Earth Sun Catcher Craft

What You Need:

• Clean Margarine Bowl Lid
• 2 Bottles of Glue
• Wax Paper
• Yarn
• 2 Bottles of Glue
• Food Coloring

Instructions:

Find a picture of the planet Earth and use that for a pattern. The 2 bottles of glue should be about 1/2 full (it is okay if there is more). Use the Colored Glue Recipe below and make the glue in one of the bottles blue. Make the glue in the other bottle green. Put the squeeze tops back on the glue bottles.

Carefully squeeze the glue into the lid to create a picture of the earth. Use your picture of the earth as a guide as to how much blue and how much green to use. Don't worry if you don't get it exact! Make sure you fill the lid completely with no gaps. Set aside to dry. Depending on how thick you make it, it could take up to 24 hours!

Once the glue is dry, it should easily pop out of the lid. set your earth on a piece of wax paper. Use a nail to poke a small hole in the top of your glue earth and then let it sit on the wax paper over night to get firmer. You can then tie a piece of yarn through the hole and hang your earth in a window!

 

Here's How (Colored Glue):

1. Get a bottle of glue.
2. Unscrew and remove the cap.
3. Add 5-6 drops of food coloring.
4. Replace the cover and shake the bottle to mix.
5. If you want a darker color, add a few more drops of food coloring and mix again.
6. Once you get the desired color, use your glue to create fun pictures and crafts.

Tips:

1. You do not need a full bottle of glue!
2. Start saving your empty glue bottles now so you can use them to mix many colors.
3. The amount of food coloring will vary depending on how much glue is in your bottle and how dark of a color you desire.

Paper Planetarium

Here's what you'll need...

 

• Construction paper, black and colored
• Glitter glue
• Scissors
• Large paint brush
• Wax paper

Here's how you make it...

 

1. Cut out circles in different sizes and different colors.

2. Cut a piece of wax paper about 12" long (make it longer if you'll be framing it with a paper bigger than the standard 81/2" X 11"). With a large paint brush, paint on glitter glue all over the wax paper and then place your planets on top of the glue.

3. Cut a frame from a black piece of construction paper (standard 81/2" X 11"). The border in the picture is 1" thick. Place on top of the wax paper to frame your solar system, and trim around the edge.

Puffy Paint Moon Craft

Check out this really fun and messy moon craft...

What you'll need:

• 1/4 cup white glue
• 3/4 cup shaving cream (you want the old fashion foaming kind, not the kind that starts as a gel)
• Bowl for mixing
• Light-weight cardboard
• Scissors

How to make the Puffy Paint Moon Craft

1. Mix together 1 part white glue to 3 parts shaving cream. 1 cup total is more than enough for this craft.
2. While your child plays in the goop, cut a large circle out of the cardboard.
3. Lay the circle out on lots of newspaper (to contain the mess).
4. Have your child glop on as much puffy paint as they want. The more they drag their fingers through the goop the better this craft will look in the end.
5. Once they are done, let the moon dry over night.
6. Paint your moon any color you would like.

Robot Craft

 

Supplies:

Empty container (we used a country time lemonade container)
Aluminum foil
Glue
Scissors
Black marker (a sharpie works best since you are writing on aluminum foil)
Silver Pipe Cleaners
2 googly eyes
Sequins
Soda bottle lids (optional as feet)

Instructions:

Put a few lines of glue on your empty container and wrap the container with aluminum foil. Make sure to glue the edges down. To make it easier use thinner, longer strips of aluminum foil or get it started and then have your child help you tuck in the ends.

Have an adult poke a hole in each side of the container for the arms.

Wrap the pipe cleaner around the marker and then remove it. This gives you a nice spiral pipe cleaner that works great as an arm. Do this with two pipe cleaners and then insert them into the holes on your container.

Glue on two googly eyes. Use the marker to draw a mouth on.

Glue the sequins on the belly of the robot to look like buttons.

Glue three bottle caps to the bottom of the container to serve as feet or wheels

Pom Pom Alien

Supplies:

One 1 ½” Pom Poms
Two ½” Pom Poms
One 1 ½” Pom Poms
Three ¼” Pom Poms
One 25mm Wiggle Eye
Five 7mm Wiggle Eyes
One Fuzzy Stick

Craft Glue

Scissors

Instructions:

Glue all wiggle eyes to 1 ½” pom pom.

Cut two 2” pieces off a fuzzy stick. Poke into the top for antennae. Glue a pom pom on each end.

Shape the remaining piece of the fuzzy stick into a three-toed foot. Glue to bottom.

Glue on ¼” pom poms.

Let your imagination run wild with Alien Adventures.

Space Mobile

What you need:

• - Yellow construction paper
• - String or yarn
• - 2 plastic straws
• - Hole puncher
• - Scissors
• - Pencil
• - Eraser
• - Stapler

Steps:

1. Draw 6-8 stars on the yellow construction paper. Each one should be a different shape or size.
2. When you’re finished, ask a parent to help you cut out the shapes. Cut around the outside of the lines and then use an eraser to remove the pencil marks.
3. Parent Alert: Using the hole puncher, pierce a hole at the top of each star.
4. Cut a piece of string for each of the stars and tie it around the hole. Tip: Vary the length of the string to help your mobile come to life.
5. Parent Alert: Pick up two straws and make the shape of the letter “X” with them. Staple the straws together where the two meet.
6. Cut and tie a long piece of string to where the staple is and then tie the rest of the strings to one of the four limbs of the X.
7. Hang your mobile by the long string in the middle and in your room from the ceiling or in a favorite corner somewhere around the house. Now, you can look at the stars anytime you want!

Moon Pies

Our threes class made these yummy moon pies, here is the recipe so that you can try them at home with the kids.

You will need:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup marshmallow creme

 12 ounces semisweet chocolate
¼ cup vegetable oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and lightly grease a cookie sheet.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter or margarine and white sugar. Add egg, evaporated milk, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Add flour mixture slowly to sugar mixture while stirring. Mix until all ingredients are combined.

Drop the dough onto greased cookie sheet by rounded tablespoonfuls. Leave at least 3 inches in between each; dough will spread as it bakes.

Bake in for 6 to 8 minutes, until firm when pressed with finger. Allow to cool at least one hour.

In a medium mixing bowl, blend together 1/2 cup butter or margarine, confectioner's sugar, flavored extract, and marshmallow creme. Mix until smooth.

Assemble pies by spreading 1 to 2 tablespoonfuls of filling on flat side of a cookie crust, then covering with flat side of another cookie. Using a double boiler or in the microwave on 50% power and in 30 second increments, melt the chocolate and vegetable oil together until completely smooth. Place the assembled cookies on a wire rack set over a sheet of wax paper. Spoon the melted chocolate over each cookie so that it runs down the sides and covers most of the cookie. Allow to set at room temperature for about 2 hours (or refrigerate to speed up the process). Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Yields 2 dozen pies