Leisure & Learning

Last updated: May 21, 2020 at 4:35 p.m.

Staying at home doesn’t have to be dull! Learn something new and exercise your mind with these simple activities.

Craft Ideas

Cardboard Box Car

Materials

Cardboard boxes
Paint
Paintbrushes or coloured pencils
Tape or glue
Paper (optional)
Plastic wrap for windshield (optional)

Instructions

Choose a car you want to build
Draw a plan for your car on the paper
Trace your plan onto cardboard
Cut out your pieces
Assemble your pieces using tape or glue
Decorate your car with
- paint on the cardboard or
- colouring pencils on paper and then tape or glue your paper to the cardboard
- household items or recyclable materials, like a small lid as a steering wheel or a tissue box as a seat
- plastic wrap for the windshield

Stained Glass

Materials

Glass candle holder
Tissue paper in many colours
Mod Podge glue, both Paper and Sparkle
Paintbrush
Candles

Instructions

Tear/rip up the tissue paper into small pieces
Using the paintbrush, spread Paper Mod Podge on a small section of the glass candle holder
Stick pieces of tissue paper on the glue. Tissue paper can overlap
Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the whole candle holder is covered in tissue paper
Let dry for one hour
Cover the entire candle holder in Sparkle Mod Podge. Make sure to stick down any pieces of tissue paper that might be sticking up
Let dry completely
Stick in a candle and enjoy!

Melted Crayon Craft

Materials

a blank canvas, like construction paper
crayons, new or old
a utility or X-Acto knife (optional, for peeling the crayons)
hot glue gun
heat tool or a hairdryer with a diffuser or low blower setting

Directions

Protect your work surface by covering it in newspapers
Take the wrappers off all crayons. You can do this by hand or use an X-Acto knife to cut the wrapper lengthwise first.
Lay out the crayons at the top of your canvas in a way that you like
Hot glue each crayon down, each one right next to one another and with the tops flush to the top of the canvas
Prop your canvas up at a gentle angle. Make sure the bottom edge is over your newspaper. You can use a glass of water to prop up your canvas
Turn on your heat tool or hairdryer. If you’re using a hairdryer, you’ll need to put it on a low blower setting
Focus the heat on the crayons. They will quickly turn sweaty, then start dripping down the canvas
Once you are happy with how the crayons have melted down the canvas, let it dry

Marble Painting

Materials

Marbles
Tempera paint
Muffin tin, egg carton, or small bowls to hold the paints
Spoons
Paper
A shallow cardboard box or a baking dish

Directions

Protect your work surface by covering it in newspapers
Put paint in muffin tin/egg carton/small bowls
Put a piece of paper in the cardboard box or baking dish so the paper lies flat
Using a spoon, pick up a marble and put it in one colour of paint. Use the spoon to make sure the marble is coated in paint
Repeat step 4 for a bunch of marbles
Use the spoon to take the marble out of the paint and put it on the paper
Repeat step 6 for the rest of the paint-covered marbles
Roll the marbles around the paper by picking up the box/baking dish and gently tilting it in different directions
Remove the marbles with the spoons and let your creation dry

Little Tissue Monsters

Materials

Tissue paper in many colours
Construction paper or card stock
String, yarn or wire
Scissors
Glue gun or regular school glue

Directions

Take about 10 pieces of tissue paper and stack them on top of one another
Fold the stack like an accordion so that each fold is about 1 inch or 3 cm thick
Fold the accordion in half
Wrap the string, yarn or wire around the middle and tie/twist to secure
Cut the loose end of the folded accordion into points (not the folded side)
Gently separate each sheet of tissue paper and fluff out
Decorate the face. You can cut out eyes and glue them on, or make hair out of yarn

Toilet Paper Roll Butterfly Craft

Materials

Toilet paper roll
Small googly eyes
Coloured buttons
Card stock or construction in any colour
Acrylic paint
Pipe Cleaner
Small pom-poms
Black sharpie

