Adventures With Flat Stanley

crayola supplies

Paint Brushes
Colored Pencils
Markers
Washable Kid's Paint
Model Magic®

household supplies

recycled newspaper
white paper
rolling pin
paper towels

Why

Flat Stanley, a children's book, has sparked a very popular project with children and teachers. Kids send their own versions of Flat Stanley to friends and family around the globe. Try this project for some flat out fun and learning.

Steps

1. After reading Flat Stanley, form your own 3-D object with Crayola® Model Magic®-maybe an elephant, bicycle, or cactus. Then imagine what the object would look like if it were flattened, much as Flat Stanley was.
2. Now flatten your creation with a rolling pin. How has it changed? What could be some advantages for this flattened item?
3. Form other 3-D objects, and flatten them without using the rolling pin. Find different ways to do this. Then experiment by making other real-life 3-D things flat to begin with.
4. When the modeling compound for your flat objects dries, add details with Crayola Washable Markers and/or Crayola Washable Kid's Paint and Paint Brushes. Be sure to use newspaper under your work area if you use paint.
5. Send your flat item to friends or family. Ask them to take its picture and send you stories about its adventures, just like Flat Stanley had.

When & Where

"My kids got a kick out of this mind-bending experience."
- Marty U., dad with kids ages 10 and 11.

"Several kids in the neighborhood were both silly and serious with this project, which they did on our picnic table."
- Akua K., mom with two kids ages 7 and 9.

Interesting Info

Egyptian astronomer and mathematician Ptolemy lived around the years 100 to 170. Many people at that time, and for a long time after, thought that the world was flat. Ptolemy, however, believed that the earth was a sphere.

Safety Guidelines

Crayola Modeling Materials including Crayola Model Magic®, and Model Magic Fusion™, Crayola Air-Dry Clay, and Crayola Dough—

Keep away from open flames. Do not use to make candleholders, hot plates, trivets, or other similar objects that will be used or placed near fire and other heat sources.
Do not put in an oven, microwave, or kiln.
Do not make into vessels/containers that will hold unpackaged food.
The use of modeling material to make items that look like food is discouraged for children younger than age 5 to avoid their confusion with real food.
Unless sealed with a water-resistant glaze, do not make projects exposed to or immersed in water, such as boats or outdoor bird feeders. They would disintegrate when exposed to moisture.
Crayola Dough—contains gluten (wheat flour) as an ingredient.
Crayola Air-Dry Clay, Crayola Model Magic and Model Magic Fusion are gluten-free. However, they are produced on the same machinery as Crayola Dough which does contain gluten. Although the machines are cleaned prior to the start of each production run, there is a slight possibility that trace amounts of gluten from Crayola Dough may be present in the other modeling compound products. For information regarding specific ingredients or allergic concerns, please call our Consumer Affairs department at 1-800-272-9652 weekdays between 9 AM and 4 PM Eastern Standard Time.

Crayola Washable Paints—Not for use as body/face paint.