I am excited to partner with Wikki Stix to bring you this post that gets kids creating and making!
Goodness how easy it is to fall into the rhythm of just a little too much TV and screens in the summertime. A show or two in the morning in jammies, maybe another after some time at the pool, and then to rest after a busy day? It all adds up to just too much wasted time for my liking.
So when I was contacted by Wikki Stix to share some simple ideas to get little ones making and creating (instead of simply screen watching) I knew it was just what we needed.
We have shared Wikki Stix ideas with you before because we just love the simplicity and versatility of this product. Honestly – it’s just wax covered string! But good grief the kiddos love them. These make ideal quiet time activities too.
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The timing was perfect for some unplugging and crafting. We were in the midst of a heat wave. Little did I know this crafting would result in re-plugging (?) but in a very creative sense!
We pulled out two of the Wikki Stix Activity Packs to explore: Animals and Sea Life. The boys got lost in doing the simple activities supplied in each pack – the dot to dots and cute activities. It was perfect for drawing them in.
I find my little guys sometimes need some support settling into an activity. If it is too open ended at first they often lose interest before fully engaging with the activity. These activity packs were perfect for pulling them right into play.
I love that Wikki Stix are so educational for kids. The Activity Packs help children learn to:
- follow instructions,
- learn number recognition
- practice number order
- strengthen little hands
- and improves fine motor skills too.
The teacher side of me loved this educational aspect, and the Mama side loved how my boys were having such a great time playing together.
It wasn’t long before one of my boys was creating a starfish and another was creating a person.
I remembered the ‘starfish story’ and realized I hadn’t shared it with the boys in a long while. I started to share the story with them and they decided they wanted to act it out with their Wikki Stix characters.
Big sister entered the scene and decided we should make a movie. As the scene was being created …
I started to get a little sweaty. As a blogger, I SHOULD be comfortable with most technological things, but really I am not. Making a movie? Definitely outside of my comfort zone. But the confident teenager rolled her eyes (slightly) and assured me it was simple.
Guess what? It really was. I’m going to explain to you exactly how we did the movie, just in case you are nervous about a venture like this too. I promise it is easy, awesome, and worth it!
We used the iMovie app on a smartphone which is free to download. Next, we simply recorded the kids acting out the play with their characters as we told the story. We did it a few times until the boys were happy with their performance.
After, we uploaded the video to iMovie by clicking the upload button and selecting our chosen video from the camera roll. We then muted our telling of the story and selected the “voice over” option.
Finally, the boys told the story in one sentence increments, adding the voice over to where we wanted it each time.
At the very end the boys chose some music and added a title page. We ended up spending the whole afternoon creating our Wikki Stix movie!
Want to see the boys creation? Here it is … presenting The Starfish Story! (Be sure to listen to the end to hear little Ben’s contribution…)
Rather adorable, if I can say so myself. And while my daughter noted it was a bit out of focus, it was a first time creation by some pretty little kids and one technological-phobic Mama – not too shabby! Completely doable, I promise Mama.
I love how amazing creations and activities can come from simply playing with my little ones. And I love how Wikki Stix provides such a simple and easy way to get me crafting with my kids.
The memories from that afternoon will last us all summer long.
I want to thank Wikki Stix for partnering with me on this project. If you are interested in getting some Wikki Stix for your little ones you can find them in so many places!
They are available in many craft and toy stores, on Amazon, and directly on the Wikki Stix website too!
Thank you so much for reading friends. Happy summering!
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