At my house, before most items make their way into the trash, I like to take a long hard look at it. Sometimes I will rinse out a container marked for the recycle bin and sit it on the side of the sink so I can think about it while I do dishes. This may sound bizarre – it is, and it may slightly irritate my “Type A – Throw It All Away” husband – it does.
But, I do it anyway. I like to have my kids do the same thing. I have them look at ordinary object and ask them what they think it looks like. This activity is a lot like having kids find shapes in the clouds. If they can’t think of something the item might look like, I ask them if they think they could turn it into something fun.
Usually they come up with something right away – like turning this breakfast powder container into a bank. But not just any bank – a MINION BANK. We had just watched the Minions movie and this container was shaped a lot like a minion, specifically Dave. This turned into a fun and simple craft for my son – the reluctant crafter.
The wrapper around the conatiner was surprisingly hard to remove, so I decided to prime the entire container with paint. Once it had dried, I put one of his many minion toys on the table and lightly drew a minion face. As I set out a variety of paint and paintbrushes, I told him to go for it.
As I made dinner, he painted away.
When he announced he was done, I came over to admire his handy work. I think he did a great job and he did too. It’s amazing what kids can create with a little paint and a few materials. If you have a child that loves minions, take a look around the house for containers to recycle. Pretty much anything that is squat, square or round will work!
MINION BANK CRAFT
Materials:
- Empty container
- Primer
- Tempera paint
- Paintbrushes
- Scissor
Directions:
Step 1: Cut a rectangle in the top of the container, large enough to slide a dollar bill or coins into. Paint the container with white primer. Allow to fully dry.
Step 2: With pencil, lightly draw a minion face on the front side of the container. If your child is old enough, have them draw it.
Step 3: Paint with tempera paint and allow to dry.
Thanks for reading,
Daniele
