Fun memory #16: Dying brown chicken eggs

Just included this to show how nicely brown eggs can turn out when dyed. I thought it would be no use, but a friend here told me that you could dye brown eggs and that they just turned out to have a richer, warmer color. So, the next year we tried it, and I thought they turned out really pretty! The dye kit came from the states (keep it in your freezer). I just assumed that since we did not have white chicken eggs, it would not work, but I was wrong. So here's a sample for those of you who are considering dying brown eggs for next year and haven't done it before. This year we incorporated these into an Easter program, and the local kids who found these enjoyed them MUCH more than the plastic ones I had brought from the states and filled with candy.

Craft project #25: Card stock cats

These cats were super easy, cheap, and became a fun toy for E Ann that she played with for days. You just need scissors, glue, card stock, and crayons. Take a rectangular sheet of card stock and cut a square out of it. Fold the square in half and cut a semi-circle as you see here. This will be the cat's legs and body. Stand the "legs and body" up like you might a greeting card. Cut a slit in the front of the "body" where you can later insert the head. Cut a circle of the remaining card stock and cut this out for the head. Cut out tiny ears and a tail. Decorate the face and body with crayons. Attach ears to head and tail to body. Slip the head in the slit you cut for the body, and you're done. It was important to E Ann to also have kittens, and having those made the cats a family, and I think that's one of the reasons she played with them for so long.

Craft project #24: Paper plates parrot

I actually found templates for the parrot's appendages in a scissors crafts handbook, but I think you could easily freehand templates based on the image you see here. Just use colored paper to make a wing, feet, tail, googly eyes, and a beak. The message he carries is based on a selection from our Book. I let the girls paint the two paper plates with water colors. Then we stapled the plates together and pasted and taped the parts on the birds. This is also a pretty simple craft, but one I get lots of comments on from locals, so I think it could be a fun craft for a SS program.

Craft project #23: Thumprint mouse bookmark

This project idea came from some old copies from an old craft book that someone left here. It was very simple, but E Ann enjoyed it very much. All you need is two colors of paper, ink pads, and markers. We can get ink pads in our country at an office supply store. But I actually had on hand some ink pads that are kid-safe from Hobby Lobby. These come in a variety of colors, and I highly recommend them...watch for Hobby Lobby's sales on stamping supplies. We used thumbprints for the mice bodies and decorated eyes, noses, ears, whiskers, and tails on with markers. We glued the picture on another contrasting sheet of colored paper. It meant a lot to E Ann to make some of the mice smaller so they could be a family. I was pleasantly surprised to see how much delight a craft as simple as this could bring to E Ann. Bookmarks are always in need around our house, also, to use as markers for our nighttime devotional books, so having a new bookmark can be really special for your devotions or for library books which need special care.

Craft project #22: Button jewelry

We made these necklaces and bracelets with simple embroidery floss and buttons from the market next door. We also used a needle to thread the buttons on. I actually had to hold the needle; Maggie just picked the buttons and was the designer of the necklace. We found that if you thread the thread through all four holes of a four-holed button, the buttons will stay in place better. You can alternate four-holed buttons with two-holed buttons to help them stay in place better, also. Maggie also made her Pepaw a key chain in this style by forming a loop of buttons and attaching it to a metal ring.
Careful with these...they tangle easily. :) Maggie had fun with it, though.

Craft project #21: princess crowns

This project was a pretty simple one we did for Maggie's fourth birthday party, which was a princess party. Materials you'll need:
Posterboard
Rhinestone gems/sequins
School glue
Stapler/staples
Lengths of ribbon, ric rac, or sequin tape for embellishment
I used a simple crown template I found on-line. I was able to get posterboard downtown on our "paper street" in a variety of colors, but chose pink and yellow since we'd have boys and girls at the party. Sequins and gems were very cheap and easy to find in the sewing section of our market. I just divided sequins and gems into bowls, set them on tables, and let the kids pick what embellishments they'd like and glue them on their crowns. They had the choice of adding ric-rac or sequin tape to the bottom of their crowns. We then just stapled strips of left over cardboard to either side of the crown (maybe 8 in. by 1 in. strips) then custom fit them in the back, stapling the strips together to fit on the kids' heads.

