Using your backyard hose, fill a medium-sized plastic trash bag with one to two gallons of water. Knot the top of the bag.

Tie one end of the rope tightly beneath the knot. Toss the free end of the rope over a tree branch (a parent's job) and either tie it securely or have the adult stand by to raise and lower the piñaqua.

 To play, each child takes a turn getting blindfolded, getting spun around three times, and then taking three whacks at the piñaqua with the broom. The winner is the one who manages to break the bag and unleash the tidal wave.

The Frame: Cut six 66-inch lengths of ribbon.

 Fold each length of ribbon in half, wrap the central fold around the hoop, and loop the ribbon's ends through it as shown.

Arrange the ribbons so that they are evenly spread around the hoop. Gather the ends in the middle of the hoop, fold them over, then knot them, leaving a loop for hanging the canopy. Trim the excess ribbon.

The Covering: Mark a dot at the center point of one length of muslin or tulle. Affix a 2-inch square of duct tape over the dot, turn the fabric over, and affix a second 2-inch square aligned with the first.

Cut a 3/4-inch hole through the taped spot. Repeat on the second length of fabric.

 Lay the two lengths of fabric so they form an X, with the holes aligned as shown. Place the hoop under the fabric and thread the ribbon loop through the holes. Once the canopy is hung, trim the fabric's bottom edge with pinking shears if desired.

 The Leafy Topper: Lay the frame atop the felt. With chalk, draw a circle 6 inches outside the hoop. Cut along the line, then trim the edge into a leafy fringe. Cut a center hole, place the topper over the frame, and thread the loop through the hole.

 Clip On Some Critters! To adorn our tulle canopy and hold back the fabric for an entranceway, we made floaty butterflies. For each, fold two 9-inch squares of tulle accordion-style, stack them, and twist a pipe cleaner around the center point. Use strong adhesive (such as Crafter's Pick The Ultimate glue) to affix each butterfly -- or each plastic bug for your safari canopy -- to a wooden clothespin.

With a wire whisk, blend together 1 package of instant chocolate pudding, 2 cups milk, 1/2 cup cream, and 1/2 cup sugar.

Pour the mixture into popsicle molds. Or, pour it into small plastic cups, cover each with aluminum foil, and insert a craft stick through the foil.

Freeze and eat.

Make an opening in the seam of the tie 6 inches or so from the large end and pour the split peas down into the tip.

To keep the peas from shifting around, seal off the end of the tie with a line of glue (insert your gun into the opening you made) or sew across the width of the tie. Glue the seam back together, as well as any other openings that would allow the peas to escape.

Use hot glue, googly eyes, felt, and other materials to create a snake face.

Boil the water, add the salt and the vinegar, and stir until the salt is dissolved. Let the brine cool.

Gently scrub the cucumbers clean, especially the blossom ends. Alternating layers, pack the cucumbers, dill, and garlic (and grape leaves, if desired) into a 1-gallon jar or crock. Leave 1 or 2 inches of empty space near the top.

Pour the brine into the jar. To keep the cucumbers submerged, weigh them down with a heavy glass.

Drape a piece of cheesecloth or a clean dish towel over the jar and let it sit on the counter for one to three days, until the pickles taste the way you like them. Transfer the pickles and brine to smaller jars and refrigerate them.

 Start by pressing the flowers. The easiest method is to set them between paper towels and lay a heavy book on top. After a few days, most flowers will be dry and flat.

Next, seal a pressed blossom or two between two squares of clear Con-Tact paper. Work out any air bubbles with your fingers. With scissors, trim the edges of the Con-Tact paper around the flower and make a small hole in the top of the medallion.

Thread a loop of floral wire (for a hanger) through the hole. Finally, string the pendant onto the ball chain and the necklace is ready to wear.

 Blow up a dozen or so balloons and draw shark faces on them with permanent markers.

Fill the kiddie pool with water, add the balloons, and watch the game begin as the children try to sit on the balloons and pop them

The player who squashes the most sharks wins. However, keeping score may fall by the wayside as the sittin', slippin', and slidin' get into full gear.

The object of this classic game is for players (you'll need two or more) to land their bottle caps in the numbered squares

 To set up, use chalk to draw the board shown at right on a patch of pavement
(ours was 3 feet square).

To start, one player sets a cap on the starting line and flicks it, trying to land it in the 1 box without touching a line. If he succeeds, he leaves the cap in that box and goes again, shooting another cap at the 2 box, and so on. If he misses, he collects that cap and the next player takes a turn.

If a player hits another's cap out of a box, he places his in that box and continues shooting (the other player has to shoot for that box again).

If a player lands his cap in the square around the 9 box, he loses two turns.

The first player to get a cap in all nine squares wins.

To make one, cut a lengthwise slit in a peeled banana and place it on a sheet of aluminum foil.

Stuff in as many chocolate chips and mini marshmallows as you can fit.

Wrap the foil around the banana and place it on a grill for about 5 minutes.

The melt, once cooled, is best eaten with a spoon (and lots of napkins).

