Bird feeder
Connect your kids with nature with this easy Bird Feeder art and craft kids activity. It's simple to construct and you and your kids can watch the birds eat from it once you are done.
What You Need:
- An old 1L milk carton (washed)
- A loop of string (any size)
- Scissors
- Stapler
- Natural found items (leaves, bark, gum nuts)
- PVA glue
- A dish for glue
- Brush for glue
- Bird food from a pet store
Activity:
With your child collect leaves, bark, gum nuts or other natural findings from your backyard or even the park, and explain what you intend to make with them – you may even spot birds whilst you are both outside.
Staple the top of the carton together. Punch a hole in the top of the carton and thread the string through, tying a knot to create a loop to hang the bird feeder.
Cut out an insert/hole towards the base of the carton.
Using PVA, get your child to stick the natural found items to the bird feeder, to create a feeder that can blend in with the natural environment by mimicking the birds’ natural habitat. Let it dry.
Fill the base with bird food and hang on a tree in your garden, or from a high spot on your verandah/ balcony.
Notes:
- You may want to make this outside, where you can spot birds, and so that the mess is easier to clean up.
- Buying waterproof PVA glue will mean your bird feeder will last longer. However PVA can take a while to dry, so it is important to allow drying time.
- Alternatively you can use a stapler or tape, and if real leaves are proving challenging to work with then cut out some leaves from green paper.
- This activity can be educational if you find out some facts to share whilst making the bird feeder, about your local bird population.
- It also provides the opportunity for you and your child to work together and an experience that can last several days as you check if the bird food has been eaten.
Binoculars
Make your own pair of fabulous Binoculars with this creative art and craft kids activity. They are easy to make and great fun to use to get crafting today!
What You Need:
- A length of string (long enough to hang around your child’s neck)
- 2 toilet rolls
- Stapler
- Paint (and paintbrushes) or stickers to decorate
Activity:
Line up the toilet rolls parallel to one another, and staple them together (on the inside) at one end. The toilet rolls should now be fastened together to resemble binoculars.
At the same end, staple each end of the length of string to the outside of the combined toilet rolls; your child can use this to hang the binoculars from their neck.
To decorate, your child can paint the binoculars or stick stickers to them.
Notes:
- For an authentic look, wrap the binoculars in aluminium foil.
Family tree
What You Need:
- Rubber band
- Sticks/ twigs
- Coloured wool
- A pot: this could be a recycled container (i.e. a large milk container or juice bottle cut in half, or a box), an actual pot (from the garden), or a tall cup/ bowel/ jar from a cheap store.
- Tape
- Rocks/ weights (could include rice or lentils)
- A small drawing or photograph of you, each of your siblings, each of your parents, your mother's parents (your grandparents), and your father's parents (your other grandparents). Label each drawing/ photograph with each person's name.
- Scissors
- A paperclip for each of the family tree identities
Activity:
Collect sticks/ twigs: one for each member of the family tree. This includes you, each of your siblings, your mother, your father, your mother’s parents and your father’s parents. Select your sticks carefully; they should be long, and they can have small branch extensions or even some leaves.
Put a rubber band around the sticks. Arrange so that there are two branches that are the tallest (these will be for your grandparents), the next two tallest branches will be for each of your parents, and the next few branches will be for your siblings. The trunk will represent you. It doesn’t matter if the base is uneven because you will be “planting” the family tree in a pot.
Fasten the bundle with coloured wool by wrapping it around the lower part of the bundle. You can choose to wrap it tightly or loosely depending on what kind of tree shape you’d like to create. Experiment wrapping tightly and loosely before you fasten the wool in place with some tape or a knot.
Fill the pot with rocks or weights. Bury the tree's base in the pot. Add more weights until it is stable and firmly in place.
Attach a paperclip to each of the labelled images.
Tie about 10cm of wool to each of these attatched paperclips, and fasten with a knot. Tie your labelled image to the trunk. Tie each of your siblings' images to the lowest branches (sticks). Tie each of your parent's images to the next two tallest branches. Finally tie each seperate pair of grandparents to the tallest branches.
Notes:
- Include taller branches for your great grandparents (your mother and father's grandparents).
- Ingredient quantity requirements may vary due to the amount of memebers included from your family.
Face brooch
What You Need:
- Cardboard
- A large safety pin
- Decorative utensils: pencils, crayons, glitter glue, fabric, glue, paint, paintbrushes
- Buttons or craft eyes
- Pipe cleaners or wool for hair
- Scissors
- PVA
- Tape
Activity:
Cut the cardboard into a medium sized circle.
Use the crayons and fabric to create a skin colour and facial features.
You can use buttons for eyes and pipe cleaners for hair.
Think creatively and see what you have lying around at home; drink bottle lids could make interesting glasses for the face, and leaves from outside could create uniquely textured hair.
Notes:
- Alternatively you could collect facial features from old magazines to make up the face.
Kids advent calendar
Get into the holiday spirit with this advent calendar activity. Make a calendar the kids can use year after year and make memories that will last a lifetime as you count down the days until Santa visits!
What You Need:
- Christmas fabric
- Felt
- Cardboard
- String
Glue
Activity:
Cut the fabric into a square the size you want your calendar to be.
Use chalk to mark out 24 squares on the fabric leaving 5cm on each side of the edges.
Cut the felt into pieces to fit over each square on the backing fabric.
Trim the top of the felt so that there is a gap at the top of the square when you lie it over the backing fabric.
Glue the edges of the felt onto the backing fabric.
Cut out the cardboard in the size of the backing fabric. Trim 2cm on each side.
Glue the backing fabric to the cardboard and wrap the edges over so that none of the cardboard shows.
Fill the felt pockets with coins, small chocolate bars or other treats.
Animal mask
Make an Animal Mask with this fun art and craft project. Spark your child's creativity and nurture their artistic talents with this unique activity.
What You Need:
A sheet of card, a pen or pencil, crepe paper, paddle pop sticks, glue, scissors, a bowl, tape
Activity:
Cut the crepe paper into strips and get your child to tear into small pieces. Put them in the bowl.
Draw an animal face onto the card. Measure eye holes, so that the mask is personalised to your child’s face. Cut the mask and the eye holes out.
Get your child to stick ‘fur’ i.e. crepe paper to the animal, using the glue.
Finally tape the paddle pop stick to the edge on the non decorated side of the mask, so your child can hold the mask to their face.
Notes: You may want to make the mask so that it covers only half of your child’s face. You can also cut out holes for the nose or the mouth of your child to be visible.
