Materials
2 tablespoons water
2 bowls
2 wooden spoons
icing tube
weighing scales
oval or round cookie cutters
Note: This recipe makes about 30 small cookies.
Instructions
Ingredients: water, flour
* Mix together 1 part flour to 2 parts water to the consistency of runny glue (not
thick like paste). Add more water or flour as necessary. Mix well to remove
any lumps. Store in an airtight container.
p r E pA r At i O n
* Tear newspaper into many pieces.
* Cover the work area with a vinyl tablecloth and place a shallow bowl of papiermache
mixture and a pile of torn newspaper strips between every two chairs.
* Loosely inflate several small round balloons.
What to Do
1. Give each child a small, loosely inflated balloon. Show the children how to dip
the newspaper strips into the papier-mache mix and lay them on the balloons.
2. As the children work, point out that their Earth Balls are the same shape as our
planet Earth. Point out that papier-mache is not exactly smooth and neither is
the crust of the Earth. The Earth has lots of lumps and bumps, such as hills,
mountains, and deep valleys.
3. Tie yarn around the ends of the papier-mache-covered balloons and hang
them up to dry.
4. When they are dry, give the balloons back to the children and ask them to
paint the balloons with all the colors of the Earth. Provide brown, white,
green, and blue paint and small paintbrushes.
5. Display the completed Earth Balls around the room.
Assessment
Consider the following:
* Can the children describe similarities between the Earth and their papiermache
sculptures?
* How well do the children share the materials?
