4th of July Craft

[Kiki]

Found this the other day, thought I'd share. I'm not sure how many of you do crafts for the holiday, but this is way too cute to pass up! Also, does anyone have any other great crafts they do? I'm only open Mon/Tue next week, but that's plenty of time to get some cute stuff made!

http://michellesjournalcorner.blogspot.com/2009/06/kid-craft-handprint-american-flag.html

[Blackcat31]

That is SUPER cute!!!!

I am off the whole week and for me during the summer months......it is free play all day (and free use of the arts/craft area).

I do NOTHING structured or planned in the summer....except relax and play.

[Country Kids]

I'm all free play during the summer but we might just have to do this one! It is just wwwwwwaaaaayyyyyy to cute not to!

[Kiki]

I'm usually free play all summer too, but my oldest DD and niece have been walking around the house doing the 'I'm bored, toys are boring, make believe is boring, can we PLEASE do a craft, or a science project?!' ::

[originalkat]

We do mostly free play, but have 1 theme for the whole summer and do a few crafts to go along with it. This one is so cute. We were going to do marble painting fireworks with red and white on blue paper.

[Abigail]

http://www.orientaltrading.com/handprint-patriotic-flag-craft-kit-a2-48_9761.fltr

This link shows you buy a majority of it, but why would you? LOL

This is the same idea, I did the handprints of two of my two year olds Friday but all I have for star stickers are yellow smiling faces. I don't want to go buy more stickers because why waste what I have? I did the red thumb print hanging down and I might cut them down to size and glue on a wide popsicle stick to complete it with the child's name and date on the stick.

[Blackcat31]

http://www.orientaltrading.com/handp...2-48_9761.fltr

This link shows you buy a majority of it, but why would you? LOL

This is the same idea, I did the handprints of two of my two year olds Friday but all I have for star stickers are yellow smiling faces. I don't want to go buy more stickers because why waste what I have? I did the red thumb print hanging down and I might cut them down to size and glue on a wide popsicle stick to complete it with the child's name and date on the stick.

Instead of using yellow smiling face stickers, why not just draw the stars on using a crayon or marker?

I have ALOT of military families and they would not be too happy if I did anything but stars as they would see that as defacing the flag....kwim?

I am often told by them how important it is that flags be drawn or portrayed correctly (with white/red stripes in specific order, face a certain way, etc)

[SilverSabre25]

Instead of using yellow smiling face stickers, why not just draw the stars on using a crayon or marker?

I have ALOT of military families and they would not be too happy if I did anything but stars as they would see that as defacing the flag....kwim?

I am often told by them how important it is that flags be drawn or portrayed correctly (with white/red stripes in specific order, face a certain way, etc)

:confused: Would they be upset by using white paint to do fingerprints or something?

[Blackcat31]

:confused: Would they be upset by using white paint to do fingerprints or something?

I was just commenting on Abigail's choice to use yellow smiley face stickers in place of stars. She said she used what she had ..the smiley face stickers.... and I was just saying she could have saved the stickers and used markers or crayons or whatever to draw the stars on. Much more appropropriate in my personal opinion.

The first time I saw this craft/post, I thought nothing of it but later one of my DCM's, who reads this forum, made a comment to me about it. Her DH is military.

[SilverSabre25]

I was just commenting on Abigail's choice to use yellow smiley face stickers in place of stars. She said she used what she had ..the smiley face stickers.... and I was just saying she could have saved the stickers and used markers or crayons or whatever to draw the stars on. Much more appropropriate in my personal opinion.

The first time I saw this craft/post, I thought nothing of it but later one of my DCM's, who reads this forum, made a comment to me about it. Her DH is military.

Ah, okay. I was just trying to figure out the intricacies of the preference. Do they mind things like the craft in general--even though it's not a perfect flag? I don't want to do something that might offend someone down the road. That's why I'm asking.

[Kiki]

Ah, okay. I was just trying to figure out the intricacies of the preference. Do they mind things like the craft in general--even though it's not a perfect flag? I don't want to do something that might offend someone down the road. That's why I'm asking.

Hmm. Never really thought of that before; I wonder if we've ever accidentally offended with our 4th of July crafts without even knowing it.

[SilverSabre25]

Hmm. Never really thought of that before; I wonder if we've ever accidentally offended with our 4th of July crafts without even knowing it.

That's why I asked. I imagine it's like anything else...most people won't care but some really diehard people will. BUT, since I don't personally know anyone in the military, I can't really find out IRL. It never occurred to me. Although I can see smiley faces being a bit odd.

Of course, what I get from Abigail's post is that she didn't use the stickers. I think she did something else instead? But it wasn't clear.

[jokalima]

That is SUPER cute!!!!

I am off the whole week and for me during the summer months......it is free play all day (and free use of the arts/craft area).

I do NOTHING structured or planned in the summer....except relax and play.

What about the rest of the year? what do you prepare for them? follow a specific curriculum?

[Blackcat31]

That's why I asked. I imagine it's like anything else...most people won't care but some really diehard people will. BUT, since I don't personally know anyone in the military, I can't really find out IRL. It never occurred to me. Although I can see smiley faces being a bit odd.

Of course, what I get from Abigail's post is that she didn't use the stickers. I think she did something else instead? But it wasn't clear.

This particular family is generations of miltary and the only thing that the DCM said to me is if we are going to make crafts that depict the flag, to do it correctly. Meaning using the red/white/blue colors and place stars (not smiley faces) on it.

She said there is no offense to making crafts that are flag or patriaotic related but if we do, we should teach the children correctly as every star and stripe and placing of those stars and stripes have meaning. Th eoffense lies in making the flag incorrectly.

That was the only conversation I have ever had with them about it and I have never had the issue personally as I don't do any patriotic crafts since the holiday falls in the summer and I am ALL free play in the summer.

What about the rest of the year? what do you prepare for them? follow a specific curriculum?

Yes, we do a FULL preschool curriculum from September 1 to May 30 during the school year. School age kids get a break inthe summer so my DCK's and I do too.

I prepare nothing structured (with the exception of our daily snacks/lunch times and nap routines) during the summer. Art supplies and toys are out for use whenever a child chooses to use them. I do nothing planned and nothing structured or themed in the summer months. Free play all day, every day HTH.

[Hunni Bee]

We did this craft today...they turned out really nice.

I really TRIED to make sure the stars and stripes were in the right place, but with two-year-olds (the two-year-old teacher liked it so much she wanted to do as a joint thing) doing it themselves, a couple of their hands were going the wrong way. By the time I realized it, the glue on the popsicle stick was dry.

Thankfully, we have no military families, but I still felt bad especially after what Blackcat wrote