Celery Heart Paint Stamping Valentine's Day Craft

I loved this craft!  It's not often that something so easy produces a work of art that looks like it took much more work than it did.  These celery heart flowers are so pretty and require very little effort.  The bottom of the celery is the perfect size for little hands to grab and no matter how they put the stamp down when there is paint on it, it produces a very lovely result.

What You Need:

-As many celery hearts as you'd like (one per colour, although the wash easily and you could use the same one for a different colour).
-White paper and a coloured piece of construction paper for the flower pot
-Scissors & glue
-Crayons or markers
-Red, pink or purple paint

What You Do:

-Wash the bunches of celery and let dry
-Cut off the bottom of the bunch, leaving a few inches
-Pour some paint on a plate to use for the celery stamps
-Cut a flower pot shape and glue onto the white paper
-Stamp your flowers
-Draw stems and leaves on the flowers
-Personalize your picture as much as you'd like!

Making Alphabet Soup At Alphabet Play sponsored by Post Alpha-Bits Cereal

momstown Oakville's monthly Alphabet Play program falls into our Literacy program pillar. Designed around simple crafts, each month this program explores a different letter of the alphabet through stories, play, and crafts.  This month's program was super charged as we learned all about the letter S with an special bonus from Post Alpha-Bits cereal.

Not only did Oakville moms and kids enjoy snacking on the Alpha-Bits, they made a great addition to our craft - Alphabet Soup!  Before we got to crafting, we read a great book called 'Stone Soup' and mixed all kinds of vegetables into our mixing pot.  We also brought out the surprise bag!  Each child got to reach in the bag (no peeking!) and pull out something that started with the letter 's'.  The surprise bag revealed a seal, Spiderman, a skeleton, stickers and more fun items that the kids got to play with.

To make our Alphabet Soup craft, each child glued a bowl and spoon cut out of construction paper onto a coloured piece of paper and then used white glue to stick on the letters of their choice using Alpha-Bits cereal. While the kids crafted away, the mamas chatted about eating Alpha-Bits as a kid and also how it not only works for breakfast but is a great addition to a trail mix snack as well.  The Alpha-Bits website has got some fun recipe ideas too, check them out here. Everyone went home with a box of Alpha-Bits to snack on after all the hard work learning about the letter 's' and crafting some Alphabet Soup!

Momstown Oakville's Active Program For Busy Kids

Getting out that afternoon energy was the name of the game at the momstown Oakville Movers program earlier this week at Canlan Ice Sports. When the kids arrived, they got to make a hand print turkey (using feathers, eyeballs, oil pastels, and little triangles for the beak) and then we enjoyed using them for our first circle time song - 'One little, Two little, Three little turkeys'.

The turkeys are up and the turkeys are down. The turkeys are dancing all around the town
Dance 'em on your shoulders, dance 'em on your head,
Dance 'em on your knees and tuck them into bed!

We also sang some Halloween songs and enjoyed a felt board mini story called 'Five Little Pumpkins By The Barn Door'.  To get the kids up and moving, next up was a freeze dance followed by animal action songs and, of course, the parachute made an appearance. We sang 'If You're Happy and You Know it', 'The Grand Old Duke of York', and 'Ring Around the Rosie'. Phew - we did a lot of songs and the kids loved it!

To wind things down, Oakville moms and kids gathered in a circle on the floor to read "Thanks for Thanksgiving" and sing this Thanksgiving song:

Thank you thank you let's all sing
Thank you thank you for everything
Thanks for the flowers, thanks for the trees,
Thanks for the sun that shines on me!

Our next momstown Movers program is happening on a weekend.  Did you know we have weekend programs for working mamas too?  Be sure to check our calendar and sign up to join us!

Alphabet Play - The Letter G

momstown Oakville had a wonderful time this morning learning all about the letter 'G'.  Our Alphabet Play program is perfect for any age as there are learning moments for all different levels.  After exploring lots of books that started with the letter 'G', the kids got down to crafty business!

Using wine corks or toilet paper rolls, our artists made a bunch of grapes to take home with them.  A letter 'G' cookie cutter was used to make the stem!

We also has lots of things to play with that started with the letter 'G' like guitars, goats, ghosts and green blocks!

