Art Therapy OC
Art Therapy OC is a cheerful, colorful, encouraging, & inspirational art studio for all ages. Come explore the enjoyable world of Art, it's endless creative,...
Spark Creativity
Inspire and encourage kids to express their creativity and develop their artistic skills. Explore the beauty and diversity of visual arts and crafts.
Editor's Picks
How-to: Craft a Vision Board
The Little Red Schoolhouse’s (adventuresintheschoolhouse.com) latest crafting video is ready to instruct you and your family on how to create a Vision Board. As you craft, don’t forget to snap some photos…
Pine Cone Birdfeeder
The Little Red Schoolhouse’s (adventuresintheschoolhouse.com) latest crafting video is ready to instruct you and your family on how to create a Holiday Wreath. As you craft, don’t forget to snap some photos…
Recent Articles
Holiday Mindfulness Hacks
The holiday season is a time for parents to practice mindfulness and impart this invaluable skill to their children to teach them presence and gratitude.
DIY Halloween Style
Here are five easy-to-create, popular Halloween looks sure to make a statement for costume season. Put together iconic costumes without breaking the bank.
Getting Crafty and Spooky
With the spooky season upon us, it’s time for some family craft time, utilizing items you probably already have lying around the house and making them your own
Art Therapy OC
Art Therapy OC is a cheerful, colorful, encouraging, & inspirational art studio for all ages. Come explore the enjoyable world of Art, it's endless creative, expressive, & therapeutic benefits, & possibilities for healthy better-living. Everyone is a creative artist! Dr. Diana Shabtai, “MissDee” looks forward to seeing you and yours this season for some fun holistic self-care for mental health. Diana offers a wide variety of unique beneficial creative wellness workshop choices where the art is tailored especially for you! You may schedule a private session, creative play date, join her awesome “creative kids camps,” have a personalized pARTy, corporate...
Halloween Art Family Fun
(Photo Courtesy of Art Therapy) Teamwork makes the artwork: how holiday crafts build family ties. The art process allows the family to strengthen their bond through the creative art process and to appreciate each other’s different perspectives. It also empowers the family’s creative thinking and stimulates the family’s identity as a team. This in turn improves the mental health care and well-being for the family through creativity and art. The creative expression through the therapeutic art process allows the family to gain new insight about themselves and each other. It fosters creative thinking and is a healthy, creative outlet for...
Snowflake Crystals Craft
(Photo Courtesy of Adriene Madden/Adventures in the Schoolhouse) The Little Red Schoolhouse’s (adventuresintheschoolhouse.com) latest crafting video is ready to instruct you how to create a snowflake crystal. As you craft, don’t forget to snap some photos. https://youtu.be/SxNT2CdSHqA Craft Supplies Pipe cleaners Bowl Bamboo skewer Twine Scissors Borax Enter Our Craft Photo Contest Submit a picture of your child with this craft or any other craft of your choice below for a chance to be featured in Parenting OC Magazine, on The Little Red Schoolhouse’s socials and to win a free class with Mrs. Madden! Plus, the winner will also receive...
Valentine’s Day Heart Craft and Lesson
(Photo Courtesy of Adriene Madden/Adventures in the Schoolhouse) The Little Red Schoolhouse’s (adventuresintheschoolhouse.com) latest crafting video is ready to instruct you how to create a craft for your Valentine. As you craft, don’t forget to snap some photos. https://youtu.be/bksqjLxmu8w Craft Supplies 1 Pinecone Paper plate Yarn Safe Needle Scissors Hole puncher Enter Our Craft Photo Contest Submit a picture of your child with this craft or any other craft of your choice below for a chance to be featured in Parenting OC Magazine, on The Little Red Schoolhouse’s socials and to win a free class with Mrs. Madden! Plus, the...
