One of my favorite books, for an introduction to letters, is 'Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom, by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault.I have made two previous games but I found they were awkward for the children to use. I still loved the concept and so this third trial is desined to correct the flaws of the previous tries. It is my favorite and probably my last attempt.
Supplies:
-Metal tea can
-Spray paint (I used a bronze metallic spray paint)
Silk leaves
Scrabble letters (I got these at a garage sale. There are all kinds of letters you can use, recycled or newly purchased. I just like the look of these).
Magnets (mine are from the dollar store).
Hot glue gun (use the gorilla sticks for strength).
Directions:
I sprayed the can with the lid on. This left a band at the top of the can that was unpainted. I felt that the frequent removal of the lid might wear away the paint.
Once the can was dry, I was ready to move on to the next step
I chose leaves from a strand at the Dollar store. They are not Coconut Tree leaves but they were the right size for what I wanted. I wanted them to just hang over the lid of the can. Using the glue gun, I overlapped about 8 or nine leaves until I had the coverage I wanted.
I applied a strong dollar store magnet with gorrila glue. The tree top snaps easily to the top of the lid, but is easily removed for storage.
Next, I attached magnets to the backs of 26 scrabble squares. I used Gorilla glue for this too. The tiles will sit out from the can a bit and so are easy to grab and remove.
Use with supervision, please.
I am happy with this project. The can is short enough to avoid tipping. The letters stick well and do not fall off when moving the tree. The leaves are fixed well too and do not fly off when the children play with it. And the best thing is that all the parts store inside the can. I think I've nailed it this time.
I use this for circle time so that I can monitor the whole process for safety. As I read the story, the children add the letters to the tree. When the letters go 'Boom, Boom', the children remove them.
I hope you are inspired to create your own Coconut Tree.
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