Arts and Crafts

Stick letters
Required:
Twigs and small sticks
Glue
Cardboard or wood
That pile of sticks and twigs on your lawn or in your garden is an "alphabet in waiting." Before using the twigs and sticks to create letters, have your child help you organize them into piles by size (an activity in itself). For pre-readers, assemble alphabet letters, then ask if anyone knows the letter's name. For children with reading skills, you can assemble complete words for them to pronounce. The reverse of this game is to say a letter or word, and have your child fashion the letters out of the twigs and sticks.

Finally, consider making twig and stick signs with glue and a piece of cardboard or wood. Kids will enjoy making signs with their names on them, or making mailbox signs (for covered porches). And there's a fringe benefit too; you may make your letter carrier's job just a bit more fun to do.

X Borders
Have the children draw a picture of something having to do with a topic you are studying in the classroom. Ask them to leave a small space all around the edge of the picture, and have them make a border of colorful X's.

Make X-rays
Give each student a piece of black construction paper and white chalk. Have them trace their hands with the white chalk onto the paper and then add "bones" inside the hand to make it look like an x-ray.

X collage
Materials:
1 "X" cut out of black paper, labeled.
4 thin rectangular-shaped gum erasers
4 pencils with eraser
white glue
Directions: Dip the long end of the gum eraser into the paint; then press on the letter. Dip the eraser end of the pencil into the paint; then, press 2 circle prints onto each corner of the long eraser print for bones.

X-traordinary Puppets
Have each child stuff a paper bag and tie it with yarn or string at the bottom. Have the children use paper to cut out and glue on eyes, ears, an X nose, and a mouth. Let them glue on scraps of yarn or draw X's all around the top and sides of the sack for hair. Ask them to make X's all around the bottom of the sack.

Butterfly from an X
Show the children how to make butterfly wings from an X by closing the sides of the X with lines. Have the children decorate the butterflies, adding antennae, spots, bodies, and so on.