| by: Gabrielle Guichard |
| If you are a mom at home and think that you do not need a nanny, I am afraid you are wrong, but not because of any reason you may know about. If you are thinking of hiring a nanny, no doubt you plan to choose her very carefully. We have all watched some of these scaring videos showing nannies bullying the children they were expected to take care of. Of course, to choose a woman who will not ill-treat your kid is the first point to consider. Fortunately, most nannies meet this requirement. So, which other points to come to? I am not going to give you advice about things I know nothing about, or no more than any other mother. For medical advice, ask your doctor; for religious advice, ask your preacher; but for educational advice, ask a teacher. Do the math: One needs about a thousand hours to learn something. The nanny is going to spend hundreds of hours with your beloved baby. So: your baby is going to learn a lot from the nanny. It is difficult to calculate how much time young children need to learn whatever. What we know for sure is that they learn almost continuously from any source of knowledge that they are exposed to. Give your kid a source of knowledge that will provide him with a lifelong benefit. Hire a Polish nanny! Polish language has a particularity: it contains most of the phonemes of the European languages; in fact all of them except the English/American sound "th" (but you are here) and the French "R", called "Parisian R". By leaving your baby with a Polish au-pair girl regularly, you give him a gift he cannot lose or break: the ability to pronounce any phoneme without accent. There are many birth gifts but very few last lifelong. So, even if you work at home, consider paying a Polish native speaker two hours twice a week. Your baby's future is worth it. About the author: Gabrielle Guichard is a French teacher who proposes a complete and free course on http://www.FrenchCoursebyFrenchTeacher.comfor determined students. Circulated by Article Emporium |
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
A Lifelong Birth Gift
Monday, 27 April 2009
A Guide To Successful Obedience Training
| by: Jon Dunkerley |
By Jon Dunkerley http://www.web-rover.com Showing off your dog in front of friends and family is something that I personally love to do. Having an obedient, happy slab of lab is like having an obedient happy child. Have you ever been in a supermarket only to come across a screaming baby and a blushing parent? I know I have, and my first reaction is to get as far away from the disturbing scene as possible. I have also been in the undesirable situation of being in public with an unobedient dog and I can say, I feel the pain of the frantic parent! The term, ¡§A happy dog is an obedient dog¡¨ is one that I really believe holds a lot of merit due to its simplicity. If you have a relatively well behaved dog, that interacts well with the family, it is fair to say that rarely will you or anyone else in that family be angry or even worse abusive towards your pet. On the other hand if your dog is not obedient to a satisfactory level, and does not interact well with the family, one can say that members of that family will have a hard time coping with the pet and this trend can only escalate only leading to the eventual departure of the pet from the family. When teaching your dog basic obedience, it is wize to make sure that you first have an understanding of the art yourself. Like people, dogs have unique personalities none of which are the same, and it is a good trainer that will take the time to figure out the dog before trying to figure out how to best approach introducing basic obedience. Furthermore, there are many external resources out there for you to take advantage of in order to help you understand the art of training. Books, articles, Obedience Instructors, and the internet, are all viable sources that you should take advantage of when seeking advice, or just experiences from others in your situation. Below I have listed my top ten components to keep in mind when working with your dog. I did not rank them, as they are all very important to keep in mind as they will only aid you in bonding, understanding, and interacting positively with your four-legged friend: - Know what your doing ¡V Before comensing any type of training, do your research first! To offen, pet owners try to do all the work their way, get frustrated and take out their frustrations on their pet. Having an understanding of the methodology behind the many types of training, will benefit you to know end. - Consistancy ¡V Being consistent with your approach is very very important when dealing with your dog in any aspect of life. When working with your dog try to use the same approach each time. Changing training methods mid session for example will only confuse your dog even more than he-she already is. Furthermore, set up training time at least twice a day, and keep to these times. Training time is important, the more sessions you set up the more productivity you can expect in the long run. - Keep your sessions short ¡V The attention span of a dog is frail at the best of times, thus it is crutial to keep the sessions short. Remember keep the sessions short but do not sacrifice content. Rome was not built in a day. - Keep training sessions fun ¡V Dogs as do people, like to have fun, and why shouldn¡¦t they? Training can be fun for you and your pet! Be lively, treat good behavior, praise your dog to no end, make him feel like he is the best dog in the world, even if he¡¦s not! - Never punish your pet for what they don¡¦t know! ¡V To offen, I have seen people talk to their pet with the understanding that their beloved dog is a master of the English language, only to punish them when the desired response is not carried out. This really bothers me because it shows me that that person would rather bully their pet into submitting than taking the time to research, develop and implicate an approach to help the dog learn the desired response to certain words or phrases. (No Hungmay Kowaisa!