JHB WEST - July 2021

Crafts that won’t break the bank
Stimulate your child’s imagination with these exciting,
budget-friendly crafts that are easy to make.
BUTTERFLY HAND PUPPET
You’ll need: White paper; pencil; black marker; Khokis or pencil crayons; scissors;
glue; googly eyes; glitter or glitter glue (optional).
How to:
On a white piece of paper, draw a long oval that’s about three-quarters the length
of your child’s hand. Now draw a small circle at one end to form the head of the
butterfly and outline with the marker to cover any pencil marks. Colour in the body
and head, and cut out. Glue on two googly eyes and draw on a mouth. To make
the legs, colour in and then cut out six strips of paper that are each 1cm x 8cm
long. Fold the legs into an accordion and then glue them onto the body of the
butterfly, three per side. To create the butterfly wings, fold a piece of paper in half
and draw a 5cm x 4cm block over the fold (this will later be attached to the body
of the butterfly). Using the block as a base, draw the wings and cut out the block
and wings as a single piece.
Now the fun begins. Colour in the wings and block; remember, the brighter the
better. Place glue on the underside of the block and attach to the body.
Create a wrist strap from the paper, measuring 13cm x 1.5cm. Glue the strap to the
underside of the butterfly, creating a loop for your child’s hand.
Slip over your child’s hand and let the flapping begin.
Ways to make
children enjoy
4gardening
Gardening is a great way to get your
children excited about being outside.
Emily Jones, Reel Life NPO project
manager, and Jane Griffiths, an expert
in organic vegetable gardening
and Jane’s Delicious Kitchen author,
suggest four fun garden activities:
1. If you turn it into a competition to
see who can make the greatest pile of
weeds, even the chores of weeding
can become a game.
2. Some edible flowers such as
echinacea, pansies, Californian
poppies, cornflower, and calendula
should be included instead of
planting only vegetables. These
attract beneficial insects such as bees
and butterflies. With your children,
explore your garden and encourage
them to find and watch ladybirds,
bees and butterflies.
3. Create a tepee with beans. In the
dirt, firmly anchor three poles and
collect their tops together to form a
tripod. Wind some twine around and
tie it in place securely. Plant beans to
climb around the poles, leaving one
side open. The beans will climb up the
structure easily. Your kids will have an
edible green tepee to play in within a
couple of months.
4. Let your kids help you create simple
recipes that include some of the
vegetables that you grow.
PAPER-PLATE DINOSAURS
You’ll need: A large paper plate; scissors; pencil; glue; toilet roll; poster paint; paint
brush or sponge brush; googly eyes; black marker.
How to make it:
Fold and cut the paper plate in half to create the body of the dinosaur. On the
other half of the plate, draw and cut out a head and tail, and a few triangular spikes.
Glue the spikes onto the rounded side of the other half of the paper plate.
Glue on the head and tail, and allow to dry. To make the feet, measure 3cm into
each end of the toilet roll and cut horizontally to create two shorter pieces of the
same height. Stand the pieces up and cut slits into the opposite ends of each
piece, going a third of the way down.
Place the body into the slits of the feet – your dinosaur should now be able to
stand on its own. Using a tablecloth or newspaper to protect the table surface, let
your child paint the dinosaur and allow the paint to dry.
To make the face, stick on a googly eye and use the marker to make the mouth.
Give the dinosaur a name and let the fun games begin.
July 2021 Get It Magazine 29