Sizzling burgers on the grill, ice cold lemonade, and kids splashing in the pool…Independence Day is known for family cookouts.  Make it extra special this year and let the kids help decorate with American flags and this simple kids 4th of July craft.

Make a few of these pinwheel-inspired wreaths with the kids before the big day.

Materials Needed:

• Paper Plates
• Red, White, and Blue Construction Paper
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Glue
• Pencil
• Paper Clip and String for Hanging (optional)

Start by cutting the center from the paper plate.  When working with young children, this is better suited for an adult to do.  For older kids you can show them how to gently fold the plate in half to cut the center out.

Next, use the ruler and pencil to measure and draw 4 inch wide squares on your red, white, and blue construction paper.  For each wreath you will need 2 squares of each color.  This is a great opportunity to work on early measuring skills.

Have your child cut the squares out.  Use the ruler to draw diagonal lines across each square and cut on the line to form 2 triangles from each.

Assemble the triangles on the plate as shown and glue into place.

The triangles are situated in such a way that the wreath reminds me of a pinwheel.  For younger children I suggest not worrying about how the triangles are placed.  Instead, focus on the pattern (red, white, and blue).  My son added little star stickers to his, a perfect addition to his patriotic wreath.

This 4th of July craft is perfect for decorating for that holiday picnic.  They look festive hanging from a canopy or hanging on a door.

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The post Kids Craft: 4th of July Wreath first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

It’s Memorial Day weekend, the traditional start to summer for many.  While it’s a great time to get together for family cook-outs and a swim in the pool, Memorial Day is really about so much more than that.

It’s a time to remember all the servicemen who have died.  This week I pulled out some of my husband’s old army men to help explain that sacrifice to the kids.

My husband has a HUGE collection of army men from when he was younger.  And while I wanted to explain that sometimes our military men and women don’t make it home to their families, I also didn’t want to get too involved it the details of war.  (I have a very sensitive 6 year-old.)

So, I skipped using the fallen soldiers he had in his collection, but I did choose to include the soldier carrying the stretcher for the wounded.  He was able to put soldiers on it and pull them around, but in his world, the soldiers always came back.  That’s the beauty of childhood.

He may not grasp the finality of a soldier dying; honestly, I don’t want him to just yet.  I want him to hang on to that childhood innocence a little longer.

But getting the soldiers out, and letting him recreate battles in his small world was a good introduction to what Memorial Day really is about.  

Looking for other patriotic ideas?

Check out our patriotic sensory play and American flag craft.

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The post Memorial Day Sand Play first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Sometimes I like to make lunch a little more fun.  When we had letter “P” day our lunch consisted of a variety of foods starting with “P” — peas, peaches, pudding…    We’ve had owl sandwiches and trains.   On other days sandwich cutters make it easy to create fun shapes like stars, dinosaurs, and butterflies.

And lately I’ve learned another fun trick:  sandwich painting!

Want to do a little painting yourself?

It’s super simple!  You just need a new paintbrush, a little bit of creativity, and a tablespoon of milk with a couple drops of food coloring mixed in.

Just imagine your child’s smile when they open their lunch box to find a simple painted butterfly sandwich!

How do you add a little fun to lunch time?

The post Painted Sandwich Fun first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Happy Fourth of July!

Sometimes it is easy to overlook the blessings in our lives.  Negative messages bombard us every day:  violence,wars, poverty, hatred…  There are people who say they are ashamed to live in America, people who want to pick at every little fault.

But this Thankful Thursday, in honor of Independence Day, I want to look at the positives.

***

My children live in a country where they can grow up to be doctors, teachers, engineers, taxi drivers… the list is endless.  No one will tell them what career path the have to follow.  They have the freedom to choose.  If my son wants to be a stay-at-home dad, he can do that.  If my daughter wants to try to drive race cars, no one will tell her she can’t just because she is female.

They have the freedom to love who they want to love, to marry or stay single.  It will be their choice.

Children.  No one will tell them how many children they are allowed to have.  The freedom to choose homeschool, public school, private…  The right to raise your children in the manner that is best for you and your family.

Princess dress at the park?  Sure.  And as she gets older, my daughter will still have the freedom to choose what she wears when she goes out.

I have the right to defend my children, a freedom I hope I never need to use, a freedom I hope never to lose.

Not only that, but we live in a country where we have the right to express ourselves.  Don’t like the President’s ideas?  You can speak up about it without fear of being thrown in prison.

I can not even begin to list the countless freedoms we enjoy every day.  And I am forever thankful to those who have chosen to stand up to defend those freedoms.

There will always be negatives in the world, but there are always more positives.

And that is definitely something to be thankful for this week.

Now it’s your turn!  Leave a comment and let me know what you’re thankful for this week.  And, if you have your own thankful post, be sure to link it up!  Make sure you link to your actual post, please, and let your readers know you linked up with There’s Just One Mommy.

This post has been shared on Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop, The Fontenot Four, and Reading List

The post Thankful for the Freedoms We’re Blessed With first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

I can’t believe the 4th of July is almost here!  This summer is flying by way too fast for this momma.  (Can you tell my oldest will be starting school this year?)

We’ve been having fun getting ready to celebrate America’s birthday.  Last week we talked about the parts of the flag while doing our American Flag Craft.

Over the weekend we made some beautiful firework crafts to decorate the doors with.

To give our pipe cleaner stamped fireworks a little extra sparkle, I added glitter to the Crayola Washable Kid’s Paint .

We also enjoyed some red, white, and blue snacks. (Want to know a secret?  Those star marshmallows have been in our cabinet since last July…  Believe it or not, they are still tasty, just a little stickier.)

This week I’m looking forward to a few more opportunities to celebrate the Fourth of July with the kids.

What types of patriotic crafts/treats do you have planned for this week?   Let me know in the comments!

The post Fourth of July Crafts and Treats first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

But that is not what I want to focus on.

I want to focus on what happened AFTER:

We came together as a country.

Huddled around our t.v.’s we cheered for each miracle.

Patriotism was everywhere.

Construction sites hung American flags from mobile cranes.

Yellow ribbon magnets and American flag stickers decorated cars.

At school we led the students in the Pledge of Allegiance each morning.

And patriotic songs flooded the country station on my drive home.

It has been 10 years.  And time has a way of healing wounds and easing the pain.  But with the replaying of the tragic events unfolding on televisions once again, will there also be a renewed sense of patriotism?  That’s up to us.

It’s one reason I choose to wear red every Friday.  And why there is a sense of pride for being American each time I hear Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue.”  I want my kids to grow up in a country that is proud and that stands together.  And THAT is what I want to remember this 9-11.

The post After 9-11 first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.