fbpx
Cutting Practice for Preschoolers with Free Printable Version

Cutting Practice for Preschoolers with Free Printable Version

Cutting Practice for Preschoolers with Free Printable

Make cutting practice for preschoolers fun with this activity! Kids will cut away the top layer of paper to reveal a picture underneath! Check out the printable version!

Make cutting practice for preschoolers fun with this activity! Kids will cut away the top layer of paper to reveal a picture underneath! 

Multi-Step Cutting Practice for Preschoolers

What I love about this activity is that it is multiple activities all in one to keep kids busy and engaged longer!

The kids can start off by drawing and creating a rainbow. Once drawn, they can then help cut out strips of rain and clouds to cover up the rainbow. And finally, they can cut away the rain to reveal their rainbow! If you have multiple kids, or a classroom, it would be fun to switch papers to have the sibling or classmate do the big reveal!

All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

Skills: 
Ages: 
Prep Time: 

How to Create This Activity  

There are two ways you can do this cutting practice for preschoolers! You can do the multi-step handmade approach described above, or you can grab our free printable below.

Both ways are lots of fun and great for strengthening fine motor skills!

Keep on reading to get the free printable which includes 3 different scenes to discover! 

How to Create This Activity  

There are two ways you can do this cutting practice for preschoolers! You can do the multi-step handmade approach described above, or you can grab our free printable below.

Both ways are lots of fun and great for strengthening fine motor skills!

Keep on reading to get the free printable which includes 3 different scenes to discover! 

Make cutting practice for preschoolers fun with this activity! Kids will cut away the top layer of paper to reveal a picture underneath!

Get the Free Printable Version for This Cutting Practice for Preschoolers

We wanted to make things extra easy for you with a free printable version of this activity! Just print, cut along the dotted lines, and tape for a super quick activity to set up for your preschoolers!

In addition to the rainbow discovery, the printable set includes 2 other scenes to have kids uncover – dolphins hiding behind seagrass and ladybugs hiding behind grass!

For more printable resources to help with scissor skills, be sure to check out our Cut the Patterns and Scissor Skills Haircuts worksheets!

And to see all our printable resources including lots of freebies, visit our Printable Shop! 

Materials
Step-by-Step Instructions 
Step 1

Have your little one draw a rainbow on a piece of paper, or draw one for them, or grab our free printable! 

Step 2

Cut clouds and strips for the “rain” on blue paper, leaving a 1/4 inch border to keep all the strands together.

Step 3

Glue the rain just above the rainbow. And then glue the clouds above the rain.

Step 4

Hand your kiddo child-safe scissors and challenge them to cut the rain away to find the surprise underneath!

Step 1

Have your little one draw a rainbow on a piece of paper, or draw one for them, or grab our free printable! 

Step 2

Cut clouds and strips for the “rain” on blue paper, leaving a 1/4 inch border to keep all the strands together.

Step 3

Glue the rain just above the rainbow. And then glue the clouds above the rain.

Step 4

Hand your kiddo child-safe scissors and challenge them to cut the rain away to find the surprise underneath!

The Importance of Cutting Practice for Preschoolers

As a child strengthens their scissor skills, they are simultaneously strengthening their fine motor skills. These are the small muscles in the hands and fingers that will help kids accomplish many life skills including writing, buttoning, zipping, and so much more.

Read more about what fine motor skills are and why the are important!

Make cutting practice for preschoolers fun with this activity! Kids will cut away the top layer of paper to reveal a picture underneath!
Make cutting practice for preschoolers fun with this activity! Kids will cut away the top layer of paper to reveal a picture underneath!

The Importance of Cutting Practice for Preschoolers

As a child strengthens their scissor skills, they are simultaneously strengthening their fine motor skills. These are the small muscles in the hands and fingers that will help kids accomplish many life skills including writing, buttoning, zipping, and so much more.

Read more about what fine motor skills are and why the are important!

Store-Bought Scissor Skills Activities

Here are my top picks for scissor skill products you can buy!

Scissor Skills Workbook

This set includes 3 workbooks all about scissor skills. Each book includes a pair of scissors!

SHOP NOW

Apple Picking Game

This unique game includes magnetic apples that can be picked from the tree using a scooper scissor!

SHOP NOW

Travel-Size Cutting Book

This small book is packed with scissor skills activities for children as young as 2 years old!

SHOP NOW

Decorative Scissors

This fun set of scissors comes with 6 designs of patterns for decorating paper crafts!

SHOP NOW

What’s Next?

Baby Hand and Footprints – Tips and Tricks to Get Good Prints!

Baby Hand and Footprints – Tips and Tricks to Get Good Prints!

Baby Hand and Footprints – Tips and Tricks to Get Good Prints!

Baby Hand and Footprint Tips and Tricks

Getting baby hand and footprints can be tricky! These simple tips and tricks can make the process a whole lot easier! Keep on reading to find out!

Baby Hand and Footprints Make the Perfect Keepsakes!

There is no denying that kids grow up so fast! One way to freeze time is by making hand and footprints. During my babies first year of life, I try my best to get hands and footprints every single month because it is incredible to see how fast they grow! After the first year, I get their hands and footprints every birthday.

Plus, handprints and footprints make the perfect gifts and keepsakes. You can include them in a card, or use them in a piece of artwork as well!

All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

 

Skills: Early Math

Ages: 2 Years +

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Mess-Free Ink Pads versus Large Washable Ink Pads

In this video, I test out mess-free ink pads for babies and compare them to the large washable stamp pads.

There are definitely pros and cons to each of those that I further explain below! 

Alternatively, you can always use regular washable paint, though this technique is the most messy!

Mess-Free Ink Pads versus Large Washable Ink Pads

In this video, I test out mess-free ink pads for babies and compare them to the large washable stamp pads.

There are definitely pros and cons to each of those that I further explain below! 

Alternatively, you can always use regular washable paint, though this technique is the most messy!

mess free stamp pads Baby Hand and Footprint Tips and Tricks

Baby Hand and Footprints Using Mess-Free Ink Pad Technique

These mess-free ink pads are a great choice for infants and babies. Baby is able to place the hand or foot down on top of a non-ink side, thereby transferring the ink onto a piece of paper without getting any ink on themselves!

I found a set that comes in lots of different colors, not just the jet black one that you may have seen before or that hospitals often use.

No doubt, there is a big benefit in this being mess-free, but there are a few cons. First, these pads are small and won’t be usable for older kids. Second, the number of uses is extremely limited. I was able to get 2-3 prints only from each ink pad.

 

Baby Hand and Footprints Using the Large Stamp Pad Technique

These large stamp pads do require getting ink on the skin, but they solve the big cons associated with using the mess-free ink pads.

They are much larger and can be used by kids of all ages, even adults too! They also have a much longer life-span with lots of ink to create one handprint or footprint after another!

And while they are not contact-less, they are non-toxic and easily washable.

In addition to the two ink/stamp pads described below, you can also use regular old washable paint! It will do the trick just fine, even if it is a little bit messy!

stamp pads Baby Hand and Footprint Tips and Tricks

More Tips to Getting the Perfect Baby Hand and Footprints 

Clipboard. Use a clipboard, hard cover book, or another hard surface when making prints! Just using a paper is too flimsy and may result in not so perfect prints!

Heel to Toe. When making footprints, gently hold baby’s foot by the ankle and guide it from heel to toe onto the paper. The foot should open up and give you a nice print!

Open Hand. Getting an open hand from an awake baby can be really tricky! With that in mind, try to grab baby’s handprints while they are sleeping. If that’s not possible, make sure baby is happy and fed, and gently add pressure at the top of the wrist before placing the hand onto the paper. This will often open the palm for optimum placement!

simple subtraction free printable activity for kids

Create artwork with those precious prints! Pictured, is a fun project I did with my daughter after getting her footprints every month for her first year. You can also create lots of fun images out of handprints like this dinosaur, bee, and spider art projects!

Baby Hand and Footprint Tips and Tricks

More Tips to Getting the Perfect Baby Hand and Footprints 

Clipboard. Use a clipboard, hard cover book, or another hard surface when making prints! Just using a paper is too flimsy and may result in not so perfect prints!

Heel to Toe. When making footprints, gently hold baby’s foot by the ankle and guide it from heel to toe onto the paper. The foot should open up and give you a nice print!

Open Hand. Getting an open hand from an awake baby can be really tricky! With that in mind, try to grab baby’s handprints while they are sleeping. If that’s not possible, make sure baby is happy and fed, and gently add pressure at the top of the wrist before placing the hand onto the paper. This will often open the palm for optimum placement!

Create artwork with those precious prints! Pictured, is a fun project I did with my daughter after getting her footprints every month for her first year. You can also create lots of fun images out of handprints like this dinosaur, bee, and spider art projects!

 

More Ways to Create Baby Hand and Footprints

Here are some beautiful ways to capture baby’s hands and feet while they are still little!

Baby Hand And Footprint Kit 

This kit comes with everything you need, including the cute rustic frame. 

 

SHOP NOW

Baby Hand and Feet Casting

A beautiful way to capture those tiny hands and feet! This kit includes mold material, plaster, and detailed instructions!

SHOP NOW
clay handprint bowls footprint keepsakes

Handprint Clay Bowls

This set includes 38 polymer clay blocks in 12 different colors. It can make 3-6 handprint bowls.

 

SHOP NOW

Baby Ornament Keepsake

This kit comes with everything you need to create a lovely clay casting of your baby’s hand or footprint. 

