Poppyseed Magazine

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Gardening with the Kids • Healthy Eats for the Family Saving Money • Family Gear • Cool Events for All Ages Local Heroes • Kids’ Health • Projects & MORE!!!

May•June 2014 Page 1 May•June 2014

Welcome to

publisher & owner Joey Coakley Beck jbeck@beckmediagroup.com editorial director Hayleigh Worgan hworgan@beckmediagroup.com contributing writers Jeremy Holmes Jessica Osborne Heather Quintana Mikey Rox Hayleigh Worgan

Issue One - May•June 2014

account executives Cory Dorathy cdorathy@beckmediagroup.com Beth Deel bdeel@beckmediagroup.com advertising inquiries advertising@beckmediagroup.com poppyseed@beckmediagroup.com (540) 904-6800

LLC 806 Wasena Avenue, Suite 101 Roanoke, VA 24015 540.904.6800 fax 540.904.6803 www.poppyseedfamily.com Poppyseed Magazine is the property of Beck Media Group LLC. It is a free publication printed bimonthly and is distributed throughout Southwest and Central Virginia and beyond. The concept and design of Poppyseed Magazine, as well as the design, advertisements, art, photos and editorial content is property of Beck Media Group LLC and may not be copied or reprinted without written permission from the publisher. ©2014 Beck Media Group LLC All Rights Reserved. PRINTED IN THE USA

We are so excited to introduce our new, complimentary publication! Poppyseed, a bimonthly urban guide for families in Central and Southwest Virginia, includes articles focusing on family health, outstanding and inspirational members of our community, cool gear & events, and much more! Every issue will also offer information on upcoming local events, family activities, and crafts.

Our May/June issue focuses on everything your family needs for spring. It is not easy to keep an entire family entertained, but we are up for the challenge! There are many ideas for getting your family outside, in the garden, or simply creating a fun craft together in the pages that follow. Our gear page is full of fun giveaways that will keep your child hydrated, fueled, and safe in the sun. We also have suggestions to help you encourage your family to eat healthier and ditch all those overprocessed snack foods.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas about this issue and those to come. Visit www.poppyseedfamily. com for more helpful articles between issues. And be sure to “like” us on Facebook for updates and giveaways that you will not want to miss! Welcome to the Poppyseed Family! www.poppyseedfamily.com

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Little Gardeners

Help your child create a new “friend” that encourages responsibility and patience Teach your child the basics of gardening by starting small. Planting and watering seeds can quickly become a boring chore for them if they do not understand the concept of waiting for something to grow and then reaping the rewards. By creating a game out of the learning experience, you will keep their interest and attention long enough for them to see the fruits of their labor.

An easy gardening craft are these “Little Hairy Friends” that all ages can enjoy.

As the friends grow, your children will have the important task of “trimming their hair” and watching it grow back in again. It is a fantastic introduction to the responsibility of gardening.

What you need: How to make them:

2 Baby Food Jars 4 Googly Eyes Sparkle Glue 1 Pompom 1 Bead Glue Gun Playdough Dirt Grass Seed Water

Start with your empty, but clean, baby food jar (any size will work). Create a friendly face on each. Use googly eyes on both, and sparkle glue for their smile. Use a pompom for one nose and a bead for the other. Place the jars on playdough to hold them on their backs. This will allow your craft items to adhere to the glass surface. Once the glue has dried, head to the garden and fill the jars up with dirt. Add a little grass seed to the top and water. Care for the Little Hairy Friends with water and sunlight. Watch their hair grow! Once it gets too long, your child can give them their first hair cut and watch it grow back again.

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A Healthy Diet for Your Family It’s a lot easier than you think!

WRITTEN BY HEATHER QUINTANA

We all want our kids to be happy and healthy. We love them, try to feed them healthy food, and keep them laughing. We attempt to instill a sense of responsibility so they will do well in school, stay active, and limit their screen time.

In theory, it doesn’t sound too hard, right? But busy parents all know how difficult it can be to meet these goals, juggle our own responsibilities, take care of ourselves, and live fulfilled lives. Time and motivation to plan healthy meals for our families can be hard to come by if everyone is used to unhealthy options. Any incentive is quickly lost when we do actually make the time and effort only to find most of the food we just prepared and cleaned up from sitting in the trash.