Directions

Paint the paper roll a colour of your choice and let it dry. You might need to paint a few coats depending on the colour you chose.
Glue googly eyes on the outside of the toilet paper roll, near the top
Draw a mouth using the sharpie

To make the wings:

Fold a piece of construction paper or card stock in half
Draw wings from the folded edge outward using the black sharpie. You can use a template you found on the internet you’d like
Cut out the wings with the scissors
Decorate the wings using markers, crayons, craft gems, glitter or pom poms
Glue the wings onto the toilet paper roll

To make the antennae:

Bend the pipe cleaner into a V shape
Curl the tips of the V down
Glue two small pom-poms to the tips of the V
Glue the antennae to the inside top of the toilet paper roll

Yarn-wrapped Initials

Materials

Cardboard
Scissors
Acrylic paint (optional)
Yarn, or strips of newspaper/magazine
Tape
School glue or glue gun (optional)

Directions

Draw your letter(s) on a piece of cardboard
Cut the letter(s) out with scissors
Cut a long piece of yarn
Tape the starting piece of yarn to the back of the cardboard. You can also trap the starting piece of yarn under more yarn as you wrap
Wrap the yarn around the letter
Add a new colour or more yarn by taping the end of the first piece of yarn to the back of the letter and repeating step 4 and 5

Tips:

For letters that have sharp angles, like T, L or P, keep the yarn running in the same direction. This makes it easier to wrap.

You can also use a bit of glue to secure the yarn along the edges of the letter.

Recycled Crafts

Crafts that you can make using things already around the house.

Cereal Box Monsters

Materials

Two empty cereal boxes
Four of one colour of construction paper and four of another colour of construction paper
Scraps of black, white, yellow, orange, blue and red construction paper
Tape
Glue stick
Scissors
Something for weight, like dried beans, dried pasta, rocks, pennies

Instructions

Put the weight inside the cereal box. This will keep your cereal box monsters from falling over.
Tape the boxes closed
Cover one of the boxes completely with construction paper
Cover the other box with another colour of construction paper. Using tape is the easiest way to cover the boxes.
Cut shapes from construction paper scraps and glue them to the boxes
Create eyes by
1. Using something round to draw a circle on white paper. A mug works well
2. Using something round to draw a smaller circle on coloured paper. A cup works well
3. Using something round to draw an even smaller circle on black paper. A small can works well
4. Glue the black circle on top of the coloured circle, and then glue the coloured circle on the white circle
5. Glue the finished eye on the cereal box
Make the mouth by cutting a shape from black paper. Add teeth by cutting out triangles or other shapes from white paper and gluing them on.
You can also use construction paper to add hair, eyebrows and more.

Lego Head Mason Jars

Materials

Mason Jars
Glossy Yellow Spray Paint
Permanent Markers

Instructions

In an open area, or outdoors, evenly spray the fully assembled jars from a 6-8 inch distance by using consistent pressure and strokes
Wait for the paint to dry.
Repeat steps 1 and 2 until you’ve reached the desired colour
With markers, carefully draw on a face. Recommended colours to use are black, white, and red.

Cardboard Marble Maze

Materials

Shallow cardboard box
Paint (optional)
Straws
Wooden bits (wooden beads), mini blocks or spools
Hot glue gun
Scissors
Pencil
Small marble or wooden bead

Instructions

Paint your box (optional)
Draw out a maze in pencil
Cut straws and hot glue them onto the pencilled maze as the walls
Use wooden bits, beads, or mini spools to act as stoppers
To play, use a wooden bead or marble and move it around your maze

Rainbow Wind Chimes

Materials

Sticks
Sanding block or sandpaper
Acrylic Paint
Varnish
Small screw eyes
Yarn or fishing line

Instructions

Cut sticks into lengths of 8 to 10 inches/20 to 25 centimetres
Peel the bark off
Using the sanding block remove any remaining bits of bark
Paint each stick with two coats of acrylic paint
Varnish each stick
Once the varnish is dry, screw in tiny screw-eye into the end of the stick
Attach yarn or fishing wire to screw for desired hanging length
Hang your stick

