Holidays Archives - Eva Varga


July 1, 20192

With Independence Day upon us this week, the fireworks stands are popping up all over town.  With the dry weather and heat wave many are experiencing this year, I am confidant many cities will be enforcing strict prohibitions against fireworks.  Why not then take the time to explore the science of fireworks and perhaps try making a few simple ones yourself?

Learn about the science of fireworks with this awesome video. How do fireworks work? Where do the cool colors come from? What makes the big explosions?

Creating firework colors requires considerable art and application of science. Excluding propellants or special effects, the points of light ejected from fireworks, termed ‘stars’, generally require an oxygen-producer, fuel, binder (to keep everything where it needs to be), and a color producer.

The bright colors visible when fireworks explode are a result of pyrotechnic stars —pellets of chemicals that generate certain colors or produce sparking effects when burned. When the bursting charge is ignited, the main fuel explodes first, transferring energy to the colorant chemicals, which prompts these chemicals’ electrons to move into an excited state. Then, moments later, when the colorant chemicals cool and the electrons fall back to their base state, they release the extra energy as colorful radiation when they are flying through the sky. The specific color depends on the chemical:
fireworks
To achieve unusually-shaped fireworks, such as double-rings, hearts or stars, technicians pack the fuel and colorant chemicals inside a tube in different formations. Chemists design fireworks to burn as slowly as possible, rather than explode rapidly – a slower burn means that a visual effect will last longer and cover a greater area of the sky. To achieve this, the fuel and oxidizer chemicals used are relatively large-grained, about the size of a grain of sand. Additionally, chemists avoid mixing the fuel and oxidizer together thoroughly, making it more difficult for them to burn.

Flame Photometry

If you wish to delve into the science of fireworks even further, consider undertaking flame photometry experiments.  Rainbow Fire, is an exciting activity kit that you may wish to consider; it is available for purchase at Science Buddies. The necessary materials and the experimental procedure are outlined for you on their website.  Of course, adult supervision is required.  The four chemicals used in the kit are:

  • Copper sulfate
  • Strontium chloride
  • Boric acid
  • Sodium chloride

Things to Ponder

  • How are the colors produced by a chemical when it burns related to the atomic structure of the chemical?
  • What is flame spectrometry and how is it used by physicists and chemists?
  • How does this science project relate to what astronomers do when they are trying to identify the atomic makeup of a star?
  • What are metal ions? In the chemicals used in this science project, which elements in the compounds are metals?

Black Snake Fireworks

Do you remember watching long carbon worms emerge from growing tablets our parents lit with matches on the 4th of July?  For a simple do-it-yourself recipe, a homemade black snake is sure to delight.



January 15, 20182

Advances in technology have made travel more economical and thereby more accessible to many. The prevalence of social media around the globe not only brings people together and but also brings worldwide attention to current events within minutes and hours. With the current political climate, it is more important than ever to provide our children with an awareness and appreciation for other cultures and beliefs.

I’m excited to share with you a new multicultural and educational book series from Bollywood Groove, Maya & Neel’s India Adventure. Your young children will love to join Maya, Neel and their pet squirrel, Chintu, as they visit India on fun, cultural adventures.

Bollywood Groove is a dance studio for kids and adults in Chicago. Founders Ajanta and Vivek aspired to create an environment that immersed kids into the rich and diverse culture of India by using stories and learning dance choreography. This program has been a great success for their dance school and they decided to increase their audience by publishing books.

Children's books about India book series

*I received this product for free from Bollywood Groove in exchange for my honest opinion. This post contains affiliate links; see disclosure for more information.*

Maya & Neel’s India Adventure series

India is a land of festivals, where people from different religions coexist harmoniously. The wide variety of festivals celebrated in India is a true manifestation of its rich culture and traditions.

Diwali, for example, is one of the most prominent Hindu festivals of India. During this festival of lights, houses are decorated with clay lamps, candles, and Ashok leaves. People wear new clothes, participate in family puja, burst crackers, and share sweets with friends, families, and neighbors.

Let’s Celebrate 5 Days of Diwali, the first book in the series, introduces readers to India’s biggest and most important holiday of the year. The festival gets its name from the row (avali) of clay lamps (deepa) that Indians light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects from spiritual darkness. Each day of Diwali holds wonderful traditions for the children. My favorite was the fifth, whereupon brothers and sisters promise to take care of each other.

