Don't throw away your paper bags. Turn them into playthings to help children enjoy their own creative ideas.

Materials:

• Medium-sized paper bags
• Scissors
• Non-toxic glue
• Yarn
• Art supplies (such as construction paper, crayons or markers, yarn, ribbons, bows, fabric scraps, buttons, stickers, etc.)
• Mirror

Directions:

Set up three material filled "make-it stations." Divide the children into three groups. Have the groups visit and rotate through each station and make a paper-bag hat, wig, and mask.

Hat

To make a hat, have each child turn a medium-sized paper bag inside out and roll up a cuff on the outside. The children can scrunch the bag and form it to fit their head. Have the children decorate the hat with art supplies.

Wig

To make a wig, give each child a bag that fits his or her head. Cut out the front of the bag to frame each child's face, leaving several inches along the top and on the sides. The children can make "hair" by cutting the paper "bangs" and sides into thin strips. For curly hair, they can roll the ends of the paper around a pencil. Or, the children can glue on yarn for hair and decorate with ribbons and bows.

Mask

To make a mask, cut off the bottom portion of a paper bag for each child so the bag fits over a child's head, covering only the eyes and nose. Help the children cut out eyeholes. Then invite the children to decorate their mask with art supplies to represent what or who they want to pretend to be.

When the creations are finished, have the children look in a mirror. Invite the children to have several opportunities to pretend with their creations.

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