Tag Archives: craft

Let’s make puppets!

Puppets are a wonderful way to enjoy art and drama and to develop language skills. They can be used with all ages of children. The youngest children can watch you perform and talk to the puppet. Starting at about age 3 the children can help make the puppets and put on simple ‘shows.’ You can make a puppet from almost anything. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Finger puppets:

  • Draw a face on your fingertip.
  • Draw on strips of paper and tape them around your fingers to make different characters.
  • Decorate the fingertips of an old glove with felt, yarn for hair and beads or buttons for eyes; make a whole family on one hand.
  • Cut out simple animal or people outlines on cardboard. Do not include legs or feet but leave a wide bottom edge. Cut out two holes near the bottom – large enough to put a finger through each hole. Your fingers can make this kind of puppet dance or walk.
  • Almost anything slipped over your fingertip can make a puppet – try making faces on a paper cup, or a ball. Put a cloth napkin over your hand first to give the puppet some clothes.
  • A toilet paper tube can be used vertically for a soldier or other figure, or horizontally for a dragon or other long animals. Just put the tube over your finger to make it move.

Stick puppets:

  • Make a drawing of an animal or person and glue it to the end of a Popsicle stick. You can draw hair or make the hair more interesting using curled paper.
  • Cut out photographs of members of the family or friends and glue them to sticks. You can act out real family events.

Sock Puppets:

  • A simple puppet can be made from an old sock by adding hair and eyes. Put your thumb in the heel and your fingers in the toe of the sock to make the mouth. For a fancier version cut a plastic lid in half and then tape it together to make a hinge. Glue this mouth in place at the toe end of a sock. This makes a great dragon.

Paper Bag Puppets:

  • Take a lunch size paper bag and draw a face on the flap at the bottom of the bag. Glue on hair, ears or other features. Put your hand inside the bag. Move the flap up and down to make the puppet talk.
  • To make an owl, glue or draw eyes under the flap. Draw eyelids and eyelashes on the flap. Add wings, ears and feet. When you move the flap up and down, the owl will blink.

Making a Stage for the Puppets:

  • Hide behind the back of a couch.
  • Use the edge of a table covered with a tablecloth or turn a table on its side on the floor.
  • Balance a mop handle or broom stick between two chairs and hang a large towel or blanket over the stick to make a stage.
  • Make a puppet theatre out of a large cardboard box (appliance size). Cut a window for the puppets. Operate the puppets from inside.

Enjoy the show!

Make a fossil!

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For children ages 4 and older.

Mix together 1/2 cup of plaster and 1/4 cup water in a clean plastic container (or follow package directions).

Cover a seashell with petroleum jelly (Vaseline). When the plaster begins to set (thicken and harden slightly), press the shell into the plaster.

Let it dry overnight and then remove the shell (it should slide out easily).

Use the plaster mold to make clay fossils.

You can also use plaster to preserve a child’s hand or footprint. The plaster washes off skin easily with warm water, but make sure you run lots of water down the drain!

Handprints make wonderful gifts for parents and grandparents.

It’s Australia Day!

A koala holding onto a eucalyptus tree with its head turned so both eyes are visible

People across New South Wales join together in celebration of what it means to be Australian. Australia is unique because it is an island country that is also a continent.

You can learn more about Australia by visiting the “for kids” section ofhttp://www.nationalgeographic.com/downunder/.

You’ll find directions to make a Boomerang and fun facts about kangaroos and koalas.

It’s spinning and weaving week!

Children ages 3 and up can weave fabric or paper or even fences! If you have a chain link or picket fence give the kids strips of crepe paper, long strips of fabric or plastic and let them “weave” it through the spaces in the fence. Or take a piece of construction paper and cut slits in it about a half inch apart. Take another piece of a different color and cut into strips a half-inch wide. The children can weave the strips into the other paper (over and under) to make a colorful and useful placemat.

Check out this site for a weaving activity using straws:

http://www.freekidscrafts.com/soda_straw_weaving_loom-e444.html

It’s National Watermelon Day!

A Summer Craft Recipe: Watermelon Magnets!

Use these on the refrigerator or give them as gifts. Suitable for ages three and older.

  • In a bowl mix 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup salt. Add 1/2 Tablespoon of olive oil, 1/8 cup warm water and 1/4 teaspoon red food coloring. Blend well and knead 20 times. If the dough is too sticky, add a bit more flour.
  • In another bowl mix 1/3 cup flour and 2 1/2 tablespoons salt. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil, 3 teaspoons warm water and a few drops of green food coloring. Blend well and knead 20 times, adding more flour if necessary.
  • Mold the red dough into flat circles and roll the green dough into a long snake shape and wrap it around the edges of the red circles. Press the two colors together so that they stick to each other.
  • Cut each circle in half and press 5 or 6 real watermelon seeds into the red part of the dough.
  • Bake the finished watermelon slices at 200 degrees for 2 hours. Turn them over and bake for 1-2 hours more until completely dry.
  • Glue a small magnet to the back of each.

Make a dreamcatcher!

Native Americans used dreamcatchers to keep bad dreams away and let good dreams come in.

Simple to make for 5 year olds and older, this is a fun craft activity that can then be hung in the child’s room.

Be sure to look for related books at the library.

Visit this website for directions and details.

Make some pretty flowers for Mother’s Day!

What you’ll need:

  • Construction paper
  • Acrylic paint
  • Green chenille stems
  • Scissors
  • White craft glue

How to make it:

  1. Cut out simple flower shapes from construction paper.
  2. Dip child’s finger into acrylic paint and dab off excess, then press onto each petal. Dab a contrasting color into the center of the flower.
  3. Cut chenille stem in half.
  4. Glue chenille stem to the back of the flower.
  5. Display your pretty flowers in our Sunshine Flower Pot.

Tips:

  • While this is a simple craft, if you are working with smaller children you may want to cut out the flower shapes ahead of time.
  • If you don’t have chenille sticks you can substitute with craft sticks or straws.
  • You can use plain white paper and colorful paints if you don’t have construction paper.

From http://crafts.kaboose.com/fingerprint-flowers.html

Make a vase!

Scotch Tape

On this day in 1928 Scotch tape was sold for the first time. You can use double-sided tape to make an easy and attractive vase or pencil holder. Here’s how:

You need a small container (Choose a clean, smooth sided glass jar or bottle. A small can would be safer for younger children.), double-sided tape, a ball of heavy string, yarn or cord, and glue.

  • First, wrap the container in double-sided tape to cover the whole outside. It may be easiest to do this with short strips of tape that touch or overlap slightly.
  • Then, secure the end of the cord where it will be covered and wind it around and around in tight rows to completely cover the container. Secure the very end of the cord with a few drops of glue.

A wide mouth container is a good holder for pens and pencils. A smaller opening is good for flowers.