Summer crafts with the kiddo

So most of you know the story, but in case you're just joining us, my boyfriend has a daughter and she came to visit us this summer! While she was here we did some neat crafts that I'd like to share. (A couple of them inspired by things seen on Pinterest!)

As I shared already, I had tried to teach the kiddo how to crochet, but after a few days of not doing it she pretty much gave up. So, even though that was a bummer we still ended up with some cool things!

First off, the pinfamous "You are my sunshine" hand painting

Though I didn't actually read the steps before jumping in and making this one, it still ended up about the same. (We made some mistakes too, but I think it turned out alright.) I saw the idea while searching for something to do and somehow convinced her to make it with me. (I think the hand-painting and getting messy helped!) Ours is different though because we used a 12"x12" canvas. It was a tight squeeze since she has hands the size of mine now. (But I'm short and small, so take that into account. Small for an adult-large for a child.) We worked on it the whole day and then gave it to her daddy after he got home. He loves it! On the back it says "from your two favorite girls" (that's what he calls us.)

On that same day she painted this:

We have a ton of paper from our move and she asked for a new sheet so she could paint this. (New as in not painted on. There aren't many that aren't wrinkly, lol.) It ended up being used as wrapping paper for a present. But still, I was very impressed because she did the whole thing by herself! (Okay, some credit to me because I mixed the colors, but still! The painting was all her.)


Another pinfamous craft we did was watercolor coloring book pages.

Here are mine:

And hers:

It's a lot of fun, and you should try it! Especially if you have more skills than we do. You could turn something like that into a real piece of art, and you don't even need a fancy kit! Much prettier than using markers or crayons. Plus older kids will love it.

We did a couple more than this, I just don't want to share them because they're presents :) Also I did one of dolphins under the sea, but it's unfinished and that's why I don't want to share that one yet.


Then we made a great choice and decided to go to My Museum here in Monterey! (More about that in another post.) If you've never been to a children's museum with kids, you're really missing out! Go find one! This is probably implied by what I just said, but it's a LOT of fun!

They had a craft station and we ended up with a handful of neat crafts!

Alex made the flower from some plastic ribbon, and I made the (awesome!) bird mask from an egg carton and various other materials. I can't get over how awesome it is. </end gloat>

The kiddo designed both this fabulous bird and cross and I hot-glued it all together. The cross will be a gift for her teacher (she goes to a Christian school) and we got to keep the bird! See the dinosaur lurking behind it? lol. It's all part of our decor.

Speaking of dinosaurs... this is probably one of my favorite crafts that I did this summer.
I give you: Sprinklesaur the Candivore!

Yes, of course it has sprinkles. Because why not?! It's my dinosaur after all, lol.
We got a kit with two dinosaurs and another kit with two horses to paint. The kiddo didn't finish her horses in time before she went back home though. There's always next time!

I really enjoyed spending time with the kiddo and I love looking back at the things we made together. I hope if any of you reading this have kids that it inspires you to spend a little more time with them and maybe make a few things, even if school is starting soon.


So tell me, have you made anything neat with or without kids this summer?
Also, if you've ever been to a children's museum, what was your experience like?