Fun with Thumbprints - A Spring Break Kids Craft

 Today is a snow day, and an extra day tacked onto spring break, but who can even think about getting into the spirit of the upcoming season when they are calling for at least six inches of snow! If you're here in Kansas City, and you look ahead to the weather next week, it's supposed to be in the upper 60s and mid 70s! My only hope is that it stays that way going forward.

With spring around the proverbial corner, there are ways you can get yourself ready head of time. And if you are a gardener, or looking for cute ways to store stuff, this thumbprint kids craft is so cute! And if you're really looking ahead, a great Mother's Day gift. If you followed along several years ago, you know that we made darling thumbprint bug magnets. Head here to read over the original thumbprint post as you are going to use this technique to create the flower pots.

Here is what you will need:

Your kids thumb, acrylic paint, paint pens, flower pots of any size, and a paper plate.

Get your paint on the paper plate and gently place your child's thumb into the paint. If they are olders, they can do this by themselves. Place the paint covered thumb (making sure to dab off the excess so the paint doesn't run down the flower pot) all over the flower pot in any formation, adding more paint as needed. 

Once you have the thumbprints in all the places you want them, allow the paint to dry before moving on to the next step. This could take a couple of hours, so if this is something you want to do in a day, start early. Once dry, use your paint pen to outline the thumbprints into fun bugs! Your kid(s) can do the outlining. If it's a little messy, that's fine. That's the point of a kids craft! And, it's their little stamp on the project. 

This is an example of the thumbprint with a stamp from the original post. You do this same technique with the paint.

I have mine on display in my craft room! It's a little reminder of his tiny prints that will last for years. And, I love that it holds fun supplies on my shelves. But, they would look super cute on your patio this spring and summer. Work together to grow flowers from seedlings or plant one from your local nursery. The options are endless. 

 I love a kids craft. It's a great bonding activity for everyone. And, it allows their little hands to be creative. You probably have most of these supplies hanging around the house, right? You could get started today!!

Here's to getting crafty!

XO,

Andrea

Steamboat Arabia - Local Excavation Dig

The Steamboat Arabia sank on September 5, 1856 while traveling on the Missouri River. It sank within minutes, but the 150 passengers aboard were able to get off safely. The same could not be said for the 200 pounds of cargo on board. In 1988, a local AC and furnace repairman, along with his sons and another long time friend, the found the possible location of where the steamboat sank and began their recovery efforts. It took nearly five months, but they were able to discover the largest pre-Civil War artifacts in the world. All of this, and more of the ships story, can be found in Kansas City's River Market. 

We first visited the museum in the winter of 2018. McKinley was in first grade and was obsessed with the idea of a sunken steamboat and the recovery efforts involved. Having no idea what to expect, we were amazed by all this museum had to offer. The museum opened in 1991 and preservation work continues today, cleaning more than 60 tons of artifacts in their onsite preservation lab where visitors are able to watch them work. It's fascinating!

Here is a look inside the museum and the artifacts that are currently on display. Be prepared. It's truly amazing!

This isn't even the beginning of the remarkable work that has been completed with this excavation. The preservation work is phenomenal. 

If you haven't been to see this incredible museum, take the family over spring break! The River Market area is a fun place to explore as well. You can visit the Steamboat's website here to get hours and ticket pricing. 

I love exploring Kansas City and sharing it's rich history with all of you. Get out and see what makes this city so amazing!

XO,

Andrea

The Truman Library - History at Your Fingertips

 We visited the Truman Library this weekend after it's extensive remodel. The museum was closed during most of 2020 for Covid and all of 2021 for the renovation. The end results were impressive. I attended the museum several times as a child and it was one of my favorites. My husband and I attended years later, and at that time it was under a different renovation, but we were able to see the traveling Smithsonian Presidential Portraits which was a big surprise and amazing to see. 

I wanted to highlight this museum for the upcoming spring break season. President Harry S Truman is not only local, he was very integral in molding several aspects of not only Independence, MO, but Kansas City as well. He was a County Court judge in Jackson County, he owned "Truman & Jacobson", a haberdashery, with his army friend Eddie Jacobson and the store was located at 104 West 12th Street in downtown KC, he was elected to the US Senate as a Democrat for the state of Missouri, the Vice-President under Franklin Delano Roosevelt, taking office after the death of Roosevelt, to become the 33rd President. He then became our  34th President, after a controversial early call for Thomas Dewey, from the press. In his post Presidential life, he was responsible for the creation of the Former Presidents Act.

President Truman was most known for his efforts to end WWII with the dropping of the A-Bomb on Hiroshima. What I didn't realize was how much he did during his very short time in office. Yes, he was the President after Roosevelt, and during his own four year term, but in those eight years he established his place in history. The museum is full of information regarding his time in office, his peace talks with leaders of other countries, handwritten letters to family and foes, his belief in Civil Rights, and so much more. We spent nearly two hours visiting the museum and we could have spent several more. 

Here are some photos from our time there that highlight this historical figure that is truly right in our own backyard.

President Truman was my grandfather's favorite president. When I asked my dad why, he said it was because he saw Truman as a simple man, he ended the war that he himself was in, and that he was a democrat. 

The exhibits within the museum are very interactive. McKinley enjoyed taking the quizzes, figuring out how to strategically aim bombs during WWI when Truman was a Captain in the army, examining the artillery, and pulling out all the draws in the haberdashery to learn more about the store. It held his interest in a way museums like this have in the past. And there is so much more to see than what I've share in photos. A replica of the Oval Office, cars that Truman owned, his personal office, and a mural painted by Thomas Hart Benton. Want to see all of this and more, head here for all the details and to purchase your time stamped tickets.

History at your fingertips!

XO,

Andrea