Let’s Visit Mumbai (book 2) brings us to Mumbai (formerly Bombay), a densely populated city on India’s west coast and the largest city in the country. On the waterfront stands the iconic Gateway of India stone arch, built by the British Raj in 1924. Offshore, nearby Elephanta Island holds ancient cave temples dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.

Let’s Celebrate Holi (book 3) introduces children to the festival of colors, one of the famous festivals of India. On the eve of Holi, people make huge Holika bonfires and sing and dance around it. On the day of Holi, people gather in open areas and apply dry and wet colors of multiple hues to each other, with some carrying water guns and colored water filled balloons.

Eid is another major festival of India for the Muslim community. People dress up in fineries, attend a special community prayer in the morning, visit friends, and relatives and exchange sweets. Children are given idi (money or gift) by elders. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (Sawm) to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad according to Islamic belief. Learn more about each in the fourth book in the series, Let’s Celebrate Ramadan & Eid.

Let’s Celebrate Navratri (book 5) highlights the nine nights (and ten days) of the Hindu festival, Navrati, celebrated in the autumn every year. It is observed for different reasons and celebrated differently in various parts of the Indian subcontinent.

Help fight hate with knowledge. Teach your kids all about the beauty and culture of India in these beautifully illustrated multi-cultural books. You can find more books featuring Maya & Neel on Amazon.

AramKim_MCCBDposter2018FINAL-1Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2018

I am proud to take part in the annual Multicultural Children’s Book Day, celebrated on the 27th of January this year and marking the 5th anniversary.  It was was founded by Valarie Budayr from Jump Into A Book and Mia Wenjen from PragmaticMom. Our mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in home and school bookshelves while also working diligently to get more of these types of books into the hands of young readers, parents and educators.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2018 is honored to have some amazing Sponsors on board this year.

2018 MCBD Medallion Sponsors

2018 Author Sponsors

Honorary Author Sponsors: Author/Illustrator Aram Kim and Author/Illustrator Juana Medina

Author Janet Balletta, Author Susan BernardoAuthor Carmen Bernier-Grand, Author Tasheba Berry-McLaren and Space2Launch, Bollywood Groove Books, Author Anne BroylesAuthor Kathleen Burkinshaw, Author Eugenia Chu, Author Lesa Cline-Ransome, Author Medeia Cohan and Shade 7 Publishing, Desi Babies, Author Dani Dixon and Tumble Creek Press, Author Judy Dodge Cummings, Author D.G. Driver, Author Nicole Fenner and Sister Girl Publishing, Debbi Michiko Florence, Author Josh Funk, Author Maria Gianferrari, Author Daphnie Glenn, Globe Smart Kids, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, Author Quentin Holmes, Author Esther Iverem, Jennifer Joseph: Alphabet Oddities, Author Kizzie Jones, Author Faith L Justice , Author P.J. LaRue and MysticPrincesses.com, Author Karen Leggett Abouraya, Author Sylvia Liu, Author Sherri Maret, Author Melissa Martin Ph.D., Author Lesli Mitchell, Pinky Mukhi and We Are One, Author Miranda Paul, Author Carlotta Penn, Real Dads Read, Greg Ransom, Author Sandra L. Richards, RealMVPKids Author Andrea Scott, Alva Sachs and Three Wishes Publishing, Shelly Bean the Sports QueenAuthor Sarah Stevenson, Author Gayle H. Swift Author Elsa Takaoka, Author Christine Taylor-Butler, Nicholette Thomas and  MFL Publishing  Author Andrea Y. Wang, Author Jane Whittingham  Author Natasha Yim

We’d like to also give a shout-out to MCBD’s impressive CoHost Team who not only hosts the book review link-up on celebration day, but who also works tirelessly to spread the word of this event. View our CoHosts HERE.

Connect & Win

TWITTER PARTY Sponsored by Scholastic Book Clubs: MCBD’s super-popular (and crazy-fun) annual Twitter Party will be held 1/27/18 at 9:00pm.

Join the conversation and win one of 12-5 book bundles and one Grand Prize Book Bundle (12 books) that will be given away at the party!