SHOP NOW

What’s Next?

Home
Play
Shop
Printables
Contact

© 7 Days of Play 2020. All rights reserved.

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Disclosure and Ad Policy

Easy Heart Craft – A Fun Technique with Geometric Shapes

Easy Heart Craft – A Fun Technique with Geometric Shapes

Easy Heart Craft – A Fun Technique with Geometric Shapes

easy heart craft valentine's day

This easy heart craft is a fun project for kids! The hot glue border guides little artists to stay in the lines to make geometric shapes! 

Create Geometric Shapes with This Easy Heart Craft

If you are a young kid, creating geometric shapes inside a heart shape may not be the easiest task! That’s why creating a hot glue border is a genius way to help guide these budding artists to stay in the lines!

Kids will have fun filling in the shapes while utilizing the raised edges in between to keep colors separate and vibrant! This is a fun craft to do during Valentine’s Day or as a fun art project while learning about shapes! 

All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

Skills: 

Ages: 

Prep Time: 

How to Make This Easy Heart Craft

Setting up this easy heart craft for your kiddo can be done in minutes! You’ll see how I outlined the shape of a heart using hot glue and randomly created shapes inside.

Hot glue dries super fast, so in no time, my daughter (aged 3) enjoyed painting inside the lines with her huge watercolor set!

How to Make This Easy Heart Craft

Setting up this easy heart craft for your kiddo can be done in minutes! You’ll see how I outlined the shape of a heart using hot glue and randomly created shapes inside.

Hot glue dries super fast, so in no time, my daughter (aged 3) enjoyed painting inside the lines with her huge watercolor set!

Tips for Making This Easy Heart Craft

Hot Glue. You’ll need a hot glue gun for this, so make sure you heat it up in advance! 

Watercolor Paper. You’ll need some thick paper to create this art project! Hot glue will adhere to this kind of paper perfectly.

Heart Shape. One of the trickiest parts of creating this heart craft is the grown ups job of making the heart shape! If you find it is difficult to make a symmetrical heart freestyle, you can always trace in pencil first!

For more arts and crafts projects, be sure to visit our comprehensive list! 

easy heart craft valentine's day

Materials

Step-by-Step Instructions 

Step 1

Use a hot glue gun to make the shape of a heart.

Step 2

Inside the heart, make geometric shapes of your choice!

Step 3

Provide a watercolor set and paint brushes to decorate and paint!

Step 4

Cut the border around the heart, optional!

Step 1

Use a hot glue gun to make the shape of a heart.

Step 2

Inside the heart, make geometric shapes of your choice!

Step 3

Provide a watercolor set and paint brushes to decorate and paint!

Step 4

Cut the border around the heart, optional!

Valentine’s Day Themed Printable Activity Worksheets!

If you are looking for even more fun activities to do that have a Valentine’s Day theme, definitely check out our printable worksheets!

These Valentine’s Day activities are a fun way to play and learn! The set includes over 15 Valentine’s Day themed activities that strengthen early childhood education skills, including scissor skills, tracing, the alphabet, coloring, numbers, matching, writing, phonics, and so much more!

easy to make play dough recipe homemade no cook
easy to make play dough recipe homemade no cook

Valentine’s Day Themed Printable Activity Worksheets!

If you are looking for even more fun activities to do that have a Valentine’s Day theme, definitely check out our printable worksheets!

These Valentine’s Day activities are a fun way to play and learn! The set includes over 15 Valentine’s Day themed activities that strengthen early childhood education skills, including scissor skills, tracing, the alphabet, coloring, numbers, matching, writing, phonics, and so much more!

More Ways to Explore Artistic Mediums

Want more projects after doing this easy heart craft? Here are my top picks for arts and crafts kits that encourage hands on creations!

arts and crafts kit marbling

Water Marbling Kit

Create beautiful marbled art with this easy to use kit. This is water based art and comes with all the tools needed to create 10 masterpieces!

SHOP NOW
arts and crafts kit spin and spiral art

Spin and Spiral Art

This fun kit allows kiddos to explore both spin art and spiral art. The kit comes with 3 spiro gears, 6 markers, 3 ink bottles, 15 paper discs, and an art station base.

SHOP NOW
arts and crafts kit sand art

Sand Art Kit

This sand art kit comes with 8 different colors of sand to create sand bottles and pendant bottles. A great way to discover art through a different medium!

SHOP NOW
arts and crafts kit string art

String Art Kit

This kit is a fun way for kids to create and display amazing shapes and designs artistically made with string.  Use a pattern included in the kit or create your own!

SHOP NOW

What’s Next?

Valentine Handprint Craft – Make This Adorable Bee Mine Keepsake

Valentine Handprint Craft – Make This Adorable Bee Mine Keepsake

Valentine Handprint Craft – Make This Adorable Bee Mine Keepsake

valentines handprint craft

This Valentine handprint craft is so adorable! It’s a fun and simple craft for the kids to make for Valentine’s Day! Using a leftover toilet paper roll proves that once again, you can easily make something adorable out of items that you were just going to toss in the trash! 

Where a Valentine Handprint Craft Collides with Paper Tubes

Can we all just agree that heading to the store and trying to buy Valentine’s cards is a lot of work? It can be super stressful at times to try to pick out options from the ones that are left at the store.

This is why I love this fun Valentine activity. It allows the kids to be a part of creating their cute Valentine and lets us create fun memories together as well.

All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

Skills: 

Ages: 

Prep Time: 

How to Make This Valentine’s Handprint Craft

This is so simple to make! You can see the easy steps that we took to create this fun Valentine’s Handprint craft. 

In the video, I demonstrate the process, but this is definitely a project that the kids can do from start to finish! Of course, they may need some help tracing their dominant hand!

How to Make This Valentine’s Handprint Craft

This is so simple to make! You can see the easy steps that we took to create this fun Valentine’s Handprint craft. 

In the video, I demonstrate the process, but this is definitely a project that the kids can do from start to finish! Of course, they may need some help tracing their dominant hand!

Tips for Making This Valentine Handprint Craft

Tacky Glue. We used tacky glue to create these Valentine handprint crafts because it is a strong adhesive that dries super fast!

Paper Roll. If you’d like to sterilize your paper roll before using it in a craft, you can bake it on your oven’s lowest setting around 200F for 20 minutes.

Handprints. Getting handprints from young children can sometimes be tricky. Instead of tracing, you may want to use a mess-free stamp pad instead!

For more arts and crafts projects, be sure to visit our comprehensive list! 

valentines handprint craft

Materials

Step-by-Step Instructions 

Step 1

Cut a yellow piece of paper the length of and width of your paper tube. Cut three black stripes of paper and glue them in a bee-like pattern on the second half of the cut yellow paper.

Step 2

Glue the yellow and black paper around the paper tube. Hold for 30 seconds while the glue dries. Cut two small stripes of black paper for the antenna, and for a festive Valentine’s look, glue two small pink hearts to the top.

Step 3

Glue the antennas to the paper tube.

Step 4

To make the wings, trace your child’s hands on white paper, and cut out the handprints.

Step 5

Glue the wings to the paper tube. Add googley eyes and a smile to make your bee come alive!

Step 1

Cut a yellow piece of paper the length of and width of your paper tube. Cut three black stripes of paper and glue them in a bee-like pattern on the second half of the cut yellow paper.

Step 2

Glue the yellow and black paper around the paper tube. Hold for 30 seconds while the glue dries. Cut two small stripes of black paper for the antenna, and for a festive Valentine’s look, glue two small pink hearts to the top.

Step 3

Glue the antennas to the paper tube.

Step 4

To make the wings, trace your child’s hands on white paper, and cut out the handprints.

Step 5

Glue the wings to the paper tube. Add googley eyes and a smile to make your bee come alive!

Valentine’s Day Themed Printable Activity Worksheets!

If you are looking for even more fun activities to do that have a Valentine’s Day theme, definitely check out our printable worksheets!

These Valentine’s Day activities are a fun way to play and learn! The set includes over 15 Valentine’s Day themed activities that strengthen early childhood education skills, including scissor skills, tracing, the alphabet, coloring, numbers, matching, writing, phonics, and so much more!

easy to make play dough recipe homemade no cook
easy to make play dough recipe homemade no cook

Valentine’s Day Themed Printable Activity Worksheets!

If you are looking for even more fun activities to do that have a Valentine’s Day theme, definitely check out our printable worksheets!

These Valentine’s Day activities are a fun way to play and learn! The set includes over 15 Valentine’s Day themed activities that strengthen early childhood education skills, including scissor skills, tracing, the alphabet, coloring, numbers, matching, writing, phonics, and so much more!

More Ways to Explore Artistic Mediums

Want more projects after doing this spider handprint activity? Here are my top picks for arts and crafts kits that encourage hands on creations!

arts and crafts kit marbling

Water Marbling Kit

Create beautiful marbled art with this easy to use kit. This is water based art and comes with all the tools needed to create 10 masterpieces!

SHOP NOW
arts and crafts kit spin and spiral art

Spin and Spiral Art

This fun kit allows kiddos to explore both spin art and spiral art. The kit comes with 3 spiro gears, 6 markers, 3 ink bottles, 15 paper discs, and an art station base.

SHOP NOW
arts and crafts kit sand art

Sand Art Kit

This sand art kit comes with 8 different colors of sand to create sand bottles and pendant bottles. A great way to discover art through a different medium!

