Stick Family
How to make your own family of sticks using what you find in the garden
This is a great way to get children out exploring with a mission. Gather your twigs and other natural finds and then head home for an afternoon crafting. The best way to get kids to really engage with the idea of this activity is to do a bit of prep work the night before, by making your own Stick Man to inspire the kids before they begin.
Step 1Head out for a nature hunt adventure. Encourage the kids to look for sticks of varying sizes. Keep your eyes peeled for other natural finds that you could use in your stick craft. Moss or lichen can make fantastic hair and leaves can be customised for clothes.
Step 2To make your first stick character, get the kids to examine the stick and encourage them to find bumps and nodules that they could use to make the character’s nose. Snap the stick so the features are at the top, and then get the kids to stick a pair of eyes above the nose.
Step 3Next use your pipe cleaners to create the stick characters limbs. Wind your pipe cleaner securely around the stick to keep it in place. You can also use PVA glue at this stage to help it stay put.
Step 4Now it’s time to add clothes and a bit of personality to your character. You can either use leaves for clothes or off cuts of material. Get the kids to position these in place, tie securely with string and then for extra durability stick on with glue. Think about hair and even accessories. Encourage the children to give their character a personality or even a job to help them bring it to life.