sensory

Skeleton Treasure Blocks

October 24, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Children love using loose parts in pretend play centers and sensory trays, and they make playful playdough accessories. I also enjoy featuring them in treasure blocks, and these skeleton treasure blocks are among my favorites.

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Supplies In the Treasure Blocks

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The following supplies are featured in the skeleton treasure blocks:

wooden treasure blocks with two clear panels
skeleton figurines
skeleton and bone metallic necklace pieces
green, orange, and purple pompoms
orange bead necklace
white, green, orange, purple, and black beads
skull treat holder
squishy eyeballs
toy bones

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The Skeleton Treasure Blocks

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Treasure blocks are fillable wooden blocks with two clear or transparent panels. They are perfect for holding natural and found objects and sensory loose parts. They can be used in many different ways, and I highly recommend having a set or two in your collection of educational supplies.

Bendable skeleton figurines in purple, green, and orange, are the highlight of my skeleton blocks. They are featured in a large square sensory block, and in the rectangular block. The neon skeletons set the color scheme for most of the rest of the supplies.

Bright, sparkly green, orange, and purple pompoms are included in the orange skeleton block and also have a moment of their own in a small square block.

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Similarly colored small beads accent the block with two skeletons.

Skull and bone necklaces that are cut apart make tiny, exquisite loose parts for a second small square block.

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Strips cut from a metallic orange bead necklace provide the sensory base for the second large square block. Bones are featured on the middle layer, and white squishy eyeballs are layered on top.

Individual beads cut from the orange bead necklace are also featured in the third small square treasure block.

A small skull treat holder fits perfectly inside the last square block.

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Other Skeleton Activities

Skeleton Preschool Theme

Glam Skeleton Sensory Bin

Skeleton and Eyeball Waterplay

Glam Skeleton Playdough Tray

Floral Decorated Skeleton

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[Read more…]

Apple Playdough Tray

October 15, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Tis the season of all things apple, and here’s a tantalizing apple playdough tray to add to your rotation of fall activities. It features playdough in three different scents and colors. The aromatic apple-themed sensory activity also works well for a nutrition or fruit and vegetable theme.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Apple-Scented Playdough Recipe

Gather the following easy-to-find supplies for this silky apple-scented playdough recipe:

apple-scented hair conditioner
cornstarch
large bowl
green food coloring
measuring cup
spoon for stirring

To make the simple no-cook recipe, first scoop 2 parts of cornstarch into a large bowl. Next, add one part apple-scented hair conditioner and mix it with the cornstarch using a stirring spoon. Then knead the scented dough ingredients together to make a smooth dough. If the dough is a bit crumbly, add a tad more hair conditioner. If it is a little slimy, add a bit more cornstarch. A playdough recipe couldn’t be any easier to make.

Apple themed playdough invitation with apple cutting board, ice cube tray, cookie cutters, leaves, and gems.

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Optional: Mix in a generous amount of green food coloring with the apple-scented hair conditioner before adding it to the cornstarch to get a light green color of playdough. You can also add the food coloring at the end. In this case, the playdough will look marbled with green at first and turn an even shade of light green after it has been used in a playdough invitation.

While you are making this recipe, it may not look like it will form a smooth playdough. Be assured that it will.

This dough becomes more mouldable as it is being handled. Round balls and other shapes are easy to form once it is warmed up a little with little human hands!

When using the dough for a second or third time, set it out and let learners add a tad more conditioner to their dough. If it gets a little mushy, have them work in a bit of cornstarch. They will love doing this.

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Apple-Scented Playdough Variations

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Since many apples come in varying combinations of red, green, and yellow hues, you can use other conditioner colors such as strawberry hair conditioner with red food coloring added to make red dough, and coconut hair conditioner with yellow food coloring added to make yellow dough.

Color mixing is a favorite activity for little learners, and they will relish the chance to mix all three colors of playdough together.

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Apple Playdough Tray

This apple playdough tray is easy to set up for little learners. Three colors of playdough are featured, but little learners would be more than happy to use only one scented playdough variety for the activity.

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In the tray are:

red, green, and yellow playdough
apple cookie cutters
alphabet letter wood stamps
leaf pie edgers
red, green, and yellow acrylic apple gems
green, red, and yellow apple counters
yellow, green, and red beads
brown pipe cleaners
drinking straws

Scented hair conditioner is an effortless ingredient to use in playdough, especially when only one or two other ingredients are required. Checking for it at dollar stores is an economical alternative.

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Having a bulk container of cornstarch ensures that there will be enough of this ingredient to make the playdough for a group of students. Using one cup of cornstarch to one-half cup of conditioner makes a recipe big enough for one or two children to share.

Loose parts such as yellow, green, and red apple counters, acrylic gems, and beads add interest to the tray.

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Pipe cleaners cut in half and wrapped around a pencil make curly caterpillars. Cut straws can be used to poke holes in the playdough and represent how caterpillars dig holes in apples and burrow inside.

Lowercase alphabet letter wood stamps offer an opportunity to spell the word apple.

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More Apple Activities

For more apple-themed activities, check out the following blog posts:

Apple Theme Activities

Watercolor Apples With Markers

Apple Print Activities

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Starry Sky Sensory Bin

September 22, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Just as vegetables that come in a variety of colors are always a happy find, so are interestingly colored flowers. These award-winning, starry sky petunias are a new discovery for me, and they caught my attention at a hardware store! Their varying color patterns and space-themed name make them perfect for a starry sky sensory bin.

