Safari Binoculars

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Here’s a classic craft that I knew Veronika would love because it involves one of her current favorite things: stickers!

To assemble your toddler’s very own binoculars, start with two empty toilet paper tubes. I had bug and fish stickers, both perfect themes for this project, and she loved placing stickers all over.

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I find it helpful to peel up the edges of stickers slightly at this age, so she can then pull them the rest of the way off the sticker sheets without frustration.

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Resist the urge to correct your toddler’s sticker placement; it was just fine if a few overlapped, or if she clustered them in one spot!

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I glued the tubes together (or you can use tape if you don’t have time to wait for the glue to dry), then punched a hole near the top of each tube on the outer edge. I threaded yarn through to make a loop so Veronika could wear them around her neck.

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Now it was time to head out into the wilderness! Off she goes for her first safari.

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Honestly she was probably more into them as an accessory than a viewfinder, but they were particularly neat for watching bugs up close.

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Older siblings may just clamor for a turn, too!

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If you prefer to have your safaris indoors, consider using these on a stuffed animal hunt instead.

Make Binoculars

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These super-simple binoculars are a fun way to introduce the item to your baby. No complicated decorations or lenses here, just some quality “I Spy” play!

I taped together two empty toilet paper tubes with several layers of colored tape. Sometimes I prepare crafts while Veronika watches so she can play along, but I knew she would be an imp with the tape, so secretly put these together while she napped.

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Once awake, I peered at her through the binoculars. Hello, Veronika!

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I showed her how to hold the tubes up to her eyes and verbalized what I saw. “Look, there’s the cat! Look, it’s daddy! Look, a toy train!”

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Next it was her turn; I handed the binoculars over, and she puzzled over how to peer through them. She loved holding them, and placed them up to her head in imitation, although needed my help to get them centered over her eyes.

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Her favorite though was whenever I looked at her through them, rewarding me with a big smile each time. A great first pair of binocs!

Toilet Paper Roll Binoculars

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At last! Spring has sprung, and we are eager to look for signs of it on these first warm days. It was the perfect chance to put together some easy homemade binoculars before setting off into the woods!

To make the binoculars, you’ll need three toilet paper tubes. Cut one of them open down the middle and leave the other two intact.

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Glue the two whole rolls together with hot glue. Affix the open tube on top with more hot glue (this is a grown-up step!).

Travis loved decorating his binocs since we had puffy bug stickers.

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Perfect for spring!

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All we needed as the finishing touch was a string for around his neck, which I affixed with a little more hot glue.

Then it was time to head out. Travis loved peering through the “lenses” for the first signs of spring!

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And look what we found – buds!

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Binoculars

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Now that night is falling earlier, the stars are appearing in the sky before Travis goes to bed. Tonight, we dipped outside just before bedtime with a very special pair of toddler-sized binoculars.

To make the craft, place plastic wrap over the ends of two toilet paper rolls, securing with rubber bands. Place the two tubes next to each other and attach with two additional rubber bands.

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Now invite your toddler to decorate with crayons and star stickers. Travis loved selecting which stickers to use!

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And now it’s time for the magic. Looking through the binoculars produced wonder just raising them toward some star artwork in our apartment…

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Even better was heading outside, where we saw the first star of the evening (okay, it was probably a planet…but shhh don’t tell). “See that little glowing thing? That’s a star!” Travis said proudly.

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