SHOP NOW
arts and crafts kit string art

String Art Kit

This kit is a fun way for kids to create and display amazing shapes and designs artistically made with string.  Use a pattern included in the kit or create your own!

SHOP NOW

What’s Next?

Shaving Cream Art – A Vibrant and Sensory-Packed Activity

Shaving Cream Art – A Vibrant and Sensory-Packed Activity

Shaving Cream Art – A Vibrant and Sensory-Packed Activity

shaving cream art for kids marbled craft

This vibrantly colored activity is all about making shaving cream art! It is easy to set up and such a rich sensory experience for kids!

Shaving Cream Art, Sensory Play and Fine Motor Skills Collide!

So many fun skills collide with this shaving cream art activity. Using droppers to transfer liquid watercolor on top of the shaving cream is great for fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Plus, after using paper and a squeegee to make marbled artwork, kids are left with a brilliantly colored shaving cream mixture they can use for sensory and imaginative play! My son enjoyed making “ice cream cones” out of it!

All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links

Skills: 

Ages: 3 Years +

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Watch How to Make Shaving Cream Art!

Setting this up takes all of a few minutes, and the rest is all for your kiddos to do! Well, except squeezing out shaving cream can be tricky, so kids may need a grown up to help! But once the shaving cream is out, that will be their canvas for creating some super fun and sensory packed artwork! And once the art has been made, definitely don’t toss the shaving cream mixture away! Use it for some fun sensory play!

Watch How to Make Shaving Cream Art!

Setting this up takes all of a few minutes, and the rest is all for your kiddos to do! Well, except squeezing out shaving cream can be tricky, so kids may need a grown up to help! But once the shaving cream is out, that will be their canvas for creating some super fun and sensory packed artwork! And once the art has been made, definitely don’t toss the shaving cream mixture away! Use it for some fun sensory play!

 

shaving cream art for kids marbled craft

Tips for Making Shaving Cream Art

Prepare for the Mess. Just remember that this is going to get messy – that’s all part of the fun! Try to do this outdoors so everything can be hosed down, but if that’s not possible, place a waterproof mat underneath the workspace and have a bucket of water nearby to wash off hands.

Colors. You can use either food coloring or liquid watercolor for this activity. We prefer liquid watercolor because, once diluted, it is washable!

Large Droppers. Using large droppers is a great tool to strengthen fine motor skills. We like these extra large droppers because they are not too tricky to use!

For more sensory-packed activities, visit our comprehensive list!

Materials

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1

Fill up a tub with shaving cream.

Step 2

Use a dropper and liquid watercolors to create a design on top of the shaving cream. Swirl the colors around if you want!

Step 3

Place a piece of paper on top of the shaving cream color design.

Step 4

Use a squeegee to remove the excess shaving cream in top of the paper to reveal a fun marbled-design artwork!

Step 5

Use the leftover shaving cream mixture for sensory and imaginative play!

Step 1

Fill up a tub with shaving cream.

Step 2

Use a dropper and liquid watercolors to create a design on top of the shaving cream. Swirl the colors around if you want!

Step 3

Place a piece of paper on top of the shaving cream color design.

Step 4

Use a squeegee to remove the excess shaving cream to reveal a fun marbled-design artwork!

Step 5

Use the leftover shaving cream mixture for sensory and imaginative play!

Beyond Shaving Cream Art 

Process art is one of the biggest benefits of this rainbow activity. It’s a great way for the kids to see the entire process from start to finish on how art can be easy and simple to create. 

They can then use that to understand the artistic impression and see if they can recreate or create a rainbow (or something else) all on their very own.

Plus, as mentioned above, this activity isn’t just about art! It’s a fun way to strengthen fine motor skills, explore sensory play, and tap into their imaginations! 

shaving cream art for kids marbled craft
shaving cream art for kids marbled craft

Beyond Shaving Cream Art 

Process art is one of the biggest benefits of this rainbow activity. It’s a great way for the kids to see the entire process from start to finish on how art can be easy and simple to create. 

They can then use that to understand the artistic impression and see if they can recreate or create a rainbow (or something else) all on their very own.

Plus, as mentioned above, this activity isn’t just about art! It’s a fun way to strengthen fine motor skills, explore sensory play, and tap into their imaginations! 

More fun for the ice cream lover!

Here are my top picks for ice cream themed play items you can buy.

Scoop and Serve

This wooden set is perfect for the ice cream lover! It comes with 28 pieces including ice cream flavors, toppings, cones, a cup, a menu, and the counter!

SHOP NOW

Life-Size Food Cart

This large scale imaginative play food cart is adorable! Plus it has two different food cart themes: sweets like ice cream, and snacks like pretzels and hot dogs!

SHOP NOW

Ice Cream Truck Walker

This adorable walker is a great gift for toddlers! Removing and placing the ice creams back into the holder is great for fine motor skills! 

SHOP NOW

Paint Your Own Ice Cream Cone 

Such a great arts and crafts set! Your ice cream lover will love decorating these magnetic scoops that stick together! 

SHOP NOW

What’s Next?

Color Matching Activity – Make Your Own Sorting Game

Color Matching Activity – Make Your Own Sorting Game

Color Matching Activity – Make Your Own Sorting Game

color matching activity with paper tubes and pom poms great for fine motor skills

Make your own color matching activity out of paper tubes and pom poms. This is a fun way to play with color recognition and fine motor skills! Keep on reading to find out how easy this activity is to make!

Where Color Matching Activity and Fine Motor Skills Collide!

This easy-to-make color matching activity is also a great way to strengthen fine motor skills. The kids will be able to use tongs and place the correct colored pom poms into the same colored tube all on their own! This is great for both finger muscles and hand-eye coordination!

All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

 

Skills: 

Ages: 

Prep Time: 

Watch This Color Matching Activity in Action! 

In this video, you’ll see how both preschoolers and toddlers can enjoy this activity! While many preschool aged kids can easily match colors, this game takes it to the next level by using tongs. This may be tricky for some kids to use, but the more they practice, the more their hand-eye coordination and finger muscles will strengthen. Toddlers who are not quite ready to use tongs yet, can use their hands to transfer the pom poms into the paper tube.

 

Watch This Color Matching Activity in Action! 

In this video, you’ll see how both preschoolers and toddlers can enjoy this activity! While many preschool aged kids can easily match colors, this game takes it to the next level by using tongs. This may be tricky for some kids to use, but the more they practice, the more their hand-eye coordination and finger muscles will strengthen. Toddlers who are not quite ready to use tongs yet, can use their hands to transfer the pom poms into the paper tube.

 

color matching activity with paper tubes and pom poms great for fine motor skills

Tips for Making This Color Matching Activity

Colors. Make paper tubes colorful by using acrylic paint, or an even faster process for grown ups to do is use spray paint!

Cardboard. Cardboard makes the best puzzle boards! It is thick and durable. But the best part? It’s a free resource if you have constant at-home deliveries like us! 

Tongs. For the added fine motor strengthening component of this activity, get some tongs that are kid-friendly! We bought a set that are for serving hors d’oeuvre – they are small and easier for kids to use.

For more color matching activities, be sure to visit our comprehensive list of ideas! 

 

 

Materials

  • Cardboard
  • Paper Tubes
  • Paint

Step-by-Step Instructions 

Step 1

Cut toilet paper tubes in half (or leave them whole for double the filling!). Paint tubes — acrylic paint, tempera paint sticks, spray paint, whatever you have on hand!

Step 2

Glue painted tubes down to a piece of cardboard. I used hot glue since it dries super fast. For the older kids, grab a tong and set aside pom poms, or bottle caps, or erasers, anything smallish that will fit inside. And watch those fine motor skills at work!

Step 1

Cut toilet paper tubes in half (or leave them whole for double the filling!). Paint tubes — acrylic paint, tempera paint sticks, spray paint, whatever you have on hand!

Step 2

Glue painted tubes down to a piece of cardboard. I used hot glue since it dries super fast. For the older kids, grab a tong and set aside pom poms, or bottle caps, or erasers, anything smallish that will fit inside. And watch those fine motor skills at work!

Get a Free Printable and Other Fun Ways to Explore Colors!

This printable worksheet is such a fun way to learn and match colors! Be sure to read all about this hands-on, sensory-packed way of learning colors!

To dive even deeper into learning colors, you have to download our All About Colors printable bundle. We shine a light on every color of the rainbow and beyond! Each color gets a dedicated page where kiddos can dive deep into learning all the vibrant details.

These pages are hands on and fun, integrating paint, scissor skills, and games too! If your kiddo loves colors, don’t miss our full printable bundle all about colors!

discover the colors worksheet printable color matching

We also have the following free worksheets: Dot the Rainbow, Rainbow Color Match using Cotton Swabs, and our bundle that is all about Color Mixing!

discover the colors worksheet printable color matching

Get a Free Printable and Other Fun Ways to Explore Colors!

This printable worksheet is such a fun way to learn and match colors! Be sure to read all about this hands-on, sensory-packed way of learning colors!

To dive even deeper into learning colors, you have to download our All About Colors printable bundle. We shine a light on every color of the rainbow and beyond! Each color gets a dedicated page where kiddos can dive deep into learning all the vibrant details. These pages are hands on and fun, integrating paint, scissor skills, and games too! If your kiddo loves colors, don’t miss our full printable bundle all about colors!

We also have the following free worksheets: Dot the Rainbow, Rainbow Color Match using Cotton Swabs, and our bundle that is all about Color Mixing!

