Cardboard Tube
A cardboard tube could be made into a pair of binoculars by taping them together and looping string around. They can be decorated with whatever your child wants or left plain. This is a good activity to spark their imagination, whether they are going to be a jungle explorer, a bird watcher or scientist. Your children’s creativity is supported from thinking about what they want to design it. Perfect for children aged 3-6-years-old. Cardboard tubes can be used to create a shaker. Simply by covering one end with paper and securing it, pour in some rice, lentils, pasta, beads (anything that makes a rattle sound), then secure the other end and shake. To create more of a falling sound, you could push cocktail sticks through for the rice or lentils, etc to fall and hit as its being shaken. This is a lovely activity for children aged 4-8-years-old as it is simple, but effective and they are able to do a lot of the work themselves. Create animals using cardboard tubes, this can be done by painting the animal onto the tube and adding a face. For example, to create a sheep you may cover the tube in cotton wool then stick on googly eyes and a face. To create stick on faces or arms and legs you could use cardboard or use pipe cleaners for arms and legs.
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Pipe Cleaners
Pipe cleaners can be made into people, they can be big or small. This is a quick creative activity but lasts a long time when the children are playing with what they have made. Pipe cleaners can help get some creative patterns to painting. Shape the pipe cleaner then dip in paint and press onto card. Pip cleaner painting is an effective way to make homemade cards, for example shape the pipe cleaner into a heart, press into red paint them print onto card. Pipe cleaners can be used to decorate your house, make them into a range of flowers. This is a more technical craft, however, is very effective! Pipe cleaner flowers are a good activity for children aged 6-8-years-old.
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Wool
Wool can be used to make 3D names; this can be done by cutting out letters from card and wrapping coloured wool around them. Perfect for children aged 6-8-years-old. Pompom’s can be made using wool by wrapping the wood around a cardboard circle, then cutting around the card and tying the wool together. This can be expanded for children by making it into a animal such as a sheep by adding on a face and feet. Wool can be used for painting by dipping it into paint and then wiping it across a page of paper. Another way to use wool with painting is by laying wool on paper in a pattern and then pour paint over it to create patterns. This is a good activity for children aged 2-6-years-old.
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Paper Plate
Use a paper plate to make a hope rainbow. This can be done by cutting the plate in half (you can also cut out the middle to create more of a arch shape), then colour it in with paint, crayon, pens or pencils, with the colours of the rainbow. Good for children of any age to encourage their fine motor skills and creativity. Create a bird nest by cutting the paper plat in half, and then colour it in brown. Next cut out chicks and colour them in as well, now the adult can staple to two halves of the paper plate together, leaving the top open and then push the chicks into the gap. Finally, if you wish to you can add in straw and sticks to create a more realistic nest. Stain glass windows can be made using a paper plate. Cut the middle out of the plate and then glue around the sides then stick either tissue paper or coloured cellophane. This is a creative activity that children aged 3-8-years-old can enjoy, by expanding the independence of your child. Paper plate maze can be created by either using a hot glue gun to create the maze and use a marble to follow the maze. Alternatively, you can glue beads to create a colorful maze and again use a marble to follow the maze. A lovely activity to help children concentrate on something and plan forward to get a successful outcome, good for children aged 7-8 years old.
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Tissue Paper
By adding tissue paper into a sensory basket can create a different texture and sound to your babies play. This is a good addition for children aged 0-2 years to support their curiosity and exploration. Tissue paper can be used to create a picture, your child could either create a picture completely out of tissue paper by layering it up, or by adding texture to their drawings by scrunching up the tissue paper to add to stand out sections or go over a printed picture. This is a lovely activity for children aged 5-8-years-old. You can use ripped up pieces of tissue paper to stick onto a mask, this could be cut out of either a paper plate, paper/card or by purchasing a plain mask. This is a good activity for 4-8-year-olds.
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