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Build your own structures together at Chicago Architecture Center's Family Day. Photo by Anna Munzesheimer
Winter Fests, Museum Family Events, and More Things To Do in Chicago This Weekend With Kids
Tiny Picassos can enjoy different activities every day at the Art Institute’s Family Room. Photo by Maureen Wilkey, for Mommy Poppins
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An offbeat Chicago museum makes a fun outing for teenagers. Photo courtesy of the WNDR Museum
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Frosty Fest  is free this January in Chicago. Photo courtesy of the Gurnee Park District
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Try a hands-on museum for the whole family. Photo by Kyle Flubacker courtesy of the WNDR Museum
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Photo courtesy of Enchanted Castle.
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Wilder Park - 8:00 AM
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Millennium Park McCormick Tribune Ice Rink - various times
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Brookfield Zoo - various times
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Millennium Park McCormick Tribune Ice Rink - various times
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Upcycled Safari Play Binoculars Craft for Kids

8/13/14 - By Amelia Eigerman

Summertime is the season of outdoor adventures and imaginative play. Making a simple pair of toy binoculars can inspire a backyard safari, a game of eye-spy or endless imaginative adventures. They're easy to make, super customizable, and provide hours of creative play.

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Gather your materials. You'll need two toilet paper tubes (you can also cut a paper towel tube in half), yarn or twine, glue, and decorating supplies. 

1.  Decorate your two tubes. We used markers, wrapping paper, and duct tape, but the options are endless. Try fabric, tissue paper, ribbons, paint, or collaging magazines. Wrap some duct tape or paint a thick stripe around one end makes them look more like real binoculars.

2.  Glue the tubes together side to side and let dry. 

3. Add a yarn, twine or ribbon loop so your kid can hang the binoculars around their neck.

Show us what you make. Share it on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and tag @mommypoppins so we can see your creations too!

Find more fun things to do in Boredom Busters Activities Guide.

Boredom Busters Crafts & Recipes Preschoolers Kids

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