Reuse your broken woolly socks (and other knits)!

Who’s got a pile of knitted goods with holes and frayed edges? I do! Here’s a fun way to use those not-good-for-use items.

Painting patterns with knitted socks

Take those broken knitwears and chop them up into smaller pieces. Then use them to paint patterns. 

You need: 

• Knitted socks, the more patterned the more fun
• Scissor
• Water colours
• Water
• Paper
• A work tray

Cut up the knitted socks into pieces about the size of your child’s hand. Pay extra attention to finding interesting patterns in the different stitches. Perhaps your child has some preferences to what they’d like to try? 

Pre-wet the knitted pieces so that they are moist but not wet. Also wet the watercolour palette. Then show your child how to take a piece of knitted pattern, wet it a bit more if necessary and scrub it gently to the water colour of choice so that you get as much colour on the piece as possible. Before pressing the pattern on the paper, stretch it slightly. This will bring out the pattern nicely when you press it on the paper. Press gently and tap a bit on top and marvel the pattern that it became! Try different pieces and different colours and have fun! 

Alternatives: 

• Cut the paper into a jumper and ask the child to decorate it
• Cut up the finished product into a jumper or scarf or whichever you want – perhaps into hearts that you can use for a Valentine’s craft
• Press patterns on both sides of the paper 

What kind of patterns can you make? 

Sock-Buddy

A hand puppet from an old sock! 

You need: 

• A sock 
• Buttons
• Needle and Thread or Glue (I prefer to sew as that will hold better)
• Imagination!

Sew or glue buttons on the sock for eyes. Fold the tip of the sock into the inside palm of your child’s hand. Sew a few stitches to the edges of the mouth to keep the mouth better in shape. This will help a child manipulate the Sock-Buddy better. 

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Let your imagination fly with Sock-Buddy! You can practise motoric skills like picking – Sock-Buddy eating, talking – making different voices and story telling – what adventures does Sock-Buddy embark on?

Sock-Buddy can also be a great aid for social and emotional learning. Sometimes it is easier for a child to speak to an inanimate object or an imaginary friend, it can be a sort of a diary for a child who cannot yet write. Sock-Buddy can be a great friend, a good listener and also a good teacher. 

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Winter images with background

I love the art that kids make and would love to hang every single one of their pieces of work. Here’s a fun way to do up a piece of art! 

You need: 

• White paint
• Markers
• White paper (a quarter of an A4)
• Dark cardstock A4 (black or blue)
• Cotton 
• Glue (liquid and stick)

The theme for this craft in my preschool group was winter sports. We watched different short videos on YouTube of different winter sports. While watching, I encouraged the children to think which one they like the most and why and finally to pick their favourite. 

On one table I set up the small white papers and markers and asked the kids there to make a drawing of their favourite winter sport. On another table I set up blue cardstock papers and white paint with cotton balls, cotton swabs and small sponges and there they were encouraged to make a wintery scene. 

I cut up the drawings along the line of each child’s drawing. 

When the paint was dry I set up liquid glue and cotton balls on a table and gave the children the option to add cotton to their painted blue papers. Finally we glued on their drawing of their favourite winter sport with stick glue on top. 

Hang when dry!

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Melting Ice – A science project and treasure hunt

How does ice melt? Here’s a fun science project and treasure hunt for all ages! 

You need two days for this activity. Day 1 you pick your items and freeze the treasure block and Day 2 you melt it. 

You need: 

• A container* where you freeze the ice block
• Water
• Freezer or frosty weather
• Toys and other treasures**
• Tools to melt the ice with***
• A tray or other surface where you can melt the ice block

Container*

Any container that you can freeze water in will do; empty juice box, plastic box, rubber glove, empty candy box, pail, bucket etc. 

Toys**

Pick such toys that are ok to get broken and have different qualities; heavy and light, soft and hard, big and small. For example; coins, small toys, marbles, pom poms, magnets etc. For extra fun you can also add food colouring and/or glitter!

Tools***

Pick your melting tools based on the child’s age, for a younger scientist choose warm water instead of hot water, and pick blunt tools instead of sharp tools. You could for example use; Salt (sea salt vs table salt, warm or hot water, hammer, knitting needle, shovel etc. Let your child explore, experiment and suggest different tools that they’d like to try. 

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Do like this:

Day 1 put your chosen items into your chosen container and fill it with water. You can choose to do this together with your child and then you can also look at how things float or sink. Perhaps you want to keep it a secret and have the ice block as a surprise for your child so that it is more of a treasure hunt as they start melting the ice block!

When the block is frozen through put it on a tray where it’s ok for it to melt. You could also take it to the bathroom, shower room or sauna! 

Then think of the science of it all – what will melt this ice cube? How can you get the treasures out? What happens when you put salt on it, why does it or does it not melt? Perhaps your child already knows what ice is and how it melts? Let them tell you everything they know and explore as long as they please. Remember to pick tools that are age appropriate and let the child make their suggestions too. 

Enjoy the treasure hunt with your little scientist!

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Snow Painting

Painting snow is a great sensory and motor skill practise!

You need:

• Snow
• Shovel
• Tray with edge
• Water colours
• Paint brush
• Water

Shovel some snow on a tray and then paint it with glorious colours! It’s great fun for the little ones and perhaps big ones too 😉

I recommend to use water as that makes it easier to get started with the water colours. If your child is patient enough you can also just use the melted snow to make the paint brush wet.

Enjoy!

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Christmas Leftovers

The candy and chocolate boxes left over from Christmas are perfect for some fine motor practise, organising and categorising. 

