Foam trays are a versatile arts-and-crafts supply.
The foam trays from food packaging are a versatile supply for kids' arts and crafts projects. Foam cuts with safety scissors, serves as an adhesive base and provides the opportunity to recycle waste. Disposable foam plates are good substitutes if you can't find clean food trays.
Picture Frame
Foam trays are the perfect size and shape to make picture frames. A 10-by-14-inch foam tray is a good size to make a frame for a 8-by-10-inch photo or smaller. Cut a hole from the center of the tray that is slightly smaller than your photograph. Rip colored tissue paper into small pieces, and use diluted white glue to decoupage the inside and sides of the tray. Once the glue is dry, use masking tape to secure the photograph to the back side of the tray so that it shows through the opening.
Dinosaur Fossils
When your children are studying dinosaurs, have them make their own excavation site. Mix 1 cup of fine potting soil with enough white glue to allow it to stick together in a malleable ball. Press the ball into the bottom of a foam tray, flattening it so that it covers the entire inside. Then use dry pasta to press a dinosaur skeleton into their dig site. Once the skeleton is arranged, spray the entire piece with shellac to preserve it.
Foam Stamps
Children can use a chopstick or the end of a paint brush to etch a shape or design into a piece of foam cut from the tray to create a custom stamp. Dip it in ink or paint, then press to paper. Designs may be intricate or simple as children experiment with different shapes and themes to make cards and wrapping paper. The squares of etched foam tray can be glued to wood blocks to make a more permanent stamp.
Foam Airplanes
Foam trays are a great material for arts and crafts in part because they are easy to cut and manipulate. They are also lightweight, which makes them aerodynamic when turned into airplanes. Cut the outline of a jet plane from the bottom of a foam tray; any flat airplane shape with wings, a nose and a tail will do. Make a shooter by taping a bent bendable straw to the underside of the plane with the bend at the nose and the bottom end to the tail. Catch a rubber band in the hook. Point the plane away from you. Pull the tail toward you and the rubber band away from you. Let go of the plane, and watch it fly.
