As parents and grandparents hug children a little tighter this week, we can also remember to help our children be successful by spending more time with them. Scheduling even one half-hour each day reading, playing and doing a little project while conversing has been proven time and time again to help raise children with attachments to adults, kindness, intellectual curiosity, a large vocabulary, confidence and courage.
A little project helps to start and guide conversation, especially if some adults are not comfortable conversing with very young children. Stained glass windows brighten any window and are easy to make. They also are an excellent quiet activity to help calm children after running around. Picking up paper and gluing helps children develop skills to grasp pencils, scissors, crayons, and markers correctly.
For more ways to help children be successful and love a lifetime of learning see the authors' book "Learning Through the Seasons" at museums, bookstores, online at grandparentsteachtoo.org, E-Books at Smashwords.com, and pod casts at wnmufm.org.
Materials Needed: Colored tissue paper, waxed paper, white glue, black construction paper or grocery, tiny paintbrush.
What do we do?
To make stained glass church style windows fold and cut a black piece of construction paper about 5"X8". A paper shopping bag colored or painted black also works. Think of how you wish the window to look when the fold is open. Imagine a group of triangles, circles or half circles. Google images "stained glass windows" and libraries also have many ideas. Draw guidelines on the folded paper and help children cut out the shapes. When you open the folded paper both sides will be symmetrical. Glue wax paper on the backside covering the holes you made. Paint one waxed paper section at a time with white glue to add tissue paper.
Cut one inch square pieces of different colored tissue paper. Place small squares of tissue on the waxed paper. You may overlap colors. Allow to dry and hang in a window. If you want a shine, paint on Modge Podge more white glue.
Waxed paper windows
Any shape can be a stained glass window without black paper frames. Cut two pieces of waxed paper and glue them together with a thin coating of white glue all over the paper. Help children cut three circles to make Frosty the Snow Man with a top hat. Then cut out white tissue squares and black squares to cover the wax paper.