Learning Oragami

I had in my binder of  "to try/to do", a tutorial on origami boxes. We had done some basic origami in the past and thought we'd move on to something a bit more challenging.  I set out all the necessary items and a group of children gathered round to give this a try.   We measured and cut the size of paper we'd need, began the first few folds and things were going smooth until we got to the folding it into a box shape.  We tried, re-tried (lost a couple participants at this point) and finally made our own folds to finally make the box come together.



I always encourage the children to face a challenging task. Whether it means tackling it to the end or taking a breather and coming back to finish before the end of they day, it gives them the ability to build their thinking & reasoning skills and to learn about how to cope with a stressful situation.

They were very proud of their accomplishment! 

We'll keep practicing :)

Until You Read Again....



Flower Fairies

I've noticed lately that the children like everything in miniture.  I shuffled through my collection of craft books to see what they could make and whatdaya know....Flower Fairies!

Materials:

Floral wire

Faux flowers and fauna

Wood beads

Embroidary thread

Pencil crayons or acryllic paint

Glue (I used hot glue)

To Make:

1. Cut a 14cm (6") piece of wire and a 7.5cm (3") piece of wire.  Bend the large wire in half and wrap the smaller wire around near the bend....this will form the arms and loop for the head.

2. Use embroidary thread to wrap the arms and torso to create a bodice or shirt.  Secure the thread at the back with a tiny knot or dab of glue.

*Note:  if you're not using hot glue you may have to wait in between steps until glue dries*

3. Pull apart faux flowers, mix and match to make an outfit.  Slip the petals over the "legs" to make dresses, skirts, pants, etc.  Add a dab of glue to the underside so the petals don't fall off. 

4. Bend ends of wire into loops to form hands and feet.  Add facial features to the bead and use the thread to make a hairstyle....you can also paint on hair!  Add a dab of glue to the inside of the bead and firmly attach to the head loop. At this point you can also add hats and wings or other extras you imagine up!

5.  Challenge: How many combinations can you make?  What other floral friends can you create?

Until You Read Again.....

Tin Can Chime - First Tutorial!

I've wanted to make this for the longest time.  It's a fun (and easy) way to upcycle all the tin cans we would otherwise recycle.

Let's get started......

Materials:

• 3 tin cans of various widths
• water
• hammer and nail
• string/yarn/twine
• buttons or beads
• bolt or heavy washer

How To:

Step 1)  Clean out cans, fill each can with about 5cm (2 in.) of water, then freeze.

Step 2) Take cans out of freezer and turn upside down on a stable work surface.  Hammer a hole into the centre of each can, making it large enough to put the string through. (*note: please give the children straight, clean nails to use....I grabbed the first one I saw and it's condition is, well, older!)

Step 3) Run hot water over cans to dislodge the ice; dry cans.  Cut a very long piece of string and prep. 3 buttons or beads.  Thread the string through the largest can, leaving about 15cm (6in.) at the top, and tie on a button/bead to secure it in place.  Continue with the next two cans, being sure to secure them so that each can sits about 2.5cm (1in.) into the other can. You can fiddle around with it though to get it just the way you like it. 

To Finish: Thread buttons or beads on the bottom string and tie the bolt or washer to the very end.  Hang in the yard or by an open window :)

As an extension or a pre-chime making, decorate the cans!  Let me know how yours turn out!

Until You Read Again.....

Marble Run

Not too long ago, I challenged my group to create a marble run out of recycled materials.  On the table I put a shoebox, 5 paper tubes, a small plastic drink bottle and the only way to hold it together; tape!  I asked them to examine the items and draw up designs we could collaborate. 
The first design had the tubes going from top to bottom, which didn't result in the amazing thing they had hoped for...but, the children persevered.  They decided the tubes would need to be cut and redirected to the sides.  We tested out a couple designs until we came up with the final result:

It has become a favourite for children and adults alike!  Perhaps this summer a large scale version will be in the works??? 
Until You Read Again....

First of Many

Welcome! 
This blog is being started as a way for me to communicate ideas with other after-school groups.  In my city, After-school Educators meet monthly to discuss issues and ideas, but sometimes you just have to get an idea out there ASAP!!!
My hope is that other Educators and the Children in their programs will come here to share their experiences, ideas and questions/answers!
I would also like to post challenges.  For example, I challenged my group to create a marble run using only a handful of recycled materials.  They drew up plans and we tried out different configurations until it worked just how they wanted! (i'll post details & pic. tomorrow!)
I'm very excited about getting this ball rolling so,
Until You Read Again.....