Fun memory #15: Nectar drinking relay

This was a fun game inspired by an internet search for Butterfly-related party games. I loved this one because it was cheap, simple, and required supplies easily found where we live. The idea of the game is that the kids are pretending to be butterflies and competing to see who can drink his "nectar" the fastest. The "nectar" was actually kool-aid. We lined the kids up behind the starting line, which was a piece of tape on the ground. Each kid had to put a straw in his mouth and run to the short table with his hand behind his back. On top of the short table were three small cups of kool-aid. The kids then had to drink the kool-aid through the straws, keeping their hands behind their backs the entire time. The idea was to drink just like a butterfly would. This was a really fun game, because although a butterfly-themed party can seem maybe kind of "girlie," this game had a competitive edge that was also a lot of fun for the boys.

Craft project #20: Pom pom critters

The idea for these came from a little craft book Maggie got in BKK. The pom poms had to be brought in from another country, but could be found in SE Asia, so you may have luck finding them in your country. Also got the googly eyes from Thailand. We actually have a bookstore that now carries packs of fun foam. Fun foam was used for the base. Just kind of worked with Maggie to make the shapes she wanted. Then, she picked the pom poms she wanted and stuck those along with googly eyes and short lengths of pipe cleaner (pipe cleaners also brought from America). So, this is not a craft you might be able to make exactly from what you would have in country, but maybe gives some ideas of some fun things to bring in with you after your next trip out. They were also very popular toys to play with until they fell apart.
Materials you'll need to bring in (probably): Fun foam, pompoms of various colors, googly eyes, pipe cleaners. We just used white school glue to stick them together.

Craft project #18: Framed art

We have found that art work becomes a little sturdier, prettier, and easier to save when it has a frame. Usually the art's frame is just a piece of card stock or colored paper cut to match the shape of the original artwork. This really livens up Maggie's projects like drawings or water colors, and makes them prettier when they are stuck on the wall...also makes them easier to display without their falling apart.

Craft project #17: Found art

Maggie's idea for this project all came from a flag toothpick from one of my deli sandwiches we love to eat while we are in Thailand. She thought, "That looks like a flag an astronaut might put on the moon." So, she drew her whole outer space scene with crayons in, and then taped her flag on the picture. Thought this was cute, and this could be adapted for all kinds of found objects around the house, like a candy wrapper, piece of a pretty napkin, etc.

Craft project #16: Cut-out shapes collage pictures

Maggie started here with a blank piece of paper and water-color painted it full of lady bugs. You could pick your own theme, like dinosaurs, jungle animals, underwater animals, etc. Then, she cut out all of her lady bug shapes. After that, she took a piece of blue paper for the sky, and cut out grass for the bottom, and decorated the sky with makers and crayons. Then, she glued the lady bug shapes back on where she wanted. This was fun and gave her a chance to use several mediums in one project, and do something different with her watercolors than a simple picture.

Craft project #15: Blotted butterlfies

For this project, we cut out simple shapes of butterflies by folding a piece of paper in half, cutting out half the butterfly shape on the fold, and then unfolding the shape so both sides of the butterfly were identical. Then, Maggie painted one side of the butterfly (generously). She then pressed the sides together, so the paint from one side blotted onto the other. Pull the wings back apart quickly or they will stick together. Set the butterflies out, opened, to dry. We decorated the walls of our temporary apartment (with masking tape which peels off w/no damage) while waiting for Josie to be born.
(You may need to fill in the design with a little paint for bold, bright colors).

Craft project #14: Fun with letters

Have your child draw (or draw for them) a letter of her choice or her initial in a silly shape. Hand her a pack of markers and tell her to decorate the inside of the letter in a rainbow of colors. Maggie chose to decorate the rest of the page with stamper markers (very cheap and can be found at Tesco Lotus in Thailand). This project could be even more fun if you used scraps of corrugated cardboard, decorated them, and made a frame.

Craft project #13: Paint a princess

For this craft, I just free-handed a princess outline (VERY SIMPLE shape...nothing complicated!) and had the girls paint them in (instead of telling them to just go paint something :)). They loved decorating the princesses. I think this could work well for seasonal crafts, like decorating a Christmas tree or present shape, or would also work for another simple shape like a birthday cake or ice cream cone.

Craft project #12: Button collages

This was a really fun project for the girls that can be very budget friendly. I've seen buttons in almost every market around our town in the sewing sections...and buttons cost pennies. You can give your little artists an idea for a button design or let them have fun on their own. Maggie (6) was able to do this independently with her own design and idea; E Ann (3) needed some guidance but loved the interaction as we placed all the buttons on her page together. Use sturdy card stock as your back drop so it will hold up better after the buttons dry.

