Ice Craft

What You Need:

• Branches
• Newspaper
• White spray paint
• Spray adhesive
• Small bowl
• Epson salts
• Glitter
• Table salt
• Vase

What You Do:

1. Help your child lay out the newspaper to keep your work surface clean.  Remember to work in a well ventilated area. 
2. Next, she should lay the branches out on the newspaper.  They can overlap slightly.
3. Help her spray paint the branches white. 
4. Check the can of paint to see how long the paint will take before it is dry to the touch (probably about ten minutes).
5. Turn branches over and paint the other side.  The paint doesn’t have to be perfect.  Snow and ice very seldom coat a branch evenly.  Again, let the paint dry.
6. While the paint is drying, help your young crafter mix Epson salts, table salt and glitter.  You can use various combinations of clear, white, silver or blue glitter.  This is the sparkly ice that you will add to the white branches.
7. Spray the middle and the tops of the branches with spray adhesive.
8. Have your child sprinkle the wet glue with the salt and glitter mixture.  Allow to dry and turn branches to add glue and glitter to the back side.  You can either coat the branches lightly or heavily.  You want some sparkle but just how deep you are into the Ice Age is up to your young crafter.
9. When the branches have dried completely, help your young crafter arrange them in a vase. 

Can your child imagine a dinosaur creeping by icy branches just like the ones she just created? Ask her how she thinks living animals survived such a chilly period of our planet's history. Don't forget that the internet and the library are great resources for curious young minds!