This month's featured topic is:

March Project at the
Young Naturalists Club

Now that the holidays are over, what are you going to do with all the boxes and wrapping? Here are some ideas for recycling that make for fun projects.

Try making a castle or dollhouse from cardboard boxes and wrapping. How about a wind chime or sculpture or collage. How about a birdhouse or snow globe?

Lloyd will show you how. This month we’ll begin with a castle.

CASTLE PART I:

For the castle: one large rectangular cardboard box, 4 cylindrical boxes (like Pringles cans or Quaker Oats boxes) for the turrets, yarn, ruler, magic marker scissors, glue, fast food cup holders of the corregated cardboard.

The cylinders go on each corner of the box. Have a parent help you with cutting 2 slits on the cylinders approximately ¾ of the length of the can and about 2 inches apart. Then slide the cylinders down over the corners of the box to make the turrets. To make triangular roofs on the turret, cut out a circle. Then cut ¼ piece out of the circle.

Tape the¾ remaining circle into a cone shape. Glue or tape one to each of the tops of the turrets.

There are many types of castles. You can change this basic design to whatever you wish.

Here’s an example of another castle.

The drawing on the right was a wall that was built to protect the castle from invaders. Different types of towers were built as well.

Drawbridges were used as the entrance to the castle. They could be raised or lowered by large ropes and chains on pulleys. For more information on castles, see the following website:

http://www.castles.org/kids/

To make a drawbridge for your castle, cut 3 sides of a door on one side of the box, top and sides. DO NOT cut the bottom. This will bend out to lower as a drawbridge. You can add 2 pieces of yarn or string to make the drawbridge workable. Glue one end of the string to the top inside of the drawbridge. The strings should be cut long enough so that the bridge door can be lowered flat. Then wrap the other ends of the strings to a paper towel or toilet paper roll and secure. Glue or tape a peg or stick upright inside the castle near the entrance. Make sure the toilet paper roll can slide down over the stick. This will hold your drawbridge shut. To lower the bridge, remove the roll from the stick.

The exterior of the castle is usually a gray or brown stone. The drink carriers that you receive from fast food restaurants make great “stones” for the castle. Just cut in rectangular shapes and glue onto the outside of the cardboard box. A good pattern looks like this:

To find out what goes inside the castle, head to your local library and ask for some books on castles.

Don’t forget our Young Naturalist Program is held the 2 nd Saturday of every month at 10 a.m. If you would like to join, please register with us right here online.

Thanks for visiting.

For the dollhouse: 2 rectangular cardboard boxes, Velcro, glue, scissors, wrapping paper suitable for wallpaper, paint for exterior of house, yarn or foam sheets for carpet.