Pinecone Spiders
Combine outdoor exploration with indoor crafting by taking your kids on a nature walk to collect pinecones of various shapes and sizes. Once back inside, these textured treasures can be easily converted into creepy-crawly spiders. Using brown or black chenille stems (pipe cleaners), kids can wrap four long pieces around the center of the pinecone, bending them to create eight joints, creepy legs that allow the spider to stand upright on its own.
To complete the arachnid look, glue a cluster of multi-sized googly eyes to the flat base of the pinecone. Some spiders can have two giant eyes, while others can have eight tiny ones for a more realistic, albeit cute, appearance. This craft is fantastic for teaching kids about forest ecosystems while allowing them to manipulate different textures, combining the rough, woody feel of nature with the soft, fuzzy texture of pipe cleaners.