( Did you understan that? Well you would if you researched the Korean languageƒº - Train to your dog¡¦s strength ¡V As stated above every dog has its own unique personality, therefore we must identify characteristics of our pets in order to take advantage of them in our training sessions. If your pet is very lively, take advantage of that! During training sessions, be lively yourself! Match your dogs enthusiasm, when your happy, your pet will be happy and your pet will be very happy come training time. If your dog has a laid back shy personality, take this into account when training. Still be lively and upbeat as this will spark the interest of your dog, however keep in mind that due to his/her personality, displaying comprehention may take longer due to the shy nature of your dog. It is really important to make a shy laid back dog feel super great during training sessions as this can only improve your chances of continuing successful training. - Incorperate training into your everyday routine ¡V It can be very beneficial to perform individual obedience exercises through out the day. Simply by performing the sit exercise while you brush him, or having the dog sit while you attach his leash can help to imprint the sitting position. Keep little things like this in mind as they can only aid you and your pet. - Be patient ¡V Remember you are trying to teach your dog! Your dog is a non-english speaking individual, lacking house manners, behavioral skills, curticy, do I need to continue?? Take your time, play to your dog¡¦s strength, praise, respect, keep sessions short and compact, and have fun! - Empithize with your dog ¡V The best example I can think of for this suggestion, is going to a foreign country and trying to comprehend what people are saying. Somebody will come up to you and start rambling on in a foreign tongue and you have no clue what they are saying. Your dog is in the same predicament with you. When you start training your dog, he-she has no clue on earth what you are saying. How is he-she supposed to respond if he-she doesn¡¦t know what you want? As in the above example, the more time you spend in the foreign country, the more familiar you become with the language. You can apply the same principle with your dog. More training leads to more comprehention, leading to the end result, an obedient dog. - Reward good bahavior ¡V The best way to reinforce good behavior is to reward it. Others may disagree with this statement, but through my experience with my own dog and others around me, I have found that rewarding good behavior can only aid in maintaining that behavior. In my opinion, the best way of rewarding good behavior is through offering toys or treats. Praise is also worthy but would you rather have an icecream cone, or a good handshakeƒº I personally love icecream and would pick that over a handshake anyday. Your dog is driven by his belly in most cases, and you can achieve astonishing success by baiting your dog with the occasional russle of the treat bag About the author: For more great articles and tons of other great dog info, visit our Dog forum or visit our Pet blog Circulated by Article Emporium |
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
A Complete Guide For Parents To Choose The Best Toys For Their Children
by: Eugen Lisov
Do you remember how it was when you where a child? What was your main activity? Was it working? Of course not. Your main activity was playing. You had no concerns. You needed toys and your parents where supposed to provide you with them. They had to find toys you wouldn’t throw away and believe me, it wasn’t easy for them.
Now you are a parent and you are in the same situation as your parents years ago. You’re looking for toys that your child will like. That’s why you must know how to choose the right toys. My parents made one common mistake: they would buy me toys that they considered wonderful. But usually, when they would give me the toy, I would either consider it too girlish or too boring. It wasn’t fun for them to see how a toy they bought for me to play with would stay forgotten in my closet.
How to find out what’s the right toy for your child?
Just watch your child closely to determine his preferred activities, skills level, preferred band(s) and movie(s), and so on. Based on these observations you can get a clue on what types of toys your child would prefer. For instance, if your child loves the movie Lord of the Rings, I bet that he’ll also like Lord of the Rings toys… ( http://www.child-toys-guide.com/lord-of-the-rings-toys.shtml )
Now don’t just go into the first toy shop and buy the first Lord of the Rings toy you find. Observations aren’t enough. There are some other very important factors you must consider. Adding them into the equation helps ensure you that your child will have lots of fun with the toy you’ll choose to buy for him.
