Tag Archives: easy

Walk Amongst the Clouds

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It’s a fluffy day in the neighborhood as you take a stroll with your pet cloud. It’s a simple project, but oh so sweet…just like the story!

We read Lizzy and the Cloud by the Fan Brothers (Simon & Schuster, 2022).
On Saturday, during a walk in the park, Lizzy chooses an ordinary cloud from the cloud seller (as opposed to a fancier animal-shaped cloud). She names him Milo and takes him home. Turns out, there are a lot of things you need to do to care for a pet cloud, like watering them, taking them on walks, and eventually realizing when your cloud is big enough to leave home and float free.

You’ll need:

  • One 17″ clear plastic blind rod
  • White poster board
  • Cotton balls
  • Packing tape
  • A piece of string or yarn
  • Scissors and glue for construction
  • Hot glue

When we saw the cover of the book, we just knew we had to replicate the adorableness. I had the brilliant idea of using clear plastic blind rods (i.e. the little rods your turn to adjust Venetian blinds). You can get a pack of 8 for around $12 on Amazon (ours came with an 11% off coupon too! Woot!). A cheaper option is a section of 1/2″ PVC pipe.

To make a cloud, fold a 12″ x 28″ piece of poster board in half, then trace your cloud’s shape on the paper. Cut out the shape, and you have two matching cloud pieces. Cover the outer sides of each cloud piece with cotton balls. When you’re done, use the packing tape to attach the rod to the inside of one cloud piece, then hot glue the other piece on top. Add a piece of string or yarn for your cloud’s leash, just like the book!

Lizzy chose an “old-fashioned” cloud for her pet, but we also made a model of an animal-shaped cloud, as seen below with this very handsome whale. Katie named him “Fisher.”

We captured a few story time clouds as they floated by with their proud owners…

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You can stop the project there, or you can also create a watering can to nourish your pet cloud. It’s basically a paper cup, poster board handle, and a bubble tea straw (if you would like more detailed instructions, you’ll find them in this post).

Then give your cloud a refreshing drink!

Book cover image courtesy of the Fan Brother’s website

Read Me Like a Book

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Perhaps our simplest project yet, this little table card codex doubles as an immediate ice breaker at any party, gala, program, or reception! Just pop it by your place setting, and let the other guests read your (abbreviated) autobiography!

You’ll need:

  • 1 extra large binder clip (ours was 3″)
  • 1 Read Me Like a Book template printed on 8.5 x 11 card stock
  • Pen

We’ll begin with the little book! You can simply cut and fold a page directly from the template, or you can add a poster board book cover, as I did in the example project. To create the book holder, flip the two silvers handles of the binder clip upwards. Stand the clip on its base, then pull the handles until they lean backwards at an angle, like so:

Place the book on top of the base, leaning the spine back on the silver handles. Done!

Hint: if you’re displaying these at an outdoor party with steady breezes, we highly recommend securing the book to the handles with a piece of tape.

After Midnight

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Take a nighttime stroll in your local neighborhood and…who knows? You might notice something you’ve never seen before! Light projects are always a hit at our story times, and this sweet story was the perfect companion to the craft.

We read Night Walk, written by Sara O’Leary and illustrated by Ellie Arscott (Groundwood Books, 2020). When a young child can’t sleep, their Dad invites them on a night walk through the neighborhood. From warm lights in windows to late suppers, the world can be a different place, even when you’re close to home.

You’ll need:

  • 1 large box (ours was 4.5” X 4.5” x 9” but a large tissue box works too!)
  • 1 small strand of LED string lights
  • Dark blue poster board
  • Construction paper and tagboard
  • Scissors, tape, and glue for construction
  • Markers for decorating
  • Hole punch

This project is a simple diorama with silhouettes of buildings cut out of tagboard. Kids used hole punches to add windows to the buildings and “stars” to the sky:

To light the box, we used strands of mini LED lights scored from a holiday discount bin. First, punch holes in a rectangle of dark blue poster board, then push a light bulb through each hole. Use tape to secure the wires to the back of the poster board to prevent the light bulbs from wiggling loose.

In the above photo, you can also see how the end of the light strand is threaded through the back of the box. It leads to the strand’s battery pack, which we taped to the back of the box to make it extra sturdy:

Complete this portion of the project by taping the night sky to the back of the box. Now add your tagboard skyline, then decorate your buildings with markers, construction paper, or whatever else is available. We also recommend adding cardboard trees, shrubs, sidewalk, whatever strikes your fancy!

When the projects were complete, we lined up all the boxes, turned out the lights, and everyone took a walk to enjoy and observe the little worlds we created!