Homemade Squishes

Materials

Inexpensive memory foam pillow
Sharp Scissors
Puffy Paint

Instructions

Draw a pattern onto a piece of memory foam
Cut the foam into the shape you have designed
Use puffy paint to paint the foam in the colours you want
Allow the paint to dry completely. This can take up to 24 hours
Have fun squishing

Galaxy Slime

Materials

3 to 4 bottles of clear washable school glue
Water
Liquid starch
Food colouring
Glitter/iridescent confetti
Separate plastic cups and craft sticks per colour used

Instructions

In a bowl, add 0.5 cups/120 ml water to 0.5 cups/120 ml of glue. Mix well.
Add your food colouring and glitter/confetti. Mix well.
Add 0.25 cup/60 ml of liquid starch. Keep stirring until you have a gooey blob of slime. The liquid should be gone.
Use your hands to knead the slime. It will appear stringy at first but will become smooth after working it with your hands.

Build and Stack Robots

Materials

Cardboard tubes, like paper towel, toilet paper)
Paint and permanent markers
Hole punch
Pipe cleaners
Scissors
Markers

Instructions

Paint cardboard tubes and wait for them to dry
Cut the tubes into different-sized sections
Use the sections to design your robot
Create hair and arms by using the hole punch to make holes on each side of a tube and sliding the pipe cleaner through the holes
Design the face of your robot using markers adding eyes, mouth etc. if you wish you can also draw on the body of your robot

Whirlygig

Materials

Long string
Recycled cardboard
Glue stick
Scissors
Kitchen skewer
Markers, pencil crayons

Instructions

Cut a medium to large circle out of your cardboard
Decorate both sides of your circle how you wish
Poke two holes into the cardboard using the kitchen skewer
Thread the string through one hole and then through the other hole, so there are equal amounts of string on each side of the cardboard
Tie a knot in the string
Hold the Whirlygig by the strings – and have fun!

Science Crafts

Paper Plate Flying Saucer

Materials

Paper plate
Scissors
Stapler and staples
White construction paper
Highlighters
Glue
Googly eyes
Glow stick

Instructions

Cut out one half-circle from the construction paper. This will be the window on the top of the spaceship.
Draw a little alien in the half-circle, and add googly eyes.
Cut out two isosceles triangles (triangles with two equal sides) from the construction paper. This will be the ship landing gear
Gently fold the paper plate in half with the bottom side out
Cut a slit in the middle of the fold about the same size as the straight part of your half-circle. Flatten the plate again and slide the half-circle into the slit.
Flip the plate over so that you are looking at the top of the plate. The half-circle’s rounded part should be on the other side. Fold over a small piece of the straight edge of the half-circle and glue it down so it stays in place
Fold the paper plate again, with the bottom side out
Glue the triangles point side down on the rounded edge of the plate to make the landing gear
Decorate the plate with highlighters. The more intense the highlighter the better it will glow
Activate the glow stick and stick it inside the folded plate. Staple the plate closed. Leave enough space between the staples so you can replace the glow stick.

Cardboard Rocket Ship

Materials

White cardboard tube or a paper towel roll painted white
Mod Podge
Foam Brushes
Glitter
Cardstock
Tissue Paper
Tape, glue and/or scissors

Instructions

Cut your tube to make a short rocket, or keep it long
Cut out paper stars
Cut out a cone from your cardstock for the top of the rocket.
In a disposable bowl, add Mod Podge and glitter and apply all over the tube.
Stick the paper stars to the wet Mod Podge and then Mod Podge over top.
Allow tubes to dry
Use glue to stick the cones from step 3 to the top of the tubes
Stick tissue paper inside the other end of the tube. This is the fire.

Tornado in a Jar

Materials

3 cups/710 ml of water
Mason Jar with lid
1 teaspoon/5 ml of dish soap
1 teaspoon/5 ml of Vinegar
Glitter or small objects (optional)

Instructions

Fill the jar with water leaving an inch of space. Add glitter, if using
Pour in dish soap and vinegar. Cover with the lid
Holding one hand on the bottom and the other on the top of the jar, swirl the jar for about five seconds.
Set it down on the table to watch the tornado.

