how to ideas for kids – JM Cremp's Adventure Blog

How to Make a Mask Using Tin Foil and Tape

September 20, 2016 jmcrempsLeave a comment

A perfect mask can be made using surprisingly few products that can be found at home: tin foil and tape. Not only is this mask incredibly simple to make, but the tin foil enables it to perfectly fit your face. Once the mask is made, there are so many possible characters it can be adapted to.

How to Make a Mask With Tin Foil and Tape

Step 1: Overlap 3 sheets of aluminum foil in a stack.

How to Make a Mask With Tin Foil and Tape

Step 2: Push the stack of sheets onto your face. Push down as hard as you are comfortable pushing. Do it carefully, so the foil does not become punctured. (It might be useful to have a helper do this part.)

How to Make a Mask With Tin Foil and Tape

Step 3: Check you have the general outline of your face imprinted: nose, lips, corners of your eyes and cheekbones. Use a marker and trace around your eyes (it might be good to follow the bones around your eye socket) for where you want to place the eye holes in your mask. Also, trace around anything else you want cut out. (Breathing holes are useful for breathing!)you might also want to cut a hole for talking too.

How to Make a Mask With Tin Foil and Tape

Step 4: Carefully remove the foil from your face. Cut with sharp scissors around the edges of the mask. And note––once you cut it, you can’t really go back easily, so leave extra.

How to Make a Mask With Tin Foil and Tape

Step 5: Carefully cut out the eyes. Do this either by puncturing the foil with a toothpick and tearing the foil out, or snipping in the center of the area with the tip of scissors and folding the foil back.

How to Make a Mask With Tin Foil and Tape

Step 6: Cut holes or slots in the side of your mask. These are for the ribbons/cord/shoelaces to attach the mask to your face.

How to Make a Mask With Tin Foil and Tape

Step 7: Cut small sections of tape. While pressing the mask to your face to keep the features strong, gently place the tape onto your mask. When you feel the mask’s features are firm enough, place all the sections of tape, overlapping, across all visible places of foil, including the back (foil is itchy next to the skin).

How to Make a Mask With Tin Foil and Tape

Step 8: Tie the cord to the holes in the side of your mask. Leave enough length to both wrap around your head, and to tie in a nice knot or bow.

How to Make a Mask With Tin Foil and Tape

Step 9: Decorate using acrylic paints. Paint whatever you want, making sure to leave it to dry out of the way of people or pets.

Paint completely black for the ideal Ninja disguise, or add colorful paints and sequins for a masquerade ball! You can also add things like horns, a pointed nose, or antlers by simply making the form with tin foil, and covering with tape like what you did in the previous steps. Become whatever character you’d like in a few easy steps!

The instructional portion of this article was provided by wikihow, a wiki building the world’s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How To Make A Mask Out of Tin Foil and Tape Content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons License.

A Modern Resurgence of Vintage Pastimes

August 16, 2016September 1, 2016 jmcrempsLeave a comment

As the buzz over the technology revolution is settling down and becoming less of a novelty, the past couple of years have seen a resurgence of vintage, or traditional pastimes. The world keeps spinning faster, and everyone’s eyes seem to be opening to the need for relaxation. Gone are the days of the glorification of “busy”. They are being replaced with the art of slow living.

The Resurgence of Vintage Pastimes

One of the most popular vintage pastimes that’s resurfaced seems to be whittling. What do you think of when you picture whittling? Perhaps what pops up in your head is an old man in a rocking chair on a front porch, carving a piece of wood, with an ice-cold beverage nearby. His grandson sits in a chair next to him whittling his own stick of wood, keeping up a steady stream of chatter. As the sun sinks lower in the sky, their wood pieces start to come to life. The scene is idyllic, peaceful, and relaxing.

The history of whittling really begins in early Americana. With only the use of a pocket knife and good, soft wood; crafty folks could whittle just about anything. A couple of main things that have changed with the pastime since then is the quality of the knives and the selection of specialty blade shapes available. The craft has become easier and more enjoyable than ever before.

If you’re looking for a way to wind down after a busy day, or to connect with your children or grandchildren, your search is over. JMCremps has a large selection of knives, thumb guards, whittling & woodcarving books, and kits to get you started or keep you going with one of the best hobbies out there.

What are you waiting for? Throw away your worries for a moment so you can sit back and relax while creating something beautiful. Spend some quality time with someone you love. Connect with the past while living fully in the present. There’s a reason this pastime is coming back, and I think if you give it a try you just might become an advocate of the art of slow living.

Easy Science Project: How To Make a Bouncy Egg

August 8, 2016September 1, 2016 jmcrempsLeave a comment

Are you in need of a simple science project that only requires a few household ingredients? Look no further! Parents are always telling children not to play with their food, but they’ll make an exception on this one. Try this fun experiment that turns an egg into a bouncy ball! The only ingredients required are an egg or two, some vinegar, and a container.

