Workshops on the Wharf - Crazy Corner Bookmarks

Easy and super cute, these little monsters will help you find your place every time!

Some examples from another website of some pretty cool monsters!  See the step by step instruction of these bookmarks here.

Unfortunately for the actual workshop we were resting after our ordeal with Blake and croop.  So the lovely ladies saved us some supplies to make our own Crazy Bookmarks.  It so happened that some family visited with some friends so we all sat down and made some of these amazing bookmarks together!  They are super easy, and you can make them look really scary, or very pretty!  It's totally up to you, so enjoy being creative!!

You will need:

• Coloured paper
• pens and pencils
• glue
• stick on crazy eyes
• any additional craft accessories you may want to use ie. feathers, glitter, jewels etc

Cut out your template for the bookmark by tracing one like this one here.

Fold the 'wings' on the sides to make the 'face' of the character.  Glue the wings together but make sure you don't glue it to the back piece as this is the bit that will fit over the corner of the pages in your book.

Decorate using your items, then let dry.

  

We actually took this one step further and applied ice block sticks to the back to make puppets!

The possibilities are endless!!

Workshops on the Wharf: Mini Rockets

Yet again another wonderful Workshops on the Wharf day meant the kids got off the boat and ventured to the playground where there was a nice little mini-rocket task taking place.  These super simple rockets were so quick to make, and so effective!! WOW!! Absolutely GREAT idea, for anytime!! Parties, afterschool, weekends, school holidays.  Very very easy.

You will need:

• Small piece of paper, approx 200mm x 50mm
• pens, felts etc
• tape
• straws

Basically, you get your paper, colour it in to create your own rocket, then roll it around a coloured pencil and tape to secure the shape.

"Roll" one end to make the front end of the rocket and tape.

Place over your selected 'shooter' or straw.

Point somewhere safe and blow to propel the rocket!

Told you it was easy!!! And they are great fun!
Just remember to point them to a safe place away from people!

Workshops on the Wharf - Matariki: Navigation Boats

With the beautiful sunny day forecast the Workshop this week was perfect for the outdoors!  Ann and Sian did their amazing Workshop building cork navigation boats.  This workshop part of the Matariki festival celebrations of the Waterfront.

What you will need:

• corks
• skewers
• chopsticks
• paper 
• toothpicks

Basically you make anything you want, so long as it stays upright.  Corks can be quite hard and toothpicks not strong enough, so an adult might need to help with them.  Decorate your sails and away you go!

Once complete you then test your navigation boat in the water and see how you go across the pond (or bath!). 

It's great fun!

Workshops on the Wharf - Matariki: Time Capsules

What a wonderful wonderful way to start of the celebration of Matariki (Maori New Year).

Tanya ran the workshop making time capsules which I thought was a great idea!

What you will need:

• Pieces of card, preferably coloured with printed 'slits' on them for cutting.
• Stickers
• Markers and pens for colouring
• Printed stickers with the 'Do not open until 10th June 2013" on them, (or whatever the date is for the next Maori New Year).
• Tape

So basically you get your sheet of card, and draw things that you love 'today', favourite movies, items of clothing, friends, and things that you think are important for your time today.

Then select some stickers that you love and stick them onto it on both sides.   Once complete, cut along the slits, roll up into a tube, and use the 'dated sticker' to "seal" the tube.  Then fold the end tabs (that have been formed by the slits), and use tape to seal the ends.  There you have it!

Now you have to wait until next year to open it!

Workshops on the Wharf - Story Cubes

Today it's a howling gale and lovely horizontal rain so what better things to do than to join the great team and make a story cube!  These are fabulous not only for story telling, but for using for spelling words, initial blends, final blends and could even be used for bingo word mats!

All you need is a template for a cube like this one here.

Print out the template - at least 3 copies per child.  Then decorate with your favourite stickers.

Once complete, cut out the template, tape together to form a cube.

Roll the first cube to start your story, then the 2nd to add to it, then the 3rd cube to add something different to your story and so on.  There are endless possibilities!

Enjoy your creativity in both making these funky and simple cubes, and watch your child's imagination grow!

Workshops on the Wharf - Bubble Maker

Once again the lovely ladies at the Workshops on the Wharf put together another great day of making Bubble Makers out from wire and beads.  These are so easy and the kids make them truely unique by the collection of beads they want to use.  There were some fantastic patterns happening!

A length of wire of approx 400mm was cut, then one end 'curled over' to form a stopping loop for the beads.  Then the beads were threaded to make the handle to whatever length was wanted, and the final 'bubble' loop was then formed and twisted around just above the last bead.  It was that easy and I even found myself making these!  We even made different versions to try and make 'double bubbles' so the possibilities are endless!

Workshops on the Wharf - Orienteering

Celebrating Queen's Birthday in New Zealand means a day off work (for most) and usually a celebration of her birthday with fun, expos and events both on and off the water.  This weekend with the Workshops on the Wharf kids programme they celebrated 'Finding the Crown Jewels'.  The lovely ladies had printed out an 'orienteering' sheet - basic layout of the Wynyard Quarter, where the kids had to find each 'jewel' that had a hole punch animal on it.  They then had to 'clip' a hole (much like a train ticket) onto the correct number.

Once compete they then got to make a crown out of cardboard and jewels!!

Click the image to go to our blog post of the "Best of British" expo.