 

More Ways to Explore Colors

Here are more color and rainbow activities that make great gifts!

wooden rainbow color sorting toy

Color Sorting Rainbow

Transfer pom poms or balls to color sort this rainbow! If you use tongs it is great for fine motor skills too! (Caution: small parts!)

SHOP NOW
rainbow wooden stacking toy for color recognition

Wooden Rainbow Stacker

This wooden rainbow stacker is  not only great for color sorting, it is also a fantastic open-ended play toy!

SHOP NOW
color sorting magnetic game color recognition

Color Sorting Maze

This wooden board has a magnetic wand and beads that can be sorted based on color! Great for fine motor skills too!

SHOP NOW
Color sorting game color recognition

Color Sort the Objects

This game is a great way to learn color recognition while strengthening language development.

SHOP NOW

What’s Next?

Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments – How to Make This Adorable Keepsake

Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments – How to Make This Adorable Keepsake

Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments – How to Make This Adorable Keepsake

salt dough ornaments how to make and decorate kid tradition holiday christmas handprint

Salt dough handprint ornaments are such great keepsakes! Keep on reading to find out how to make the dough and find ideas on how to decorate! 

A Classic Keepsake – Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments! 

Salt Dough Ornaments are a classic holiday craft! Not only are they fun to create, but the kids will love being able to decorate them and paint them after they’re dry. Our salt dough recipe is simple to make and will result in such a great homemade gift or item to decorate the tree at home.

Whether you create these DIY ornaments with handprints or not, the key is to give the kids a ton of creative freedom to have a blast! 

All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

Skills: 

Ages: 3 Years +

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Watch How to Make Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments 

In this video you’ll see how quick and easy it is to make salt dough handprint ornaments! This video is a tutorial to demonstrate the process, but be sure to get the kids involved from start to finish. They can help make the dough, roll it out, and decorate! 

Plus, with the extra dough not used for the handprint, have the kiddos make additional ornaments using cookie cutters!

Watch How to Make Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments 

In this video you’ll see how quick and easy it is to make salt dough handprint ornaments! This video is a tutorial to demonstrate the process, but be sure to get the kids involved from start to finish. They can help make the dough, roll it out, and decorate! 

Plus, with the extra dough not used for the handprint, have the kiddos make additional ornaments using cookie cutters!

salt dough ornaments how to make and decorate kid tradition holiday christmas

Tips for Making Salt Dough Ornaments

How do you prevent ornaments from puffing up? To prevent your ornament from puffing up, be sure to select a plain flour since the self-rising kind may cause your ornaments to get puffy when baked. Also, make sure you bake the dough at a low temperature. While we bake at 200F, all ovens can vary so if your ornaments puff up, bring the temperature down and bake for longer until dry.

What is the best paint to use? Acrylic paint! It is vibrant and long lasting!

How do you seal the ornaments? With a decoupage like Mod Podge. This will give the ornaments a great finish and preserve them too!

Caution for pet owners. Salt dough is toxic to pets, so be sure to keep them out of reach!

 

 

Materials

 

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.

Step 2

On wax paper, roll the dough out until it is about 1/8 inch thick. If it is too thick, you may end up with air bubbles. 

Step 3

Design your ornament using cookie cutters or cutting out the shape of a handprint. Have fun with it!

Step 4

Bake at 200F for about 1 hour, flip, and back for an additional hour until the dough starts to look golden.

Step 5

Once cool, use acrylic paint to decorate.

Step 6

When dry, cover with a layer of mod podge. Hang up on the Christmas tree and enjoy for years to come!

Step 1

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.

Step 2

On wax paper, roll the dough out until it is about 1/8 inch thick. If it is too thick, you may end up with air bubbles. 

Step 3

Design your ornament using cookie cutters or cutting out the shape of a handprint. Have fun with it!

Step 4

Bake at 200F for about 1 hour, flip, and back for an additional hour until the dough starts to look golden.

Step 5

Once cool, use acrylic paint to decorate.

Step 6

When dry, cover with a layer of mod podge. Hang up on the Christmas tree and enjoy for years to come!

More Holiday Themed Activities!  

This Christmas Activity booklet includes 18 playful learning activities to promote early childhood skills including, alphabet recognition, color recognition, scissor skills, early math, writing, and so much more!

It is a fun bundle to have during the holiday break to keep the kiddos busy, learning, and having fun!

For more printable resources be sure to check out our full collection of worksheets! 

fall sensory bin taste safe toddler baby foam
fall sensory bin taste safe toddler baby foam

More Holiday Themed Activities!  

This Christmas Activity booklet includes 18 playful learning activities to promote early childhood skills including, alphabet recognition, color recognition, scissor skills, early math, writing, and so much more!

It is a fun bundle to have during the holiday break to keep the kiddos busy, learning, and having fun!

For more printable resources be sure to check out our full collection of worksheets! 

More Holiday Crafts to Explore 

Here are more fun ways to do festive crafting during the holiday season!

sensory bin build you own bin michaels

Paper Mache Ornament Kit

This ornament kit includes 3 paper mache ornament balls, and a bunch of craft supplies to decorate with!

SHOP NOW
sensory bin marine creatures

Spinning Ornament Decorator

A creative way to decorate ornaments! Place the plain ornaments in the tree spinner, and decorate using markers!

SHOP NOW
christmas ornament crafting kits

Bead Elf Ornaments

Create your own bead elves with this fun kit that includes wooden beads in 5 shapes, paper hat cutouts, and 8 pipe cleaners.

SHOP NOW
christmas crafting kits

Gingerbread House

This large scale gingerbread house is all about coloring and decorating. Great for pretend play when personalized!

SHOP NOW

What’s Next?

Christmas Cutting Activity – Free Printable Trim Santa’s Beard

Christmas Cutting Activity – Free Printable Trim Santa’s Beard

Christmas Cutting Activity – Free Printable Trim Santa’s Beard

christmas cutting activity trim santa's beard scissor skills free printable worksheet

This Christmas Cutting activity is such a fun way to strengthen scissor skills! Keep on reading to get the free printable worksheet to trim Santa’s beard!  

Scissor Skills with a Holiday Twist!

One of the best ways for kids to strengthen fine motor skills is through cutting activities! It takes time to build up the muscles in the hands and fingers, but activities like this make it fun!

This Christmas cutting activity is a super fun way to practice these skills during the holiday time! Kids will enjoy giving Santa’s beard a cut and a trim.

We made things extra easy for grown ups with a free printable worksheet. There are 4 different Santa’s each with different patterns on his beard to explore with varying levels of difficulty!

 

Skills: 

Ages: 

Prep Time: 

This Christmas Cutting Activity in Action!

This activity can be set up in no time! Since it is a free printable, all you have to do is grab the free printable from the link below, print it, and then either cut out the Santas yourself, or have your kiddos do it themselves!

Then, kids can have fun using scissors along the patterns to cut Santa’s beard and give it a trim if they would like too!

All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

This Christmas Cutting Activity in Action!

This activity can be set up in no time! Since it is a free printable, all you have to do is grab the free printable from the link below, print it, and then either cut out the Santas yourself, or have your kiddos do it themselves!

Then, kids can have fun using scissors along the patterns to cut Santa’s beard and give it a trim if they would like too!

All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

scissor skills cut santa's beard printable activity worksheet holiday

Get the FREE Printable Christmas Cutting Activity Here!

We understand that grown ups are busy which is why we often make free printable activities! For this Christmas, cutting activity, we’ve got you covered with this FREE printable!

We have lots of Holiday themed printables available. Be sure to check out our Christmas Bundle, Hanukkah Bundle, and Kwanzaa Bundle too! Each of these are filled with activities that will be sure to keep your kiddos busy before and during the holiday break!

And for even more printable activities, visit our Printable Shop. It is filled with easy to set-up activities that help strengthen early childhood education skills!

The Importance of Scissor Skills

Cutting with scissors is one of those practical life skills that will be useful for the rest of your kiddo’s life!

It also happens to be a wonderful tool for strengthening fine motor skills! Opening and closing a scissor will increase the muscle strengthen in kid’s hands and fingers.

This printable has a number of different patterns with varying degrees of difficulty. Each are great for supporting hand-eye coordination.

Overtime, as kid’s hands get stronger, their movements and accuracy will be more precise.

christmas cutting activity trim santa's beard scissor skills free printable worksheet
christmas cutting activity trim santa's beard scissor skills free printable worksheet

The Importance of Scissor Skills

Cutting with scissors is one of those practical life skills that will be useful for the rest of your kiddo’s life!

It also happens to be a wonderful tool for strengthening fine motor skills! Opening and closing a scissor will increase the muscle strengthen in kid’s hands and fingers.

This printable has a number of different patterns with varying degrees of difficulty. Each are great for supporting hand-eye coordination.

Overtime, as kid’s hands get stronger, their movements and accuracy will be more precise.

Store-Bought Scissor Skills Activities

Here are my top picks for scissor skill products you can buy!

Scissor Skills Workbook

This set includes 3 workbooks all about scissor skills. Each book includes a pair of scissors!

SHOP NOW

Apple Picking Game

This unique game includes magnetic apples that can be picked from the tree using a scooper scissor!

SHOP NOW

Travel-Size Cutting Book

This small book is packed with scissor skills activities for children as young as 2 years old!

SHOP NOW

Decorative Scissors

This fun set of scissors comes with 6 designs of patterns for decorating paper crafts!