Make a Cloud

This craft requires adult supervision.

Materials

Glass Jar with lid
1 cup/340 ml of hot boiling water (adult use only)
Blue food colouring
Aerosol hairspray (adult use only)
3 to 5 cubes of Ice

Instructions

Pour 1 cup/340 ml of hot boiling water into a jar
Add the food colouring
Spray hairspray into the jar and quickly put on the lid
Place 3-5 pieces of ice on top of the lid of the jar
Watch the top of the jar carefully you will see a cloud begin to form
After observing the cloud in the jar, remove the lid and watch the cloud move out of the jar

Dinosaur Tracks

This craft may require adult supervision.

Materials

1 cup/340 ml damp, used coffee grounds
5 cup/170 ml of cold coffee
1 cup/340 ml flour
5 cup/170 ml of salt
Wax paper
Large bowl
Wooden spoon
Rolling pin

Instructions

Place the damp coffee grounds, cold coffee, flour, and salt into the large bowl
Stir everything together using the spoon or use your hands to make sure everything is mixed well. The result will look like muddy clay
Roll out a sheet of wax paper and put a handful of the mixture on the paper.
Use your hands or the rolling pin to flatten it into 0.5 inch/1.3 cm thick blobs.
Press your fingers into the blob. What happens?
If you’d like, you can also collect items from outdoors and try squishing them into the clay as well.
Once you’ve made your masterpiece, let the clay dry in a room temperature location over the next few days.

Rock Candy

This craft requires adult supervision.

Materials

Sugar
Jar
Water
Pot
Clothespin
Wooden skewer
Food colouring

Instructions

Get an adult to boil 2 cups/475 ml of water in a large pot on the stove
With an adult’s help, stir in four cups/950 ml of sugar
Stir until sugar dissolves. Once dissolved allow the solution to cool for 15-20 minutes.
Wet the wooden sticks and roll them around in granulated sugar. You will need one stick per jar. Let dry.
Once the sugar mixture is cool, add the food colouring and stir
Pour the cooled mixture into a glass jar and insert the sugar-covered wooden stick into the centre of the glass. Make sure the stick is not touching any part of the jar by using a clothespin to prop it up
Cover the top of the glass with a paper towel, with a hole in the paper towel for the stick
Loud noises or movement can disturb the crystal process. Every day, the candy crystals will grow larger. They will reach their maximum growth potential by two weeks.
When you have a good amount of rock candy crystals, remove the stick and place it on a sheet of wax paper to dry

Lava Lamp

Materials

Empty water bottle
Vegetable Oil
Water
Food colouring
Alka-Seltzer tablets

Instructions

Fill the empty water bottle about half full with vegetable oil
Fill the rest with water, leaving a little space at the top
You will notice the water sinks below the vegetable oil. The oil floats on the surface because water is heavier than oil
Now, add the food colouring. The food colouring will only mix with water, not oil. It is recommended not to shake the mixture. Use a chopstick or straw to mix the food colouring
When you are ready for the fun, break the Alka-Seltzer tablet into four pieces. Drop them in one piece at a time
The best part is that your homemade lava lamp will work over and over again. You can even screw on the little plastic cap and break it out a few days later for fun. All you need is more Alka-Seltzer.

Gardening

Healthy Soil Test

Find out the health of the soil in the garden while learning how to experiment. This 30-minute activity is great for ages 3 and up.

Materials

Trowels
Gloves
Spray-bottle with water
1 foot/30.5 cm square frame made from cardboard or plastic
Compost

Directions

Choose an area of the garden to test.
Set-up the 1-foot/30.5 cm square in the area you want to test. This will be the sample area.
Dig gently in the sample area to search for worms, and count how many you find. Only worms found in the square should be counted. Remember that earthworms are fragile so please handle them gently and make sure your hands are damp.
How many earthworms did you find? Healthy soil will have at least five worms per square foot. If the soil isn‘t healthy, add a layer of compost to the top of the sample area.
Mark the sample area, and in one week try the experiment again. Did the number of worms change? Did adding compost to the soil attract more worms?

