Rice Filled Sock - your personal warmer

Remember those rubber hot water bottles that you might have used for soothing that cramped muscle or to warm up the bed on a cold winter’s night? Maybe you are too young to have that experience.  My daughter made a rice filled sock that does a much better job than the old water bottle.  She learned it from her friend .  The sock can be painted with a Sharpie pen and can be made into a very attractive companion (see above picture).

Look for an old sock and fill it with rice.  You can use any old sock that is still in good shape (no holes).  It can be any type of sock.  This a good opportunity to use up the pile of socks that you have been keeping while you were hoping that its companion would show up some day. : )   Of course you can also use a pair of socks to make a “twin” set of warmers.

Make Your Own Chinese Laterns

When we were growing up in Macao, my grandfather used to buy each of us a lantern for the Mid-Autumn festival. There were lanterns in the shapes of different fruits and animals. I’m not sure if people still make make and sell lanterns like that in Macao today. Here in the US, my friend Wai and I came up with a way to make lanterns for our kids. It is a lot of fun; we get the kids involved, and we make some pretty nice looking lanterns every year.

Pebble Bugs

With a little bit of imagination and a set of Sharpie markers, one can turn a simple pebble into a colourful bug. The key is to pick a pebble with the right shape and size. Wash the pebble of any dirt and mud and dry it well. Then colour as desired. Permanent markers such as Sharpie work the best. The white areas for the eyes can be painted on with “White Out” solution. “White Out” is best to use since it dries quickly and is water resistant so other colours can be applied on top of it. However, smaller children should be careful when using “White Out”.

Here is an example of a couple of bugs that can be made. The one on the left is a simple bug with minimum colour applied. The right is covered with brighter colours. For older kids, it would be good to get some pictures of actual bugs and colour the pebbles to make them look like the bugs in the picture. It is also possible to make a family of bugs all with the same colours and/or design. One can also develop some signature colour schemes to generate unique species of bugs.

To get started you can find all the materials at any crafts store. The materials are not really special. The pebbles should be about 1 inch long in size and oblong in shape. Making Pebble Bugs can be a good activity for birthday parties and get-togethers with many children. Painting the pebbles keeps the kids entertained and at the same time allows them to express their creativity.