Arts and Scraps helps kids be creative in a green way
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By Robin Schwartz Fox 2 News
CHESTERFIELD, Mich. (WJBK) -- From a cereal box fort to VHS tape vehicles, it's amazing what you can make when you reuse discarded items and use your imagination.
It all starts with a shopping trip aboard the Arts and Scraps bus. We went along with some Chesterfield preschoolers from Carkenord Elementary's Head Start program.
First the little ones filled their bags with all kinds of scraps, then they headed back to the classroom and got to work making art.
"Kids learn better hands on. There is all this wonderful stuff that can help kids think and create and it's just going to a landfill," said Peg Upmeyer.
Upmeyer is one of the founders of Arts and Scraps. The Detroit-based nonprofit reuses 28 tons of recycled materials and visit 275,000 students a year opening their minds to creative possibilities.
"They responded very well. I was just amazed of the vehicles that they could make out of an empty VHS tape and some stickies," said Karen Bowron.
"Most of the things that we get are from businesses -- samples, old CDs... wine corks... bright paper we shred and it becomes hair and insect legs and antennas," Upmeyer said.
Arts and Scraps has been around for 23 years. They charge a small fee, about $5 a student, to bring their colorful materials to classrooms. They also accept donations from businesses and the public.
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