Veterans Week! Week 10: November 8-14

Veterans Week!

On a Veterans Day we thank and honor those who served in the military. Veterans Day is observed on November 11th of each year.

I want to thank my Big Brother Garrett, who is serving in Iraq, for helping to keep our country safe. I also would like to thank his wife Michelle who is also serving her country too and give out a big thank you. Thank you to my father, James and my brother-in-law Frank for serving their country and keeping it safe, when they were enlisted in the Army and Marines.  And Finally I would love to thank all the other great military people for being there for us.  So, if you see a Veteran, please thank them for doing such a great job!

Camouflage Art

• Supplies Needed:Paint(Camouflage Paint colors like different shades of pinks, black, greens, browns), Heavy paper, sponges, stars, glitter, pictures of soldiers, different animals that use camouflage.

1. Have your child take pieces of sponges and dip them into different colors of paint and cover their paper to make it look like camouflage. Let dry.
2. Then, have your child glue pictures of soldiers onto the paper and other things like stars.  
3. Cover stars with glitter.
4. Explain to your child about how animals use camouflage to stay alive.

Medal Of Honor Pin:

• Supplies Needed: Construction paper, cardboard, foil, ribbon, pin to fasten

1. Explain that the government uses medals to honor soldiers who have served their country well.
2. Cut out a star out of cardboard
3. Cover star with foil
4. Cut out a ribbon and glue it to the back of the star.  Let dry
5. Glue a pin on the back of the ribbon to wear
6. Your child may decorate their medal of honor with glitter and things to if they want.

Flag:

• Supplies Needed: Poster board, red, white and blue construction paper, gold stars, glue

1. Cut out a square out of the blue construction paper and glue it to poster board.
2. Cut out strips out of the red and white construction paper and glue it to poster board. Start with a red strip on top.
3. Glue 50 stars onto the blue construction paper.

Flag Bookmark:

• Supplies Needed: Card stock, markers, crayons, glitter, stars

1. Cut a bookmark out of card stock.
2. Color a square for the blue part of flag.
3. Place red and white stripes down the bookmark, starting with the red stripe.
4. Place stars in the blue part and cover with glitter.

• Coloring Pages Click here

Parade Stick:

• Newspapers, red, white and blue crepe paper streamers,  Dowel, stars

1. Cut out strips of red, white and blue streamers.
2. Place glue around top of dowel.  
3. Mix the colors together and put in bundle.  Place the bundle around the end of the dowel with the glue and wrap a rubber band on the end of them to keep them in place.  
4. Place a piece of streamer over the rubber band to cover the rubber band.
5. Your child can use red, white, blue markers to color the dowel.
6. Make sure your child doesn't put the ends of the dowel in their mouth in case they trip.

Suncatcher American Flag

• Supplies Needed:Drinking straw, clear plastic lanyard, scissors, 36 dark blue transparent beads(7mm), 66 red transparent beads(7mm),48 clear transparent beads( 7mm), glue, suction cup

1. Cut strips of clear Rexlace, one for every row in the pattern, that are 10 inches long.
2. Fold each strip of clear Rexlace in half so that they curve towards each other. (Rexlace has a natural curl in it.)
3. Fold each strip around the straw and string the beads over both layers of clear Rexlace in the order the beads go on the pattern. Do 1 column at a time.
4. After each column is finished, tie a knot at the end.
5. Put a drop of tacky glue in each knot to help it stay.
6. Let all of the knots dry and then cut off the extra clear Rexlace at the ends.
7. Trim the straw so that it is a little longer than the suncatcher on both ends.
8. Run a piece of Rexlace through the straw and make a loop to hang the suncatcher from. Tie a knot at the end and put a drop of glue in the knot.
9. Hang it from the suction cup and enjoy!
10. Craft was found on www.crafts.kaboose.com

Fingerprint Flag:

• Supplies Needed: Paper, red, white and blue paint

1. Let your child use their fingers to make a fingerprint flag.

Red, White and Blue Puffy Paint Pictures:

• Supplies Needed: Flour, salt, water, red and blue food coloring, empty mustard squeeze bottles, cardboard

     1. Mix equal parts of flour, salt, and water to make the puffy paint.

     2. Divide mixture into three different bowls and color one bowl of mixture             blue, one bowl red, and leave the last one white.