Fun memory #9: Fancy dinner

"Fancy" dinners originally came about because we saw the need to work on table manners with our girls. :) So we decided to encourage good table manners by offering the reward of a "fancy dinner" where they could eat fancy food, wear fancy clothes, and behave in a way that is "fancy." At fancy dinner time, we also talk about using silverware, chewing with our mouths closed, how to use napkins, how to talk to a waiter, how to talk/behave in restaurants (not loudly:)), etc. The girls get to put together outfits that they choose for themselves. They have really enjoyed it, and I hope they have learned a few table manners in the process.

Fun memory #8: Washing time

At the very least, cheap, local-style riding toys have been available in every country I have visited in SE Asia. On a slow weekend day, when we have time, it has been so much fun for the girls to drag out their riding toys (and we have a couple of really fun ones from Memaw and Pepaw in America) and wash them. This also applies to the play dishes from tea party sets. A tub of water, soapy sponges, and brushes, can provide entertainment for quite some time.

Craft project #11: Rejoice praise pipes

This little project was a lot more fun for the kids than I had anticipated. It looks very simple, but the kids really enjoyed this. All it took was:
straws (cut into lengths of 1", 2", 3", 4", and 5")
tape
A little card stock
markers
I cut the lengths of card stock into strips of about 81/2 inches by 1 inch. Then, we taped the straws on in graduated lengths. Then just tape a decorated, matching length of card stock on top. When you blow into this "praise pipe," it does not create a musical sound. But our kids had fun pretending with them, much like you would play with a kazoo. We wrote "REJOICE" on top to match our verse of the week, but older kids could do more with decorating these.

Fun memories #7: Chubby Bunnies

This is another old stand-by game that was a lot of fun with the kids. Back in our youth group, we used to play this game with regular white marshmallows. A few volunteers had to go in front of the group, stuff their mouths with marshmallows one at a time, and whoever could get the most marshmallows in their mouth and still say "Chubby Bunnies" was the winner. In our country, we don't have white marshmallows, but we do have a soft marshmallow candy like you see here...these come in the shape of marshmallow hamburgers. The kids had a lot of fun with this game. A couple caveats: 1) Make sure you have a bag for the kids to spit the marshmallows into when they are done...those marshmallows have to go somewhere. 2)Some of the kids will really get into it and stuff marshmallows into their mouths until they gag themselves or make themselves sick...make sure you watch them and MAKE them spit the marshmallows out before they get choked or make themselves sick...also make sure you consider age/maturity level when choosing your "volunteers." Younger kids could always be the ones to shove the marshmallows in rather than being the actual volunteer with the marshmallows in their mouths. My girls were too young to stuff the marshmallows in their own mouths, but helped hand out marshmallows and prizes for winners at the end.
We had three or four teams...each team had someone to unwrap the candy, another to give the candy to the volunteer, someone to hold a plastic sack to spit the marshmallows into when the volunteer was done, and the volunteer himself who was trying to say "Chubby Bunnies." This way, more kids could get involved and work together.

Fun memories #6: Mummy game

This game is probably old news for many of us...but I included it just to show that anywhere you can get toilet paper, you can play this game! The kids had a lot of fun with it. We played this at a birthday party for a local friend who asked us to bring some games. This worked well for a situation where there could potentially be a large group, but I didn't know exactly how many kids there would be. We divided the kids into teams, and let the teams work to decorate each volunteer who would be the mummy. Then, you can let kids who didn't play help you "judge" which "mummy" is wrapped up the best. All you really have to provide is a few rolls of toilet paper for wrapping. But we also brought a few prizes (SMALL, SIMPLE prizes like fun pencils) for the winning team. Make sure to let the kids know NOT to cover the "mummy's" mouth, nose or face with toilet paper. It was so funny to see all the kids laughing and having fun with this.

Craft project #10: Helmets

These were made to represent helmets of s-lv-ation when we studied Eph. 6. This was a VERY simple and easy craft, but the kids LOVED it. All you need is:
Scissors
glue
staples/stapler
heavy paper (Card stock works nicely)
markers or stickers for decorating
I got the template from an old craft book, but by looking at this picture you could probably figure out what to do. I cut the template for the helmets ahead of time, along with the small tassel stuck to the top and the strips we used for attaching them to the kids' heads. So, during craft time, the kids just glued the tassel on top, and decorated their helmets however they wanted to. Then, I went around and stapled strips to the sides, then stapled the strips together in the back to match their heads. It was a pleasant surprise to see how excited the kids were to wear their little helmets. A nice little take-home project like this is a good place to attach the week's v-rse, so the kids have a little reminder for studying the rest of the week.

