"A-B-C ABOUT ME" BOOK
Babies and toddlers will love this book, packed with their own favorite things. All you need to make it is an inexpensive loose leaf binder, some drop in page protectors, paper and a glue stick. Ask the parent for any old family pictures they wouldn't mind discarding. Everyone seems to have a box of photos that came out, but not nice enough to make it into the album. Also go around to friends, family, co-workers, etc. and gather up as many old magazines as you can-- many people will probably be glad that they can be useful and happy to get rid of the clutter.
On each page, draw a letter, or glue on a cut out a letter from a magazine or out of colorful paper. Page through the magazines and look for things that begin with those letter-- things the child will enjoy or recognize. Go through the old family photos and cut out anything you can find for that letter. Perhaps the child's favorite stuffed bear is in the corner of a shot, or their favorite chair made it into an off-centered photo. Cut them out and put them into the book under the letter their names begin with. Don't forget to include people. Mommy under "M," Daddy under "D," and the child herself under the letter that her name begins with. Children really enjoy reading about themselves and will treasure this book.
GEOBOARD
This present is for children over the age of six. It is not only fun, but educational. In order to make this geo-board you will need a piece of flat wood, approximately 12" X 12" X1" thick. You will also need a bag of 1" or 1 ΒΌ" nails, a hammer, one sheet of graph paper or a ruler, and a little bit of paint (optional; see if you can obtain some leftovers from someone), and some rubber bands.
Make sure the board is sanded smooth to the touch and splinter-free, especially around the edges. Paint it, if desired. Tape the graph paper to the board, or use the ruler and a pencil to make a dot in the corner of every square inch. Pound the nails into the board at the corner of every square inch. Only pound them part way into the board. Leave a good half inch sticking out. Make certain they are straight and evenly spaced. Turn the board over every now and then to make sure it is level when sitting on the nail side, which will assure you that the nails are all put in evenly. If any nail is farther out than the others, just tap it in gently until it is even.
When you have covered the board with nails, hook a handful of colored rubber bands onto the nails. Children can use this board to create shapes and pictures by hooking the rubber bands in different ways on the nails. It also teaches them basic geometric concepts and is a great math manipulative.
SWEET TREAT
Make an edible sleigh and fill it with candy. This is not only visually appealing and can look wonderful on a shelf or mantel, but kids will enjoy every last bit of it. This is an especially great gift if you have a many children for which you would like to make a present. To make it, you will need 3 graham crackers, some royal icing, two long candy canes, and some candy.
Get a recipe for royal icing and leave it white-- do not add any food dye. If you don't have a plastic or canvas piping bag, simply roll up a sheet of wax paper in a cone shape, tape it, and snip off the end. You won't need precision tips for the piping. Each sleigh will require one graham cracker left full size, one cut in half horizontally so you have two long, thin rectangles. Cut another in half vertically so you have two perfect squares. Cut one of those squares in half for two small rectangles. This is where you can waste a lot of graham crackers. Use a good, sharp knife and cut clean through them on a flat surface by pressing it down with even pressure. Try not to drag the knife, you'll just make crumbs.
To assemble the sleigh, pipe icing onto the candy canes and place the whole graham cracker on top of them to create a base. The cracker should be laying on the long part of the cane, with the curved parts protruding out from under the graham cracker and curving upward. They should look just like sleigh runners. Pipe more icing to put one square standing up on the back of the base, the two long rectangles standing horizontally on the sides, and the small rectangle standing horizontally on the front part, facing the candy cane curves. These create the back, sides and front of the sled. Pipe icing to attach the graham crackers at the edges, and decorate the top edges with a strip of icing.
When the icing dries it will hold like cement (but it is still edible and will melt in the mouth). Fill the little sleigh with some candy, and wrap it in some colorful cellophane, tied at the back.
FELT BOARD
Felt boards are fun because you can make all kinds of pictures with felt shapes by putting them up on a felt board, which they will cling to until you wish to remove them. It can be used over and over and is great for the imagination. To make this gift, you will need sheets of felt in several different colors, and something to glue the background on. This could be a piece of wood, or heavy cardboard. I had great success with an old monopoly game board from a thrift shop (50 cents), and it was foldable. You'll also need some glue, a pair of scissors, a ruler, and a something to help you draw circles.
Choose a color for the background. Spread some glue on the background and press the piece of felt onto it. If necessary, use a rolling pin or a can of food to roll out the felt. Cut the remaining felt colors into a number of geometric shapes, large and small. Rectangles, triangles, squares and cut circles by using cups and coins to get various sizes.
SOAP CRAYONS
These are fun for bath time. Children can draw on the tub or tile wall with them, and they wash away. Get a bar of plain white ivory soap and grate it with a cheese grater. Place it in a plastic food storage container (it won't damage the container, which you will still be able to use for food after washing). Microwave it for 10 second intervals, stirring in between. When it is a soft consistency, add a few drops of food dye while mixing to try to get it into the right consistency. Pour the mix into some empty plastic film canisters that have been greased with petroleum jelly. Tap them gently to release air bubbles and let them dry for a day or two. They should pop out of the molds and be ready for use. Since they are so inexpensive, you may want to add a wash cloth and some discount bubble bath and give them as a set.
