Are you looking for something to do with your little one that's practical and fun?
Creating something like this pretty toadstool pot is a great way for your child to get creative and learn some important concepts at the same time.
Join Rebecca and Murphy from CBeebies show Monster Makes to create a colourful, happy toadstool that is a useful place to keep things like pencils.
Hi there, I'm Rebecca and you might recognize me from the CBeebies House or Monster Makes, but something you might not know about me is that, like you, I have a little one of my own.
So I know exactly what it's like to have a little bundle of energy that needs a lot of entertaining. Kids are like sponges that are curious about everything, so it's important that we help them discover and be creative. That's where Monster Makes comes in.
All the makes are designed to be super simple for you and your preschooler to try out. And best of all, they use things that you've probably already got at home.
Take a look at this step-by-step guide of how to make a toadstool pot using a card tube and one of those domed lids you get on some takeaway drinks.
Let's get monster making!
It's a tiny toadstool pot. For this, we'll need paint, a cardboard tube, a clean yoghurt pot, coloured card, a drinks lid, and stickers.
First, take the small, clean yoghurt pot and put it inside the cardboard tube and then stick it together.
Using sticky tape can be tricky for preschoolers, but it helps develop their fine motor skills, strengthening the small muscles in their hands. It can also help with hand-eye coordination and problem solving. See if they can discover what to do if the tape gets stuck to itself, before helping them out.
Time for the drinks lid.
Thanks, Murphy. Let's paint the drinks lid red. And the cardboard tube white.
Painty painty, monster painty! Boom boom boom boom boom. Hey hey hey hey!
When the red paint is dry, we can paint on white spots. Now it's time to make the grass. Here you could try asking questions like, what color should we make the grass? This encourages your little one to make choices, and helps them to think about what they see and know. It supports decision making, sparks creativity, and gives them a sense of ownership over their artwork.
Take a circle of green card and carefully cut out grassy spikes.
Great grass cutting, Rebecca. Hey hey hey hey!
You can also use your fingers to help bend the spikes too. Now the paint is dry, stick the drinks lid to the top of the tube. Let's add a face using some stickers.
Sticky, sticky stick stick stick!
Why don't you explore some emotions here? Ask your preschooler about different faces and expressions. See if they can recognize and name the feelings they see.
Let's stick this 'fun guy' on the grass. There - one tiny toadstool pot.
So there you have it. Something super simple for you and your little one to try at home. Best of all, this make can help keep things at home a little bit tidier. Well, I did say a little bit tidier. Keep your eye out for more simple makes on the CBeebies Parenting website, or check out Monster Makes on BBC iPlayer.
You will need
A cardboard tube
Red and white paint
The plastic lid from a takeaway drink
A clean yoghurt pot
Green card
Circular stickers
Sticky tape
Glue stick
Scissors
Method
1. Using sticky tape, stick the yoghurt pot inside the cardboard tube.
2. Paint the cardboard tube white and the drinks lid red.
3. Once the paint is dry, paint white spots onto the drinks lide.
4. Cut the green card into a circle and then cut zigzags to make grassy spikes.
5. Use your fingers to bend some of the spikes upwards.
6. Glue the drinks lid to the top of the tube.
7. Using stickers, add a face to the toadstool.
8. Finally, stick the toadstool to the green card using your glue stick.
What little ones can learn
This make helps with little ones' fine motor skills - it can be tricky at first to use sticky tape but they quickly get the hang of it.
The small muscles in children's hands are still developing, so letting them independently find the tiny end of the tape ahelps develop these. It also benefits hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills.
There's a lot of decision-making and communication skills that can be improved through this activity. Ask your little one what colour the grass should be to get them thinking about the world around themselves. It will also help them to feel ownership over the final result.
You can explore emotions with your child when making the toadstool's face. Ask them about different facial expressions and what they might mean.
