Once again, recycling was turned into a fun activity. Left overs of wax crayons, too small to be used for coloring, made the best material for cute Christmasy shapes. We also had some glitter crayons, which were not showing color on the paper and my son did n0t use them, so they also went into this activity. Recycling wax crayons is one more way to give back to the Earth, in this season of giving.
Great work for the little hands to break the crayons and another opportunity to name the colors, while placing the pieces into the silicone mould purchased at Spinneys. We also made a point to talk about the texture and the opposites: smooth-rough.
I preheated the oven at 200° F and placed in the mould for about five minutes or till they totally melt. The smell was a bit disturbing but gone in next to no time. I allowed my son to come close to see how they turned from solid into a liquid, explaining each and, what impact the temperature changes have. I associated this example with the coconut oil he keeps seeing, sometimes as a liquid and sometimes as solid.
Being close to the oven he could feel the heat. Tatatatam! A perfect moment to explain the danger it represents for a child his age so we don’t talk abstracts but facts and natural consequences he can relate to, leading to a better cooperation from his side when requested to stay far away from the hot surfaces.
I removed the mould from the oven and placed it outside. In less then an hour we had those fabulously looking shapes for my son to play with. They can also be used as decorations for the Christmas tree or in a winter sensory box.
Below is the final result. Give it a go and send me pictures of yours.