Here are the factors you must consider when choosing toys for your child:
• Child’s age – This is very important. If you buy toys too advanced for your child’s age, chances are that he might get injured. Toy manufacturers struggle to make their products as safe as possible, but if you don’t follow their recommendations, your child may suffer. On the other hand, if you buy toys made for children with age under that of your child, he will consider them too boring. The best thing is to choose toys designed precisely for your child’s age. Here are two articles that will help you choose toys for babies ( http://www.child-toys-guide.com/baby-toys.shtml ) and toys for toddlers. ( http://www.child-toys-guide.com/toddler-toys.shtml )
• Child’s gender – This is exactly what I said above that my parents bought me toys that I considered to be girlish. I’m a boy, but the same is with girls too. Any detail that may make the toy look as for the other gender than that of your child will make the toy undesired.
• Toys your child’s friends play with – When your child is playing with his friends, watch to find out if he manifests interest in any of his playmate’s toys. If he does, then it’s very likely that he would like to have a toy similar the one his friend has.
• Sometimes, a child tells his parents what toy he likes or wants, thus saving them from a lot of hard work. But don’t count on this. Some children aren’t very keen to talk with parents unless they really want a certain toy.
• Safety – This is the most important factor you must consider whenever you need to decide what toy you should buy for your child. Unfortunately, this is also the most overlooked one. Usually, parents forget to check if the toy they choose for their children are safe.
• Is the toy educational? – It’s a good thing if the toys you choose for your child can help him develop new skills.
And please remember that the age difference between you and your child is of at least 20 years. The fact that you liked a toy when you were a child does not mean that your child will love it too. Children from different generations like different types of toys
Make sure you offer the toy to your child in the appropriate manner!
When you offer the toy to your child, don’t do it in a “Here’s your toy. Now go and play with it” manner. If you do it this way, that toy won’t mean a thing to your child. Rather, try to make a game. Hide the toy somewhere where the child can easily find it, and encourage him to look for it. Laugh with your child, search for it together… And when the he finds the toy, don’t just let him play by himself. Get involved in your child’s play. Make that the fun of a lifetime. A parent is a child’s first and best friend.
About the author:
Eugen Lisov is the creator of http://www.Child-Toys-Guide.coma site focused on helping parents worldwide to choose the best toys for their children. If you offer your child a bad toy, it’s the same as if you don’t offer your youngster any toy. Please feel free to browse my site; it will only help you when choosing toys for your child.
Circulated by Article Emporium
Do you remember how it was when you where a child? What was your main activity? Was it working? Of course not. Your main activity was playing. You had no concerns. You needed toys and your parents where supposed to provide you with them. They had to find toys you wouldn’t throw away and believe me, it wasn’t easy for them.
Now you are a parent and you are in the same situation as your parents years ago. You’re looking for toys that your child will like. That’s why you must know how to choose the right toys. My parents made one common mistake: they would buy me toys that they considered wonderful. But usually, when they would give me the toy, I would either consider it too girlish or too boring. It wasn’t fun for them to see how a toy they bought for me to play with would stay forgotten in my closet.
How to find out what’s the right toy for your child?
Just watch your child closely to determine his preferred activities, skills level, preferred band(s) and movie(s), and so on. Based on these observations you can get a clue on what types of toys your child would prefer. For instance, if your child loves the movie Lord of the Rings, I bet that he’ll also like Lord of the Rings toys… ( http://www.child-toys-guide.com/lord-of-the-rings-toys.shtml )
Now don’t just go into the first toy shop and buy the first Lord of the Rings toy you find. Observations aren’t enough. There are some other very important factors you must consider. Adding them into the equation helps ensure you that your child will have lots of fun with the toy you’ll choose to buy for him.
Here are the factors you must consider when choosing toys for your child:
• Child’s age – This is very important. If you buy toys too advanced for your child’s age, chances are that he might get injured. Toy manufacturers struggle to make their products as safe as possible, but if you don’t follow their recommendations, your child may suffer. On the other hand, if you buy toys made for children with age under that of your child, he will consider them too boring. The best thing is to choose toys designed precisely for your child’s age. Here are two articles that will help you choose toys for babies ( http://www.child-toys-guide.com/baby-toys.shtml ) and toys for toddlers. ( http://www.child-toys-guide.com/toddler-toys.shtml )
• Child’s gender – This is exactly what I said above that my parents bought me toys that I considered to be girlish. I’m a boy, but the same is with girls too. Any detail that may make the toy look as for the other gender than that of your child will make the toy undesired.
