Catalog Cutout Collage

What you need

• Kid scissors, 1 pair
• Glue stick, 1
• Paper, 1 sheet
• Old catalogs, a stack, plus junk mail
• Newspaper, a few sheets
• Paper bag, 1, or a bowl, for scraps

How to do it

Grown-up prep: Gather a stack of old catalogs and junk mail, kid safety scissors, a glue stick and one sheet of paper. Clear a table and put out a bowl or bag for scraps. Stay close by when younger kids use scissors, and tidy up tiny paper bits if little siblings are around, since they could be a choking risk.

1. Choose what to make: a cozy scene or a character like a robot.
2. Flip through the catalogs and look for pictures, shapes and big patches of color.
   Ask: Which picture could become something totally different, like a lamp turning into a robot arm?
3. Carefully cut out your favorite pieces with safety scissors, keeping fingers away from the blades. Ask for help if you need it
4. Put scraps you don't need into the scrap pile as you go.
5. Lay your cutouts on the paper and move them around. Don't glue yet!
   Ask: What goes in the back, and what goes in front?
6. Rub glue on the back of each piece, then press it flat.
7. Give your creation a name and tell its story.
8. Now show your friends, or make more! What will you build next?
   Ask: Which new idea will you hunt for in the catalogs next?

Play it again

• One color rule: build a picture using only pieces from one color family.
• Face of objects: make a funny face using only pieces that are not faces.
• Story strip: make three small collages in a row to tell a story with a beginning, middle and end.