Paper Towel Roll Campfire

 Campfire Supply List: 4 paper towel rolls, glue gun, paint, red tissue paper

 Begin by painting your paper towel rolls brown and allow them to dry.

 Using a glue gun, glue the paper towel rolls together.  PLEASE don't allow young children to use a glue gun.  This part of the craft should be done by an adult.

 Cut your tissue paper into strips.  Cole loved doing this part all by himself.

Glue your tissue paper flames down into the paper towel rolls.

Book Suggestion: The Kids Campfire Book is a great book for older as well as younger children.  It's geared towards 4th-6th grade, but my 4 year old loved it.  We sang some of the songs and read through the receipes looking for one we could make for our indoor camp out.

Wandering Wednesday {Cardboard Castle}

Holy Awesome, Batman!  I love this cardboard castle.  I need to start saving some boxes so Cole and I can make something cool like this.  This would be fun to make using a bunch of paper towel rolls as towers.  Hmmm...

Toilet Paper Roll Race Car

 Race Car Supply List: 1 toilet paper roll, paint, hole punch, scissors, 4 plastic bottle lids, 2 toothpicks, 1 straw

 Begin by painting your toilet paper roll.

 While you're waiting for your toilet paper roll to dry trim your straw to just a little shorter than your toothpicks. 

 Punch holes in your toilet paper roll and thread the straw through.  Then insert the toothpick through the straw.

 Punch some small holes in the plastic lids.  You want to make sure that you get the hole directly in the center so that the wheels don't wobble.

 Put the wheels onto the toothpicks.  I ended up putting a little drop of glue on the outside of the wheel, right where the toothpick poked through, but it wasn't necessary.  I just didn't want the baby to pull them off and try to eat them.

Cut a hole in the center of the toilet paper roll for a seat and find a little friend who wants to go for a ride.

Book Suggestion: R is for Race: A Stock Car Alphabet is a great book that is as rhyming verse for that little kids will love and longer paragraphs that are good for older kids.  It's perfect for the little car enthusiast in your house.

Paper Towel Roll Caterpillar

Caterpillar Supply List: 1 paper towel roll, scissors, paint, stapler, google eyes, pipe cleaner

Start by cutting the paper towel roll into 6 or 7 same sized pieces.  Staple the pieces together to create your caterpillar.

Paint your caterpillar.  Cole wanted his to be green and blue.

Use glitter paint to decorate your picture.  Add google eyes and pipe cleaner as an antenna.

Book Suggestion: Very Hungry Caterpillar is a great story that follows a little caterpillar as he eats his way through some healthy snacks and a few unhealthy ones.  We love this book and Cole has loved it since he was little.  If you haven't read this old favorite recently I would recommend picking up a copy at your library or bookstore.