Messy Painted Pig

Print out or draw a picture of a pig.
Mix equal parts of shaving cream and glue.

Add some brown paint to make it look like mud.
Add the mud to the pig.
When finished, the paint will dry puffy.

SOURCE: http://ourcraftsnthings.com/page/4/

Fish Cracker Ocean Preschool Craft

Fish Cracker Ocean Preschool Craft


Fish crackers aren’t just for snack time, they’re for craft time too! Their fun shape are familiar to preschoolers and make a great addition to this Fish Cracker Underwater Scene Preschool Craft. It is very simple to make and even the young ones will have fun. Just make sure you have enough set out to munch on while making this cool craft with your preschooler!





What You Need
Fish Crackers
Blue Paper
Green Paint
Sandpaper
Scissors
Glue
Paint Brush

How To Make It
Step One:
Have your preschooler paint seaweed onto the blue paper with the green paint.
Step Two:
Parent: draw a starfish shape onto the sandpaper. Then let your preschooler cut out the shape. This may be a little tough depending on the type of sandpaper you are using so you may have to helpl.
Step Three:
Glue the starfish onto the blue paper at the bottom of the “sea.”
Step Four:
This is the best part – glue the fish onto the paper so they appear to be “swimming” in the sea. You’re done!

Variations
You can change the shape of the background and cut it into the shape of a gold fish bowl to change the project a little.

Source: http://crafts.preschoolrock.com/index.php/crafts/fish-cracker-ocean-preschool-craft

Plastic Easter Egg Snakes

SOURCE:  http://mommymeatloaf.blogspot.com/


Grab some line and some plastic egg halves
String the eggs onto the line.
Turn the very last egg backwards to give it a "finished" look and tie a knot.
Paint a face on it and glue on a piece of ribbon to make a mouth.

Fishies

Mommy put some toothpaste in a Ziploc bag and I squished it all up. While I did that Mommy cut a fishbowl shape out of construction paper. We glued the Ziploc bag to a piece of construction paper then we glued the fish bowl on top of it. I stuck some of my foam fish on it and we were finished.



 
Source: http://www.internettoddler.com/category/arts-crafts

Handprint Turkey

http://busymomsblog.com/category/toddler-art-and-craft/

A Couple Cute Animal Ideas . . . . No Instructions Required :p

Source: http://blogs.familyeducation.com/parenting/14452/archive/200906?page=1

Handprint Caterpillar

Source: http://daycaredailies.blogspot.com/2010_01_01_archive.html
Supplies Needed:


Poster board white
Finger paint or tempera paints
Pipe cleaners
Wiggly eyes (or a marker to draw eyes)

Take the poster board and have child do three hand prints from the paints listed above.(see the sample on the left)

Make the head as a painted or finger painted circle attached to hand print. Let dry, cut out shape similar to above photo and attach (staple) pipe cleaners on top of head. Add wiggly eyes or draw them in.

Goldfish Mobile

Source: http://www.inspiremecrafts.com/inspireme_crafts/dollar_diva/

MATERIALS:


2-4 sheets of orange/red foam rectangles (purchased mine at DollarTree in pack)
Wiggly eyes
Beading wire
Glue Gun
Cotton balls or tissue
Glitter glue, markers, anything to decorate fish
Black Marker
Assorted Beads
Ribbon

HOW-TO:

1. Start by free-handing the shape of a fish on the orange foam. Or you could print out a fish to trace. Cut the shape of the fish out on two pieces of foam.

2. Have your children decorate the large fish by adding wiggly eyes, a mouth using the marker, glitter glue, etc. Let dry.

3. Cut out several smaller size fish. Cut out. Add wiggly eyes and mouth.

4. Take beading wire. Poke it through the top of a small fish and then twist the wire together. Start adding beads. Leave about an inch of wire at the top to attach to the larger fish later. Repeat for all your small fish.

5. Once your large fish is dry, connect the front piece and the back piece using the glue gun around the inner edges. Be sure to leave a portion unglued so you can stuff it with tissue or cotton balls. Stuff it with the cotton to make it 3-dimensional. Once stuffed, close the opening by gluing it shut.

