Keeping the Kiddos Busy

(Photo credit:  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Head_silhouette.svg) Silhouette art looks simple but dramatic.  And you can easily make silhouette profiles of your friends and family members.   You will first need a sheet of paper that is big enough to accommodate the side-view shadow of your subject: manila paper, construction paper, the backside of old gift wrappers, etc.  Tape the paper on a wall, light a lamp or a flashlight, and have your subject sit between the paper and the lamp or flashlight.  Station the subject so that the light casts the shadow of his or her profile on the paper.  While your subject sits, trace the outline of her shadow with a pen or crayon. Cut out the profile.  You can either trace it on a white sheet of paper and then color it a dark color, or trace it on good-quality, dark-colored paper, cut that out, and mount it on a sheet of white paper.  You can add any decorations you want (like borders),...

Maybe you and your children have been following this blog ever since the beginning of this lockdown, have been trying the activities featured here, and have written a sizable collection of haiku , cinquains , or clerihews ; or a collection of zines that you want to bind in one volume;  or a well-researched family history ; as well as various art works.  Or maybe you want to compile heirloom recipes in a beautiful handmade cookbook. Or perhaps you just want a unique-looking personal diary where you can record your experiences of the day or your secret thoughts and feelings.  Whatever the case, making a handmade book is another good project to do.  There are many ways of hand-binding a book. Instructions can be found here .  Whether you choose the simplest or most elaborate method of making and binding your homemade book,  you will end up with a precious keepsake which you will enjoy leafing through again and again.

What would your ideal city, town, or village look like? You and your children can make a paper model of it. The architectural firm Foster and Partners has released templates for children to make paper models of houses and other structures.  The templates can be downloaded here .  You and your children can assemble and decorate the models using paper, scissors, paste or glue, and any other supplies you have at home.  Then you can arrange them to look like the city, town, or village you like.  You can even share photos of your creations by sending them to fandpmarketing@outlook.com Lockdown is a good time for sone healthy dreaming about the kind of world your children want to build.  Who knows?  Some future architects, engineers,  and urban planners might be inspired by this project and one day actually build that world.

(Image credit:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Bali_Wayang_Kulit_shadow_puppet_Ramayana_Hanoman_dramatic_show_4.jpg) Many  cultures have their own version of shadow puppet theater .  Shadow puppet theater is an age-old method of storytelling and entertainment. It is a good way to stimulate your children's creativity and imagination.  They will enjoy putting up a shadow puppet play as well as watching one put up by others.  Best of all, it could be done with materials you most likely already have at home. Basic materials are a cardboard box, anything translucent that can be used as a light backdrop (like wax paper), a light source, stiff paper and sticks for the puppets, glue or adhesive tape,  a cutter, and a pair of scissors.  ( WARNING: Please assist your children in using cutters and scissors. )  There are many online tutorials on how to do it, like this one .  For your story, you can make a puppet show o...

Happy Easter! It is time to get festive -- not just today but for the rest of the Easter season. But how do you get festive during lockdown? Recently, a heartwarming video went viral.  It depicts how a mom and dad recreated a restaurant for their two small sons who have been wanting to eat out and who are too young to understand what the lockdown is all about.  For those of you who have young kids who are similarly situated, they will enjoy the same treat for a meal or two.  It will also be an opportunity to teach them proper table manners. If the young kids have older siblings, the older siblings can be enlisted to help recreate the restaurant setting.  They will enjoy it, and it might even lead them to careers in food and beverage or other related fields  someday.  They can help cook, decorate the dining room (perhaps even try out some fancy napkin folding ), and play roles such as waiter or waitress. Those who are playing waiter or waitress, a...

(Image credit: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/US_Navy_060521-N-9076B-059_Lt._Janel_Rossetto%2C_Chief_Musician_Donald_Chilton_and_Musician_2nd_Class_Ian_Charlton_appear_as_guests_on_the_Philippines%27_largest_radio_station_DZRH.jpg) Before the days of Netflix and television, people listened to the radio for entertainment. To this day, radio drama and other programs are still staple forms of entertainment in many places. Producing and recording your own radio program can be a fun project for your kids - or even for the whole family. First, you write the script. It does not have to be long. You can tell an existing story or make up your own. Or, if drama is not your thing, you can do a documentary, an advertisement, a public service announcement on the importance of washing your hands - anything. What matters is that your script uses a lot of sound, narration, and dialogue since your listeners will rely entirelt on what they hear to understand what your...