How many times have you gone through the valiant effort to make a healthy, balanced meal from scratch only to hear your kid(s) say, “Eeeeew, yuck!” or “I don’t like that?” It’s so easy to give in and go with, “oh, he doesn’t like that,” or, “she won’t eat that.” It gives you the excuse to order a pizza, pull out the chicken nuggets, or find yourselves in a golden tan and beige food buffet. However, a diet filled with processed ingredients and lacking in the natural nutrients found in real fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes leads to

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long-term physical health issues. It also challenges our ability to focus, learn, and feel mentally well.

Finding ways to incorporate healthy foods into your child’s diet isn’t as easy as it used to be. We are surrounded by taste-bud-altering, sugar-laden processed food everywhere we go.

Some focus, guidance, and a little bit of extra effort can turn those taste buds into real-food loving pathways to health.

Get started by serving simple healthful foods when they’re hungry rather than the serving the admittedly easier cereal bar or sugary yogurt. You may be surprised how a plate full of celery sticks with almond butter, carrot sticks with hummus, a cup filled with frozen peas (yes, serve them frozen!), or a stack of cucumber slices will be gobbled up when made available to a hungry tummy. If you have a little extra time, try

filling their bellies with a delicious healthful smoothie. With a little time and effort, you will start eliminating the desire for food that’s not good for them.

Happy Healthy Cooks tm

Green Monster Smoothie

You can adapt this recipe to include any fruits. The key is including the green stuff! If you use strawberries or blueberries, your “green” smoothie will be a little darker. Yellow or orange fruit makes a bright happy green color.

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh torn kale or spinach ½ frozen banana 1 cup frozen tropical fruit ½ can pineapple chunks in juice ½ - 1 cup water 1 TBS almonds or sunflower seeds (optional)

Directions:

Combine ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Enjoy immediately!

Heather Millar Quintana is a Certified Health Coach and Director of Happy Healthy Cooks in Roanoke, a program that turns kids and their families on to healthful whole foods because their lives depend on it. At any given time, you’ll likely find Heather cooking, teaching, mountain biking, relaxing by the water, or busy raising two happy healthy funny sweet boys.

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The Fiscal Family 5 tech-savvy ways to stack your

savings at Target

WRITTEN BY MIKEY ROX

Attention Target shoppers: You’re dropping way more coin that you need to at the checkout counter, and this trend has to stop.

There’s an urban legend that’s been floating around for years that you can’t go to Target without spending at least a hundred bucks.

You’ve heard it, and you’ve probably fallen victim to it on several occasions.

You know how it goes: You enter the store armed with a list that you plan to stick to, yet slowly but surely, as you travel up and down the aisles, this, that and the other thing ends up in your cart because you have to have it—right now.

There’s nothing wrong with treating yourself every now and then, of course, but this habit can seriously affect your financial wellbeing and put a sizeable dent in your budget if you’re not careful.

There’s hope, however—in the form of savings that are hiding right on your phone and computer.

All you have to do is harness the power of these money-saving tactics to keep more cash in your pocket—and there’s no time like the present. Take a look: 1. Target Mobile App On the Target mobile app, which is available for free download on iPhone, iPad and Android devices, there’s a section labeled Mobile Coupons within the Deals & Coupons menu that features select items available for discounts. Some items are reduced by varying dollar amounts while others qualify for a percentage off. Typical sale items include kitchenware, apparel and Target-brand foods. Consult the Mobile Coupons section before you shop to see what you have on your list that matches the available deals. At checkout pull up the app so the cashier can scan the preset barcode, and watch the savings subtract.

Mikey Rox is a personal finance expert and blogger whose work has been published on Wise Bread, MSN Money, CNN.com, The Huffington Post, Money Crashers, and more. He enjoys living his best life on a budget—and sharing his savings tips with the world. Mikey lives in New York City with his husband and their dog. Follow him on Twitter @mikeyrox.

2. Target Cartwheel App In addition to the Target mobile app, Target recently introduced the Cartwheel by Target app, which provides a more comprehensive listing of items that are available for discounts. This app provides deals on more of the everyday items you need, like groceries and cleaning supplies, at savings ranging from 5% to 50% off. To qualify for the deals at checkout, you have to manually add them to your list—up to 20 items total. You can do this in advance of your trip, or you can add the items in store by cross-referencing what’s available via the app with what’s already in your cart. This app is heavy on discounts for Target-brand goods, but there are plenty of name brand items available as well. Like the Mobile Coupons on the Target mobile app, just present the app’s barcode to the cashier to save.

