This activity couldn't get any simpler. It's especially good for kids like my 5-year old son who is very imaginative, but not necessarily the crafty type. It allows your child to experiment with shapes and dimensions without the need for scissors or glue.
From a parents' perspective, I like this because it's easy, cheap, and relatively mess free. Plus, you're upcycling the Styrofoam and the pipe cleaners can be used again and again. Once you're done with the Styrofoam, you can recycle it, or find another way to use it.
You will need any size or shape Styrofoam, and any type of pipe cleaners / chenille stems.
Poke a couple of pipe cleaners into Styrofoam, and then let your child do the rest.
Both of my kids had fun with this, but my 5 year old was completely fascinated by it!
It didn't take long for them to create their pipe cleaner creation. You could probably call this an activity, craft, or even a sculpture because it's kind of a combination of all three. I call it: fun for kids!