By Joan Koehne
Birds and butterflies are sure signs of spring. Thanks to the Handmade Papermakers of Green Bay and Beyond, my great-nephew, 4, and I made a paper bird and butterfly on Saturday, April 13. What a nice memento of our morning together at the Children’s Museum of Green Bay. We attended Paper Play, the free, hand-dipped papermaking event sponsored by GBIG, Women of the 5P Industries, and Handmade Papermakers of Green Bay and Beyond.
To make paper, we started by tearing up a sheet of white paper and colored paper into small pieces. I chose blue paper. Then we scooped up a pint of water, added our torn paper and blended the mixture until it was well-blended. I added dried flowers to the mixture to add color and texture. Next, we chose a cookie cutter so we could make our paper in a fun shape. I chose a bird. We poured the water into the cookie cutter set on a screen, and collected the run-off water in a metal can. Then, we used a sponge and a wooden block to press out the excess water. We hung the bird on the window, so we could see it and let it dry.
The end result was a soft and pretty blue bird with yellow tones. I brought it home and hung it on my refrigerator. On Saturday, April 13,
If you have young children, then schedule a visit to the Children’s Museum of Green Bay. There’s so much to do for the little ones. After we finished our handmade paper bird and butterfly, we spent a lot of time playing in the water and catching fish in the water play area. The Fire Station and Vet Clinic were our other favorites.
Here’s something interesting for GBIG sponsors and their families. The Trades in Training exhibit is coming soon to the museum. This exhibit is designed and created by Kidzibits. Northeast Wisconsin Technical College is partnering with the museum on the exhibit. Trades in Training will allow kids to explore carpentry, electricity, welding and plumbing. The museum will provide weekly programming focused on these trades.
Kids learn by playing. The Children’s Museum of Green Bay created a fantastic learning environment for kids – and a fun place for adults, too.
Thanks to GBIG, Women of the 5P Industries, and Handmade Papermakers of Green Bay and Beyond for sponsoring the hand-dipped papermaking event. The HPGGB members were so gracious, patient, and helpful to me and my 4-year-old great-nephew. We’re glad we went to Paper Play.
