Materials
School milk cartons, one per child
Scissors
Hole punch
Pastel-colored construction paper cut in 4" x 4" (10 cm x 10 cm) squares
Glue in small cups
Brushes
Pipe cleaners
Decorative grass or shredded paper
Instructions
1. Ahead of time, wash and rinse the milk cartons, then let them dry. The children can help withthis step. Cut off the top of the cartons and punch a hole on opposite sides of each carton for ahandle you will attach in a later step.
2. Supply each child with a milk carton, a cup of glue, and a few squares of construction paper inassorted pastel colors.
3. Have the children tear the construction paper into small pieces.
4. When they have finished, ask the children to apply glue to the sides of their carton, then pastethe scraps of paper on in any pattern or design.
5. When the glue is dry, have the children insertone end of a pipe cleaner into the hole on theside of the carton. Help the children twist theend of the pipe cleaner to secure it. Repeatthe process on the opposite side of the cartonwith the other end of the pipe cleaner.
6. Invite the children to fill their baskets withdecorative grass.More to doMore art: Create collage art with the leftoverpaper scraps, bits of fabric, and similar odds andends.Outdoors: Bring your baskets outside and huntfor decorated eggs or gather dandelions, clover,and buttercups.
