• Slice open a trash bag lengthwise and tape down the plastic sheet. Draw a 14-inch-diameter circle with a centerline and squared-off bottom. (Tip: Use a foot-long loop of string as a compass. Anchor the loop in place with a pencil’s eraser end, insert a marker, pull the loop taut, and draw the circle.) Draw a 1-inch margin around the top and sides for tabs. Decorate with markers, if desired. Cut out the pattern and the tabs. Tape the dowel to the centerline of the kite’s back.

• Straighten the hanger, bend it around the top of the dowel and then down along the perimeter of the kite.

  Use bricks or books to hold the wire in place.

• Starting at the top of the kite, tightly fold and tape the tabs around the wire, alternating from left to right.

  Trim the excess wire with wire cutters.

• Place two pieces of tape (for reinforcement) across the centerline on the front of the kite, 1 inch down from the top and 3 1/2 inches up from the bottom. Use a needle to poke the bridle–a 3-foot length of cord- -through the upper piece of tape, alongside the dowel. Loop the cord around the dowel, send the needle back through the plastic on the opposite side of the dowel, then thread the cord back through and around the dowel again. Secure the cord to itself with a triple knot. Repeat this process with the other end of the bridle at the lower taped point. Attach the snap swivel 1 1/4 inches above the bridle’s midpoint (figure C).

  Use a lark’s head knot: fold the cord and thread it through the swivel’s nonopening end; draw the loop of cord over the entire swivel, then pull tight. Tie the kite cord to the swivel’s clasp.

• For the tail, tape together five plastic strips (2 inches by 4 bag lengths each), tape them to the kite’s bottom and decorate.

  Tips: HOW TO LAUNCH THE KITE: Despite that classic image from childhood, running is not the best way to launch a kite. Instead, release it from your hand as you slowly let out line or have a helper stand 100 feet downwind and release the kite as you reel in the line. (Be sure to be far away from power lines.) In strong winds, move the swivel up 1/2 inch on the bridle; in light, down 1/2 inch. If the kite spins and dives, lengthen the tail.

Color small bowls of water with food coloring Using an eye dropper or a straw, scatter drops of colored water onto round coffee filters and watch the colors bleed and blend. While the filters dry draw eyes and body details on wooden clothespins. Gather each coffee filter up in the center and clip with the clothespin.

Make antennea for each butterfly by inserting a pipe cleaner into the end of the clothespin and twisting it secure. Bend the ends of the pipe cleaner to make it look realistic. You can use tissue paper instead of coffee filters for a multi-layered effect. Decorate with sequins and buttons. Make caterpillars from green pom-poms glued to a large paper leaf (with a bite taken out of it) for a before and after exhibit.

• Cover your workspace with newspaper (this will make it easier to clean up later). Pour 1/4 cup or so of tacky glue into a plastic cup and dilute it slightly with a teaspoon of water.

• Show your kids how to use a paintbrush to coat the outside of a clean bottle or jar with the glue solution and then sprinkle spoonfuls of colored sand over the glued surface, rotating the bottle to spread the sand evenly.

• Allow the glue to dry completely. Once your kids get the hang of it, encourage them to experiment with multicolored designs. Or they might apply the glue in swirls or other shapes to create interesting patterns.

Pop popcorn. Put handfuls of popcorn in plastic baggies and add powdered tempura paint to each one.

Shake well to distribute paint all over the popcorn Cut stems and leaves out of green construction paper and glue them to tagboard. Glue on the colored popcorn to make spring flowers.

Use scissors to cut the shapes of birds eggs from construction paper. Glue the eggs onto cardboard.

Glue short strands of yarn under the eggs for a nest allow them to dry completely. Use markers to draw tree branches around the nest and speckles on the eggs. Draw leaves or use real ones, or felt (whatever) to make leaves on the branches. Variations: Wash and dry pieces or real eggshells. Glue them on top of the yard nests. Talk about the kinds of birds that live in your area. Compare their sizes, shapes, and colors. Take a walk and look for nests in trees. Talk about the materials that birds use to build nests and how high or low the nests are in the trees.

Roll up a little ball on one end of the pipe cleaner so that when you stick it through the flower it won’t just fall out. First cut the shape of the “back” of the daffodil…or approximately anyway. Put a small hole in the center for the pipe cleaner. Cut the cupcake paper in half. Roll it till you can glue the pleated edges together, making the part of the flower that sticks out in front. Make a hole (or sort of open the one that’s there) and put the pipe cleaner through both parts of the flower; glue the “trumpet” onto the back of the flower. You can also add a little edge of orange with markers to make them look like the variations of daffodils.

• Stack four 3-inch fabric squares so that all the edges match up.

• Starting from one end, fold the stack accordion style to create 1/2-inch-wide pleats, then tightly wrap a rubber band around the center.

• Sandwich the pleated stack between the bend of a folded pipe cleaner, then twist together the ends to form a stem.

• Separate the fabric layers to form a round, ruffled flower and remove any shaggy threads from the cut edges.

• First, make a ring with the wire to fit on your child’s head. Then, cut shorter lengths of wire for fastening the flowers onto the ring.

• Gather daisies, dandelions, violets, and other wildflowers and trim the stems to about 4 inches long.

• Lay the flowers along the ring and attach the stems with the short pieces of wire. For best results, have your child hold the flowers on the ring while you do this. Continue adding flowers until the ring is covered.

  Tips: Before your child tries on the crown, be sure there are no loose ends of wire sticking out.

• Paint the saucer and pots. When the paint dries, add a coat of clear acrylic finish. Let it dry.

• Using a pushpin, make a hole in the center of the plastic saucer and at four equidistant spots around the side of the saucer. Widen the holes with scissors or a compass point if needed (a parent’s job).

• Cut five leaf shapes out of the soda bottle (a parent’s job).

• Cut four 1 1/2-foot lengths of string.

• To make each chime, punch a hole in the end of a plastic leaf and tie it onto the end of the string. Next, slip on the bell, tie a knot about 3/4 inch above the bell, thread on a button and then a pot (upside down).

• Thread the end of the string out through one of the side holes in the saucer (thread from the inside and make sure the saucer’s upside down). To fasten in place, run the string up through one hole in a button and then down through another hole and knot tightly.

• Mark off the top edge of a 22- by 5-inch piece of construction paper in 3-inch sections.

• Then, cut a deep “V” in every other marked section.

• Next, make the tulip’s notched tops by snipping three small “V”s along the top edge of the uncut sections.

• Paint on tulip petals, stems and leaves, then tape the ends in the back so the crown fits snugly on your child’s head.