After lunch, Miss2 glued the pompoms to the hat and again, placed them in the sun. Thanks to nap-time, she totally forgot about the hats, meaning they were able to dry all afternoon.

For more from @oliviasfoster, you can find a DIY Paper Pocket Watch, Earth Day Crafts, and 10 Essentials For Your Craft Box.

These hats would be the perfect addition to your Christmas gathering! As well as a hat, you could add a name and use them as place cards for your Christmas table.

Happy Crafting, we hope you enjoy this awesome toddler friendly easy kids Christmas craft! And, a special thanks to ‘big teddy’ for modelling Miss2’s handy-work! Make sure you visit @oliviasfoster on Instagram or A Crafty LIVing on Facebook to share your crafty efforts.

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>>> Are you ready to #DIY your Christmas party hat decorations?

The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep Book Review

Title: The Rabbit Who Wants To Fall Asleep by Carl-Johan Forssen Ehrlin
Age Range: 3 – 7 years
Reading Level: Preschool – 2

The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep Book Review

Have you heard recent buzz about a book touted as a “sleeping pill” for young children? The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep, written by Swedish psychologist Carl-Johan Forssen Ehrlin was published this year and has become an amazon.com bestseller. The book has gained worldwide notoriety with articles written about it on the Huffington Post, CBS News, and the Daily Mail. Parents are purchasing and testing out the book “guaranteed” to put children to sleep.

As I picked this slim paperback, I noticed that it’s self published. One of the things that hurts a self-published book is poor quality packaging and illustrations. Although the lack of a professional published appearance hasn’t stopped The Rabbit Who Wants To Fall Asleep from becoming a bestseller, it’s a difficult hurdle for me to step over when trying to give a positive review. The pictures help illustrate the story in a cohesive manner, but they are not the quality I generally look for and the book has an overall amateurish, homemade feel.

Here’s 8 tips to selecting good read aloud books.

This story opens with instructions: how to read the bolded words, when to say the child’s name during the reading, when to yawn, and how to create the correct environment for sleep. There is also a warning that anyone hearing the story will feel tired, so don’t read this book to anyone who is driving or operating heavy machinery.

Using the power of suggestion, lots of repetition, and word heavy pages the author taps into some of my favourite components for a great bedtime reading experience.

Many picture books currently being published are simply too short for a good bedtime story. They have one sentence per page, lack complex language, and contain overactive illustrations that actually discourage the use of a child’s imagination by dominating the book.

This book is a return to the days when stories were longer, quieter, and more relaxing. Unfortunately, it’s not really a story book – and completely misses the opportunity to be one. Here’s the low-down on why you should read aloud to your child.

Many picture books published are simply too short for a good bedtime story. #picturebooks

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The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep is not the least bit entertaining or interesting. Roger visits characters like Sleepy Snail, Heavy Eyed Owl and Uncle Yawn who give Roger and the child hearing the book suggestions on how to relax and fall asleep.

These characters have no personality of their own. Every encounter and dialog is meant to coach the child into feeling safe, relaxed and very tired.

I imagine hearing this book is like listening to a “self hypnosis” cassette tape. The author uses the same tools with the goal of achieving a specific end result.

I don’t doubt that this book will put many three and four year old’s to sleep, and if adults pick it up with that intent alone, they will reap the rewards of restful children. Not every child will respond to the repetition and sleepy themes, but those accustomed to bedtime stories will almost certainly be snoring by the end of the book.

If your bedtime reading is all about getting your child to sleep, you might want to pick up a copy. If you expect something more out of your books, give this one a pass. For more good reads, Da Poppins reviews a bunch of books on the site.

The Rabbit Who Wants To Fall Asleep – a sleeping pill for children?

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>Tell us, have you tried The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep with your children?

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Dana shares with us this The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep Book Review. Dana, Da Poppins, is a professional career nanny based in Vancouver, Washington, a graduate of the prestigious Northwest Nanny Institute and has over 20 years experience in the industry. Dana is a strong advocate for the benefit of reading and children’s literacy, is a talented scrapbooker, and writes the blog Da Poppins.

How To Make A Paper Pocket Watch

Over the past few weeks, Mr4 has become increasingly interested in telling the time. He has been eyeing the clock, noting what time particular things happen and letting me know when I’m running late!

We made this simple Pocket Watch as a play accessory but also as a learning tool. To begin with, we are learning o’clocks! Having a big wall clock made a huge difference, making it easy for Mr4 to count, compare and learn.

We practiced moving the hands to each hour of the day, talked what happens at each hour, and discussed the difference between the big hand and the little hand.

Remember to move at your child’s pace. Time telling is a complex skill, which your child will build on & begin to understand over the coming years. For now, we are enjoying the pretend play.

Learn through play & make your own Paper Pocket Watch!

>>> How To Make A Paper Pocket Watch

Age: 4+
Time: 30 mins

You’ll Need:

Cardstock
Pipe Cleaner (x2 colours)
Yarn
Water Paint
Paintbrush
Pen
Scissors
Glue Stick

To Make:

1 // Using a cup as a guide, trace around the edge onto a piece of cardstock. Then trace another circle directly beside it, leaving a small gap in between. You will need to add an additional loop to the top of the right circle; this is where you will attach the yarn. Alternatively you can find a pocket watch template online.

2 // Cut out the pocket watch, ensuring not to cut between the circles.

3 // Trace around another cup, slightly smaller than the other onto a piece of cardstock and cut out, this will be your clocks face.

4 // Paint or decorate the inside and outside of your pocket watch however you like! We used a range of water painting techniques to create a bright, colourful watch!

5 // Once dry, draw the watch face on the smaller circle and glue on the right side of the watch.

6 // Poke a hole in the center and push through two pipe cleaners; ensuring one is slightly smaller than the other. Then fold each end flat against the paper on both sides. Your clock arms will now be able to twist around!

7 // Punch a hole into the top of the watch and thread through the yarn, tying a knot at the end.

Mr 4 has been eyeing the clock + letting me know when I’m running late! #ausnannylife @oliviasfoster

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It’s highly unlikely your preschooler will ever be late again with his brand new pocket watch! Be prepared though, for the rest of the day and thereafter you will most likely hear “tick tock, tick tock” or “QUICK! Its 3 o’clock! Time to get the boys from school!” Happy Crafting!

For more from @oliviasfoster, you can find 10 Essentials For Your Craft Box, and 3D Wall Art Letters.

>>> How do you introduce the concept of time with your nanny children + preschoolers?

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Olivia is a full time career nanny based in Sydney, Australia. She is passionate about children and child development. She uses creative and fun activities to develop teachable moments. Olivia shares an insight into her ‘nanny life’ on her social media accounts. You’ll find Olivia on Instagram, Facebook & Pinterest at @oliviasfoster, sharing Arts, Craft & Activities for Babies, Toddlers and Preschoolers. Up next for Olivia is the exciting launch of her website ‘A Crafty LIVing’, coming soon!