Recipe Club

Saucy Cheesy Pasta

Ingredients

1 box/375 gr pasta, any shape
5 cups/355ml tomato sauce
2 cups/475ml cheese

Directions

Cook pasta as directed by the box. Drain.
Put the drained pasta back in the pot and turn the heat to medium-low. Add the tomato sauce and stir to coat all the pasta.
Cook on low for a few minutes so the sauce can cook. Stir constantly so the pasta doesn’t stick.
Add cheese and stir until melted. Serve immediately.

Easy Peasy Stir Fry

Ingredients

25 cup/60 ml soy sauce
2 tablespoons/30 ml Grated ginger
3 tablespoons/45 ml Minced Garlic
2 tablespoons/30 ml Honey
2 tablespoons/30 ml Sriracha sauce
1 tablespoon/15 ml cooking oil
2 chicken breasts, cut into strips
4 cups/950 ml chopped vegetables, like
- Carrot sticks
- Celery sliced
- Bell pepper sliced
- Sliced mushrooms
- Chopped broccoli
Green onion for garnish
Salt to taste
Chilli flakes to taste

Directions

Add oil, soy sauce, sriracha, ginger, garlic and honey to a large pan and cook and until bubbling.
Add chicken strips and cook until chicken is done.
Add vegetables, salt and chilli flakes, and cook for a few minutes until vegetables are cooked but still crisp.
Garnish with sliced green onions and serve with rice or udon noodles.

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

25 cups/1000 ml chicken or vegetable stock
3 cups/710 ml diced butternut squash
2 cups/475 ml water
2 hot yellow peppers, deseeded and sliced
2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely diced
5 cloves garlic, diced
2 small onions
5 cup/120 ml fresh cilantro leaves
5 cups/355 ml kale, shredded
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon/5 ml turmeric paste (optional)

Directions

To make the soup base, add stock to a large pot and add peppers, garlic, ginger, onion, and turmeric paste and bring to a boil.
Once the soup base is boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and add squash and water.
Cook until squash is soft and can be mashed with a fork.
Remove the pot from the heat.
Add cilantro and salt to taste
Make the soup smooth by
1. using an immersion blender to carefully blend the soup in the pot
2. using a regular blender to blend in smaller batched
Return blended soup to low heat and add kale.
Simmer on low until kale is cooked

Fresh Guacamole

Ingredients

2 ripe avocado
5 small red onion, finely diced
5 lime, juiced
25 cup/60 ml cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 small jalapeno, deseeded and finely chopped
Salt to taste

Directions

Mash avocado until smooth
Add lime juice, onion, pepper and cilantro and mix well
Add salt to taste. Add more lime juice if needed.
Serve immediately

Fried Chicken Sandwich

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, sliced into filets
4 tablespoon/60 ml heaping flour
1 teaspoon/5 ml salt
1 teaspoon/5 ml ground black pepper
1 tablespoon/15 ml ground paprika
1 teaspoon/5 ml garlic powder
2 eggs
1 teaspoon/5 ml hot sauce
1 teaspoon/5 ml Worcestershire sauce
4 hamburger buns
Toppings of choice, like mayo, pickles, mustard, hot sauce
5 tablespoons/75 ml oil

Directions

To make the egg wash for chicken, beat eggs, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl and set aside.
To make flour mix for coating the chicken, mix flour, salt, black pepper, paprika and garlic powder on a plate and set aside.
Heat oil in a pan.
Coat chicken fillets in the flour mix, then coat with egg wash, and coat again in flour. Immediately place chicken in the pan.
Cook 5-7 minutes on one side and flip. Continue until chicken is fully cooked and the coating is brown and crunchy.
Lightly toast buns, add chicken and toppings as desired

Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup/240 ml peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
1 cup/240 ml sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons/30 ml chocolate chips (optional)
Sprinkle cinnamon (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/180 degrees Celsius
Mix ingredients together. Add chocolate chips and cinnamon if desired.
Drop spoonful of dough on a parchment-lined baking tray.
Bake for 6 to 8 minutes.
Let cool.

