I had one grand plan that I was determined to accomplish before Calvin was born…
And I did it!
SAY WHAT?!?
Yes, I actually completed a craft project that I started…
I wanted to have an Activity Book (a.k.a. a “time to sit down and be still and quiet for any period of time while mommy tends to other things” book) as I knew that there would be lots of time I would need to be tending to the baby and didn’t only want to resort to plopping Max in front of the TV. He’s gotten more than his fair share of Curious George and CARS in the past couple of weeks, so it is nice to offer a slightly more educational and engaging alternative throughout the day. It doesn’t always have to be independent, if I am nursing, he can cuddle in right next to me and we can work through it together, which is especially helpful for some of the more advanced pages.
This did take a fair bit of time and tinkering, but essentially I just spent a few naptimes working and before I knew it the whole thing was compiled. Plus, it was fun craft time for me; seriously, who doesn’t love coloring? It is like therapy! I “researched” and found lots of inspiration via Pinterest and probably spent way too much time looking at other people’s activity books before beginning my own; like this one and this one. And this whole site is amazing!
NOTE: I took my whole project to Kinkos/Fed-Ex because I wanted the whole thing to be printed in color, back-to-back, laminated and bound. That all changed when I found out how much it would cost me…after making all the copies and laminating the pages alone we were talking about almost $50! That was out of the question as my intention was for this to be a frugal project. Not to mention, I wanted to see if Max really enjoyed playing with it before making such a large investment. If it is a huge hit and I know Max, as well as all our future children, will put this book to good use, then I might laminate it in the future. For now, I opted to get all the moveable pieces laminated and simply slip the activity pages into binder and page protectors that we already had at home. This choice saved about $30!
Here is the finished product (don’t forget the beauty of imperfection and poor quality photos):
"Can you name each shape and match it with the right color?"
"Let's go apple picking! Can you count the apples and put them in your basket?"
"There are many different sports! Can you name them and match each ball to the correct equipment?"
"Do you know your ABC's? Oh, no! The letters below are all out of order; can you find each letter and match it on the next page?"
"It's snowing...let's go outside and play! We built a snowman, now all he needs is clothes. Can you pick out his outfit and help him get dressed?"
Very Good!
"What beautiful flowers! Can you count the petals and color them in?" & "Look at all the beautiful colors - This is called a color wheel! Can you name and match each color?"
"There are so many ways to get somewhere; the mode we use to travel is called transportation! Can you place the car, boat, train, and airplane where it is supposed to travel?"
"Sometimes when we're driving we see a stoplight and the colors each mean something different. Do you know what red, yellow and green mean and can you put each color in the right place?"
"We have planted a beautiful garden! It is hard work, but provides us with delicious vegetables. Can you name each vegetable, pick it and put it in the basket?"
Wonderful!
"The Armor of God - Ephesians 6:10-18"
"Put on the whole armor of God!"
There you have it!
Results: The book is really serving its purpose and I am incredibly happy I actually took the time to make it. I keep it stashed away for the most part so that when I get it out it is fresh, new and exciting; and it has worked like a charm every time. He understands and can complete most of the pages but I’m pretty sure most of his enjoyment still comes from navigating the Velcro!
Linking up with:
Becca V
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Absolutely awesome! This is something I’ve been wanting to make for P and L, especially with Baby Boy on the way. And also for use in the car! Love it! XO
Thanks, Laura! yeah, it really is a hit; they’ll love it!
Love the book! I am finishing up a much shorter version. I finally got around to getting more velcro to start attaching and was wondering how yours is holding up and what kind you got. I just picked up some stick on – two different kinds – from JoAnn Fabric. I’m just afraid it won’t stay on very long. Thoughts?