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Here
are some fun activities that you can do with your kids
Scarecrows are fun to make
You will need - Two
Stakes; one 2.0-2.5m, one 1.2m
- Stuffing - straw, old leaves or polystyrene
- Pillowcase
- Shirt, trousers/skirt
- String
- Hammer
and a few nails
Optional - Hat
- Gloves
- Boots
- Straw/raffia for hair
- Accessories- tools, sunglasses, scarf
etc
Additional scarers - CD's, can's, etc Then you need to
beg some old clothes from a grown up. A big old shirt, a jacket and a even a vest
will make your scarecrow more life-like.
Trousers are easier than a
skirt. But if you have an old pair of gumboots, then a skirt is fun and it moves
in the breeze, making it a more effective bid-scarer. If you use a skirt, some
old leggings will make a good lower body for your scarecrow. |
If you have been growing flowers and vegetables in your garden then you might
have been cross to find that our friends the birds like your strawberries, and
to scratch in the soil as much as you do!
Making a scarecrow is a fun
way to dress up the garden and it may even scare off those pesky bird buddies.
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| A pillowcase
for the head (floral patterns may look fun, or you can use white!). A hat certainly
makes building your head easier, a baseball cap is just as good as an old straw
hat, and it may last longer. Gloves make great hands, ask for an old pair of gardening
gloves.
You can stuff the scarecrow with straw, old leaves, polystyrene
packing or whatever you have.
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Make the Frame
Make a frame for the scarecrow by tying the short stake about 25cm from the
top of the long stake to form a cross. A grown-up can nail this for you to make
it stronger. Two nails will make it really strong.
Ask your helpful
grown-up to hammer the long stake into the ground | Make
the Head
Turning your pillowcase so that the open end is down, and
draw a face. Start with pencil and then use a permanent marker or paint. Fill
the pillowcase with your stuffing so that it is nice and firm, bunch the open
end together and then put it over the top of the frame so that the stake goes
up into the stuffing. Tie the open end of the pillowcase really tightly around
the stake with your string.
Fix the hat onto your scarecrow's head using
string or a safety pin. | Making the Trousers or Skirt
Tie up the ends of the trousers with your string and then fill them with
stuffing. Lean the trousers against the frame so that the ends are just above
ground level, or even with your boots if you are using any. Tie the trousers to
the stake using the back belt loop.
If you are using a skirt, try to
find some old leggings to make a lower body, put the skirt over this and attach
using safety pins. Then fix both to the stake using string, attaching with safety
pins if there is no belt loop. | |
Filling the Shirt
Put the shirt on the scarecrow,
using the short stake as the arms. Do up the buttons most of the way to the neck.
Tie the arms closed at the end. If you are adding gloves then leave a couple of
inches of the stick poking out of the sleeves, and tie the cuffs firmly around
the stake.
You can either tuck the shirt into the trousers or skirt
and then fill it with stuffing and then close the last buttons.
If you
want the shirt to hang over the trousers, you can fill a second pillowcase to
go inside the shirt and tie it to the stake, buttoning the shirt closed over it
and stuffing only the arms (remember to tie these closed at the cuff before filling).
Tuck the pillowcase head into the neck of the shirt. | |
Making hands
Fill gloves with stuffing and then stick them
onto the ends of the stick 'arms'.
Making Hair
Using raffia or
straw to make hair is fun (wool tends to go a bit yucky!) and you can make a wild
and woolly scarecrow or a neat, scarecrow with 'hair' bunches tied with ribbon.
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Fun Extras to Add
Old tools, a rake, a trowel or spade, make a hardworking scarecrow; a plastic
glass and a 'book' a relaxing scarecrow.
Corks dangling from your scarecrow's
hat will give it an 'Outback Aussie' look. Sunglasses make a sophisticated, and
sun-wise scarecrow. A scarf around the scarecrow's neck, tools, a basket to carry. |
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| More
Scary
Dangling washed cans or old CD's from your scarecrows arms
will reflect light and help to deter the birds.
Whatever you do, make
sure that you have fun building your scarecrow, and that the birds don't find
it too friendly! | As always, send me a picture
of your scarecrow, I'll post it!! rhonda.debough@isd623.org
From summer 2006 Make a wind
chime. Wind chimes don't have to be long lovely sounding metal tubes, With
some imagination and some string you can make some very fun and interesting decorations
for your garden, deck or yard. Start with a nice stick. Either go out to
your yard and find one, or take a walk and find one. Or use a chopstick, or an
old knitting needle, or anything long. Gather your "chimes". Take
a walk, go through the toy box, ask grandma for a box of doo dads, use shells
from your beach adventure, old medical supplies, corn cobs,pasta, old polly pockets,
what ever you are inspired by. Get some fishing line, sturdy thread, yarn,
string, dental floss, light wire, what ever you have in the house. Tie up
your stuff. Hang it up for all to enjoy. Send me a picture
of your chimes, I'll post them!! rhonda.debough@isd623.org Here
is a "NO BAKE" recipe you can make in this hot hot hot weather Salted
Nut Roll Bars Makes 1 dozen 1
(4oz) can sweetened condensed milk 1 (12 oz.)
pkg. Reese's peanut butter chips 3 cups miniature
marshmallows (not those wacky colored ones, just plain white!!) 2
(12 oz.) jars salted or dry roasted peanuts, divided In
a microwave-safe bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter chips and
marshmallows. Microwave for about 2 1/2 minutes, stirring often, until melted.
Spread 1 jar of peanuts into a greased 9x13" pan. Spread marshmallow mixture
over peanuts. Top with remaining jar of peanuts. Refrigerate for 1 hour before
cutting into bars. Eat them up---YUM!! |
