Paper plates are inexpensive, available and easy for little hands to manipulate. Need some ideas fo - By: sily

Paper plates are inexpensive, available and easy for little hands to manipulate. Need some ideas for playtime? The following article presents three fun things to do with paper plates.

Make a clock -

Young children know what a clock is, even if they can't yet tell time. This activity is simple and fun to do. Help children find the middle of the clock with this little experiment: Lay two pieces of string or yarn in a cross shape on the paper plate. At the point where they cross in the middle of the plate is the approximate center of the clock.

Mark that spot with a pencil.

Next, make “hands” for the clock. You can make them from laminated strips of construction paper or card stock, both of which come in various colors. For a 12-inch plate, the hour hand should be about four inches long. The minute hand should be approximately five inches in length. Next, poke a small hole about ½ inch from the end of each hand. Allow children to poke the brad through both hands (the little hand goes on top) and then through the paper plate clock. Once it’s inserted, spread the two prongs of the brad open to secure it to the clock.

Last, but not least, you are ready to put numbers on the clock. Having the hands in place helps you know where to put numbers. Separate clock hands and point one straight up and the other straight down and lightly pencil in the numbers 12 and 6. Now line the hands going across the plate and pencil in a 3 and 9. Same thing with numbers 1 and 7, 2 and 8, 4 and 10 and 5 and 11. Once this is done, you know right where to put each number. There are a variety of materials you can use for clock numbers: Number stickers, foam numbers, wooden numbers, paper numbers cut from magazines and newspapers. Have fun making your paper-plate clock!

Make a window wheel -

The window wheel is fun to use and provides a unique way to discover or review new information. You will need two paper plates per child for this project.

Find the center of the top plate by using the string method above, and mark it with a pencil. This is where the brad will go when the wheel is ready to assemble. Design a small “window” by drawing a V-shaped opening on the side of one plate. Imagine a miniature pizza slice, approximately 3 inches wide at the outer “crust” edge and 3 inches long on each side of the slice, tapering to the point. The window could also be shaped as a square or rectangle.

This special window is the real key to this activity. When the top plate is attached to the bottom plate with a brad, the top plate can be rotated to show different “hidden items” beneath it - one at a time. On the bottom plate, draw or glue interesting pictures. Keep in mind they should be small enough and positioned near the outside edge of the second plate. This means they will show through the window as the upper plate is rotated. The following ideas are pictures that work well with this activity. You may think of others, too - animals, numbers, colors, flowers, fruits, vegetables, toys, days of week, weather symbols, etc.

When the bottom plate is completed, let children help insert the brad that will hold the plates together. The child’s name should go on the back of the plate/wheel. Have fun with your window wheel!

Make a mobile -

Give each child three small paper plates to decorate front and back. You can use a variety of ideas for decorating: markers, paint, stickers, foam shapes, glitter, macaroni shapes, felt, magazine pictures and more. This can be done over a period of two or three days, if necessary. Once the plates are decorated, you have the makings for a great mobile! Let them help punch a hole in the top edge of each plate and then loop a long piece of string or colorful yarn through each. Attach these around the edges of another paper plate so they can swirl and spin. Thread a sturdy loop of yarn through the top plate and hang it in a place where it will catch the breeze. Playtime means there are lots of fun things to do with paper plates. Buy a big stack to keep on hand, because children will eventually want to repeat these three activities!

About the Author

Get detail information about india education that offers distance mba in india along with delhi education list schools, colleges and universities in india.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/sily/70965

Additional Articles From - Home | Business | Careers