Telescopes for Kids
Parents always try to come up with new ideas for toilet paper and paper towel rolls. Recently a fun telescope was made with removable slides! It’s actually quite easy to make.
Materials
* Paper towel roll (or an old Pringles can)
* Paints
* Marker
* Knife (adult use only)
* A sheet of acetate

Instructions
1. Use the cylinder as a template and trace a circle onto the sheet of acetate.
2. Add a rectangle to the top half of the circle to create the slide shape. This will work as a handle of sorts, and allow your child to pull the slides in and out of their telescope.
3. Carefully cut out the shape.
4. Paint the telescope and the scenery onto your slides. Used regular acrylic paints for our slides and spray paint for the telescope body.
5. Using the knife, cut a slit halfway through your telescope. This is where the slides will go.
6. Insert your slide, and you’re done.
Time to play and let your imaginations run wild!

Uses for Toilet Paper Rolls
1. Wrap up your cords and wires and stick them in cardboard tubes to help with organisation and storage.

2. Stuff them with candy and sweets and close off the two ends to create a fun candy popper.

3. Close off one end by gluing a piece of paper to it and use the toilet paper rolls to hold makeup brushes, markers, pencils, pens, and little office supplies.

4. Cover them in peanut butter and then roll in bird seed. Hang outside and you’ve got an easy and inexpensive bird feeder.

5. Wrap yarn around them to help keep it organized and untangled.

6. Use them to store paint brushes or glue sticks.

After-School Snacks
1. Fruit Dip Mix 1 cup low-fat sour cream and 2 tablespoons each brown sugar and lime juice; sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Thread fruit onto skewers; serve with the dip.
2. Chocolate Chow Mein Microwave 1/4 cup each peanut butter, chocolate chips and butter until melted. Put 3 cups each chowmein noodles and Chex cereal and 1/2 cup each chopped peanuts and raisins in a resealable plastic bag; add the chocolate mixture and shake to coat. Add 2 cups confectioners’ sugar and shake again.
3. Nutella Egg Cream Mix 2 tablespoons room-temperature Nutella and 3/4 cup milk in a glass. Quickly stir, then pour in 1/2 cup cold seltzer.
4. Crunchy Chickpeas Cook a 15-ounce can drained chickpeas in an ovenproof skillet with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon each cumin and smoked paprika, 2 minutes. Season with salt, and then bake 20 minutes at 425 degrees F.
5. Nutty Pretzel Wands Spread peanut butter on the top few inches of pretzel rods. Roll in chopped peanuts and/or dried fruit.
By Rebecca Ganesh-Ally