Creativity Meets Connection

Fun Family DIY Projects

Juggling job demands, schoolwork, practices, and various activities can make it difficult to find quality family time. With phones, video games and tablets also competing for attention, meaningful connections can fall by the wayside. Fortunately, there's a treasure trove of fun, creative resources available online to spark imagination and foster togetherness when parents and kids undertake hands-on projects together.

Depending on your talents, interests, resources, and time, DIY crafts can be as simple as painting rocks or as ambitious as building a treehouse. Either way, these activities promote family bonding, teamwork and communication, while helping children develop fine motor skills and confidence.

A quick search can lead to countless ideas, complete with step-by-step instructions and video tutorials. Remember — always supervise children when using tools, and choose age-appropriate activities. Here are some ideas to get you started.

• Use kitchen staples to create works of art with potato stamps, or use colorful ingredients like red cabbage, beets, spinach, and turmeric to make natural tie-dyed T-shirts.
• Mix up some playdough and homemade slime with simple ingredients you likely have on hand.
• Make puppet monsters from mismatched mittens, gloves or socks. Glue eyes, noses and mouths to create monsters that are more silly than scary.
• Explore textile crafts, like curtains for children's bedrooms or finger knitting.
• Teach your crew some basic carpentry skills and build a birdhouse or cornhole game.
• Unleash imagination to stage fairy or gnome gardens using craft supplies and garden clippings. 

Signed, Sealed and Still Loved

Even in this digital age, most people prefer to send and receive traditional birthday and holiday cards. The greeting card tradition spans thousands of years and is filled with moments that shape how we connect today. So when you send a card to celebrate National Greeting Card Day in April, think about these fascinating facts.

• Ancient Chinese cultures exchanged goodwill greetings for the New Year.
• Early Egyptians shared messages on papyrus scrolls.
• It's believed the first Valentine card was sent in 1415 by the Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London.
• The first commercial holiday card was commissioned in London in 1843.
• The U.S. greeting card industry began in 1856 when German immigrant Louis Prang opened a lithographic business.
• Approximately 6.5 billion cards are bought each year in the U.S.

Get Kids Involved in Nature

Giving children the opportunity to connect with the great outdoors can turn a novel adventure into a lifelong appreciation. Consider these fun ideas to help your kids engage with nature.

At Home
Help your children build a bird feeder, then watch as the local wildlife stops by your backyard. Plant seeds and show your kids how to care for their growing greens, or select a tree or shrub and work together to keep it thriving. Take a walk around your neighborhood and talk about the plants, animals and insects you encounter.

Out and About
Make your next family hike a scavenger hunt. List items native to your area, like certain birds, trees or grasses, and watch your children get excited as they check items off the list. You can also build a whimsical fairy garden from natural objects like sticks, rocks, and flowers, then leave it for the next hikers to enjoy. Take a drive away from city lights to relax, stargaze and look for shooting stars.

Guitar Facts that Rock

Strum along to these fun and funky guitar facts.

• Guitars belong to the string family, alongside instruments like cellos, violins and harps.
• The oldest guitar-like instrument dates back to ancient Egypt, around 1450 B.C.
• Today's guitar strings are made from a variety of materials, from nickel-plated steel for electric guitars to phosphor bronze for acoustic instruments. Classical guitars typically use nylon blends.
• The electric guitar was invented by G.D. Beauchamp and Adolph Rickenbacker in the 1930s.
• The largest guitar ever made was actually a science project in Texas, measuring over 43 feet long and 16 feet wide.
• The most expensive guitar sold for $6 million in 2020 and had previously belonged to Kurt Cobain.

Chocolate Chia Pudding

Ingredients
6 Tbsp. cocoa powder
6 Tbsp. maple syrup
3 tsp. vanilla extract
2½ cups almond milk
¾ cup chia seeds

Toppings:
Chia seeds
Fresh berries

Directions
In a large bowl, add all ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined. Let mixture stand (without stirring) for 15 minutes.

Whisk mixture, then cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove from fridge and stir. Spoon into 6 small jars or glasses. Serve topped with additional chia seeds and fresh berries.

Serves 6