Free Multicultural Books for Teachers

Free Empathy Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians and Educators 

Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.



November 2, 20162

Today marks the conclusion of the Day of the Dead throughout Mexico and by people of Mexican ancestry living in other places. Geneva and I were just discussing how fun it would be to travel to Mexico during this time to experience the holiday.

We were in Norway during Syttende Mai in 2011. It was the most amazing experience. Have you ever traveled to another country during a national holiday? If so, tell us about it in the comments. If not, which holiday would you most like to experience and why?

Finishing-Strong-500x500Welcome to Finishing Strong ~ a weekly link-up dedicated to families homeschooling middle & high school kids. Each Wednesday, moms just like you share their best tips, encouragement, advice, and more for teaching older kids at home.

I am delighted that families homeschooling middle and high school age students are coming together and finding inspiration in one another. That’s has been the goal of Finishing Strong since its inception. Thank you!!

Finishing Strong is hosted by me here at EvaVarga along with my friends – Heather from Blog She Wrote, Megan and Susan from Education Possible, and Heidi from Starts at Eight.I know you will find the posts that have been shared with us inspiring! Grab a cup of tea, kick back, and take some time to check out the wonderful posts shared below. What are your favorites?


I have begun to share highlights from our recent family holiday to the New England states. Though we started our road trip in Boston, the first posts I have written have been about our days in New York City, or Manhattan to be more precise. We loved our Watson Adventure Wizarding World Scavenger Hunt at the MET.

Science of the Statue of Liberty @EvaVarga.net

Our favorite day, however, was spent touring Liberty Island and Ellis Island as we learned about our nation’s immigrant history. Science on the Road: Visiting the Statue of Liberty and Chemical Reactions is the first in a what I envision as a series of posts to show how science lessons and activities can be incorporated into your family travels.


College Prep 101The most clicked upon post shared last week, College Prep 101: Learn to Meet Deadlines, is actually part of a series of posts written by Kim at WriteShop. This post focuses on training your teen to meet deadlines and to get comfortable with time limits associated with testing.

High School GradingIn Oregon, homeschool students have the option to participate in sports through a club (what we’ve done since the beginning) or through the local school district. This year, my daughter is a freshman and she has opted to join the high school swim team. One of the hoops we must jump through is to provide documentation that she is in fact enrolled with the local ESD as a homeschool student.

Additionally, she must provide a copy of her report card. Just as the public school kids are required to keep their grades up, so must the homeschool student. Heidi’s post, How to Tackle Homeschool High School Grading, was thereby very helpful for me as I begin to tackle the Why – What – How of creating her first report card.

Backyard ScienceI have also selected Jen’s review of my friend Marci’s new eBook, Backyard Science for All Ages. She highlights how easy it is to observe and study animals, plants, weather, soil, rocks, and more in your very own backyard.

@ @ @

As always, thank you for helping us to make Finishing Strong a key resource for families who are homeschooling through the middle & high school years.

What are you going to share with us this week?

Guidelines:

  1. Link up to 3 posts from your blog. Make sure you use the exact URL to the post, not to your home page. You can add any post related to homeschooling middle and high school students. Posts unrelated to that will be removed.
  2. Please no advertising, individual Pinterest pins, Facebook, Twitter, or other link-up links!
  3. Grab our button to add to your post after you link it up. Each week we will be choosing our favorite posts to highlight on all 4 sites. If you were featured, we would love for you to use the “I was featured” button.
  4. The linky will go live on each co-host’s blog each Wednesday at 6am EST, and will be live until Tuesday at 11:55 pm.

Please Share!

Add our button to your post.

Homeschooling the Middle & High School Years

Were You Featured?

Grab an “I was featured” button!

Homeschooling the Middle & High School Years




December 9, 2015

Many studies have shown that material possessions do not equal happiness and that experiences are much more intrinsically fulfilling that things. Giving an experience, or even one’s time, as a holiday gift, in the place of things that people may not really want, is becoming more and more popular.

The anticipation leading up to a trip, event, or experience even has the potential to provide happiness itself, making it the gift that truly keeps on giving! Happiness in the anticipation, happiness during the experience and happiness in the memories.