Craft project #9: Home made kite

We made this kite for Maggie...still are not sure if it will fly! But she had so much fun making it, and was so proud of it. I think it's still a worthy project because it was a lot of fun. We got a strip of bamboo (readily available around here, and it cost about a quarter for a few strips...another material might be more readily available for this cheap in your area) and cut them in half. Then, we had our driver, Saw Washi, help us make notches in the end of the bamboo strips. We took some lengths of yarn, and threaded it around the strips to make our frame for our kite. Then, we cut the brown paper to fit around the frame, and taped it down on the back with "binding tape," which is a lot like duck tape but comes over here in a variety of colors. Then, we just let Maggie decorate the front with markers. She decided to make her kite a "princess" kite. Then, we took some strong string, made a loop around where the bamboo strips connect on the back, and tied our string to that loop. We made this one for flying, but even just as a decoration, it's a fun project. We made some smaller versions for decorations for our home school room.

Fun memroies #5: "Prize" walk

These pictures are from a really simple party game we did for Maggie's birthday party...this game was SO easy to put together and a real hit with the kids. We did sort of a "cake walk," but instead of cakes when the music stopped, we gave out small (very small) prizes from the gift bag we made (you can see it here).
We printed up coloring pages from the internet. Since the party was a Minnie Mouse party, we did all Mickey characters and friends. You could do this for pretty much any character/theme. We let the girls color the pages first, which was a really fun part of party preparation for them, and something they could do themselves. We stuck the pictures to the floor with masking tape in a circle. The kids walked around the circle to music from an ipod, then when it stopped, the winner got to choose a prize. Of course, we had enough prizes for all the kids to be winners. (NOTE: Kids at this age do NOT do well with losing, so please make sure you have a prize for everyone! Our prizes cost maybe a quarter each...you could do this with a piece of candy or a sucker...does not take much to please at this age).
Lots of fun, very cheap, and very easy. Even the shy kids got into this eventually.

Fun memories #4: Beauty shop night

Beauty shop nights are too few and far between at our house. Just a few simple "extras" can make an ordinary night into a special beauty shop night. A few ideas:
-a bubble bath instead of a regular bath, or using special new good smelling soap in the shower
-short head massage to make a shampoo more special
-a special towel wrap (like the ones pictured) around her head (our girls LOVE this and don't get it much)
-getting to use mom's special lotion after bath time
-getting fingernails and toe nails painted...we keep a stock of cheap nail polish we find here...we can find fun colors for the girls and even find nail polish glitter pretty regularly. It's a special treat for the girls to get sparkles on their fingernails or toes.

Fun memories #3: Tea party and tea party baking

This was a fun memory with some other TCK friends. We noticed that these girls had a kids' cookbook, so we told them we needed to have an afternoon together to try some baking, and we turned it into a tea party. These girls were also old enough to help with some of the baking, so this project was fun for kids who are a little bit older. Getting ready for the tea party was a lot of the fun. The girls were so excited. We cleared some space in their room and set up tables. Another thing that made the tea party special was using the heart table cloths. These "table cloths" are just one yard square pieces of fabric I picked up at the local market. A seamstress hemmed them for me for about 50 cents, and the fabric itself cost maybe a dollar, so there's a fun, reusable table cloth for you that cost about $1.50. We use these little one yard squares for lots of parties to make our little plastic tables look a little more special. We also set out fake flowers on the table. The girls were so excited to get things ready.
When our guests arrived, we made the cupcakes together. We got icing ready while the cupcakes baked. I will try to remember to post our cupcake recipe later. For now, here's the butter cream icing recipe we used for the cupcakes:
Butter cream icing
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 lb. powdered sugar (called "icing sugar" over here)
a little water
Mix together your shortening and butter with a hand mixer. Add the powdered sugar. Add water until you get desired consistency...start with no more than 1 tsp.
When the cupcakes were ready and cool, the girls decorated them themselves. Then, we had cupcakes, ice cream, and "tea" for our tea party. They loved it.

