As a follow-up to my last post, here is an easy craft that might add a bit of encouragement for getting outside, even in this cooler weather. My older daughter, is combination of “princess-meets-outdoor survivalists”. The princess in her is a little wimpy about playing outdoors when it’s very cold out. (Perhaps it has something to do with the princess attire she insists on wearing most days.) Yet, she is a huge fan of Diego, the cartoon animal rescuer, and Bear Grylls, the real-life survival-adventurer. So if I can create scenarios or give her tools to help her be more like these idols of hers, she is usually more willing to play along. Hence, toilet paper binoculars and a little scavenger hunt! For one pair of binoculars, you will need:
- 2 toilet paper rolls (or 1 paper towel roll cut in 2)
- small square of thin cardboard (such as cereal box)
- glue gun
- scissors
- long piece of yarn
- crayons or markers to decorate
Cut your thin cardboard in approximately 4×4 square and allow kids to decorate it, along with toilet paper rolls
Glue the cardboard to the top of both rolls and glue yarn to the sides. Strap binoculars around your neck, create a scavenger hunt list and go explore! (Since my kids can’t read, I just told them to find a short list of items. For example:
1.) A bird in flight
2.) A pink leaf or petal
3.) A flat rock
4.) A stick longer than your foot
Hey! Good idea! We’re loving our just-before-dinner “nature walks.” The girls would love the binocs. I’ll save a few tp rolls and make a couple of pairs. Another good nature walk activity is making a nature weave. I’ll send pics soon… Little girls can collect stuff, but bigger girls are needed for “weaving.”
Belated comment… We just made these. Wynn has been wearing them all morning. 🙂 One suggestion…Instead of gluing the yard on…we made a hole-punch on each edge and just tied the yarn on. Made for a super-strong pair of kid-oculars. 🙂 Thanks again for the idea!