Hanging Tahlia's felt board on her bedroom wall was a big achievement! After we set it up with a calendar ready for starting school, she decided to use the free space to pretend to do her makeup for school in the morning - just like Mummy does for work.
Which inspired me to make her this...
... her very own makeup palette!
You can make your own with our free template available here.
I used craft glue to attach the felt to the background, and hot glue to attach the plastic pocket. You don't have to attach them at all if you don't want to - aside from the plastic pocket of course.
Tahlia really enjoyed adding the glitter glue to the top of the oval eye shadows. I won't pretend I didn't enjoy it either. It really makes the item, really topped it off.
This activity provides a great opportunity to learn shapes and colours. And I suppose if you don't attach the items, you could use it to learn spatial awareness too.
I refuse to spell colour the American way... the English way is correct in Australia, and so much more rich and colourful - pun intended!
It does fall off the felt board easily when played with, which is disappointing. It is just too heavy. It will stay up for days when not being played with though. If you have one of those A-frame or slanted felt boards, it would work wonderfully I'm sure. Here is our tutorial on How to Make a Felt Board.
I will probably convert the makeup palette into a quiet book page once it gets neglected like most toys do eventually. Hopefully that will spark another bout of imaginative play, and I'll get twice the value out of my efforts.
Micah chapter 5 predicts the birth place of the Messiah - Bethlehem.
Memory Verse: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from of old,
From everlasting.” Micah 5:2.
.
Materials needed to create the Oh Little Town of Bethlehem quiet book page:
A4 felt background sheet. I used red.
Betty Lukens Felt book 01 Bible Stories available at Koorong.
sewing thread to best match the page
scissors!
Cut out all the pieces for this page and the page itself from the Betty Lukens set. The Betty Lukens FAQ section has posted a cutting tips PDF.
Sew the Betty Lukens page onto the background felt along three sides, leaving the top edge open to form a pocket. Pop the pieces inside the pocket (or better yet - play with them)!
Finished!
Difficulty Level = Easy, plus No Sew version.
A very easy quiet book page!
Just use hot glue wherever sewing is recommended for a no sew version.
Key Learning Areas and Skills
Micah 5 - Learn about how Jesus fulfilled this Old Testament prophecy by being born in Bethlehem
Imaginative Play - Which of the animals is going to get to see Baby Jesus first?
Fine Motor Skills - all quiet books encourage fine motor skill development
Hand-eye Co-ordination - all quiet books encourage hand-eye co-ordination
Bethlehem can mean "House of bread" in Hebrew. Here we have the bread from Heaven / bread of life (John 6:25-59) in a very impoverished 'house'. I guess when you see the Majesty of God, it shows off how wretched, poor, blind, naked and filthy our condition really is.
This prophecy is just one of over three hundred that Jesus fulfilled. The video below talks about the mathematical possibility of Jesus fulfilling just six of those, one being a 1 in 3968 chance of being born in Bethlehem.
In Mark chapter 4, Jesus tells a parable about how we need to let our light shine or it will be lost.
Memory Verse: " Then Jesus asked them, “Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine." Mark 4:21
Materials needed to create This Little Light of Mine quiet book page:
A4 felt background sheet. I used medium brown.
felt scraps in white, red, orange, yellow, and brown, and a basket colour
Sew a thick ribbon along the bottom third of the page - this is to form a sort-of tablecloth. Make the ribbon longer than the page so you can fold the edges under when sewing the book together. Melt the edges of the ribbon to prevent fraying.
Cut out all your pieces from felt. Cut a length of ribbon or rik rak to fit the top of your basket edge. Melt the edges to prevent fraying, them sew it to the top of your basket. This will decorate it, but also re-enforce the felt to make it stronger on the edge that will be used as a pocket. Sew the basket in place, sitting it on top of the tablecloth ribbon on the right side of the page, leaving the top ribbon edge open to form a pocket.
Cut a length of ribbon about 19 cm long and melt the edges to prevent fraying. Sew it to the top of you candlestick bowl, starting at the left edge. This will mean that you have a length of ribbon left over at the other end. Sew down your candlestick bowl on the other side of the page, sitting on top of the tablecloth ribbon. Leave the top ribbon section open to form another pocket. Tuck the leftover ribbon at the top under the candlestick bowl when you sew it down to form a handle.