Craft project #8: Coral reef mural

We decided to make this mural after looking at a beautiful picture of a coral reef in one of our extra home school books. We did this with mostly paper and water colors. Supplies we used:
-one big sheet of sturdy paper
-white paper (for painting our fish)
-colored paper cut into small shapes
-water color paints
-scissors
-glue
First, we painted our blue ocean background. Some little helpers from our building actually helped us do this part. We let this dry for one day and came back to the rest of our reef the next day. Then, we used shapes cut from colored paper to create the collage that formed our "coral reef" (which you see at the bottom right hand side of our mural). Then, we painted some pictures of different types of seaweed and plants, and glued them along our coral reef. Next, we chose our favorite fish and sea creatures from the pictures in our book, and painted them the best we could on separate pieces of white paper. Then, we pasted the fish pictures onto our scene. Last, we labeled all of our fish and sea life. This mural made a nice decoration for the wall of our school room for quite some time. It was a fun little project to incorporate some of our "helpers" in our building, too.

Craft project #7: Cardboard animal cage

This project came from a rainy day activity book we picked up a long time ago in Singapore. We used an old cardboard box from the mail, along with a spare piece.
Supplies needed:
-cardboard box and spare cardboard piece
-yarn
-tape
-brads
-scissors
Cut the top flaps off of your cardboard box so you are left with only the base. Cut your extra piece of cardboard into four long strips that match the size of the perimeter of your box, as you can see in picture. Attach the strips into a square using your brads. Cut yarn into lengths that match the size of your remaining "window." Tape the lengths of yarn to the back of your cage door. Now, attach the door to your box with good tape...we used packing tape. Next, cut out a latch in the shape you see here...a rectangle with a notch in it works fine. Cut another matching rectangle with a notch, and attach it to the side of your box using brads and tape. Attach your first rectangle with a notch to the front of your "cage," using only a brad, so you can move your latch up and down and open the door to your cage. If your little one likes this project, you could make a whole zoo full of cages.

Craft project #6: Paper plate hot air balloon hangings

This is another craft idea taken from a Gospel Light resource book. We used this idea for a SS project, and pasted a memory verse at the bottom. If I can't think of another SS activity, we usually make a decorative item that can carry a memory verse, so the kids have incentive to look at/practice the verses that week.
Supplies needed:
-2 paper plates per child
-pre-cut shapes from colored paper
-glue
-yarn (cut three equal lengths for each child)
-hole puncher
-stapler and staples
-brown paper or cardboard, pre-cut to be your "balloon basket" in proportion to your paper plates
-memory verses, cut out and ready to glue onto the balloon basket
First, allow your kids to choose the colored shapes they like and glue them to the bottom side of the paper plates. Next, staple the paper plates together to make your balloon. Then, punch three holes around the edge of the plate...one hole at the top for a hanger, and two holes at the bottom for attaching your "basket." The, punch two holes into the top of your "basket." Tie the basket to the balloon with two pieces of yarn. Use the third piece of yarn to tie a loop onto the top of the balloon for a hanger. Allow the kids to glue the memory verse to the balloon basket.

Craft project #5: homemade stick puppets

These little stick puppets are so simple and versatile, and the girls have had so much fun with them. The great thing about these is that you can make them out of just about ANY character. Just photocopy any picture of a character or animal, let the kids color and/or decorate them, then let them cut the picture out. Tape a tongue depressor or barbecue grilling stick to the back of your picture. Then, glue a heaver piece of paper or card stock to the back of that. Then you have instant puppets! Here, we made royal puppets and a castle backdrop out of old cereal boxes we painted, cut, and glued together. In the other picture, Elizabeth Ann is holding some scarecrow puppets we made to learn about Autumn. These could be adjusted for any season or story, according to whatever character pictures you have on hand or what story you want to tell. You could also photocopy coloring book pages and make stick puppets out of those pictures. One year, for Maggie's birthday, she had an Elmo party, and we made these simple stick puppets out of pictures of Sesame Street characters. Lots of possibilities. These little puppets become treasures for the girls, and I can only throw them away if I do it in secret.

Craft project #4: Nature collage

Part of the fun of making the nature collage was taking the nature walk that preceded it. We just took a short walk around our neighborhood. On the nature walk, the girls took little baskets and collected bits of nature around them. It was a good chance for me to learn a little bit more about the plants I see here, too, as our helper explained several that had been unfamiliar to me before. It was pretty neat to get to see the unique things the girls were able to add that we found lying around...like banyan tree leaves and coconut hair. They took a lot of pride in arranging their collages just right.

