The summertime is the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors! Is your child fascinated with all things nature? During the warm summer months, take some time to explore the environment around you and discover why it is important to protect it. There are a ton of outdoor activities around the Scott Family Amazeum, as well as fun ways to learn how to help protect our environment. Just three miles from the Amazeum there is a conservation habitat in Osage Park. The Wetlands Boardwalk
in Osage Park features 12 acres of a wetlands ecosystem that you can walk over and learn along the way why wetlands help our environment. If the day is too hot, you can opt for an in-door activity such as Plarn. Follow along with video instructions and learn how to create material from a common resource and weave trash into treasures, with this AmazeumYou activity!
Does your child enjoy creating things? There are lots of great arts and craft
activities revolving around reducing waste that are perfect for a summertime project. The Green Science Paper Making kit is a paper mache science craft that teaches you how to make your own paper. Master the ancient technique of paper making by recycling used paper and create paper mache objects that can glow in the dark. By reusing old materials to create new objects you are helping to cut down on waste production, therefore creating a positive impact on the environment! Click here to get the Green Science Paper Making kit at Curiosity Corner, the Amazeum’s museum store.
Imaginative play is an important tool in helping strengthen cognitive development in your child such as expressing positive and negative feelings, discovering choices and learning about consequences from actions. Reduce waste by creating your own imaginative play toys from items you already have. The Re Cycle Me Kitchen is a kit that features 11 craft projects for your child to create and play with. Repurpose household objects such as bottles, cardboard rolls and cartons to create a unique kitchen set. This kit helps to boost your child’s creativity and imagination, as well as create the conversation for what environmental awareness looks like at home. Click here to get the Re Cycle Me Kitchen at Curiosity Corner.
Choosing sustainable options to replace waste in your every-day life is a great way to help the environment. One popular way is to use reusable bags. Switching from plastic bags to reusable bags, helps cut down on unnecessary waste. Take the AmazeumYou activity, Plarn, to the next level by using the plastic yarn you create to make a reusable bag! Click here for a YouTube tutorial on how to make your Plarn into a bag. Another way to make a bag is to design your own reusable
bags using transferable stamps. The Crafter’s Image Transfer Tote Bag is a kit that contains all the materials you need to decorate a reusable canvas tote bag. Follow the simple instructions and use the tools to create unique designs on your bag. Click here to get the Crafter’s Image Transfer Tote Bag at Curiosity Corner.
One of our favorite ways to reduce environmental impact is to buy things that are locally produced using materials that would otherwise be scrapped. Buying locally also allows you to support your neighbors, helps your local economy and reduces the use of wasteful packaging. The Zing Picto Kit is created here in Arkansas and is a great project that focuses on upcycling used textiles. Combining laser cut wood and fabric remnants from designers in CA, the Zing Picto Kit allows you to piece together a puzzle that makes a mixed-media work of art. This unique design was custom-created for the Amazeum and doubles as a souvenir. Click here to get the Zing Picto Kit at Curiosity Corner.
