Elena Nazarro has some tips for putting together a Harry Potter-themed birthday party. I bet kids would really dig this. It seems like Harry Potter is the perfect theme for a child’s birthday party too, because many of the stories involve groups of children doing activities together, so it’s not much of a leap. Suggestions […]
In anticipation of Father’s Day (this weekend!) we’re offering this review of Geek Dad’s Guide to Weekend Fun. We think the book is, well, fun, and we think you’ll agree. And as an added bonus, we’re giving MAKE readers a free, downloadable PDF of one of the book’s projects, the really fun NERF Dart Blowgun. Enjoy!
By Vickie Howell When I was 3 or 4 years old, my mom knit me a ladybug vest and skirt. Man, I loved that outfit! Unfortunately, the original was lost in the great hand-me-down beyond. Still to this day though, I appreciate the cuddly kitsch of the ensemble; so much so that I decided to […]
By Jessica Wilson A long time ago in a literary galaxy far, far away, I was a children’s bookseller extraordinaire. I ran an enormous department with very little display space for non-book items and found myself invaded with a plethora of plush toys and bath books. Our solution was a dozen or so clunky-chunky plastic […]
Granted, not every gardener wants snails around, but Erin at Elysian Studios tells a story of how her sons became fascinated by one these slow-moving crawlers and asked, “Can we keep him, Mom?” Erin whipped this snail habitat together, and shares a nice how-to so you can do the same with your kids.
Here’s a perfectly genius idea from Michelle at Muffin Tim Mom: save those frozen drink cups with the dome lids. They make wonderful mess-free paint holders for kids to use at arts and crafts time.
In April, I visited the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and met with Executive Director Jane Werner and her staff. They were excited to show me their MakeShop, a place inside the museum where anyone can make something. Jane told me that the museum serves families and we talked about how it was important to connect not just with kids but also their parents and grandparents. This is how we get making re-introduced into the home.
