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!