by Meredith Brustlin, CMNH Educator

This week’s Tinker Time was inspired by Earth Day! These activities are all easy to do with materials that you probably have in your household recycling bin or trash can. Try out one or two and let us know what you think! 

Sensory: Cork Boats

  • Gather your materials: three wine corks, two rubber bands or hair ties (or duct tape!), a straw or craft stick, a piece of paper, scissors. 
  • Assemble your boat! 
    • Rubber band the three corks together so they form a raft-like structure
    • Wiggle the straw or craft stick between two of the corks
    • Cut your piece of paper into a triangle and decorate
    • Cut two slits on your triangle so you can slide it onto the straw or craft stick to become a sail!
  • Have some sensory fun playing with the boat in the water! 

Building: Egg carton building blocks

  • Cut egg cartons into small sections (the parts that hold the eggs!)
  • Optional: color or paint the egg carton pieces
  • Explore using the egg carton pieces as building blocks! 

Sorting: Old crayons become new!

  • Place liners in mini or regular muffin tin
    • You can also use silicone shape molds, if you have them! 
  • Sort old broken crayons by color into the different sections of the tin
  • Bake the crayons for ~12 minutes at 250 degrees
    • Don’t go too far away--keep an eye on them and make sure to take them out if they start smoking!
  • Let your “new” crayons cool completely and then gently ease them out of their cupcake liners
  • Use your new & improved giant crayons! 

Art: Jar lid banjo

  • Find a jar lid
  • Place some rubber bands around the lid
  • Tape a handle of some kind--a craft stick, paint stirrer, or piece of paper towel tube
  • Decorate!
  • Play your jar lid banjo! 

Thank you to our Earth Day week sponsor, D. F. Richard!