Recycle & recreate using styrofoam as a base for dioramas and much more.  Rather than throwing away those great sheets of  fillers for packaging, turn them into creative projects.  Being creative also means taking what you have on hand and reusing it for another purpose.  Naturally speaking, it also helps us be good stewards of our world. 

These are some of the things you can do with styrofoam:

• Carve & shape with simple tools such as rasps or plastic knives
• Cover with instant or strip papier mache
• Cover with plaster gauze
• Coat the surface with textured paint or sheetrock compound.
• Spray the surface with spray paint & watch the surface dissolve into rough and authentic looking rocks.  ADULT SUPERVISION REQUIRED & MUST BE DONE OUTSIDE - please don't inhale the fumes & wear a mask! 

There are several www.Enrichment4You.com guides that use styrofoam as part of the hands-on project that incorporate the above techniques as well as many others.  The following are just a few:

 

	Caves in Focus
	Geodes in Focus
	Animal Mosaics in Focus

Learning through creativity is what makes life a joy for me. Learning is a multisensory experience. Color, texture, sound, taste all play an important part in helping learning become a lifelong pursuit.

I enjoy animals, geocaching, treasure hunting, traveling, spending time with my family and making things. My dreams are simple, but I do have many. I want my life to be more than a consumer. I want to make a difference and encourage others to do the same.

Excellence in thought and deed is the foundation for what is important to me. I am not satisfied with "just getting by". The world is already too full of half seekers. I believe in individual gifts which can be turned into group blessings.

I consider life a series of choices which are determined by ones faith and ones focus. There are peaks and valleys, twists and turns as one seeks. It is all an adventure and the joy comes with the discovery.

On a furry and feather note, we have two chinchillas - Dust and Dumpy. Dumpy is gray and Dust is white  Our cockatiel Hastings will sometimes visit the Chins. Here he is getting to know Dumpy.

Do you want to add that aged & authentic touch to your documents, maps & paper projects?  Begin with a piece of paper that can be manipulated such as brown kraft paper or watercolor paper.  The following are some simple & effective ideas.

• Dampen a sheet of brown kraft paper.  Crumple up the paper.  Carefully unfold the paper.
• Sprinkle the paper with instant coffee & let dry.
• Dampen the edges of the paper again & carefully tear off the edges.  Let dry.
• Brush small sections of the paper with a Crackle Medium.  Crackle mediums are clear, but when you brush over the dried medium with a contrasting paint, small to large "cracks" will appear.  There are several different "Crackle" mediums available that will offer completely different end results.
• With a slightly damp brush, brush the edges of the paper with acrylic paints.  I suggest you use yellow ochre, burnt umber, & antique white.  Don't overdo this step.
• WITH ADULT SUPERVISION, burn the edges of the paper carefully.  Make sure you do this in an appropriate area & have a source of water near by if the paper begins to burn too quickly.  - NO ACCIDENTS PLEASE!
• Draw by hand or decoupage onto the antiqued surface.

What inspires us in life generally will inspire us in how we learn.  Think about what you love doing - gardening, cooking, spending time with friends.  All of these joyful things can keep us captivated & educate us at the same time.

Isn't this equally true when inspiring creativity in young people?  There isn't any "right" way to be creative or a specific way to learn.  When attempting to teach & inspire a love of learning try & tap into the areas that encourage your child's natural gifts.  Next, pick projects that naturally interest your young people.

In one of our enrichment guides titled "Learning Gifts Inventory", we take you through a Biblical approach to how each of us is "gifted" to learn in a very unique way.