Give the Gift of Experiences: Gift Ideas for Teens @EvaVarga.net

This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

Experiences are also a uniting factor. You are more likely to bond with someone who enjoys the same hobby/activity or has traveled to the same places that you have than with someone who has a similar possession.

Gift Experiences

Giving an experience means that your recipient won’t have something else to clutter their home, and it means that they get to do something that is fun and meaningful for them. Today I share ideas for giving experiences instead of gifts.

Field Trips

So many kids crave their parents’ time and attention, so knowing that you set aside the stuff that they usually see you doing in order to be with them means a lot. Even if you can’t afford to go anywhere exciting, your kids will enjoy spending the day with you one-on-one.

If your kids are in school, give a day off “field trip” somewhere exciting. Take them to a museum, an amusement park, or go for a hike. Top it off with a meal at a favorite restaurant.

Give an annual pass to something they’ll enjoy returning to, like the zoo, the aquarium, or a hands-on science museum. If you plan to visit these places multiple times in a year anyway, these passes usually pay for themselves in 2-4 visits.

Give the Gift of Experiences: Gift Ideas for Teens @EvaVarga.netPassion is something that is cultivated. Consider tickets to a concert for kids who are taking lessons. Last year, we gifted each of the kids with a concert for their birthday – The Piano Guys and Lindsey Stirling. For Christmas, Geneva extended the memory of this experience by giving her brother an autographed copy of The Piano Guys’ new cd.

If your children have never seen a live stage production, this could be the year for it. Some of the best shows from Broadway, such as “Wicked,” “The Lion King” and “Beauty and the Beast,” hit the road each year for shows around the United States. Visit your local performing arts center to see what they have planned for 2015, or check out such sites as Broadway Across America to see what might be coming to a town near you.

If you have a sports fan in your life give them tickets to a professional or semi-professional sporting event in your area. Better yet, get tickets for all of you and enjoy the day together.

If you know someone on your list who is planning a trip, see if you can’t buy a special experience for them while they’re there. Vayable is a website that specializes in offering unique experiences to travelers by connecting them with locals who offer tours or lessons that might be hard to find otherwise. You can also contact the local travel bureau in your recipient’s destination and see what they suggest.

Classes & Curriculum

Give the gift of learning and pick up a new skill as family. Sign up the whole group for cooking or art classes or horseback riding lessons. If you live close to water, look into scuba or sailing lessons for the group. Maybe your kids are budding photographers and would love a class in photography.

My daughter has been marveling at a variety of art glass we have seen at local craft sales and festivals. In her stocking this year she will find a gift certificate for a glass blowing class at Oregon Coast Glassworks.

Another option are online classes. These are great because the lessons are taught via video recording and access never expires. Here are few that we have used in the past and have thoroughly enjoyed:

Craftsy

Winter Wonderland Mixed Media Workshop

 

Pay for Their Hobby

If they love camping, gift them a campsite rental. If they love running, pay for their entry into a local race. The possibilities are endless on this one.

Volunteer

Truly a gift that keeps on giving. If possible with your kids ages, volunteer at a local food pantry or charity and give your kids (and yourself) the gift of helping others! Here are a variety of Volunteer Ideas for Kids.

Give to Charity

We designate a percentage of our income each year to a charity of choice and expect our children to do the same. Two years ago, my son raised nearly $100 that he donated to the Nystagmus Network.

Subscription Gifts

Subscription gifts are fun because an educational experience is delivered each month to your door. What I love about these is the variety – you’ll surely find a service that is suited for everyone on your list, whether they enjoy arts and crafts, cooking, science, or learning about other cultures. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

50% off

The 4-Gift Rule

It can be easy to lose sight of your budget – especially when considering experience gifts. Whether you’re on a budget or just trying to discourage materialism in your family this holiday season, you might want to consider the four gift rule this Christmas.

The 4 gift rule has been circling the Internet the past few years. The idea is that you buy your children no more than four gifts for Christmas, and they fall under these categories:

Something they want, Something they need, Something to wear, Something to read

Give the Gift of Experiences: Gift Ideas for Teens @EvaVarga.netThe “Want”: Despite my preference for experiences, we do get one gift for each child that is strictly something they want. Often these end up being educational gifts like fischertechnik, a Rubix Cube, or craft supplies.

