Sparks Key Verse Easter Egg Hunt

I wanted to do a fun Easter egg type hunt with my Sparks, but I knew the weather wouldn't cooperate for an outdoor hunt and my space indoors was limited to our meeting room which doesn't have a whole lot of hiding spots.  I also didn't really want to stuff a whole bunch of eggs.  So here is my creative solution!

There were 28 eggs for each team, printed on colored cardstock so it was clear whose eggs belonged to whom.  You could only search for YOUR team's color.  I taped the eggs all over the room; on the ceiling, under tables, on the wall, on the trashcan, etc.  After each team found all 28 eggs they had to assemble them into the verse and tape it on a posterboard.  Then they could decorate the poster with stickers.  It was a great challenge for this age and some of the teams were quite competitive!

Here is the link for the egg/verse template to print onto colored paper/cardstock.  I might laminate the eggs this year so I can use them again year after year.

Cub Scout Astronomy Belt Loop

This week in Cub Scouts we are going to do the Astronomy Belt Loop.  I am SO excited because there are such FUN things you can do to learn about space!
There are three requirements in order to achieve this Belt Loop:

Demonstrate how to focus a simple telescope or binoculars. (A local astronomy club may be a resource for this activity.)

Draw a diagram of our solar system—identify the planets and other objects.

Explain the following terms: planet, star, solar system, galaxy, the Milky Way, black hole, red giant, white dwarf, comet, meteor, moon, asteroid, star map and universe.

The biggest hang up I had was the last requirement. That sounded hard for second graders.  Plus, what boy likes vocabulary?  So, in an effort to make it more fun, I used this AWESOME site to make a crossword puzzle for the boys to solve.  WAY more fun and hopefully memorable too!

Cub Scout Astronomy Belt Loop Crossword Puzzle

For the second requirement, I found the most amazing looking Illuminated Solar System Craft that they can each do with contact and tissue paper on a black posterboard.  I will cut out all the holes beforehand so they can focus on which planet goes where and what each one looks like.  I really like that this craft is BIG, shiny, and gives them an idea of each planet's color.  While they are working on this craft will be a perfect time to read some space books to them from the library :)

It's going to be a really fun night!

Looking for Love Valentine Scavenger Hunt

I wanted something fun for Sparks that related to Valentine's Day - after all, as Christians we have the BEST love of all to celebrate!  So I came up with this scavenger hunt.  The basic idea is that I will hide the twelve pictures and give each kid a hunting page.  They will try to find the pictures and check off the appropriate box on their sheet.  Then when they have found them all, they will get together with their Sparks team to try and guess the verses that go with each picture - and HOPEFULLY they will have a better picture of God's love for us, the qualities of love, and loving others.

Looking for Love Scavenger Hunt

The beauty of this scavenger hunt is that it can be used in a variety of locations and situations but the main focus and purpose is to point back to Scripture and a tiny bit of what the Bible says about love.  I'm really excited about using it with my Awana Sparks!  Hope it inspires or helps you too!

Activity Baby Blankets

I went to a baby shower recently and decided to make some fun activity blankets for the two new little boys.

I used simple solid fleece for the background, and then added fun embellishments from my fabric stash.  Three fun toys completed the ensemble.  I did two different themes:

The sea theme blanket had a ribbon jellyfish sewn on, a treasure chest (with brown "leather" scraps and gold glitter felt), an oyster with a pearl (tan felt, pink and white satin scraps), a sewn on clownfish, and clear vinyl bubbles filled with sequins (I machine stitched around the vinyl twice to make sure it was very, very secure).  The toys are a fish with a jingle bell inside, a turtle with a squeaker inside, and a starfish with a shaker inside.  They can be removed with the rings to attach to a carseat or stroller.

Close up of fish and bubbles

The second blanket is space themed:

There is a ribbon shooting star sewn onto the page, silver glitter felt stars, plain yellow felt stars, and clear vinyl stars with sequins inside.  The toys are a spaceship with a squeaker inside, an astronaut with a jingle bell inside, and an alien with a shaker inside.  Again, they are obviously removable for more versatile use.

Close up of astronaut, glitter star, and vinyl star.  I used black glitter felt for the astronaut's face.

Close up of the spaceship.

This was a simple and easy baby gift to put together but it is REALLY useful and fun to play with.  The different textures, colors, and noises are perfect for a baby or young toddler.  Hopefully it has inspired you to make your own!

Everything is Awesome!

This is my project for today - my little brother's birthday cake.  He wanted Emmett which was a little intimidating until I found this tutorial for a frozen buttercream transfer.  It worked great!  The only thing I would do differently next time is the black gel stuff.  It didn't transfer at all and was sticky and weird to work with.  Next time I'm just going to make chocolate frosting and tint it black.  Otherwise though, it was an easy way to make a simple cake look pretty cool!