I’ve always wanted to try making paper-mache crafts with my kids but I’ve never known how, and just didn’t take the time to figure it out. This week I received an amazing box from Babbabox. What is a Babbabox? It’s basically the greatest thing for moms with small kids, who love to do crafts and learning activities at home, but don’t always have the time to plan and run around town looking for supplies. The Babbabox comes with ALL of the supplies necessary for three activities as well as a story book and access to learning apps all based around a monthly theme.
The theme we received was Sun, Moon and Stars. And so this week we made the coolest moon nightlight. In fact, the boys have actually been sleeping with their door closed so they can see the moon better and that is a first for them. It fits right in with their glow-in-the dark stars they have on the ceiling.
The moon was actually pretty easy to make but did take a couple of days so the paper-mache could dry.
The supplies you need are some glue (or flour), water, mixing sticks, balloons, paper sheets, a couple of bowls and a tea light.
Make a paper-mache paste by mixing 2 parts glue with 1 part water or by mixing 1-part flour and 1-part water. We used glue so we could get extra messy. 🙂 (Don’t forget to cover your work area with newspaper!)
Blow up a balloon to the size you want your moon to be. We ended up using our smaller balloon because it fit in our bowl easier. Use one of your bowls as a place to hold your balloon while you apply the paper-mache.
Tear the paper sheets into smaller strips. Woody my little cowboy had lots of fun ripping up the paper as you can see. (Yes if you’ve seen him wearing those pjs in other posts it’s because he has 2 pairs and pretty much wears them ALL the time along with his Woody boots.)
Dip the paper strips into the paste you made and cover the entire balloon with paper strips. Leave a 2 inch opening at the bottom. I don’t have a picture of us in the process of covering the balloon because we were pretty much up to our elbows in paste and sticky. This was tons of fun but a bit messy. Woody thought it was the greatest craft ever!
Once the balloon is covered in paper, let it dry completely overnight and then apply a second layer the next day. Let that dry completely as well. Once the paper is completely dry, pop the balloon. Our balloon wouldn’t pop so I cut the bottom with scissors to make room to insert our tea light.
Set your moon in on a dresser and turn on the tea light. This picture doesn’t even come close to showing how cool this night-light is. And it is fun because it actually resembles the surface and craters of the moon.
We have loved having our Babbabox. My 4-year-old is home with me most days all day long and it gets really hard for me to constantly put together learning activities for him. I love doing crafts with him, but sometimes it is hard to find the time to plan out new and exciting things. I love that Babbabox comes with everything I could need to teach my son new things while he is home with me this year. This box even came with his own pair of binoculars so he could search for constellations and our next activity will be using the power of the sun to make a constellation of stars using “sun print” paper and star stickers. So much fun!
From BabbaBox:
BabbaBox is a theme-based box delivered to your door that allows you to enjoy a little convenience and inspiration! As any parent can attest, the most important thing you can give to your child is quality time. BabbaBox makes this possible by helping you to save time, money, & mindspace.
Just think! Fantastic monthly activities with ALL the materials for kids ages 3-6. Included in the box are 3 projects + 1 bestselling book + digital download + parent surprise gift!
The best part? Babbabox makes a GREAT unique gift during the holiday season.
Act now! Get 50% off your first month when you sign up for a monthly membership using the code, SWAY100. Offer expires December 31, 2012.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of BabbaBox. The opinions and text are all mine.
Leave a Reply