How-to: Craft a Vision Board
The Little Red Schoolhouse’s (adventuresintheschoolhouse.com) latest crafting video is ready to instruct you and your family on how to create a Vision Board. As you craft, don’t forget to snap some photos…
Pine Cone Birdfeeder
The Little Red Schoolhouse’s (adventuresintheschoolhouse.com) latest crafting video is ready to instruct you and your family on how to create a Holiday Wreath. As you craft, don’t forget to snap some photos…
The Little Red Schoolhouse
In the Little Red Schoolhouse we make learning fun through rich, hands-on learning experiences. Our project based writing workshops are rooted in Literature and Language Arts pre-k - 5th grade. Located on our backyard mini farm, students will have opportunities to explore a variety of different themes including nature, animal studies, life-cycle projects, gardening, baking and more! Small group grade level workshops are available Mon-Fri. Come join our adventure in learning for memorable lessons that last a lifetime! 714.348.4746 www.themagicmapletree.com www.adventuresintheschoolhouse.com Instagram @adventuresintheschoolhouse YouTube @adventuresintheschoolhouse
Easy Holiday Craft: Christmas Wreath
(Photo Courtesy of Adriene Madden/Adventures in the Schoolhouse) The Little Red Schoolhouse’s (adventuresintheschoolhouse.com) latest crafting video is ready to instruct you and your family on how to create a Christmas wreath. As you craft, don’t forget to snap some photos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3FYZ6bRkME&t=3s Craft Supplies 1 wooden ring from any craft store floral or fabric section Faux or real festive greenery Baker's twine Scissors Ribbon (optional) Enter Our Craft Photo Contest Submit a picture of your child with this craft or any other craft of your choice below for a chance to be featured in Parenting OC Magazine, on The Little Red...
How-To: Crafting A Dream Catcher
(Photo Courtesy of Adriene Madden/Adventures in the Schoolhouse) The Little Red Schoolhouse’s (adventuresintheschoolhouse.com) latest crafting video is ready to instruct you and your family on how to create a Native American-inspired Dream Catcher. As you craft, don’t forget to snap some photos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjQCNF_XyCs Craft Supplies One metal or wooden ring. Can be found in any craft store. Spool of Suede strips or/ waxed thread Assorted colored ribbon Assortment of feathers (4-6) Assortment of wooden beads Floral wire if needed Scissors Enter Our Craft Photo Contest Submit a picture of your child with this craft or any other craft of your...
November Thanksgiving Craft: Thankful Turkey Centerpiece
(Photo Courtesy of Adriene Madden/Adventures in the Schoolhouse) The Little Red Schoolhouse’s (adventuresintheschoolhouse.com) latest crafting video is ready to instruct you and your family on how to create a Thanksgiving Turkey Centerpiece. As you craft, don’t forget to snap some photos. https://youtu.be/SXYawt-fyEw Craft Supplies Fall-colored construction paper or card stock 2 round foam spheres from the floral section of any craft store (1 small and 1 large) 2 large balls or skeins of yarn 1 7-10 inch skewer or wooden dowel Scissors Glue gun Stick pins Googly eyes Colored felt Enter Our Craft Photo Contest Submit a picture of your...
Art for the Holidays
(Photos Courtesy of Diana Shabtai) Making art as a family can help encourage bonding while creating something special for the holidays. Creating art together as a family this holiday season allows a parent to possibly gain better insight into how their child is feeling or thinking by encouraging them to participate in arts and crafts activities or other activities. Arts and crafts, for example, are a great way for youth to turn to their endless imagination all while doing something productive and expressive with it through creativity. There are many materials and activities to choose from, which can allow children...
“O” is for Octopus
Craft Supplies Colored construction paper or painted paper plate in a color of your choosing. Colored construction paper or crepe paper streamers Scissors Glue Googly eyes, or make eyes with white paper and black ink Cheerios, Apple Jacks or circular stickers for suction cups Instructions Step 1: Get a colored paper plate or paint a white paper plate any color you’d like. Step 2: Use colored construction paper to match your plate, and cut 1 inch strips lengthwise as the octopus’s 8 arms. Step 3: Glue or tape the octopus’s 8 arms to the back side of the plate. Step...
“The Rainbow Fish” — Adventures in the Schoolhouse
Keep the summer fun going with your little ones and enjoy The Little Red Schoolhouse's read-aloud of Marcus Pfister's "The Rainbow Fish"! Follow along as Ms. Madden reads the classic children's story, then follow it up with her mini lesson and make your very own rainbow fish! Craft Supplies Blue construction paper Colored tissue paper or food coloring dyed coffee filters Tin foil Glue Scissors Sharpie Directions Freehand or trace the Rainbow Fish (or download and print ours from our lesson plan!) and cut out. Cut tissue paper and tin foil in little squares and glue on fish. Join The...
Betsy Ross: Flag-Making
We are counting down the days to the 4th of July! The Little Red Schoolhouse has created an ADORABLE Betsy Ross cross-curricular lesson in History, Language Arts, and writing to keep your kids busy and avoid the COVID/Summer slide in learning! Your little patriots will love this craft, as we hone our seamstress fine motor skills creating our very own American flags just like Betsy! Craft Supplies White card stock or piece of light weight cardboard (like a cereal box) in the shape of a rectangle. White, red, & blue yarn A large plastic needle safe for kids Scissors Glue...
