Did I tell you Asa is taking tumbling? Well, it’s ridiculously cute. While Lydia and I wait on him, we have time to look at all the older kids practice gymnastics. They are flipping all over the place and so strong! I was explaining to Lydia that we could watch gymnastics in the Olympics and she said, “What’s the Olympics?”

So, now I am on a mission to make sure my kids get into the Olympics this year! I showed them videos online, downloaded I Can Teach My Child’s new {free} Olympics craft ebook, and even bought a homeschool unit study about the Olympics. (I told you, I’m serious about it!)

Anywhoo. When it came time to make a craft for our sponsored kids, I thought it would be fun to see if their countries will be in the Olympics. And sure enough, they are–two athletes from Burkina Faso and over a dozen from the Dominican Republic. The kids are the most excited to see gymnasts, archers and the swimmers from Burkina Faso! (Which makes my heart SO happy!)

To go along with this (and just in time for our Impress Your SPONSORED Kids challenge today), we are making flags of Burkina Faso, the Dominican Republic and the United States of America (USA! USA! USA!). It’s super simple–just grab some construction paper, glue and some scissors. Oh, and you’ll need a computer to look up your child’s country’s flag!

The Burkina Faso flag is pretty easy (and look! it even has a star! I had to go back and watch my own tutorial on how to cut a star. Ahem.)

I have to be honest, the kids are asleep as I’m writing this post. So, I cut out all the pieces of the flags and am going to have them glue them when they get up in the morning. And I think I’ll have them tape the USA flat to the back of the other flag, then our sponsored kids will see how close we feel to them! I’ll update Facebook with pictures as soon as our masterpieces are finished.

And that’s it: your challenge if you choose to accept it is to make a simple flag to send to your child. I’d love to see how many flags we can make–please upload them on Facebook so we can encourage each other.

For you non-crafty folks, why not grab an extra box of colorful band-aids next time you’re at the store. Throw a few of those in a letter and tell your kids you’re praying for God’s protection for them! (And uhm, have you seen these awesome bandages?)

If you haven’t sponsored a child, yet, what are you waiting for? Visit Compassion or World Vision to find a child to join with your family and with your heart! You (and they) will never be the same!

Oooh, I added some contributors to our Flat Crafts for Sponsored Kids Pinterest Board. So much good stuff!

linked to Tidy Mom & Finer Things Friday

***Impress Your Kids has some new digs at ohAmanda.com! Come visit us there for all the Impress Your Kids archives and all our new posts–including our Easter newsblast with fabulous tips for celebrating a meaningful Easter with your kids!***

Hey, howdy, hey! It’s the 2nd Friday of the month which means it’s Impress Your *Sponsored* Kids time! We take this day each month to write our sponsored kids (we have two from Compassion and one from World Vision) and make a fun flat craft to send along as well.

This month, I wanted to make flowers. You know, April showers bring May flowers? I saw these cute tissue-paper-contact-paper flowers on Pinterest & pinned it to my Flat Crafts For Sponsored Kids Board. The original post turned these flowers into a beautiful bouquet. I thought with some bright paper they’d make cute and easy suncatchers. Alas, as I tried to cut them into flower shapes, I just could NOT do it!

See?! That flower looks like a bear!

Let’s step away from those and get ready to make some CUTE suncatchers!

All you need is a roll of clear Contact Paperand some leftover tissue paper (I save it at every birthday party!).

Then, it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3:

1. Cut out a big piece of clear contact paper and lay it down sticky side up.

2. Cut (or rip) bunch of tiny squares of tissue paper. Mine are about 1/2-1 inch but you could do any size. Let the kids stick on the contact paper!

3. Slap on another piece of contact paper, press tightly and you’re done. Easy peasy!

Now you can make shapes. I like the heart best. And the cross looks pretty good, too. And yes, I finally eked out a decent flower.

Then, I punched a hole in the top and strung a little yarn through the top. And hopefully our sweet kiddos can find a place to hang them and see something pretty in their home!

