Last fall, Big Sister made a special wreath for Thanksgiving; just by changing the shape and colors, we made another one for Easter. This simple, easy craft not only looks wonderful and is fun, plus it helps with some early kindergarten readiness skills.
Using a stiff piece of paper from a cereal box, I traced an egg shape. Because it was so stiff, little hands couldn’t cut it out. Once the outside was cut, I cut out the inside in the same shape, leaving a band about 2 fingers wide. Make sure to leave the outside intact. Instead, poke a hole in the inside and cut from there. Little hands ripped different colors of tissue paper into bits. In the craft box, we had pink, green, yellow, blue, and some wrapping paper that had butterflies and lilac flowers. These were all saved from shoes, stores, and presents. We didn’t need to buy anything! Not very many bits of paper are needed. Once there was a pile, I spread some glue all over and both Big Sister and Little Sister stuck bits of paper around the edge. With a ribbon to hang it up, it was all done.
This craft was easy enough for both toddlers and preschoolers. Sequencing is a tricky skill. Kids do not always know the order of events. Have you ever heard kids argue about who hit the other person first?” They aren’t sure about the sequence. Crafts are one way of practicing doing things in order, step by step. Picking colors means kids have to make choices. It doesn’t seem like deciding is a skill, but for some children, this can be a challenge. Besides sequencing and choosing, there are the plenty of language skills, such as explaining, expressing oneself, and asking questions. With 2 kids working on 1 wreath, there was sharing, taking turns, and negotiating who would do what.
The very best part, is the pride of kids when they can show what they have created and share with others. Do you have some other great Easter simple, fun ideas?
