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Cautionary Tales For Children
Wonderful witty poems great for reading to your children. The stories and rhymes will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
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Research has shown how important YOU are to your children and how as a dad the things you do, and keep on doing, really count, whether you live with them, or you are a single dad and are only able see them once a month, once a week or more, what you do really matters. This site is dedicated to all dads but will be of special relevance to the single dad. Remember, you are half the reason your children exist and they need you whether you live with them or not. As their dad, you have what it takes to make their lives successful and fulfilling no matter how often you see them. This site is about all the positive things that we as parents have to offer our children.
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Scalpel
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A very sharp knife traditionally used by surgeons that's great for cutting out detail in relatively thing materials
 
It deserves a special mention here because it is the cutting tool of choice for the graphics and model making industry. Typically craft knives are differentiated from other knives because they have removable, disposable blades, allowing them always to be sharp as possible. Because of its medical heritage, the scalpel has a huge number of different shaped blades and handles available so it is easy to get confused, but it does make it one of the most flexible knives available.
Make sure you use a 10A blade
Each blade type has a number, as does each handle variant. For model making you only need one blade shape, and that’s the one pictured here, No. 10A. (Note: Do not get a No. 10 (that's 10 without the A) as this type has a curved blade edge and is very difficult (dangerous even) to cut with against a ruler), and one handle variant, Handle No. 3, again, that’s the one pictured here. Change the blade regularly so that it stays sharp and you don’t have to press too hard when cutting. If the material you are cutting is thick or tough, then use a stronger craft knife rather than risk pressing so hard you snap the scalpel blade. The blades are sold singly, in little foil packs of five, or in boxes of 100. However, a box of 100 bought on-line is only twice as much as a pack of five bought in my local art shop, so like anything it is most definitely worth buying in bulk.
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In the US the craft version of the trusty scalpel is the X-Acto Knife, although becuse of it's slightly stiffer blade, the X-Acto bridges the gap between scalpel and the heavy duty Stanley knife.
Safety first
Scalpel blades are extremely sharp and are perfect for cutting foamboard, thin card or paper with the neatest edges.  As with any blade, it should be handled with care and children should never be allowed to use a scalpel, that is definitely a dad's or mum's job. Be careful when changing the blade, because it is easy to slip and scalpel blades are very sharp. Be careful when model making using a scalpel and always put it out of reach of your children when using it, and after use, remove the blade and put it back in its packaging so that it doesn’t jab you when you’re rummaging around in the kitchen draw later on.
Tip:
Because of its very fine point, a scalpel is perfect for cutting round small details. But remember, a scalpel is so sharp it will cut through more than just the layer you want to cut, always cut onto a surface that doesn’t matter if it gets marked. You can get a proper cutting mat, but any piece of thick cardboard will do; most graphic designers resort to the back of their drawing pads in an emergency. However, a self-healing cutting mat is probably a wise investment, it extends the life of your blades, makes cutting with blades more controllable (it slows the blade down as you cut with it) and will save you making horrendous marks and scratches in your kitchen table top.
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Funky pompoms
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 Dadcando has some truly amazing funky pompom projects, and making a pompom couldn't be easier or more instantly rewarding. You don't even have to have wool, you can make a pompom from any lightweight plastic bag, bin-liner or sandwich bag.
This tiny little pompom was made from a transparent blue plastic sandwich bag. Perfect for making little pompom creatures to decorate the top of your pens and pencils.
All you need is a piece of cardboard, which you cut into two same sized rings.
You bundle up some wool into 2m lengths and thread them through the rings about 8 at a time (or a plastic bag).
Keep threading the wool through the ring until you can't fit any more through.
Push the tip of a pair of scissors into the wool and between the discs inside and cut round the rim.
Tie a few lengths of wool round the pompom bundle between the cardboard discs and then remove the discs by slipping them off the wool or cutting them.
 That's it. It couldn't be much simpler, but it is only the start. Both boys and girls love making pompoms and dadcando's projects have easy to follow instructions and the beautifully designed printed image patterns will make sure that your pompom looks fabulous as well as being something really wacky and memorable, and they’re all so quick and easy to do.
So, beg or borrow a ball of wool off someone to get you going, or visit your local fabric shop and buy a ball or two. There are some crazy wools out there, have a look at the wonderful pompom William designed in Your Models, using a fun multicoloured wool. I guarantee once you start making pompoms with your kids, they won't want to stop.
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