Cyanotype (Sun Paper Art) Toddler Art

One of my favorite things to do with Parker is walk around our neighborhood to collect things. He collects leaves, flowers and bugs. I collect Pokemon. It's great! So I bought some sun paper and we used the leaves, grass and flowers that Parker collected to create cyanotype prints. Follow along as I walk you through our creative process. 

Materials Needed

SunArt Paper

Plexiglass the size of your SunArt Paper (the paper I linked above comes with plexiglass)

Cardboard

Tray

Water

Instructions

Step 1: Collect some treasures from nature and arrange them as desired on top of your sun paper. I used pins to secure everything in place because I didn't have plexiglass. Next time we do this project, I will definitely use plexiglass to secure everything in place. Learn from my rookie mistake! This step should be done in a room with little light. 

Step 2: Take your paper outside and let it sit in the sun for 2-5 minutes. 

Step 3: Remove everything on the paper. It will look something like this. Kinda spooky.

Step 4: Completely soak paper in water bath for 1 minute. When you remove it from the water, it will look something like this. Cool right?

Step 5: Lay the paper flat to dry. Once it's dry, frame it and decorate your home. I decided to add it to my bedside shelf. It looks very sophisticated for kid art!

I hope you enjoyed this art project as much as we did. I still have a few packs of sun paper and want to repeat this project with feathers!

Preschool Backpacks for Boys

I CAN'T BELIEVE PARKER IS STARTING PRESCHOOL SOON. Yes, I meant to write that in all caps. My baby is turning into a bona fide little boy. We're a little over a month now from the beginning of preschool so I've started doing research on things I think Parks will need. Today's post is dedicated to all the cool/functional/well-designed toddler backpacks I've been able to find online. What do you think of this round up? Which one would you pick?

Stay tuned for posts on lunch bags/lunch systems and first day of school outfits and photo ideas.

Preschool Backpacks by marychu on Polyvore

Marvel Backpacks / Wolf Toddler Backpack / The Kanken Mini | Fjallraven / Amazon.com: The North Face Mini Berkeley Backpack - high rise... / Survey Backpack | Kids | Herschel Supply Co USA / Amazon.com : Deuter Kikki Backpack - Kid's Turquoise/Midnight :... / Amazon.com: The North Face Youth Sprout - Lightning Bolt Print/Safety... / Mackenzie Blue Construction Backpacks | Pottery Barn Kids

Raise Good Humans

I know this blog is supposed to be about happy kids and fun times but it's hard to blog cutesy things when so much violence and hate is raging around me. The recent shootings in Baton Rouge and Falcon Heights really have me down. I'm down because both murders were unnecessary, because the value of black lives (and the lives of other minorities) mean so little, because our government refuses to work together to pass stronger gun control laws. I'm down because I am raising my child in a world where preschoolers have to practice gun drills and the thought is so horrifying that I've joked with my friends about starting a commune to shelter our kids from all of this hate. 

Last night as I was putting Parker down for bed I told him, "Remember to always love people. Love them despite of skin color. Love them even if they are different from you." The world is a scary place and it's easy to feel helpless when so many acts of violence are happening around us. The one thing I can do is try to love others and to teach Parker to do the same. Maybe if we can raise enough good humans we can change the world for our kids.