A cardboard box is a great starting point for many great activities. Try making this easy shadow puppet theatre and then put together your own puppet show. If you\\'re stuck for story ideas, try using a favourite nursery rhyme. What you need: • 1 cardboard box • 1 sheet of tissue paper (large enough to cover one side of your box) • sticky tape • scissors or a craft knife • black marker pen • bedside lamp or large torch • a table Acitivity: Cut the back panel out of your box. Leave two of the side flaps to keep your puppet theatre stable, but cut off the front flaps (the pieces that close up the box). For the front of your theatre, sketch out a smaller square within the front panel, you can make it fancy with an arch and pillars if you want but really all you need is a smaller square within the main square (like a television set). On the inside of the box, tape a piece of tissue paper that covers the opening you have just cut out. Place the theatre on the edge of a table. Position a lamp or torch behind, shining directly into the inside, lighting up the tissue paper from within. Make some shadow puppets and place them between the light and the screen, as close to the screen as possible works best.

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Have fun turning something old into something new! Try this simple activity that transforms tired old crayons into fancy new candles. What you need: crayons milk carton parraffin wax scissors ice cubes string Activity: Trim the top off of the cardboard milk carton. Plait three pieces of string together to make a wick that burns easily. Cut the paraffin wax into small chunks and melt it carefully over a low flame in a saucepan on the stove. Choose different coloured crayons and add to the wax once it\'s totally melted. Use a pair of scissors and dip the string into the paraffin mixture. Hold the string so that it hangs down the middle of the carton and fill the carton with ice cubes. Pour wax mixture into the carton (over the ice cubes) and leave it for a few hours to harden. The ice will melt as the candle sets. Once the candle is hard, pour off the excess water from the ice cubes and peel off the carton. Notes: Wax will become incredibly hot when it is melted and can burn terribly so be sure to always be present when doing this activity with your kids.

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Learn about the value of recycling by making this balloon-powered milk-mobile together. Once you have finished this recycled craft is also a great science activity. Number of players: 1 + What you need: • 1 x empty 300ml milk carton • 4 x plastic milk carton lids • Masking tape • 1 x bamboo skewer • 1 x plastic drinking straw • Scissors • 1 x metal skewer (to punch holes in your wheels) Activity: Watch the video tutorial below to find out how to make your balloon-powered milk carton car. First measure up your bambooo skewers. These will form part of the axles. They need to be long enough to go across the base of the milk carton and fit into two plastic lid wheels on either side. So line up the two wheels on either side of the carton and cut two pieces of bamboo skewer that will fit. The straws will allow the skewer axles to spin. They should be cut a bit shorter than the base-width of the milk carton. Cut two lengths. Now thread your bamboo skewer axles into each straw. Now you need to make holes in the centre of each plastic lid wheel. The easiest way to do this is for an adult to heat the tip of a metal skewer and then use it to melt a hole through the centre of each plastic lid. Put your plastic wheels onto your axels. Make sure they\'re nice and snug. If you like, you can put a dab of craft glue on to keep them secure. Tape the straw axles to the base of the milk carton. Now loosely tape a balloon to the top of the carton. Blow it up a bit (not too much or your milk-mobile will just be toppled over by the force). Let it go, watch it shoot across the floor. You might need to do a bit of trial and error to work out how much force the car needs to just tottle along rather than be blown over. This will be a good learning activity one the nature of forces.

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Making your own magnetic fishing game can be a great party game idea or just a fun rainy day activity for kids. What you need: • 2 x 2 x free fish printables • 2 x sticks • wool or string • twig or chopstick • 2 x magnets (just use old fridge magnets) • 14 metal paper clips • glue • coloured pencils • scissors Activity: • Print out one sheet of fish for each player. • Colour in your fishies. • Cut them out. • Match them up and glue the two sides together, place a paper clip inside each one, with the end just sticking out of the front of the fish. • Make a fishing pole by winding string around the end of a twig or chopstick, leaving about 20cm dangling at the end. Attach a magnet to the end. • Put the fishes in a bowl and go fishing.

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