Flat Spooky

Today we had some dramas in the household that appear to have been negotiated successfully – chores done to work off breakages and ’science lab’ toys are not donated to homeless children at the local shelter.Now we are practicing ‘working quietly on one’s own’. T. started with a word-search puzzle based around recycling: http://www.p2pays.org/recycleguys/games.asp

He has now moved on to ‘Flat Spooky’, based on ‘Flat Stanley’ at: http://www.p2pays.org/recycleguys/games.asp

Spooky is a cat that T. used to have. He will be encouraged to take Spooky around the area and to record the cat’s adventures in a journal. He will then choose a friend to pass Spooky on to for a couple of days, who will take Spooky out and about, and return him with the journal filled with more adventures.

Sounds like fun, so I hope T. follows, through – well he is cutting out the cat now, I’ll let you know about the ‘Spooky Tales’

How bizarre! I’ve just realised today is Friday the 13th, and we made a cardboard cut called Spooky…

Recycled Skeleton

Howdy~ long time no post!

Having just become a foster mum my life is just go go go. Never a dull moment anymore, and my what adventures we are having on these journeys of self discovery. Now to try out all those kids activities i never do myself…

I have a very clued-up 9 year-old in the house who needs help in channeling unresolved anger and developing trust bonds. To work toward this goal we created a skeleton from recycled milk cartons and some cardboard. Our end skeleton looked something like the site we got the idea from: http://www.p2pays.org/recycleguys/images/seasonal/skeleton.htm

We do not have a camera yet so can not upload a photo of our skeleton: Uncle Raymond. Here are the instructions for our version:

We had fun making a skeleton from recycled 2L milk bottles and cardboard. Cut off the tops of 5 bottles (save to use as funnels in the garage). Cut out eyes, nose and a mouth on one bottle and use this as the head. Use another bottle as the rib cage. Cut two bottles along their sides so that they fold out to make two long panels. Cut out the short panels of the remaining bottles. Draw a bone shape on all the panels, and cut them out (two long leg bones, two shin bones, two small leg bones; two large and two small arm bones). Trace your hands and feet on the cardboard. Use another bottle or cardboard to make the long bones of the arms. Put a hole at each end of all the bones (only one is needed for the feet and hands). Put a hole in the top of the head to hang the skeleton. Use string to connect each bone to the other. Hang proudly near a window to ‘dance’ in the breeze.

Here is what ours almost looks like (we didn’t include a pelvis or collar bone).

enjoyable and ecological! we will keep practicing and maybe sell some on e-bay.