Join us next month when we learn all about the letter 'H'.  Interested in learning more about the programs we offer?  Sign up here for a free 4 week trial. If you purchase a one year membership in the month of September, you'll receive a bonus 12 month subscription to Today's Parent Magazine!

momstown Oakville offers a unique blend of early education programming and mama support delivered both online and in-person via 40+ events locally every month.

Paper Bag Fish Craft for Kids

Our theme for the month of August at momstown Oakville has been 'On the Pond' and we've been reading books and exploring crafts that help our little ones learn more about this topic.  At our Tales for Tots program earlier this week, the kids made a paper bag fish.  It's such a cute craft that I wanted to give some more details on how to make your own paper bag fish.

What you need:

-brown paper bag
-scrap paper, torn into small pieces
-tin foil
-tissue paper
-elastic band
-glue
-marker

Take a brown paper bag with the bottom of the bag facing down.  Fold in each corner to make a triangle, this will be the fishes mouth.  Stuff the pieces of scrap paper into the bag to make the body of the fish expand. Glue a triangular piece of tin foil at the top of the fish to make a fin.  Decorate the fish with pieces of tissue paper and tin foil and then put an elastic band around the end of the bag to make the fishes tail.

This fish has been a big hit at our house and I love that I don't have to feed it or clean out its tank!

In September we'll be exploring the theme of Firetrucks!  To join in on all our great programming, purchase a momstown Oakville membership or sign up for a free 4 week trial.  As a special bonus, if you buy a one year membership in August or September, you will receive a 12 month subscription to Today's Parent magazine.  Click here for all the details!

Picasso at the Park: Gettin' Messy with Mud!

momstown Oakville met at coronation park this morning, for some farm animal fun in the mud!  Our outdoor crafts allow the kids to get messier than indoor crafts.

Everyone brought along a bucket and shovel to make their own mud!  We had pigs that needed to be "painted" and covered in mud!

The kids LOVED mixing their mud - some were right up to their elbows in dirt.  This is also a great sensory experience for the littlest ones.

Momstown Oakville is planning lots of great outdoor messy crafts for the summer!  If you're looking to join us, register for a FREE 4 week trial membership.

Earth Day Activities in Oakville

Earth Day is celebrated on April 22nd every year.  This will be our 40th Earth Day Celebration!  I remember always looking forward to Earth Day as a kid because we usually got to do some fun activity outside and I liked learning about how we can keep the earth a little bit cleaner.

Oakville has a few things going on to help raise awareness and celebrate Earth Day this year.

• On April 21, the Oakville Community Centre will be hosting their 21st annual Earth Week Clean Up of Nature Sites.  They have 33 sites throughout Oakville that they are aiming to clean up.
• On April 22, the Town of Oakville will be hosting a free celebration at Town Hall.  There will be a workshop on cooking local food, an Earth Day cake cutting with Mayor Rob Burton, some hands on demos and chances to win great prizes such as a rain barrel or a solar charger!

And of course, you can always do your own neighbourhood or park clean up or take the time to plant some new flowers or trees. 

There are some great indoor ways to celebrate Earth Day too!  Check out these fun arts and crafts ideas.

Earth Coffee Filter Painting

Turning On and Off the Lights

Pizza Cardboard Earth

And don't forget Earth Day snacks too!

I think it's great that Earth Day has grown from one day to generally being recognized for a least an entire week.  It's wonderful to see kids take pride in Earth Day and show real interest in making sure our planet is in tip top shape for many centuries to come!

Remembrance Day in Oakville

"Mommy, why is everyone wearing a red flower on their coat?"

Remembrance Day is a memorial we should all be talking with our children about especially since they have, luckily, been sheltered from war. I explain to my children that the poppy is a sign of 'thank-you' to all the brave soldiers for looking after us. That explanation seems simple yet deep enough for them to understand the basics.

It is important to recognize this day with our children and what better way to start a discussion than with a craft or storytime? momstown has many ideas on how to bring our the teachable moments


Remembrance Day Crafts:
In Flanders Fields Bingo Dabber Poppies
Preschool Poppy Painting
Paper Poppies


Remembrance Day Books for Kids
A Poppy is to Remember
H is for Honor
Boo Boo Bear's Mission
Pepper's Purple Heart: A Veteran's Day Story
Where Poppies Grow


Looking for a local service or parade to attend on November 11th?

