Great Magician

Materials:

• Art supplies
• cardboard tube from wire hanger
• tape

Why not let your kids cast a few of their own spells while you cook. It's great fun! But first, they'll need a magic wand.

Your kids can make a wand using the cardboard tube from an old wire clothes hanger, or some other suitable thin tube. To give the tube magical properties, they can cover it with aluminum foil and tape a cardboard star to the end.

Of course, every magician needs a hat. Roll a large sheet of black construction paper into a cone. Make sure the bottom of the cone fits comfortably over your child's head. Trim the bottom so that it's even. To create an authentic look, your child can cut stars out of white paper or aluminum foil and glue them to the hat.

Now your little magician is all set. Just make your request, and presto! the job is done. Peel that onion without shedding a tear . . . make the laundry disappear . . . make the dishes wash themselves. Now, those are tough tricks to follow!

More on: Imagination Play

Excerpted from:

© 2005 by Steve and Ruth Bennett. Excerpted from 365 Unplugged Family Fun Activities with permission of its publisher, Perseus Books Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

To order this book visit perseusbooksgroup.com.