SHOP NOW

What’s Next?

Animal Themed Party, Everything You Need to Know

Animal Themed Party, Everything You Need to Know

Animal Themed Party, Everything You Need to Know

animal themed party table decor photo dessert table

Everything you need to know to throw a super fun animal themed party! From animal themed activities, to cake & table design, we got you covered!

When planning a kid’s birthday party, I always have a handy checklist so I don’t forget something important! Here are the main areas:

  • Food
  • Dishes and Utensils
  • Beverages
  • Activities
  • Decor: Table and Front Door
  • Outfits
  • Trash Can
  • Party Favors
  • First Aid and Other Essentials Basket

Keep on reading to get all the details and see some inspirational animal party fun in action!

Skills: 

Ages: 

Prep Time: 

The Party in Action!

Before I get into all of the details, watch this video for a glimpse of our animal themed party in action!

From creepy crawlers to wild animals, my son loves to explore all kinds of living things! Instead of focusing on a specific type of animal theme party like jungle, safari, woodland, or otherwise, we stayed broad allowing the flexibility to include any and all animal types!

All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

The Party in Action!

Before I get into all of the details, watch this video for a glimpse of our animal themed party in action!

From creepy crawlers to wild animals, my son loves to explore all kinds of living things! Instead of focusing on a specific type of animal theme party like jungle, safari, woodland, or otherwise, we stayed broad allowing the flexibility to include any and all animal types!

All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

animal themed party table decor

Animal Themed Party: Activities!

Whenever I plan my kid’s birthday parties, activities are always one of the most important things to figure out!

We opt for hands on, often sensory-based and arts and crafts experiences over bounce houses and other more costly alternatives. Read on below for the main activities we decided to do for the animal themed party!

Age and interests will also help determine what types of activities you’ll want to set up. For toddlers, and young preschoolers a simple coloring station will provide lots of entertainment! On the other hand, if you have the budget, older kids might enjoy some entertainment like a wildlife show!

Be sure to check out our recent dinosaur themed party too for more activity ideas!

animal themed party activities painting

Animal Lego Building

These eggs are filled with building blocks that create wild animals. I set the eggs up on a wood slice cupcake stand where kids had the freedom to select an egg and build what was inside!

SHOP NOW
animal themed party table decor

Animal Paint Station

On our other kid-sized folding table, I set up an arts and crafts activity! These animals, paints, and brushes were all part of a kit. So much fun transforming the plain animals into colorful ones!

SHOP NOW
animal themed party activities play dough

Play Dough Tray

This invitation to play dough is all about using loose parts to create an animal habitat! I included blue glass beads, moss, rocks, and animal figurines in addition to lots of colorful play dough!

SHOP NOW
animal themed party wildlife show

Wildlife Show

Seeing and engaging with real animals was lots of fun for the kids! Research your local area to see if anyone offers a wildlife show like this where they bring animals and teach kids all about them!

SHOP NOW

What to Eat at an Animal Themed Party!

We went all out when it came to food for this party – from a beautifully crafted buttercream cake with animal figurines and a cascading waterfall, to cake pops, snacks, and a mobile pizza maker.

I always love to give the cake table extra attention because that tends to be where our best photo opportunities take place!

I was also able to find some fun animal-themed snacks for the snack table. Read about them below! 

animal themed party table decor photo dessert table cake cake pops
animal themed party table decor photo dessert table cake cake pops

Animal Themed Cake!

We go all out with our cakes whenever we have a themed party and this wildlife themed cake didn’t disappoint! No fondant here – just buttercream and realistic figurines create a beautiful edible scene!

SHOP NOW
animal themed party table decor photo dessert table cake cake pops

Cake Pops

We chose 3 animals to make into cake pops, including a fox, parrot, and alligator! But feel free to mix that up! We also got some wooden cake pop holder trays that had a natural look that worked well with the party’s theme!

SHOP NOW
animal themed party food

Snack Center

I got my hands on some fun animal cracker boxes, plus some no-sugar added bear gummies! We wanted to keep snacks in individual packs to prevent the spread of germs and to make access easy for the children to do independently.

SHOP NOW
animal themed party food

Mobile Pizza Maker

We splurged on our main food option and had a mobile pizza maker come to our house to make kids and parents custom pizzas. It was a big hit – not only delicious, but also a great non-buffet option during these times!

SHOP NOW
animal themed party table decor photo dessert table cake cake pops

What to Eat at an Animal Themed Party!

We went all out when it came to food for this party – from a beautifully crafted buttercream cake with animal figurines and a cascading waterfall, to cake pops, snacks, and a mobile pizza maker.

I always love to give the cake table extra attention because that tends to be where our best photo opportunities take place!

I was also able to find some fun animal-themed snacks for the snack table. Read about them below! 

animal themed party cake desserts

Animal Themed Cake!

We go all out with our cakes whenever we have a themed party and this wildlife themed cake didn’t disappoint! No fondant here – just buttercream and realistic figurines create a beautiful edible scene!

SHOP NOW
animal themed party table decor photo dessert table cake cake pops

Cake Pops

We chose 3 animals to make into cake pops, including a fox, parrot, and alligator! But feel free to mix that up! We also got some wooden cake pop holder trays that had a natural look that worked well with the party’s theme!

SHOP NOW
animal themed party food

Snack Center

I got my hands on some fun animal cracker boxes, plus some no-sugar added bear gummies! We wanted to keep snacks in individual packs to prevent the spread of germs and to make access easy for the children to do independently.

SHOP NOW
animal themed party food

Mobile Pizza Maker

We splurged on our main food option and had a mobile pizza maker come to our house to make kids and parents custom pizzas. It was a big hit – not only delicious, but also a great non-buffet option during these times!

SHOP NOW
animal themed party table decor photo dessert table

Animal Party Decor

What are we left with once the party is over? The pictures! So setting up a great photo op dessert table is always a priority for us!

I used a leopard print table cloth with a burlap runner that I bought in bulk. I was able to have enough material to make the kids arts & crafts tables in the same style!

I snagged some succulent plants from Trader Joes and a few other leafy plants from Home Depot and dispersed them across the various spaces to integrate living greenery.

Add some green vines, a happy birthday garland, wooden cake pop holder, and balloons (number and cheetah), and everything came together so well!

 

animal themed party activities lego

Wood Slice Cake Platters

We’ve used these rustic cake platters in the past for holding cupcakes, but since we didn’t have cupcakes this time, they were great for holding the prize eggs at our building-block station!

SHOP NOW
animal themed party table decor photo dessert table

Animal Shaped Planter

We scattered various planters throughout the tables at the party, filling them up with soil and succulents! We found these cute giraffes as well as a pack of other fun wildlife animals!

SHOP NOW
burlap decor dinosaur party

Burlap Runner

I love that this high quality burlap runner comes in a bulk roll! I was able to use it on 3 different tables and I have more to spare for our next party! It gave the tables such a great texture!

SHOP NOW
animal themed party table cloth set

Animal and Leaf Print Table Cloth Pack

This pack of 4 table clothes came with a leaf print and the following animal prints: cheetah, zebra, and tiger!

SHOP NOW
animal themed party cheetah balloon

Animal Themed Balloons

This cheetah balloon went on the wall where our dessert table was located. We also got an alligator and a tiger for the front door area for people to see when entering our home. 

SHOP NOW
animal themed party pool floats

Animal Pool Floats

If you are having a party during the warmer months, adding some animal themed floats are a great way to integrate the theme to the pool! We planned to do this, but it got too cold, and used these floats in our pool as decoration! We got a giraffe, alligator, and a parrot. 

SHOP NOW
animal themed party greenery vines

Greenery Vines

These greenery vines are a great touch to an animal-themed party backdrop! It comes with 12 different pieces, and we had plenty to spare for our next party!

SHOP NOW
animal themed party plates and napkins

Animal and Leaf Themed Plates and Napkins

In addition to animal themed plates and napkins, I also included some leaf shaped plates and wooden utensils.

SHOP NOW

More Party Ideas!

Looking for more fun details for your Animal Party? Here are some more ways to have a great time with this theme!

animal themed party party favors

Party Favors

We always opt to spend a little extra budget on a high quality party favor that kids will actually use more than once! Kid’s got to take home an animal-print bag with a bug catching kit, sunglasses, and a felt animal mask!

SHOP NOW
animal themed party outfits shirts dress

Animal-Themed Outfit

The boys got dressed up in a fun animal themed shirt, and my daughter wore an adorable dress with cheetah print. She even matches the table cloth!

SHOP NOW
animal themed party costume

Animal Costume

Instead of hiring someone to come dressed up as a mascot, have a family member do it instead! And this fox costume is so much fun, cute, and not scary! Also great to hold on for Halloween!

SHOP NOW
animal themed party pinata

Parrot Piñata

Piñatas are such a fun way to add entertainment to a birthday party. This parrot shaped piñata isn’t huge, so keep that in mind depending on your party size! We put squishy animals toys and animal themed bubbles inside!

SHOP NOW
animal themed party number balloon

Number Balloons

Number balloons are a fun way to shine a light on your little one’s new age! Make sure to use a very strong double sided tape to make sure it stays up on the wall throughout the party! 

SHOP NOW
dinosaur party theme for kids ideas and inspiration

Happy Birthday Garland

This happy birthday garland comes pre-strung, which is such a time saver when you are already so busy setting up for a party!

