The Monkey Tree - Party Scarecrow

Home

Party Scarecrow

Spring looks like it’s on its way and what a great time to organise a ‘get together’ with friends or family. Magazines are full of delicious spring recipes – have a look at ours on page 20 for inspiration! But what about trying to entertain the little ones while the adults get on with enjoying the spring food?

Our editor suggested making a scarecrow and I have to admit, my first reaction was ‘Don’t be ridiculous, that’s an autumn thing!’ but after some research, she was proved correct. Anywhere in the world where crops are grown, scarecrows are made and used, especially at sowing time. Originally, the youngsters of the village were expected to protect the crops but I don’t think we can just take the children to a local field and expect them to entertain themselves while we enjoy our food!

So, how about making this mini scarecrow, which can be used in a flowerpot and taken home easily:

1   You will need some lolly sticks, scraps of fabric, some wool or string, craft glue and some coloured pens.
2   Glue two sticks together, to form a cross (this will be the main body and arms). If you want to make a scarecrow with legs, use one more lolly stick, cut in half for the legs.
3   Use the scraps of material to make an outfit for your scarecrow and stick them on the lolly sticks – this is where your imagination can go wild!
4   Glue some wool or string on the top of the lolly stick for hair
5   Either draw a face or you can buy ‘wiggly eyes’ from craft shops.
6   Hey, presto! A designer scarecrow!

If you’re feeling very creative and want to treat your guests to a present, why not plant small containers with daffodils or other spring flowers and the scarecrows can be stuck in the soil to protect the ‘crop’. Of course, if you don’t mind the mess and the weather is good enough to be outside, the kids could plant the containers as well.