The “Need”: Since family experiences are so important for us, we consider these gifts a need so we prioritize and budget for them. Often these revolve around our family vacations.

The “Wear”: For holidays we give each of the kids one clothing item they need like a new coat or hiking boots. This may also be something fun, like dress up clothes, if they don’t need any new clothing.

The “Read”: I have a weakness for books. We go to the library every week and love used book sales. There is something to be said about owning copies of your favorite titles, however. For Christmas, I always gift them with a book – perhaps the next book in the Percy Jackson series (my daughter LOVES them) or a hardback edition of a book they had checked out from the library and just loved. I also try to purchase books that encourage their passions.

Have you tried to give experiences instead of gifts in the past? What other suggestions would you add to this list?



February 24, 20154

Chinese New Year is a two week Spring festival celebrated for over 5,000 years in China. The most important of the Chinese holidays, the celebration lasts for 15 days and culminates with the Lantern Festival. Millions around the world will celebrate the first day of the Chinese New Year on February 18-19, 2015. It’ll be February 18 according to U.S. calendars, and February 19 in Asia.

newyearSFFor the past couple of years, we have celebrated Chinese New Year in San Francisco Chinatown – our favorite way to celebrate the holiday. The San Francisco Chinese New Year celebration originated in the 1860’s during the Gold Rush days and is now the largest Asian event in North America as well as the largest general market event in Northern California. The celebration includes two major fairs, the Chinese New Year Flower Fair and Chinatown Community Street Fair. All the festivities culminate with Chinese New Year Parade.

Named one of the top ten parades in the world, Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco is one of the few remaining night illuminated parades in the country. Each year is associated with one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. Many of the floats feature the theme of current zodiac sign; for 2015, it’s the Year of the Sheep (or Ram).

In 2013, we went alone and upon our return, the kids created a news-style report to share what they had learned, Chinese New Year in San Francisco. The following year, we invited friends to join us and it was so much fun to share in our new tradition.

sfnewyear

We enjoy meandering along the streets during the Community Street Fair, shopping in the many stores (we always find great Mandarin language books), and stopping at the vendor booths. Coca Cola and McDonalds always have great giveaways and cues that wrap around several blocks! The restaurants are many – making it difficult to choose. Of course, we can’t leave Chinatown without stopping at the Fortune Cookie Factory.

There is something for everyone and we always have a great time. We look forward to this weekend getaway every year.

Activities to Celebrate Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year | Multicultural Kid Blogs

This post is part of the Chinese New Year series and giveaway on Multicultural Kid Blogs. Enter our giveaway to win one of these great prize packages, and don’t forget to link up your own posts about Chinese New Year on our main page!

Giveaway begins Jan. 21 and goes through midnight ET on March 5, 2015. Enter below for a chance to win! Remember you can make a comment on the blog post of a different co-host each day for an additional entry.

First Prize Package

All About China

From Tuttle Publishing, All About China: Take the whole family on a whirlwind tour of Chinese history and culture with this delightfully illustrated book that is packed with stories, activities and games. Travel from the stone age through the dynasties to the present day with songs and crafts for kids that will teach them about Chinese language and the Chinese way of life.

Long-Long's New Year

Also from Tuttle Publishing, Long-Long’s New Year, a beautifully illustrated picture book about a little Chinese boy named Long-Long, who accompanies his grandfather into the city to sell cabbages in order to buy food and decorations for the New Year. Selling cabbages is harder than Long-Long expects, and he encounters many adventures before he finds a way to help his grandfather, and earn New Year’s treats for his mother and little cousin.

A Little Mandarin

From A Little Mandarin, a CD featuring a collection of Chinese children’s classics – songs loved by families in China for generations – given new life with a contemporary sound and voice. The 15 tracks fuse rock, pop, dance, ska, and hip hop influences with playful lyrics to make it a unique and fun learning companion for all ages. Featured on Putumayo Kids Presents World Sing-Along.

Second Prize Package

US shipping only

Celebrating the Chinese New Year

From Tuttle Publishing, Celebrating the Chinese New Year, in which Little Mei’s grandfather tells her the stories of Nian and the monster Xi for Chinese New Year.

The Sheep Beauty

Also from Tuttle Publishing, The Sheep Beauty, which brings to life the kindness and generosity of those born under the sign of the sheep in the Chinese zodiac.

