In some circles pipe cleaners are considered tobacco paraphernalia, and it’s a shame, since pipe cleaners have been a prominent tool of the trade for kiddie fun since… well, since kids figured out that there was more to do with granddad’s pipe cleaners than cleaning… pipes.  When beginning to use pipe cleaner for purely recreational purposes, one can’t help but to have the popular American Breed song, “Bend Me, Shape Me,” come floating into their head.  And it’s true, you can bend it and shape it, any way you want it!  Snake like coils are made with the simplest of ease, as are spring-y spring time flowers.  Pipe cleaners can even make for quick on-the-fly fun with instant pipe cleaner dolls.

Pipe cleaners are perhaps one of the cleanest ways for kids to have fun creating their own artworks and other fun projects.  Found in a variety of colors, lengths and thicknesses, pipe cleaners are great for making a drawing pop-out just by gluing on the fuzzy color in whatever pattern suits the masterpiece best.  Available at just about every arts and crafts department, it’s an inexpensive and easy fix to the every day.  So pick up a pipe cleaner and remember what it was like to see a snail in a fuzzy, bendable stick.