5 Upcycled Activities for Kids

BY TARYN JEREZ

It’s easy to get wrapped up in entertaining our kids with the latest and greatest toys and technology, but the fact is that some of the most memorable moments of play in our own childhood came from the simple things. Sometimes getting crafty and sustainable can be your child’s best friend for fun!

Looking around your home you may find plenty of opportunities to be both sustainable and intentional about creating learning fun for your little ones through repurposed play!

#1 Plastic Jug Planters

Children love to learn about the growing world around them! Repurpose an old jug to create a one-of-a-kind planter they can watch come to life each week.

SUPPLIES: 1 Gallon Milk or Water Jug, Empty and Clean

Scissors or Box Cutter

Acrylic Paint

Paintbrushes

Soil

Seeds or Potted Plant

Safely cut away the top half of your jug just above the handle, enough to allow for planting of the soil and seeds. Let your child select paint colors of their choice and start working on their masterpiece! (Maybe lay something under the jug to avoid staining the area surrounding it while they paint!) After letting it dry, let them scoop the soil halfway into the jug and plant their seed. Make sure to help water it and pick a place where it can get plenty of sunlight, so your child can watch it grow!

#2 Rainbow Bowling Cans

So many vegetable and soup cans get tossed out every week, but here’s a simple activity that may strike up some fun!

SUPPLIES: 10 Empty, Clean Cans

Spray Paint, in Colors of Choice

Rubber Ball(s)

First, you’ll take all your brushes and paint can and lay them somewhere safe to paint, making sure they are clean and dry before doing so. You can let the kids add fun designs by using painter’s tape before spraying or a Sharpie marker after they dry. Create a point system, line the cans up or stack them and get ready to take aim with your ball! See who gets a strike or a spare! As a safety note, be sure to use pull-tab cans or use a can opener that leaves a smooth edge on lids to avoid any sharp edges that could hurt little fingers.

#3 Cardboard Shape Spaceship

3…2…1 Blastoff! Take your kids to outer space for an afternoon after putting to use all those Amazon boxes you’ve been putting off breaking down for recycling!

SUPPLIES:

Old Cardboard Boxes

Packaging Tape or Glue

Markers

Depending on the age of the children, you can do all the cutting or get them involved! Cut out different shapes, both big and small, and let the kids decorate them. Find pieces that will work for the main body and wings, so they can create any specific designs they want. Tape or glue together all the spaceship pieces, letting younger kids identify shapes as you go!

#4 Paint Swatch Scavenger Hunt

Little ones learning their colors? Take those old paint swatches that are sitting in your junk drawer or garage and have some fun exploring.

SUPPLIES:

Paint swatches

Optional: prizes

The perfect activity for a neighborhood walk as a family! Grab a handful of different paint swatches for your child and have him or her find items that match the color on each swatch. You can even provide a prize for the most items collected, once the hunt is over!

#5 Formula Can Idea Jar

It seems that children will always need something to do to keep them out of trouble! Creating a DIY idea jar with fun things to do can be just the ticket!

SUPPLIES:

Empty Formula or Coffee Can

Wrapping Paper

Popsicle Sticks

Paint

Marker or Pen

Measure the length and width of your empty can by rolling and tracing it on your paper. Next, cut out and tape the wrapping paper to cover and decorate your can. You child can then paint each popsicle stick, and once dry, write down ideas that you brainstorm together for fun activities on each one. Keep their new idea jar somewhere close by for those days where they say, “I’m bored” and need something fun to do.

Remember, your kids greatest learning opportunities will come from having fun with you and being able to explore the world and see it in new ways! Have fun this month trying out one of these repurposed DIYs, or come up with one of your own!

Summer Camp

an Enriching Experience

BY LISA S.T. DOSS

At age nine, my suitcase was an ivory hardtop case, which opened to reveal two interior compartments. Lifting required leaning 80 degrees while using both hands. I can still feel the weight rubbing against my leg while walking through the wood-floored cabin. Most of the girls were occupied, feeling shy, and settling into their bunks. Of all the great experiences squeezed into six days, finding comfort in new friendships stands out as an exceptionally vivid recollection. The essence of camp speaks not to the exposure of specific life and safety skills, such as canoeing, archery, shooting a BB-gun, rope swinging, and tying knots, but to the moment of finding confidence and accepting new challenges. No matter your age, the summer camp experience leads to defining realizations and unexpected new passions.

Lindsay, age 9

Every summer, I go to my favorite week-long, overnight camp. The people are really friendly, and come from all over; plus, the food is good! My favorite new thing is the ziplines. I was so far off the ground and had to leave the platform! My new friends and I were so frightened but so excited! I cannot wait until next summer!

Kelyn, age 11

Last summer was great! I attended three day-camps, some lasting one day, while others lasted three days. There was a junior mastering gardening camp, a forestry camp, and a sheep and goat’s camp. Of the three, I loved being with the animals. Everyone had the chance to walk either a goat or a sheep in a circle. We learned how to be gentle and watched our animal’s behavior. We all laughed a lot! There were stations to sheer a sheep and milk a goat. By the end, I wanted to raise those particular animals! I’m hoping there is an advanced camp next summer!

Lauren, age 18

From age ten through thirteen, I attended basketball and soccer day-camps, and week-long overnight camps. Straddling between teenage and adulthood, it’s becoming more difficult to find workshops or camps for older teens. Fortunately, through an advertisement, my mom found a four-day pottery class spanning four hours at our county’s arts council, for ages 12 to 18. There were two other girls my age who attended. The lesson offered beginner and intermediate instruction on the potter’s wheel, learning techniques to create a project, applying glazes, and, the ultimate test, firing. I was eager to go and found the camp enjoyable!

