Standing White-Tailed Deer

Native to North, Central, and South America, the white-tailed deer is one of the most widely distributed land mammals in the world. They are crepuscular, consume a wide variety of plant materials, and are highly adaptable to different habitats. White-tailed deer can sprint at speeds of 40 miles per hour, sustain speeds up to 30 miles an hour, and jump 9 feet high and 30 feet forward. 

The white-tailed deer is culturally important in the US (and beyond). It is the state animal of Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina, the state game animal of Oklahoma, and the wildlife symbol of Wisconsin. It appears on the flag of Vermont and is the mascot of the Milwaukee Bucks. Bambi is a white-tailed deer (in the Disney movie - in the Austrian book that inspired the film, Bambi is a roe deer.)

Read on to learn how to make a family of white-tailed deer that stand on their own. Affiliate links below. 

 

Standing White-Tailed Deer

Materials:

• cardstock (tan, cream)
• microtip scissors
• colored pencils (I used Ohuhu)
• craft glue

Steps:

You will need four basic shapes to make an adult male white-tailed deer: a body, legs (2), ears (2), and antlers (2). If you want to make an adult female or a baby, you don't need the antlers. Cut the body parts from cardstock, then use colored pencil to add details: a black nose, a black eye, black hooves, black shading on one ear, and white shading around the nose, under the belly, under the tail, and inside the ear. If you are making a fawn, add white dots all over its back. 

For the adult make, fold the legs in half, then glue them to the back of the deer's body. Adjust them until the deer can stand on its own. Glue one ear to the front of the deer and one to the back, then glue the antlers in place. Use the same steps, minus the antlers, for an adult female or a fawn. 

Ohio Star Paper Quilt Craft

Have you heard of the Ohio Star? This classic quilt pattern has a very interesting history. Kids studying the Civil War or Ohio state history will enjoy making their own version of the Ohio star, using paper instead of fabric. This tutorial makes 9” squares. Affiliate links below. 

Ohio Star Paper Quilt Craft

Materials: 

• cardstock
• patterned paper or construction paper
• paper cutter or scissors
• craft glue

Steps: 

Cut a 9" square piece of white cardstock to use as a background. Cut the scraps into 3" squares. 

Select 2-3 pieces of patterned paper or construction paper that go nicely together. I chose a green polka dot, a pink with swirls, and a yellow stripe. 

If you are only making one quilt square, you will need one 3" square of each color. Set aside the one you'll be using for the center. Cut the other two along one diagonal, then cut each of the resulting triangles in half. Here are the steps: 

Be as accurate as possible when cutting. A paper cutter helps immensely, but you can do this with scissors. (Use a ruler to mark the lines!)

Set aside four white squares. Cut the other white squares into 4 triangles each, just like with the colored papers. 

Arrange your squares and triangles in place. When you find a pattern you like, carefully glue them down. 

This is the finished design. 

Of course, I couldn't stop at just one quilt square. 

I love how they look assembled into a 9-square quilt! So pretty!

If you want to simplify things, use a single color with white. It's still really pretty. 

Two colors with white is nice too. 

There are tons of variations you can do with the Ohio Star. It's a beautiful and versatile design and makes a really fun project for kids. 

GeoGuessr and Seterra

One of the most difficult (yet simultaneously most interesting) classes I took in college was Geography 10: The World's Regions. It took place in a large lecture hall… completely in the dark. All lectures were slide shows, where the professor taught us to look for clues in the photos to help us identify where the photo was taken. Tree shapes, soil color, architectural styles, and a zillion other things are all clues to a mystery location. It was absolutely fascinating and I loved every minute. That is, until it came time to study for exams. How do you take notes about tiny details in 150 different pictures from an hour-long slideshow in a room so dark you can't see your notebook? This was 1991, so we couldn't take notes on a laptop or take a video on a cellphone. The tests were conducted the same way as the lectures - the professor showed a slide and we had a minute to make our best guess where it was. Repeat, repeat, repeat. There was a single bank of lights on, so we could actually see to write. It was challenging, but I got an A, so whatever I did obviously worked. 

I didn't think much about that class until a number of years ago when I first discovered GeoGuessr. If you're not familiar with it, the concept is that you are dropped in a mystery location somewhere in the world on a Google Street View map. You look for clues about your environment and then you guess where you are. It's essentially exactly the same thing as we did back in that geography class. 

When I started playing GeoGuessr, it was relatively unknown. This educational and fun game has grown significantly since then, booming during COVID. Now it even has its own World Championship. It's not too often you find something equally popular with classroom teachers and esports players, but that is the case for GeoGuessr.  

