Family Craft Boutique

Genealogy, or the practice of tracing your family tree, is a great way to teach children about their ancestral roots. I started just such an ambitious project a few months ago on a rainy afternoon. My two sons had been asking questions about their family heritage with more frequency, so it seemed like a good time to fill them in. We started by naming all the relatives we could think of and sketching out a rudimentary tree.

After that, I dug out a pile of old photo albums and went to the attic to search for any old family paperwork. My sons retrieved some scrapbook paper and began to create pages for each family member. We eventually filled in each page with photos, handmade drawings and small kitsch items that could be pasted to the paper. It’s a project that might occupy many rainy days to come.

For obvious reasons, summer is the season rife with parties. Look no further than your own datebook or calendar for proof. Many people attend a wedding here, a Fourth of July bash there, and maybe even a few graduation parties in between. With these parties come telltale signs of fun: cars parked in long lines down residential streets, the smell of barbecue grills flaring to life, and latex balloons floating in the breeze.

Balloons serve as one of the most popular indicators that a party is under way. Party guests travelling from great distances need a way to find the proper driveway. Sometimes, as is often the case with children’s parties – balloons take on another role entirely. What other item can be twisted into the shape of any animal known to man?