Today I tried out a few craft ideas so I can decide what to make at a little toddler St. Paddy's Day party I am hosting next week. Most toddlers like anything that they can shake that also makes noise, so I think the kids will like making these.
Materials Needed: *Blue and yellow paint, paper plate, St. Patrick's Day stickers, scissors, tissue paper or crepe paper, large dried beans, and green masking tape.
*I painted my plate. I will not be having the kids do this at my party because that would cause chaos. I am either going to use green plates or have the kids decorate these with green markers.
I didn't have crepe paper or green masking tape when I was doing this today, so I improvised. I would highly recommend buying some if you are going to do this. It would look much cuter.
Directions:
1. Paint the back of the plate with yellow dots. Then add blue dots and mix the colors together.
2. Cover the plate completely with paint. I used blue and yellow to show my little guy that when they are mixed it turns to green. You could also just use green paint.
3. Let the paint dry. While it dries, cut your crepe paper into pieces (or cut strips of tissue paper).
4. When the paint is dry, decorate the painted side of the plate with stickers and anything else green.
5. Place large dried beans on one side of the plate.
6. Tape the crepe paper streamers or tissue paper pieces to one half of the plate. Add more tape along the edge to hold the plate shut.
7. Fold the plate in half and press hard to get the tape to keep the plate shut. If you have green masking tape, run it along the edges to make a border and help keep everything in place.
8. Turn on some Irish music with a beat and start shaking!
If your child isn't old enough to be able to make one of these, you could make one for them. I'm sure they would love to shake it as they celebrate St. Paddy's Day with you! You could easily leave off the streamers so that little ones aren't tempted to try and eat the paper. 🙂
Try to make sure that your beans are large and there aren't any holes around the edge of your paper plates. Makes sure that if the shaker gets broken and beans spill out that you repair it or get it away from little ones as soon as possible. The beans can be choking hazards.
Some fun songs or fingerplays you could do together as you shake are listed below:
Five Green Shamrocks
Five green shamrocks growing outdoors
(Child's name) picked one, and that left four.
Four little shamrocks, green as they can be.
(Childs name) picked one and that left three.
Two little shamrocks nodding in the sun,
(Childs name) picked one, and that left one.
One little shamrock for St. Patrick's Day fun.
(Childs name) picked it, and that left none.
I'm a Little Shamrock - sung to "I'm a Little Teapot"
I'm a little shamrock see my leaves
Count my three petals if you please.
If you give me water and lots of sun,
I'll bring you good luck and lots of fun!
St. Patrick's Day Is Here - sung to "The Farmer In The Dell"
St. Patrick's Day is here,
St. Patrick's Day is here,
Let's give a clap and dance a jig,
St. Patrick's Day is here.
Songs found at StepByStepCC
Language Development:
As you're shaking you can talk about the sounds that you hear (soft, loud) and the speed you are shaking (slow, fast, quick, etc.). Combining this activity with singing songs and doing fingerplays can also help with developing new vocabulary.
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