STUFFED SNAKE FOR DRAFTY DOORS:

NOTE: This craft also helps to conserve energy as you place the finished product along the bottom of any door leading outside to keep the cold air out.

Materials: An old pair of nylons or tights, old mittens or socks without matches or with holes in them (we have a huge collection of these things for some reason), red yarn, googly eyes, white glue or fabric glue.

Step 1: Cut a leg off the old nylons to be used as the snakes body.

Step 2: Stuff the nylon with the old mismatched socks and mittens.

Step 3: Tie the end up using red yarn as the snakes tongue.

Step 4: Glue on googly eyes.

Step 5: Let dry and then place on the floor near a drafty door.

Step 2: Add equal parts white glue and water in the paper cup and stir with a paint brush.

Step 3: If you do not have scrap pieces of coloured paper then take different coloured sheets of paper and cut them into various sized squares and rectangles.

Step 4: Brush white glue mixture on a spot on the cereal box to fit a piece of coloured paper and glue the paper on (HINT: folding pieces around corners makes for a neater look and a stronger box). Glue paper all over the box.

Step 5: Let the covered cereal box dry and one dry you can now your child’s books,magazines or comics!

Two Easy

Preschool

Crafts:

PAINTED ROCK EARTH:

Materials: Rocks, blue and green paint, art smock or cold clothes, newspaper or plastic to cover the table.

Step 1: Let your child paint the rock with blue and green to create his/her own version of the earth.

Step 2: Set it aside on waxed paper to dry.

Step 3: Use it as a paperweight or decoration.

CEREAL BOX BOOK HOLDER:

NOTE: This is a great craft to help organize your child’s room and make clean up easier.

Materials: Empty cereal boxes, scrap pieces of coloured paper or wrapping paper, child safe scissors, ruler and pen, white glue, wax paper or an old plastic table cloth to cover the table, damp cloth to wash sticky fingers, a paper cup, paint brush (old one to use with the glue).

Step 1: Remove the lid and flaps from the top of the cereal box. Use the ruler and pen or pencil to draw a diagonal line from the top corner to a point about ¾ up the side of the box and cut along the lines.

Step 1: Trace a bowl onto the blue paper and help your child cut it out.

Step 2: Have your child glue the blue earth and the "earth Day" sign to the black paper.

Step 3: Show your child how to dip the sponge into the green paint and dab on the earth (blue circle).

Step 4: Lastly, have your child decorate the black paper with star stickers.

COFFEE FILTER EARTH SUN-CATCHER:

Materials: paper coffee filters (the circular kind not the cone), blue and green markers (must be washable or else this craft will not work), spray bottle full of water.

Step 1: Flatten the coffee filter with your hand so it is a circle.

Step 2: Let your child colour the circle with blue and green markers. It doesn’t matter if there are white spots…in fact that works better.

Step 3: Lay the completed colored circle onto wax paper and then let your child spray water on it. Watch as the colours spread.

Step 4: Let it dry on waxed paper (perhaps the same waxed paper as from another craft...reuse you know!)

Step 5: Display! We liked to tape ours to the window so that they looked like sun catchers.

There are so many ways to conserve energy! Talk to your kids about what your family can do!

Making crafts using recycled materials is easy. All you really need to do is give your child some basic craft items like paint, glue, and scissors and then some empty plastic containers, toilet paper rolls, empty cardboard boxes, etc. and see what your child can create on his/her own.

Try some of my ideas below for some fun Earth Day crafts.

If you want more inspiration there are many different craft books that involve recycling and using household objects. See what is available at your local library or craft store for more ideas.

You can even recycle materials to use when making crafts! Lay out old newspapers or flyers to protect your table. Use a cleaned out yogurt container over and over again for water for your brushes. Use a left over party paper plate as a paint pallet and when the paint dries use it again.

EARTH DAY POSTER:

NOTE: My youngest son made this in a preschool class. I do not remember the teacher's name to credit her, sorry.

Materials: Black paper, blue paper, child safe scissors, glue stick, star stickers, green paint and sponges to stamp with, paper to cover the table, art smock or old clothes, paper plate for a pallet, a print out with the words "Earth Day is April 22."

Earth Day

Sticker Collage Craft:

NOTE: Stickers were always a favourite craft supply when my boys were preschoolers.

Materials: Earth Day or Recycling Stickers (there are all sorts of stickers to be found at dollar stores and craft stores), coloured paper, pencil or markers (optional).

Step 1: Let your preschooler pick out the colour for the paper and then give him/her the stickers to make a collage or a scene with the stickers.

Step 2: if desiered, your preschooler can decorate or add details with a pencil or markers.

Step 3: Don't forget to display or glue the final product in your Family Theme Day scrapbook!

CRAFTS

MAGAZINE PICTURE PUZZLES:

Materials: Old magazines that can be cut up, construction paper, white glue, child safe scissors.

Step 1: Have your child pick either one large picture in a magazine or many small ones and cut them out of the magazine.

Step 2: Apply white glue on a piece of coloured paper and cut the magazine picture or pictures to it.

Step 3: Let the glue dry.

Step 4: Have your child cut the picture into pieces

(or for younger kids do it yourself or draw the lines for

him/her to cut) to create puzzle pieces.

Step 5: Now, exchange puzzles

and try to assemble them.