Sock Puppets

Ok, normally I would be the first one making fun of sock puppets, but my 2 year old niece has started putting socks on her hands for fun and I thought she would really enjoy having a face on them!

 

 

For this project you'll need:

long fuzzy socks (check Goodwill - I found mine for 29¢)

cardboard (the kind you can find in your kitchen - granola bar box, cereal box, brownie mix box)

felt (for the inside of the mouth, whatever color you choose)

scissors

hot glue gun

pom poms

googly eyes (optional)

 

Step 1:  Cut off the toe of the sock.

Step 2: Make an oval felt-cardboard-felt sandwich approximately 3 x 4.5in. by hot gluing felt to both sides of the cardboard.

Step 3:  Fold the oval sandwich in half and hot glue it into the open toe end of the sock.

 

 

For the second one I made, I used foam, rather than the felt and cardboard for the mouth - both work well, the foam is more flexible.

 

Step 4:  Using your glue gun, add eyes, nose, ears and any other feature you want.

 

 

 

Step 5:  Have fun playing!

 

We named them Petunia (left) and Buster (right)!

 

Hadley had fun putting them on her feet! 

 

No picture, but we had the best time having the puppets try to eat a straw paper and Hadley pulling it out of their mouths! 

Creative Toddler Activities

Do you have a toddler in your life?  Your own kids, a niece or nephew, a grandchild, a sibling, kids you babysit or the child of a friend?  If so, you might be looking for some new activities to keep them entertained, challenged, happy and learning!

My niece Hadley came to visit last weekend and although she would be happy to spend all her time playing with toys and her grandparents, I wanted to plan some creative activities for her.  I searched the internet and tried some of the ideas out.

1.  Pipe Cleaners

The idea I found said to put pipe cleaners through a colander, but I just bought a small pack of colorful pipe cleaners and opened them and then set them on the floor.  That drew her in!  Hadley loved picking up bunches and throwing them in the air, like confetti!  I picked one up and made a circle (shape learning) and she loved that and started bringing me more to make into circles.  I tried asking her to bring me certain colors (color learning). 

2.  Play-Doh

I don't think explanation is needed - kids love play doh!  Hadley liked it best when it was rolled into a ball.

 

 3.  Contact Paper Face

This was my favorite idea.  You tape a big piece of contact paper to the wall, sticky side up.  Then you gather random things from your craft supplies and put them on a tray and then let the toddler stick things to it!  The only thing I bought for this was a pack of googly eyes.  I gathered some strips of paper, pieces of yarn, fabric remnants and buttons.  (I learned jingle bells don't stick.)  Hadley liked sticking the googly eyes on.  I also like that you can do a lot of variations with this idea.  You could give them a tray of colorful cereal and let them stick it on.  You could gather items that are part of a theme - leaves for fall or green items for St. Patrick's Day, you could draw a sheep and let them stick cotton balls on it.

What fun and creative toddler activities have you tried lately?