5 Craft Supplies Every Classroom Should Have

Any classroom, no matter what age the students, adore art and craft time. This period of class allows students to be creative and does not require the same level of merit as other subjects. Art and Crafts is something that every child can be good at. It is designed not only to be a fun part of the day for children, but it also aids in various key developmental areas; cognitive, emotional, sensory and motor skills. Craft supplies vary from classroom to classroom, but there are some key supplies that should feature in every room.

Paper/Card

Be it regular white paper or some coloured card, there should be some material to suffice as a “canvas” for the children to create their masterpiece on. Once you have some sort of paper or card, the scope for activities range from drawing to painting to 3d art to collages and more. Paper or card is absolutely necessary for virtually any craft activity.

Colours

Depending on the age group, your colouring materials can vary from colouring pencils to markers to crayons. The general consensus is to start the youngest children off colouring with crayons as they are the easiest for them to hold and colour with. The next age group should be able to work with colouring pencils. These require a more significant grip and level of control and any mistakes can easily be corrected with an eraser too. Markers are best left for older kids.

Safety Scissors

Each classroom should have a couple of safety scissors to hand. They can be used to cut shapes, reduce the size of an art piece or cut some card to use for other purposes. Learning to safely and effectively use a scissors can greatly help to develop a child’s motor skills. They can learn to control the movement of their hands by cutting various patterns and shapes into a piece of paper or card. Once, they are more advanced, they can be given the task of cutting perfectly around a shape or drawing on the card.

Glue

Once a child has mastered the art of drawing, cutting and colouring, they are keen to create even more creative pieces. Glue is necessary for creating “special effects” in arts and crafts. With some glue, a child can really explore their creative side, a child can bring the sheep that they have drawn to life with some glue and cotton wool. They can use different strips of coloured card and stick them to their “canvas” to truly enhance their “masterpiece”. The use of glue adds a whole new range of activities and possibilities.

Paint

Be it oil paints, finger paints, glitter paints or water paints, children just love painting. This activity can teach children about the various colours and how to combine different coloured paints to develop new shades. It offers them a means of expressing their emotions and communicating. It also helps to build their hand-eye co-ordination. It is a good idea to choose the paints for a classroom according to the age range of the children that will be using them.

Robert Carass is the Managing Director of www.xpertofficesupplies.ie - Ireland's premier low cost office supplies company. He has been in the Office Supplies Industry for over 20 years and he is very passionate about his work. He has held various positions working in the industry.

Misc. Monday: My Son's Scout Promotion and a Garter Snake

Last Monday night my son Joel got promoted to Assistant Senior Patrol Leader in Scouts. Say it 3 times real fast. He looks thrilled, huh? Possibly sick of Mommy taking so many photos.

Me and Sam in the car heading to the Scout ceremony ... see my cool-a-ma-jig Mother's Pin I have with all the neat pins on it?

Last weekend Mr.Kerrie found a tiny snake in our yard. Yes, he is wearing a Jamberry nail wrap and it held up famously while he worked in the yard!

5 Tips for Planning a Fabulous Quinceañera

When it comes to planning a quinceañera, also known as a sweet 15, parents and their daughters can get frazzled and find it difficult to make all of the final plans before the big birthday celebration arrives. But if you adhere to the following tips, you can rest assured that your planning process will go smoothly and that you'll do everything you need to do in order to really make your party stand out as an unforgettable event everyone will enjoy.

Start Planning a Year in Advance

When it comes to putting together a fabulous quinceañera, you have to plan far enough in advance to get all of the details in place. Therefore, it's highly recommended that you start thinking about the party roughly a year beforehand. Though it may sound a little crazy to think about planning a birthday party a year ahead of time, you won't regret it, as time will certainly fly and the big day will arrive before you know it. Plus, you'll be able to set your budget and begin to save up money for the event.

Book Your Venue Early

It's especially important to book your venue far enough in advance if the birthday falls in the spring or summer, which is the peak of wedding season and graduation season, forcing you to compete with a lot of other party planners in your area who can snatch up your special day before you can get your venue to sign a contract to hold it for you. Planning this far in advance will also help you snag the best deals on the most reliable vendors while also ensuring they don't get booked up before you can get to them.

Pick a Bright, Colourful Dress

Whether you decide to go with a long gown or a short dress, choose a bright, colourful one that will really stand out and make you the centre of attention. Two-tone dresses can be really unique options as well, and the bigger the bottom of the dress is, the more like a princess you'll feel. Opt for a dress that will fit your body best, though, rather than trying to force yourself into a gown that doesn't work for you. This will ensure that you feel comfortable and confident all night long.

Get Your Hair and Makeup Done Professionally

Leaving your hair and makeup duties up to someone else will take the stress off of you and let you enjoy some much-needed pampering on the day of your big event. After all of the stress of planning, you should be able to unwind and let the pros take care of you on your birthday. To be certain that you'll love your look, pay for trials in advance.

Don't Forget to Accessorize

From your crown to make you feel like a princess, to jewellery like earrings with a little flare that can make you feel even more beautiful, don't forget to accessorize. Choose items that match your dress in either style of colour to bring your whole look together so that you're ready for your close-up.

About the author:

Hayley Fox is a freelance writer with a background in party planning. She has helped girls plan their sweet 15 parties and knows how much hard work goes into such an important celebration. That's why she recommends booking venues and vendors in advance. Then all the other details will fall into place.

My Jamberry Nail Wraps Consultant Kit Came!

Yesterday I went to Weight Watchers over lunch while Mr. Kerrie was home with the kiddles. When I got home there was a big gift wrapped in Christmas paper on the counter and the kids were so excited for me to open it. It was my Jamberry consultant kit!

The kids love anything that comes to the house in a box and loved looking at the samples and the catalogs and all the fun things! Here's me with my new kit! I won't inundate you here with Jamberry stuff, but you can go over to Kerrie Jamberry for that fun action.

Yes, Mr. Kerrie was like OH GREAT, one more thing my wife is doing. And I'm like, don't worry, one other business thing dropped off so this one is replacing it and it's just for fun ... I won't be spending millions on my own private stash of nail wraps so it's all good! I am like a Nail Prophet bringing the good news of nails that last 2 weeks instead of 2 hours!

All the Girls in My House Have Glasses Now

Here's a post about this glasses-getting day.

And here are my gorgeous girls!

And come on over to my Jamberry nail wraps blog, where we can have a "jam session" about these things I am obsessed with lately. You can also get a free sample!