Starry Night/Snowy Night Art Project

Materials: white cardstock, a white crayon, water color trays.

Step 1:  Using the white crayon, have the youth draw swirls such as @ or        snowflakes from the middle of the paper to the top.

Step 2:    Using the purple and blue watercolors, have the youth paint                          the  entire page.

Step 3:     Using black construction paper have them cut out an outline

                  Of a city background.

Step 4:     Glue the background to the paper

Friendship Quiz for Girls ages 8-12

adapted from: http://spoonful.com/sites/default/files/0604sleepovergoodfriendquiz.pdf

FRIENDSIP QUIZ

1. Some friends in your group are making fun of your best friend’s new glasses. You…

a. join in

b. say nothing

c. tell them they’re just jealous of her new look and then walk away

2. You really want to be Goldilocks, the best part in the school play- (the main characters in Goldilocks and the 3 Bears). You try out, but your best friend ends up getting the part and you have to play the baby bear. You…

a. Tell your friend she will be a great “Goldilocks” and ask her if she wants to practice with you sometime

b. Tell her that you would have been a better Goldilocks, but at least you got your second favorite part in the play

c. Decide you are not going to be in the play if you can’t get the part you wanted and decide not to talk to your friend anymore

3. You tell your best friend you’re getting a new dog and you’re going to name her Sparkles. Next thing you know, she’s got a new dog named Sparkles! You

a. yell at her for copying you and tell her to ­find a new friend

b. go ahead and name your dog Sparkles – besides, your dog is cuter!

c. choose another name for your dog and teach her to attack your former best friend’s dog (kidding!)

4. You’re home and VERY VERY sick with the fl­u. Your best friend never calls or stops by to see how you’re doing. So when she comes down with the ­flu a week later, you

a. decide to be a kinder, gentler best friend and bring her a get-well care package

b. don’t call. Two can play this game.

c. call her, then tell her in a dramatic way how horrible you felt and how gross it was the whole time you had the flu and that it will probably get worse!

5. You and Suzie made plans to go to the mall. Then Brianna calls and invites you to go to Dave and Buster’s. You love Dave and Buster’s! You…

a. tell Suzie about Brianna’s invite and ask if it’d be all right if the two of you went to the mall the next day (since you don’t get to go to Dave and Buster’s that often)

b. politely thank Brianna for the invite but tell her you already have plans

c. tell Brianna, “Yes! I’ll be ready in 10,” then call Suzie with a made-up story about not feeling well

6. You and some friends are planning on going to the skating rink. You really don’t want to invite your friend Alex because she’s so bad at skating, it’s embarrassing. After thinking about it, you

a. invite her. After all, she’s only going to embarrass herself.

b. don’t invite her. Hey, you’re saving her from embarrassment!

c. invite her, then schedule some practice time before hand to help her out

7. Your friend borrows one of your favorite shirts. When she returns it, she thanks you, but doesn’t mention the big stain on the front of it. You

a. scream at her for ruining your favorite shirt, then demand that she pay you in full for it

b. ask her calmly what happened; maybe there’s a good explanation.

c. don’t say anything, but vow to borrow one of her favorite shirts in the future and ruin it!

Now, add up your points to see what kind of friends you are!

1. a=1, b=2, c=3

2. a=3, b=2, c=1

3. a=1, b=3, c=2

4. a=3, b=2, c=1

5. a=2, b=3, c=1

6. a=2, b=1, c=3

7. a=2, b=3, c=1

18-21 Points: Great Friend.

Your friends are really lucky to have you for a pal, and you’ve probably got some good buds around you, too. You will have many friendships that will last a lifetime.

10-17 Points: Fairly good friend.

You strike a nice balance of being fair to your friends and sticking up for yourself when problems arise. This year, your circle of friends will grow even bigger.

7-10 Points: Fair weather friends.

You are a good friend as long as things are going your way, but as soon as your friends goof up- whoosh, you’re gone! Try to lighten up a bit and weather the storms with your friends- good times are ahead for you this year.

Origami Fortune Teller

Remenber these? Instructions can be found here:
http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-fortune-teller.html
All you need is a piece of paper, pen/pencil/ or markers :)

Gratitude Journal

Start a gratitude journal listing 5 things you’re thankful for daily or weekly.