Now it’s your turn to impress your sponsored kids:

CHALLENGE: Make these suncatchers for your sponsored kids! If you do, let me know by leaving a comment here or updating on our Facebook page. Let’s spur each other on and make our sponsored kids super happy!

NON-CRAFTY CHALLENGE: If you don’t have time or resources to make these suncatchers, grab some fun local postcards and send those with your letter. We’ve been collecting postcards on our Summer O’Fun {is that title too weird?} so our sponsored kids can see what we’ve seen! You can also find local city or state postcards at WalMart and some Hallmarks!

Who’s writing their sponsored child today?

Don’t sponsor a child yet? Look at these faces and sponsor one today with Compassion International or World Vision!

Linked to TidyMom, Amy’s Finer Things and I Can Teach My Child.

***Impress Your Kids has some new digs at ohAmanda.com! Come visit us there for all the Impress Your Kids archives and all our new posts–including our Easter newsblast with fabulous tips for celebrating a meaningful Easter with your kids!***

*gulp*

*blush*

*shuffle feet*

I’m feeling embarrassed. And ashamed. I say sponsoring a child has changed my life. I tell other people we pray for our sponsored kids regularly, look at their pictures daily and consider them to be family. But the last time I wrote them? Ugh. You don’t want to know.

There is a blogging trip to Tanzania that ends today. I’ve been following the bloggers, their posts, tweets, instagrams and more this whole week. And it breaks me. Every time I read a blogging trip with Compassion or World Vision I am reminded anew of the huge role I have in these kids’ lives.

I’m not their mom. I don ‘t replace their family, their teacher or their pastor. But I do get to be a strong anchor that says, “I am a physical picture of how much Jesus loves you.” And why? why would I take that so lightly? Especially when it doesn’t take much to show them this. A simple letter, a small hand-drawn picture, a postcard from our latest vacation or a picture printed straight from my own printer–nothing expensive, nothing time-consuming. But things to be kept and treasured.

Last week, I got super motivated and printed off address labels and addressed 36 envelopes, stickers with their number on it (for Compassion, you have to put the kids’ number on anything you send), printed stationery and bought 2 books of stamps. Now I have NO EXCUSE for not writing.

I wrote a long letter to each of our Compassion kids apologizing to them. I just said, “I’m so sorry. You are such a big part of our life and we love you deeply. We are making it a new priority in our life to show you just that.” I know how important it is to apologize to my own kids, so I hope they can feel love in that confession, too.

As I wrote, I let Asa and Lydia color on the back of each paper. Lydia drew her and Alizeta. Asa scribbled something for David. Then we enclosed the latest {decent} pictures of all four of us. It took all of ten minutes and it felt SO GOOD. I felt our little family open up to embrace another.

I pray they feel that love as they receive their letters. And that it will be another connection, another tether to their Heavenly Father.

I also wrote down 12 different ideas for my kids to make/do/send to our sponsored kids. I have planned everything we’re going to do for them for a whole year! Will you join me every 2nd Friday of each month to write your sponsored kids? I will post my activity and I encourage you to COPY it! Or leave a comment with what you’re making for, sending to or writing your child about this month. Let’s impress these kids with God’s love!

Your mission today is to just sit down and write a letter and add a hand-drawn picture from the kids. Easy peasy!

Who’s with me?! {I’d love for you to leave a comment here or on our FB page if you write your kids today!}!

Still not sure about sponsoring a child? See my trip to the Dominican Republic with World Vision or read the adventures of the Compassion trip to Tanzania! It will change your life–and the life of a child around the world!

Ooh, and don’t forget to visit my Flat Crafts for Sponsored Kids Pinterest Board!

***Impress Your Kids has some new digs at ohAmanda.com! Come visit us there for all the Impress Your Kids archives and all our new posts–including our Easter newsblast with fabulous tips for celebrating a meaningful Easter with your kids!***