Recycled CD Frog Craft

In honor of Leap Day, I decided some frog crafts were in order. Here is one idea for reusing a CD that came in junk mail. I think Mia made a cute and "hoppy" little friend.

{CD Froggy by Mia, Age 5}

Materials:

• old CD
• green paint
• foam paint brush
• scissors
• glue
• tape
• Styrofoam tray
• 2 green plastic bendy straws
• red pipe cleaner
• 2 white pom poms
• black dimensional paint
• 4 self adhesive green craft foam letters (W, M, or V)
• newspaper (to protect work surface)

Directions:

1. Protect work surface with newspaper. Pour green paint into Styrofoam tray. Paint back side (shiny side) with a thin coat of green paint. You can use more than one shade if you like. Mia chose to paint the body with one hue and add spots in a second shade. Allow paint to dry completely. 
2. Cut a red pipe cleaner in half. Bend as desired to form the frog's tongue. Then insert into the hold in the middle of the CD so that about 1/2 " goes through to the back. Secure the end with tape. 
3. Cut two green bendy straws about in half. Use the bendy parts for the hind legs. Cut one of the straight pieces in half. Use each half for the front legs. Tape all four legs to the CD. Peel the backing from green self-adhesive foam letters (We used 2 W's and 2 V's.) and stick them onto the legs to form the toes/feet.
4. Glue two white pom poms onto the CD for eyes. Add a dot of black dimensional paint to the center of each. Allow glue and dimensional paint to dry.

• Tip: Have child wear old clothing or paint smock. (We use old t-shirts with a clothes pin to hold them tightly at the back of the neck.)
• Tip: We use recycled Styrofoam from meat packaging (or a plastic compartmentalized tray from a TV dinner), but a bowl or plate will work just as well for holding paint.
• Tip: If you are impatient like we are you can speed up dry time with a blow dryer.
• Tip: You can use googly eyes in place of pom poms.
• Tip: You could try green pipe cleaners for legs if you don't have any straws on hand.