If you're looking for other fun geography games, I recommend Seterra. Acquired by GeoGuessr in 2022, Seterra is packed with games and quizzes based on countries, capitals, flags, rivers, lakes, and so much more. There are so many games based on the United States that I have barely explored the rest of the world. Try this fun game about US landmarks and let me know how you did! 

Underwater Scene: Paint Markers on Aluminum Foil

When I reviewed the new Ohuhu Nahuku Acrylic Markers, I was impressed by how well they color on paper, plastic, and metal. Ohuhu sent me a different set, the Kakaako Acrylic Markers, to try and I was eager to see if they performed as well. I'm happy to report that they impress me too. I'm not surprised, as Ohuhu's products are consistently high quality and a pleasure to use. Affiliate links here and below. 

The Kakaako set includes 30 double-ended acrylic markers: 15 basic colors, 9 metallics, and 6 fluorescents. Unlike the Nahukus with their brush nibs, the Kakaakos are what I think of as a traditional paint pen. To activate the paint, you shake the pen, then press down on the round or fine tip until the color is flowing. These pens are made to color on a wide variety of surfaces, including: paper, plastic, glass, ceramic, rocks, wood, fabric, and more. I decided to test "and more" with a more unconventional surface: aluminum foil. 

I cut an 8" square of aluminum foil, then colored the background with patches of color from four different blue pens. The paint dries fairly quickly, but there is enough open time that you can fingerpaint if you want to. I used my index finger to soften and blend the background in some places. I intentionally let the foil show through in many spots. You can't tell on the scan, but it's super shiny in real life. 

I used the round tip to add a sea floor, kelp, coral, and fish. Then I went in with the fine tips to add a bit of detail. The paint layers nicely if you let the base coat(s) dry first. 

Here's a look at the full color palette and how each looks on white and black cardstock. You can also see how the coverage is with a single coat. 

Just like the Nahukus, I definitely recommend Ohuhu's Kakaako Acrylic Markers but once again feel that using them on paper would be a waste. Try them on a wide variety of surfaces, including aluminum foil!

The Best Souvenirs for Kids

By my best estimates, my 18-year old has been to over 3000 different gift shops in his life. We've taken Trevor to all 50 states (several of them multiple times) and approximately 30 countries. In each, we visited multiple cities and countless attractions. There are souvenir shops in every airport and many hotels. There are stand-alone souvenir shops all over the place in cities with a lot of tourism. In the last decade, our family has averaged 35 museum visits a year; almost all have gift shops. I get that most people don't travel as often as we do, nor do they pack as many different activities into a single day. But consider this: there are 279 places to shop in Florida's Disney World. A multiple-day Disney trip can mean literally hundreds of opportunities for kids to ask for a souvenir. And the vast majority of Disney souvenirs are not cheap. If we had bought Trevor a $5 souvenir at every gift shop he's visited, we would have spent over $15,000. That is, obviously, insane. 

All this to say, between the family travel we've done and the many students I took on field trips over the years, I have a lot of experience with kids and souvenirs. Based on that, I think the best souvenirs for kids are:

• Unique to the area and not something you can get at home
• Small enough to pack in your existing luggage
• Sturdy enough to survive the journey home (especially if you're flying)
• Inexpensive 

T-shirts, flags, refrigerator magnets, and keychains are common choices that fit my criteria. But there are two options that deserve the title of Best Souvenirs for Kids.

Postcards

Postcards are a fantastic souvenir. They're cheap, sturdy, small, and widely available. There are almost always lots to choose from. Kids can keep them pristine, or jot heir favorite memories on the back. They can carry them home or buy a local stamp and mail them home. Kids can store their postcard collection in an album or shoebox, making it fun and easy to remember all the great places they've traveled.  

Coins

Coins are another fantastic souvenir for kids. If you're traveling internationally, have your child collect coins in the local currency. It's fun for kids to try to collect each value of coin, replacing the ones they have with shinier, prettier versions as they come across them. Coins are inexpensive, easy to transport, virtually unbreakable, and unique to the area. 

If you are traveling domestically, kids can collect pressed pennies. You can't beat the price for this souvenir: 51 cents. I recommend carrying shiny pennies and plenty of quarters; nearby shops will sometimes give you change for the machine, but not always. Pressed pennies come with the added fun of choosing the design, turning the handle, and watching as the penny is pressed and falls into the slot. Back home, kids can store their pennies in a cute piggy bank or in a special pressed penny album with the theme of their choice (affiliate link). 

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No matter what you purchase (or don't) when traveling, the very best souvenirs of all are the photos and the wonderful memories. Happy travels!