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Detroit Area Council

Here are some ideas on things that Cubs could make and then use to pretend they have grown up and taken on that occupation:  

Architect

Make a skyline sign:  

You will need scissors, cardboard, gray poster paint, paintbrush, crayons or felt-tipped markers.

First, cut a rectangle from cardboard.  Cut a design along the top edge to look like the skyline of a city.  Paint it gray.  Then draw windows on the upper parts of the buildings using your crayons or markers and put the words "Master Architect" and your name down below.  This can be your "shingle".

Now that you have opened up your shop, you will need some tools used by the architect.

T-square:  You will need scissors, heavy cardboard, pencil, poster paint, paintbrush, and white glue.  

Cut a long narrow rectangle from heavy cardboard and another that is shorter and wider.  On the short, wide piece, draw the shape of the top of a T-square.  Paint this piece a darker color than the long, narrow piece.  Glue the shape, center on top of the long piece with the cut edge of the short piece facing up.  

Triangles:  You will need pencil, cardboard, scissors, poster paint, and brush.

Draw triangles of different sizes on cardboard.  Draw another triangle inside the first one and then cut them out.  Cut the outside one first, then cut out the center.  Paint triangles light green or pink.  

Protractor:  You will need pencil, cardboard, scissors, paper punch, crayons or markers.

Draw a semi-circle on cardboard and connect the ends with a straight line.  Cut it out.  Make a hole with a paper punch in the center near the edge of the straight side.  Draw short lines around the curved edge.  

French Curve: You will need scissors, pencil and cardboard  

Cut a rectangle from cardboard.  Draw a large oval on one end and a small oval on the other so that they are touching in the middle.  Draw curves and cut out.  

Pointer:  You will need scissors, cardboard, pencil, paper punch and paper fastener.

Cut two narrow rectangles of equal size from the cardboard.  Then draw a circle at one end of one strip.  Draw a long bar with a pointed end from the circle to the other end of that strip.  Cut out the shape you have just made.  Use this one to trace another one on the other piece of cardboard and then cut out the second one.  Use the paper punch to make a hole in the center of each circle and attach the two pieces by pushing the paper fastener through both of them and opening it.

All of the tools above are used by an architect when planning a building or house and everything must be exact.  The T-square and triangles are used to make straight lines while the French curve and protractor are used for curves.  The pointer is used for estimating distances.  Now that you have made these tools you can build your own houses, garages, and other buildings, or even make a small town using different size and shape boxes.  

Fire Fighter

Being a fireman may sound like a lot of fun and excitement, racing down the street in that big truck with the siren blaring.  It is exciting but it is also dangerous.  Firemen must learn many things before they are ready to start putting out fires, even small ones.  Of course, if you are going to play at being a fireman, the first thing you need is a sign for your firehouse.

Take a piece of cardboard (square or rectangle) and draw a fire hose on it.   Write "FIRE HOUSE" on it and the number of your choice.  Then hang it where you play. Then, there are many other pieces of equipment that a fireman needs.  Let's start with his hat.  If you have scissors, paste or glue, different colors of construction paper, cardboard, pencils, paints, crayons, markers you can make a lot of fireman equipment.  

For your hat, cut out a large egg-shaped piece from some red construction paper.  At the wide end of this piece, mark off two Xs far enough apart so that it will fit on your head.  This will probably be an inch or two from the outer edge of the piece of paper.  Draw a line from one X to the other, going around the edge of the hat and staying the same distance from the outer edge.  Then cut this line and push that area up to form the hat.  You can put a yellow shield of your own design, on the front of the your hat, using construction paper and gluing it on.

Now that you have your hat, you will need a pick and an ax, and fire hose.

Pick and Ax: The fireman carries his pick and ax with him when he goes into a burning building.  Sometimes he must tear down a burning board or break through doors or windows.  

To make these important tools you will need some cardboard tube in addition to the other items mentioned earlier.  

First cut a large rectangle and a smaller rectangle from the cardboard. Draw and cut out a cone shape on the larger piece and a quarter moon shape on the small one.  Cut two deeps slits in one end of two large cardboard tubes.  If you have short tubes, you can make them longer using masking tape to tape them together to make a longer pole.  You need two poles, one for the pick and one for the ax.  Paint the ax and pick heads and the poles with poster paints.  When dry, slide the heads into the slits made earlier in the pole.  If you put some glue around the slits, it will help to keep the heads in place.  

Fire hose: You can also make a fire hose using cardboard tubes and some fabric.  Paint your tube #674529.  Cut long strips of the same width out of the fabric.  Glue these pieces together to make a long strip, and then glue one end of the long strip inside one end of the tube.  

Now you have the equipment to put out some big fires.

Police Officer

Police Officers are needed to keep everything under control by seeing that everyone obeys the law.  You can make a "Police Station" sign, just like the one for the Fire House, so your friends will know who you are.  Then, of course, every officer needs a badge.  Make a badge by drawing a crest shape or a shape like a coat-of-arms on yellow paper.  Cut it out and write your city on it.  Instead of your name on the badge, a police officer has a number, so pick your number and put it right in the middle of your badge.  Tape a safety pin to the back of the badge to hold it on.

A police officer needs a hat, too.  Cut a narrow strip of blue paper big enough to fit around your head plus a little left over.  Place this piece of paper in front of you lengthwise and draw a line with a pencil and ruler about a quarter-inch from the top edge.  Then cut evenly spaced slits along this edge, but don't pass the line.  Roll the paper strip into a ring and tape it in place.  Push the sub slits at the top edge towards the center to make tabs.  Put the other end of the ring on a piece of the same color paper and trace around it.  Cut out the traced circle.  Put some glue on the tabs and place the circle over them to form the hat.  Now trace around the bottom again on some #674529 paper.  Use a large sheet of #674529 paper because this is going to be the visor for the hat.  Mark two Xs opposite of each other on the circle and draw a line outside of the circle connecting the two Xs.  Cut out this quarter moon shape and staple or tape the pointed ends to the sides of the hat.  You can make a smaller badge like the one you have, to glue onto the hat over the visor.

Handcuffs:  Handcuffs come in handy when you are dealing with a really tough guy.  Make a circle slightly larger than your wrist.  Then cut out another circle about an inch and a half outside of that circle.  Cut out the first circle so you have something that looks like a donut.  Now cut the donut apart on opposite sides.  Take the paper punch and punch holes on both ends of each piece.  Use these pieces to trace another "donut".  Cut it out.  Cut it apart.  Punch the holes.  Take a string and tie one side of the one set together.  Then use the other end of the string to tie one side of the other side together.  When you capture the crook, use a paper fastener to push through the holes on the other ends and he won't be able to escape.  

Tickets:  Cut some white strips of paper, all the same size.  Then cut two pieces of colored paper still of the same size for the cover.  Staple one end to hold it together and write "TICKETS" on the front cover.  When you find someone violating a law, you can write down the offense and the other information about the lawbreaker and give him a ticket.