• Toys your child’s friends play with – When your child is playing with his friends, watch to find out if he manifests interest in any of his playmate’s toys. If he does, then it’s very likely that he would like to have a toy similar the one his friend has.
• Sometimes, a child tells his parents what toy he likes or wants, thus saving them from a lot of hard work. But don’t count on this. Some children aren’t very keen to talk with parents unless they really want a certain toy.
• Safety – This is the most important factor you must consider whenever you need to decide what toy you should buy for your child. Unfortunately, this is also the most overlooked one. Usually, parents forget to check if the toy they choose for their children are safe.
• Is the toy educational? – It’s a good thing if the toys you choose for your child can help him develop new skills.
And please remember that the age difference between you and your child is of at least 20 years. The fact that you liked a toy when you were a child does not mean that your child will love it too. Children from different generations like different types of toys
Make sure you offer the toy to your child in the appropriate manner!
When you offer the toy to your child, don’t do it in a “Here’s your toy. Now go and play with it” manner. If you do it this way, that toy won’t mean a thing to your child. Rather, try to make a game. Hide the toy somewhere where the child can easily find it, and encourage him to look for it. Laugh with your child, search for it together… And when the he finds the toy, don’t just let him play by himself. Get involved in your child’s play. Make that the fun of a lifetime. A parent is a child’s first and best friend.
About the author:
Eugen Lisov is the creator of http://www.Child-Toys-Guide.coma site focused on helping parents worldwide to choose the best toys for their children. If you offer your child a bad toy, it’s the same as if you don’t offer your youngster any toy. Please feel free to browse my site; it will only help you when choosing toys for your child.
Circulated by Article Emporium
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
7 Ways To Celebrate Your Wedding Anniversary
| by: Janice Wee |
Your wedding anniversary is a major event. Prepare for your wedding anniversary celebration in advance so that everything goes smoothly. 1. Start off right. Get up before she does to prepare a quick breakfast. Serve her breakfast in bed. You might want to plan out the menu and buy the necessary things you need to cook a great breakfast the day before your anniversary. Take a shower after that and return to her side. On the other hand, if you are the sort who makes a major mess of the kitchen whenever you cook anything or even when you make a cup of tea, then skip the breakfast in bed part. She might have a fit when she sees the kitchen after that. 2. Present her with a bouquet of roses. Order the roses a day or more in advance and have them delivered right to the doorstep. She might chide you for wasting money, but she would be secretly very pleased with that romantic gesture. 3. If your kids are still young, book a babysitter in advance. You don't want your night to be ruined by crying babies at your table in the restaurant when you are trying to have a romantic candle lit dinner for two. Do go for a candle light dinner. Just the 2 of you in a favourite restaurant. 4. Relax together and take a break from your regular routine. If you both can, take a day's leave from work. Make your arrangements in the office in advance. If you can't try to go home early for a change, so you can spend more time together. 5. Don't forget the anniversary gifts. There is a different gift for each year or marriage. You might want to go with the traditional or modern gift this anniversary. Check that out at http://www.anniversary-rings.net/wedding-anniversary-gifts.htm 6. Each year, give your loved one a wedding anniversary ring to signify that year of marriage you have just shared together. You can find that perfect anniversary ring at http://www.anniversary-rings.net 7. On your 10th wedding anniversary, have a party. Invite those who are dear to both of you to attend. In the presence of everyone, renew your wedding vows and exchange a pair of wedding anniversary rings, to commemorate the event. Here is more information about the 10th wedding anniversary. http://www.anniversary-rings.net/10th-wedding-anniversary.htm About the author: The writer is the webmaster of http://www.anniversary-rings.netwhere you can find the ideal wedding anniversary ring for your anniversary. Circulated by Article Emporium |
Monday, 20 April 2009
7 Ways To Build Your Child's Confidence
| by: John Coutts |
