Instead of using scissors, which are hard for small fingers to use anyway, try paper tearing, which is slowly twisting and turning a piece of paper as you tear it so that it will have an interesting design when completed.

Carbon Paper

Staple, or fasten with paper clips, two sheets of paper together with the carbon in between. Use a lead pencil to make pictures. For children who do not know the magic of carbon, this is a new experience.

Paper Chains

Cut colored construction paper into strips approximately one inch by five inches. Form a circle by pasting or stapling the ends together. Run the next strip through the first circle, staple ends together, and continue. It is hard for small children to get the idea of overlapping the ends.

Not this...

but this.

Paper Lantern

Fold a rectangular sheet of paper in half crosswise (8 1/2" x 11"). Starting on the fold, cut one-inch strips to within one inch of the top.

It will help the child if you will draw a line at this inch mark to indicate where he should stop cutting. Either paste or staple the two lengthwise edges together. Fasten a strip over the top for a handle.

Paper Fan

Pleat a rectangular sheet of paper by folding back and forth. Wind a rubber band several times around one end of folded pleats for a handle. Ease the pleats out a little, and fan!

Paper Hat

Fold a rectangular sheet of paper in half crosswise. From the folded end, fold the two corners to the center of the paper and within an inch or two from the bottom of the paper. Fold the open ends up, one on each side of the hat Makes excellent use of an easel painting done on newsprint Or use newspaper.

Paper Boat

Make a hat from 8" X11" paper then:

Paper Airplane

Fold a piece of paper x 11" in half. Open the paper and fold down two corners at one end to meet the crease line, then fold again to the crease line. Then fold so that the two sides meet. Fold each side halfway back again.

Paper Snowflakes

Fold a square of paper in half, then in half again. Cut slashes, notches, or scallops, and unfold. (See "Christmas Decorations" in the Holidays section.)

Paper Spirals

Start with a circle of paper. It could be aluminum foil, metallic paper, or colored construction paper. From the outside draw a line around and around until it comes to the center. The child can follow this line with scissors. Fun to do any time, but they are especially for Christmas tree ornaments (see "Christmas Decorations" under Holidays).

Jigsaw Puzzles

After the child has colored or painted his picture on a piece of cardboard (such as a shirt cardboard), cut it into four or five pieces and let him fit the picture together again. (See Stay-in-Bed Days.)

Paper Plates

Paper-plate clock: Mark numbers around the edge of the plate. Cut hands (one slightly longer than the other) and fasten in the center with a paper fastener. As you can see, the child can do little or nothing in making this project, but he will enjoy having the clock.

Paper-plate hat: Tie a ribbon on opposite sides of a paper plate. Tie the ribbons under the chin. Mostly for girls.

Paper-plate tambourine: This is described in the section You Can make Your Own Music.

Paper-plate picture: Let the child color with crayon, colored chalk, or poster paint on both sides of a paper plate. Punch holes in the top of the picture, tie yarn through the holes, and hang it in his room. It is reversible.

Paper-Bag Masks

Cut off a few inches or roll the bottom of a paper bag up so the top of the bag rests on the child's head. Measure where the eyes are and cut circles (take the bag off of his head first). Lengths of yarn can be glued on the top of the bag for hair, or soda straws cut in half and glued on to make whiskers. The child can color his mask as he likes. A spaceman can be made by cutting a large circle in the front of the bag and pasting a piece of cellophane over the opening (see "Halloween" in the Holidays section).

Shoe-Box Train

Tie several shoe boxes together with short pieces of string. The child will pull the train with a long piece of string tied to the first box.

Parachute

Tie a string (12") around each corner of a paper napkin or man's handkerchief. Tie all four ends of string to a cork or small stick. Throw it into the air and it will sometimes come down slowly- parachute fashion.

Puppets

Sock puppet Draw a face with chalk on a dark stocking or with a crayon on a white stocking and fit it over the child's hand.

Peanut puppet: After the peanuts have been eaten, put the shells on the ends of the fingers. You can make tiny faces with a pen point, but a face is not necessary.

Paper-bag puppet: Make a face or decorate a small paper bag as in Paper-bag Masks (above). Put over the child's hand, and secure with a rubber band around the wrist.

Newspaper Aprons

Stack six or seven double sheets of newpapers out flat on a table. Fold lengthwise in half, then in half again. To make the neck piece, cut a section 8" x 3" down across from the open side. Unfold and staple the paper together around all the sides except the bottom. Cut the bottom off several inches or to the calf of the child. Cut it in scallops, points, or fringe. Run a string through the top of the apron to go around the neck.

Paper Balloons

Blow up a big round balloon, and tie with string. Tear strips of newspaper about 1" x 6". Put a strip on the balloon, cover with flour-and-water paste, add the next strip so that it overlaps, paste, and continue until the balloon is completely covered. Rang the balloon by the string in a place where it will dry quickly. When it is thoroughly dry (this may take several hours) cover again with newspaper strips, this time using the comic section or sporting-green section of your newspaper (to make certain the balloon is covered completely with two layers). When it is dry, let the air out of the balloon, and you have a hollow ball. It can be sprayed with the new pressurized spray enamels, and then decorated with poster paints. It is ready for many uses.

Halloween Mask.

Mobile.

Giant Easter Egg

or Christmas Decoration.

This is a project children are wildly enthusiastic about at first, but tire of quickly. Luckily, mothers become fascinated.