Chinese Zodiac Animals

Also from Tuttle Publishing, Chinese Zodiac Animals, a fun and informative way to learn about the ancient Chinese Zodiac, explaining the traits of each animal sign and what luck the future might hold for the person born under that sign.

Monkey Drum

From Tiny Tapping Toes, a monkey drum, plus a free pdf of a craft version. World Music children’s performer DARIA has spent the last two decades performing in the USA and around the world, creating music to inspire all the world’s children and allowing children to become a part of the celebration and the fun of exploring world cultures.

a Rafflecopter giveaway



February 13, 2015

In Norway, Valentine’s Day is referred to as Valentinsdagen. Also called All Hearts Day (Alle Hjerters Dag), Valentinsdagen is a celebration of love and romance. Only in recent years has the business sector promoted this tradition in Norway.

valentinesday

The day may have its roots in the Roman celebration of the goddess Juno representing women and marriage (14 February), and the start of the Lupercalia festival observed on February 13 through 15 to avert evil spirits and purify the city, releasing health and fertility.

In Norway, Valentines Day is not celebrated with as much fanfare and grandeur style compared with many other parts of the world. However, the expression of emotions and ardent love is still important and Norwegians enjoy spending time together to discover more about each other’s lives.

People do take time to be romantic in Norway and often celebrate the expression of love with cards, flowers and chocolate. Many Norwegians now send postcards to the ones they love on Valentinsdagen.

Norwegian words for love and romance

Ord for kjærlighet og romantikk

  • Elsker/ Love
  • Kjæreste / Boyfriend
  • Kjæresten / Girlfriend or Sweetheart (depends on context) 
  • Kjærligheten / Love 
  • Glede over å være sammen / Joy of being together
  • Jeg elsker deg / I Love You
  • Jeg er så forferdelig glad i deg / I am so terribly fond of you
  • Savner deg veldig mye! / Miss You Very Much!
  • Du vet hvor mye jeg elsker deg / You Know How Much I Love You
  • Vil du være min Valentin? / Will you be my Valentine?
  • Ha en fin Valentinsdag / Have a nice Valentine’s Day
  • Kjærlighetens magi til evig tid / Magic of love everlasting
  • Du er min Valentine / You are my Valentine
  • Jeg er en håpløs romantiker / I am a hopeless romantic
  • Jeg er så glad for at jeg traff deg / I am so glad that I met you
  • Til min kjære på Valentinsdagen / For my beloved on Valentine’s Day
  • Fra din Valentin / From your Valentine
  • Det er kun med hjertet, man kan se rigtigt / It is only with the heart, one can see right
  • Jeg elsker deg .. Du er mitt liv! / I love you .. You are my life!
  • Jeg elsker deg over hele mitt hjerte / I love you all over my heart
  • Elske deg / Love youTenker på deg / Thinking of you
  • Elske deg så mye / Love you so much
  • Åh eg bare elske deg / Aah I just love you
  • Ha en fin Valentinsdagen alle sammen / Have a nice Valentines day everyone
  • Du betyr alt for meg og jeg elsker deg! / You mean everything to me and I love you!
  • Jeg er så forelsket i deg / I am so in love with you
  • God Valentinsdag, vennen min. / Good Valentine’s Day, my friend.

Julehjerter (Christmas Hearts)

It is a Danish Christmas tradition to make these paper heart baskets for the children to hang on the Christmas tree.  The oldest known plaited Christmas hearts were made by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen in 1860.

The Danish architect Hans H. Koch (1873 – 1922) had great mathematical and 3d talents. The story goes that his Christmas tree was terribly overloaded by all his intricate paper ornaments. In 1916 patterns and instructions for seven complex woven Christmas baskets were published in the children’s journal ‘Børnenes Magasin’  issued by a leading department store in Copenhagen; Magasin du Nord.

These lovely hearts work equally well for Valentinsdagen as well. Follow the step-by-step tutorial with the simple pattern provided in the post or create your own.

In the past, when I have shown kids how to do this with construction paper, I have found that the paper tears easily as they are weaving the strips together.  This can be frustrating to little ones. I highly recommend using wallpaper would be more durable. Discontinued pattern books are available often for free. 🙂