Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in sacramento, CA

Since I am a big fan of all artistic endeavors, my little ones have also grown up painting, cutting and pasting their little creative hearts out.  One great project to do with little ones is the art of decoupage.  The simple version of this art form is to simply cut out pictures from magazines or other glossy paper, coat it with a gluey substance and stick it to something else creating amazing 3-D collage creations.  Here are the basics and some ideas of what 'canvas' you can use:

What you need:

Old magazines, School glue or Modge-Podge an item you can find at most craft stores just for doing decoupage, a hard surface to adhere to: cardboard box, lightswitch plates, an old chair frame or wooden box.

What you do: Cut out any and every picture you like with your little one - this is great practice for hand-eye coordination.  Coat the back side of the picture with slightly watered down school glue or modge podge with an old small paint brush.  Stick it to your 'canvas' and mom can help smooth out the wrinkles.  You can layer or overlap pictures and after the glue has set for awhile give the whole thing a topcoat for a lasting effect. 

One day the boys and I took a Phillips head screwdriver and removed every light switch and electrical outlet cover int he house.  We carefully decoupage'd and trimmed each one, set them to dry and re-attached them. Now whenever we flip on a light there is an unexpected and colorful surprise!