Everyday Crafts 2

Do you receive too many address labels from companies asking you to donate money? Cut out the graphic images and put them in your child's sticker box. This way you can still use the address labels while adding to your kid's art supplies collection.

Puppet Pops:

Cartoon characters are everywhere, from underwear packages and cereal boxes to greeting cards and magazine ads. Save these images and put them to good use!

Supplies: character image; popsicle stick; paperboard; gluestick; self-laminating sheets; glue; tape; scissors.

How-to: Using the gluestick, glue paperboard to back of character image. Cut out the image. Laminate the front and back of the character. Cut out character again, leaving a quarter-inch of laminated space around edge. Glue top half of popsicle stick to bottom of the back of character image to use as a handle. To be extra secure, add a piece or two of tape to hold popsicle in place. Now you've got a puppet!

Variations: Use pictures of animals instead, such as the tiger from the zoo brochure or the penguin from the wildlife calendar.

Zoo Map:

Supplies: large piece of paper; markers or crayons; pictures of animals (see above variations!); gluestick.

Activity: Have your child decide how to sort the animals---by habitat, by color, by alphabetical name, or by type (four-legged or carnivore vs herbivore, or whatever). Draw a map of a zoo that incorporates that type of sorting (say, for habitat, draw the Serengeti plains, the Rainforest, the Outback, the petting farm, the ocean, etc.). Glue each animal in place.

Map Quest

Supplies: large piece of paper; markers or crayons; pictures of landmarks and road signs; gluestick.

How-to: Have your child create a map leading to Grandma's house (or wherever your trip leads you) and draw or cut out pictures of landmarks along the way. Include your house, Grandma's house, street signs, McDonald's or other child-notable landmarks.

Activity: Have your child follow the map to reach your destination. Maybe bring along a Hot Wheels car to ride along the map.