|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
|
||||
 The focus of these pages is Beavers, the junior section of Scouts Canada. |
 |
Simple Beaver Crafts Here we present only a few ideas we've used in our programs. They are a few that have stuck out because of their simplicity, versatility, and economy. We'll add more ideas as we find them, so visit here often.  Here's a list of the crafts that have piqued our interest. Where To StartScout leaders look at Beaver leaders and say arrogantly, "Humph! There's those crafty people." But like all Scout leaders are not campers, all Beaver leaders are not crafty people. If you're looking here it's probably for one of a couple of reasons.
The first place to look has got to be Fun at the Pond. There are two full 81/2x11 pages, 3 columns wide, of craft ideas. You can supplement these with ideas from magazines, books (home and library), craft shows, kids shows, other Colonies, and suggestions. Crafts, or the ideas for a craft, can come from anywhere. Just keep in mind the abilities of your Beavers. Don't make the crafts too difficult. Mom Makes it Best!
Here's a wonderful Mother's Day craft idea. Depending on your program, you may work on it over one week or two. The idea is to create an entirely original recipe book for mom. Each Beaver contributes one recipe and one drawing. These are then compiled to make a book. It takes some work for the leaders to put the recipe with the drawing, copy the pages, and assemble them into a book. We chose to word process the recipes and glue them somewhere on the drawing. The typical letter size paper was then copied down to 78% to fit two per page (sideways). We then had these new pages copied to both sides of the paper. It's delicious reading! The following paragraph goes inside the first page of the book. It explains everything ...
Here are sample recipes from several Colony's books. You'll find them to be delightful reading. Paper HelicopterThe paper helicopter is a good as a craft or just a gathering activity. It is simple to make, can be coloured by the Beavers before they cut and fold, and it's fun to play with. You can even work with the Beavers to explore the effect of weight on their helicopters. Here's what we're talking about. 
Here are two sources we've found:
Pop Bottle BowlOnce in a while you find a craft that is so versatile that it can be done any time during the Scouting year. The pop bottle craft is one of them. With a little imagination, you can make this craft work anytime. Here are the basics:
Cut the bottom 2 1/2 inches off the bottle. In most bottles this is indicated by a little ridge. Cut just above the ridge. (see graphic) This is the "bowl" we are going to use. Next, around the top of the bowl, punch 14 evenly spaced holes (approximately 1 inch centre-to-centre). Now the Beavers start the project — string the ribbon through the holes and tie the ends in a bow. Tip: use bobby pins as needles for the ribbon. 
Here's where you can vary your design. Depending on the purpose, add stickers or glue on hearts, shamrocks, photos, whatever, on each of the bottom extrusions. In our case there's five lumps, so we added five construction paper hearts. Finally, fill the bowl with something appropriate to the occasion such as cinnamon hearts for Valentine's day, candy stripe mints for Christmas, or potpourri for Mother's Day. Wind HummerHere a possible mult-level craft. We'll describe a Brown Tail level. For each Beaver cut a 6-inch circle out of posterboard. Try a large coffee can lid — cut off the rim. Use a hole punch to punch holes around the edge of the circle and punch two holes, about an inch apart, in the centre of the circle. Let the Beavers decorate their circles with markers, or use stickers. Thread a 16-inch piece of string through the centre holes of the circle and tie the ends together. Show the Beavers how to "wind up" their circles by moving their strings in a circular motion. Then, show them how to pull their strings tight to make their circles HUM-mmmm. Makin' DonutsAlright, this isn't your normal craft. But it's just as much fun for the Beavers, both to do and to eat. We've done it with Scouts, but with a little care and supervision, you can make it work for Beavers. We've done this activity/craft with the Beavers at our winter camp. They, and the accompanying Brown Tail parents loved it. Here's what you need:
Put enough vegetable oil in the frying pans to float the donuts. Heat the oil to frying temperature. Prepare several paper bags with the brown sugar and cinnamon in a few and icing sugar in the others. Give each Beaver half the biscuit dough. (We found that a whole biscuit does not cook all the way through.) The Beavers flatten the dough and press a hole into the middle. The Beavers then give the dough to the cook to put into the heated oil. (You can ask the Beavers to watch their donut, but the donuts get mixed up quickly.) When the donuts are golden brown on both sides, remove from the oil and place into the paper bags. Let the Beavers shake up "their" donut in the mixture and enjoy. PterodactylsThis is a wow! Well, if your theme is Dinosaurs this is a wow. It's so easy to assemble. No glue, tape, staples — nothing! OK, you pin it. We found this craft in the Beaver Jumpstart: Dinosaurs from Scouts Canada (Cat# 20-125). The diagram below is from that program planning "jumpstart"
Here's what you need:
Here's how:
Campfire TorchesHere's what you'll need:
Remove the cap from the bottle. Cut off the bottle bottom, about 2 inches from the bottom. In many cases this is indicated by a ridge. Drill a small hole through the cap. Using the small screw, attach the cap to one end of the handle. Re-attached the bottle to the cap. Fit the candle into the cap. (Tin foil may be needed to secure the candle tightly in the cap.) Last updated: November 5, 2000
|
||
