Hello Makers! Summer has been a blast so far with amazing camps every week! With a wide range of programs focusing on all aspects of STEM, our campers have had the chance to sew unique creations, conduct science experiments, paint masterpieces, build one of a kind structures, and much more! Missing out on camp? Don’t worry, here are a few activities you can do from home!
Mystical Wilderness Diorama
Journey into a world of your creation! Inspired by nature and science, use recycled materials, clay, and crafting materials to create an environment suitable for an animal or magical creature! This is a great activity to learn about environmental conditions, plant species, and how animals find a habitat to call home.
What You Will Need:
Recycled materials (cardboard, paper, toilet paper rolls, etc.)
Shoe box
Coloring supplies
Misc. crafting supplies (yarn, pom poms, stickers, etc.)
Collected nature pieces (leaves, sticks, rocks, moss, etc.)
Modeling clay
Scissors
glue/tape
Instructions:
Begin by grabbing your shoebox, and deciding what type of environment you want to create! Using paper, recycled materials, and coloring supplies, begin by covering the walls of your shoe box with backgrounds
Add in elements of found nature materials, and construct structures out of recycled materials and crafting supplies like trees, nests and ponds.
Using your clay, craft small animals that will live inside your diorama! Based on the environment you created, what could live here?
Add any additional elements your imagination comes up with! Get creative with your diorama, and take this time to ask questions about the earth!
For an additional element to this activity, dioramas are great for stop motion animation. You can easily download a stop motion app onto a phone or ipad, and try to create a video of your animals moving around in their habitats!
Totally Awesome Handmade Bag!
Sew a one of a kind bag that you will want to carry everywhere! This project is great for beginner sewers as well as advanced students who practice machine sewing. Prepare for back to school by making something you can carry your school supplies in, while also learning how to sew! Grab your favorite fabric, a needle and string, and get started!
What You Will Need:
Fabric
Needle
String
Sewing machine (optional)
Sewing pins
Scissors
Zipper (optional)
Yarn/Ribbon (optional)
Buttons (optional)
Instructions:
Begin by sketching the design for your bag! If you have a pattern to follow, that's great! Otherwise, you will want to make your own. Using paper, draw the shapes of each piece you will be cutting out of fabric (for example, two simple squares can work great for a simple design)
Using your pattern, trace the shapes onto your chosen fabric, and cut them out
Before sewing the front and back of your bag together, take this time to add any buttons, pockets, or decorative elements to your bag! These smaller elements are better to hand sew - so use a needle and thread!
Making sure to place your fabric inside out, pin along the edges that you will be sewing.
Either hand sew, or machine sew along the edges to create clean seams in your bag.
If you wish to add a zipper, don’t forget to account for this before adding your straps on.
Create Straps from remaining fabric, or beginners can use yarn or ribbon - sewing these to the inside top corners of your bag.
Flip your bag inside out, and add any final touches!
Beautiful Painted Bouquet of Flowers
Painting is an awesome craft with endless possibilities! There are numerous techniques for mixing colors, creating textures, and experimenting with style and composition. For this craft, we will be painting a stunning bouquet of flowers! This is the perfect opportunity to take your crafting outside on a sunny day!
What You Will Need:
Paint (washable great for younger ages)
Pencil
Mixed Media Paper
Painters tape
Paint brushes
Paint palettes
Water cups
Crayons or Oil Pastels
Instructions:
Begin by taping down your paper to a washable surface, or table covered with a tablecloth! Be sure to use painters tape so as to not tear your paper, and tape precisely to create a clean white border.
Sketch out your vase and flowers, creating a soft under drawing to set your composition in place.
If you choose to add an element of crayons or oil pastels, these are great to use before you paint! The wax in these acts as a resistant, so they are also wonderful to use with watercolor painting! This will also add some variety in the texture of your painting.
Starting with your flowers, begin mixing colors and defining the petals of each flower. Creating circular shapes with a variety of shades will add dimension and create an elegant style!
Paint your vase if you did not use crayons or oil pastels to draw it, and add any final details to your bouquet.
Choosing a complimentary color, paint the background space, adding an additional color for an ombre or subtle pattern.
You're all done! Take off your paint and leave your painting to dry before hanging it up!
Summer of Reading!
What’s better than wrapping up your camp from home with a book! Here are some awesome books to check out for a fun story time with your kids! These are great for creative inspiration, reading practice, and educational fun!
The Honeybee by Kirsten Hall
You're My Little Bookworm by Nicola Edwards and Natalie Marshall
Bloom by Julia Seal
Summer Camps
We hope you had a great time completing your maker craft camp from home! With just a few weeks left of summer, we are in the final countdown of camps! Eager to wrap up your summer with a magical STEM camp? Click here to learn more about our programs and save your spot for a drop in day or full week of camp!
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