3. Target RedCard By signing up for the Target RedCard, you’ll save 5% on all your purchases paid for by this shiny piece of crimson plastic. But buyer beware: This may not be in your best interest if you’re not the kind of credit-card user who pays the full balance before it’s due. Pay your bill past its due date and you could be slapped with a late fee that will not only negate the 5% savings but instead cost you more money in interest in the long run. Another perk of RedCard is free shipping on all Target.com purchases, which can save avid Internet shoppers a substantial amount of dough given the high price of shipping fees these days.

4. Printable Target Coupons In addition to the generous in-app savings that Target offers, it also includes a section on its website that allows shoppers to print coupons in advance of their visit. To find these coupons, go to Target.com, scroll to the bottom of the page, and select the Coupons tab. Inside you’ll find printable savings on more than 100 items in all categories, from baby and beauty to personal care and pets. Select the deals you’d like, send them to your printer, and bring the coupons to the store to hand to the cashier at checkout.

5. Ibotta App If you haven’t yet discovered the wonder that is Ibotta, it’s high time you did. This mobile app, compatible with Apple and Android devices, isn’t a direct descendant of Target, but it does have a partnership with the company. Instead of instant savings, however, Ibotta actually pays you in real cash for redeeming the offers it has available. In fairness though, the Ibotta offers aren’t always the most coveted—in fact, some of them are downright obscure—but if you happen to be in the market for what it has available for instant rebates, you can score. Ibotta also often has sweepstakes and add-on rebates to up the ante, and those are generally attached to everyday items you need, like bread and milk. Definitely worth the free download if you enjoy getting paid to shop.

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Watch Them Grow A lesson you’ll never forget WRITTEN BY JEREMY HOLMES

I taught Penelope to ride a bicycle at the basketball courts a block away from our house. She was six years old at the time and terrified of removing the training wheels. To be honest, I was too. There was a lot of danger in this moment: never had a stretch of asphalt looked so toothy and malevolent. More than that, this was one of those Growing Up moments that parents simultaneously anticipate and dread; moments in which your children move, irrevocably, a little farther away from you, and here you are encouraging them to go.

My daughter was very familiar with cycling even then. I had been carting her around in a trailer since she was few years old. For several years in a row, I took her on Roanoke’s Mayor’s Ride, riding along the Roanoke River Greenway, to watch the geese gather in the reeds along Bennington Street or enjoy a picnic at Smith Park; to visit the Taubman Museum or catch a movie at The Shadowbox downtown. When it came time for her to learn to ride, she already had a sense of where you could go on two wheels. So, the terror could only sway her so much—more than anything, she was eager.

Penelope sat in the seat while I held it. I let her get used to sensation of being off-balance and the unfamiliar weight of the bicycle she was now expected to manage. She pushed the pedals and I followed behind even as she said, “I can’t do this, Daddy.” I held her up, racing awkwardly and hunchbacked behind her as she swung around the court, wobbling like a fawn.

“I’m going to let go now.”

“No! You have to hold me up!”

Of course, I let go. For a few rickety yards she remained upright. I think it was only when she was absolutely certain I wasn’t there anymore that she panicked, lurched, and crashed to the blacktop.

“Are you OK?” I asked, running up to her.

She looked up, beaming. “Daddy, I did it!”

It only took twenty minutes before she was describing uncertain orbits around the asphalt. I stood on the sidelines waiting to run and pick her up, but both of us grew more confident by the moment that she would be just fine.

Page & 10 Penelope Jeremy May•June 2014

Jeremy Holmes is Program Director for RIDE Solutions in Roanoke. He is an advocate for families getting out of their cars and getting to know their neighborhoods by walking, biking, and taking the bus together.

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Saturday, May 24

If you are looking for an educational and fun event for your children, you cannot miss the recycled boat races at the Clean Valley Council’s 1st Annual Recycled Regatta and Watershed Awareness Day. Join the CVC and Festival in the Park for a day of fun, competition, and education on the Roanoke River. There will be boating demos, music, food, raffles, recycled art projects and educational activities for kids and adults of all ages. For more information, visit www.roanokefestival.com.

Family Fun

What to do?

Where to go?

Saturday, May 31

The Rotary Club of Roanoke will host the Great Roanoke River Duck Race and Family Fun Day. Bring the whole family to the Roanoke River Greenway from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. to join the fun! You can enter the race by purchasing one or more “ducks for a buck” from participating organizations.

Proceeds from this event will benefit many local organizations including Blue Ridge Land Conservancy and Bradley Free Clinic. To purchase a duck (or two!), visit www.blueridgelandconservancy.org.

