August 23, 2011

Potato Blueberry Stamps


I know, I should be starting on apple and pumpkin crafts, but I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to summer. Between random earthquakes and impending hurricanes, we're managing to enjoy our last few days of summer break. Last week my husband and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary by taking a road trip up to Acadia National Park in Maine.


 On the way up, it seemed there were "Wild Maine Blueberry" signs and stands at every corner. We didn't buy any blueberries, but I did pick up One Morning in Maine for my girls and was inspired to do this little craft when I got home.


You're supposed to use a cork for this project, but I didn't have any on hand, so I grabbed a fingerling potato instead. I simply trimmed each end and notched an X into the potato flesh. The girls then dipped either end of their potato stamp into some blue paint to create their blueberries.


When it had dried,  they glued on popsicle sticks to create a simple basket shape. Such a fun and simple end of summer artwork!


One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey

Written by the author of Blueberries for Sal, this sequel follows an older Sal through an average Maine morning. Blueberries do not feature in this book, but it does chronicle the loss of Sal's first tooth and her trip into town with her father and little sister. This time the plot takes a back seat to the beautiful monochromatic illustrations of little Sal and the Maine coast. Having just returned from there, I could fully appreciate the accuracy of the beautiful depiction of the New England coastline. Although it's a little long for early preschoolers, older children will enjoy the quiet chronicle of a child's morning, and kids of all ages are bound to love the artwork.

One Little Blueberry by Tammi Salzano

If you're looking for a blueberry-themed book for younger children, check out this cute little story from Tiger Tales. A simple counting book, the story follows the journey of one runaway blueberry while two ants, three ladybugs, four caterpillars, etc. all try to catch the blueberry for their own. Sweet illustrations and rhyming text make this a great read-aloud for classrooms or at home.


Disclaimer: One Little Blueberry was provided to me courtesy of Tiger Tales Books free of charge in exchange for a review. This does not in any way influence my review.

9 comments:

  1. I love your craft! I went to Acadia a long time ago with some girlfriends. We had the best time. The popovers were to die for.

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  2. So cute! We went up to Acadia National Park last fall. The restaurant at the top with the popovers is a "must go to" restaurant. We then rode our bikes around the lake with spectacular views of the colorful trees! We are hoping to go back up this winter actually. We have a plethora of corks so I may have to add this craft to our "to do" list! We picked up a children's book while in Maine too..."I met a Moose in Maine One Day"...very cute book!

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  3. this is perfect!
    Happy Anniversary!

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  4. Happy happy ten years!!!! Cheers for many more! Xoxoxo

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  5. My girls are obsessed with Popsicle sticks, they will love this.

    I love that you spent your anniversary at a National Park. I am in the middle of watching the Ken Burns documentary "America's Best Idea." Arcadia has such an interesting history. We are lucky to have public access to what at one time was private and only for the wealthy. Your photo is breath taking!

    Thanks for the craft idea!

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  6. What an awesome picture, C! Happy Anniversary! And thanks for the great blueberry basket craft, I think RyRy and Kylie are going to love it.

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  7. Congratulations on 10 years! Michigan is known for it's blueberries too and I love this craft!

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  8. Hi! I loved your blueberries craft and I featured you on my new blog post "Discovering fall colors: Sunflowers & blueberries crafts"
    You can see it here: http://maros-kindergarten.blogspot.gr/2013/10/project-3.html
    Have a nice day!

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