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DESERT THEME

CRAFTS:

Cactus
Make cactus by shaping bread dough into a cactus shape and then inserting uncooked spaghetti into it for the needles Then let dry over night.

Cactus 2
Make cactus shape from green construction paper per child.  Color rice green (green food coloring, alcohol in zip lock baggie, shake, spread out to air dry).  Children glue rice onto cactus. 

Cactus 3
Cut out a large size cactus from white construction paper.  Have the children paint or color the cactus green. You can even have them glue green tissue paper for a special effect. Break up tooth picks and glue them on the cactus for the prickly needles!

Cactus 4
Show children pictures of different cacti. Give each some green plasticine or play-doh and have them create their own cactus. They can stick toothpick all over to represent the prickles on the cactus. These cacti can be added to a display of sand and toy desert animals.

Layered Sand Jar
Materials: A variety of colored sands, Nicely shaped clear jar with lid, Funnel. Spoon a layer of colored sand into the jar-or pour through funnel. Gently tap jar to make sand level. Continue adding colors until you reach the top. Screw the lid on the jar.

Sand Painting
Materials: 2 or more colors of sand, white glue, water, Heavy drawing paper, cookie sheet, paintbrush. Mix a spoonful of glue and a spoonful of water together in a cup. Use a pencil to lightly draw you design on the paper. Set the paper in the tray. Use the paintbrush to paint all the areas where you want one color of sand to stick. Use a spoon to sprinkle the sand over the glue. Let sit for a few moments. Gently turn the paper over the tray and tap to let the extra sand fall off. Continue until you picture is done.

Sandpaper Rubbings
Cut out shapes, numbers, letters or anything else you may desire from sand paper mount on cardboard if the sand paper is flimsy. Place a sheet of paper on top of the sandpaper cutout.  Using the side of a crayon, rub until the cutouts appear!

Sticky Sand Painting
Have children "paint" on cardboard with watered down white glue.  Then have them sprinkle colored sand onto the glue. Having children "draw" with a pigmented gluestick (such as Elmers, Crayola or Uh) works well also since they may have more control of the stick as opposed to the paintbrush, and they can see what they are drawing. Gluesticks also allow for more detailed drawing.

GAMES & ACTIVITIES:

Sand Play
In a sand box put in plastic toys such as cactus, coyotes, camels, rattle snakes, and other creatures you might find in the desert. Talk about how water is rare in the desert and how might the animals survive.

SONGS:

Have any good songs? Let us know!
 

STORIES:

Have any good stories? Let us know!
 

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:

Crunchy Cacti
Ingredients:  1 12 oz. package butterscotch chips, 2  tablespoons peanut butter, 1 6 oz. can chow mein noodles, Green food coloring
Directions:  melt chips, stir in peanut butter and food coloring.  Add noodles and coat well.  Remove from heat.  Work atop wax paper, have each child fashion a golf-ball sized portion of the mixture into a cactus  shape. Allow to harden, peel the cactus from the paper and chow down. Makes appropriately 15 to 20 crunchy cacti.

TIPS/NOTES: