the inside of the jar lid with waterproof
craft glue, and let it dry and harden.
When the figurine is secure, fill the
jar almost full with distilled water and
add a few drops of glycerine to make
your ‘snow’ or glitter fall down slower.
Put some plastic glitter in the jar and
top up with water to avoid air bubbles.
Finally, apply glue to the inside of
the lid, jar rim and threads, to seal it
tightly shut. Turn it over and enjoy the
big smile on your child’s face! For a
touch of elegance, Martha Stewart has
some great DIY snow globe designs at
as does
.
8
Soap dispensers for water play
Children love bath time, especially
with a few toys in the tub. For this
purpose, plastic toiletry containers
can be a great source of fun for
fiddly fingers. Think squirt bottles as
water guns, foaming soap dispensers
as bubble makers or talc bottles as
rainmakers. Even small containers
or plastic lids could come in handy as
makeshift boats to float on the water’s
surface. Prepare to get splashed!
9
Matchbox cars
With a bit of imagination, you can
make your very own version of the
matchbox car. Any little car enthusiast
would be delighted with this exercise.
Just find an empty, rectangular
matchbox, glue a smaller box or eraser
on top as the car roof, and attach four
bottle caps or buttons as wheels. Then
draw in the windows and doors, paint
it a favourite colour and use some
shiny stickers for headlights. Slide the
box open and shut for a handy trunk
and add a personalised licence plate
with your child’s name for an extra-
special touch.
10
Egg carton garden
Recyclable egg cartons have
amazing fun potential. Use the full
tray to create a school bus and glue
in pictures of friends as passengers to
liven it up. Or cut out one egg section
to make a wide variety of sea animals
– from crabs to turtles – by sticking
on some twisty ties as legs. Another
great use for the egg carton is as a
mini garden for your little one to plant
in. Just cut the lid from the carton
and poke drainage holes in each egg
cup using a pencil tip. The lid can
be placed underneath for a handy
drainage tray. Fill each planting cell
with soil, or the appropriate planting
mixture, and plant the seeds in
each one. This is also a wonderful
educational project as children see
the plants sprout and grow over time.
Who knows where your next salad
could be coming from?
April 2016
47
