Swell Photography: October 2010

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. There is no pressure to buy the perfect gift, no need to decorate your house or get dressed up in your Sunday best.
We literally drive over the river and through the woods to my cousin's hobby farm in Woodbury. Their old farm house is tucked away in the woods along with a big red barn, horses and chickens. It is the perfect setting for the perfect Thanksgiving dinner. We eat, laugh, catch up with family we have not seen in a while and play outside in the crisp fall air. I feel so thankful every year for my loving family and the beautiful Thanksgiving we all share together.

Clothesline Gallery:
This is a fun way to display your photos or holiday photo cards. Choose an area of the wall about 4 feet long to hang your gallery. Hammer two nails, one on each end of the space, about 5 feet above ground, with about half of the nail still visible. Tie a cute ribbon or thin rope to each end, fairly tight but not completely stiff. Use clothespins to hang photographs and childrenís artwork on your clothesline. Make it a monthly project to clear off the old photos and artwork and replace it with new. Have fun with monthly themes; holiday artwork and cards, retro pictures of you and your husband when you were kids, sports themed photos and artwork... the possibilities are endless use your imagination and have fun!

Turkey Time!
This cute little turkey is the perfect project for you and your little friends to make on a chilly November afternoon.

Supplies needed:
red, orange, yellow and brown construction paper
glue sticks
scissors
black fine tip marker

Project instructions:
First, trace a round dinner plate on brown construction paper and cut it out.
Trace a smaller circle on yellow construction paper using the top to a small butter container or something a similar size, cut that circle out. This smaller yellow circle will be your turkey's face.
Cut a small diamond shape out of a piece of orange construction paper for the beak.
Use brown construction paper to draw and cut out your turkey's legs.
Next, trace your kids hands both left and right on each the red, yellow and orange construction paper. Have your kids cut out the shapes themselves, if they are able. Cutting is a great opportunity to work on your pre schoolers small motor skills.
Now, glue all of your turkey parts in their place.
Last, give your turkey eyes with your fine tip black marker.

A little extra credit:
Have your kids write something they are thankful for on some or all of their fingers that make up the turkey's tail.

*You may choose to prep your turkey body, face, beak, and red gobbler before you introduce the project to your kids if you are working with younger children who are not able to use scissors well.
Happy Thanksgiving!