Shakshuka

Ingredients

Raw Vegetables
- 1 bell pepper, diced, or
- 2 stalks celery, diced, or
- 2 carrots, diced, or
- Any combination of the raw vegetable ingredients
Tomatoes
- 1 can/540 ml/19 fluid ounce diced tomatoes or
- 5 cup/120 ml passata and 5 small tomatoes diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 eggs
1 small onion diced
Salt to taste
5 teaspoon/2.5 ml ground chilli
1 teaspoon/5 ml ground paprika
Parsley or coriander for garnish

Directions

In a large pan on medium heat, add onion, garlic, and raw vegetables to a drizzle of oil
Add spices and tomatoes
Saute until vegetables are slightly tender
Add salt and chilli flakes
Crack the eggs on top, and turn down the heat to medium-low
Place lid on the pan. Cook on low until eggs are cooked through

Beans and Rice

Ingredients

1 540 ml/19 fl oz can black beans, rinsed
5 cups//355 ml rice
Salt to taste
Ground cumin to taste
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves
3 cups/710 ml water
1 cup/240 ml corn (optional)
1 diced bell pepper (optional)

Directions

In a pot on medium heat, add garlic, bay leaf and cumin to a drizzle of oil
Toast until fragrant
Add water and bring to a low boil for 7 minutes
Add beans and corn or diced peppers
Cook until rice is done. Fluff with a fork and serve

Garlic Knots

Ingredients

1 package active yeast
1 teaspoon/5 ml sugar
75 cup/180 ml warm water
25 cups/540 ml flour
1 teaspoon/5 ml salt
1 tablespoon/15 ml olive oil
25 cup/60 ml butter
25 parsley, chopped (optional)
4 Garlic cloves, chopped finely
Salt to taste
Chilli flakes to taste

Directions

Add yeast, warm water and sugar to a bowl. The yeast should start to foam after a couple of minutes. If it doesn’t, the yeast is too old and you will need new yeast. Let the yeast sit for up to 5 minutes.
In a separate bowl, mix salt and flour and form a well or pit in the centre.
Add olive oil and the yeast mixture in the well.
Roll until a dough forms, either by hand or stand mixer.
Rub dough with olive oil and place in a plastic bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm and sunny area. Let dough sit for at least 90 minutes or until dough doubles in size.
After the dough has doubled in size, roll the dough out and cut it into four sections
Roll these sections and slice each one into strips.
Twist the strips into knots and place them on a lined baking tray.
Once all knots are done, brush lightly with olive oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for 90 minutes
After 90 minutes, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit/205 degrees Celsius
When the oven is ready, bake the knots for 12 to 15 minutes until golden
While the knots are baking, make the garlic butter mix by melting butter and stirring in parsley, garlic, salt and chilli flakes
After the knots are baked and removed from the oven, brush with garlic butter mix and serve

Chicken Curry

Ingredients

5 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon/5 ml cumin seeds
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons/30 ml garam masala
5 tablespoon/22 ml curry powder
8 chicken thighs or 10 chicken drumsticks
Raw vegetables
- 2 small potatoes, cut into chunks or
- 25 small cabbage, sliced
1-inch ginger, minced (optional)
2 fresh chilli (deseeded for flavour, leave seeds for spiciness) (optional)
1 teaspoon/5 ml turmeric paste (optional)

Directions

In a saucepan on medium heat, add garlic, ginger, onion, cumin, chilli to a drizzle of oil
Sautee until fragrant
Add curry powder, garam masala and turmeric
Toast until fragrant
Add chicken and enough water to partially cover the chicken
Continue to cook on medium heat until chicken is almost cooked through
Add raw vegetables
Continue to cook until chicken and vegetables are fully cooked

Vegetarian Option

Leave out the chicken and double the number of vegetables in the recipe
Add 1 541 ml/19 fluid ounce can of chickpeas and cook
Only add water as needed

Scavenger Hunts

Scavenger hunts are a great boredom buster and can be played indoors or outside. They can be a great way to burn off energy while hunting around the house for the items on the list.