Oakville Remembrance Day Parade
Church and Navy streets / Cenotaph at George's Square
Hosted by Oakville Legion Branch 114

10:15 a.m: Veterans depart from Church and Navy streets and march along Lakeshore and up Trafalgar to the Cenotaph at George's Square.

11 a.m: Ceremony at George's Square includes two minutes of silence and a wreath laying ceremony. After the ceremony, veterans march back to Church and Navy.

Remembrance Day in Milton
The traditional Remembrance Day Milton Service will be held Friday, Nov. 11 at Evergreen Cemetery on Ontario Street. The march will begin at 10:45 a.m.

Remembrance Day Services in Burlington
9:00 a.m. - Sunrise Remembrance Day Service, Spencer Smith Park

Burl-Oak Naval Veterans are holding a 30 minute ceremony at the Naval Ships Memorial Monument in Spencer Smith Park at Burlington's Downtown Waterfront. All are welcome to attend.

10:30 a.m. - Remembrance Day Parade begins at Central Public School (Down Brant to Elgin - Elgin to Locust - Locust to Ontario).

11:00 a.m. - Remembrance Day Service at the Cenotaph, City Hall

The Royal Canadian Legion is holding a 45-60 minute ceremony at the Cenotaph, just outside City Hall (426 Brant St.). All are welcome to attend.

Our momstown Hamilton mama Andrea comes from a military family, her father served and her nephews are currently enlisted. Read here about what Remembrance Day means to her.

Our thanks and full appreciation to all veterans who have served or who are serving Canada on our behalf. Thank-you for your bravery.

Zoo Animals and the Alphabet!

Our moms and kids had a great morning at Dazzle Art this morning!
We LOVE Dazzle as it's a great location for momstown events, lots of room to run, also has a great range of toys and games for our kids.





To go along with our zoo animal theme for September we had some alphabet fun and made "T is for TIGER" and "Z is for Zebra" crafts. What i love about these crafts is that we can change a few simple steps to make them easy and fun for our toddlers, pre-schoolers, and school aged kids!

Our toddlers just love to glue: with a little help from mom cutting out a letter and stripes, they were happy to glue their creation together. With the 3,4,and 5 year olds we just gave them more freedom with the craft. Some were practicing their cutting skills and cutting their own stripes! We found some kids enjoy colouring more, so they grabbed some crayons and coloured the stripes onto the letter. Our moms just love how easily adjustable this craft was.



If you're interested in joining us next month at Dazzle email sarah.mclaughlin@momstown.ca for a free 2 week trial for all momstown events.

Picasso in the Park

What a perfect sunny Friday for Picasso in the park. This event really does make me wish it was summer all year long. The kids just love running from the park to the splash pad, to the painting table. Babies all the way to the older kids just love this event, and the creations just keep getting better as the summer goes on! We have also been so lucky to have such great weather for every Picasso event.

I love that we keep this event so simple. Paper. paint. and a few paint brushes. It really allows the kids to create whatever they want. My daughter collected feathers from all around the park (yes...at first all i could think was "gross"). Then she started dipping them in paint, and creating really great patterns on the paper! Many of the kids don't even bother with the paint brushes, they just jump right in with their hands! A few today were just using the rocks on the ground to stamp patterns on the paper. It really does allow the kids to use their creativity and imagination - and the scene around the park sets the perfect tone.

Next Picasso i'm going to plan ahead to bring a picnic lunch for me and the kids - we never seem to have enough time in the morning to do everything:)

We have more great pics posted on our momstown Oakville facebook fanpage. Check them out, and don't forget to "like" us while you are there!

Want to join us for the next Picasso in the Park. Register for a free 2 week trial at momstown Oakville, or email sarah.mclaughlin@momstown.ca for all the details.

Hope to see you soon!

Crafty kids playgroup: Beach days

Well, the cards stacked against us, but momstown Oakville still had a great time! We lost our location at the last minute, so we relocated to a member's home. Then the air conditioning broke, and we moved outside before we melted! Good thing most of the kids came dressed for our beach day theme - they were ready for some outdoor play!

