Coffee Filter Butterflies

This week, we learned about Butterflies. The kids all really enjoyed learning about cocoons, migration, and of course, the pretty butterflies themselves. We made some really cool butterfly magnets out of coffee filters!

Here is what y0u need:
food colors
coffee filters
clothes pin
marker
pipe cleaner
sticky magnets

Basically you just squirt the food coloring on the the coffee filters (lightly or else it becomes saturated and as my son would say "Garbage) and then fold them together to make them symmetrical. This is called blot art.

We sat them on the porch to dry.

After they dried we brought them inside and I helped the kids to gather them in the center and put them in the clothes pins. We then made antennas from pipe cleaners and made smiley faces with markers. My clothes pins already had magnets on the backs that I'd put on there about four years ago! But you'd need to do that, of course. Anyway, they are super cute and the kids were terribly proud of their creations.

Bird Feeders from Egg Cartons!

Last Monday, I had a few mamas and kids over to enjoy making bird feeders! I chose bird feeders as the craft because I pretty much run an at home preschool now and I have chosen themes for each week. Last week's theme was birds so bird feeders seemed appropriate. Everyone provided an egg carton. We took the tops off and used them as our paint palettes. Then we put holes on each of the four corners of the egg cartons and used twine for the hangers. After that, we headed outside for finger painting. Some of the children (MINE) don't like to get dirty! But I'm working on that with them. All in all the bird feeders looked pretty good. I sent everyone home with a small bag of bird seed as well. I've not hung ours yet! Please comment if you've hung yours... I'd love to know how they actually survive in a tree!

Our first book discussion!

Beth Bream led us in our first book discussion on May 31st. The book highlighted was

Misconceptions: Truth, Lies and the Unexpected on the Journey to Motherhood

By Naomi Wolf. Our leader said that she felt that it went really well and that she felt encouraged to follow this discussion with future ones! (On a personal note, I'd just like to say that it was a joy to sit around and talk about natural childbirth, home birth, breastfeeding and the realities of post partum depression with women who are like minded.)

Do you have a book you'd like to discuss with Artsy Mamas? If so, leave a comment here on this blog entry or simply drop us a note at artsymamas@gmail.com. We are currently taking book suggestions for the summer!

Art and Story Time: Los Animales in Espanol

Lots of Artsy Mamas (and a couple of Artsy Papas) came together on Saturday, May 31st to enjoy the second Art and Story Time at Boro Book Warehouse in Murfreesboro. Thanks to Angelique St. Clair, the owner of Bravo Ninos, for leading the children in learning five animals in Spanish: perro, gato, pajaro, vaca, y oso. Mrs. St. Clair also brought along some fancy snacks from the Spanish culture that the kids really seemed to enjoy (and the Mamas like them too... those Takis were tooooo good!!). We had such a good time wearing ponchos and sombreros!

Robert Travis creates his five animals in Spanish libro.

Our new friends Ashley and Warren.

Pals Levi and Leah!

Learning espanol.

Rianne and Brian!

Yummy Mexican snacks!

Mark your calendars for this month's art and story time at Boro Book Warehouse!
June 28th, Saturday, 2-3pm
"Acting out": Kids will make masks and learn some theater games!