Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Cardboard Box Fun!

It looks like an ordinary cardboard box...

But, to a child is becomes a...
fort
space ship
garage
secret hide-out
boat
car
play house
maze
etc.
 
Years ago we had just moved to another state.  Many things weren't unpacked yet and I was looking for something creative for the kids to do.  So, we took an empty box and turned it on its side. 
We cut out windows and a door.  Later we added a left over carpet scrap (a rug would work also). 
The next day we drew pictures on the outside of the box with crayons. 
Flowers, trees, grass and insects appeared on the outside of our "house". 
A roll of foil was found and a "mirror" appeared inside. 
Old greeting cards became pictures hanging on the wall. 
Crayons and markers created elaborate borders for each piece of wall art. 
Furniture was drawn on the walls to indicate which room of the house we were sitting in. 
 When some string was unpacked, we added handles to our window and door openings
to make them easier to open and close.
Every day, for weeks, we added something new.
 
 
 
Many years (yes years) of fun were had in that play box. 
It also sparked ideas for many more creations that lasted until the kids
 were in upper elementary school. 
 
"Robots"
 
Their ideas became more elaborate as they aged. 
 
 
 
We went through a lot of tape.  But the hours of fun and creativity it provided was well worth it!
 
 
After another move, when we had a fourth grader in the house,
the basement became consumed with a giant tunnel system created with our moving boxes. 
 Each day it become more elaborate as the design developed and became enhanced with things such as secret doors and spy holes.
 
Recently a young woman told me that playing in this cardboard maze in our basement
 was one of her favorite childhood memories. 
 
Who would have thought card board boxes could do that?
 

Playing with cardboard boxes is wonderful for dramatic role playing

and helps foster creativity in children.

Why foster creativity?  Architects, engineers, technology designers, teachers, carpenters, as well as actors, writers, musicians, and many more professions depend on creativity
 to excel in their profession.
 
So, give your kids some cardboard boxes, a roll of tape and let their imagination go! 
You will have to help make cuts if their design needs it.
 

Want an activity that may last the entire summer?

Contact a store that sells appliances and ask them to save you a box.
 
This could possibly be the best investment in your summer fun,
providing hours of play and creative opportunity for your children.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Fun With Masking Tape

Bored? 

Don't know what to do? 

 If you have a roll of masking tape you can have hours of fun!

Try a few of these ideas:


1.  Create a giant boat, tree, rocket ship etc. on the floor and play inside your pretend item! 
     This is a very simple, but powerful was to engage children in dramatic play.

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2.  Create roads, train tracks, parking spots

 
 
 
3.  Create mazes
 
see http://www.handsonaswegrow.com for more maze fun ideas. 
 
This idea was also featured May 29, 2012 in this blog's post entitled Life Size Maze/City  
 
 
 
4.  Create Games:  Hopscotch
                         *Tic-tac-toe
                         * Long jump starting line
                                 (Measure how far everyone can jump.  Then try to beat your record.)
                         * Four Square - add a soft medium size ball and you are ready to go
                                 When my son was in fourth grade he made a four square on our basement
                                 floor that he and his friends had great fun with.  The masking tape four square
                                 provided hours of fun for many years, even through junior high.
 
 
 
5.  Obstacle course- this can be good for role play as well as large motor skill development.
 
      Tape back and forth across a small room or hallway.  Kids take turns crawling and stepping over
      without touching the tape.  This could also be done in a large refrigerator box.
      As much fun as this is for little ones, don't forget the older kids. 
      Tweens would LOVE to create complex designs and then test their skills! 
 
 
 
                       
 
 
6.  Put random pieces on a table top, counter or the front of the refrigerator and let toddlers pick the
     pieces off.  This is an excellent activity to help develop fine motor skills.
 
 
 
 
 
7.  Using masking tape make lines or a design on a table top.  Then using a straw blow a pom pom
     along the lines.  Can you create the streets in your neighborhood and then "blow" your way
      home?  Make sure to create a little masking tape house that represents where you live.
 
 
 
 
8.  Spider Web Food Catch Game:  Create a giant spider web in a doorway using masking tape
     (painter's tape will be easier to remove and not leave a sticky residue on the wood).  Have each
     child create a bowl or plastic baggie full of tiny balls of paper wads.  This would be a good use for
     recycled paper.  Or, you could supply each child with cotton balls.  Then let kids pretend to be
    flies or insects that get "caught" in the spider web.  How many flies can the spider catch?
 
 
 
9.  Create shapes on the floor with your tape.  Then practice throwing bean bags into the square, then
     the triangle, then the rectangle, etc. 
 
Create a draw and throw game.  Using 3x5 note cards draw whatever shapes you have made on the floor.  Make 4 or 5 of the same shape.  Then have child draw a shape and toss a bean bag into the corresponding shape.
 
Directions for making simple bean bags can be found on October 22, 2012 post on this blog entitled Jiffy, Nifty Bean Bag.
 
