With education constantly evolving in the current social distancing environment, we may find our kids at home learning a bit more frequently during the upcoming school year.
Regardless of what the future may hold, it is important to be prepared for a sudden shift of how school is administered.
One of the many things this past year has taught my family is the importance of creating a space where kids have materials, technology, as well as a spot with minimal distractions to study in.
Now with a High Schooler, Middle Schooler and Second Grader, my kid’s learning needs have continued to be vastly different from one another.
When it comes to learning, they need boundaries to help with their educational success as they continue to study in different parts of our home.
To help keep my kids out of one another’s study zones, my daughter put together a simple Craft Stick Sign for Back To School this summer to aid in keeping interruptions to a minimum.
Are your kids interested in making their own sign for back to school? Check the “How To” below.
What You Will Need:
20 Craft Sticks
Glue
Acrylic Paint
Paint Brushes
Fuzzy Stick AKA Pipe Cleaner
Paper Towels
Black Magic Marker
Tip: You can locate most of these items at a dollar or craft store.
Directions:
To get started, I first had my daughter decide which colors to use for the Craft Stick Signs.
Next up, we set aside enough paintbrushes for each color. For my son’s room she picked green and red to represent Stop and Go, and for her room she wanted pink and purple.
Tip: Acrylic Paint dries fast. I suggest having your child wear an oversized T-shirt or apron to protect their clothing and washing out brushes after use.
It was then time to get started with assembling the craft sticks into a sign. First, my daughter laid down 9 sticks horizontally in a row. She then placed glue along 2 craft sticks and laid those vertically across the 9 on opposite sides leaving a little overlap at the top.
She then repeated this process by putting glue on top of the 2 craft sticks and then laying another set of 9 across the top. By doing this, it created a 2-sided sign.
Next up, she started painting each side of the sign a solid color. Placing the craft sticks on paper towels she painted the one side completely, waited for about 15 minutes until the paint dried, and then flipped the sign over to paint the other side.
Once the paint had completely dried, she added on the wording to both sides with a permanent marker.
Tip: Depending upon your child’s handwriting ability, you may want to trace the letters with a pencil first.
After she finished writing out her sayings on the sign, she then added a fuzzy stick to the top by placing glue on the ends and wrapping each side tight to form an arch.
Once the glue dried, this Craft Stick Sign for back to school was ready to be hung on a hook or door handle, or the pipe cleaner could be bent back as a stand to put on a desk or table.
Since making our signs, we have already put my sons to use while my oldest child was taking a test as part of an FLVS course.
When we saw the sign, his siblings knew they needed to stay out of his room and be quiet, it worked out well.
I hope this Craft Stick Sign for Back To School also comes in handy for your family, and wish you all success in the upcoming school year.
Carlee
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