Start collecting. Found objects are the soul of this project: feathers, small stones, bits of plastic and rubber, bottle caps, seaweed, driftwood, colorful sand and gravel, rope, twigs, leaves, dried bugs, sea glass, pinecones. Just avoid things that might eventually stink or shrink.

Dig your mold (see Tips below). This should be five to eight inches tall and about two inches deep (the sides of deeper molds may crumble while you are putting in your objects). We find that smaller faces tend to be the most charming, and by the time you add projecting objects they can get pretty big anyway.

Place your objects. You have to think in reverse since you are seeing the mask from the inside out. This is a learning experience for younger children.

Mix the plaster. (You can use sea water.) Usually, a thick cream consistency works well. Too runny, and your plaster can seep beneath objects, so that they are hidden when you uncover the masks. Too thick, and the plaster dislodges objects and messes up the mask's shape. It is not difficult to get the consistency right, but once you've got it, fill up as many of the impressions as you can.

Pour the plaster slowly over your hand, held just an inch or two above the impression, to break its fall. Go easy--too much will spread out over the sand and change the mask's shape. Try to keep the plaster layer about an inch thick.

Tie a knot, to act as an anchor, about a half inch from each end of a piece of your string or wire. After a couple of minutes, when the plaster begins to thicken, push the ends of the string or wire into the back of the mask to harden in place as a hanger when the plaster dries.

Unmold your mask. The plaster will set up, depending on its thickness, in about ten minutes. It is a good idea to dig the mold away from the mask rather than yank the mask out, because any unset objects are more likely to stay put. It is also a good idea to take out the mask before it is completely hardened. (The plaster gets hot while setting; remove it when it is cool enough to handle.)

Wash your mask off. Carry it to the ocean and gently, gently wash away any flaws before they set completely. You will have a few moments to manipulate the plaster's surface (cleaning off, digging in, rubbing away excess sand) to get the result you want.

Place all the masks face up to admire and let them sit awhile to completely harden. You may sell them to unsuspecting tourists if you wish.

Hints:
Open eyes and mouths, teeth, and hair look great but require engineering, and firm sand, if you want them to hold their place. If you bury feathers, seaweed, or rope in the bottom of the mold so that enough projects up for the plaster to grip, they will dangle or stick out from the mask without being completely embedded. Plaster is cheap and the props are limitless, so feel free to experiment.

 Place the rock at the center of a 15-inch-long piece of wire and wrap the wire around the rock a few times to secure it.

Twist together the ends, then wrap the twist around a pencil to form a loop. Use pliers to close the loop, then cut off any excess wire.

To finish, thread a necklace-length piece of leather cord through the loop and knot the ends.


Return to 7 Great Camp Crafts and Games

We chose a slide sleeve with pockets measuring 2 by 2 inches. In that size, you can easily fit:

Small souvenirs
Ticket stubs from parks or theaters
Bird feathers
Decals and stickers
Pine needles, leaves, dried flowers
Cropped photos or postcards
Map fragments

 Start with a strip of paper-backed fusible web large enough to trace a pair of sandals onto. Iron it onto the back of a piece of cotton fabric. Trace the sandal soles onto the paper backing, as shown, then cut out the shapes.

 Peel the backing from the shapes and stick them on the front of a prewashed cotton T-shirt. To fuse them to the shirt, iron them according to the directions on the fusible web package.

 For each sandal strap, hand-stitch the center of a 9-inch piece of ribbon to the front of the sandal, as shown. Fold under the ends of the ribbons and stitch them in place along the sides of the sandals.

 Wrap the plastic bag around the cardboard and slip it inside the shirt and then lay the shirt face up on the newspaper. Have your child draw various shapes, such as the shark, swirl, zigzag, or flower shown here, on the Con-Tact paper. Cut out the shapes and stick them onto the shirt so that they are firmly attached.

In the spray bottle, mix three parts fabric paint to two parts warm water and shake. Now your child can spray the paint onto the fabric all around the cutouts. Advise him that a light spray will produce a striking bubbly effect and is less likely to seep under the stencil. (Another option is to press paint-coated sponges onto the fabric.)

Once the paint dries, remove the Con-Tact paper and the cardboard, then heat-set the design and launder the shirt according to the paint manufacturer's directions.

Wrap the plastic bag around the cardboard and slip it inside the shirt. Then create the stamps by cutting the tip of each carrot into a square or triangle shape (a parent's job).

Use the paper and pencil to experiment with a few designs. It's best to stick with shapes that aren't too intricate, like a broad-leaved flower or a flag. When the pattern is chosen, re-sketch it on the shirt.

 Pour fabric paint onto the plastic plates and dip the carrot tips into the paint. Use them to print a series of squares and triangles to fill in the sketched design.

To finish, heat-set the finished design and launder the shirt according to the paint manufacturer's directions.

Combine the sugar, half and half, and vanilla extract in the pint-size bag and seal it tightly.

Place the salt and ice in the gallon-size bag, then place the sealed smaller bag inside as well. Seal the larger bag. Now shake the bags until the mixture hardens (about 5 minutes). Feel the small bag to determine when it's done.

Take the smaller bag out of the larger one, add mix-ins, and eat the ice cream right out of the bag. Easy cleanup too! Serves 1.