Fun & Fast Grandkid Activities

GREAT THINGS CAN HAPPEN IN FIVE MINUTES

 

by Deborah Shelton

CD Sun Catchers

Materials:

2 compact discs

glue

fishing line

stickers (optional)

glitter (optional)

glue (optional)

Directions:

First, glue the 2 CDs together, with the shiny sides facing outward. Use the free Internet CDs you get in the mail—not your grandparents’ favorite music CDs! Thread the fishing line through the hole and tie off for hanging. You can decorate your sun catcher with shiny stickers, or squeeze glue onto the sun catcher and sprinkle glitter onto the glue. Shake off excess glitter for an eye-catching surprise.

Fun & Fast Fact

Audio CDs (compact discs) were introduced in Japan and Europe in 1982, and in the United States in 1983.

Water Orchestra

Materials:

4 or more empty glasses

water

spoon

food coloring (optional)

Directions:

Line the glasses in a row on the kitchen table. Next, pour water into each glass; the first glass will have only an inch of water, then vary the amounts for the remaining glasses until the last glass is almost completely full. Add a drop or two of food coloring into each glass. Now gently tap each glass with the spoon. Each makes a different sound!

Fun & Fast Fact

The largest bottle orchestra was made and played by Patricia Rentner and Roselyn Smith in October 2000. The orchestra consisted of 470 bottles!

Rainbow Fish

Materials:

paper plate

scissors

glue

sheets of different colored tissue paper

Directions:

Cut a pie-shaped wedge out of the paper plate. (This will be the fish's tail.) Glue the pointed tip of the tail to the opposite, uncut end of the paper plate. Tear off pieces of colored tissue paper and glue them to the body and tail. For a more textured look, crumple the pieces of tissue paper before gluing them onto the plate. Have you ever seen such a beautiful fish?

Fun & Fast Fact

Fish eggs are one of the most expensive foods in the world. Not just any fish eggs, though. Caviar is made from sturgeon eggs.

Bread Art

Materials:

white bread

food colorings

small drinking cups

milk

new paintbrush

toaster

Directions:

You will need a drinking cup for each color you wish to use. Pour a small amount of milk into each drinking cup. Add a few drops of food coloring to each cup (a different color for each). Using the paintbrush, paint designs or pictures onto the bread. Don't soak the bread—use just enough paint for the picture to show up. Now toast the bread for edible art!

Fun & Fast Thought

What was the best thing before sliced bread?

Coffee Can Stilts

Materials:

2, 1-pound coffee cans

screwdriver

rope

Directions:

Turn each coffee can upside down, so the plastic lid is on the bottom. Poke two holes, one on each side of the can, near the top (a grownup's job). Next, thread the rope through the holes in the can and tie off inside the can. The tied rope should be just long enough to be held waist-high when standing on the cans. Does the world look different from up there?

Fun & Fast Fact

The first coffee to be sold in sealed tin cans in the U.S. was Chase & Sanborn in 1878.

 

From The Five Minute Parent. Copyright © 2002 by Deborah Shelton. Excerpted by arrangement with Bayou Publishing. $12.95. Available in local bookstores or call 800-340-2034 or click here.