Pine Cone Creatures

What you need:

• pine cones 
• acorn caps 
• other natural materials (acorns, leaves, moss, twigs, bark) 
• pom poms 
• glue 
• shoe box 
• construction paper 
• art supplies 

What to do:

1. With your child, collect pinecones (or you can purchase them at a nursery), along with leaves, twigs, and other "natural" materials. 
2. To make a pine cone creature, your child can glue a pom pom to one end of the pine cone, make wings out of leaves or arms out of twigs, eyes out of acorn caps or construction paper, a nose out of a leaf or construction paper, and so on. 
3. Glue acorn caps to the bottom of the creature to make feet (and to keep the creature more stable).
4. Decorate the inside of a shoebox with paint or construction paper and leaves, twigs, and other natural items to create a habitat for the creatures.
5. Ask your child to name his pine cone creatures. The two of you can make up stories and adventures for this new species!