June 6-8

Celebrate the Appalachian Trail during Troutville Trail Days. There will be many kid-friendly activities at the Daleville Town Center including the Bear Bait 5K, the Battle of the Bakers, and live music. Retail, craft, and food vendors will also be available. Use this opportunity to learn more about the trail and what it means to our community from nonprofit informational booths and the “thru-hikers” in attendance. Visit www.troutvilledays.com for more info.

June 14-16

Experience the Floyd Artisan Trail Tour with the entire family. Many sites will offer educational demonstrations and discounts to tour participants. You will have the opportunity to learn the art behind papermaking, pottery, woodworking, coffee roasting, and much more! For a complete list of participating artists and businesses, visit www.floydartisantrail.org.

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family gear Cool family finds to make your next family outing fun!

Psst. Keep an eye on our Facebook page where we’ll be giving these away!!

SIGG Water Bottles Summer is right around the corner, and that means we will all be playing outside more often. Hydration is important, but it also means that your vehicle becomes a graveyard for plastic water bottles. Eliminate the waste by trying a stylish and environmentally-friendly water bottle from SIGG. Your children will love the fun designs that reflect their personalities, and you may find that you need one for yourself!

UV Skinz Shirts Honey Stinger Snacks Finding the perfect snack food for families on-the-go can be quite difficult. Your options narrow significantly when you are looking for something nutritious that your children will enjoy. Try a snack from Honey Stinger on your next outing. These honey-based snacks do not have artificial colors or flavors, preservatives, or high fructose corn syrup. At 80 calories per serving, they are a delicious way to curb your child’s appetite between meals.

UV Skinz is a company founded from the need to help raise awareness and educate families about the sun. Good habits start early, and it is important to teach your children the dangers of prolonged exposure to harmful UV rays. In addition to sunscreen, consider dressing them in comfortable and stylish outfits from UV Skinz. They are offering a 10% discount to Poppyseed & Bella readers from May 1st-June 30th. Visit their website, www.uvskinz.com, and use the code ‘Bella10’ for your discount!

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LewisGale Experts Answer Your Health Questions After my baby was born, I got home from the hospital and just didn’t feel right. I felt tired, depressed and couldn’t sleep. Is this normal?

Everyone expects this to be such a joyful, happy time, but the stresses of life, past history, and other concerns can sometimes get in the way, resulting in postpartum blues and postpartum depression. The two terms are distinct conditions, but with very similar symptoms.

Postpartum blues is a temporary condition marked by mood swings, sometimes rapid changes from joy to sadness, difficulty sleeping and crying spells. About 40 to 50 percent of women can develop these symptoms within 2 to 3 days of delivery, peaking by the fifth day and usually resolving within two weeks. If the symptoms persist or if they become worse, you should see your doctor.

Postpartum depression affects about 10 percent of women. Symptoms can include marked changes in energy level, sleep, appetite, weight, and sex drive. It also may include symptoms of anxiety and even panic attacks. Treatment can include individual or group counseling and/or medication.

Symptoms typically improve within two to six weeks.

Joseph Troise, MD,FACOG, OB/GYN LewisGale Physicians

Why is folic acid important to take if I’m trying to get pregnant?

Any woman planning pregnancy or capable of becoming pregnant should take supplemental folic acid to reduce the risk of having an infant with a neural tube defect (such as spina bifida), congenital anomalies, and abruption (a condition where the placenta separates from the uterus prematurely).

The neural tube closes between 18 and 26 days after conception so folic acid supplementation after the diagnosis of pregnancy is usually too late to reduce the risk of neural tube defects.

The most convenient method of folic acid supplementation is daily intake of a multivitamin or prenatal vitamin containing 400 to 800 mcg of folic acid.

Elizabeth Barwick, DO, OB/GYN LewisGale Physicians

How should I protect my child from the sun? Can I use sunscreen on my baby?

While spending time in the sun, it is very important to take precautions. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, two or more sunburns as a child or teen can increase the risk of melanoma (skin cancer) later in life.

Sunscreen lotions should NOT be used on infants younger than six months old. Instead, keep younger infants in shaded areas while outdoors. Protect older babies and children by using a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 or higher that blocks both UVA and UVB rays. Apply the sunscreen at least thirty minutes prior to sun exposure and reapply every two hours. It’s also recommended that your child wear a hat and lightweight clothing to cover the skin, and limit sun exposure between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm.

If a sunburn occurs, offer your child extra fluids for hydration.

You can manage discomfort with cool water on the skin, pain relievers (such as acetaminophen), and a soothing hydrating lotion.