Ginger, age 42

We lost my mother two years ago, and our three children were devastated. Through family counseling, I learned about an annual grief camp for children to help them understand loss. Despite it being a one-day camp, my kids connected with other children who were also pained with sadness. It enabled them to open up while understanding their feelings, and know they were not alone.

Michelle, age 48

We are a military family who recently returned home to North Carolina. I was thrilled to learn about a local week-long summer camp that dedicated one week to military children. It’s a time for kids with similar lifestyles to bond together, discuss the challenges of having a military parent while enjoying all aspects of camp life. I’d recommend parents learn more and be available the day registration opens to ensure a spot! My kids loved it!

Jean, age 57

At the age of eight, I was a book nerd, timid, and by no means an outdoorsy person. My parents sent me to the unthinkable— two-week summer camp where I was without a good friend or parent for the first time. And, the experience forced me to learn independence- making decisions while building confidence. I may not like bugs and sleeping in an open-air cabin, but I did appreciate having the time to learn more about myself.

Summer presents a window of opportunity for children to take risks in a safe environment while exploring the great outdoors, or a studio or kitchen. Today’s camps accommodate every child’s comfort level from a week-long, overnight experience to one day or multiple half-days. Parents will find plenty of summer enrichment opportunities on social media, through advertisements from county schools, local magazines, newspapers, and community centers. Take time to obtain newsletters of businesses you know which promote child education. Please, be patient; many organizations wait until April to release their program dates.

BY LISA S.T. DOSS

Thrilling tales of survival often begin with a dangerous animal encounter. Sitting rooted at the edge of our seat, heart pumping, we’ve listened to suarvivalists recount their moments far from home; yet, in 2019, Winston-Salem news stations reported that a Piedmont Triad woman’s five-month-old puppy was being walked on a leash in his neighborhood and mistook a baby copperhead for a branch. It struck the dog in the mouth and five other regions. Quick action and immediate care ensured the puppy lived. It’s usually during the peaceful moments of the day, perhaps when we’re walking among green foliage, whether it’s a sidewalk or trail, when unsuspecting situations arise. From unidentifiable snakes to predators lurking in dark or camouflaged areas, primal terror exists when it’s our story. As logging forces animals from their natural habitats into public locations, it’s vital to research the identification of harmful predators and learn how to flee situations in safety.

Snakes

The Hollywood Western movie or television program often gives viewers the “what not to do” when encountering a snake or suffering a bite. Number one—don’t panic! Approximately six people die each year from over 8,000 venomous snakebites. Allow the wound to bleed freely for 30 minutes and seek immediate medical attention.

The Piedmont Triad has roughly 20 species of non-venomous snakes with rounded heads that control rodent populations while avoiding human interaction. On the other hand, we also have two types of venomous snakes, both possessing the same identifying mark—a triangular head.

• NORTHERN COPPERHEAD: Its prominent features are the horizontal hourglass pattern of copper, red, and brown coloring. Known for its nocturnal tendencies and preference for grassy fields or bodies of water, the three-foot snake at maturity holds its head at a 45-degree angle, ready to strike.

If you have a pool, creek nearby, or have tall weeds, it’s vital to eliminate or patrol these cozy locations where the copperhead may create a nest or linger across seasons. These snakes do not act aggressively towards humans, but children, especially, need to know how to respond to a snake sighting.

• TIMBER RATTLESNAKE: Measuring between one to six feet in length, the rattlesnake also has a horizontal hourglass pattern; colors range from brown, grey, green, to black, with a spiraled rattle-tail.

The rattlesnake coils in crevices for warmth and prefers locations rodents frequent. Consider walking with a long stick, especially near rocks, shrubs, or brush. If You sit down on a tree stump or log, always check the inside or surroundings first. Remember, rattlesnakes can swim; so, be careful when crossing creeks.

The Black Bear

As natural habitats diminish, the location of black bear sightings in the Piedmont Triad has grown to cover 60% of the state. The black bear prefers non-aggression towards humans; however, they can become bold when consistent food supplies, such as pet food, garbage, wildlife seeds, are available.

Do not panic if a bear is in your sight or standing on its hind legs; it’s attempting to see or smell. Immediately call 911 and go indoors. Always secure trash in a can and clean all food and grease from barbeque grills after every use. Eliminating food odors will deter bears from investigating your property.

Southern Black Widow Spider

Remember to wear gloves when reaching a hand into dark corners, woodpiles, tree stumps, and overgrown areas, otherwise, you’ll possibly disturb the web of the black widow spider. Entirely black, except for the spherical abdomen containing a red hourglass marking, she’ll hang upside down from her web. Her bite contains poison, causing respiration difficulties, lesions, and possibly paralysis. Males are much smaller and are either gray or brown.

Mixing white vinegar and dish soap to clean outdoor furniture and planting fragrant herbs, such as peppermint and lavender, are excellent repellants for these creatures.

A Dog’s Predator

The canine is a curious animal, willing to tempt fate by barking and drawing closer. Raccoons, coyotes, bobcats, and foxes are fierce creatures, usually hunting in packs and known to kill household pets. Possums will play dead as a defense mechanism, while squirrels will retaliate if hunted.

Fencing helps protect pets during the day, and periodic checks, if possible, will also ensure their safety. Many of the 21 animals capable of hurting dogs are nocturnal. Keep family pets indoors to prevent an animal attack, especially at night.

As you wander from backyard to neighborhood streets or travel for a day on weekend trips, be aware of what lurks beyond your footsteps, but most importantly, also take time to look up!