 "Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."
- Marcel Proust
“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”
 -Eckhart Tolle
“When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.”
-Anthony Robbins
“Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind.”
-Lionel Hampton

Owls, Foil, Glue, and Shoe Polish

via...http://makeitawonderfullife.blogspot.com/2011/12/owls-foil-glue-and-shoe-polish.html

1. Draw your picture on paper the size of your final cardboard. Just the big shapes, no details.

You could use coloring books, but the kid's drawings are so wonderful, I would hate to miss out on them!!

2. Go over your simple drawing with Sharpie.
3. Turn your drawing over. On the back, use your pencil on it's side to go over your lines.
4. Place your drawing right side up on cardboard and trace over your lines for a graphite transfer to the cardboard. (Or, if you want to speed this up, just draw directly on the cardboard. I like to teach the transfer skill, something they can use on future projects.)
5.Go over with Sharpie if needed to see lines clearly. 6. Use a thick, tacky glue to go over the lines and let dry.
7. Use a glue stick to attach the foil. (Shiny or dull side showing-you decide.)
8. Wrap the foil over the front and to the back.
9. Press foil down around dry glue lines. Use a paper towel over your fingers as you rub to avoid tearing the foil.
10. Then use a cotton swab up against the glue outlines once the foil is pressed down, just to be sure the glue outlines show up really well.
11. Draw patterns in all of the spaces with a dull pencil. (Use a variety of types of line and scales of patterns.)
Once you've filled all of the spaces, rub over the whole thing with black shoe polish, wait a few seconds, and wipe off. (I use the kind that comes in a bottle with a sponge applicator lid.)
Yes. Lots of steps. But the results are so wonderful!

Create Your Own Crossword Puzzle

Big Brothers Big Sisters Crossword

Answers: 1.Sister, 2. Special, 3. Brother, 4. Friend, 5. Loyal

to create your own, go to...http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/

The website will ask for words and clues about words. Your theme could be serious or wacky. Ideas: Favorite Foods, Places You want to visit, Types of Animals, Favorite Activities...

DIY Temporary Tattoos

via:

http://charlotteisnotmyname.tumblr.com/post/11523186764/temporary-tattoos-tutorial

Temporary Tattoos Tutorial

Hey everybody!
If you ever thought about doing a tattoo, but you don’t really want it to be something permanent, this is the perfect tutorial for you!
I’m going to show you how to do temporary tattoos. They’re fun, quick and easy to do!
So first of, what do you need?

Pencil (3B/4B/5B/6B), scissor, tracing paper; wet cloth, talcum powder, eyeliner, makeup brush, ethyl alcohol, cotton pads and liquid bandage spray (waterproof).

First you’ll need a drawing or word/phrase. Draw it on the tracing paper (making sure it’s the size you want) and cut it.

Scrub your skin with ethyl alcohol where you’ll be doing your tattoo and put the tracing paper over it (with the drawing facing down).

With the wet cloth, pressure the drawing against the skin. Remove the tracing paper and you should have an outline of the drawing on your skin.


Draw the tattoo with eyeliner. Wait a few seconds, then put a bit a talcum powder over the drawing and spread it around with the brush.


Again, wait a few seconds and then spray the drawing with the liquid bandage spray. Make sure it covers the entire area of the tattoo and let it dry. It will be is waterproof.
Done! Try not to rub it and it should last 3/4 days.
Have fun!

DIY Pinwheels

Create a Nature Scavenger Hunt

from: thetaylor-house.com

...or make a creative scavenger hunt of your own! Ideas... things at the mall..things around the home/school/the zoo/the library...take a picture with your camera/ smartphone to prove you found each item!

Levitation Photos

http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/levitation-photos
*Requires a bit of computer skill saviness but very clear instructions  on the link

Conversation Starters & Hypothetical Situations for Adolescents and Teens

Kick Start: Should violent video games be banned for children under a certain age?  If so, what age?  If not, why not?

Kick Start: Is fairness the same as treating everyone equally?  Can a teacher be fair while treating different students differently?

Kick Start: Consider the following situation: Jared is a very good student who gets good grades and does not usually get in trouble.  William has been suspended three times already this semester and has Cs and Ds in most of his classes.  Both Jared and William get caught while vandalizing the boys’ bathroom.  The assistant principal decides to give Jared five days of in-school suspension while William is suspended for 10 days out of school.  What do you think about the difference in these punishments? Is this fair?

Kick Start: Jennifer knows her parents won't let her go to a party if they find out the host's parents are out of town. Should she lie about it?

Kick Start: What do you do when your friend's dad comes to drive you home from the movie theater, and you can tell that he's drunk?