Lucy Reflects

Powering your way through winter with kids can be an arduous - and sometimes expensive - task.

You’ve had your fair share of laps through the mall. The idea of setting your kids free in Williams- Sonoma just to see the fear of God in the employees’ faces has lost its luster. And while fast food indoor playgrounds are great and all, you’re freaking tired of climbing up a tube made for a kid the fraction of your size to unstuck your screaming toddler whose wedged in a corner you can’t quite reach.

Whitney and I and the toddlers ventured out to find something new and heard about Art of Recycle in Ephrata. The coolest part? IT’S FREE. The non-profit craft store features a crafter’s room with supplies to make your own finger puppet or other artistic treasures FOR FREE. The underwater-themed room also boasts a puppet stage reminiscent of a pirate ship, toy boats, other trinkets and a real fish tank built into an old TV.

The craft table is stocked with pompoms, lace, beads, yarn, scrap paper, sea shells and other crafting materials. Hot glue guns are also available to assemble your work of art, with parental supervision, because nobody likes a screaming toddler whose hands are glued together.

Art of Recycle doubles as a thrifty craft store with all types of knick-knacks (both new and used) for sale. Items include spools of thread, wood pieces, cassette tapes, DVDs, buttons, candles, art supplies, containers and much more. Prices range from 5 cents to a dollar. Free items include cardboard tubes, plastic cups, used pens and pencils, and broken glass for mosaics. Beatrix and I took an idea from Art of Recycle’s Facebook Page to create our own glitter globe complete with a tiny princess we found for sale in the crafter’s room – our bill for the supplies was 60 cents.

They also offer super cool workshops like fairy tea cup decorating, rock painting, advent calendar, and recycled wind chimes just to name a few.

Art of Recycle does all this and so much more and we are so grateful to have this in our community. Check it out with the kids, you won’t be disappointed. Visit www.artofrecycle.org for more information. Hours of the craft room and store are Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. Art of Recycle provides the creative space using 100 percent donations and volunteers. So if you do have a few bucks when you stop in, make a small donation and let’s keep this space going.