6. Take the first beaded fish. With the top part of the wire left, punch it through the bottom of the large fish and twist the wire together to secure it. You now have a small fish hanging from the large fish. Repeat with all your small fish and beaded wire.

7. Cut ribbon to your desired length (I did about 1 foot). Glue each end of the ribbon to the back of the fish to allow it to hang.

8. Voila! You are done. Go proudly hang your hanging-fish-thing a.k.a. School of Fish.

If your child is currently infatuated with fish and under the sea creatures then this is one definitely worth trying. You could even do an octopus! On a side note, all the materials could be purchased at a craft store, but they are also ALL available at the DollarTree! Yay!

Little Chick Tutu Costume

Source: http://littlebirdiesecrets.blogspot.com/search/label/kids?updated-max=2009-11-30T08%3A53%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=20

Little Chick Tutu Costume


Supplies:

*One or two rolls of 6" wide yellow, white, or blue tulle, depending on what kind of bird you want to make (found in the wedding section at your local craft store)
*Feathers to match your tulle
*Hair clip
*No-roll elastic
*Hot glue gun and glue
*Sewing machine and thread

Okay, let's get started!

1. First, measure your child's waist. Subtract one inch from that number and cut your elastic that length. For example, if my child's waist is 12 inches, then I would cut an 11 inch piece of elastic. Sew the elastic together at the short ends so you have a ring like below.

2. Next, cut your tulle. I used two whole rolls for a toddler sized tutu and only one for a baby (10 month old) size. Measure the length from the waist to where you want your tutu to stop. Double that number and that is how many inches you will need to cut your tulle. For example, I wanted the tutu to be 15 inches long for my toddler daughter so I cut 30 inch pieces. When I made the baby tutu, I only wanted it 8 inches long so I cut the tulle 16 inches long.

3. The easiest way to make the tutu is to put the elastic on your leg like a garter. Then start tying your tulle around the elastic. Make sure you double knot the tulle. Continue tying the tulle around the elastic until you are happy with how full it looks.

4. Now, get out your hot glue gun. Very carefully place hot glue on the double knots of your tulle. This is where you will stick your feathers. You will need to be patient and go slow.

5. Once you have a dot of hot glue on the knot, carefully place your feather on it. You may need to trim the tips of your feathers. A lot of the feathers I used had sharp pointy tips. I just snipped them off before sticking it to the hot glue.

6. When you are done your tutu will look like this. Next, hot glue some feathers to your metal hair clip or hairband and you have half the costume done. Find a matching onesie or shirt and add some orange leggings. Ta-dah! One little chickadee or blue bird or swan or whatever suits your fancy.

Sock Puppets

Source: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/kids/craft_zoo_puppets.html

What you need


• 1 empty gelatin box (or box that size) for each puppet
• An old, but clean, sock
• Scissors
• Glue
• Fabric scraps, construction paper, yarn, sequins, felt, pipe cleaners, etc.
• Tape

What you do

1. Tape the open end of the gelatin box closed. Lay the box flat, then start cutting the top across the middle. Cut all the way across the middle and down each of the sides, but don't cut the bottom that was lying on the table (look at the diagram). Now fold the box in half along the middle of the uncut side. If you put your thumb and fingers in the open parts, you can move it like a mouth. This is the puppet's mouth.

2. Take the sock and cut off the toe, about two inches from the end. Slip the sock over the box, so it creates a head and neck for the puppet, with a moving mouth. Glue the edges of the sock onto the box to keep it together.

3. Now you can use the fabric scraps and other materials to decorate the box and the sock to create any animal you choose. Felt teeth can be glued inside the mouth (square ones for herbivores or pointy ones for carnivores), and a pink oval (or a blue-black one if you're making a giraffe!) can be glued inside to make a tongue. You could make antlers or horns with pipe cleaners, a mane with yarn, spots or stripes, and different sizes and shapes of ears and eyes. You could make antelope or deer, big or small cats, foxes, pigs, giraffes, hippos...you name it!

