Maker Monday: Creepy Climbing Creatures

This week’s Maker Monday activity — Creepy Climbing Creatures — is a fun one for this spooky time of year. But it can be easily adapted to friendlier times, like the butterfly we made fly up the post. Kids can think of other woodland creatures, like squirrels or birds, to add to their climbing menagerie.

This is a cool STEAM project as well, as kids consider the engineering mechanics of how to put them together.

Supplies:

Paper

Lightweight cardboard, such as cardstock, index cards or a cereal box

Markers or crayons

Scissors

Glue stick, tape and/or glue gun

Straws

String

Imagine your creature, then draw and color on the paper, and cut them out.

Glue the creatures onto the cardboard.

Once the glue has dried, cut them out again. We added google eyes because we love them so! But you can add more details with a marker if you like.

Trim a straw into two pieces about 3-inches long to fit onto the creature. Cut two more pieces to about an inch or so to use as your handles. Turn the creature over and use a glue gun or tape to attach the two straw pieces onto the back. Cut the string about 4-feet long. Thread from the bottom up into the lefthand straw, then back down through the other, leaving the loop at the top. Slide a small straw handle on the bottom of each end and tie them off to form two handles.

Holding the top loop, slide the creature down the strings to the handles. Put the loop over a fencepost, a hook, a tree branch or a doorknob. With a handle in each hand, pull both strings sideways and the creature will skitter right up to the top. Put the handles back together and it slides back down.

For more Maker Monday projects and other fun stuff for kids, visit the Kidsburgh Activities page.