Activity Days: Making Journals

I haven't posted any of our Activity Days projects for a while.  We seem to get so involved in the activities we are doing that I forget to take pictures.  Bad Activity Days leader!!

Well, we did a really fun project today.  It would be fun for the primary age kids, the young women or for a rainy day activity at home.  The girls really had a fun time.  It is neat to see how creative they can be.  Some of the girls went all out and decorated their journals a lot, and some went for the more simple approach.  But all in all, it was a really fun activity.

We talked about the importance of keeping a journal and about what kinds of things should be recorded.  We also talked about what would have happened if the authors of the scriptures hadn't written down their experiences.  Imagine not having the 4 gospels of the New Testament, or the writings of Nephi, King Benjamin or Alma in the Book of Mormon.  We also talked about how important our writings will be for our children and grandchildren.

Okay, on to the journal making!

Supplies needed:

• Composition notebooks
• Assorted scrapbook paper
• Scissors
• Glue (We used white school glue)
• Paper plates (For holding the glue)
• Foam brushes
• Pencils
• Stickers, ribbon, assorted embellishments 

Begin by letting each girl choose the scrapbook paper they want.  Cut the paper so there is about a half inch over hang on all 3 sides of the notebook that open.  Spread a THIN layer of glue over one of the covers of the composition notebook.  Allow it to dry for just a few seconds.  Then carefully place the paper over the notebook and press out all the bubbles.  Repeat with the back cover.

My front cover.

 Fold over and glue down the overhanging paper.  Cut another piece of scrapbook paper to fit inside the cover to hide the glued down edges.  Spread glue inside the cover and carefully place the paper inside the cover.  Repeat on the inside of the back cover.

I opted for an off white paper for the inside cover of mine.  Some of the girls used a patterned paper. 

Create a "binding" on the edge by cutting strip of paper about 3 inches wide and as long as the notebook and glue around the bound edge of the notebook.

The binding.

Add additional embellishments to make it your own.

I went for simple!

Activity Days: Plastic Bottle Herb Planters

For our first Activity Days activity in August we made indoor plastic bottle herb planters.  It was a fun outdoor activity.  We wanted to teach the girls about the difference between using fresh and dried herbs, and how to grow them indoors so they were available year round.  We let them smell and taste the difference between fresh and dried herbs, and encouraged them to use their new basil plants when they cook with their moms.

This activity took about 30 minutes and we had something else planned to go with it that I'll share later.  To extend this to take a full hour you could let the girls decorate their planters.  Use some contact paper and stickers or glitter glue.  Just make sure that anything you use to decorate can handle a little water since it could get wet when the girls water their plants at home.

For this activity, you'll need:

• 2 liter plastic bottles
• scissors
• potting soil
• herb seedlings

Advance preparation:

For each planter, remove the label and any remaining adhesive.  Mark a line 5 inches from the bottle's base.  Using scissors or a utility knife, puncture the bottle at the mark.  Then use scissors to cut all the way around the bottle around the mark.

For the girls to do:

With the cap in place, invert the bottle's top portion and insert it into the base.  Fill it partway with soil.  Transplant the seedling, adding soil and pressing gently until the seedling is secured in the planter.

Lift out the soil filled top portion and remove the cap.  Add about 2 inches of water to the planter's base, enough to cover the lip of the inverted bottle top when you replace it.  Give the seedling some more water to help it get established, then place it in a sunny spot.  Add water as needed to the planter's base.

Goals Completed:  Alternate activity in Developing Talents
Source:  Family Fun