From England ... Paper Hats

It's fun to play dress-up with fancy hats, especially when you make them! Newspaper Hats are all the rage in England, the largest country within the United Kingdom in Northwest Europe. Much of the area is flat and is often chilly and damp, which is why many of the people who live there prefer to wear hats. We found these Newspaper Hats in the city of London, which is the capital of both Britain and England. London, incidentally, is where the Queen and her family live as well. Kids of London love to play dress up in elegant hats and pretend that they are part of the Royal Family.

England is also famous for its "tea time." The English custom is to drink hot tea with cream and sugar and to eat small finger sandwiches, cakes, biscuits and other tasty foods. What better time is there to wear a new hat than to an English tea party?

Suggested Age for Child: Children ages four and up can make the Newspaper Hat, but children of all ages can certainly wear them!

Materials Needed
1. Four large sheets of newspaper.
2. Masking tape.
3. Accessories for the hat: feathers, cotton balls, glitter, confetti . . .

Directions
1. Place the four sheets of newspaper over your head and shape the pages at the top to fit your head.
2. Hold down all the papers and have a friend take masking tape and tightly wrap the newspapers across your forehead and all around the back of your head so that you make a complete circle. This will give you an accurate size for the shape of your head so that your new hat will stay on.
3. Fold the hanging part of the newspapers in any shape you want. You can roll them tightly up toward the masking tape to make a bowler-type hat, or make big folds for a floppy hat.
4. Once you make your rolls or folds, tape them into place.
5. Decorate! You can paint the hat, add feathers, cotton balls, glitter or confetti. Remember, the grander your hat the better!

Or you can use colorful wrapping paper with clear tape for an instant fun hat without needing to paint the newspaper!

To make a hat, press and smooth two (30-inch) squares of wrapping paper, unprinted sides together, over the crown of the child's head. Have her hold the paper in place while you wrap colored tape once or twice -- not too tightly -- around the widest part of her head. Remove the hat and trim the brim so it's about five inches wide. Fold up about a half-inch of the brim and secure it with invisible tape to form a hem. If desired, fold up and tape a section of the brim at the front.

How to Play:

Wear your hat to a party, or play dress up. Make several hats of different styles so that you'll always have a hat to fit your wardrobe.