Looking for craft ideas to do with your children? Below are five unique ideas that are not only fun but educational as well.

USA puzzle

Educational benefit: learn states and their locations

Materials needed:
markers
old map of US
pencil
card stock
glue
large poster board
scissors

Instructions: Take map and cut out entire continental US (48 connected states) as one big piece. Cut out Alaska and Hawaii. Center cut out of continental US on a large piece of poster board and trace outline. Place cutouts of Alaska and Hawaii on the poster board in bottom left corner and trace around these as well. Remove cutouts and set aside. Poke a hole inside the outlines and cut them out, you should end up with a piece of poster board with holes in it shaped like Alaska, Hawaii and the continental US. This is the frame for your puzzle. Trace around your cutouts of Alaska and Hawaii a second time on another piece of poster board. Take the continental US pattern cut from the map and carefully cut apart each state. Trace outline of each state onto poster board. Write the name of each state inside it's outline on the poster board and cut them out.

Nature Box

Educational benefit: learn about nature

Materials needed:
shoe box
glue
pen
index cards
construction paper
decorative materials of choice
things you and your child collect from nature; ie, leaves, acorns, etc.

Instructions: Cover the shoe box with construction paper. Decorate the box as you desire with decorative materials. For each item collected from nature, write it's name and 5 or 6 facts about it on an index card. Glue each item in the box and affix it's corresponding index card next to it.

A B C Zoo

Educational benefit: learn ABC's and about animals/wildlife

Materials needed:
pen
wildlife magazines, books about animals/wildlife,etc.
Index cards
tape
large piece of flat styrofoam board about 2inches thick
popsicle sticks
pipe cleaners

Instructions: Think about things you would see in a zoo; ie, various animals, birds or reptiles. Think of at least one thing which begins with each letter of the alphabet. Find a picture of each of these things. Cut out the pictures and tape a popsicle stick to the back of each and then stick them into the styrofoam so that it looks as if they are standing on it. Write the name of each thing on an index card, in alphabet book style; ie, A is for Ape, B is for Bear, etc. Below the names of each animal, write 5 or 6 facts about

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