Materials
Cardboard egg cartons
Scissors
Hole punch
Black or brown pipe cleaners
Wire cutters
Black or brown tempera paint
Large paintbrushes
Medium-sized googly eyes
Glue
Instructions
1. Ahead of time, divide each egg carton into four sections. Each child's section should have threeegg compartments, representing the ant's body.
2. Punch two holes in each egg compartment, one on each side, for the ant legs. Punch two holeson top of the first compartment for the antennae.
3. Cut a 3" (9 cm) piece of pipe cleaner for each child, then ask the children to push their pipecleaner through the hole in the top.
4. Give each child three whole pipe cleaners. Have the children guide the pipe cleaners throughthe holes in the sides. Help the children bend the pipe cleaner so the egg carton will stand onits legs.
5. Invite the children to paint the egg carton ants.
6. When the paint is dry, have the children glue the eyes onto the head.More to doOutdoors: Observe an ant colony. Leave a few crumbs in the ants' path and predict what will happen.Science: Keep an ant farm in the classroom and assign the children responsibility for the care ofthe farm.
