Hand Print Turkey Puppets!

I have always wanted to try this Thanksgiving project, and this afternoon was the perfect opportunity. I used an image from Google Images as my starting point:



These were the materials we used:

• brown and pink construction paper
• glue sticks
• hot glue or regular glue
• popsicle sticks 
• crayons
• laminator and laminating sheets (optional)

I was too distracted to take pictures during the actual process of making these, but I have some of the finished product. It was a really simple activity that even Baby E (newly two) really enjoyed. I traced each child's hand on a piece of brown construction paper. They colored the hand prints, and then I cut them out. I cut out little pink construction paper feet, and the kids glued them on with glue sticks. Next was the kids favorite part - laminating! We laminated the Turkeys, and then glued them onto large popsicle sticks. The hardest part was waiting for the glue to dry!

Here is the finished Turkey puppet:

You could also make these into cute cards or centerpieces.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Review: KidKraft Aspen Table and Chair Set

It's review time! The boys both have birthdays coming up, and with the holidays around the corner, I hope to be reviewing some awesome gear in the next few months. First up is the Aspen table and chair set from KidKraft. Baby E turns two this week! He has recently decided that he will no longer sit in any kind of booster seat or high chair, but will happily eat at a regular kids sized table. I wanted to upgrade our secondhand plastic set to a nice wooden set that will hopefully last a long time. Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa, Baby E has eaten his last few meals at our brand new KidKraft table.

I decided to go with the natural finish, because it fits our kitchen better. The table was extremely easy to assemble, and I was able to put it all together in about half an hour. The directions were clear and easy to follow, and everything fit together as it should. The table feels really solid when built, and I was impressed with the quality of the wood. The finish is beautiful, and so far cleans up easily. The table does slide around a bit on the vinyl tile, so I plan to look for some type of non slip material to put on the legs.

The table is the perfect height for the 2-4 year old set. Baby E is average height, and his feet do not quite reach the floor when sitting. He fits well at the table now, and definitely has some space to grow into it. My 3.5 year old can also sit comfortably at the table, but I would imagine this table would be on the smaller side for a 4-5 year old.

Overall, I love the table, and don't see any major drawbacks. It would be a great addition to any family kitchen or playroom. The surface is also great for puzzles, crafts, building, and all the other fun things the little ones enjoy!