Category Archives: instructional technology

Halloween Candy People

As a teacher, most of the time NO CANDIES to students, but Halloween is exceptional. However, have you ever thought of Halloween candies and make connection with STEM?

To make Halloween Candy People, here’s what you’ll need:

  • Round chocolate Halloween Faces
  • Rockets
  • Mini Chocolate Bars
  • Glue Gun
  • Ribbon

Start by gluing the face to the FRONT of the mini chocolate bar. Don’t go too crazy with the hot glue or your chocolate could melt. Just use enough to make sure it’s held firmly in place.

Next, flip it over and glue the arms on the BACK of the mini chocolate bar, right on the top part of the wrapper.

And again on the BACK of the mini chocolate bar, glue the legs on. But this time, make sure you put your glue dot a little higher than the bottom edge of the wrapper. Otherwise your candy person will have very thin looking hip joints.

See how the legs are glued on slightly higher onto the chocolate bar below? You can play around with it, but I preferred the way it looked done this way.

Then flip it over and BAM you have a candy character! So simple!

   

               

Reference: https://onelittleproject.com/halloween-candy-people/?fbclid=IwAR2QbZZQQvcl2lVz_w6JMPpDwuDXjYOxzkJgv3OkVggMXRwq26j6frjUoOk

Clothespin Bat Snack Bags

Supplies I used to make the Clothespin Bat Snack Bags:

  • Black Card Stock Paper
  • Glue
  • Googly Eyes
  • Black Pipe Cleaner
  • Washi Tape
  • Snack Bags
  • Your choice of snacks

Directions:

To begin, you’ll want to take your washi tape and cover your clothespins. Fold the excess around or trim it off. If you don’t want to use washi tape you can also paint your clothespins the day before you do this activity so that they have time to dry.

Next take your black card stock paper and cut out your wings. Just make sure to make them a little bigger than the size of your snack bags.

Then I took a hot glue gun and glued the decorated clothespin to the bats wing we cut out. You can also glue on some googly eyes in this step too.

Finally pick out your choice of snacks and fill your snack bag up. Pinch it in the middle and insert it between your clothespin like the image above. If you’d like to add some ears you can take black pipe cleaners and bend them into their shape, then glue them onto your bats wings.

Reference: https://www.iheartartsncrafts.com/clothespin-bat-preschool-snack/?fbclid=IwAR3fPn2KtdErjoKWaD7–4GJrEmznbyS7Iplne1SX_JTfFCMft4h4sBMFH4

Pumpkin Apple Stamps

This is such a simple kids craft which I think makes it so great. Kids can stamp and paint their own pumpkins and add on funny faces when the paint dries. It’s a really fun autumn craft for kids that lets them use their imaginations and spark creativity.

Materials:

Apples
Orange craft paint
Green craft paint
Paint brushes
Cutting board
Knife
White paper

Directions:

#1. (Parent step) First cut your apples in half, dry inside and outside with paper towel

#2. On a paper plate or scrap paper, squirt a little orange paint on one, and green on the other

#3. Using the inside of the apple as a stamp , dip the inside of your apple in orange paint, making sure it’s completely covered in paint, then stamp on your white paper

#4. Using a paint brush, paint a leaf and stem of the top of your pumpkins

#5. Let your beautiful pumpkins dry and display proudly

Alternatively once your pumpkins dry, use black markers or crayons to create Jack-o-lanterns for some Halloween fun!

Reference: https://www.frugalmomeh.com/pumpkin-apple-stamps.html

Monster Bookmarks

     

These monster bookmarks are perfect for little readers. Even if you have a kiddo that struggles with loving to read, making one of these silly bookmarks might just be the thing to encourage some reading! These little monsters can also be used as a pointer for early readers. The little monster head sticking out of your current book is so funny, you will want to make one for every book in the house!

Here is what you will need:

  • Large Pom Poms
  • Large Popsicle Sticks
  • Googly Eyes
  • Pipe Cleaners
  • Craft Paint
  • Hot Glue Gun or Craft Glue

First pain the sticks or take out a colorful ones.

Next, glue some googly eyes on large pom poms. This is where you can get creative. Put on just one large eye, or a bunch of little eyes! You can use either a hot glue gun or craft glue for this step.

Cut some pipe cleaners to about 1 inch in length. Curl the edges around a pen or pencil.

Glue the pipe cleaners to the pom pom. Hot glue works best for this step.

Make a bunch and they will all turn out a little differently, each with their own personality!

 Reference: https://onelittleproject.com/monster-bookmarks/?fbclid=IwAR21ZaILnZ5iYgBRqhY-jWWuFIH4Op2HMmKL-HQMzJZCow4pps2hRhnISGI

Ghost puppet

How to make a ghost puppet

You will need:

• felt
• embroidery thread
• scissors
• needle and needle-threader
• stuffing
• dowel rod or chopstick
• fabric glue

This ghost-softie-template

How to:

  1. Print out the template
  2. Cut roughly around the ghost shapes and pin to felt, then cut around the lines of the template to get your ghost shapes

3. Thread a length of embroidery thread onto a sewing needle using a needle threader and tie a knot in the tail end

4. Begin sewing around the ghost halfway across the base, about 2cm from the bottom to leave room for a fringe.

5. Sew most of the way around using running stitch, leaving a small gap to poke the stuffing in

6. Stuff the ghost and poke the dowel rod in. If you like you can use a bit of fabric glue to hold the rod in place

7. Sew the remainder of the ghost, and finish by sewing tightly around the dowel rod and tying a knot in the end of the thread.

8. Cut a fringe along the base of the ghost

9. Use page 2 of the template to cut out some eyes and a mouth, or design your own.

 

10. Glue them on with fabric glue

11. All done! Now it’s time for a ghostly puppet show.

My work: 

Reference: https://www.thecrafttrain.com/ghost-puppet/