| Here's one of the best bits of parenting advice you'll ever find: "a confident child is more likely to be a success in life, more likely to be liked in life, and more likely to be happy in life". Isn't that what you want? Here are 7 parenting tips to build up confidence in your child: 1 - Always praise your child for the things she does right. Even if they are little things, make them important and let her know that she did well. 2 - Let your child do things. Even if she is not quite ready to do certain tasks, help her make a start and don't worry if it doesn't turn out right. 3 - Believe in your child and let her know it! Don't pressurize her to be something she can't be. Just let her know that you believe in her ability to (occasionally) do great things. 4 - Only critisise a behaviour - not the child. Always avoid too much criticism of her when she does things wrong. It's much better to criticise the behaviour - that way she can distance what she does from what she is. 5 - Show an interest in your child's interests. They will probably be boring to you, and you may not understand them. But they are important to her, so show a respect and interest in the things she does. 6 - Accept your child's fears and insecurities. Never belittle them or brush them aside. Remember the time when you were young and the things that made you afraid and try to understand. 7 - They say laughter is the best medicine, and it is. That's why you should always laugh with your child and never at her. Healthy laughter is a wonderful way to bond tightly. It is also something you will both thoroughly enjoy. Remember, a confident child is a happy one, more likely to be liked in life, and more likely to succeed in life. Confidence is a wonderful parenting style to apply to your little one today. About the author: Bringing up a child is never easy. The first step is getting the right name for your baby. To receive your free Baby Names ebook visit my parenting tips website. Circulated by Article Emporium |
Friday, 17 April 2009
7 Unique Ideas the Scrapbooking Pros Use to Make a Page Unique
| by: Lena Fields |
| 1. Vellum Vellum is a transparent, translucent material. Vellum can be used to create a slight shadow or shade change to background or embellishment colors. This can be used as a softening agent for baby scrapbooks, as a touch of elegance to gift scrapbooks, or to create dimension in a boring flat page. To reduce the cloudiness effect caused by gluing, apply only a thin line of glue along the edges of the vellum. In this way, you will see a slight shadow only along the very edge. This will look like a border to the vellum. Vellum is available in both acidic and non acidic forms. 2. Shadow Boxes A great way to add depth to your scrapbook page is to add shadow boxes. Basically shadow boxes add a shadow to your images. Shadow boxes are also a great way to make your most important photographs or text boxes stand out form the rest of the page. Shadow boxes can also be to emphasis dedications. To make a shadow box, simply cut a box shape out of paper. Next, put your embellishment on a larger square of cardstock. Then, add glue to all four sides of the cardstock square and attach it to the back of your paper. The embellishment will show through, adding greater dimension to your page. 3. Patterned Paper Patterned paper can be used for backgrounds, borders, and embellishments. Often plain white backgrounds look rather boring and dull. Patterned backgrounds add a touch of excitement to your page. The right pattern tailored to your theme and purpose can also increase that professional look. Colors and patterns can be used to coordinate with your photographs or to add dramatic effects. Paper with various themes and patterns is widely available. For instance, a birthday scrapbook could have a background made of your favorite gift wrap. This could add a touch of elegance or a touch of humor depending upon the patterned paper you choose. 4. Textured Paper Textured paper can add extra dimension to your scrapbooking page. Textured paper can be used to highlight focus items on your scrapbook page. Textured paper can also be used as a backgrounds or border to give your page an interesting fresh look. Textured paper is available in a variety of textures and colors and is available in most craft and office supply stores. 5. Book Jacket Backgrounds For an added personal touch and artist flair use a book jacket as a background. This scrapbook technique looks especially nice when the book jacket is the reader's favorite book or author, adding a wonderful personalized touch. Be aware, however, that the glossy coating on the book jacket creates an added challenge to sticking objects to this background. Alternative attachment methods include sewing and eyelets. 6. Adding Dimension One good way to add dimension to images is to use double stick foam tape. Double stick foam tape literally allows items to pop out at your reader adding realism to items. This technique is especially useful in children's art and educational scrapbooks. Simply, cut the foam tape into whatever shape and size you want. Then, attach to shape onto your scrapbook page. Double stick foam tape is available at most craft stores in various colors and thicknesses. 7. Ribbons and Lace Ribbon and lace are by far the most common, and most beautiful, border embellishment. The flowing nature of both materials encourages a touch of softness and elegance. Ribbon and lace are especially popular in gift and memory scrapbooks. Moreover, ribbon is easy to glue and attach. Lace requires a bit more patience. For an interesting change from ribbon and lace, try using jute or raffia. About the author: Lena Fields loves helping others to save special memories using the fun and exciting art of scrapbooking. For more scrapbooking resources, please visit Scrapbooking Secrets. Circulated by Article Emporium |