Russell Delaney, MD, FAAP, Pediatrician LewisGale Physicians

To contact these physicians or other physicians near you, call Consult-A-Nurse® 24/7 at 877-2HCA-DOCS (877-242-2362).

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Not All Heroes Wear Capes WRITTEN BY HAYLEIGH WORGAN

Anne Fox, a Kindergarten teacher at Oak Grove Elementary School,

has developed a small fan club of students over the years. Many of them walk up to her in the hallway and hug her after school. Their parents love her just as much, and some of them were her students when she first started teaching years ago. Although she will retire this June, it is clear that they will all hold a special place in her heart for the rest of her life.

Hayleigh: How long have you taught elementary school?

Anne: This is my 36th year. I have taught several years of first grade, and several years of third grade. This is my 32nd year of kindergarten, and it is where I was meant to be.

Kindergarteners are excited about every single thing that you do. They find joy and excitement in things that others may take for granted. The other day we learned about matter. I asked, “What do you call water that is hard?” That is something they see every day, but they still didn’t have the answer. To show them, we made ice cubes. They sat there and watched them melt, fascinated. When you teach someone about the simple things in life, that’s when you really start appreciating it.

Hayleigh: What are some of your best memories with your students?

Anne: I think what means the most is the ones who stop you later and ask, “Do you remember me?” I have one little girl that brings me chocolate dipped strawberries every year on Valentine’s Day. She is in high school now. Those things stick with you. It’s not very often that the kindergarten teacher gets remembered.

Hayleigh: Do you have a teacher that you have remembered fondly over the years?

Anne: Susan Dunagan, the women’s basketball coach at Roanoke College, was my gym teacher and high school basketball coach. She put people on the school basketball team that may not have been the best athletes, but she knew they needed to be part of the team. I think she knew that I needed it because I was new. She was a wonderful example of someone who puts kids first.

Hayleigh: A lot has changed in the last four decades. How have those changes impacted your students?

Anne: The very nature of play between children has changed. Watching children play, you learn so much about their lives. In recent years, the amount of pretend violence has increased. Children write in their journal, and the most written about thing now is video games. It used to be more about being outdoors and playing together, and I’ve literally had to make rules in my classroom that they cannot write about video games. They have to write about something they did outside or with their friends.

To nominate a hero in your child’s life, email poppyseed@ beckmediagroup.com

Hayleigh: What is the most important thing that we, as adults, can do for a child?

Anne: I think just to be able to listen to children and make them feel important. Sometimes it is just the smallest thing. You can turn a whole classroom’s behavior around in just one second by pointing out the person in the room who is listening. They thrive off of praise.

Make them feel like they are important. Everyone has something good about them.

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The Perfect Gift Reading to your child is time well spent WRITTEN BY JESSICA OSBORNE Snuggling up and reading with my 16-month-old, Sawyer, is one of my favorite activities. We’ve been reading to him since he was born, but recently he’s been getting more interested and involved in the process. He can now pick out books and demands that we read his favorites over and over again.

If you are looking for new stories to share with your children, or the perfect gift for expectant parents, I recommend the following treasures from our collection:

Wherever You Are, My Love Will Find You

I love love love this book. It’s so beautifully written.

I think I might even print off the poem and hang it in Sawyer’s room. I love that this is one of Sawyer’s favorites because it enforces the idea that no matter what he does, I will always love him. This would be the perfect gift for a new Mom or any little one in your life.

Pigeon Books

Mo Willems tells fantastic stories! These books are simple, funny, and smart. They encourage interaction with young readers, letting them decide the fate of the main character on more than one occasion. This allows you to make story time a learning experience.

Plus, I love that I can enjoy their humor too!

Knuffle Bunny

We got this book as a gift and it comes with a stuffed Knuffle Bunny.

Sawyer loves bunnies, and having a toy he can associate with the story makes it even more special to him. I think that is a huge reason why this book is one of his favorites. However, it is also a fantastic read with beautiful illustrations.

Encouraging your child to develop an interest in literature early in life can be vital to their future learning experiences. A love for reading is one of the best gifts you can give to them, and it’s not hard to do. The thirty minutes I spend reading to Sawyer before bed will be cherished memories when he is old enough to read on his own. The same can be true for you and your little one.

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Jessica is married to her husband, Zach and is mom to her son, Sawyer and pup, Sadie. She is an educator in Southwest Virginia and started her blog, Just Rainbows & Butterflies in 2010 after her husband was severely injured in Afghanistan. She used it to document all the good and beautiful things that were happening instead of focusing on the bad. Today the blog is about their adventures and all the things they love.

