January is a great month to work on arts and crafts! The weather can be chilly and wet, and craft projects can be done inside while sipping a nice hot cup of cocoa.
GREAT IDEAS! Television. Water skis. Earmuffs. Popsicles. What do they have in common? All were invented by kids! Celebrate the ingenuity young brains on January 17, Kid Inventors’ Day. Let your children brainstorm, sketch their ideas on paper and create models of their inventions with art supplies.
EACH ONE IS UNIQUE. Hang paper snowflakes from the ceiling to create a winter wonderland. 
Begin with graph paper, found at most art or craft supply stores; any size grid will work. Kids can use silver or any color metallic gel pens to create a snowflake on a piece of graph paper. Start at the center of the page, filling one square at a time. The snowflake will take shape as kids work outward to make the crystal branches.
WEARING LITTLE TUXEDOS. January 19 is Penguin Awareness Day, a 
great time to make a papier mache penguin. You will need an empty 16 oz. water bottle and a bowl of papier mache pulp. Make the pulp by shredding newspapers and placing them in a blender with some water. Blend, then drain the water with a colander. Place the drained newspaper in a bowl and add 1 tbsp. of glue. Stir everything up, and you have papier mache pulp. Cover the entire water bottle with the pulp and add some extra to the lid to form a head with a small beak.
YMCA of Austin camps are a great way to keep your kids safe and active. Spring break camp registration opens in January! Locations throughout Travis, Hays and Bastrop Counties. Visit www.austinymca.org for details or call 512-236-9622 to find the location nearest you. Remember to visit us at the Austin Family Camp Fair!
Dry the project overnight, then paint it with black and white paints.
