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How To Make Nature Place Mats Craft

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This is a sponsored post.

KinderCare has offered to share another great resource with us thanks to their back to school program Adventure Ahead, they have a fun DIY craft that you can do with your kids. After looking at it, I realized that my kids would even love to make this leaf craft. They love doing crafts and have since they were really young. I would think this particular craft would be great for a very large age range. Studio Session-115

DIY Nature Place Mats

Meals are even more fun when you eat on place mats created by your kids. Making them at home is a super easy project that takes less than an hour to complete!

Whether you’re planning for a big dinner party or simply thinking of your many family meals together ahead, break out this fun activity so that your child feels like she is an important part of the process. Using contact paper, construction paper, and a little help from Mother Nature, these homemade place mats add a wonderful note of spring joy to the table.

DIY nature place mats pic1

What You Will Need:

• Clear contact paper

• 12-in x 18-in construction paper (or any other larger size)

• Flower petals in various colors

• Leaves in various shapes and sizesDIY nature place mats pic2

Directions:

1. Hunt for natural objects that can be easily flattened like flower petals and leaves

2. Create the frames by cutting a rectangle out of the center of each piece of construction paper so that a ½ inch border remains

3. Place one sheet of contact paper over a frame and set the combined piece on the table, sticky side up

4. Encourage your child to design their place mat by artfully arranging the petals and leaves onto the sticky contact paper

5. Place the second sheet of contact paper face down to seal in the petals and leaves

Pro-tip: The flatter the items, the fewer air pockets you’ll have in the end. When laying down the second sheet of contact paper, work from one edge to the other, slowly pressing it down so you can work out air bubbles as you go

Our favorite part of creating these place mats is finding the perfect flower petals, leaves, and stalks of grass to showcase. Feeling rustic? Gather some wheat if available. Want to host a tea party for forest fairies? Pick some large green leaves.

DIY nature place mats pic3

Have fun! If you complete this activity, we’d love to see. Share with KinderCare on Facebook!

See more at adventureahead.kindercare.com

How Do You Prepare Your Child For Preschool? KinderCare #PreschoolPrep

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One down another one to go, that’s me of course. Zoe went to preschool last year and Miles will be going this year. Boys verses girls, first verses second, I’d say this year it’s going to be a breeze but my son is always able to surprise me at that last second with a total freak out of the third kind. But like I said, we did do this with one child already. My kids are in preschool as young as age 3 because they are little sponges. All little children are sponges that absorb everything you throw at them at this age. But anxiety can be hard for mom and child on their first day.

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Zoe has always been quite attached to me and I was terrified of leaving her on her first day, but she was so excited to go she didn’t even want to give me a hug good by on her first day. BYE MOM! That’s all I got, maybe it’s because we spent all summer hyping her up.

So my first tip would be to get your child extremely excited about going to school. Pick out a stellar backpack, get a folder, a pencil, no they don’t need these things but it gets them really excited about going to school.

Make sure you go to the open house and meet the teacher. The more comfortable the kids feel in their classroom before you have to leave them there alone the better. I was really lucky last year because our neighbor was Zoe’s teacher so she was already in a familiar setting, but that didn’t mean that every day went smoothly.

Even if that first day goes well, be prepared for the DON’T LEAVE ME MOM meltdown on another day down the road. I actually had a few of those. On those days, I think Zoe was tired. Make sure your kids get a good night’s sleep on school nights. Sleep is so important to having a good day at school. So is a really good healthy breakfast.

zoe first day of school

Leaving Zoe on days where she was really clingy was hard. Sometimes I just left her crying, other times I gave her another hug and her teachers gave her a hug and then I snuck away. Other times, I tried to help her get into an activity like coloring. Then when she was busy I snuck away. They may be crying but once your gone they usually get over it quickly. Zoe was always fine within minutes after I left.

How have I prepared Miles?

He has an awesome backpack…. check

We’ve been hyping it up all summer….. check

We’re going to meet his teacher next week….check

My biggest concern is going to be when he realizes, Zoe isn’t in his class, and mommy isn’t staying. I’m a bit concerned but at the same time, I know he’s going to be fine. I think for him, if I don’t make a scene he won’t make a scene. If I just drop him off, give him a hug and a kiss, he’ll get right to play time. Of course, the worst part is going to be when I get home to an empty house. I’m not entirely sure how to deal with that.

I’m curious to know: What advice do you have for moms prepping for preschool? KinderCare will choose one lucky participant and make donation in their name to the Reach Out And Read chapter of their choice!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of KinderCare. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Contest Rules.