Yesterday I started this week’s fall language festival post with the book 5 Little Pumpkins and American Sign Language Halloween words. Be sure to check it out if you missed it. Today let’s get messy with paint and create pumpkin paper plates with letter seeds. These paper plate pumpkins were inspired by Classified: Mom via Pinterest.
Supplies
Paint
Paint Brushes
Paper Plates (2 plates for each child)
Card Stock (brown and white)
Elmer’s Glue
Hot Glue Gun + Glue Sticks
Scissors
Pipe Cleaners (assortment of colors)
Instructions
1. Cover your messy child with the largest smock you can find. Cut one paper plate in half and leave one whole. Arm child with a paint brush, orange paint, a whole paper plate and half of a plate.
2. Enjoy a few quiet moments while child paints. Snap a few photos (no flash please!).
3. After snapping photos, teach your child about size concepts big/little by asking if they want a big or little stem. Xander wanted the biggest stem I could make! Have your child paint the stem.
4. While the paint is drying, cut out pumpkin seeds (one for each letter of your child’s name) from brown card stock. If your child is old enough, they can help you cut out the seeds.
5. Have your child practice color identification, by having him/her choose what color pipe cleaners they would like to use for the letters in his/her name. Shape the letters of their name with the pipe cleaners, and glue to the seeds using your hot glue gun.
6. By the time you are finished with the letters, the pumpkin pieces should be dry. Glue the stem to the back of the plate and then reinforce both the whole and half pumpkin with cardboard from a cereal box.
7. Use a thin line of glue on the outer edge of the half pumpkin, but not on the straight side! Glue the half pumpkin on top of the whole pumpkin to create a pocket.
8. While the glue for the pocket is drying, teach your child how to trace the letters of his/her name over the pipe cleaner. I just love adding textures to learning!
9. At this point, if your child is anything like mine they will start to ask you to create other Halloween shapes for their pocket. Xander requested ghosts and so we did number ghosts.
10. Store all of your seeds and other shapes in your pocket for the next time your child is driving you crazy and needs a distraction!
Come back Thursday for a fun fall literacy guest post from Pages Corner. I’ll be giving away their newest StoryCraft Box, featuring their fall box.
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{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
I have a 2 year old still at the house who will NOT talk. He’s the youngest of 4, and jabbers constantly, but very few real words. This could be a great craft! Thanks!
butterflyangels recently posted..sneak peaks
I’m sure it would be great for him then!!! Enjoy it!
What a fun idea! Thanks for sharing! And happy SITS day!!!
Jen recently posted..My Name is Jake, by Jennifer Turner Review (CHILDREN’S)
Twitter: myleilaland
October 10, 2012 at 10:27 AM
Sorry, it’s early here, but where and how am I reinforcing the pumpkin with a cereal box? This I an awesome activity. I am going to do it for sure! I’ll let you know how it turn out.
Jen recently posted..My child is strange.
I would love to see how yours turns out!! I ended up using the cereal box to make the paper plate a bit stronger. Just glued the back of the plate (not the painted side) to the box and cut out the entire thing. You really can skip that step if you want though. It’s not necessary and would probably come out just as well. My boys are a bit rough so wanted to give it some added strength. Oh and you may want to staple the pocket onto the plate instead of glue. Ours has come unglued at this point.
what a great idea to use pipe cleaners for the letters and numbers! love it!
ang recently posted..Giveaway: Kim Possible Photography
Thanks Ang! Sometimes I have moments of craftiness that surprise even myself. It doesn’t happen often enough! Plus I really despise the hot glue gun. My fingers hate me even more when I use it.
How clever!! Unfortunately I was born with out the crafting gene.
Happy SITS day!!!!
Eva Gallant recently posted..WTF Wednesday
Hey there! I came across your page through SITS! Congrats on today being your day
That is such a creative idea for pipe cleaners.
Thanks so much for your comments and visting on my SITS day!
So sorry you’ve been having to deal with PCOs. That must be tough. You have two beautiful boys and I’m sure you’ll be blessed to grow your family, as you desire. Stopping by via sits. Love the look of your blog!
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Thanks so much for visiting on my SITS day!! Looks like I have beat PCOS once again! Just got a BFP this past weekend. Fingers crossed all goes well and I have a baby in my arms this June!
Thanks so much for visiting on my SITS day. It seems that I have have beaten PCOS but have to confirm with some lab work today!! So excited and hoping all is going my way!
Twitter: mfashforward
October 10, 2012 at 11:03 PM
Crafting is always a great way to get in some good old fashioned quality time with the family..
Leslie McCain recently posted..The Best of Winter White
Thanks so much for linking this up to activity corner with me and Mar from Raising Bean!
ang recently posted..Simply Roasted Potatoes
I just completed this craft with my girls ages 4 and 2. This is a really cute idea and my girls loved painting!
So glad they loved it!!! So nice to hear back from others.
Look for another fun painting craft this week with a giveaway too!
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