Instead of spending money on sunglasses that might not even fit right, why not make a pair of your own? This craft uses plastic that normally goes in the trash to make awesome sunglasses that are perfectly tailored to fit your child's head. Kids learn how to save the environment while looking cool at the same time!
What You Need:
- 2 connected plastic rings, cut from a soda six pack
- 2 pipe cleaners
- Scotch tape
- Ruler
- Scissors
- Light colored cellophane
- Pen
What You Do:
- Lay the connected plastic circles flat on a sheet of cellophane paper, and have your child use a pen to trace inside the two circles.
- Have him cut the cellophane around his traced circles, making cut circles a little larger than drawn circles. Set cellophane circles aside for step 8.
- Have him hold the connected plastic circles over his eyes. Then, help him hold a pipe cleaner from the end of one circle (on outer edge of eye) to reach behind his ear.
- Have him pinch the pipe cleaner at the point that it hooks over and behind his ear. Help him measure and add another 2 inches from this pinched point.
- Next, have him cut the pipe cleaner at this length, and cut the second pipe cleaner to match.
- Help him wind the end of a pipe cleaner twice around the outer edge of one of the plastic circles.
- Do the same with second pipe cleaner on the other side. It should now look something like a glasses frame.
- Test how well the pipe cleaners hook behind your child's ears to keep glasses in place. If the pipe cleaner’s too long, trim as needed.
- Finally, have him cut thin pieces of tape, then tape the cellophane circles behind the glasses’ circles for the lenses.
Now the glasses are all done and ready to wear. Take him on a walk outside in the sun to show off his brand new shades!
By Beth Levin
Beth Levin has an M.A. in Curriculum and Education from Columbia University Teachers College. She has written educational activities for Macmillan/McGraw-Hill and Renaissance Learning publishers. She has a substitute teaching credential for grades K-12 in Oregon, where she lives with her husband and two daughters.
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