Activity Idea: Recycled Super Snake

Environmental QuickSource®  reminds us that "Children will re-discover the gifts of nature as they become a source of classroom fun, and they’ll learn that taking small steps today will provide for a healthier environment tomorrow."

A fun, Eco-friendly activity to reinforce what children have learned about snakes and to build team-work. For this activity, you will need Colorations® Washable School Glue (SCWG), Colorations® Simply Washable Tempera Paint (WST), Fiskars® 5" Preschool Scissors (FSKPS), Colorations® Plastic Handle Jumbo Chubby Paint Brushes (BTPB), Black Self-Adhesive Wiggly Eyes (100BA), a One Hole Punch (OHP), Tipped Lacing Yarn (YARNTIP) and Pipe Cleaners (PPIPE).

 Materials Needed:
Assorted Colors Pipe Cleaners (PPIPE)
Colorations® Simply Washable Tempera Paint (WST)
Colorations® Plastic Handle Jumbo Chubby Paint Brushes (BTPB)
Colorations® Washable School Glue (SCWG)
Fiskars® 5" Preschool Scissors (FSKPS)
Black Self-Adhesive Wiggly Eyes (100BA)
One Hole Punch (OHP)
Tipped Lacing Yarn (YARNTIP)

 Let's Get Started:
 1. Review unit on snakes. Point out key facts about snakes such as how they eat, how they move, and especially what kind of skin they have, etc. Let children look through books or pictures of different kinds of snakes and point out differences and similarities between the scale patterns and colors.

2. Cut the collected paper towel rolls into 2” pieces.

3. Cut the collected newspaper into 2” wide strips and long enough to wrap around the tube.

4. Have the children wrap the newspaper strips around the tubes and glue into place.

5. Have the children paint over the strips in different colors, allowing some of the newsprint to show through the paint, giving it the illusion of “scales.” These are the snake “sections.”

6. Punch holes with the hole punch in each side of the tube, two holes at each end, across from each other.

7. Have the children tie the painted sections together by using string laced through the punched holes (or twist pipe cleaners if the children are not able to make knots). The snake can be as long or as short as the children want. Let them decide if they want to alternate certain colors, or make any other patterns with the colored sections.

8. When the snakes are complete, have the children decide which end is the head and stick a pair of wiggly eyes (or draw the eyes with marker) on the head. Slightly flatten the tail end so it comes to a point.

 Furthermore....
Let the children move the snake in different ways that snakes move - slithering, inching, gliding, jumping, etc. The snake is great for hanging around the classroom as decoration or for using as a measurement tool.

 If using POCET™,  this activity correlates to Developmental Guideline: CA6: Plans and Works Independently through the Process of Art Activities.