Meet Bailey WRITTEN BY HAYLEIGH WORGAN

The remarkable journey of a young man with autism

Many of us are taught from a young age that we can “be anything we want to be.” The possibilities are endless. As a child, this statement ignites something within your soul. It creates a dream to pursue. For children with autism, understanding the effort it takes to achieve a personal goal is something they learn early in life. Every day brings a new challenge to accomplish things that many of us take for granted.

Bailey Robinson, a thirteen-year-old student at the Blue Ridge Autism and Achievement Center (BRAAC) in Roanoke, is living proof of the theory that children with a strong support system have a better chance to be successful.

Surrounded by adults who believe in him, Bailey’s accomplishments are growing. Also, his ability to communicate verbally is constantly improving.

A large percentage of those who live with autism are unable to live independently. According to Autism Speaks, “About 25 percent of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder are nonverbal but can learn to communicate using other means.” Over the years, tools have been developed to increase that communication. Bailey is among the younger generation of autistic individuals who are benefiting from that research and development.

His school day is quite different from that of a student in public school. The BRAAC has created a plan specific to his form of autism. It allows them to use his strengths to improve his social interaction. His lead instructor, Dustin, has worked with Bailey for the past two years. On the day of my visit to their classroom I watched them communicate in such a way that many might not expect from Bailey. Dustin’s encouragement and patience increased Bailey’s determination, and he was able to provide verbal answers to questions that he may have to answer in future social settings.

After Bailey correctly identified several objects, Dustin began working in more difficult questions. Associating names with important people in his life is often a challenge, but when Dustin asks, “What is your mom’s name?” Bailey correctly responds, “Julia.”He answers correctly for his father, his three siblings, and himself.

Real world skills are already incorporated in to Bailey’s instruction plan. Starting simple, Dustin rewards Bailey with a penny for successfully completing tasks during the day. Bailey places each penny in his wallet, counts all ten once it is full, and then trades them for an activity of his choice. His mother has already noticed a change in Bailey’s comprehension of fiscal responsibility.

“Bailey is learning that money has value,” she explains, “Before this reinforcer, he would receive money as a gift and it was meaningless to him. Now he is beginning to understand that he can use it to buy things that he wants.”

Following several hours of instruction at the BRAAC, Bailey rides a bus to Read Mountain Middle School, where he attends an art class. The forty-five-minute class is a small step towards increasing his involvement with children who are not affected by autism.

This year alone, Bailey has achieved dozens of personal goals that will improve his overall social experiences. His success serves as a reminder of how important it is to let any child know you believe in them. Your smile, or word of encouragement, may encourage them to pursue their dreams—no matter how big or small.

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Poppyseed Family Craft Time! in collaboration with

Cork Sailboats

Steps:

1 Align three corks for the base of the boat.

2 Cut a piece of thread and wind it around the corks

Remember the ship in a bottle that mesmerized you as a child? Here’s a fun twist that your little one will love. All you need are a few corks, some thread, toothpicks, and construction paper.

This easy craft for kids is not only fun, but will also look lovely sitting on your windowsill or as centerpiece at your child’s next birthday. You could even make a fleet of tiny cork sailboats for a bath time regatta. Let’s get started!

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horizontally. Tie a knot.

3 Cut another piece of thread and wind it around the corks vertically. Tie a knot.

4 Cut another piece of cork for the swimmer.

5 Break a toothpick in half and stick into the cork.

6 Cut a small triangle out of construction paper, punch two holes, and slide it over the toothpick.

7 The swimmer is finished!

8 Cut a larger triangle to use for the sail. Punch two holes in the middle.

9 Slide a toothpick through the holes. Stick the toothpick in the center cork of the boat.

10 Attach the little swimmer to the sailboat with some thread and pieces of toothpick.

Now take a glass bowl or jelly jar, fill it with water, add a few pebbles, and voilá! Your tiny cork sailboat in a jar is finished.

Handmade Charlotte offers a daily dose of DIY projects, craft, recipes, inspiring family spaces, and design inspiration to help families create unforgettable moments.

They have agreed to share their best crafts with you each month, and we cannot wait for you to try them out! For more fun projects from Rachel and the Handmade Charlotte team, visit their website: www.handmadecharlotte.com

Share a photo of your finished craft on our Facebook page! We’d love to see your masterpiece! www.facebook.com/poppyseed