Dino CraftThis craft is especially popular with the dinosaur crowd, although I think it looks more like a Chinese dragon.

	Materials: 2 cardboard egg cartons per dinosaur. Styrofoam egg cartons will NOT work. good scissors craft glue acrylic paint or markers Time needed: 1 hour. Overnight to dry.
	Method: 1) Cut 7 egg cups out of one egg carton. They will not be perfectly round. That's OK. These will be the "stegosaurus" plates and head.
	2) Cut the spines between the egg cups out. These will be the tail and the legs. They should be like little cones. You will need to cut 5 of them. On one of them, leave a little tail-like piece attached to the cone for the tail.
	3) Cut the side off the egg carton that has the little closure bumps. This goes across the top of the other egg carton as a base for the spines.

Begin assembly.
1) First, glue the little cone shapes to the bottom of the intact egg carton. When wet with glue, the cardboard becomes malleable and can be made to fit the cups. Leave these to dry.

2) Glue the side of the egg carton to the top of the intact carton, making a solid surface for the egg cups to glue to. Glue on the egg cups. 5 will fit easily.

3) Make the jaws. Take one egg cup and slice through the bottom until it opens when you pinch it. Don't cut all the way through and make 2 sides. The idea is to make a mouth that opens when the edges are pinched together. Glue this to one end of the egg carton at the top. The mouth should be open when you have glued it on.

4) Make the top of the head. Glue one egg cup like a hat to make the top of the dino's head.

5) Make the tail. Use the leg cone with the tail-like piece attached. Get it covered with glue and flatten it. Glue it on opposite the head with the tail piece facing upward.

Let the whole thing dry. It may take overnight, but the glue will dry stiff. When it is dry, you may paint your creation or do as I did and use permanent markers to decorate. Perhaps that is why mine looks like a Chinese dragon.

TIPS FOR WORKING WITH KIDS
1) They will need help cutting up the egg carton. Little scissors are better for working in tight places, but generally aren't sharp enough. Large scissors have their own problems. This is the most difficult part of the craft. Feel free to assist with this part.
2) Let them assemble their creation so it is as personal as possible. The legs don't have to go on the 4 corners, etc.
3) They will recognize this as a stegosaurus, but let them go a little wild with the paint or markers to make it as colorful as they wish.