SHOP NOW
dinosaur party theme for kids ideas and inspiration

Garland

This tassel garland is the perfect color scheme for a wildlife-themed party! The tassels have wooden beads in between adding for a natural jungle and woodland look!

SHOP NOW
animal themed party vest dress up

Explorer Vest

This adorable vest and hat set is a fun addition to have the birthday kid wear during their animal themed party! It is made of durable plastic and comes with lots of pockets!

SHOP NOW

What’s Next?

Rainbow Activity – Easy Set Up for Learning Colors

Rainbow Activity – Easy Set Up for Learning Colors

Rainbow Activity – Easy Set Up for Learning Colors

rainbow activity using dot stickers also have free printable dot the rainbow activity

This Rainbow Activity is super simple to set up! Use dot stickers on cardboard or grab our free dot-the-rainbow printable worksheet! Keep reading to get it!

Color Recognition and Fine Motor Skills Collide with This Rainbow Activity!

For obvious reasons, this DIY rainbow activity is great for learning and matching colors! A rainbow and a pack of a colorful dot stickers is a great way to display the many colors we see!

What may not be so obvious is how good this activity is for fine motor skills! Fine motor skills involve the strengthening of the muscles in the hands and fingers, and peeling and placing stickers down is a great way to practice those skills! 

All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

 

Skills: 

Ages: 

Prep Time: 

rainbow activity using dot stickers also have free printable dot the rainbow activity

A Budget Friendly Rainbow Activity 

There’s no need to go out and buy a fancy puzzle to practice learning colors and matching them! A piece of cardboard will do just fine as a makeshift puzzle board and affordable dot stickers can be used just like puzzle pieces!

Of course, if you want that fancy puzzle, go for it! There are lots of fun color-focused gifts that I’ve shared below!

 

A Budget Friendly Rainbow Activity 

There’s no need to go out and buy a fancy puzzle to practice learning colors and matching them! A piece of cardboard will do just fine as a makeshift puzzle board and affordable dot stickers can be used just like puzzle pieces!

Of course, if you want that fancy puzzle, go for it! There are lots of fun color-focused gifts that I’ve shared below!

 

rainbow activity using dot stickers also have free printable dot the rainbow activity
rainbow activity using dot stickers also have free printable dot the rainbow activity

Our Free Dot-the-Rainbow Printable Activity!

Skip the cardboard altogether and grab our free printable rainbow activity. You can use dot markers, dot stickers, paint and cotton balls, or simply color in the dots with crayon! There are lots of ways you can play and learn with this worksheet.

Our color matching game using cotton swabs is a great compliment to this activity and it also comes with a free printable to make set-up even easier for grown ups!

We have lots of other fun hands on activities for learning colors. Be sure to check out our comprehensive list! 

And when your kiddo is ready to dive into color mixing, you’ll have to check out another one of our free printables which has 5 creative ways to explore color mixing! 

 

 

Materials

Step-by-Step Instructions 

Step 1

Draw an outline of a rainbow on the cardboard. 

Step 2

Grab the stickers and have the kids complete the rainbow by adding in the various colors. 

Step 1

Draw an outline of a rainbow on the cardboard. 

Step 2

Grab the stickers and have the kids complete the rainbow by adding in the various colors.

Why Playing With Stickers is Great

I think this rainbow activity really stands out because it’s the perfect combination of fine motor skills and color fun. The kids will use their finger and hand muscles to take the stickers off and then their hand-eye coordination to put the stickers on the cardboard.

This takes patience, skills, and the ability to think ahead so that they can create the rainbow from start to finish.

As they’re creating the rainbow, this is also a great time to talk about the colors and the names to develop vocabulary and language skills. 

rainbow activity using dot stickers also have free printable dot the rainbow activity
rainbow activity using dot stickers also have free printable dot the rainbow activity

Why Playing With Stickers is Great

I think this rainbow activity really stands out because it’s the perfect combination of fine motor skills and color fun. The kids will use their finger and hand muscles to take the stickers off and then their hand-eye coordination to put the stickers on the cardboard.

This takes patience, skills, and the ability to think ahead so that they can create the rainbow from start to finish.

As they’re creating the rainbow, this is also a great time to talk about the colors and the names to develop vocabulary and language skills. 

More Ways to Explore Colors

Here are more color and rainbow activities that make great gifts!

wooden rainbow color sorting toy

Color Sorting Rainbow

Transfer pom poms or balls to color sort this rainbow! If you use tongs it is great for fine motor skills too! (Caution: small parts!)

SHOP NOW
rainbow wooden stacking toy for color recognition

Wooden Rainbow Stacker

This wooden rainbow stacker is  not only great for color sorting, it is also a fantastic open-ended play toy!

SHOP NOW
color sorting magnetic game color recognition

Color Sorting Maze

This wooden board has a magnetic wand and beads that can be sorted based on color! Great for fine motor skills too!

SHOP NOW
Color sorting game color recognition

Color Sort the Objects

This game is a great way to learn color recognition while strengthening language development.

SHOP NOW

What’s Next?

Spider Handprint Craft – Fantastic for the Spooky Season

Spider Handprint Craft – Fantastic for the Spooky Season

Spider Handprint Craft – Fantastic for the Spooky Season

spider handprint craft

This spider handprint craft is such a fun keepsake for the insect lover or as a spooky art project for Halloween! The materials are simple and the multi-step process keeps kids engaged. Keep on reading for all the details on how you can make this too!

Spider Handprint Art Collides with Fine Motor Skills!

If creating a spider handprint wasn’t cool enough, this activity goes the extra mile and allows kids to strengthen their fine motor skills in more ways than one! 

Creating the spider web gives them the chance to use a hole punch and squeeze it to make a bunch of holes around the perimeter of the plate. This is a tricky task that will be sure to exercise those hands and fingers. Plus, threading the yarn through those holes is amazing for hand-eye coordination. It may look easy, but it will be challenging, yet rewarding hard work!

 

Skills: 

Ages: 

Prep Time: 

Watch How to Make This Spider Handprint Craft!

In this video you’ll see the process of creating a handprint spider craft!

You’ll see the various techniques from coloring the paper plate, to hole punching, and finally threading the yarn to make a spider web!

Depending on the type of hole punch you have, you may need to help your kiddo push it down all the way! My daughter, age 3, definitely needed us to do this part together!

Watch How to Make This Spider Handprint Craft!

In this video you’ll see the process of creating a handprint spider craft!

You’ll see the various techniques from coloring the paper plate, to hole punching, and finally threading the yarn to make a spider web!

Depending on the type of hole punch you have, you may need to help your kiddo push it down all the way! My daughter, age 3, definitely needed us to do this part together!

spider handprint craft

When to Make This Spider Handprint Craft

While the most likely time of the year you may think to do this is Halloween, the spooky season isn’t the only time! Perhaps your kiddo loves all things creepy crawlers, or you are doing an insect-themed unit, or want to pair this craft with a book like Charlotte’s Web! There are lots of excuses to paint those hands and make spiders!

For those covering an insect-themed unit, or if you simply have an insect lover, don’t miss our printable bundle that includes all things insects along with learning lots of early childhood education skills!

Do you need to stock up on arts and crafts supplies? Visit our comprehensive list! 

All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

Materials

Step-by-Step Instructions 

Step 1

Color the paper plate! We used tempera paint sticks because we love how they have the vibrancy of paint, but roll on like a crayon and dry in seconds! Use one color, or many!

Step 2

Paint your kiddo’s hands (except for the thumb!), we chose the color black, and make a handprint in the center of the paper plate.

Step 3

Use the hole punch to make circles around the circumference of the paper plate.

Step 4

Tie a piece of yarn to one of the holes, and have your kiddo thread the rest through all the other holes, spider-web style!

Step 5

Add googly eyes once the paint has dried to bring your handprint spider to life!

Step 1

Color the paper plate! We used tempera paint sticks because we love how they have the vibrancy of paint, but roll on like a crayon and dry in seconds! Use one color, or many!

Step 2

Paint your kiddo’s hands (except for the thumb!), we chose the color black, and make a handprint in the center of the paper plate.

Step 3

Use the hole punch to make circles around the circumference of the paper plate.

Step 4

Tie a piece of yarn to one of the holes, and have your kiddo thread the rest through all the other holes, spider-web style!

Step 5

Add googly eyes once the paint has dried to bring your handprint spider to life!

Beyond Making Spider Handprint Art!

Painting is a great fine motor activity for kids because it teaches them to see with their eyes while painting with their hands. Holding a paint stick or paint brush is a great first step for strengthening grip and hand control before using pencils! 

But as I mentioned above, there is so much more to this handprint art project in terms of fine motor skills! Squeezing a hole punch and threading yarn through those small holes is fantastic at strengthening hand grip, finger muscles, and hand eye coordination!

spider handprint craft
spider handprint craft

Beyond Making Spider Handprint Art!

Painting is a great fine motor activity for kids because it teaches them to see with their eyes while painting with their hands. Holding a paint stick or paint brush is a great first step for strengthening grip and hand control before using pencils! 

But as I mentioned above, there is so much more to this handprint art project in terms of fine motor skills! Squeezing a hole punch and threading yarn through those small holes is fantastic at strengthening hand grip, finger muscles, and hand eye coordination!

More Ways to Explore Artistic Mediums

Want more projects after doing this spider handprint activity? Here are my top picks for arts and crafts kits that encourage hands on creations!

arts and crafts kit marbling

Water Marbling Kit

Create beautiful marbled art with this easy to use kit. This is water based art and comes with all the tools needed to create 10 masterpieces!