7 Quick Ideas Anybody Can Use to Make Beautiful Scrapbooks
| by: Lena Fields |
1. Vellum Vellum is a transparent, translucent material. Vellum can be used to create a slight shadow or shade change to background or embellishment colors. This can be used as a softening agent for baby scrapbooks, as a touch of elegance to gift scrapbooks, or to create dimension in a boring flat page. To reduce the cloudiness effect caused by gluing, apply only a thin line of glue along the edges of the vellum. In this way, you will see a slight shadow only along the very edge. This will look like a border to the vellum. Vellum is available in both acidic and non acidic forms. 2. Shadow Boxes A great way to add depth to your scrapbook page is to add shadow boxes. Basically shadow boxes add a shadow to your images. Shadow boxes are also a great way to make your most important photographs or text boxes stand out form the rest of the page. Shadow boxes can also be to emphasis dedications. To make a shadow box, simply cut a box shape out of paper. Next, put your embellishment on a larger square of cardstock. Then, add glue to all four sides of the cardstock square and attach it to the back of your paper. The embellishment will show through, adding greater dimension to your page. 3. Patterned Paper Patterned paper can be used for backgrounds, borders, and embellishments. Often plain white backgrounds look rather boring and dull. Patterned backgrounds add a touch of excitement to your page. The right pattern tailored to your theme and purpose can also increase that professional look. Colors and patterns can be used to coordinate with your photographs or to add dramatic effects. Paper with various themes and patterns is widely available. For instance, a birthday scrapbook could have a background made of your favorite gift wrap. This could add a touch of elegance or a touch of humor depending upon the patterned paper you choose. 4. Textured Paper Textured paper can add extra dimension to your scrapbooking page. Textured paper can be used to highlight focus items on your scrapbook page. Textured paper can also be used as a backgrounds or border to give your page an interesting fresh look. Textured paper is available in a variety of textures and colors and is available in most craft and office supply stores. 5. Book Jacket Backgrounds For an added personal touch and artist flair use a book jacket as a background. This scrapbook technique looks especially nice when the book jacket is the reader's favorite book or author, adding a wonderful personalized touch. Be aware, however, that the glossy coating on the book jacket creates an added challenge to sticking objects to this background. Alternative attachment methods include sewing and eyelets. 6. Adding Dimension One good way to add dimension to images is to use double stick foam tape. Double stick foam tape literally allows items to pop out at your reader adding realism to items. This technique is especially useful in children's art and educational scrapbooks. Simply, cut the foam tape into whatever shape and size you want. Then, attach to shape onto your scrapbook page. Double stick foam tape is available at most craft stores in various colors and thicknesses. 7. Ribbons and Lace Ribbon and lace are by far the most common, and most beautiful, border embellishment. The flowing nature of both materials encourages a touch of softness and elegance. Ribbon and lace are especially popular in gift and memory scrapbooks. Moreover, ribbon is easy to glue and attach. Lace requires a bit more patience. For an interesting change from ribbon and lace, try using jute or raffia. About the author: Lena Fields loves helping others to save special memories using the fun and exciting art of scrapbooking. For more scrapbooking resources, please visit Scrapbooking Success. Circulated by Article Emporium |
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
30 Quick and Easy Kids Costumes
by: Patricia B. Jensen
What happened to the " good ol' days" when a Halloween costume was your Dad's old shirt and cap, and a burnt cork beard? Kids costumes don't have to complicated to be cute!
Each of these quick and easy costumes starts with a few simple materials like hooded sweatshirts, sweat pants, posterboard, craft foam, felt, face paint, and a little imagination.
Pirate
Black sweats, white shirt, red sash and bandanna, cardboard sword covered in foil, parrot beanie baby, stubbly face made with burnt cork or tobacco sprinkled on vaseline covered cheeks
Kid Hit By Lightning
Gray sweats with large yellow felt zigzag pinned to the front, blackened zigzag tears in here and there on suit, hair gelled to stand straight up, burnt cork "burns" on cheeks
Wrapped Present
Cover a large box with colorful wrapping paper. Make a hole in the bottom and invert over child's head. Add lots of matching ribbons in child's hair.
Pair of Dice
Paint two large boxes white and add black dots on each side to represent a pair of dice. Cut hole in bottom and invert over children's heads. You need a friend for this one!
Box of Popcorn
Cover a large box with white butcher paper. Add wide red stripes with markers or colored paper. Make a hole for child's head. Hot glue some popcorn to the top of the box. Wear red or white tights or sweat pants.
