Mummy Candles
Mummy candles are also fun and so easy that even a two-year old can do this activity. Let’s face it, part of the reason those twos are so terrible is because they are old enough to know things are going on around them, but at the same time they just cannot do very much yet. But these mummy candles are something they can do. With a little help to cut the tape into smaller strips.
Materials Needed:
- jars of any size (nothing larger than a medium jelly jar)
- medical tape or gauze of ½ inch diameter
- small battery candles
- googly eyes
- glue
Directions:
- Take the jar and put the medical tape or gauze around the jar in a haphazard manner. Make sure there are spaces you can see through between the medical tape. That is the whole idea.
- Glue 2 googly eyes near the top of your jar.
- Turn the light on your candle and place it in the jar. Your mummy candle is finished!
Kids will enjoy their creation, in fact, this is a great activity for ages two to 102! Just cut smaller pieces for smaller hands and enjoy!
Pool Noodle Pumpkins
Pool noodles are being discounted as summer comes to a close and now is a great time to grab up a half dozen or so for crafts that you can make all fall and winter long! These adorable and easy Pool Noodle Pumpkins lend themselves to tons of activities for your little ones. With just one orange pool noodle that can be bought right now for about 50 cents on Amazon or on clearance you can create a lot of cute little pumpkins for playtime and education activities as well! Your children can help make the pool noodle pumpkins, but an adult will have to cut the pool noodle into “pumpkins” with the knife.
Materials Needed:
- orange pool noodle
- wide craft sticks
- green pipe cleaner
- black sharpie
- knife
Directions:
1. Slice pool noodle into varying lengths from 1″-6″
2. Draw jack o’ lantern faces on each pumpkin.
3. Cut craft sticks into various sizes, tuck inside pool noodle hole in the center to make a stem.
4. Cut green chenille pipe cleaners into 2″ lengths for the vine, twist, and press one end into pool noodles.
Once your kids have made their pool noodle pumpkins, they are ready to use for all sorts of free play or you can use one or more of the ideas below to extend the play and use them in fun learning activities.
Stack the Pumpkins
Show your child how to stack and puzzle the pumpkin pieces together. This is a simple and fun activity that also helps build fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving skills.
Sort the Pumpkins
Younger children can sort by height from small to large. They can also sort them by faces: silly, scary, etc.
Use the Pool Noodle Pumpkins as Stamps
Add a little bit of orange paint, some paper, and a green marker to your pool noodle pumpkin play and you can create an entire pumpkin patch with stamping.
Count Pumpkins
Use your pumpkins for one-to-one correspondence, skip counting, or have them match the correct number of pumpkins to flashcards or magnet numbers that you set out.
Bath Time Play with Pumpkins
Since pool noodles are already intended for water play, they make a great bath time toy. They dry quickly, float, and are fun for little hands while scrubbing away the dirt. Remove wooden craft sticks before placing them in the water.
Dramatic Play with Pumpkins
Let your child use them for free play, to tell a story, or line them up in rows on a large sheet of green paper. They can also be placed in a sensory bin or used in any other way they can imagine! Let your child create the pumpkins themselves as well for an art project.
Your younger children will enjoy this leading up to Halloween. This is one small activity they can do without having to be sugared up or scraped off the ceiling later. Keeping small hands busy is important and also finding ways to engage their thinking skills at the same time is a double bonus.