Layer the flame pieces and sandwich them between the white candle piece and another white piece of felt. Sew around the top and sides of the candle, leaving the bottom open to form a finger puppet. Cut it out and sit it in the candlestick bowl like Jesus instructed, not in the basket!! Or better yet, put it on your finger and sing the song "This little light of mine" and do the actions.
Finished!
Difficulty Level = Easy, plus No Sew version.
A very easy quiet book page!
Just use hot glue wherever sewing is recommended for a no sew version.
Another version I made on a smaller sized page (roughly 10" x 10").
Key Learning Areas and Skills
Mark 4 - This page tells about how we need to let our light (belief in Jesus) shine, lest it get suffocated under a basket
Imaginative Play - Sing the song posted from YouTube below and follow the actions with the finger puppet on your finger. This song is currently one of Tahlia's favourites, which is why I made this page now I guess!
Tucking - Tuck the candle into the basket (No!) and candlestick bowl!
Fine Motor Skills - all quiet books encourage fine motor skill development
Hand-eye Co-ordination - all quiet books encourage hand-eye co-ordination
What a warning! If we hide our light (understanding of God's word) we will lose it. But if we expose it, it will be fed and grow!! God promises in Isaiah 42:3 that "He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged." See also Matthew 12:20. He is sensitive with us and we can trust Him with our souls no matter how fragile we feel.
This is the traditional kids song "This Little Light of Mine" which the page is designed to be sung with. The version is a little dated, but it was the best I could find. Hope your child enjoys singing it with you!
In Genesis chapter 6, God tells Noah to build an ark.
Memory Verse: "And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female." Genesis 6:19
Materials needed to create Preparing For The Flood quiet book page:
A4 felt background sheet. I used dark green
Betty Lukens Felt book 07 Noah's Ark available at Koorong.
sewing thread to best match the page
scissors!
Cut out all the pieces for this page and the page itself from the Betty Lukens set. Cut it out as it is, not in the shape of an ark as suggested in the instructions. The Betty Lukens FAQ section has posted a cutting tips PDF.
Sew the Betty Lukens page onto the background felt along three sides, leaving the top edge open to form a pocket. Pop the pieces inside the pocket (or better yet, play with them)!
Finished!
Difficulty Level = Easy, plus No Sew version.
One of the easiest quiet book pages ever!
Just use hot glue wherever sewing is recommended for a no sew version.
Key Learning Areas and Skills
Genesis 6 - this page tells the story of how God instructed Noah to build an ark to prepare for The Flood
Imaginative Play - get all the animals ready to enter the ark
Matching - there are two of each type of animal - match them into pairs
Fine Motor Skills - all quiet books encourage fine motor skill development
Hand-eye Co-ordination - all quiet books encourage hand-eye co-ordination
In Deuteronomy chapter 4, God tells the Israelite's His laws and asks them not to let the memory of all the good things he has done for them fade from their hearts.
Memory Verse: "But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul." Deuteronomy 4:29
Materials needed to create the Seek Me Find Me quiet book page:
A4 felt background sheet. I used black
flat silver cross (I found one at a bead shop) - see the photo at the end of the post to gauge the size - the Australian 10 cent coin pictured is roughly the size of a US quarter.
embroidered heart from an embroidered geometric tulle panel
ribbon to trim the heart with
sewing thread to best match the page
scissors!
Cut out the heart from the tulle panel. Pin it to the background felt sheet and slip the cross underneath. Sew it down with zig zag stitch. Measure the length of ribbon needed and melt the ends to prevent fraying. I turned the ribbon under at each end for a nice finish. Sew your ribbon down on top of your stitching to hide the edge of the heart, beginning and ending at the junction at the top. I sewed mine down with a slight zig zag stitch as well because of the type of ribbon I used. It made the ribbon sit better.
Finished!
Difficulty Level = Easy, plus No Sew version.
One of the easiest quiet book pages ever!
Just use hot glue wherever sewing is recommended for a no sew version.
Key Learning Areas and Skills
Deuteronomy 4 - This page tells about how God is wanting us to seek Him and is ready to forgive if we do
Seek and Find - Find the location of the silver cross underneath the embroidered heart
Touch and Feel - The embroidery ribbon and sequins on the heart provides a textural quality to the page, and the cross underneath feels hard to the touch, but is hard to find
Shapes - learn the shape of a heart and cross
Fine Motor Skills - all quiet books encourage fine motor skill development
Hand-eye Co-ordination - all quiet books encourage hand-eye co-ordination
What a beautiful promise God makes with this verse. He has just warned the Israelite not to follow Idols and what the consequences of doing that would be, but then takes the time to reassure everyone that He is very willing to forgive and will not snub them if they do but then repent. He is always there ready to be found if we choose to, in fact He is longing for us to. No sin is too great for God to forgive, for the price Jesus paid with His life is great enough to save us all.
