May 31, 2013

Fun with the Kids Fridays: Snake O'Cups


Fun Fridays!! Woohoo.

Now that school is out we are in desperate need of fun projects and boredom busters.

These snakes are super fun and just about the most awesome thing ever. Just ask my boys.

They are obsessed with snakes. We have several books all about snakes, and they read them all the time. Their favorite snake fact:

There is a snake that farts up to 6 feet to ward off predators.

Every time the boys talk about it they laugh and laugh and laugh.

In one of the books, there was an idea to make a snake from cups.

Yep, that was going to happen.


A bunch of cups and an hour or so equals three very happy boys.


Here is how you can make a Snake O'Cups all your own--

You need:
colorful paper cups
brads
red pipe cleaners
craft eyes
hot glue



Every cup, except the head cups and the first cup, will need 4 holes.

Two holes on the top on opposite sides of the cup and two holes on the bottom on opposite sides. Both sets of holes need to be about an inch from the top and bottom.

Punch the holes with a push pin, that will make it easier to put the brads in.


You connect the cups by putting one cup into the other. Then you attach them with brads through the top holes of the outside cup to the bottom of the inside cup.

The first cup you do only needs the holes at the top. This will be the tail. You continue attaching cups working towards where the head will be. Alternate colors, create a pattern. Basically keep at it until you have a snake to your liking. Our were about 17 cups long.


I will warn you that you will need to help. The brads were a bit tricky for little teeny fingers. The brads also really need to be fastened good. I mean they have to withhold any ensuing snake fights...that will occur, I promise you.

The snake wranglers will appreciate all your hard work though.


Just before you add the head, you will stop with a cup only attached at the bottom. Set it aside and make the head.

For the head, first make the tongue.

You need 2 red pipe cleaners.


Twist it together, leaving about and inch untwisted.


Then twist it all together.


Cut a tiny hole in the bottom of a cup and pull the pipe cleaner through using the left over inch to keep it in place.


With hot glue, attach the eyes on either side of the top of the tongue cup. Then glue that cup to the last cup of the snake body.


Draw some fangs by the tongue and....

DONE.


The brads make the cups move very snake-like.

These are the only pet snakes our boys will EVER have.


When not being carried, they prefer to lounge in the sun.


My boys gave this project two very enthusiastic thumbs up. Now they can stop pestering me for their own pet snake.

Which is good, cause it was never.gonna.happen.

Happy Friday!!
Linking here:
Your Homebased Mom
Thirty Handmade Days

2 comments:

Whatever Dee-Dee wants said...

My son would love making these.

phatquarters said...

Love, love, love this idea. My kids love snakes and this is sure to be a summer favorite now! Thanks for the inspiration.

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