Bring the magic of nature into your classroom with these lovely dragonflies made from twigs and maple keys! Shanti, co-creator of the blog Twig and Toadstool, provides a great tutorial, but here are the basics!

Supplies You'll Need
- Twigs
- Maple keys (four per dragonfly)
- Beads
- Glitter
- Low-temp glue gun
- Craft glue

Begin by going on a "treasure hunt" for twigs. It may be helpful to show your students pictures of these insects to refresh their memories on what they look like and give them an idea of what qualities they should be searching for in their twig (e.g. slender, could have slight bend, etc.). (Note: At this time of year you may have difficulty finding maple keys. Shanti recommends collecting them during the fall and storing them for use in projects year round.) Once back inside, set up a "gluing station" where your students bring their twigs and maple keys (in an orderly fashion!) to you or a teacher's aide to be glued together. Also at this time have your students choose two beads from the pile to be used as dragonfly eyes. Glue these on either side of the "head".

Back at their seats encourage your students to decorate their dragonfly. Provide shallow dishes of craft glue, paint brushes, and glitter and let them go to town! These delicate crafts make wonderful bulletin board decorations, gifts for Mother's day, and much more!

Twig and Toadstool: Delightful Dragonflys...A Twig Craft!

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