Basic Scavenger Hunt 1

Find:

a stuffed bear
paper airplane
a random sock
sunglasses
book
a red crayon
a potted plant
ruler
toothpaste
flashlight
a cup of coffee
a bouncy ball
salt and pepper shakers
building blocks
a fork
a blanket

Basic Scavenger Hunt 2

Find something:

furry
soft
bumpy
sticky
smelly
slimy
noisy
cold
hot
hard
crunchy
smooth

Five Senses Scavenger Hunt

Sight

Find something:

White
Patterned
Tiny
Long

Or find 5 of the same thing.

Sound

Find something that:

snaps
makes a soft sound
crunches
makes a loud sound
makes an animal sound

Smell

Find:

a flower with a scent
something with a smell you like
something with a smell you don’t like

Touch

Find something:

bumpy
wet
warm
soft
smooth

Taste

Find something:

humans could eat
an animal would eat

Alphabet Scavenger Hunt

A – ant
B – bark
C – creek
D – dew
E – evergreen tree
F – flower
G – green leaf
H – hat
I – an insect in a web
J – a jug of water
K – kindling
L – ladybug
M – map
N – nest
O – orange leaf
P – pinecone
R – rock
S – sunglasses
T – tree
U – unique looking rock
V – V shape in a tree
W – walking stick
X – X marks the spot
Z – zig-zag

Awesome Scavenger Hunt

Something orange
Something used for arts & crafts
Something that keeps you warm
Something you wear on your hands
Something that bounces
Something you use to build
Something purple
Something that squishes
Something hard
Something that is an animal
Something you use to write your name
Something sticky
Something with numbers on it
Something that is a type of puzzle
Something with holes in it
Something that plays music
Something that is the shape of a triangle
Something with letters on it
Something that makes you happy
Something with teeth
Something that floats on water
Something that lights up
Something you can look through
Something that flies
Something that spins
Something you wear on your feet

Sidewalk Art & Activities

Outdoor Board Game

Make your own board game or recreate your favourites with chalk on your sidewalk, patio or driveway. Don’t have chalk? Try using masking tape instead.

Ideas

Tic Tac Toe
Twister
Snakes and Ladders. To figure out how many steps a player can take, you can
- Make your own dice
- Draw numbers from a hat
Checkers, using plastic plates or containers as the game pieces

DIY Sidewalk Chalk Paint

Here’s a different way to add art to your sidewalk or driveway.

Materials

Containers or Muffin tin
Measuring Cups
Mixing Bowl
Cornstarch
Food Colouring
Paintbrushes
Water

Instructions

Mix 1 part water to 1 part cornstarch until there are no clumps
Pour the mixture into the containers or muffin tin
Add in a few drops of food colouring to each cup and mix until blended.
Paint!

Source: MakeAndTakes.com

How Big is a Blue Whale?

Find out just how big a blue whale is! This activity will give you a bit of practice with math, science and even some engineering! Try a smaller sea creature if you just don’t have space for a blue whale, like an octopus or a dolphin.

Materials

Tape Measure
Chalk
A picture of your sea creature (or digital image on an at-home device)
The length of your sea creature
Other information about your sea creature. Does it change colour? Like to jump out of the water? If you’re doing a Blue Whale, check out NatGeoKids’ 10 Blue Whale Facts.

Instructions

Take your chalk and make a mark on the pavement. Make sure you have a lot of room to draw your creature!
Put the start of your tape measure at the mark you made and start measuring out the length of your creature. You might need someone to help hold the tape measure
Once you have the length of your sea creature measured out, make a mark on the pavement with chalk. You can put the tape measure away now
Start drawing! How accurate can you make your sea creature?