Take out some small items like pom poms, small toys, candies, lego or duplo pieces or whatever you have available at home. Do note the choking hazard for small children, use age appropriate items and stay with your child as they are doing this activity. 

Take some tongs, spoons or clothes pins and then ask your child to place an item to each of the little dedicated places. It is lots and lots of fun! 

Art Exhibition or Treasure Chest

Why not also decorate the box? I’m sure you have gift wrap left from Christmas, or you can use napkins or other craft papers. Each child has their secrets, this is a lovely way of making a dedicated treasure box for them. You can also make an art exhibition on the lid of the chocolate box. 

Treasure chest, you need: 

• Paper
• Glue*

*I recommend liquid glue especially for the little ones as you can see it easier and it remains liquid for quite a while. Stick glue is perfectly good as well if you do not have liquid glue available. 

Ask your child to rip and shred small pieces from the wrapping paper. This is a great activity for finger dexterity, fine motor skills, planning and hand-eye coordination! 

Then glue those pieces on the box. Shaggy ends can be folded and glued under the lid or cut them off when dry.

Art exhibition, you need: 

• Paper
• Glue
• Scissor and/or craft cutter

Cut a hole on the lid so that it becomes a frame. On the Finnish boxes the lid is just bent cardboard spot glued together. Gently separate the two sides to leave a gap. Then cut a hole in the middle leaving a frame.

I made mine on the inside, but you can also make it on the outside so that the work can be displayed to a wider audience! 

Decorate the edges with some leftover wrapping paper or napkins. Leave one edge open so that you can keep changing the artwork inside. Inside the box your child can keep their secrets and treasures! Or you can use it for fine motor practise

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3D Christmas Wreath

Make a 3D wreath, lovely for christmas or any time of the year! This is great fine motor and scissor practise for the little ones. It requires guidance and patience, but is fun to do. You can use anything you want for decoration and choose whichever colours you like, here’s what I did:

You need; 

• Green A4 card (printing paper will do just fine too, but card stock is more sturdy)
• Silk paper 
• Stick glue
• Liquid glue
• Scissor
• String
• A drinking glass (to help with forming the shape)

Do this:

Fold the A4 green paper almost in half on the long side, leave approximately a 2 cm edge where you fold it as that will give support and sturdiness to the wreath. Cut the folded paper into about 1 cm strips. At then end of the paper, leave a flap to use for glueing the two ends of the wreath together, as pictured below.

Fold the paper into a pipe, glueing the two long, non-cut edges together on top of each other. Take a large drinking glass to help; put glue on the paper and start making it into a pipe from the even end, then use the glass to fold the paper into a circular shape and to help with the two edges getting glued together. Finally put some glue on the flap and glue the two ends of the circle together. See pictures. 

Your wreath is now done! Let it dry for a while so that the glue stick properly and then decorate. 

I like to use silk paper as it is another learning curve and great practise for fine motor and hand-eye coordination. Put some liquid glue onto a flat surface, like a lid. Rip a good sized piece of the silk paper, scrunch it, dip it and attach it. Put a finger under the strip of the wreath and glue the piece on. 

Finally you can make a bow or anything you desire. Attach a piece of string to the top strip and hang it. 

Happy yule time! 

Textured Snowman

A snowman craft is a wintery classic. This one is all about trying some different textures. For a child this is a great sensory experience with materials they may already be familiar with. 

You need:

• Dark background paper
• Liquid glue
• Glue stick or a brush 
• Sticks (i.e. tooth pick, matchstick)
• Coloured paper for hat and scarf (I used a napkin and red card)
• Hole punch
• White materials*
• Wide cup(s) or bowl(s)
• A bin plate where you can pour all extra materials

*Go to your pantry and find all things white! For example rice, sugar, sea salt or flour

The aim is to create three circles with glue and then pour your wanted materials on top. 

Guide the child to pick three of their favourite materials. You can put a small amount of each different kind into a cup or bowl so your child can feel them and choose the ones they like most. Give the child a dark paper and ask them to draw three snowman circles with glue. Depending on the child’s age you might make the glue circles for them, make an outline with a pencil so they can fill in or let them make the circles independently one by one. 

Make a glue circle and pour plenty of your chosen material on top, then make the second one and pour and then the third. Let dry. Keep the bin plate nearby as you can pour all leftover materials into it. 

Once dry, personalize your snowman. I made a top hat of red card, the black circles for eyes, mouth and buttons I made with a hole punch from black paper, the scarf is a napkin and arms are toothpicks. 

Let the child touch and feel the materials for as long as they want and then let them lead the creation of the snowman in their own pace. Only help them when it is necessary 😉 

Painted Snowflake with Tape

An easy craft for the little ones! The snowflake is a challenging shape to make, this way it is reversed. Depending on the age of the child this takes a bit of preparation from the adult, but it is good fun to make it! 

You need:

• Card stock for background
• Tape (painter’s tape is the best as it easily comes off paper, but do experiment with other tapes too)
• Paint (Acrylic paint, poster paint, finger paint or other thick paint)
• A sponge or paint brush (i.e. make up sponge or cotton) or your fingers

Create a snowflake on the paper with tape. Painter’s tape is easy to cut to suitable size. Let the child try the tape themselves, perhaps you just need to cut it ready for them or maybe they need some guidance with the placing of the tape. 

Choose the colours you want and squeeze some on a plate. Paint the whole paper so that not one area is without paint. Let it dry and then remove the tape. This is a fun moment for the child to see how the snowflake forms, so let them do the removal 😉

Should you not have paint available, you can also use crayons; oil based ones leave a lovely strong colour and chalky crayons can be spread with your fingers. 

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