Kids Frugal Fun-Recycling Crayons

Each week I try to bring an activity to you that is fun yet educational AND that is frugal.  This week I wanted to give you a way to rejuvenate all of those broken crayons you have around the house. 

Materials:
broken crayons
oven
cupcake/muffin pan

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2.  Gather all of the broken crayons you have in the house.
3.  Spray muffin pan with PAM or line them with foil liners. (I used my oldest pan for this in hopes of having an excuse to replace it, but the crayons don’t stick so no such luck for me!)

4. Divide crayon pieces among the spaces in the pan on your preference.  You can put similar colors together, seasonal colors together, primary colors together, etc.
5.  Put pan in the oven. Check every 5 minutes to monitor if they are melting.  Everyone’s oven is different so time will vary. 
6.  When crayon pieces are completely melted, remove from the oven and allow to cool.  If you are in a rush, you can put them in the fridge or freezer.
7.  Pop out of pan and color away with your new crayons!

Educational Usage:
1.  Discuss with your child different states of matter and how the crayons went from a solid, to a liquid, and then to a solid again.
2.  Discuss the blending of the colors and how different colors can combine to make new colors.
3.  Use this activity to help your child review steps in a process.  They can retell you the steps orally, they can draw the steps, or write them down.
4.  Discuss how this activity is an example of recycling.  Talk about other things that can be recycled and the benefits of recycling.  Have your child draw, list, or tell you other ways to help the enviroment.