Craft Sticks - OTPlan

The Cardboard Compass Navigator

Steps:

Use your scissors to cut a large square out of cardboard for your map base.
Draw a colorful landscape with markers including a river and a forest.
Glue a craft stick at each edge of the board and label them North, South, East, and West.
Use a pencil to poke a tiny hole right in the center of your map.
Thread a piece of string through one button and then through the hole in the cardboard.
Tie a thick knot on the back of the board so the button stays attached.
Ask your child to rest their palm on the cardboard without lifting it.
They must use their thumb and index finger to slide the button to different targets.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child when they are using scissors or small buttons.

The Foil Pan Water Bridge

Steps:

Place your pan on a flat table and fill it halfway with cool water.
Hand your child several colorful clothespins to hold.
Show them how to squeeze and clip the pins onto the rim of the pan.
Space the pins out in pairs across from each other.
Ask your child to rest a craft stick across each pair of pins to create a bridge.
Once the bridges are ready, give them a few fuzzy pom-poms.
Challenge your child to use their pincer fingers to set a pom-pom on a bridge.
They must be very careful to keep the bridges from falling into the water!
See how many pom-poms they can balance before the pan is full of bridges.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during water play to prevent any risk of slipping or spilling. Small pom-poms can be a choking hazard, so keep them away from younger siblings.

The Foil Pan Hockey Challenge

Steps:

Use masking tape to mark a small goal at one end of the pan.
Place one marble at the opposite end of the pan.
Give your child a craft stick to use as a hockey stick.
Ask them to hold the pan with their helper hand to keep it still.
Use the other hand to push the marble toward the goal.
Navigate around obstacles made of tape or blocks!
See how many goals they can score in one minute.

Safety Tip:
Marbles are a significant choking hazard. Always supervise children during play and keep small parts away from younger siblings.

The Masking Tape Web Bridge

Steps:

Find an empty shoe box and remove the lid.
Stretch four strips of masking tape across the open top.
Make sure the sticky side is facing up toward the ceiling.
Give your child a pile of craft sticks to hold.
Ask them to press one stick across two tape strips.
Keep adding sticks until a solid bridge floor is made.
Place a small stuffed animal on the bridge for a ride!
Gently peel the sticks off to start the build again.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child to ensure the masking tape does not get stuck on their hair or skin.

The Paper Roll Marble Plunge

Steps:

Use a marker to draw three small ‘X’ marks on the side of your long paper roll.
Have an adult help you poke a small hole through each ‘X’ mark using a pencil tip.
Push one craft stick through each hole so it stretches all the way across the inside of the tube.
Wrap a piece of masking tape over the bottom of the paper roll to seal it shut tightly.
Stand the roll upright inside a plastic container and drop five marbles into the top of the tube.
Slowly pull the bottom craft stick out and listen for the marbles to drop to the next level.
Remove the remaining sticks one by one until all the marbles are resting on the bottom tape.
Peel the tape away to let the marbles plunge into the container for a grand finale!

Safety Tip:
Marbles are a major choking hazard. This activity is for school-age children, but always keep marbles away from younger siblings.