Trash to Treasure
Suggested ages: 3.5 and Up Try using found materials, such as plastic lids, old buttons, scraps of wood and other things you might normally discard as art materials. Since they are abundant and readily found, using them is a free or low cost way to stretch your creative thinking skills.

Collecting
This process is part of the art and a great way to get the whole family involved. Designate a collection container in your kitchen or other easily accessed area.

Safety First
Make sure the collected items are clean and don’t pose a safety or choking hazard to anyone who might be using them. Avoid anything rusty or sharp.

Examining and Sorting
Use your senses to explore them. What do you notice about these materials? What can you make with them? What more could you make?

Create!
Tacky glue works well to connect most materials, but you could think of other ways to put materials together. To document your work and help you think even more about found materials you may want to do a drawing of your sculpture in process or when it’s done.