Step 1: Get a container of vinegar ready. Find a jar or Tupperware container large enough to fit the egg. Grab a bottle of regular white vinegar and fill the jar or Tupperware container with vinegar. Don’t fill it all the way to the brim though, because then putting the egg in will make it overflow.

Step 2: Add dye if you want to color your bouncy egg. You can easily make your finished bouncy egg any color you want to by adding food coloring dye to the vinegar. Just add around 10 drops of the dye to the vinegar, or enough to color the whole container of vinegar.

It doesn’t have to be filled to the top but it should be filled high enough so that the egg can be completely submerged in vinegar.

Step 3: Submerge an egg. Get a raw, unboiled egg. Place the raw egg in the vinegar-filled container. Just drop it in from right above the vinegar so the vinegar doesn’t splash everywhere. Make sure it is completely submerged.

Step 4: Cover the container. Place a lid on your container and leave it somewhere safe but out of the sun. The less sunlight it gets the better, so either put it somewhere dark like a closet, or cover it with something like a kitchen cloth.

Step 5: Wait for the shell of the egg to completely dissolve. This process can take anywhere from 24 to 72 hours. To be on the safe side, wait three days before continuing.

Step 6: Check the egg. Look at the egg through the container every once and a while to check its progress. The egg will turn a transparent color because the eggshell is decreasing in thickness. The eggshell will soon dissolve, leaving a thick strong egg white.

The reason the shell dissolves is because vinegar is a weak acid. The egg shell is made of calcium carbonate. When the shell meets vinegar, it makes a chemical reaction that turns the calcium carbonate into carbon dioxide, which is what those bubbles in the container are.

Step 7: Remove the egg. Take the egg out of the vinegar carefully. Just reach in and pull it out with your hand. Don’t forget to wash your hand afterwards. Place the egg on a couple of paper towels to let it drain.

Be extra careful when handling a raw bouncy egg. It will be more fragile than a boiled bouncy egg.

Step 8: Bounce it. Make sure it’s dry first. You can speed this up by drying it by hand with a paper towel. Be careful not to drop it from too high of a height, as it can still break and leave a mess. Start with just a few inches, and have cleaning supplies ready!

If you enjoyed this project and are looking for more science-related entertainment, be sure to check out jmcremps.com for a great selection of science kits, science books, and loads of other fun, exciting, and educational items!

The instructional portion of this article was provided by wikihow, a wiki building the world’s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How To Make A Bouncy Egg. Content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons License.

Mission #2 – Backyard “Boot Camp” Obstacle Course for Kids!

July 16, 2012August 22, 2013 jmcremps3 Comments

Mission Objective: Race through the course with the fastest time.

Obstacle Course for Kids is a good ideas for kids games to play for army kids — Come on Army Kids! Don that uniform and beat the backyard “Boot Camp” Obstacle Course!

Mission Intel: Hey Army Kids! Mission #2 is a perfect way to add some excitement to your day and keep your military skills finely honed. Round up your friends, put on your favorite army uniform, and have FUN!

Building your own “Boot Camp” obstacle course for kids can be very easy. You can use many of the things you have at home. First, gather your materials, and then separate them into stations throughout the yard. Pick a starting point and a finish line, and you’re all set!

Step #1 – Build your custom obstacle course for kids.

Here’s some of the “stations” you can include in your special “Boot Camp” obstacle course for kids:

1. Jungle War-fare Rope Challenge – Hang a thick rope from a sturdy tree branch. Place a kiddie pool underneath the rope. There are two ways you can approach this challenge. A) Try to swing over the pool without getting wet or falling off. B) For a tougher challenge, tie a flag around the branch near the top of the rope. Jump onto the rope and climb the rope to the top to touch the flag – without falling in the pool!

2. Four Star Ladder Drill – Place a tall ladder flat on the ground. The objective is to run across the ladder as quickly as you can while placing your feet on the ground in the space between each rung. This duplicates the tire run that is included in the Army’s training courses, and it improves every soldier’s coordination and speed.

3. The Landmine Field – Fill several buckets or pails with water. Place them a couple of feet apart in a staggered pattern. The objective is to weave in and out of them as you run through the course WITHOUT knocking any of them over. This simulates running through a minefield – one misstep and you’ll suffer the consequences!

4. Tunnel Rat Challenge – Gather together as many large boxes as you can. Fold the tops and bottoms of each box down into themselves so the sides of the boxes are sturdy and strong, and the tops and bottoms are open. This will create your tunnel. (You can often get large boxes from appliance stores, department stores, or recycling facilities.) Then connect them end-to-end to create a tunnel. For even MORE fun arrange each box a foot or two apart. This extends your overall tunnel challenge length and gives you the opportunity to add corners and turns. To be creative, paint camouflage on the outside of the boxes.

5. Water Gun Sniper Training – Blow up three to seven balloons and, using differing lengths of string, suspend them from a clothesline or a tree branch. These will become your targets. Fill one or more water guns with water, and lay them on the ground 5 to 10 feet from the targets. When you reach this station, pick up a gun, and hit as many targets as possible before you run out of ammo.

