Dear Reader,
I mentioned a while ago that I wanted to focus on finger isolation with my toddlers, so I went on a pinterest search for activities with poking being involved, and when I came across this activity I got kinda excited because it is also a fun halloween activity! There aren’t many specifically Halloween activities for toddlers.
It took them a while to get the hang of poking the tissue paper. They weren’t quite sure it was okay to tear it at first. And then they were afraid to press hard enough to break the paper. Maybe if I had propped up the pumpkin, it would have felt less awkward to them; leaning over and poking made them unsure of their balance. But every time I tried to glue the cups to the veneered wood, it just slipped off! Maybe duct tape rolls or a real poster board would have been a better solution. But I forgot to grab the poster board and this veneer wood was just so cute when my husband was helping me come up with better solutions than running back to the store.
To make the activity, you need orange tissue paper (I only used 2 sheets), plastic cups, glue (hot glue if you have poster board, other glue and maybe rubber bands for each cup, if you need to be creative), and green paper for the stem. Optionally, you can use pipe cleaners to make a curly vine. You will also need some prize or token in each cup (or at least in 1 cup so they have to find the prize, but for toddlers it’s definitely better for the prize to be in each cup). And whatever you want to attach it to (because I forgot that, myself). You’re gonna want to use the stuff poster board, I think. Because the veneer (and I think even regular wood, but I don’t know. It probably depends on how heavy your cups and prizes are) wasn’t worth the fight, but a regular poster board will be too flimsy.
Arrange the cups so you have an idea on how you want the pumpkin to look, cut the tissue paper to cover the cup (use at least 1 inch extra on each side if you intend to use the rubber bands instead if glue), 1 square for each cup. Place a prize in the cups and then glue or rubber band the tissue paper to each cup. Glue the cups into place. Add the stem and any decoration. Then, just set it up and let them play.
I have to say, between the preschooler (you know she wanted in on that action) and the toddlers, it got kinda crazy, but I think everyone enjoyed it. And it was easier than I suspected to practice taking turns.
