Bring home a fun new project! Sign up from our Library Calendar and pick up a kit at the Youth Services desk or through our Parking Lot Pickup service between February 14-March 11.
Toddler & PreK: Coffee Filter Butterflies
Liquid watercolor and coffee filters transform into beautiful butterflies. Register for the February/March Toddler & PreK Take-and-Make Kit here.
Kit contains:
- 5 coffee filters
- 5 pipe cleaners
- 3 containers of watercolor paint
- 1 pipette
Instructions:
- Dress for a mess, and cover your work area—the paint will soak through the coffee filters.
- Smooth one of the coffee filters flat.
- Use the pipette to drop the watercolor paint onto the filter. You can clean the pipette by squeezing fresh water in and out of the pipette a few times.
- Let dry completely. This might take several hours, depending on how much paint you use.
- Pinch two sides of the filter together, creating wings.
- Fold one pipe cleaner in half. Twist the pipe cleaner around the center of the coffee filter, leaving the ends pointing up for the antennae.
- Repeat with the remaining supplies.
Explore more:
- Using a pipette is a great exercise for fine motor control! Kids can experiment with squeezing the liquid out hard and gently to get different amounts of paint.
- You can dilute the paints with water to get lighter shades. Talk about how colors change when we add water, or they mix and bleed together. You might end up with more than 3 colors on your butterflies!
- Try painting with a brush, sponge, or even paper towel. How does that change the way the paint moves and looks?
- Making butterflies is a great opportunity to learn about symmetry. You can try to paint just one half of the coffee filter, and fold it over to achieve a mirrored effect. What other animals or objects look the same on both sides?
- Add tape, magnets, or clothespins to create some cheery decorations with your butterflies.
Show us what you created! Send us pictures at youthservices@balibrary.org.
Grades K-2: Simple Embroidery
Try out a new skill with this introduction to embroidery techniques. Register for the February/March Grades K-2 Take-and-Make Kit here.
Show us what you created! Send us pictures at youthservices@balibrary.org.
Grades 3-8: Gratitude Jar
Decorate a jar to fill with origami stars – use the stars to write down everything for which you are grateful. Register for the February/March Grades 3-8 Take-and-Make Kit here.
Show us what you created! Send us pictures at youthservices@balibrary.org.
Youth Services Assistant Librarian Alyssa