The Sparkly Pipe Cleaner Spectacles

The Sparkly Pipe Cleaner Spectacles

Steps:

  • Pick two long pipe cleaners to be the main frames of your glasses.
  • Bend each pipe cleaner into a circle.
  • Twist the ends together to lock the shape.
  • Slide colorful beads onto each circle one by one.
  • Use a small piece of pipe cleaner to connect the two circles.
  • Twist a pipe cleaner onto the side of each circle to make the arms.
  • Bend the ends of the arms to fit over your ears.

Safety Tip:
Beads are a choking hazard. Always supervise your child during play. Ensure the ends of the pipe cleaners are tucked in so they are not sharp.

The Pipe Cleaner Deep Sea Divers

The Pipe Cleaner Deep Sea Divers

Steps:

  • Fill the plastic container about halfway with cool water.
  • Take a colorful pipe cleaner and bend it into the shape of a little person.
  • Ask your child to pick up a nut from the pile using their thumb and pointer finger.
  • Thread the nut onto the pipe cleaner diver’s legs to act as a heavy weight.
  • Drop the diver into the water to see if it sinks or floats.
  • Add more nuts and bolts until the diver reaches the very bottom of the tank!
  • Use another pipe cleaner as a hook to fish the divers back up to the surface.

Safety Tip:
Ensure your child is seated at a stable table. Metal nuts and bolts are small and should be handled with care.

The Felt Fish Hook Rescue

The Felt Fish Hook Rescue

Steps:

  • Use your markers to draw 5 small fish shapes on your felt.
  • Carefully cut out the felt fish using your scissors.
  • Cut 5 tiny strips of cardboard, about 1 inch long each.
  • Glue the ends of a cardboard strip to a fish to make a small loop.
  • Repeat this for all 5 fish and place them inside your basket.
  • Take a pipe cleaner and twist one end into a small, sturdy hook.
  • Wrap the other end of the pipe cleaner around your child’s index finger.
  • Challenge your child to hold the basket steady with one hand.
  • Use the finger hook to snag a fish loop and lift it out!

Safety Tip:
Pipe cleaners have wire ends. Ensure the ends are curled inward or covered with tape to prevent scratches.

The Tiny Pom-Pom Tree Grove

The Tiny Pom-Pom Tree Grove

Steps:

  • Use a pair of scissors to cut small, three-inch circles from your cardboard pieces.
  • Have your child use the hole puncher to click a single hole right in the center of every circle.
  • Slide one pipe cleaner through the hole and twist the bottom so the tree stands up tall.
  • Bend the top of the pipe cleaner into several little branches that point in different directions.
  • Ask your child to pick up a colorful pom-pom using only their thumb and pointer finger.
  • Carefully set the pom-pom on a branch so it stays perfectly balanced without any glue.
  • Challenge them to see how many pom-poms they can add to their tiny forest!

Safety Tip:
Pom-poms are a choking hazard. Please supervise your child closely and ensure they do not put them in their mouth.

The Gravity Bead Labyrinth

The Gravity Bead Labyrinth

Steps:

  • Find a plastic basket with small holes along the sides.
  • Give your child several colorful pipe cleaners.
  • Show them how to thread one pipe cleaner through a hole on one side.
  • Pull it across the middle and out through a hole on the opposite side.
  • Continue adding pipe cleaners at different angles to create a crisscross mesh floor.
  • Drop three large beads onto the fuzzy mesh you just created.
  • Ask your child to hold the basket handles with both hands.
  • Challenge them to tilt the basket gently to roll the beads across the mesh.
  • Try to keep the beads on the floor without them falling through the gaps!

Safety Tip:
Ensure the pipe cleaner ends are tucked in to avoid any small pokes.