Activity:
Summer Memories Book Covers
You have wonderful memories of your summer: the sensation of a soothingly cool dip in the pool on a hot day, the sweet taste of cotton candy at the county fair, the sight of fireworks on the Fourth of July, the smell of a bonfire complete with roasting hot dogs, marshmallows and the laughter of friends. Summer memories encompass all your senses – touch, taste, sight, smell and sound. Here’s a fun project that will help you capture all these sensations in one place.
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What You Need:
- 12” x 18” construction paper – one sheet for each person
- Scissors
- Glue
- Magazines – to cut up
- Photos from your summer (optional)
- Clear Contact paper
- Pencil
- Tape
What You Do:
- Leaving a one-inch wide border on all sides of the paper, use magazine pictures, photos or other flat items such as postcards to create a collage on the construction paper. Look for things that remind you of how your senses were touched by activities this summer. Be sure to find at least one memory for each of the five senses – sight, smell, touch, taste and sound.
- When you have the items laid out the way you want them, glue them in place and let dry.
- When your collage is dry, carefully cover it (front and back) with clear Contact paper. Hang this original piece of artwork in your bedroom as a poster, or, take this project one step further and make a book cover for an average size textbook (7” x 10”).
- Lay your collage on a table with the backside facing up and the bottom longest side closest to you. Place the book on the collage so that it is centered, top to bottom, with a 1” margin on the right. With the pencil, mark a line along the top and bottom of the book.
- Move the book to the side and fold the collage in along the lines you just drew, folding the entire length of the 18” sides.
- Put the book back on the collage, in the same place it was before. The folded edges of the collage should match up with the top and bottom of the book. Fold the collage up around the front of the book. Open the cover of the book slightly and fold the collage inside. Secure the top and bottom of the collage in place with tape.
- Repeat this step with the back cover of the book.
- Bring to school and be reminded of all the sights, tastes, smells, sounds and feelings from your summer all winter long!