Henri Matisse: Drawing w/Scissors
Drawing w/Scissors Supplies Large with Construction Paper Bright colored construction paper (variety) Scissors Glue Instructions Step 1: Large white construction paper for background Step 2: Cut colored construction paper in shapes Step 3: Fold colored pieces of construction paper in half and cut shapes (on the folded side of paper) cut stars, hearts, circles, coral fish Step 4: Save the scrapes (Negative space) of construction paper to create your art. Step 5: Arrange your cut outs on the white construction paper background and glue your cut outs onto the paper. Read along side The Little Red Schoolhouse as Mrs. Madden...
Georgia O’Keeffe Inspired Flowers
In the Little Red Schoolhouse, we make learning fun, and today we are making Georgia O’Keeffe inspired flowers out of coffee filters to tie in with our Georgia O’Keeffe artist study! To download our artist study, visit us at www.adventuresintheschoolhouse.com under “Explore Categories” click on “Georgia O’Keeffe.” Paper Flower Supplies: Coffee Filters or tissue paper Scissors Glue Pom poms Construction paper (optional) How to make Paper Flowers: Step 1: Twist or wring a coffee filterStep 2: Open up coffee filter together at inside bottom and add pom pomStep 3: Repeat to layer coffee filtersStep 4: Glue filters together at inside...
Make Your Own Face Mask
Q: [Adults] I need face masks for my family. Is this something I can do myself? When this crisis started, I knew I wanted to put my hands to work to make a difference. I watched a lot of video tutorials on mask-making since my sewing knowledge was limited to say the least! This step-by-step guide combines ideas and tips I picked up from each of them to create what I hope is an easy-to-follow guide to mask-making. I wanted to make a mask for myself, my family and others that would protect us as much as possible from this...
DIY Halloween Costumes
Create trendy costumes for your kids without breaking the bank. [caption id="attachment_33472" align="aligncenter" width="368"] Two-year-old Miles Camarillo, of Fullerton, is a Parenting OC Cute Kid Cover Contest winner. Here, he’s decked out in his cowboy outfit for a night of trick-or-treating. His Western-themed costume, including denim pants, checkered, long-sleeved shirt and red bandana, ranges from $10 to $15 at Goodwill of Orange County. [/caption] Every year there’s a new batch of movies, TV shows, comic books and other forms of pop culture outlets to stimulate the imagination of our kids’ curious minds. And every year, on Oct. 31, they have...
5 Decor Tips for Your Thanksgiving Party
“The best way to start decorating for Thanksgiving is to decide what feeling you want to create. Is it fun and whimsical? Do you want to be more traditional? Start with the genre and then browse around fun places like Pinterest for inspiration. As a small business owner, I am always on a budget, so I have to create expensive looking decorations at an affordable price for my clients. I always think of decor like I am creating a theatrical de-sign. Starting with the entrance.” “Create some lovely centerpieces around your theme. Fresh flowers are always festive and you can...
OC Cooking and Baking Classes
Whether it’s girls’ night out or family bonding time, these OC cooking and baking classes will make you feel like a domestic goddess with fun, food, and laughter. Sweet Crumb Bakery Every little girl dreams of owning a pet unicorn, and while they can’t be bought, they can be made. Sweet Crumb Bakery runs a class that teaches moms (and children ages 10 and up) how to bake a cake that takes the form of the mystical and elusive horned horse (pictured). Students begin the class by learning how to assemble, cut, fill and level their cakes. Next, they crumb...
Arts and Autism
A Spectrum of Possibilities The world of the arts might not at first glance seem like a natural fit for those on the spectrum. Teaching art to children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) can be a challenge, given that ASD’s typically impair social and communication skills, behavior regulation, and coordination and motor function. But many parents have found programs mired in expression and creativity can guide their kids’ broader outlook and help with social interaction in a fun and engaging way. OC Arts in Action Brianna Shaffer offers Let’s Play Music group classes, private music therapy, and piano and guitar...
DIY Valentines
Hallmark is great, drugstore cheapies have a certain allure, but there’s no beating the heart of a hand-crafted Valentine. Here are a few fun ideas to try with the kids, young and old. Free-Form Striped Heart Making this heart-shaped image is self-explanatory, but kids will love adding personal flair to their heart design…and they just LOVE tape. You will need 5 strips decorative tape in different patterns but within the same color family, each 3½” 1 white folded note card, 4¼” x 5½” 1 piece wax paper at least 4¼” x 5½” bone folder scissors rubber stamp of heart (optional)...