Tag Archives: crafts

Photos from Medieval Europe event

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dress up

dress up in Toddlers Area  photo source :Lorie Pierce

 

touch table

touch table with objects from museum Edukit photo source : Lorie Pierce

shiled making

make a shield activity photo source : Lorie Pierce

trebuchet

trebuchet and castle wall photo source : Lorie Pierce

touch table close-up

touch table armour close-up with slides and viewer photo source : Lorie Pierce

castle sign

castle sign courtesy of R.B & K.B. photo source : Lorie Pierce

knight sign

knight sign courtesy of K.B. & R.B. photo source : Lorie Pierce

Some families arrived 30 minutes early to the event so we opened ahead of schedule. While they were waiting, the kids played with activities in the Toddlers Area. Since that area is unstaffed, the activities there did not require our attention.

 

The Roman World – Mosaics

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In the exploration of the Roman stop on the Silk Road, the children will be making a mosaic picture. It will also be used as a stand alone activity to be left for families who could not attend the event.

Mosaics can be a bit time-consuming so, in order to make it easier to complete, the activity has been fashioned like a paint-by-number. Four colours and two shapes provide a nice three dimensional effect.

basic mosaic

basic mosaic with 24 tiles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The coloured pieces are cut from coloured paper stock that has been photocopied with the square and diamond shapes. Then the children need only attach the ’tiles’ using a glue stick. To cut down on the activity time, the shapes will be pre-cut and the squares may be glued ahead, leaving only 16 pieces for gluing.

finished mosaic

finished mosaic in four colours

And the paint-by-number version?

Or should I say paint-by-letter?

final activity sheet

final version of activity sheet source : Lorie Pierce

 

Butterfly cuffs

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This inexpensive, colourful and quick craft uses a section from any type of empty paper roll as its basic structure.

Here’s how we created butterfly cuffs at our recent event.

butterfly cugg bracelet

butterfly cuff bracelet photo source: Lorie Pierce

Prior to event, the following steps were done at a preparation meeting:

1.slit empty paper rolls lengthwise

2. cut into short lengths, approx. 3.5 to 4 inches long (10 cm)

3. wrap each section with aluminum foil, inside and out

4. staple precut foam butterfly onto centre of wrapped roll segment. Butterflies were purchased 20 pieces for $1.25 at dollar store, in multiple colours.

During the event

5. Child chooses butterfly, precut thorax and pipe cleaner antennae – various colours available

6. Paper backing was peeled of the thorax to expose adhesive. Thorax was pressed onto the middle of the butterfly with pipe cleaner folded in half and stuck between head and cuff. Roll the ends of the pipe cleaner to make knobby ends.

7. Child uses stickers and precut foam shapes to decorate the butterfly. Since all the pieces are adhesive, there is no need for glue.

8. Wear the butterfly in beauty and health.

 

 

It’s a styrofoam world

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Plate tectonics features heavily in the museum’s new exhibit about southern hemisphere dinosaurs. With the help of a few pieces of styrofoam left over from other projects, and a template from the USGS, the southern continents are now handy jigsaw puzzle pieces to push together (for Pangea) or pull apart (for the modern world)

Wording from the USGS website:

Although Alfred Wegener was not the first to suggest that continents have moved about the Earth, his presentation of carefully compiled evidence for continental drift inspired decades of scientific debate. Wegener’s evidence, in concert with compelling evidence provided by post World War II technology, eventually led to universal acceptance of the theory of Plate Tectonics in the scientific community.

source for puzzle and lesson plans:

http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/about/edu/dynamicplanet/wegener/index.php

styrofoam pieces and knife

start with some scrap pieces of styrofoam and a serrated steak knife photo source: Lorie Pierce

strofoam pieces with paper continents on top

add the continents - next step is colouring the lifeforms for easy matching photo source: Lorie Pierce

The USGS website also provides information sheets on the lifeforms shown on the continents, a key to the puzzle and an outline children can use to prompt how the pieces fit together.

At the Ultimate Dinosaur event, children will be able to manipulate these pieces while learning about Pangea and then take their own copy of the puzzle pieces home to colour and cut out.