SHOP NOW
arts and crafts kit spin and spiral art

Spin and Spiral Art

This fun kit allows kiddos to explore both spin art and spiral art. The kit comes with 3 spiro gears, 6 markers, 3 ink bottles, 15 paper discs, and an art station base.

SHOP NOW
arts and crafts kit sand art

Sand Art Kit

This sand art kit comes with 8 different colors of sand to create sand bottles and pendant bottles. A great way to discover art through a different medium!

SHOP NOW
arts and crafts kit string art

String Art Kit

This kit is a fun way for kids to create and display amazing shapes and designs artistically made with string.  Use a pattern included in the kit or create your own!

SHOP NOW

What’s Next?

Skeleton Printable Activity – Unique Puzzle Using Cotton Swabs

Skeleton Printable Activity – Unique Puzzle Using Cotton Swabs

Skeleton Printable Activity – Unique Puzzle Using Cotton Swabs

skeleton printable puzzle using cotton swabs sensory bag

This skeleton printable activity, is a unique way to play and learn using cotton swabs as puzzle pieces! Keep on reading to learn about the different ways you can enjoy this puzzle, including turning it into a sensory bag!

Many Ways to Play with This Skeleton Printable

First off, this skeleton printable pack comes with 6 skeleton puzzles to choose from – a human, dog, cat, bird, fish, and snake! 

Setting up this activity can be as simple as printing, and providing cotton swabs to match! Alternatively, you can create a sensory bag like we did! Filling up a bag with hair gel and placing the cotton swabs inside is a challenging way to match puzzle pieces while strengthening fine motor skills!

All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

Skills: 

Ages: 

Prep Time: 

Watch the Skeleton Printable as a Sensory Bag Activity

Here’s how you can easily set up this skeleton printable using a sensory bag!

By putting the cotton swab pieces inside the sensory bag, kids can use their fingers to push the cotton swabs to the correct locations. This is great for fine motor skills and hand eye coordination! 

Sensory bags are so much fun, it’s hard not to squish it!

Watch the Skeleton Printable as a Sensory Bag Activity

Here’s how you can easily set up this skeleton printable using a sensory bag!

By putting the cotton swab pieces inside the sensory bag, kids can use their fingers to push the cotton swabs to the correct locations. This is great for fine motor skills and hand eye coordination! 

Sensory bags are so much fun, it’s hard not to squish it!

skeleton printable puzzle using cotton swabs sensory bag

Get the FREE Set of Skeleton Printables!

This printable set of 6 skeletons with cotton swab bones is totally FREE!

We enjoyed playing with the pages using a sensory bag, but we also enjoy an even quicker set up by just matching the cotton swabs to the paper directly. You could even use glue to keep the cotton swabs in place, or you could place a piece of adhesive paper (sticky side up!) over the printable to have the cotton swabs adhere.

This is a great way to get kids excited about anatomy and learning about the bones inside our bodies and other creatures!

For another anatomy-themed activity, you have to check out our Systems of the Body for Kids. Not only is this also a free printable activity, but children will get a thrill out of revealing all the different systems of the human body – it’s like magic!

 

Materials

Step-by-Step Instructions 

Step 1

Grab our free printable skeletons!

Step 2

To make a sensory bag activity, grab a plastic bag and use nail polish remover to remove the white label on the front of the plastic bag (allowing you to view the inside of the bag without obstruction!).

Step 3

Add clear hair gel into the plastic bag.

Step 4

Cut cotton swabs in half and in quarters as well as keeping some whole, and place them in the plastic bag.

Step 5

Choose a skeleton page from the bundle, and place the sensory bag on top. Tape it down to prevent it from sliding around.

Step 6

Task your kiddo with moving the cotton swab pieces to match the skeleton!

Step 1

Grab our free printable skeletons!

Step 2

To make a sensory bag activity, grab a plastic bag and use nail polish remover to remove the white label on the front of the plastic bag (allowing you to view the inside of the bag without obstruction!).

Step 3

Add clear hair gel into the plastic bag.

Step 4

Cut cotton swabs in half and in quarters as well as keeping some whole, and place them in the plastic bag.

Step 5

Choose a skeleton page from the bundle, and place the sensory bag on top. Tape it down to prevent it from sliding around.

Step 6

Task your kiddo with moving the cotton swab pieces to match the skeleton!

More Halloween Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

This printable bundle of Halloween-themed activities is full of Halloween activities for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartens to learn early childhood education skills!

It has 2 dozen unique activities that will be sure to keep the kids busy and learning the whole month of October!

Activities include shape recognition, matching, phonics, letter recognition, counting, number recognition, coloring, writing practice, scissor skills, emotions, measurements, and patterns to name a few!

halloween worksheets printable early childhood education skills

For more printable activities, visit our full collection! 

halloween worksheets printable early childhood education skills

More Halloween Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

This printable bundle of Halloween-themed activities is full of Halloween activities for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartens to learn early childhood education skills!

It has 2 dozen unique activities that will be sure to keep the kids busy and learning the whole month of October!

Activities include shape recognition, matching, phonics, letter recognition, counting, number recognition, coloring, writing practice, scissor skills, emotions, measurements, and patterns to name a few!

For more printable activities, visit our full collection! 

More Ways to Learn About the Human Body

Here are my top picks for toys that are all about the body, anatomy and human biology!

anatomy science organs skeleton

Organ Apron

Here is a life-size puzzle you can wear and learn all about anatomy! The set includes removable organs and an apron!

SHOP NOW
anatomy science organs skeleton

Human Body System Set

These magnetic pieces are a 3D puzzle! It has anatomically correct pieces for both boys and girls for learning body systems!

SHOP NOW
anatomy science organs skeleton

3D Human Model

This fun set includes soft, squishy organs and hard, removable bones. It is an interactive and sensory based puzzle!

SHOP NOW
anatomy science organs skeleton

Anatomy Doll

Science has never been so cuddly! Explore organs and the human body with this doll that unbuttons at the chest to reveal organs and body sounds!

SHOP NOW

What’s Next?

Halloween Activity for Toddlers – Make a Shape Sorter

Halloween Activity for Toddlers – Make a Shape Sorter

Halloween Activity for Toddlers – Make a Pumpkin Shape Sorter

halloween activity for toddler pumpkin shape sorter learning play craft

This pumpkin shape sorter is a fun Halloween activity for toddlers! It is where crafting, playing, and learning collide with a pumpkin twist! Keep on reading to find out how we made it!

A Halloween Activity for Toddlers with Lots of Emotions!

Not only is this activity great for fine motor skills and learning the early math skill of shape recognition, but I love how you can create a collection of pumpkins to showcase so many emotions!

This is a great opportunity to talk about feelings and put a name to each emotion. If you are looking for more emotion-related activities, be sure to check out our Easy DIY Feelings Cup activity!

All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

Skills: 

Ages: 3 Years +

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Watch How Fun This Halloween Activity for Toddlers is!

Making a DIY shape sorter is super easy. Get the kids involved in crafting the pumpkins and making them orange with a green stem!

I love how this activity involves so many fun skills. They can tap into their creative side while crafting the pumpkins, learn about emotions, recognize and distinguish between a bunch of different shapes, all the while working out their small muscles in their hands and fingers as they push the shapes through the sorter (this is so great for fine motor skills!).

Watch How Fun This Halloween Activity for Toddlers is!

Making a DIY shape sorter is super easy. Get the kids involved in crafting the pumpkins and making them orange with a green stem!

I love how this activity involves so many fun skills. They can tap into their creative side while crafting the pumpkins, learn about emotions, recognize and distinguish between a bunch of different shapes, all the while working out their small muscles in their hands and fingers as they push the shapes through the sorter (this is so great for fine motor skills!).

halloween activity for toddler pumpkin shape sorter learning play craft

Tips for Making Pumpkin This Shape Sorter

This DIY toy is super adaptable! Since we had such an odd sized box, I decided to use it and have the kiddos make a bunch of pumpkins stacked vertically on top of each other, but feel free to adjust based on the kind of box you have! If it is a small one, then just make 1 pumpkin, if it is a big one, make a bunch. It is up to you!

Make sure that you have an opening for the blocks to fall out (my kids love hearing them fall on a metal pan!), or if you prefer they don’t fall out, just make sure you leave an opening in the box so you can retrieve the blocks so the kids can play over and over again!

If your are learning shapes with your toddler or preschooler, be sure to check out our Shapes Monster Craft. It’s perfect for the spooky season and can be even used as a Halloween decor gardland!

Materials

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1

Using cardboard, cut out the shapes of pumpkins.

Step 2

Provide art supplies for the kids to decorate the pumpkins. We used orange and green paint sticks.

Step 3

Once dry, use a pencil to trace the shapes for the eyes and mouths of the pumpkins. Make them each look different so you can talk about emotions! Plus, add a nose!

Step 4

Glue the pumpkins to your box.

Step 5

Use a sharp craft knife to cut out the eyes and mouths, cutting all the way through both layers of cardboard so that the block pieces will enter and fall into the box.

Step 6

Tape to the wall for a vertical set up! And now this Halloween activity for toddlers and preschoolers is ready to be played with!

Step 1

Using cardboard, cut out the shapes of pumpkins.

Step 2

Provide art supplies for the kids to decorate the pumpkins. We used orange and green paint sticks.

Step 3

Once dry, use a pencil to trace the shapes for the eyes and mouths of the pumpkins. Make them each look different so you can talk about emotions! Plus, add a nose!