Craft project #3: Space man helmets

These are front and side views of "space helmets" we made. We made these out of old cereal boxes. We fold the cereal boxes flat (usually) for storage after I have emptied them. We cut off the top and bottom of the flat cereal boxes, then cut a side open so we could turn them inside out. Then, we cut out a hole for the face. The girls decorated them with markers...you could use stickers, paints, etc., according to what you have on hand. Then, we stapled and taped the edges back together. The girls completed their "space man" ensembles with coats, boots, backpacks, and water guns for hunting aliens. They had a great time with the space man suits and turned the living room into a pretend rocket ship.

Fun Memories #2: Puppet shows w/bought puppets

The girls have had so much fun with the cheap little dollar store puppets we brought in. We make a make-shift stage with a piece of strong string and a sheet. Then, they do puppet shows to stories or songs. They love puppets so much that we invested in a few for Christmas from Oriental Trading. We chose some that were "community helpers," and we have also been able to use them for home school lessons. But the very cheap dollar store ones are lots of fun for every day imaginative play. They have also spent lots of time lining up stuffed animal "audiences" for their puppet shows, which is half the fun. The pictures here show them with one of their stuffed animal audiences, waiting for a puppet show, and a puppet show performance with their friend.

Fun memories #1: Hair flowers

One of the VERY fun things about living here has been the market flowers! Cheap and always available, they make almost any special occasion more special. When we have a special visitor, party, or a holiday, the girls love to accompany me to the market and pick out fresh flowers.
On a special day for the girls, we might make it more special by adding flowers to their hair. Here, Maggie is pictured at a preschool graduation with rosebuds and a little baby's breath in her hair. We had a lot of fun with this, and it's a sweet memory to look back at pictures of my girls with flowers in their hair.

Craft project #2: Ladies' flower garland headbands

This idea was not all mine...I got this from a Gospel Light idea book. Hopefully, one day, I will get the hodgepodge of resources I have pulled from organized and listed on this page.
I made these for a wedding the girls were in. We used fresh flowers for the wedding, but also made a play version at home with fake flowers.
Supplies you'll need:
-some type of wire for framing...I used pipe cleaners I had on hand, but you could also use wire hangers
-ribbons
-flowers (fake or real)
-colored electrical tape (or floral tape if you have it)
-good scissors (that can cut your flowers or cut through the fake flower stems)
-Lengths of tulle (optional)
First, form your wire base into a round circle to fit your child's head. Then, starting at the center in the front, surround your wire base with flowers. Tape them on using the electrical tape. I chose a color that matched the ribbons, so it would not show through.
Next, take a length of ribbon, find its center, and loop it through at the front in the middle of your flowers. Wind it around your wire base, covering the areas where you have taped flowers on. Finish by tying a bow in the back.
For a pretty finish, you can tie extra ribbons on the back, and you can also fold a length of tulle on the back, and tie it, to add a short train. Your little girl will love it.
This is a project that's a little more complicated, but you can involve younger kids by allowing them to help choose flowers, wind the ribbon, and tie on the finishing pieces.

Craft project #1: Paper mache

One thing we have always been able to do is paper mache. Hopefully, when I get back home, I can attach our simple paper mache recipe. Maggie has had a pinata for her birthday almost every year, and it's been a fun family project. We also made paper mache "maracas" for a Cinco de Mayo celebration at our friends' Mexican restaurant/training center. Here, pictured are our paper mache maracas and the girls working on a Minnie mouse pinata for Maggie's 5th birthday.
Paper mache has been a fun medium, because the possibilities are endless. It also takes a minimum of supplies, and it's pretty cheap. Almost all of our supplies are found locally, but I do often use non-toxic kids' paint that I have brought in. The year we had an Elmo pinata for Maggie's birthday, I used bright red spray paint. You can mix and match whatever is available in your area.
One caveat about making paper mache in SE Asia or anywhere else you have a rainy season...if it's rainy season, it's going to take AT LEAST three days for your paper mache project to dry BEFORE you can paint it. When it's wetter outside, it just takes longer to dry, and then you also have to try to get it in the sun as much as possible to prevent mold as much as you can. Then, you need to allow time for the pain to dry. So, if you have a birthday party coming up, and want to have a pinata, start your project ABOUT A WEEK IN ADVANCE.
Another tip...if you make a "handle" part of your design, it makes it easier for hanging a pinata. We have usually made our "handles" out of binding tape or colored electrical tape.

