Here's an amusing activity with a topical theme to keep everyone occupied for a while.

All you'll need is some delicious pistachio nuts, green paint, paper and pens!
And it's a great opportunity to introduce a healthy snack in a playful way.

Eat the nuts, paint the shells, let them dry and then start playing with them. 

See what your children do with them.

We made faces, shamrocks, with 3 and 4 'petals', shell mosaic rainbows, drew numbers on them and turned them into a counting activity......

Following the 'Modern Art' theme I've been developing, here's the latest addition - a
shamrock. Go to my downloads page to print off a free template. 
Explore as many shades of green as you can to colour the shamrock and then explore contrasting colours for the background. I chose pinks and purples, just because i like them!  
This artwork has been coloured digitally - you can explore felt tips, watercolours, 
oil pastels, collage..........

What is St. Patrick's Day all about?
Every year on March 17, the Irish and the Irish-at-heart across the globe observe St. Patrick’s Day. What began as a religious feast day for the patron saint of Ireland has become an international festival celebrating Irish culture with parades, dancing, special foods and a whole lot of green. See http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day for more information on this event.


For further St. Patrick's Day ideas and activities for kids, take a look at my Pinterest board 

Here's a fun project. When your child's jeans have a big hole in the knee, cut the back pockets out to make  little handbags - if your children are old enough to sew, do it together.
We sewed a heart on the front with running stitch, I embroidered their names with chain stitch and we made a  'finger knitting' strap.
Just the right size for a little cuddly friend to sit in!

Following my 'hidden' theme, I've created this 'modern art Easter egg'.

I'm delighted to be getting positive feedback on these abstract activity sheets, which are being downloaded and used in educational settings around the globe. This 'egg' is a great opportunity for budding artists to explore color palettes and how distribution of light and dark affects the finished piece.
Go to Easter to print out an activity sheet. 

Packs of heart shaped doilies are available from Ebay and Amazon very cheaply.
We made this print by placing a doily on white paper and brushing red acrylic paint all over the holes and around the edge - lift the doily off carefully to reveal a beautiful heart print! Suitable for age 3 plus with a little help!

Get into the spirit of Valentine's Day with some creative activities for your kids - they love making cards and it saves getting blinded by the rows and rows of cards in the shops!

I've designed 5 free activities which you can download and make at home.
Go to downloads and print out as many as you like - take them to school, use them at a play date, do them on a rainy weekend - grown ups can join in too - coloring is a real relaxer, research shows that it reduces stress and lowers our blood pressure! 

If fancy getting creative, you can also visit the gallery of Valentine's Day Ideas for more inspiration. 

Celebrate the 2014 Olympics with this easy 'Olympic Rings' Printing Activity

Collect:
Plastic containers with coloured paint (washable for young children)
'Circular stuff' to print with - pen and bottle lids, yoghurt pots, cotton buds, corks, selotape reels - have a look around the house - you'll be surprised how much you'll find!

Put down some newspaper to work on, find some sheets of white paper - or blank cards
if you have them.

Dip all your collected objects in the paint and get printing!
Here are some examples below....