We came up with this idea last Thanksgiving and they turned out really nicely!  Cut out construction paper feathers in different fall colors (scaled to fit a pinecone body), then glue them together in a turkey-like-fan.   Also cut out a pinecone-turkey-size head, and draw eyes and waddle.  Wrap a pipecleaner around the pinecone body and bend the pipe cleaner to create two turkey legs/feet.  These pipecleaner legs will keep the turkey-pinecone body supported.  Glue the turkey construction-paper feathers in the back of the pinecone, and glue the turkey construction paper head toward the front of the pine cone.  Makes a cute table decoration and/or place-settings.

Collect some acorns and gather some drawing/painting paper, a cookie sheet for each child, tempera paints, and spoons.  Place a sheet of paper on the cookie sheet.  Drop acorns in the tempera paint, then remove them with a plastic spoon and place the paint-covered acorns (in the same or different colors) on each child's sheet of paper.  Have the children roll the acorns around on the paper to create interesting designs.

Mix play dough ingredients in a bowl (see recipe links below).  Add red and yellow food coloring to create orange dough for play dough pumpkins.  Encourage the children to form pumpkins and Jack 'O' Lanterns with the dough.  Have the children roll out the play dough with a child-sized rolling pin and use fall-shaped cookie cutters to make shapes.

Play-Dough recipes:
http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/curriculum/pep/playdo.htm
More Play-Dough recipes (including Traditional Play Dough, Mister Rogers' Easy Play Dough, Earth Friendly Play Dough, Kool-Aid? Play Dough, Cornstarch Clay
No-Cook Clay Dough, Cooked Clay Dough, and Peanut Butter Dough).

Visit the Disney Family Fun website for lots of Halloween crafts and recipes.  We especially like the cute PB & Jack'o'lantern sandwiches!
http://familyfun.go.com/parties/holiday/minisite/halloween-main/halloween-main.html

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Crafts

The Jewish High Holy Days are observed during the 10-day period between the first day (Rosh Hashanah) and the 10th day (Yom Kippur) of Tishri, the seventh month of the Jewish calendar.  Rosh Hashanah is on October 4 & 5, 2005.  Yom Kippur begins at sunset on October 13, 2005.  For more information about Rosh Hashanah and related children's activities, visit http://www.jewishpub.org/children/rosh_hashanah/.  For more information about Yom Kippur and related children's activities, visit http://www.jewishpub.org/children/yom_kippur/.  To make a Rosh Hashanah Calendar craft celebrating Jewish holidays throughout the year, visit http://www.jewishpub.org/children/rosh_hashanah/calendar.php

St. Martin's Day Lanterns

Make lovely Fall lanterns with cut-out shapes (moons and stars are especially nice) like the ones children in Germany make for St. Martin's Day.  For a candle-less version (which is still nice because the light comes through the cut-out shapes), younger children can draw the shapes to be cut out on two sturdy pieces of 8 1/2 x 11" paper.  An adult can cut out the shapes and then glue or tape the two pieces of the "lantern" into a cylinder.  Punch holes at each side at the top and tie and knot a string through the holes to create a "handle" to hold the lantern.  Indoors, the light shines through the shapes to create a lantern effect.

More about the St. Martin's Lantern Parade Tradition:  In Germany children (and parents) spend much time making paper lanterns before St. Martin's day.  On the 11th of November they follow "St. Martin" on a horse around the streets after dark with their beautiful lanterns aglow and sing special songs. After the parade children receive Weckmaenner, a traditional pastry, and the adults enjoy a cup of mulled wine.  (Click here for info about a Triangle German Club's Annual St. Martin's Day parade.) See www.carolinakinder.org for more info.

For more information or to find out how to make lanterns, visit these websites:
http://www.funsocialstudies.learninghaven.com/articles/lantern.htm
http://www.billanookps.vic.edu.au/German/Festival/Activities7lanternmaking.html

Choose wonderful, natural art supplies!  Choose natural art supplies for the children in your life, and rediscover the artist within as you work along side  them.  Our favorites: natural 100% beeswax for sculpting and beeswax crayons for drawing and coloring, as well as 100% wool for fun felting projects.  Perfect for rainy day projects and every day fun!  Click here for natural art supplies and kits.