For Grown-Ups
What you’ll need
Your child’s school supply list (if available)
Old, broken crayons
A bakeable mold (like a muffin tin or one made from silicone)
Vegetable oil (if using a muffin tin)
Ask About Today
What’s your favorite school supply to use?
Materials Note
One of today’s CREATE activities requires a bakeable mold, such as a silicone variety (Michael’s sells options like this for under $5). A muffin tin also works, just add vegetable oil so the crayons pop out easily.
Explore
est. 15 min
Steve and Maggie Return to School
Steve is going back to school, so he needs to find all his school supplies.
Create
est. 20 min
Make Your Own Crayons
Do you have a lot of old, broken crayons? On SciShow Kids, learn how to recycle them and make cool new ones! (Don’t try this without a grown-up’s help, though.)
Grown-Ups
Have your camper gather up old broken crayons and remove the paper. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees F.
Note: Here are alternative instructions for a muffin tin variety.
Kids
Once you’ve taken all the paper off your old crayons, fill up your bakeable mold with broken crayon pieces. Try mixing different colors together to see what happens! Your grown-up will put the mold in the oven.
School Supply Planning
What kinds of supplies will you need for school this year? Let’s get ready.
Grown-Ups
If your school has sent out a supply list, have that ready, or take a look at our Surprisingly Useful School Stuff list, too. Together with your child, collect supplies you already have in your house or have leftover from last year. Give their backpack a good clean-out, too. Then if you need any new supplies, take a trip to your preferred store. (We love the Dollar Tree or Target’s clearance section for great deals on supplies!)
Kids
Help clean up your backpack and get your school supplies ready! Will you use a folder to bring papers back and forth to school? If so, decorate it and write your name on it.