June 2010 Archives

Pinwheels are an age old craft that your Grandma will remember. Put together these pretty wind decorations and stick them in your garden.

Be sure to explore all of our fun summer activities including great crafts for kids, summer printables, fabulous recipes, outdoor fun and more!

What you'll need:

How to make it:

1. Print the pattern onto plain copy or printer paper.
2. Cut the square pattern out, cutting on the solid lines.
3. Lay pattern on top of colored paper and trace the square. Cut out the square from the colored paper.
4. Keep the pattern square on top of the colored square. Either hold it in place with your fingers or tape it down lightly on two of the sides.
5. Cut through the pattern and the colored paper along the dotted lines but do not cut in to the center circle.
6. Use a thumbtack or stick pin to poke out the holes in every other corner as indicated on the pattern. Set the pattern piece aside.
7. Take one corner (one with a hole) and fold it toward the center of the square. Fold the next corner that has a hole and fold it toward the center on top of the first holed corner. Repeat with the other two corners with holes until all four are folded into the center. Glue the folds to each other and to the center. Hold together until dry.
8. Push the thumbtack through the center of the pinwheel and into the eraser of the pencil. Make sure the pinwheel isn't touching the eraser or it won't spin.
9. Glue some sequins to the flaps of the pinwheel and let dry.
   

Tips:

• You can use plain white paper and have children color with crayons or markers to decorate before cutting out the pinwheel pattern.
• Decorate with lightweight items such as sequins and stickers or glitter glue. Items like buttons and craft jewels are too heavy.
• If the pinwheel isn't turning properly, try using a longer stick pin rather than a thumbtack to allow more room between the pinwheel and the eraser.

By: Amanda Formaro, Difficulty: Easy, Age: 7 and up
Source: Crafts Kaboose

If you happen to be heading up to Vermont this summer on vacation, stop in at Frog Hollow: Vermont State Craft Center in Burlington, VT on the Church Street Marketplace (85 Church Street).

They carry a selection of crafts by Vermont artists like ceramics, glass and photography.


June's featured artist at Frog Hollow is Deborah Holmes. She does quintessential Vermont landscapes, and local landmarks fill Deb's magnificent watercolor paintings.

A local craft makes a great souvenir.  I also recommend the local Lake Champlain Chocolates, they're delicious!

Today at the Licensing International Expo, children's publisher Highlights for Children announces a slate of four licensing agreements, among the first to bring Highlights' "Fun with a Purpose" brand to toy shelves across the U.S.  Highlights is partnering with Discovery Bay Games to create board games and card games. The company's new partner Horizon Group USA will create a collection of Highlights craft and activity toys. Trends International will introduce a line of Highlights activity calendars. Highlights has also signed an agreement with Ravensburger USA, Inc. to develop a brand-new, engaging and top-quality line of 2D puzzles and 3D puzzleball designs.

The history of Highlights as a children's publishing powerhouse is the foundation for this new licensing effort. Generations have grown up reading its flagship title, Highlights, currently the best-read children's magazine in North America. The special connection Highlights holds with parents and children is behind the success of its magazines and book club titles such as Puzzlemania, which reaches more than three million families each year. Translating acclaimed Highlights puzzles, imagery and children's activities into educational and fun toys and products is an exciting step in the company's 64-year history.

"We're proud to have partnered with companies whose focus is the same as ours - providing engaging high-quality, creative products for families," says Highlights VP of Licensing, Robin Sayetta. "Crafts, activities, games and puzzles have always been a part of our magazines. Now, with our first partners, we will bring these activities from the pages of our magazines to store shelves."

Horizon Group USA and Highlights have signed a multi-year agreement to create a collection of Highlights "make your own" craft and activity kits. Horizon will adapt existing and new Highlights puzzle, game and activity content to 3D formats that expand and enhance these time-tested experiences for children. A combination of tried-and-true components like stickers, markers and crayons, and new color and paper technologies, will add fun and creativity to the line. The collection will debut at specialty and mass retailers beginning in fall 2010.

Discovery Bay Games and Highlights share a commitment to families, education and fun. The game maker's mission is to bring friends of all ages and families together to play, interact and laugh together. The product line will launch in 2011 with three original games that will take inspiration from Highlights content as well as its philosophies about children and play.

Trends International, LLC, the leading publisher and manufacturer of licensed posters, calendars and creative fun, has signed on to create 2012 calendars that will leverage Highlights' diverse games and activities. The calendars are planned to debut in the summer of 2011.

Ravensburger USA, Inc, a division of the European-based leading, family-owned company for meticulously-made and beautifully designed puzzles, games and arts, and crafts products will produce a variety of puzzles featuring Highlights unique imagery and content. The new Highlights puzzles from Ravensburger will perfectly capture Highlights play activities and illustrations with products that encourage togetherness and inspire learning and creativity, including traditional flat puzzles and innovative 3D puzzleballs. The premiere collection will debut at Fall Toy Preview in October 2010.

Established as a craft company in 1912, Horizon Group USA has grown to become the leading creative kids craft resource in the US marketplace today. Their product lines are composed of craft activity kits, coloring products and stationery based play sets. With an emphasis on destination type programs, Horizon seeks to take advantage of Highlights' rich library of assets and revered content. By pairing that with their own creative team's abilities, Horizon seeks to create innovative and purposeful twists on traditional play-patterns.