My First Activity Video

My First Activity Video is an educational activity video released in 1992 by Dorling Kindersley Vision. It is intended to show children how to do a variety of arts and crafts projects. It is based upon a book title called ‘My First Activity Book’, which covers many of the same activities as shown in the video.

## Sections

The opening of the video shows the nine tiles, and describes how eight of these will be activities that can be followed along with at home.

The first tile fills the screen, which introduces the video and how each section is presented – at the beginning of each section, a clip will show everything required to do the project. This also includes the safety warning for when the viewer is using sharp knives or scissors.

The second tile shows how to make a puppet clown and robot from envelopes and other odds and ends. This activity requires two large brown envelopes, a pencil, a glue stick, a pair of scissors, a holepunch, a ruler, some coloured paper, gold braid, sequins, some wool, two paperclips, four metal washers, two gold curtain rings, three pipe cleaners, two coloured sponge balls, eight small and two large buttons and some aluminium foil.

The third tile shows how to make animal masks. This activity requires thin black cardboard, tracing paper, coloured felt, some thin elastic, a pencil and felt-tip pens, glue and scissors. The programme shows how to make a monkey mask, but the methods can be used to make almost any animal mask.

The fourth tile shows how to make pasta jewellery. This activity requires both bow-shaped and tubular pasta, coloured wooden beads, poster paints, a brush, some water, both clear and coloured nail polish, elastic, scissors, fine satin ribbons and a needle.

The fifth tile includes a guide to making paper flowers. This activity requires coloured crepe paper, some thin wire, some florist wire, glue, scissors, a pencil, cotton wool and cotton thread. The programme shows how to make a paper rose, a daffodil and a tulip.

The sixth tile shows three different ways to decorate eggs. This activity requires some eggs, a large sewing needle, a pastry brush, wallpaper paste, poster paints, a glass of water, a paintbrush, glue, nail polish, scissors, yarn, coloured tissue paper and ribbon. This activity shows how to blow the contents from an egg. The programme shows how to decorate eggs with tissue paper, paint and also making egg people.

The seventh tile shows how to make a jack-o-lantern for Halloween. This activity requires a rutabaga or swede, a yellow melon, a green melon and a pumpkin, a chopping board, knife, spoon, bowl, string, scissors and some small candles.

The eighth tile shows how to make plates and bowls from papier mâché. This activity requires some plates and bowls to serve as moulds, some petroleum jelly, newspaper, a wooden spoon, knife, scissors, a pastry brush, wallpaper paste, paintbrush, some poster paints, water, clear nail polish or varnish, coloured tissue paper and pages from magazines.

The ninth and final tile shows how to design and print your own wrapping paper. This activity requires a chopping board, leaves, a potato, knife, paintbrush, pencil, poster paints, a sponge and saucer, coloured tissue paper, yarn, scissors, a holepunch, cellophane tape and coloured ribbons. This segment shows how to make a printing block from a potato and also how to correctly wrap a present.

## Credits

* Demonstrator – Eva Marie Bryer
* Script – Simon Jollands
* Set Construction – Vic Moore
* Design – Tom Gordon
* Camera – Eddie McCaffrey
* With thanks to:
	+ Jane Dunston
	+ Middlesex Polytechnic Studios
* Lighting – Roddy Gibson
* On Line Editor – Bill Ogden
* Associate Producer – David Furnham Productions
* Directed by – David Furnham
* Executive Producers – Tom Gordon and Simon Jollands

## Home media releases

The cover for the VHS of My First Activity Video has a white background and a border of coloured beads, with the picture collage below the title showing a several paperclips, different cut out shapes of felt and paper, a pair of scissors, a paintbrush, a pile of glitter and three pasta shapes.