What to bring

Now, I'd like to list a few things I have NOT found in our country that might add a little fun to your projects and memories.
Listed below are items that I have not found here, but have found right next door in Thailand. So, you might like to bring these things with you, but just wanted to include the disclaimer that you might be able to find these in your country (or right next door, if you make visa runs like we do).
-pipe cleaners
-felt squares
-small jingle bells
-pom poms
-hot glue gun and hot glue sticks
-googly eyes
-wider variety of ribbon, including grosgrain
-varieties of yarn
-sheets of plastic covering (in a variety of designs) that we use to cover the table for projects (I have found this in our country, but quality is better and price is still cheap over in Thailand)
-styrofoam balls of many sizes
-sidewalk chalk
NOTE...these are all items from local stores/markets, not imported items in large department stores. So, all of this is basically affordable.

At the Office supply stores (bigger chains) in Thailand:
-eyelet machine (like a big hole-punch, but punches in eyelets for you)
-brads (some call these "paper fasteners")

Things you might like to bring from America:
-non-toxic kids' paint
-non-toxic finger paint
-washable markers
-colored dry-erase markers
-fun shaped paintbrushes and foam brushes
-a variety of food coloring
-seasonal items (Things like decor or special craft projects for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Fourth of July, and St. Patrick's Day)
-foam stickers
-foam products like bookmarks or picture frames you can decorate
-Religious themed stickers
-glitter glue ( I do find glitter, but working with it is VERY messy...having glitter glue is nice!)
-stamp pads in fun colors (Hobby Lobby puts kid safe stamp pads on sale every so often)
-stamps (you can sometimes have these made in local markets)
-Elmer's glue
-coloring books with favorite characters (like VeggieTales or religious themes)
-window clings (these are cheap, can be found at the Dollar Tree, and make instant, fun decorations for holidays)
-Window Markers by Crayola...our girls have had SO MUCH fun with these
-stock up on CDs for kids with religious songs
-fun puppets (Check the dollar store and Dollar General, also Oriental Trading)

NOTE: a few of these items, like the non-toxic kids' paint, might be available in large department stores, but prices are so inflated that I say it's better to bring them from America if you do have the opportunity.

Craft supplies available in our neck of SE Asia

I thought it might be nice to include of things I HAVE been able to find here that we have had a LOT of fun with. At first, I kind of thought craft materials were a thing of America...what a small picture of the world I had! I had no idea the fun that I could find with the sewing section of our local market. So, I wanted to share what we DO have, so that if you are planning a move from America, you know what NOT to waste luggage space on!
At our office supply store (NOT major names...just our local supply store!):
-scissors
-glue sticks and water-based glue
-white paper
-colored paper (not like construction paper from home, but it works)
-card stock in several (but not all) colors
-rulers
-stencils
-colored pencils
-wax crayons (though I have found few as good as Crayola, so sometimes I put Crayola crayons on wish lists from home)
-oil pastels
-colored markers
-water color paints
-pencils, pencil sharpeners, and erasers
-rubber bands
-staplers and colored staples
-manilla folders of many colors
-plastic briefcase type boxes...great for storing supplies and puzzles
-drawing pads
-binding tape...I call it this because copy shops use this to bind copied books. The texture and durability, however, remind me of Duck tape! This tape comes in a variety of colors and widths and we use it for all kinds of things.
-scotch tape
-masking tape
-hole puncher


AT THE MARKET DOWNTOWN:
-posterboard (not in our regular sheet sizes, but you can cut it down and make lots with it)
-large sheets of brown paper (like using brown paper sacks from the grocery store)
-manila-type drawing paper
I mentioned this separately because we have a street downtown that we call the "paper street." Mostly, on this street shops print up things like wedding invitations or business cards. But the shops that stock paper have lots of BIG sizes of paper, cheap, that we have used LOTS for our SS projects.

