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Crafts For Kids - Cinna-Shapes (Fun With Cinnamon and Sandpaper)
By Aja Klenna

This craft project is easy and is a great way for small children to join in the decorating fun. Cinnamon sticks are a delicious way to make the transition from summer to autumn, and this is a craft that is simple to do and smells great.

Age Group: 3-6 with help, older with supervision

Time: Less than an hour

Materials needed
o 1 sheet of sandpaper per child. While finer grit sandpaper would be best for this project, whatever grits of sandpaper you have on hand will work just fine. Sandpaper can be purchased at your local hardware store and the higher the number the finer the grit.
o 1 cinnamon stick per child. You can find inexpensive cinnamon sticks in your nearby craft store. These cinnamon sticks will not be used for cooking, so you do NOT want to buy the expensive cinnamon sticks sold at your grocers in the spice aisle.
o Sturdy scissors. Cutting sandpaper is not easy, though finer grit is easier to cut than the coarser varieties. Tin snips or heavy-duty shears work best for this project, but may not be appropriate for young children. Use your judgement, and you may opt to have children use a good pair of craft scissors instead. As a reward for all of the hard work, cutting through sandpaper will sharpen your scissors.
o Pencil. You will need a pencil to draw the pattern of the shape that you want to cut out.
o Hole Punch
o Ribbon
o Permanent marker

Preparation
1. To keep messes to a minimum cover your work area with a newspaper, drop cloth or old sheet.
2. If you have some small children doing this craft, it is a good idea to have some pre-cut shapes available for them to use.

Process
1. Give each child a sheet of sandpaper (or a pre-cut shape), a pencil and a cinnamon stick
2. Have each child draw a simple shape on the backside of a sheet of sandpaper.
3. Instruct them to cut out their shape.
4. Then rub the cinnamon stick across the rough side of the sandpaper demonstrating for the children.
5. Have the children do the same thing with their cinnamon sticks making sure to cover the whole sandpaper shape.
6. Use a hole punch to make a hole in the top of each shape.
7. Slip a loop of ribbon through the hole.
8. Write the child's name on the paper side of the shape with a permanent marker.

Variations
o Cut out several sandpaper leaf shapes, rub them with cinnamon, and use them as decoration for a door wreath in September and October.
o Make scary Halloween shapes to decorate a classroom or the front door.
o Sandpaper Cinnamon Shapes make great Christmas ornaments when cut in classic holiday shapes like an ornament, bell, snowman or wreath.

Make it a Learning Experience
o Have the children describe what happens as they rub the cinnamon stick on the sandpaper shape. Compare the bits of cinnamon on the sandpaper to ground cinnamon. Are they the same or different? How?
o Learn where cinnamon comes from and how it grows. What does a cinnamon plant look like? Older children can apply it to geography and learn about spices and the spice trade.
o Find out why sandpaper sharpens scissors.
o For very young children who are learning classroom readiness skills, have the children identify pre-cut shapes and have them match a pair of shapes.
o Most children find the texture of the sandpaper intriguing so making a set of sandpaper flash cards by gluing the shapes onto cardstock offers further practice.

Clean Up
o There is not much to clean up. Simply fold up the newspaper or cloth and check the floor for any sandpaper scraps or cinnamon bits.
o Take a deep breath and enjoy the aromatic scent of the freshly ground cinnamon which will linger for several hours.




About the Author:
Home decor specialist Aja Klenna is the top writer for Metal-Wall-Art.com, a wall decorating store offering unique unique wall art and musical notes wall decor.
 

 

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