Is it a necklace or an Olympic medal?
Children need nature for the healthy development of their senses and… for learning and creativity.
–Richard Louv
What’s on the agenda today? How about making nature necklaces?
Or hang on a second… is that a gold medal just like Canadian (and family acquaintance) Rosie Maclennan just won? (Congratulations Rosie on winning Canada’s first gold of the 2012 Olympics! Your grandparents would be so proud of you!)
What’s a Nature Necklace?
Really, anything made from nature could be called a nature necklace–from a daisy chain made large enough to wear as a necklace or a log sliced thin enough to wear as a medallion around your neck–like the one pictured above.
How to Make a Nature Necklace
The nature necklace pictured above is pretty simple. The hardest part will be finding a tree branch or log narrow enough as you only want it to be about 2 inches in diameter. With a saw, have an adult slice a 1/3 inch thick piece off the log. With a drill, drill a hole in the wood about 1/4 inch down from the edge. Slide a piece of yarn, ribbon, or string through the hole and tie it together. Voila! A nature necklace.
Now, to decorate it! You can paint it, sticker it, stamp it, marker it, or… what else? But the real question is this: Is it a necklace or a medal you won in the Olympics?
This would be a great craft for an Olympic themed birthday party. Enjoy!
Have your kids made a necklace using nature? What did they create?
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Hey kid, is that a nature necklace craft you're wearing or is an Olympic medal? http://t.co/GEu5btUU
— Jean Oram (@KidsPlay) August 4, 2012
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An easy Olympic inspired craft and game for kids.
Do your kids have Olympic fever? If so, I’ve got an Olympic themed craft for your pint sized basketball fans.
Supplies Needed to Make This Easy Olympic Craft for Kids
- Small paper plate
- Small plastic container (A baby food container, mini yogurt container, or apple sauce container works well)
- White Glue
- Markers
- Magnet
- Tin foil
- Stapler
How to Make Your Own Basketball Net
The paper plate will be the backboard so before you attach the net, decorate it. You can write words like a team or country name on it, draw the backboard lines, or whatever strikes your fancy such as… flowers. Butterflies. Smiley faces! Stickers!
Cut the bottom out of the small plastic container. Staple the container to the backboard.
Glue the magnet to the backboard and stick the whole thing to the fridge when the glue is dry. Voila! It’s done!
MODIFICATIONS: If you don’t have a small paper plate or a small plastic container, you can make a bigger basketball net using a full sized yogurt container or other plastic container and use a bigger paper plate as the backboard. As well, if you don’t have paper plates, you can cut a blackboard out of cardboard. Just remember, the bigger and heavier the craft, the harder it will be to make it stick to the fridge using a magnet. You may need to make other modifications to the craft as well.
Let’s Play!
Oh! Wait. We need one more thing before we play… we need a basketball! A bouncy ball might destroy your net, but taking a small piece of tin foil and crunching it into a ball will work well.
Ta da! Your kids are ready to play a game of basketball with their Olympic-inspired craft!
Play on and enjoy!
How about you? Are your kids making Olympic crafts?
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A super-easy #Olympic themed craft, activity, and game for your kids! via @KidsPlay http://t.co/ISnYjTts
— Jean Oram (@KidsPlay) July 29, 2012
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Looking for more summer fun activities? Check out the It’s All Kid’s Play newsletter. It has tons of summer fun ideas.
