How to do fun crafts with your kids...

...you simply hope and pray that they come up with creative stuff on their own, and document like mad when they do. Maybe someday I'll actually write about what I do in contribution to my kids' education. Maybe.  But for now, I just want to boast about the interesting ideas these guys came up with on their own. Again, this is precisely the reason why I added big chunks of "independent play time" in their homeschooling schedule when I was filling out the application. When they don't need my help to create new things, I feel like something is going right.

Lydia asked to keep the colored pencil shavings so she could make something out of them. This is what she came up with:

I also remember being mesmerized by the smooth, dancing coils of colored pencil shavings when I was a little girl.

If we ever do manage to build a house, Anna is determined to have a "pretty party room" all to herself, preferably up in a tree. This room would be used to pretty oneself up in preparation for a party...I think.  In anticipation of that room, Anna decided to make a pretty party station. This piece of cardboard is now completely covered with all kinds of origami gadgets.

That nail polish stand is very sturdy! It is still standing today. Sadly, the polish didn't last as long. I knocked it over a few days ago. I can't believe I let her choose purple nail polish as a replacement.

This is Joseph's rocket. Or maybe it's a satellite that will shed most of its body in space. He started using a rocket app developed by NASA recently; I'm pretty sure that is what inspired him.