Source: KCEdventures.com

Number Maze

Help younger kids learn to count with this fun and simple maze.

Materials

Chalk or tape

Instructions

Draw a grid
Pick any square, and write the number 1 inside
Choose any square that’s next to the number 1 square, and write the number 2 inside
Choose any square that’s next to the number 2 square, and write the number 3 inside
Continue writing in numbers in squares until all the squares are done
Decorate the starting and finishing squares so they stand out
Your maze is ready to go!

Alternative

You can make the squares as simple or as complicated as you like. Try math problems, patterns or the alphabet. Instead of a grid, try a shape like a boat or an animal.

Source: HandsOnAsWeGrow.com

More ideas

Draw animal footprints in different colours and make a game of hopping on certain ones
Play hopscotch
Design an obstacle course
- Draw a tightrope to balance on
- Draw a swirl to twirl on
- Draw a maze to run through
- Draw a circle to jump over
- Draw a triangle to jump over
Write friendly notes for your neighbours to see while practicing social distancing
Make a race track for toy cars and trucks

Youth

Styling your Outfit of the Day (#OOTD) in 5 easy steps

Select a neutral base colour. Think black, white, grey, blues, browns. Most of the outfit should be in these colours.
Figure out accessories and choose a bright accent colour.
Add final touches like jewelry or glasses/sunglasses.
For the photo, make sure the background is free from clutter and make sure it’s well-lit. Cloudy days are the best lighting.
Pose to show off your outfit!

Once the balance of the base and accent colours becomes easy, try switching it around. Go for a bright base colour and neutral accents.

Still need Volunteer hours?

Youth Council is a great way to complete your volunteer hours for school or to add to your resume. Youth Councils are being hosted virtually and help youth

Find volunteer or employment opportunities
Plan and support special events
Connect with recreational activities and more.

Contact your nearest Youth Outreach Worker to get involved.

Youth Outreach Worker	Location	Cell Phone Number
Marlon Greene	Antibes Community Centre	416-936-7821
Preppy Gnanavel	Grandravine/Northwood Community Centre	647-473-7664
Paul Walwyn	Dennis R Timbrell Community Centre	416-936-8265
Hutton Barry	Oriole Community Centre	416-906-6401
Kenneth Wilson	Falstaff Community Centre	647-212-6775
Ernestine Dunkley	Driftwood Community Centre	416-717-9157
Janice Morrison	Oakdale Community Centre	416-992-9714
Althea Greene	Chalkfarm Community Centre	416-984-7309
Shane Jeremiah	Elmbank Community Centre	416-999-4681
Juliana Riffat	O’connor Community Centre	416-908-9784
Nigel Levy	James S Bell	647-212-7626
Michael Campbell	Kingsview Village	416-984-7306
Sabrina Novello-Cheatley	North Kipling Community Centre	416-984-0807
Wilton Hall	Mount Dennis Community Centre	416-984-7282
Bryan Cando	Fairbank Community Centre	647-473-7662
Cas Wilson	Heron Park Community Centre	416-936-8573
Zachary Fraser	Don Montgomery Community Centre	416-771-4840
Robyn Anderson	Centennial Community Centre	416-936-8578
Eileen Alexander	L’amoreaux Community Centre	416-906-4967
Jody Gyivicsan	Scadding Court Community Centre	416-896-6437
Rafiat Ahmed	McGregor Community Centre	416-999-7207
Whitney Watts	Warden Hilltop Community Centre	416-688-7802
Chris Banton	Scarborough Village Community Centre	416-791-0954
Maranda Williams	Jimmie Simpson Community Centre	416-896-5957
Victor Galen	John Innis Community Centre	416-771-1449
Geeta Wahab	Malvern Community Centre	416-936-8597
Peter Kawano	Regent Park Community Centre	416-936-7825
Nastaran Yadollahi	Secord Community Centre	416-936-8605
Veronica Simic	Masaryk-Cowan Community Centre	416-984-6946
Jansten Labagnao	Wellesley Community Centre	416-677-5654