I love crafting, so Friday Fun is a way for me to bring crafting into the classroom! We also started a program called Explorations this year where teachers lead a group of multi-aged students in an activity on most Friday afternoons for 40 minutes. Last trimester I organized a Student Store, where  we would make crafts to sell. Students decided to paint fans, color reusable bags, make headbands and stained glass window decorations. All the money raised would benefit a local non-profit group, DAWG, that is a no-kill shelter for dogs. Crafting twice in one day!? My dream became a reality! We made more than 80 items to sell, and ended up donating almost $140.00 to DAWG! Crafting for a cause!

The past few Friday Fun’s we have made some of my favorite crafts. First, students had the chance to sew a pillow using adorable owl fabric. This activity was perfect for building fine motor skills, plus the students loved stuffing the polyfill into the pillow. One mom told me that as soon as her son got home from school with his pillow, he threw his regular pillow off his bed and replaced it with the little one he had sewn in class. That brought a smile to my face!

A student tries out his new pillow to see if there is enough stuffing!

Last Friday we made Turkey Globes. This is an annual craft, perhaps my absolute favorite of all. Students cover a glass globe with mod podge and tissue paper squares. They mold a sphere from clay, that we later paint and decorate to make a turkey head. Add a votive candle to the globe, and you have a beautiful decoration. My own girls have made these, and I am excited each year to use them on my Thanksgiving table.

And then there is crafting with food!  Look at these adorable owls that we made using mini rice cakes and pretzel rods!

Because I simply can’t get enough of crafting, I have decided to offer Winter Crafts for my second-trimester Explorations activity. I have found some adorable winter-themed crafts that I can’t wait to do!