In Genesis chapter 7, the Flood rages, but Noah and his wife and his three sons and their wives, along with the animals are all kept safe inside the ark.
Memory Verse: "The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters." Genesis 7:18
Materials needed to create The Flood quiet book page:
A4 felt background sheet. I used a bright blue.
Betty Lukens Felt book 07 Noah's Ark available at Koorong.
sewing thread to best match the page
scissors!
Cut out all the pieces for this page, and the page itself from the set. Cut it out as it is, not in the shape of an ark as suggested in the instructions. The Betty Lukens FAQ section has posted a cutting tips PDF.
Sew the page onto the background felt along three sides, leaving the top edge open to form a pocket. Pop the pieces inside (or better yet, play with them)!
Finished!
Difficulty Level = Easy, plus No Sew version.
One of the easiest quiet book pages ever!
Just use hot glue wherever sewing is recommended for a no sew version.
Key Learning Areas and Skills
Genesis 7 - This page tells the story of how Noah and his family were kept safe in the ark during the Flood
Imaginative Play - Toss Noah's ark around on the wild waters and create a storm
Fine Motor Skills - all quiet books encourage fine motor skill development
Hand-eye Co-ordination - all quiet books encourage hand-eye co-ordination
What scientists teach about how fossils were created has always bothered me. When a sheep dies in a paddock or a kangaroo becomes roadkill, they don't become fossils. Very special circumstances have to exist for a fossil to form, and the fact that fossils are found all over Earth suggests that a global flood is likely responsible. Often, fossils will form of animals in the process of doing things, such as this fish in the process of swallowing another fish for dinner. They were caught completely unaware and buried instantly. Sounds like evidence of a catastrophic flood to me.
If you are taking a long trip with kids in the back, you can now play dice games...
I came up with a way to make rolling a die in the car easy and at the same time, difficult to loose. We recently went on a car trip, and as Tahlia is getting a little older now, she doesn't sleep a lot like she used to. She gets bored. At one stop there were various gum ball machines filled with small toys and trinkets packaged in small round plastic containers - apparently they are termed "toy capsules". They ensure the gum ball machine will function properly when the dial is turned. We bought one.
As the top half of the plastic is clear, it enables you to see through to what is inside. If you put a die or dice inside, you can shake, rattle and roll your way to a happy road trip! The dice are rolled in the comfort of your hand and no longer require a large flat surface to be turned out on. They also can't roll off the edge and into the Never Never. Of course they can still be dropped, but a plastic gum ball is quite larger than the dice and much easier to find in an overstuffed car.
I guess what I came up with is similar to the Pop-O-Matic function in a game of Trouble. Another re-invention of the wheel.
You can sometimes find acorn capsules in gumball machines, which have a flat bottom, and would be slightly better for rolling more than one die. However, you could also use any plastic container you have on hand, such as an empty sippy cup or small kitchen food container.
In Genesis chapter 9, God made a covenant with Noah and all the living creatures of the earth that He would never destroy everything with a flood again.
Memory Verse: "I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth." Genesis 9:13
Materials needed to create the Rainbow After The Flood quiet book page:
A4 felt background sheet, I used red
Betty Lukens Felt book 07 Noah's Ark available at Koorong.
sewing thread to best match the page
scissors!
Cut out all the pieces for this page, and the page itself from the set. Cut it out as it is, not in the shape of an ark as suggested in the instructions. I hate to waste the space on the background picture. The Betty Lukens FAQ section has posted a cutting tips PDF.
Sew the page onto the background felt along three sides, leaving the top edge open to form a pocket. Pop the pieces inside the pocket (or better yet, play with them)!
Finished!
Difficulty Level = Easy, plus No Sew version.
One of the easiest quiet book pages ever!
Just use hot glue wherever sewing is recommended for a no sew version.
Key Learning Areas and Skills
Genesis 9 - This page tells the story of how God reassured Noah after the flood and promised not to destroy the earth again with a flood
Imaginative Play - Rearrange the pieces on the background
Fine Motor Skills - all quiet books encourage fine motor skill development
Hand-eye Co-ordination - all quiet books encourage hand-eye co-ordination
Alternative Ideas
Tell the whole flood story with this Noah's Ark felt board set available from Story Time Felts.