No time to make a bean bag?  Try throwing cotton balls, small balls of foil, rolled up socks or paper wad.
 
 
 
10.  Make a balance beam and walk the "line"
 
11.  Create images for amazing story telling!
 
 
 

This is Goliath from the Bible Story
He is really nine feet tall.
Kids have fun laying down with their heels at the bottom of his feet to see how tall he really was!
 
 
12.  And when the roll of masking tape is empty, don't forget to decorate the cardboard circle that is
       left making an awesome bracelet!  
     
13.  Use the empty masking tape ring as a stencil!
 
14.  Don't forget the easiest activity of all... play with the sticky.  Pull off a piece of tape and stick it
       together to form a circle.  Put your hand inside so the tape wraps around the palm of your hand.
       What can you pick up?  How does it  feel when you press it on and remove it from your fingers
        on the other hand?  How much lint can you remove from the couch, a pillow or your shirt/pants?
 
 

What else can you think of to do with masking tape?  I suppose the possibilities are endless!

 
Have fun!
 
 
 


Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Stencil Sensation!

 
A freshly sharpened pencil...a new box of colored pencils
some paper...
add a stencil or two and...

Let the fun creations begin!

 

Your kitchen houses all types of stencils that can be used or created in minutes.

 
Try these common items as stencils.
 
  • Plastic lids from food containers (cottage cheese, yogurt, butter/margarine) with a design cut out of the middle.  Use cookie cutters to help create a design on the lid and and use a sharp utility knife on a cutting board to cut out the shape.The shape you cut out becomes a stencil as well as the lid itself.  (shown in the photo above)

  • The inside ring of the roll of masking or scotch tape (pictured in the center of the large circle stencil in the photo above).
  •  
  • A pasta measurer (Shown in the upper middle of above picture.  It has four holes.)
  •  
  • The lids off of any container or bottle
  •  
  • A plastic cup or plate
  •  
  • Plastic storage containers and lids 
  • A food box that has a "window". Cut out the side of the box with the opening and then remove the cellophane covering the opening. This results in an instant stencil.
  •  
     
  • Cookie Cutters make great stencils too!
  •  
              
             

 Let your imagination go wild and see what happens!


Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Wooden Spoon Puppets

 
 

Puppets

 
There are a variety of ways to make a puppet
... fist, finger, paper sack, balloon, sock, envelope, glove etc.
 
For ideas on how to make these kind of puppets see: 
Miraculous, Magical, Moments in Minutes:  Over 500 activities for Adults and Children to Share
by Becky B. Baxa  pages 61-65. 
This book is available on Amazon.com and Etsy.com
 

Another exciting puppet is as close as your kitchen utensil drawer...

the wooden spoon!

 

 
 
Where to find your wooden spoons: 
 
Wooden spoons can be purchased at dollar or discount stores, resale shops or garage sales. 
Or, maybe you would like to get rid of a few in your utensil drawer that don't look so great anymore.
 
Needed: 
 
wooden spoon (s) and your creativity
 
Supply Ideas
 
glue, tape, pieces of yarn, felt, ribbon, fabric or felt scraps, construction or tissue  paper, markers and/or paints, googly eyes, colored chenille wires, Popsicle sticks, etc.  
 
Directions:  First decide what type of puppets you would like to make...people, animals, smiley faces, your favorite story book characters, family members, made up characters, etc.  Then start searching for things around the house that would work to make your puppet.  Desk drawers, craft and sewing supplies, left over pieces from other craft projects are all great places to look.  Let your imagination and creativity go! 
 
For example:  You would like to make someone that has blond hair and glasses and loves purple.  So, go on a hunt for yellow yarn or marker, a chenille wire or small piece of wire for glasses (or they can be drawn on with a marker) and some purple fabric or felt.  
 
If you decide to paint the entire spoon, a hairdryer can be used to speed the drying process.
charlottesfancy.com                                                                                  www.wikihow.com
 
The spoon can be pushed through the center of a soft airy sponge to form a body.
 
A Popsicle stick or colored chenille wire make great arms. Attach with a wire bread twist tie, yarn, string or a rubber band.
 
 

Creation Ideas:
 
 
  • Design puppets to match the characters in your favorite book and then retell the story.
 
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
 
 
  •  Make up crazy characters, write a play and perform it for the family or your friends.
 
  • A fun puppet stage can be created with an empty cereal box.  Cut the back out and a window in the front.  Decorate as desired.  You are ready for a puppet show!  Place the "stage" on the edge of a table.  Stand behind the box, or sit on a chair as you perform your play.
 
  • You can also use a window as your puppet stage.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Alternative Idea:
 
Plastic spoons make great puppets also!
 
There are many different colors of plastic spoons that could be used to create a fun cast of characters. Faces can be added with a permanent marker.
 
Make a spoon for all kinds of different emotions.