Craft: Stuck in a Snow Globe

For one hour each week, I volunteer in my daughter's fifth grade class.  Sometimes I read with the students, asking comprehension questions from the teacher's book.  Other times I help edit creative writing assignments.  Recently the students have been working on figurative language.  The last time I visited the classroom, I got really excited when I learned the teacher wanted me to help with a craft!  The students were working on a writing assignment, describing how they got stuck in a snow globe.  Another teacher originally saw this idea on Pinterest and shared it with my daughter's teacher.  There are a million different ways to do this project...just ask Google.  This was the first time I'd ever seen this snow globe craft.  I am sharing it here because I thought it could be a fun winter project for Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors.

Supplies needed: 
4x6 photos of the kids
6" clear plastic plates
Mod Podge
paintbrush or sponge brush
white glitter
assorted scrapbook or constructive paper
hot glue gun (not pictured)
scissors (not pictured)
 
 STEPS:
1.  Have the kids bundle up in their winter coats, hats, scarves, and gloves (or not).  Take a picture of each child.  Print 4x6 pictures.  If working with a Girl Scout troop, take a group picture.  It would be fun to read how the troop ended up getting stuck in a snow globe.

2.  Have the kids cut around themselves to eliminate the background.
3.  Spread a thin layer of Mod Podge down the center of the plate.  Assure the kids that it dries clear. 
4.  Place the photo on the Mod Podge face down.  When the craft is finished, the photo can be viewed through the convex side of the plate (like the rounded edge of a snow globe).
4.  Apply an additional thin layer of Mod Podge along the bottom third of the plate and sprinkle glitter over it. (Left photo below).  To achieve a "just shaken" effect, apply a thin layer of Mod Podge all over the plate before adding the glitter.

5.  Have the kids cut a shape for the base out of cardstock, construction paper, or patterned scrapbook paper.  The students in my daughter's class cut squares, rectangles, triangles, and trapezoids.  
6.  An adult can hot glue the base to the bottom of the plate.
7.  Cut about 3-4" pieces of ribbon and have an adult hot glue one to the top edge of the plate.

CREATIVE WRITING PIECE
The teacher instructed her fifth grade students to explain how they got stuck in a snow globe.  She encouraged them to describe what it felt like, what they saw, heard, and smelled.  She wanted them to use figurative language as they were writing.  

If your Scouts haven't already done this activity at school, consider incorporating it during your next winter meeting.  If your Junior Girl Scouts are interested in earning the Scribe badge, this activity could potentially satisfy the requirements for Step 1 (Start With a Poem) or Step 2 (Create a Short Story).  Challenge your girls to get super creative by describing how they got stuck in a snow globe in the form of a haiku, limerick, or sonnet (Step 1).  

When I did a brief search for this craft online, I came across a website that provided a great writing prompt for younger kids.  The teachers used the prompt in their kindergarten and second grade classrooms.  I really like how Tori's students embellished their snow globes, and I love that they used fake snow!  Depending on the materials chosen, the cost of this project could vary.  Remember when using fake snow, a piece of paper needs to be adhered to the back of the plate.  The kids can decorate this paper with crayons and markers as they did in Tori's post.  While these additions will most likely increase the cost and the time required to complete the craft, the effect is quite different and could be well worth the additional expense and time.  And if you're like me, you might already have most of the supplies on hand.  

During our next meeting, the girls will be making cards for Veterans and their families staying at the Fisher House in Cincinnati.  Out of curiosity, I did a Google search for "haiku for veterans."  I was directed toward a website with poetry for and by Veterans, and I was completely surprised to find several haikus.  If your Junior Girl Scouts are working on their Scribe badge, have them write a haiku or poem in a card for a Veteran. Not only are they completing a badge step, they are participating in a service project.  I hope you will check back with us soon.  Thank you for reading.