AT THE SEWING SECTION OF THE MARKET:
-fabric glue
-all kinds of fun prints of cotton fabric, including some seasonal designs
-selections of satin and eyelet fabrics
-sequins of all shapes and sizes, including shapes like stars, seashells, and butterflies
-ric rac
-sequined ribbon
-varieties of ribbon, including some embroidered designs, sheer ribbons, and satin varieties
-sewing embellishments, like small hand-made flower designs
-lace
-yarn
-buttons...mostly decorative shapes
-tulle

ITEMS FROM THE MARKET/GROCERY STORE THAT WE CAN/HAVE USED FOR CRAFTS:
-styrofoam take-away containers (much like Chinese take-out boxes we used in the states)
-paper cups
-small plastic cups
-paper plates
-market sacks...these plastic sacks are made of cellophane and do not close at the top. They are available in local markets in all kinds of sizes, and we use them ALL the time, especially for wrapping gifts or preparing SS prizes.
-rubber bands
-Barbecue/grilling sticks...we use these often in place of tongue depressors for crafts that call for tongue depressors
-cotton balls
-wrapping paper
-string
-bamboo rods...we have used the thinnest we can find for projects as big as a play fishing pole or as small as kite supports...we just cut them down to the size we need
-fake flowers
-small dried beans (we have used these as fillers for bean bags or home-made musical instruments)
-macaroni/some sort of pasta is usually available
-plastic hangers...wire available at some markets
-plant seeds
-aluminum foil
-plastic wrap
-flour
-toilet paper

HOUSEHOLD ITEMS THAT WE SAVE FOR CRAFTS:
-hangers
-cereal and cracker boxes...we constantly reuse the thin cardboard
-egg cartons (must be washed)
-styrofoam fruit trays
-toilet paper rolls
-paper towel rolls

As you can see, this is QUITE a selection to start off with! There are LOTS of things that can be done with these supplies only.
We live in a country against which the U.S. has trade sanctions. So, these sanctions limit the availability/flow of imported products. Most surrounding countries I have visited carry most of these types of products and/or more. I feel pretty safe in assuming that most countries in the third world, at least in the capital city if you have access to it, will have most of these items. So, hopefully this list could be helpful for a mom preparing to move young kids to the third world. One of my biggest lessons in our first few years here was LEARN YOUR LOCAL MARKETS. This was esp. helpful after we had a major natural disaster...most "bigger" stores were closed, but there will usually be a local market open or someone selling something somewhere. It helps SO IMMENSELY to know these markets, enjoy the things that can be found there, and take advantage of the better prices that most of them have!

Fun for kids

When I first arrived in SE Asia, Maggie was still very young. At the same time, I was always looking for ways to provide her with some stimulation. We were busy adjusting to our new place, and learning the language, but I always wanted her to be a priority. She has brought us such joy form the very beginning...what a gift our children have been! Her precious little smile and antics were such a gift our first year overseas. I always knew that life would be different overseas, but when I got here there were a variety of factors that really hit me. I never expected there to be nice parks, playgrounds, or libraries, but I kept asking myself, "What can I do with her?" I kept asking at meetings of other moms like me, "What are some ideas for activities for small children/preschoolers?" I was hungry for information, and I heard a few really neat ideas. But for the most part, the responses I heard were something like, "Well, there are a lot of great books and web sites out there." That is true! There are a lot of great books and web sites out there...but in our country, there was no reliable system of internet and almost no access to English books. I was so hungry to hear from a panel or pool of moms on ideas for stimulation/play/creativity for young kids. So, I thought I would share some of the things I have learned in this blog. I would love to hear your ideas, too.
From the very beginning, I learned that building happy memories into our family's experiences was going to be very important for us. I cannot express what JOY our family has been given on this journey Dad has had for us. Still, I realized that I didn't want to become worn out because I looked back and thought, "We never do anything fun anymore," or, "I haven't been on a vacation in three years." We may not have extravagant vacation plans or entertainment budgets, but we have learned how to ENJOY what IS available to us and how to build HAPPY MEMORIES. There have definitely been trying times living overseas...but there is so much joy in being able to look back at the blessings we have experienced as a family and just sit back and be thankful for them all.
So, I wanted to share a little about creating SWEET MEMORIES, and I hope to learn from many of you who are willing to share your ideas, also!
On this blog, I want to share ideas for crafts and fun memories for small children which are:
-cheap
-simple
-do-able with materials found mostly in SE Asia
-honoring to Dad, who brought us here
We use many of these ideas in home school, SS, and in fun times with kids around us or other third culture kids we know. I believe in building a strong family unit, but also using the strength that Dad gives our family to reach out to the world around us. May He bless you as you also seek to build sweet memories with your family and those around you!