Kid Baltimore | Family Activities with Children in Baltimore, Maryland

String Ornaments

We are a gluey mess today, making these rather pretty string ornaments. They look wonderful on our tree, but I think a bowl filled with them would also make a lovely centerpiece for the table. First inflate a balloon to the size you want, and spray it with non-stick cooking oil (this part is very important, and prevents the ornament from collapsing as it dries). We thinned our Elmer's glue (two parts glue and one part water), dunked pieces of cotton string in and wrapped them around the balloon. For younger kids, keep the pieces of string short, but when I did one myself I found it was easier to keep it as one long piece, dunking and winding in sections.

Glitter is optional, but not in our house. The more, the better. Leave the ornaments hanging to dry overnight. The next day they should feel hard to the touch. Just pop the balloon and gently pull it out with tweezers.

BINGE Holiday Sale at Gilah Press

Join PrestoBingo Dec. 14, 2008 from 12pm-8pm for BINGE holiday sale. For those of you who don't know, PrestoBingo is our line of limited edition art prints for kids. Each print is carefully reproduced on cotton paper with archival inks and is signed and numbered. Do a little last minute shopping. 14 local studios will have work available for purchase and then, at 3 pm, see Gilah Press' letterpress in action! It all takes place right next door to PrestoBingo (a.k.a. Spur Design) at Gilah Press.

Be sure to check out our new button collection. They make great stocking stuffers for big kids.

410-746-9059

Gilah Press
3506 Ash Street
Baltimore, MD 21211

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Mom's Notebook

A while ago, my mom gave me an old notebook of hers -- the standard Woolworth variety. My mom taught art when I was in elementary school, and the notebook is where she recorded all of her art project ideas. It is crammed full of her neat little diagrams and drawings, with pages of detailed notes on projects she did with her students. My teachers' names are recorded here and there, with notes about which projects were successful, or not.

Frequently, Mom tested projects out with my sister and me first. Her excuse was that it was better to show her students an example done by a "real kid," and that may be true, but the other part of it was that my mom has always, always had art projects going on, and if you hang around her long enough, you will find yourself gluing, weaving, dyeing or painting something. True. Even to this day.

But back to the notebook, I clearly remember making paper birds with the accordion-folded wings. Mine was a gray mourning dove which seems like a strange choice for a first grader, but I still think doves are exquisite. The woven hearts, we will save until February. Oh, and the project with the "broken chards of glass," we may just skip that one altogether.

As I go through the notebook, I hope to share a few projects. Here is the first...

Paper Christmas Ornaments

 
[Mom's Notebook]

Cut 6 - 2" circles of red paper (cardstock weight).
Cut 1 - 2" circle of white paper. Punch a hole on one edge for hanging.
Fold all red circles in half and cut a slit in the middle.
Place red circles around the white circle by sliding white circles into slashes.

There are so many great patterned papers to substitute for this project. Play around with anything you can find. The scrap booking section of any craft store is a good place to start, but a trip through the recycling bin would work well too. For younger kids, there are a few ways to make this easier. A circle punch makes cutting the shapes a breeze, but kids might not have enough weight to push it down. We decided to work on the floor and step on the punch. Much more effective, and fun.

 

Need something more challenging? Try this one. 20 circles. Think in groups of five. Thanks, Jess, for reminding me of this one.

Downtown Dollar or Less Days

Just in case you are looking for something to do this weekend, Dollar or Less Days are Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7, 2008. There are tons of deals to be had.

American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Highway
$1 admission Sunday, 410.244.1900, avam.org

Babe Ruth Birthplace & Museum, 216 Emory Street
$1 admission both days, 410.727.1539, baberuthmuseum.com

Baltimore Maritime Museum, Piers 3 & 5
$1 admission (per site) Sunday, 410.396.3453, baltomaritimemuseum.org

Baltimore Museum of Industry, 1415 Key Highway
$1 admission both days, 410.727.4808, thebmi.org

Evergreen Museum & Library, 4545 N. Charles Street
$1 admission both days, 410.516.0341, museums.jhu.edu

Homewood Museum, 3400 N. Charles Street
$1 admission both days, 410.516.5589, museums.jhu.edu

Immigration Time Porthole, 808 S. Ann Street
$1 admission both days, 410.675.6750, preservationsociety.com

Maryland Historical Society, 201 West Monument Street
Free both days, 410.685.3750 ext. 321, mdhs.org

Maryland Science Center, 601 Light Street
$1 admission both days (exhibit hall only), 410.685.5225, marylandsciencecenter.org

National Aquarium in Baltimore, 501 E. Pratt Street
$1 admission both days 10am- 4pm, 410.576.3800, aqua.org

National Museum of Dentistry, 31 S. Greene Street
$1 admission both days, 410.706.0600, www.dentalmuseum.org

Port Discovery, the Children’s Museum in Baltimore, 35 Market Place
$1 admission Sunday, 410.727.8120, portdiscovery.org

Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture,
830 E. Pratt Street
$1 admission both days, 443.263.1800, africanamericanculture.org

Robert Long House, 812 S. Ann Street
$1 admission both days, 410.675.6750, preservationsociety.com

Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards, 301 W. Camden Street
$1 admission both days, 410.727.1539, baberuthmuseum.com

Top of the World Observation Level, World Trade Center, 401 E. Pratt Street
$1 admission both days, 410.837.VIEW, viewbaltimore.org

USS Constellation Museum, Pier 1, 301 E. Pratt Street
$1 admission Sunday, 410.539.1797, constellation.org

Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles Street
Free admission both days to the permanent collection, 410.547.9000, thewalters.org

Washington Monument & Museum, Mt. Vernon Place
$1 admission both days, 410.396.1049

Thomas Dixon Aircraft Observation Area

One of the things I love about having this blog is the readers' suggestions I get. Recently, a couple of people have emailed me about the Thomas Dixon Aircraft Observation Area. I never would have found out about this place, so thanks Shaina and Mary!

Planes, planes and more planes zooming over our heads. Now maybe I wouldn't be so thrilled if my house were located directly under the flight path, but wow is it fun to watch those airplanes come in for landing. I never realized how close together the landings are. Maybe because on the rare occasion we travel by air, there is always more waiting than flying.

After watching the planes for a while we wandered over to the tot lot for a little climbing and general silliness. There is also a 12.5 mile trail that circles the airport.

Thomas Dixon Aircraft Observation Area
MD-176 & Jeffery Ave (closest intersection)
Glen Burnie, MD 21061

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BWI - Observation Gallery

Next we headed over to BWI to check out the Observation Gallery. I like this trip because, hey, it's free (except for parking). But also because the most normal places in the world are fun to visit when you are not on a schedule. The Observation Gallery is located between Concourses B and C, but when you are not trying to catch a plane, even the trip from the parking garage to the main building is fun. Moving sidewalks? They are practically like an amusement park ride to my kids and I'm not ashamed to admit that we took a few extra rides, just because...

Once you get to the Observation Gallery, there are exhibits to look at, with real airplane parts, and some things for kids to climb on (an airplane, a train, and a luggage cart). Of course, you could just sit back and watch the great view.

410-859-7111

Baltimore-Washington International Airport
Baltimore, MD 21240

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