     3. Fill the mustard bottles with the mixture (one color per squeeze bottle).

     4. Let the children squeeze the different colors onto the cardboard.

     5. Allow the children's artwork to dry. When it is dry, the design will be raised and will sparkle!
     6. Idea found at www.preschooleducation.com

• Printable word search  click here

Tissue Paper Flag:

• Supplies Needed: Thick white paper, red and blue construction paper, glue, white tissue paper

1. Cut out 1 inch squares out of the white tissue paper
2. Cut out square out of the blue construction paper and glue it to corner of white paper.
3. Cut out stripes of red construction paper and glue to paper.
4. Take white tissue paper and roll it into a ball and glue it onto the paper for the white strips and for the white stars.

• Printable coloring pages and activities click here

• Printable coloring pages click here

• Printable coloring pages and activities  click here

Star Pin:

• Supplies Needed: Cardboard, yellow construction paper, glue, pin for using as a pin

1. Cut out a star out of a piece of cardboard.
2. Use the cardboard star to trace 2 stars out of yellow construction paper and glue to cardboard star. Let dry.
3. Glue pin to back of star for your child to wear.

Flag Windsock:

• Supplies Needed: Empty Tp roll, blue crepe paper, red, white and blue paint, sticker stars, yarn, hole puncher

1.  Paint the top 1/3 of empty tp roll with blue paint. Let dry.
2. Paint stripes of red and white down from the blue.  Let dry.
3. Glue blue crepe paper on the inside of the tp at the bottom.  Let dry
4. Punch 4 holes in the top of the tp roll for hanging.
5. Cut 4 pieces of yarn about 8 inches long.  Thread through the holes and tie to tp roll and then bundle the yarn together at the top and make a big knot.

Pasta T-shirt Art:

• Supplies Needed: White t-shirt, different pasta shapes, cardboard, glue, red, white and blue fabric paint

1. Glue pieces of pasta on cardboard into different shapes like flowers or sun.  Cut out the shapes to use as stamps.
2. Let your child place a pasta stamp into paint and try it out first on a piece of paper.
3. Then let your child stamp away on their t-shirt and let dry.  While its drying you can sprinkle glitter over the paint.
4. Turn shirt inside out when washing and drying.

• Eagle Crafts, activities and coloring pages, click here.

• Eagle Craft, Click here

Flag Bracelet:

• Supplies Needed: Empty TP roll, red, white and blue duct tape

1. Cut the tp roll into 1 inch sections.  
2. Then wrap the red, white and blue duct tape around the sections to make bracelets.

Thank You Cards:

• Supplies Needed: Cardstock, red, white and blue construction paper, glue, glitter

1. Take a piece of cardstock and fold it in half, like a card.
2. Your child can rip pieces of construction paper and glue the pieces onto the cardstock. Let dry.
3. Place some glue onto on the papers and cover with glitter.
4. On the inside have your child write a thank you note to a veteran. 
5. Mail it off for a veteran at a VA hospital or someone you know.

Craft Stick Flag:

• Supplies Needed: Craft sticks, red, white and blue paint, glue, stars, blue or red ribbon, magnet

1. Place 2 craft sticks vertical. Cover them with glue.
2. Next, place crafts sticks going horizontal attaching the two sticks together.  Let dry.
3. Next have your child paint the corner of the flag blue.  
4. Then paint the sticks red and white, starting with red.
5. Glue stars onto the blue section of the flag.
6. Glue a magnet or two on the back to hang up or glue a red or blue ribbon in a hoop to hang up.

Dog Tag Art:

• Supplies Needed: Plain medal dog tags, glue, glitter, jewels, and other decorations, chain

1. Hand your child a medal dog tag. 
2. Let them glue jewels and glitter onto the tag.
3. If you want they can make a red, white and blue jeweled flag dog tag.
4. Then when its all dry they can wear their dog tags.  

God Bless America:

• Supplies Needed: Yellow craft foam, red, white and blue letters, red,white and blue ribbons, markers, glue, hole puncher

1. Make 3 yellow stars out of craft foam.
2. On the first star place God, second star Bless and third star America
3. Then punch a hole in the top and bottom of each star.
4. Thread a piece ribbon through each star to attach them together.
5. Then punch some holes in the bottom of the bottom star to hang red, white and blue ribbons tied from it.
6. This craft was found on www.apples4theteacher.com

Color Art:

• Supplies Needed: Pictures of red, white and blue items cut out from magazines or newspapers 

1. Cut out pictures of red, white and blue items 
2. Then glue the pictures onto a piece of paper or you can take 3 separate pieces of paper and glue all the blue on one page, red on another and blue on the third.