Placard Costumes
Another quick and easy idea for kid costumes is a "placard costume" in which the child wears a hooded sweatshirt and pulls front and back cardboard panels (the placard) on over it. Shape the placard (poster board works fine) as needed for the costume desired, and design it with markers or felt pieces. This type of costume can be adapted to many different themes, such as:
Ladybug
M & M (two kids of different heights can be "plain" and "peanut"!)
Soccerball, Basketball, Baseball
Apple or Pumpkin
Deck of Cards
Favorite Book
Sunflower
Yellow sweat suit. Staple craft foam flower petals end to end onto a wide ribbon and tie around child's face to make the flower. Paint the face reddish brown with black spots. Make a couple of bright green leaves from craft foam and pin side by side onto front of sweat suit.
Bunch of Grapes
Start with a purple sweat suit. Blow up several purple balloons to the same size and attach to the sweat suit with small safety pins. Complete the look with a green knit cap with a couple of large green felt leaves attached.
Bag of Trash
Make two leg holes is a large sized trash bag. Have child step into the bag, then add balls of crumpled newspaper to hold a round shape. Make two armholes in each side and secure around the neck .
Little Old Lady
An old house dress with torn stockings and slippers. Curlers in the hair or white wig. Glasses, blacked out tooth, old fashioned pocketbook.
Tourist
Hawaiian shirt or other loud clothes, camera, hat with pins all over it, maps sticking out of pockets, sunglasses.
Crayon
Sweat suit in the chosen color of your crayon. Design the crayon wrapper from poster board, felt pieces or craft foam and baste or pin onto the sweat suit. Add a like-colored plant pot for a hat, or use a large round of poster board, cut from edge to center and make into a pointy hat. Secure under child's chin with a wide strip of elastic stapled to the hat. Static ClingStart with sweat suit of your choice, pin on small clothing items such as socks, hats, mittens, and underwear along with a few dryer sheets.
Cow, Pig, Kitty, Doggy
Hooded sweat suit in the appropriate color ( white cow, pink pig, brown dog). Embellish with felt scraps to make spots, ears, tail, etc.
Backwards Kid
Put clothes and hat on backwards, sunglasses on back of head, say "Treat or Trick!" MummyTear a white sheet into strips. Paint face white and spray hair with white paint. Smear black under the eyes. Wrap child dressed in white long underwear with sheet strips, securing with clear medical tape, leaving eyes and mouth open.
Angel
White sweat suit with wings of tulle stretched over shaped coat hangers. Glittery headband made from wire circle covered with foil and colorful curling ribbon. Wand made from thin dowel with cardboard star attached to one end, painted silver or gold with glitter and curling ribbon added.
Clown
Sweat suit with colorful felt or fabric paint polka dots.. Clown collar made from felt triangles attached together in a circle to go around child's neck. Colorful clown wig, nose, and oversized glasses. Facepaint simple blue crosses over eyes, red cheeks, and large red mouth.
Cook
White sweat suit, chef's hat, large wooden spoon, cookbook under the arm, curly mustache drawn in face paint.
Nerd
Too small pants, shirt buttoned up wrong, pocket protector, hair slicked back, old pair of glasses with tape, white socks, large textbook to carry under the arm.
About the author:
Patricia B. Jensen is a mother of three and kids party enthusiast. She is the webmaster and owner of Kids-Party-Paradise.com - a comprehensive resource for kids party ideas and complete party plans for many popular themes, including invitations, cakes, decorations, games, costumes, favors, and food.
If you have a web site related to kids, kids parties, or another related theme, you may reproduce this article on your site, provided it appears in its entirety, including this resource box and live clickable link to: Kids-Party-Paradise.com where great kids parties are "a piece of cake"!
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What happened to the " good ol' days" when a Halloween costume was your Dad's old shirt and cap, and a burnt cork beard? Kids costumes don't have to complicated to be cute!
Each of these quick and easy costumes starts with a few simple materials like hooded sweatshirts, sweat pants, posterboard, craft foam, felt, face paint, and a little imagination.
Pirate
Black sweats, white shirt, red sash and bandanna, cardboard sword covered in foil, parrot beanie baby, stubbly face made with burnt cork or tobacco sprinkled on vaseline covered cheeks
Kid Hit By Lightning
Gray sweats with large yellow felt zigzag pinned to the front, blackened zigzag tears in here and there on suit, hair gelled to stand straight up, burnt cork "burns" on cheeks
Wrapped Present
Cover a large box with colorful wrapping paper. Make a hole in the bottom and invert over child's head. Add lots of matching ribbons in child's hair.