Beach balls, slides, and a few snacks. The kids didn't seem to mind the change of plans:)

Moms still had a good chance to catch up on news, and overall, it was another great momstown event!

Our craft was from the momstown arts and crafts. We made sea creatures to go along with our beach day theme. We made octopus, crabs and star fish out of egg cartons! The older kids loved the painting part of the craft! If you are looking for more great beach themed crafts to do with your kids this summer, check out momstown arts and crafts blog.

Want to join us for our next crafty kids new member meet up? Register for a free 2 week trial membership. We'd love to see you out at our next event. Next month our crafty kids and new member meetup will be all about music!

Hopping ideas for Easter in Oakville

Would this darn snow melt so we could finally move into spring in Oakville? Please?!

momstown Oakville is already talking about Easter plans and how we're going to celebrate. Our educational curriculum for the month of April is Flowers - so let's hope those crocuses and tulips start to raise their little heads in our gardens soon!

April 12th momstown Oakville will gather for our Crafty Kid playgroup and explore our spring flower theme.


Our littlest members are super excited for the annual momstown Easter Egg Hunt on Sat April 23rd. Bring your baskets and come ready for a great race for eggs! It's perfect for all ages because each age gets a different colour - even wee ones will have a chance to fill their basket too!

momstown also features Easter crafts perfect for your toddler or preschooler to create at home with you. Visit our arts and crafts blog to find pictures and instructions for these ideas and more!!

Fuzzy Baby Chicks in Egg Carton Shell
Cotton Ball Bunnies
"Stained Glass" Egg window hanging
Old Fashioned Egg Painting
Easter Egg Mosaic
101 Uses for Plastic Eggs

Looking for some other great local for Oakville events to celebrate spring and the Easter season as a family? Here's a quick listing of some our favourite spots!

Mountsberg Conservation has an Easter Egg Extravagana on April 22-24, 2011.

Springridge Farm is opening for the season with their Easter Festival April 22-24, 2011.

Royal Botanical Gardens hosts a seasonal Easter Brunch on April 24, 2011.

The Oakville Museum is holding a Family Easter Event on April 23, 2011.

8 momstown Nursery Rhyme craft ideas

Do you know what the momstown theme is for March? Nursery Rhymes!! Our momstown Oakville themed party is happening next week - Monday March 28th - you should join us!


What's your favourite nursery rhyme to sing with your child?

Check out some cute Nursery Rhyme craft ideas on our momstown arts & crafts blog:

Baa Baa Black Sheep
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
3 Blind Mice
Hickory Dickory Dock
Little Bo Peep
Star Light Star Bright
Three Little Pigs
Itsy Bitsy Spider

If you're not a member yet, please register here for your free 2 week trial. We hope to see you at the Nursery Rhymes event soon!!

Valentine hearts, crafts and momstown love

Valentine's Day was lots of fun with our little momstowners and their mamas. We love our monthly playgroup where we get to use the party room at The Little Gym, have a circle time, make some crafts and enjoy each other.

To celebrate Valentine's Day momstown has some craft ideas for you - you can find all these (+ instructions and more crafts!) on the momstown arts and craft blog. Get busy with your kids, roll up your sleeves and get crafty!

Those lazy, hazy days...

August is upon us! And before we start to hear the dreaded "I'm BORED!" that midsummer can bring, momstown has all kinds of great arts and crafts solutions to keep the kiddos busy!

Make cute monkey puppets and put on a puppet show!

Create a felt board to teach letters or to build a visual creative story!

Want to get some more great craft ideas? Visit momstown's sister arts and crafts website! It's chock-full of great craft ideas for kids of all ages - you can even search by theme! We're adding new craft ideas all the time. You'll be inspired - and your kids will be too!

Craft Swap: great way to stock up!

This is officially my new favourite momstown Oakville event! With just a little prep by each participating mom, you come home with crafts to occupy your little people, especially handy for the witching hour which occurs at our house just when I'm trying to get dinner on the table.

Great for working moms too, we do it on the weekend. Just package a number of pre-determined little crafts into ziploc bags, show up at the assigned hour and trade! Just like a cookie exchange. My kids love it! And so do I :)

Need ideas of crafts to prep for this type of event - search on our momstown arts and craft blog for loads of simple ideas to make art with your kids lots of fun!