Before the flood, the earth was watered via a mist which came out of the ground (Genesis 2:6). Many Christians believe that The flood was the first time it had ever rained, so I guess it's rather understandable that no-one believed Noah when he warned them that a flood was coming. It was a foreign concept to them. It's a bit like today really. No-one thinks that Jesus is about to come back and put an end to the current cycle of life. They have never seen anything like that before, but since God has told us, we better believe it whether we have seen it before or not. Otherwise we might find ourselves outside the boat so to speak.
Anyway, if you had never seen rain before and the first time you did it resulted in a global flood that destroyed everything except what survived in the ark (and the ocean), I imagine it would be rather scary next time it rained. I guess God had thought about that already, and wanted to reassure them that it wouldn't happen again. No more global flood that destroys everything. And He gave them something tangible to remind them of His promise - a rainbow.
Reuse the manger at your church during the rest of the year with this creative idea...
I took Tahlia to Bible class at a church in Melbourne, and she absolutely loved one of the play activities they had for the littlies. They had put some stuffed chickens in the manger and they were sitting on blown eggs. There were empty egg cartons so they could go egg collecting! She loved it so much, I had to come home and make something similar.
When I told my friend about the plan, she hunted the net and found a pattern for a stuffed chicken that lays eggs. With the temptation of even more ways to play, she convinced me to make that version rather than the very simple version I had shown her photos of.
I would like to show you both versions!
Easy No-Sew Chicken
This chicken is very basic, but still such wonderful fun! It consists of three main pieces of felt hot glued together, plus the wings, comb and wattle. You can hot glue them on too. Just use a colouring page of a large chicken like this one and use it as a template to cut out your pieces. You may have to print it out a couple of times to get all the pieces.
Here is a diagram showing the names of the various chicken parts:
Depending on the colouring page you choose, glue the two side pieces together to about an inch under the wattle, and a couple of inches down the tail. Perhaps on the one I suggested, you might want to only glue to the edge of the wattle and the tip of the tail.
Once it is dry, spread the sides out and sit it on a piece of paper so you can tip it back and forth and mark some beginning, end and middle points so you can draw a rough eye/segment shape on a piece of paper for the bottom section. It may help to stuff the unfinished chook first to get a more accurate shape. When you are happy with it, cut it out of felt and hot glue it to the bottom edges, leaving room so you can stuff it if you haven't already. Then complete the gluing.
Wait until it is stuffed to glue on the wings so you get a better idea of where they look good. You can glue on the wattle and comb now too, and add eyes if you like. Or you could just draw or paint them on instead.
Collecting the eggs was tonnes of fun!!
Here is a YouTube demo of how to blow eggs out of their shells so you can use them for collecting:
Egg-Laying Chicken:
The pattern is available to purchase from ikatbag. Here are a couple of her photos:
Her pattern comes with a pattern for a chick too!
The pattern recommends you use knit material. I made mine out of felt, and am regretting it. It is started to pill immediately. And as you may already know, I like to double my felt whenever it is not attached to anything else, such as the collar and tail. Because of that it was rather difficult to sew some sections together, particularly where the the tail joins the body. I did get a little confused with the egg channel - don't try the more difficult sections late at night when you really just need to go to bed! Go to bed!!!
I used a cardboard glad wrap tube to fill the egg channel while I stuffed the chicken so it would leave enough room for the eggs to fit through.
My friend who convinced me to make this version made the orange one...
Why not add a duck in there too!
I made 'hay' by ripping up some calico off cuts into strips. I think it would have made it easier for the chicken to sit on the eggs better if I had made some more.
I bought some rubber bouncing eggs after Easter - they bounce unevenly and are hard to catch. They look very realistic until you touch them.
Relating Chickens In Church...
Which came first, the chicken or the egg?? We know the answer to that one as God made everything mature in the Garden of Eden.
Jesus said He wanted to gather the Israelite's under His wings like a mother hen, but alas they were unwilling. See Matthew 23 and Luke 13.
Ask, Seek, Knock! “Is there any father here who, if his son asked him for a fish, would instead of a fish give him a snake? Or if he asked for an egg would give him a scorpion? So if you, even though you are bad, know how to give your children gifts that are good, how much more will the Father keep giving the Holy Spirit from heaven to those who keep asking him!” Luke 11:11-13.
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