Drum and Bank:

• Supplies Needed: Round salt box, one piece of red or blue construction paper, white yarn, and 2 drinking straws

1. Cut a piece of construction paper long enough to cover all but 1/2 inch at the top and bottom of the box, and wide enough to roll around with a slight overlap.
2. Tape securely.
3. Tape one end of a piece of yarn to the bottom edge of the box.  Pull the yarn straight up to the top edge and tape it.  Cut off any extra yarn.
4. Repeat step 3 around the box, leaving at least one inch between each piece of yarn.
5. For each drumstick, carefully wind yarn around one end of each straw to form a ball.  Tape down the loose end of the yarn. (To hang the drum around your neck, securely tape the ends of a long length or yarn to opposite sides of the drum, two to three inches down from the top.)
6. Your child can play the drum, put it up for display or use it as a bank.

Star Door Hanger:

• Supplies Needed: Paper plate, red and blue paint, red, blue yarn, hole puncher

1. Paint the trim of the paper plate blue.
2. Paint a red star in the middle of plate
3. Punch holes in the bottom of the plate to hang blue and red yarn.
4. Punch a hole in the top of the plate and thread a piece of yarn through it to hang it up. 
5. Craft found on www.crafts.kaboose.com

Ball Catcher:

• Supplies Needed: Empty water jug, red, white and blue paint or tape, ball

1. Cut the bottom of a water jug off.
2. Paint red, white and blue strips around the jugs or to make it easier use red, white and blue duct tape.
3. Have someone throw a ball towards the jug and try to catch it.
4. Craft found on www.crafts.kaboose.com

Sequin Pin:

• Supplies Needed: Red, white and blue sequins, piece of red, white or blue felt, pin fastener

1. Start at the top of a piece of felt and glue the first row of sequins on.  Look at picture for example.
2. Then go down from there with the other rows. Let dry.
3. Then hot glue a pin fastener on the back so your child can wear their flag.
4. Craft found at www.makingfriends.com

Spinner:

• Supplies Needed: Lid to butter container, red, white and blue paint, and red, white and blue crepe paper or yarn, glue

1. Paint the top of the lid.
2. Punch 2 holes by each other so you can thread a piece of yarn through it and hang it.
3. Next, cut strips of red, white and blue crepe paper.  Glue on the under side of lid.
4. Craft found on www.makingfriends.com

Activities:

• Could go to a surplus store and find some cool military stuff for your children.
• Make paper airplanes to fly.
• Make up a silly marching song.
• Pretend to be in a sub, be an airplane
• Go to a Veterans Day parade
• Set up an obstacle course in the yard and pretend they are a basic training.
• Find a place that has an indoor rock climbing wall and try to climb it.
• Play "Hot Grenade" instead of Hot potato
• Play a game of "Yes, Drill Sergeant!"  For example,  give me ten jumping jacks and they say, "Yes, Drill Sergeant!"
• Instead of Simon Says play Sarge Says
• Locate a VA Hospital and send cards and letters Click Here For A List
• Red, White and Blue Play-Doh
• Toy Soldiers
• Walkie Talkies. Your child can pretend they are on a mission.  They can take a pair of binoculars, compass, canteen with them.
• Water balloons, they can pretend they are grenades.
• Use TP to use as pretend bandages for in injured.

Foods: 

Patriotic Raindrops

Here are some patriotic raindrops you'll want to let right in the house this Veterans Day.

What You'll Need: 

1/2 cup white grape juice
1 package unflavored gelatin
Red and blue food coloring
Mini marshmallows
Saucepan
Spoon
2 bowls
Cookie sheet
Waxed paper 

If the parade's rained out, you can still be patriotic. Make a batch of red and blue raindrops, and serve them up with white marshmallows. 

Put the grape juice in a small saucepan, and have an adult cook it on medium heat until it boils. Sprinkle the gelatin on the fruit juice, and mix it until the gelatin dissolves. Be careful, this mixture is hot. 

Have an adult pour the mixture into two bowls. Put a few drops of red food coloring in one bowl and a few drops of blue in the other. 

Spoon 1-inch raindrop shapes onto the waxed paper. Let them cool for about twenty minutes, then peel them off the paper. Put them on a plate with some mini marshmallows for a victorious Veterans Day dessert.


Recipe found on www.home.howstuffworks.com

• Red, white and blue gummies
• Vanilla ice cream with red, white and blue sprinkles
• Make Sugar cookies from refrigerated cookie dough and put red, white and blue sprinkles on top.
• Bombpops

Foods For Survival:

• Gummy worms (Worms)
• Chocolate covered raisins(chocolate covered ants)
• Malt balls(chocolate covered snake eggs)

Books:

• The wall By Eva Bunting
• America : A Patriotic Primer By Lynne Cheney
• Pepper's Purple Heart By Heather French Henry

Movies or TV:

• MASH
• Hogans Heros
• GI Joe
• Top Gun

Veterans Week! Week 10: November 8-14