The kindergarten class he was teaching was scheduled to perform a dramatic recitation. We needed various flower and bumblebee costumes. Since I discovered that children love to make their own costumes, I wanted the class to be able to participate as much as possible in the process. So, I came up with an easy costume idea and had the 7th grade class come over and help out, one student per kindergartener. In about 1 hour all the costumes were complete and the kindergarten class looked adorable. It was a great experience for everyone.
How did we make the costumes? Easy!
The bumblebees were made with…
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yellow garbage bags (one per child)
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black electrical tape
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hair bands
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pipe cleaners
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Small Foam Balls (available at craft and dollar stores)
The yellow trash bags were laid flat on a desk and while the kindergartners held them, the seventh graders placed four strips of electrical tape on the front and back. Each stripe had 3 widths of the tape. Finally, holes for the arms and necks of the garbage bags were cut. Note: If you make a mistake, clear packing tape or duct tape works wonders.
The antennae were made by twisting 2 pipe cleaners into each hair band and then pushing a foam ball into the other end of each pipe cleaner (the wire inside the pipe cleaners makes this easy). Note: Before adding the pipe cleaners, we wrapped them around a pencil to give them that curly look and add strength.
The flowers were even easier to make than the bees. The garbage bags only had holes in their arms and necks.
The flowers were made with…
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green garbage bags (one per child)
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colored paper
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Scotch tape
To make the flower head, we first cut a 2-inch-wide strip of paper for each child and wrap it around each child’s head from top of head to chin, making sure to create a snug fit. Then we hit it and remove it. Next, we cut out various colors of petals about 5-6 inches tall by 3-4 inches wide and let each child choose the color they want for their flower. We did the cutting freehand, so the measurements are approximate. Next, we glue the chosen petals all around the inner edge of the bands that we had just made and, finally, we fold the petals outwards. Note: The number of petals varied according to the preferences of each child.
For most children, the flower headdress remained perfectly. For those who had trouble getting it to slip off, we added a second 2-inch-wide strip of paper to the first roughly from ear to ear, around the back of the head on the day of the presentation.
The final result was amazing. The children were absolutely thrilled with their achievements and the performance was a huge success.
Important: Remember that plastic bags are not a toy and should be used with caution, under adult supervision.