Egg Carton Critters - Under the Sea

Generally on a Sunday evening we will watch a documentary together while we eat pizzas. This is our one day of the week where we don't sit at the table (mostly because the pizzas are ready at different times and it is rather miserable sitting down to watch everyone else eat). Sunday night we watched a documentary on sea creatures. While we were watching, my boys started working out how they could make toy jellyfish so they could put on a puppet show for me.

I could only manage to get everyone into bed by assuring them that we could make their creatures the next afternoon.

Let me introduce you to Gail the Jellyfish and Henry the Octopus (do little children call an octopus anything else these days?)

Not bad for a quick craft session. We did have a few dramas making the 8 legs for Henry because we tried to use pipe cleaners first as an easier alternative to plaited wool but discovered that they don't glue very well with kids glue.

Now I just have to sit back and wait for the promised puppet show.

Egg Carton Critters - Butterflies and Caterpillars

Egg cartons seem to build up around here, and whenever they start falling out of the craft cupboard on opening the door I decide it is time to pull out the egg carton craft kit.

Our favourite egg carton craft is trying to come up with new, crazy little critters to play with.

Today we decided that our winter windows could do with some brightening up. 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' was the most recent book we had read together, so it served as inspiration for the resulting butterflies and caterpillars that the children made.

First we painted half an egg carton green

Then we added legs, googly eyes and a smily mouth

We didn't make a cocoon for the caterpillar because the children decided that was their jobs. They then wrapped themselves up in blankets to and went to sleep. Day two (today) resulted in the butterflies emerging from their box and having their wings attached.

Our butterflies ended up with red bodies

Imogen wanted to have green and blue wings

James wanted to have plain wings so he can decorate it with stickers.

Now to make sure the glue is dry before we trying hanging them in the window. Maybe tomorrow we should make some flowers for the butterflies to land on.