Eco Friendly Summertime FUN!

Eco Friendly Summertime Crafts and Activities

Summer is in full swing and no doubt you are in the crux of figuring out how to keep the kids occupied, happy, and having fun. We’ve decided to help by coming up with a few ways to use what you already have around the house to create some games and activities.

Driveway Bowling

This activity incorporates art and an active activity.

1. Gather 10 plastic containers from around the house that would otherwise be going out to the recycle bin. We find that shampoo bottles work well for this.
2. Have the children paint the bottles, which are what will be your bowling pins. This step is optional, but it adds a sense of excitement, ownership and investment in the game to come.
3. When the pins are dry, take them out to the driveway, or to a long hallway in the house and bring any ball you think will work to knock them down. You can have the kids experiment with balls of different sizes and weights in order to incorporate a mini science lesson.
4. Set up the pins and start bowling!

Summer Themed Mobiles

Mobiles are so pretty and what a better time to hang them on the front porch than in the summer for all to see. The great thing is that these can be made of just about anything.

1. Gather material to use to make the decorative part of the mobile. We have used shells with holes, egg cartons (cut out each individual section), popsicle sticks, spools, small containers no longer needed, bottle caps, cans and beach glass.
2. Paint your material of choice.
3. When the materials are dry, it’s time to incorporate them into a mobile. To do this you will need to attach them all using either string, fishing line or wire. This can even be done using hangers. If the material you are hanging is light, you can use a paper plate as the center point to hand them from. Another idea is to cut the top of a soda type bottle off and to use that as the center point from which to hang the mobile pieces.

Indoor Aquarium

This activity is one that teaches kids about different types of sea life, using egg cartons as the body for each sea creature.

1. Gather some old egg cartons and cut out each individual circle so that one carton is now twelve little containers.
2. Decide on which sea animals you will make and paint each mini carton accordingly.
3. Gather any materials needed to make eyes, fins, gills, tentacles, shells, etc. (you can see Pinterest for ideas).
4. Glue on the appropriate parts to each painted carton to create the sea life.
5. Get creative for the actual aquarium – you can use a shoe box much like a diorama. Green and blue construction paper or tissue paper can be used to cover it for water and seaweed while some sand or glitter can be used for the bottom of the ocean floor.

Have some healthy fun with your family and all of your new creations!