Toddler Cork Painting

This was another November craft that I never got around to sharing.  I love that this craft included a hand print and some process oriented painting...with corks!  Don't worry, I had these corks saved from a long time ago.  No vino for this prego!  

What You Need:
Paint (brown + 2-3 "fall" leaf colors)
Paint brush
Paper (I used card stock)
Corks (You could use one but I used 3 so I didn't have to wipe off in between)
Paper plate or paint palette
*Optional: Hard surface like a clipboard

How to Make:

1. Using your paint brush, paint your child's hand brown and make a handprint on the top third of your page.  (See right center picture below.)
2. Using the same paint, create a trunk for your tree.  I added a little owl hole by mixing in some black paint.  **I've seen some people paint the entire arm and print that on.  I wasn't brave enough but let me know if you are!
3. While your tree is drying, get your leaf colors ready on your paint palette.  I used red, yellow, and orange.
4. Let your child explore the corks and practice "stamping" with the corks dipped in paint.  Carson did a lot of smearing and dragging so I'm glad I let him practice first!  
5. Once your child starts to get the hang of the corks, dip them in the paint and allow them to add leaves to the tree!  I dipped the corks in the paint for Carson to allow him to focus on one thing at a time.  (And obviously to make less of a mess, who am I kidding?!)

I didn't get any pictures of Carson during the actual painting process because I didn't want to get paint on my camera (been there, done that)!  Here are some of him exploring the corks before practicing though!

Spooky Color Matching Busy Bag

I made this little game for Carson and 4 other tots in my mommy group.  We decided to do a busy bag exchange and the only "rule" was that it should have something to do with fall.  I searched and searched on Pinterest and finally found a game that was cheap to make and age appropriate for 16-17 month old toddlers!  This is where I found the craft.  They have TONS of other great ideas as well!

What You Need
5 clothespins
white cardstock
watercolors or markers
Ziploc bag
*optional: cardboard

How to Make
First you will want to prep your clothespins.  I used watercolors, but you can also color them with markers.  You will need the following 5 colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.  You might have seen my post on my instagram last week when I was starting this craft.

Next you'll want to print your color wheels on cardstock.  You can find the original printable on the Three Ghost Friends site.  If you choose, you can mount your wheel to an even thicker cardboard.  I chose to do this to make the wheels sturdy for little toddler hands!

Finally, stick all of your items in a ziploc baggie so you don't lose any parts!  Your busy bag is now complete!  I like this busy bag because it helps teach colors and helps your little one develop their motor skills and coordination by pinching those clothespins!


I'm linking up with Kristin today!