I feel as though I am always beginning my posts with a weather update for you. I am quite sure you are not very interested in my local weather, though I am also quite sure that you kind souls will amuse me. Yet again.
It has been a rather chilly week here! It appears our taste of spring was short lived, and we have some freezing rain and cold temperatures for the rest of the week. So you know what that means …
Spring crafting inside!
This one is a lovely combination of a few of my most favourite things. Sunflowers for one. I am not sure if I have told you of my love for sunflowers? I really like them a lot. In fact, they were practically the theme of my wedding, and grown in my Mother-in-laws garden to make it even better.
Second of all, a good old paper plate was the base for this craft. A classic fave of mine. And finally, a new favourite of my little guys, some weaving.
This sweet sunflower craft is super simple. Little ones could create it almost all on their own, right from start to finish, though I started the craft myself (mostly because I was thinking as I went)
I took a paper plate and cut little “v” shapes around the outside of it to make it look like a sunflower.
Next, I took our single hole punch and tried to punch holes in the middle of the sunflower. I couldn’t get the hole punch to work right, so I ended up using the tip of a pen for the holes. I went around sort of in a spiral.
As I was punching the holes with a pen, Sam used the single hole punch without an issue. Turns out I was putting the paper plate in the wrong place (don’t judge, this was before coffee). So a single hole punch would do the job (if you have had coffee …. Or if you are 4)
After our sunflower was all cut and punched, we mixed a little yellow and brown paint to get a lovely rich sunflower colour. Sam painted each one of the petals.
While it dried we played with the hole punch – turns out this is a great little device for strengthening hands!
When it was all dry I took some brown ribbon (though brown yarn would work as well) and cut a long piece. I knotted one end, and wrapped a little bit of clear tape around the other end to give it a little point.
Sam weaved the center to the sunflower, in and out, in and out, with the ribbon. Pretty soon it started to look a lot like little seeds.
The more he weaved the neater it looked.
This activity was fun, and also full of learning. Colour mixing, fine motor skills, counting, patterning, and teaching (Mama to use a hole punch).
And it helped add some “Spring” to our home — as long as you don’t look out the windows.
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