Step 4

Glue the pumpkins to your box.

Step 5

Use a sharp craft knife to cut out the eyes and mouths, cutting all the way through both layers of cardboard so that the block pieces will enter and fall into the box.

Step 6

Tape to the wall for a vertical set up! And now this Halloween activity for toddlers and preschoolers is ready to be played with!

More Halloween Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

This printable bundle of Halloween-themed activities is full of Halloween activities for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartens to learn early childhood education skills!

It has 2 dozen unique activities that will be sure to keep the kids busy and learning the whole month of October!

Activities include shape recognition, matching, phonics, letter recognition, counting, number recognition, coloring, writing practice, scissor skills, emotions, measurements, and patterns to name a few!

halloween worksheets printable early childhood education skills

For more printable activities, visit our full collection! 

halloween worksheets printable early childhood education skills

More Halloween Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

This printable bundle of Halloween-themed activities is full of Halloween activities for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartens to learn early childhood education skills!

It has 2 dozen unique activities that will be sure to keep the kids busy and learning the whole month of October!

Activities include shape recognition, matching, phonics, letter recognition, counting, number recognition, coloring, writing practice, scissor skills, emotions, measurements, and patterns to name a few!

More Ways to Play with Shapes

Here are my top picks for shape themed gifts!

shape train toy

Wooden Block Shape Train

This wooden stacking train is a fun way to combine block play, shape learning, and building! This set comes with the train car and 15 blocks.

SHOP NOW
shape gift geometric puzzle early math

Wooden Gemoetric Shape Puzzle

This set comes with 155 pieces of different color blocks for creating different forms contained in 24 design cards.

SHOP NOW
shape puzzle learning shapes

Wooden Shape Puzzle

This wooden puzzle includes 18 shape pieces a cotton bag. I love that it features so many types of shapes!

SHOP NOW
shape sorter toy

Shape Sorting Truck

This versatile shape sorting tooy includes 15 shapes and a laser engraved pull-a-long truck!

SHOP NOW

What’s Next?

DIY Ghost – Easy & Inexpensive Halloween Decoration!

DIY Ghost – Easy & Inexpensive Halloween Decoration!

DIY Ghost – Easy & Inexpensive Halloween Decoration!

diy ghost decorations for halloween

This DIY ghost is so simple to make! It takes all of a few minutes to assemble and is made up of budget-friendly materials! Keep on reading to find out how to make it yourself!

A Budget-Friendly DIY Ghost

You can likely find all of the supplies to make these DIY ghosts at a store like the dollar tree! To be completely honest, I originally went searching for decorative ghosts that I could buy at the store, but I either couldn’t find anything, or the price was outrageously high! (For example, I saw a set of 6 glowing LED ghosts for nearly $80 – yikes!!).

Rest assure, these DIY ghosts are super inexpensive and are so easy to make that the kiddos will want to make them too. Plus, you won’t have to stop at just making one, and they will last for many Halloween seasons to come!

All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

Skills: 

Ages: 

Prep Time: 

Watch This Video to See How to Make DIY Ghosts

In this video, you’ll see just how easy it is to assemble these budget-friendly supplies to make a DIY ghost.

Don’t stop at just one! We decided to line our trees with multiple ghosts. During the day they are white and glide with the wind, but at night, once the lights are turned on, they look just like glowing ghosts with their black eyes visible!

 

Watch This Video to See How to Make DIY Ghosts

In this video, you’ll see just how easy it is to assemble these budget-friendly supplies to make a DIY ghost.

Don’t stop at just one! We decided to line our trees with multiple ghosts. During the day they are white and glide with the wind, but at night, once the lights are turned on, they look just like glowing ghosts with their black eyes visible!

diy ghost decorations for halloween

Tips on Making This DIY Ghost

This project can be super adaptable based on what you have! Below I’ll share examples on other items that can be used if you don’t happen to have the ones we used! Also worth noting is that most of these supplies are available at stores like Dollar Tree!

The Ghost’s Body. We used plastic jars, but you can use other items like a water bottle or an empty plastic ornament bal!

The Ghost’s Eyes. We used black velcro stickers, but you could cut out circles in felt or even glue on black pom pom eyes!

A White Sheet. We used cheese cloth, but you could use a white rag or an old white t-shirt! The thinner the material the better!

The Light. The key is to make sure it fits through the opening of whatever container you choose for your ghost’s body. We used string lights, but battery operated candles can work well if you can fit them!

 

Materials

Step-by-Step Instructions 

Step 1

On a plastic jar, place dot stickers as eyes.

Step 2

Open the lid of the jar and insert the battery-powered light.

Step 3

On the lid, hot glue a pipe cleaner.

Step 4

Thread a piece of cheese cloth through the pipe cleaner so it hangs longer than the container.

Step 5

Tie the pipe cleaner into a hook, and close the lid.

Step 6

Your DIY ghost is now ready to be used as Halloween decor! Be sure to turn it on when it is dark out and turn it off to preserve the battery for the next day!

Step 1

On a plastic jar, place dot stickers as eyes.

Step 2

Open the lid of the jar and insert the battery-powered light.

Step 3

On the lid, hot glue a pipe cleaner.

Step 4

Thread a piece of cheese cloth through the pipe cleaner so it hangs longer than the container.

Step 5

Tie the pipe cleaner into a hook, and close the lid.

Step 6

Your DIY ghost is now ready to be used as Halloween decor! Be sure to turn it on when it is dark out and turn it off to preserve the battery for the next day!

Beyond a DIY Ghost – Printable Halloween Activities!

This printable bundle of Halloween-themed activities is full of opportunities for kids to learn early childhood education skills!

It has 2 dozen unique activities that will be sure to keep the kids busy and learning the whole month of October!

Activities include shape recognition, matching, phonics, letter recognition, counting, number recognition, coloring, writing practice, scissor skills, emotions, measurements, and patterns to name a few!

halloween worksheets printable early childhood education skills

For more printable activities, visit our full collection! 

halloween worksheets printable early childhood education skills

Beyond a DIY Ghost – Printable Halloween Activities!

This printable bundle of Halloween-themed activities is full of opportunities for kids to learn early childhood education skills! It has 2 dozen unique activities that will be sure to keep the kids busy and learning the whole month of October!

Activities include shape recognition, matching, phonics, letter recognition, counting, number recognition, coloring, writing practice, scissor skills, emotions, measurements, and patterns to name a few!

For more printable activities, visit our full collection! 

More Ways to Explore Artistic Mediums

Here are my top picks for arts and crafts kits that encourage hands on creations!

arts and crafts kit marbling

Water Marbling Kit

Create beautiful marbled art with this easy to use kit. This is water based art and comes with all the tools needed to create 10 masterpieces!

SHOP NOW
arts and crafts kit spin and spiral art

Spin and Spiral Art

This fun kit allows kiddos to explore both spin art and spiral art. The kit comes with 3 spiro gears, 6 markers, 3 ink bottles, 15 paper discs, and an art station base.

SHOP NOW
arts and crafts kit sand art

Sand Art Kit

This sand art kit comes with 8 different colors of sand to create sand bottles and pendant bottles. A great way to discover art through a different medium!

SHOP NOW
arts and crafts kit string art

String Art Kit

This kit is a fun way for kids to create and display amazing shapes and designs artistically made with string.  Use a pattern included in the kit or create your own!

SHOP NOW

What’s Next?

DIY Maracas – How to Easily Make a Musical Instrument

DIY Maracas – How to Easily Make a Musical Instrument

DIY Maracas – How to Easily Make

a Musical Instrument 

DIY Maracas easter egg musical instrument

These DIY Maracas are not only so much fun, but they are super easy to make and allow kids to explore their artistic and musical sides! They are also a great activity to do during Hispanic Heritage Month, or after Easter when you are likely to have lots of leftover prize eggs to repurpose!

The History of Maracas!

There are lots of debates on the origins of the maraca, as rattle-like artifacts have been found across the globe including Africa, the Pacific Islands, and the Americas. Though it is believed that the Araucanian people in central Chile may have been the first to use the word maraca to describe a 500 BC old rattle made of gourds.

If you are celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, definitely check out our DIY Hola! Shirt, perfect to wear during the festivities!  

All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

 

Skills: 

Ages: 

Prep Time: 

Watch to See How Kids Can Make Their Very Own DIY Maracas! 

The steps to this activity were really quite simple. I organized the supplies on a tray and the kiddos dug in, using the filler and decorative tape in their own creative ways. 

It was super fun to reuse materials like plastic Easter eggs and turn them into something new and fun! I used this as a great lesson to teach the kids about upcycling!

Watch to See How Kids Can Make Their Very Own DIY Maracas! 

The steps to this activity were really quite simple. I organized the supplies on a tray and the kiddos dug in, using the filler and decorative tape in their own creative ways. 

It was super fun to reuse materials like plastic Easter eggs and turn them into something new and fun! I used this as a great lesson to teach the kids about upcycling!

DIY Maracas easter egg musical instrument

Tips for Making DIY Maracas

Alternatives to Prize Containers. For the main rattle, we repurposed plastic Easter egg containers, but if you don’t have any, don’t worry! While toy prize containers work well, you could also use small water bottles, tin cans, and yogurt containers to name a few other options.

Tape. Provide both decorative tape as well as strong tape to be sure the rattle is secure and the fillers don’t spill out everywhere!

The Filler. Again, use what you’ve