A Tree is Nice, A Forest is Sublime!

Tree puppets for Earth Day (especially using recycled fiber felts), and Arbor Day, too!

Do you have a favorite tree story? 

Our Tree Named Steve, by Alan Zweibel and David Catrow, is my all time favorite tree book.  The story is delivered as a letter tenderly written to kids from their Dad.  A favorite tree in their yard named Steve, because the youngest in the family couldn't pronounce "tree" when they first met him, has fallen over, and Dad wants them to know before they come home. The sweetly nostalgic memories of the children growing up with Steve (the tree) overhead are kept light by the exuberant Catrow illustrations.  You just have to laugh, even as tears may be in your eyes, as Steve's legacy captivates and motivates you to read this tribute again and again.  This comforting story is truly about friendship, love, and family.  My kids, now 7 and 10, still love this story...

We received a copy of A Tree is Nice, by Janice Udry and Marc Simont from a dear friend and adored it at once.  This book is a non-fiction early reader with rich, colorful illustrations.  How telling it is that the child's perspective of why trees are nice is timeless!  Ours is inscribed to Karen, apparently a Christmas gift from Ellen and Jim in 1957.  My favorite part is the ending that encourages everyone to go plant a tree for themselves.  Hooray for trees!  Hooray for the spirit of passing good things on!

I just put The Tree by Karen Ruelle and Deborah Desaix on hold at our library.  It looks like a good one, going through history that took place during a famous tree's life (New York City's oldest Elm). I'll be back with a review soon!

Tree Felt Finger Puppet Pattern

Ants! Ants!

These little pests may actually be welcome guests at the summer picnic!

Fun to make for party favors or just because!  Great with insect, garden, or Earth Day themes, too!

Tips:

Use fabric paint to add eyes and smile. 

Use metallic, sparkly cordage for legs and antennae.

Cut 3 lengths of cord that extend through body to other side to get 6 legs when sewn together.  Adhere cordage to back of ant's body with a bit of glue prior to sewing to help hold legs in place.

Ant Felt Finger Puppet Pattern

Our favorite ant story stars leaf cutter ants and a grouchy cockroach.  It takes a master story teller for us to develop empathy for such creatures, and Janell Cannon (Stellaluna) is just the one in her tale of Crickwing.  After being picked on by other animals, Crickwing (so named because an injury twisted his wing) turns to pass the injustice on to creatures smaller than himself.  However, the leaf cutter ants turn out to be tougher than he counted on as they tie him up as an offering to army ants!  In the end, the leaf cutters release him at great risk to themselves, thinking that even bullies don't deserve that sort of treatment.  Crickwing returns their kindness and helps the ants defend themselves in a grand way.  A gorgeously illustrated tale that reminds us of the power of compassion!   

Sweet Sheep for Spring!

Bring recycled packing peanuts and a wine cork  BAAAA...CK to life in this fun and simple little sheep craft.  Perfect after a field trip to a farm or just for spring fun.  This fluffy flock can't help but spread cheer wherever they stand!


Materials
foam packing peanuts
black paper, scissors
wine cork, Swiss army knife or other sharp, pointed tool
popsicle stick
sticks
q-tip
black and white paint, paint brush
tacky glue
silver marker
sharpie

How To:

1)  Find sticks for legs.  Look for those knobby knees!
2)  Use an awl (Swiss army knife) or other sharp tool to make four little holes in the cork.  Put a little glue on the end of each stick and insert.  Use scissors to trim legs so body is balanced on all fours.
3)  After glue dries, paint legs and body black.  (I only painted the bottom of the cork black, but would paint the whole thing next time).

4) Spread a little glue on the cork and add packing peanuts until the cork is covered.  It may help to let a few dry before adding more.  I did mine on a sunny day with lots of interruptions so I could only get a few on at a time anyway!

5)  While the "fleece" is drying, cut the ends off of a popsicle stick, rounding them into ovals. Paint them black!  When dry, use a q-tip to add the white eye dots.  When that dries, use a sharpie to make pupils and a silver pen to add other features.

6)  Cut out some ovals from the black paper for ears and a tail.  Bend ears as you like to give them personality.  Glue ears to head.

7)  Glue head and tail onto sheep's body.  All done!

Panda Felt Finger Puppets

Earth Day Panda Name Tags

The bamboo needs some help here, but a certain 5 year old was ready for Mom to be done cutting...

Earth Day Yard Ornaments

O.k., this is kinda pushing it.  Does Earth Day need a yard ornament? Aren't blossoms enough decoration for this "holiday"?  I can't help myself sometimes.... Earths just had to be made. Just one more tree decoration... the leaves are almost here. Egads!

Eddy the Trout Earth Day Finger Puppets

Eddy the Trout is a Boise, ID character dedicated to help people learn about keeping the Boise River clean (Partners for Clean Water).  He even has his own Fin Club!




Eddy the Trout

If you're looking for a fish story to go along with this guy, you can't go wrong with Dear Fish, by, Chris Gall. A feast for the imagination!  Creatures come out of the ocean for a visit when Peter Alan sends them a note in a bottle while on vacation.  Eventually, Peter Allen asks the smelly lot to go back home (your mother's calling!), but the story has an open ending, when the fish ask the Allens come to the ocean for a visit.  What a great way to end, a dream inspirer!  Incredible artwork, fun words, puns to figure out and search for... I've got most of this one memorized because we've read it so often.

Earth Day Wizards or Knight Party Merlins Felt Finger Puppets

Use fabric paint to add eyes, mouths, and sparkly costume details.

Glue small rounded, felt triangle for nose.

Cut long rectangles for hand, rounding the ends into hand shapes. Glue in sleeves. 

Merlin Felt Finger Puppet

Here is a fun story for Earth Day about an old man who finally gets tired of picking up other people's litter, The Wartville Wizard by Don Madden. Mother Nature gives him Wizard Power to stick trash back to people that drop it.  Little ones will get a kick out of the magic while learning about littering.  And hey, maybe it could help with "littering" their possessions at home?  :)  Mama needs wizard power!