Sea Turtle Marionette

Source: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/kids/craft_trash_puppet.html

What you need

(You can substitute anything you have that is similar to these items.)
•1 clear plastic deli container with a snap-on lid, like the ones that parmesan cheese comes in. This is the turtle's shell.
•4 plastic spoons to make the flippers. Carefully break off the handles of the spoons, leaving only about one-half inch of the handle and the scoop part. An adult could also snip off the handles with wire cutters, but don't try that yourself.
•1 plastic container from individual-size pudding cups. This is the turtle's head.
•4 wine bottle corks for legs
•4 buttons–2 for eyes, 2 for anchors for your marionette strings.
•1 piece of sponge for the turtle's tail
•5 twist ties
•2 popsicle sticks for your marionette control
•4 small screw eyes to connect the legs to the shell
•Thick white glue
•Nail
•Hole punch–the kind you hold in your hand
•Heavy thread
•Acrylic paints, if you'd like to paint your turtle

What you do

1. Legs and flippers: Cut a small slit in one end of the cork. You might want an adult to help you. Push the shortened spoon handle (flipper) into the cork. On the other end, twist the screw eye into the cork. Repeat for the other three corks.

2. Head: Use the nail to punch a hole into the bottom of the pudding cup. You will later thread a control string through here. Use the hole punch to punch a hole near the rim of the cup. This is where the head will connect to the shell. Now turn the cup over so the opening is downward. This is how the head will be placed. Glue two buttons to the front for eyes (the punched hole is in the back).

3. Shell: Take the lid off of the container. Use the nail to punch a hole in the center of the bottom of the container. This is for your control string. Now use the hole punch to punch five holes around the rim, one for the head to connect and four for the legs to connect. Keep the holes closer to the front than to the back. Now punch five holes in the container lid, in the same places as those in the container.

4. Tail: Cut a small triangle from the sponge. Glue it on to the back of the container, down near the rim.

5. Control: Glue the two popsicle sticks together in a T shape and let dry.

6. Paint: Paint each piece and let dry. Make the mouth pointed. Paint the "scutes," or sections of the shell.

7. Strings: Cut 6 pieces of heavy thread, each one about 18 inches long. Head string: Tie one end of a thread onto a button. Thread the other end up through the pudding cup until it rests on the button (it will kind of look like a bell on a string). Shell string: Repeat for the other button and thread it up through the small hole in the container. Now snap the lid on the container, making sure you match up the large holes you punched for the neck and legs.

8. All together: Use a twist tie and thread it through the large hole in the pudding cup, then the holes in the front of the container and its lid. Twist to secure, but not too tight. The head needs to be able to move freely. Next attach a leg and flipper by threading a twist tie through the screw eye, and then the large leg holes in the container and lid. Be sure the spoon is turned so the rounded part is facing up. Repeat for the other three legs/flippers. All the legs will point toward the back of the turtle.

9. Strings on the control: Tie a thread around each of the flippers where the handle of the spoon meets the cork. Now attach everything to the control. It's easier if you have someone to help hold the control as you tie on the strings. Tie the shell (body) thread to the crossed part of the T. Tie the head thread to the very end of the long center stick of the control. Gather the two threads for the flippers on the right side of the turtle and tie them to the end of one of the cross pieces of the T. Repeat for the left side. Be sure your turtle's legs are even with his body as shown, so it looks like he's swimming. Put a dab of glue on all your knots, and on the control to keep the strings from slipping off. Let it dry. Cut off any excess thread and you're ready to swim the seas! Tilt the control from side to side and watch what happens. With a little practice, you can make your turtle really look like he's swimming.

