It’s that time of the year when monsters get their chance to shine.
We’re all for friendly and funny monsters around here. This monster craft involves lots of fine motor fun, descriptive language and mixing and matching.
A batch of salt dough Play dough cutters of different shapes and sizes Paint (we used acrylic)
There are approximately a bazillion recipes on the Internet for salt dough.
I just use this salt dough recipe.
Once you’ve rolled out your dough, use your cutters to create pieces of different shapes and sizes.
We used different round containers to create indents into the “faces.”
Pop them in the oven.
The key is to do a slow, long bake on a low temperature. You’re drying them out- not cooking them.
(I tell you this because I couldn’t figure out why mine were turning brown at the start of my salt dough career.)
Once your pieces have cooled down, bring out the paints!
Paint your pieces in different colours. Use markers to add details.
Once dried, it’s time to get your monster mash (up) on.
This activity is great for encouraging descriptive language use. Encourage your child to describe the shapes they are using. They can describe the monster they have created. They can develop a persona for their monster.
When the monster mash has finished, store all the pieces in an airtight container ready for another session of mixing and matching.
Mr 2 is currently having a love affair with “monners.”
Translation: monsters.
He also, like most toddlers, has a love affair with glue sticks.
So, I set up this monster art invitation to create.
This is a simple collage activity to make your own mix and match monsters.
Have you ever used colour diffusing paper?
It’s magical stuff!
The lovely folk at Cleverpatch recently gave us some colour diffusing paper and a set of their amazing liquid colours.
As a teacher, I’ve been using Cleverpatch products in my classrooms for years.
I’m super lucky to have Cleverpatch on board as Product Sponsor for my Christmas eBook. (Oh, Spoiler Alert- I’m working on a Christmas eBook! To be the first to preview it, be sure to sign up to my newsletter.)
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Back to this project…
Experiment with placing colour onto your diffusing paper with your liquid watercolours.
If you place your colours close together, you will get a rad bleed effect.
If you leave white spaces between your colours, the result will be a more tie-dyed effect and less vibrant.
Once your page is filled with colour, lightly spray the paper with water.
Leave your page to dry for a few hours. The colours will continue to diffuse.
Once dried, cut regular and irregular shapes for monster bodies.
Cut out horns, eyes, mouths…. whatever tickles your fancy.
Set these various body parts out for your little monster and let them go wild mixing and matching their monsters.
We just glued all our monster parts to cardboard with a glue stick.
You could cut your wild things out and make bunting or puppets.