• Empty plastic juice bottle with at least one flat side and lid
• Scissors
• Craft foam
• Hot glue gun
• Scrap piece of window screen or tulle
• Natural items like rocks, grass, twigs etc.

1. Remove all labels from juice bottle. Wash inside and out thoroughly with warm water and mild dish soap. Rinse well and dry. Be sure to save the lid.
2. Lay bottle on its flat side and use scissors to cut on opening on the side facing up.
3. Cut a piece of screen or tulle to fit over the opening, overlapping it by about ¼” all the way around the edge.
4. Cut a piece of craft foam about ½” bigger (all the way around) than the screen or tulle you just cut out. Cut center out of foam to create a “window.”
5. Hot glue the screen to the craft foam.
6. Hot glue the screen window to the opening on the bottle.
7. Place rocks, pebbles, dirt, grass, twigs, or whatever other natural items you choose inside the bottle through the opening at the top.
8. To catch bugs with your bottle, place the bottle on the ground in tall grass where the insects can climb in. Alternatively, you can catch insects on your own and place them into the bottle through the lid opening, then secure the lid.
9. If you have trouble setting an insect free, or if you need to replace the greenery inside, you can easily peel back the screen cover. To replace, simply add more hot glue and secure in place again.

• Do not leave the bottle in the sun, especially with insects inside. The plastic can get very hot and cause harm to your houseguests.
• This same project can be made in miniature form by using a small plastic juice bottle instead — perfect for class projects.
• If you’ve lost the lid but have a juice bottle, cover the opening with tulle or screen and secure with a rubber band.

• Empty two liter plastic bottle
  with lid
• Clear vegetable oil or mineral oil
• Water
• Funnel

• Blue food coloring
• Small star fish, shells and other sea creatures
• One tsp glitter
• White craft glue

• Hot glue

1. Wash and dry two-liter bottle and remove all labels
2. Fill bottle halfway with tap water
3. Add a few drops of blue food coloring and swirl around to mix
4. Add glitter
5. Add sea creatures
6. Fill bottle the rest of the way with vegetable oil using a funnel
7. Be sure that rim and cap are dry, then apply white craft glue around the rim. Seal cap.
8. Use a layer of hot glue around the outer edge of the cap for added protection from leakage
9. Turn bottle on its side and gently rock the bottle to create a “wave” inside your ocean habitat!

• Use lightweight starfish, shells and other sea creature toys that can float. Test them first in a bowl or glass of water. Find these at your local craft supply store or discount department store.
• Make the ocean any color you choose! Blue is standard of course, but if your child’s room is decorated with red and yellow, go with red food coloring. There’s no rule that says your ocean must be blue.
• Small children will be mesmerized by this creation. They can help make this every step. Let them insert the sea creatures, hold the funnel and help add the tap water. In the steps that may be more difficult for little fingers, have them hold the bottle steady for you while you add the glitter.

• Inexpensive glass bottle with cork; found at craft stores or any bottle with lid
• Several different and colorful flavors of Kool-Aid (8 quart presweetened) or other brands
• Dry pudding mix or cocoa, if desired for brown color
• Ice tea spoon
• Small funnel or frosting decorating tips

• Hot glue gun and glue sticks

1. Open the top of each Kool-Aid container so you can see all of the different colors.
2. Place the funnel in the top of the bottle. If the funnel is too large, use
   a frosting decorating tip to work as a funnel.
3. Spoon the different kinds of Kool-Aid into the bottle through the funnel
   in the order that you desire.
4. Fill up the bottle with all of the different colors.
5. Put hot glue around the edge of the cork and place it in the top of
   the bottle.

• You can also do this craft in a baby food jar with a lid. You can poke a toothpick down the sides of the bottle to form designs in the sand.

Baseball crossword puzzle


Test out your knowledge of baseball with this fun crossword puzzle

Across

1. Catches ball thrown by the pitcher.

3. Calls strikes and balls.

4. A wooden or metal object used to hit the baseball.

6. This player throws the ball over home plate

9. The area between three bases and home plate.

10. when a player runs around all the bases.

11. a group of players that play a game

Down

1. A brimmed hat worn by the team

2. The part of the field furthest from the batter and outside of the diamond.

5. Used to catch a ball

7. There are nine _______ in a baseball game.

8. A game that is played on a diamond.