Pair of Dice
Paint two large boxes white and add black dots on each side to represent a pair of dice. Cut hole in bottom and invert over children's heads. You need a friend for this one!
Box of Popcorn
Cover a large box with white butcher paper. Add wide red stripes with markers or colored paper. Make a hole for child's head. Hot glue some popcorn to the top of the box. Wear red or white tights or sweat pants.
Placard Costumes
Another quick and easy idea for kid costumes is a "placard costume" in which the child wears a hooded sweatshirt and pulls front and back cardboard panels (the placard) on over it. Shape the placard (poster board works fine) as needed for the costume desired, and design it with markers or felt pieces. This type of costume can be adapted to many different themes, such as:
Ladybug
M & M (two kids of different heights can be "plain" and "peanut"!)
Soccerball, Basketball, Baseball
Apple or Pumpkin
Deck of Cards
Favorite Book
Sunflower
Yellow sweat suit. Staple craft foam flower petals end to end onto a wide ribbon and tie around child's face to make the flower. Paint the face reddish brown with black spots. Make a couple of bright green leaves from craft foam and pin side by side onto front of sweat suit.
Bunch of Grapes
Start with a purple sweat suit. Blow up several purple balloons to the same size and attach to the sweat suit with small safety pins. Complete the look with a green knit cap with a couple of large green felt leaves attached.
Bag of Trash
Make two leg holes is a large sized trash bag. Have child step into the bag, then add balls of crumpled newspaper to hold a round shape. Make two armholes in each side and secure around the neck .
Little Old Lady
An old house dress with torn stockings and slippers. Curlers in the hair or white wig. Glasses, blacked out tooth, old fashioned pocketbook.
Tourist
Hawaiian shirt or other loud clothes, camera, hat with pins all over it, maps sticking out of pockets, sunglasses.
Crayon
Sweat suit in the chosen color of your crayon. Design the crayon wrapper from poster board, felt pieces or craft foam and baste or pin onto the sweat suit. Add a like-colored plant pot for a hat, or use a large round of poster board, cut from edge to center and make into a pointy hat. Secure under child's chin with a wide strip of elastic stapled to the hat. Static ClingStart with sweat suit of your choice, pin on small clothing items such as socks, hats, mittens, and underwear along with a few dryer sheets.
Cow, Pig, Kitty, Doggy
Hooded sweat suit in the appropriate color ( white cow, pink pig, brown dog). Embellish with felt scraps to make spots, ears, tail, etc.
Backwards Kid
Put clothes and hat on backwards, sunglasses on back of head, say "Treat or Trick!" MummyTear a white sheet into strips. Paint face white and spray hair with white paint. Smear black under the eyes. Wrap child dressed in white long underwear with sheet strips, securing with clear medical tape, leaving eyes and mouth open.
Angel
White sweat suit with wings of tulle stretched over shaped coat hangers. Glittery headband made from wire circle covered with foil and colorful curling ribbon. Wand made from thin dowel with cardboard star attached to one end, painted silver or gold with glitter and curling ribbon added.
Clown
Sweat suit with colorful felt or fabric paint polka dots.. Clown collar made from felt triangles attached together in a circle to go around child's neck. Colorful clown wig, nose, and oversized glasses. Facepaint simple blue crosses over eyes, red cheeks, and large red mouth.
Cook
White sweat suit, chef's hat, large wooden spoon, cookbook under the arm, curly mustache drawn in face paint.
Nerd
Too small pants, shirt buttoned up wrong, pocket protector, hair slicked back, old pair of glasses with tape, white socks, large textbook to carry under the arm.
About the author:
Patricia B. Jensen is a mother of three and kids party enthusiast. She is the webmaster and owner of Kids-Party-Paradise.com - a comprehensive resource for kids party ideas and complete party plans for many popular themes, including invitations, cakes, decorations, games, costumes, favors, and food.
If you have a web site related to kids, kids parties, or another related theme, you may reproduce this article on your site, provided it appears in its entirety, including this resource box and live clickable link to: Kids-Party-Paradise.com where great kids parties are "a piece of cake"!
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