Sunday, July 15, 2012

What We Made Today-Cardboard Tube Toys

Our local library hosts little craft activities for kids, once or twice a week, and recently, The Husband began taking The Kid to participate in these neat little projects. Last week the theme was owls. The kids made these neat little owl babies out of regular old toilet paper rolls.


By the time she arrived back at home, The Kid had plucked her owl clean of all its glued on feathers and eyes, so we decided to redo it. I made a simple outline of an owl with Sharpies, then she and I used crayons to fill him in. She loved him so much she took him to bed with her, which is crazy considering all the plastic her room is filled with.

While she was sleeping, I spied the cardboard paper towel tube( this is the only roll of paper towels I have purchased in over five or six years! And I only bought it to use for her birthday party. That was three months ago. Clearly we aren't big on paper towels...) that had been hanging around the house for a few days as her "spotty scope"(and of course if you watch Dora the Explorer, you know exactly what I am referring to) and decided to give it a cosmetic lift and surprise her the next morning. I used Sharpies to draw and color until it resembled something that wasn't simply cardboard and cylindrical.


You might be amazed by how long a kid can play with a simple cardboard tube. If you can get them to color AND play with it, you will be securing yourself a good half hour to hour of creative and educational(perfect activity to discuss recycling/upcycling) learning.

And heck, I'll just admit it, they are awfully fun for grown ups to play with too.

Here are some things we viewed through our spotty scope!






I have to say, as an artist, the spotty scope can actually be a useful tool. A painting or drawing, when viewed spot by spot through the spotty scope, can definitely clue you in to your piece's strengths and weaknesses.

But don't take my word for it. Try it out for yourself and see.

I mean, make one with your kid(s) and teach them about upcycling!

Yeah, that's it.

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