Paper Plate Goldfish

Source: http://www.plaidkidscrafts.com/ProjectDetail.aspx?projectID=3233

Paper Plate Goldfish

by: Martha Johnson

225 - FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Pumpkin, 2 oz.
44219 - Apple Barrel ® Brush Sets - Wood Brush Set, Flats
938 - FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Licorice, 2 oz.
2 paper plates
1 Styrofoam cup
Craft glue
Wax paper
Scissors
2 large black buttons

1. Cover work area with wax paper.
2. Cut out fins and eyes from second paper plate.
3. Glue fins in place on other plate – refer to photo.
4. Cut bottom off of Styrofoam cup so it measures 3”. Glue on paper plate lower than center. Let dry.
5. Paint entire project with Pumpkin. Let dry.
6. Glue white paper eyes in place. Glue buttons in middle.
7. Using small brush, paint eyebrows and fish-scales as shown.

Plastic Sleeve Fish

This idea is from http://michellesjournalcorner.blogspot.com/search/label/Presechoolers%2FKids

8 1/2x11 clear plastic sleeve (like the ones used in binders)
Colored tissue paper (blue and red specifically).
Marker (for tracing).
Stapler
Cardstock/Carboard (to create fish template)

Directions:

Prep: cut out smallish squares of each desired color of tissue paper (1 1/2 inch-ish)

1. Using a marker, trace a fish body onto the cardboard and cut it out.
2. Lay the fish template over the plastic sleeve, tracing the outside. Be sure to butt the fish tail up against a closed edge of the sleeve.
3. Cut out the fish. You should now have a back and a front attached at the tail
4. Staple all the way around the perimeter of the fish, and then trim off the closed end of the tail. This is where you will stuff the colored tissue paper inside.
5. One you have stuffed your fish full of tissue paper, staple the tail closed and using a marker, draw an eye and mouth if desired.
For optional fun: attach a large craft popsicle stick to the back and when you read the story, have the children hold up the appropriate fish.

Paper Bag Owls

This idea comes from http://kidscraftweekly.com/five_minute_issue.html

Paper Bag Owls


This is a simple and fun project suitable for toddlers and preschoolers. Little ones will whip through it quite quickly so it's a good idea to provide supplies for a number of owls.



You will need
• brown paper bags
• scissors
• patty pans
• markers
• glue
• coloured paper
• permanent marker

Directions
1. Cut into some colourful strips of paper to make lovely ruffles.
2. Start to glue the ruffles onto your paper bag.
3. Glue on some patty pans for eyes and draw on some pupils and a beak. Then twist the top corners of the bag to give Mr Owl some ears.

Fun, isn't it? Trust me, you'll have a whole family of owls in your house before you can say 'what a hoot!'

Make a Spongy Crab

This idea is directly from http://kidscraftweekly.com/underwater_issue.html

MAKE: a spongy crab

These lifelike crabs don't require any fancy craft supplies and are great fun to put together. Just like the real thing, these crabs have ten legs – two of which have pincers at the end. But unlike real crabs, this spongy variety have pincers made from clothes pegs!

You will need

• a dish sponge
• two pegs
• scissors
• hole punch
• pipe cleaners
• glue
• permanent marker


1. Cut a circle shape from a dish sponge.
2. Pinch four holes down each side of the sponge using a hole punch. Keep two of the punched out sponge pieces to use for eyes.
3. Thread pipecleaner legs through the holes and glue the punched out sponge pieces onto the head. Then colour in the top of the eyes with a black marker.
4. Attach two pegs for claws.

Make a Happy Octopus

This idea is directly from:

http://kidscraftweekly.com/underwater_issue.html

MAKE: a happy octopus

Kids who enjoy threading will be happily absorbed by this simple octopus. When it's finished, attach a length of elastic to the top of the balloon and enjoy the satisfying clack of his colourful legs banging together.

You will need

• a balloon

• drinking straws
• scissors
• tape
• string
• eight beads
• two buttons
• permanent marker

1. Cut the straws into one inch lengths and thread them onto eight pieces of string. We tied a bead at the end of each of the pieces of string to form a 'foot' and to stop the straws from falling off the end.
2. Blow a small puff of air into the balloon and tie off. Then tape the legs to the side of the balloon.
3. Tape on buttons for eyes and draw a mouth with a permanent marker.