One year ago I started this series of Creative Challenges with a toilet paper/loo roll challenge. The series began on a small scale and has grown along with my blog to include a generous sponser [Kiwi Crate] and a host of talented bloggers and non-blogging friends who focus on process-oriented projects with their children or students. The challenges are bi-monthly, and we have some exciting materials to look forward to playing with.
Upcoming Challenges – Mark your Calendar!
- February 6 – Paper Bags {Next Challenge!}
- April 2 – Egg Cartons
- June 4 – Flowers
- August 6 – Milk Jugs or Cartons
- October 1 – Dried Beans or Seeds
How to Join
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- Make: Projects should be child-directed, but grown-ups are welcome to join in the fun if the mood strikes! Use at least one paper bag, along with any other materials of your choice. See the last challenge, Magazines, for inspiration.
- Share: Come back to Tinkerlab on or after February 6, 2012 and attach a link to your blog or a photo from your experience, along with a description of what you and/or your child/ren did, in the comment section of the challenge. If you have a blog, you can also add your project to the linky party. The challenge opens up on February 6, and will remain open indefinitely
- Pinterest: After you submit your post or photo/s, we will add you to a Paper Bag Creative Challenge Pinterest Board, where it can serve as inspiration for others.
- WIN!!: The Pinterest Post with the most “reposts” by 9 pm PST February 29, 2012 (leap year — yay!) will win a $100 VISA gift card and three-month subscription to Kiwi Crate, courtesy of Kiwi Crate (subscription is only available to U.S. participants). Participants are welcome to encourage friends and readers to “repost” their links.
- Are you a blogger? Let your fans know about the challenge and grab our cute lil’ button to share it on your blog.
Inspiration
- Check out the Paper Bag Pinterest Board for ideas. Not on Pinterest? Leave a comment and I’ll happily send you an invitation.
- Put one or more paper bags + a variety of art materials in front of your child (markers, tape, yarn, etc.), and see what they come up with
- Use paper bags as your canvas.
- Weave a basket
- Make and decorate a book and fill it with favorite mementos
- Make a bird’s nest
- Make a puppet or a group of puppets.
Are you Ready to Join Me?
- Start thinking about Paper Bags. Collect them from your market, raid your lunch sacks, and show your kids pictures of upcycled paper bags and see what they’re excited about.
- February 6 is two and a half weeks from now, which should give us all plenty of time to tinker, play, and then share.
- Tell your friends about the challenge. Host a creative paper bag play group. Share a link to the challenge on your Facebook wall.
- Show up on February 6 with your documentation! I can’t wait to see you then!!
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Special thanks to our sponsor:
I love it! I mentioned the idea of these creative challenges to my son, and he sounded excited. We may or may not participate in the paper bag challenge in a timely manner (I’ll let him choose which he’d like to do), but I’ll definitely spread the word.
Thanks, Amy, The challenge will be open for a while, but certainly do it at your own pace!
Lots of fun for everyone. Really happy to share on Facebook.
Thanks so much, Melitsa. (BTW, I love your name).
I can’t wait!!! Â Ours is 1/2 way done. =)
Oh, you’re good Jillian! I’m so happy you’ll be there.
Great idea! Â I hope I can come up with something fabulous!
Yes, you can! Look forward to seeing you there, PlayDr.
Sounds like fun and love the prize so I am highly motivated!!! Â THANKS!
Glad I was able to motivate you, Ann! Glad you’re joining me 🙂
Sounds great! It will be fun!
yay, natalie! yes, it will be tons of fun.
I’m excited! We’re in!
Woo-hoo! Can’t wait to see what you come up with.
This sounds like fun, we will join in 🙂
Super! I’m glad you’re in!
We plan to participate. Â We’ve been saving those Starbucks paper bags and I’ve been trying to figure out what to make with them. Â The other thing? Â McDonald’s Happy Meal Boxes- Â been trying to figure out a way to upcycle them. haha! Â THAT could be one of your weekly challenges. Â 🙂 Â Great idea, Rachelle!
I can’t wait to see all the different bags people use. And I’d love to see what you could do with a Happy Meal Box!Â
fun. Â I am in! Â Now to get my thinking cap on.
Pinterest invitation, please!
invitation sent!
And received! Thank you!
I think this is a great idea! I’m thinking about doing something like this on my new blog, Gramm Crackers. Its for grandparents and grandchildren. I’m going to check out your past challenges. I’m looking up right now at the magazine challenge and it looks very interesting. Thank you for sharing your ideas. Oh, I almost forgot. Pinterest invitation, too, please.
Yay – I just tracked down a paper bag (surprisingly hard to find in the UK!) so we’re in.
I’ll be playing along! I have a neat idea for Valentine’s Day 🙂
Think my daughter would love to try this, although it may lead to a MLP paper bag explosion here
Can we enter more than one craft per challenge?
Good question, Heidi! And I can’t believe that it hasn’t been asked yet. I’d love to encourage and support a lot of creative ideas, but since it’s late in the game and i know a lot of people expect that it’s just one post, it’ll be one post per challenge. However, a blogger could easily weave a bunch of projects into one post, which is a good workaround. What do you think?
Can we link an old post or we have to create a new one! Sometime back We had made origami dogs with paper bags
http://creativitymypassion.blogspot.com/2011/05/bark-george-origami-dog-play.html
Absolutely fine by me, Esther! Glad we’ll see you there!
Do we post the link/pictures in the comments or is there a special place to do this? Sorry – first time 😉
This is the first time we’ve done it this way…it’s a great question!! You’ll add your link or photo to the comments on my blog or Kiwi Crate’s blog, and we’ll add it to a Pinterest board. yay!!! See you Monday 🙂
Pinterest Invite please. Â
Sent!!!