Recycling an unusual material is inspiring!
The question you're all wondering: How did you get a billboard?
My answer: I was in the right place at the right time. There's a "small" billboard near my house and occasionally, I happen to drive by when they're switching the ad. Most of the time, I don't have time to pull over right at that moment, but one day, I did! I asked the billboard worker whether or not I could take the ad he'd just removed and he said, "Sure! Otherwise, it just gets thrown away."
The other question you're all wondering: What does it feel like and is it easy to cut/sew?
My answer: it's basically like a woven plastic. It's strong and doesn't stretch at all, but it cuts VERY easily (almost too easily... don't get your finished bags near any sort of blade...). Almost any project that you can find on Pinterest made from fused plastic shopping bags can also be made from this material. It's also enormous. Even though this was a "small" billboard (not on the highway), unfolded, it nearly filled half of our meeting room.
Looking for things to do at home?
The Early Literacy Calendar of Wisconsin -- with activities for each day of the year, aligned with early learning goals, you're bound to find some great options here!
Sesame Street Family Play -- an app that gives you ideas for simple games to play together with your child(ren), tailored to your surroundings and materials on hand (spoons, shoes, hats, everyday types of things). The app also gives information about what your child is learning through each game.
Knoala -- a free app I've just discovered that is full of ideas for activities, story starters and more. It's got an easy-to-use interface and a great filter so that you can narrow down the activities to exactly the type of thing you're looking for right away.
If any of you try these out, I'd love to hear about your experiences with them. Any other top-notch recommendations? Tell us about them in the comments below!
Exploring ramps was fun, let's try adding one extra element and see what happens!
Let's play with tools that allow us to look more closely at the world around us.
Let's take advantage of this dry winter weather and have some fun with static cling!
*Amended 5/2015 -- success! If you read this book you'll find a fun static surprise at the end!