6. Over-Under Infantry Run – Position several sawhorses or picnic benches a few feet apart. As you run through this section of the course, you need to hop over the first one, go under the second, hop over the third, and so on.

Step #2 – Time each person’s run through the course.

Authentic Military Medal as a reward for completing the Obstacle Course for Kids — What better way to reward each finisher than with an authentic military medal?

The fastest person through the course is the winner! For extra fun reward each finisher with an authentic Military Medal.

This mission is fun for the whole family, and can turn an ordinary summer day into a day to remember. Build this course for family gatherings, birthday parties, and backyard bar-b-ques. An obstacle course such as this is also a wonderful way to get your kids exercising. Homeschool families find obstacle courses to be an excellent addition to their curriculum. Besides, who ever said gym class has to take place in a gym?

If you really want to make this fun, JM Cremps carries some great army gear for kids that will really make this challenge complete. This Cadet Watch will ensure accurate timing of the run through the obstacle course. It’s nylon band, camouflage color, and luminescent hands are durable, reliable, and really fun! For a real authentic experience, wear the same thing every Boot Camp Trainee has to wear. The Armed Forces Boot Camp T-Shirt and Camouflage Military Cargo Shorts will really make you feel like you’re in bootcamp!

“Spy Games for Kids” – The Fingerprint Challenge

June 28, 2012September 6, 2012 jmcremps1 Comment

A true detective knows how to fingerprint a crime scene. What better way to spend a rainy day than learning how to fingerprint while solving a crime at the same time? What you’ll be doing is lifting a set of fingerprints off of a suspect’s glass and then comparing the prints to all the fingerprint sets you collect from your group. When you find a match, you’ve nailed your suspect! (Note: This activity is ideal for kids ages 8 and up, but younger children love to participate with the older kids as long as they have a little help.)

You’ll need a few basic supplies to get started:

Glass jars or drinking glasses
Have fun with your friends playing the Fingerprint Challenge. One of our favorite Spy Games for Kids.
Talcum powder
Tape
White paper or note cards
Ink pad
Makeup brush or paint brush
Black construction paper or poster board.

OPTIONAL:

One set of latex or medical gloves (not necessary, but it will make things a bit easier.)
Hair spray (to make better fingerprints)

PART ONE: Find the Suspect

To prepare the glasses, wash them in the dishwasher. Remove them from the dishwasher while either wearing gloves or by holding a towel. The professionals do this to make sure that they don’t contaminate the evidence with their own prints.
Line the glasses up on the counter, making sure there is one for each person participating in this challenge.
Have each person spray his or her fingers with hairspray (if available). This will make sure that there is a good set of fingerprints left on the glass. While their fingers are still sticky from the hairspray, have them wrap their hands around the glass as though picking it up to take a drink. Make sure to touch the glass only one time, in one spot, so there is only ONE set of prints on each glass. Repeat the same process for all participants.
Have one player (or mom or dad) become the “Evidence Inspector”. That person is in charge of the evidence from now on. The Evidence Inspector has to kick everyone else from the room. When they are gone, the evidence inspector needs to carefully mix up the glasses so they are in random order. To do this WITHOUT contaminating the evidence, the Evidence Inspector needs to put on gloves, or wrap their hand in a towel. They can move the glasses around and mix them up by putting their covered hand inside of each glass and dragging it around the table.
After the glasses are all mixed up. The Evidence Inspector will call everyone back into the room. The group needs to pick one of the glasses to be the suspect’s glass. Make sure NO one but the Evidence Inspector touches the glass from now on.

PART TWO: Fingerprinting Suspects

Now it is time to fingerprint all the potential suspects at the crime scene. (This is everyone who left his or her fingerprints on a glass.)
Make sure you take fingerprints from the same hand that the suspect used to make the fingerprints on the glass. Taking fingerprints is easy: Place each fingertip on the inkpad so they are covered in ink. The press each fingertip firmly onto a blank piece of white paper or an index card. Have each person write his or her name on the back of their fingerprint card. Wash your hands when you are done!

PART THREE: Gathering Evidence

Now for the fun part. It’s time to lift the fingerprints from the glass you have determined is the suspect’s glass. Using a makeup brush or small paintbrush, dip the brush in the talcum powder. Gently dust the fingerprints on the glass with the talcum powder until you see a visible set of prints. Gently blow away any excess powder.
Apply a piece of tape to the dusted fingerprint. Stick the tape on the black construction paper or poster board.

PART FOUR: Arrest the Criminal

Using your fingerprint cards from all of the potential suspects, compare the prints. When you have a match, you can use this evidence to arrest your suspect!

Now that you know how to be a spy, there are a lot of mysteries out there waiting to be solved. The Big Book of Spy Stuff is a great place to start. It will teach you all the tricks that the best spies and detectives know and use. The Micro Spy Kit will give you the perfect set of spy tools to make sure that no clue goes undetected. The motion detector alarm it contains is a must have for any serious spy. And if you want the ultimate spy tool, then a good pair of night vision binoculars is a must. The SpyNet Night Vision Binoculars give you the ultimate advantage.