It's been a busy week so I haven't had time to come up with an original idea for this week's Flannel Friday round-up. Since most public librarians are getting ready for summer programs including craft programs, I decided to write about one of the most popular crafts that I have done over the years.
This little guy is over 10 years old. (He was missing his eyes, beak and some of his "feathers" when I brought him out of storage. I added the missing pieces so he would look nice for his photo shoot.)
It is a squawking chicken that I first used in a summer craft program. I purchased the supplies from S&S Worldwide. (I was the only youth services person in my former library for years and I found that their group packs were great time savers and cost effective when it came to summer craft programs when I would have an average attendance of 40 children.) It was not difficult to make and the children loved it because it made noise. I kept the sample because I knew I would use it again. A few years later I used it as a craft for a family story time program. It was an even bigger hit because the parents got to play with it too. This time around I purchased the supplies separately since the group was much smaller.
Poke a hole in center of the bottom of a plastic cup. I did this ahead of time. Cut a piece of string around 20 inches. Tie a small piece of sponge on one end of the string and push the other end through the hole. Tie a knot on top to secure the string. Cover the knot by gluing on a red felt or paper "comb." Glue yellow tissue paper around the outside of the cup. Glue on eyes and a beak. Dampen the sponge and wrap it around the top of the string. Pull it in short jerks to make the chicken squawk. If you search for "squawking chicken craft" online you will find more detailed instructions such as these.
If you haven't tried this craft yet, I recommend that you do. It will appeal to all ages. Even younger children can make one with grown-up help.
I think that I will have to come up with a chicken story that will enable me to use the squawking chicken as a storytelling prop for family story time. Then everyone can make their own to bring home.
This week's Flannel Friday Round-up is hosted by Lisa of Libraryland. Information about Flannel Friday including the schedule of future round-ups and links to the previous ones can be found at the Flannel Friday website.
This little guy is over 10 years old. (He was missing his eyes, beak and some of his "feathers" when I brought him out of storage. I added the missing pieces so he would look nice for his photo shoot.)
It is a squawking chicken that I first used in a summer craft program. I purchased the supplies from S&S Worldwide. (I was the only youth services person in my former library for years and I found that their group packs were great time savers and cost effective when it came to summer craft programs when I would have an average attendance of 40 children.) It was not difficult to make and the children loved it because it made noise. I kept the sample because I knew I would use it again. A few years later I used it as a craft for a family story time program. It was an even bigger hit because the parents got to play with it too. This time around I purchased the supplies separately since the group was much smaller.
Poke a hole in center of the bottom of a plastic cup. I did this ahead of time. Cut a piece of string around 20 inches. Tie a small piece of sponge on one end of the string and push the other end through the hole. Tie a knot on top to secure the string. Cover the knot by gluing on a red felt or paper "comb." Glue yellow tissue paper around the outside of the cup. Glue on eyes and a beak. Dampen the sponge and wrap it around the top of the string. Pull it in short jerks to make the chicken squawk. If you search for "squawking chicken craft" online you will find more detailed instructions such as these.
If you haven't tried this craft yet, I recommend that you do. It will appeal to all ages. Even younger children can make one with grown-up help.
I think that I will have to come up with a chicken story that will enable me to use the squawking chicken as a storytelling prop for family story time. Then everyone can make their own to bring home.
This week's Flannel Friday Round-up is hosted by Lisa of Libraryland. Information about Flannel Friday including the schedule of future round-ups and links to the previous ones can be found at the Flannel Friday website.
I love this craft! It is always super popular with any age group that I have offered it to. :-)
ReplyDeleteI recommend making it with one of my book selections for SRP this summer. We are presenting a live action version of Chicken Little by Rebecca and Ed Emberley. I think it would be awesome to make this craft into their version of "Chicken Little" because then you can add fun details like his huge, colorful eyes and little orange wings. Love it!
Thanks for sharing!
Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!
K
Absolutely fantastic ... I do a series of craft storytimes in the summer and am ALWAYS looking for new ideas. I will definitely take a closer look at this one!
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