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Starry Sky Petunias were introduced about eight years ago, and their spectacular speckled white and purple flowers are a reminder of the cosmos. Each individual flower varies in shade of color and placement of white dots and splotches. The super pretty petunia plant is also named Night Sky Petunia and Galaxy Petunia.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

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This flower-inspired starry sky sensory bin contains the following loose part supplies:

starry sky petunia flowers
astronaut figurines
toy planets
glow in the dark moon and stars
toy spaceships in varying designs
pink and purple buttons
large and small marbles
purple and pink tumbled stones
turquoise, pink, and purple acrylic gems
silver spray painted rocks
agate slices

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The Starry Sky Sensory Bin

The supplies in the starry sky sensory bin are offered in two different containers.

This first bin for the sensory play loose parts is a food bus tub. It is super user-friendly and can be set up anywhere. Two or three little learners can play in the tub at the same time.

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Water with a little fluorescent purple food coloring added is the base for the bin. Breathtaking, other-worldly Starry Sky Petunias are the “stars” of the sensory play invitation.

Space-themed toys such as astronaut figurines, spaceships in varying sizes, glow-in-the-dark moon and stars, and toy planets complement the petunias.

Marbles in varying sizes are space rocks or pretend planets.

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Loose parts such as silver spray-painted rocks, agate slices, pink and purple tumbled stones, and acrylic gems add beauty to the bin.

Complementary-colored buttons are a welcome addition to any sensory bin.

This next water-based bin is a round, edged serving tray. It can also be offered anywhere and is suitable for one or two little ones to use at a time. The water level is a little lower, allowing for a large toy spaceship to stand upright in the bin.

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Petunia flowers in any color provide beautiful, cascading blooms all growing season long. Solid pink, purple, or white petunia flowers would also work wonderfully in this starry sky sensory bin.

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[Read more…]

Jellyfish Theme Activities

August 29, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Jellyfish theme with art, math, scissor skill, water play, and light table activities. Interestng jellyfish facts and free printables included.

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It was clear jellyfish that got me interested in this unique sea creature, and are the inspiration behind this jellyfish theme post. Three transparent jellyfish crafts are included in the theme, along with scissor skills, math, and water play ideas.

Sea jelly is the proper name for jellyfish since these creatures are not fish. Fish have a face, brains, tails, fins, and backbone, which sea jellies don’t have. But since most people still use the term jellyfish and find activities by searching this name, I’m using both words in my facts and activities.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Fascinating Jellyfish Facts

Here are ten interesting facts about jellyfish:

Sea jellies are found in waters all over the world: cold or warm, shallow or deep, near shore or deep in the ocean.
These graceful creatures have a bell-shaped body, with oral arms and tentacles that look like streamers.
Jellyfish come in many colors and are often luminescent.
The tiny stinging cells on their tentacles capture prey. The tentacles can also sting people.
Inside the bell, sea jellies have a mouth to eat food with.

Make this sparkly iridescent jellyfish craft that doubles as an ocean drum and movement prop, It displays beautifully indoors or outdoors.

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These floaty creatures eat fish, crabs, shrimp, tiny plants, and zooplankton.
Their predators are large fish, sea turtles, and sometimes other jellyfish.
Sea Jellies are slow swimmers, pulsing along. They often get overpowered by strong currents that carry them along.
From small to humungous, sea jellies come in many different sizes and shapes.
The Portuguese Man Of War is the biggest sea jelly. Nomeus fish live in their deadly tentacles and do not get eaten. The tiny fish help attract large prey that this massive sea jelly ends up eating.
Jellyfish live for just under two days to under a year.

For more facts about sea jellies, view the blog post “Jellies” on montereybayaquarium.org.

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Iridescent Jellyfish Crafts

These three jellyfish crafts are inspired by the moon jelly, which has a transparent, umbrella-shaped bell. Iridescent craft supplies shine in the stringy crafts.

Supplies To Collect

Simple supplies to create three different transparent jellyfish crafts. Iridescent craft supplies take center stage in the projects.

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Gather the following supplies for the transparent sea jelly crafts:

two clear disposable dinner plates
opaque or clear transparent disposable drinking cup
clear dessert bowl
iridescent beads
two kinds of sparkly, textured, thin yarn
iridescent curly ribbon
iridescent metallic shreds
glue gun
wiggly eyes

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Clear Plate Jellyfish

Create this stunning iridescent jellyfish craft using clear disposable plates and iridescent craft supplies. Great for music, movement, and language arts activities.

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To make this large jellyfish, start by positioning one clear dinner plate right side up, and laying metallic shreds and a small handful of iridescent beads on it.

Next, cut strips of sparkly and /or iridescent yarn and curly ribbon and glue them in a row at the bottom of the plate using the glue gun.

Then glue the second dinner plate upside down on top of the first one by applying hot glue to the edge of one or both plates.

Lastly, glue two large wiggly eyes to one of the plates, and affix a yarn strip to hang the jellyfish on the other side.

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This jellyfish looks beautiful displayed in the classroom in a sunny spot, or outside on a tree. The crafted jellyfish also makes an ocean drum musical instrument and can be a unique accessory for language arts. music, and movement activities.

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Dessert Bowl Jellyfish

Design this simple hanging jellyfish craft using gorgeous, iridescent supplies. Display it is a sunny location for maximum shine.

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This second jellyfish craft most replicates the moon jelly shape and is so easy to make. Just glue one end of the yarn and curly ribbon strips to the inside of the bowl so that they hang down like jellyfish arms and tentacles. Affix a loop to hang on the bottom of the bowl, and this sea jelly is ready to be displayed.

Hanging outside at night, it looks like a sea jelly floating deep in the ocean.

Design this hanging jellyfish craft using gorgeous, iridescent supplies. Displayed at night, it looks like a sea jelly floating in deep ocean waters.

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Disposable Cup Jellyfish

Design this cute jellyfish cup craft using iridescent supplies. Display it indoors or outdoors to add ambiance to an ocean creature theme.

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Make this craft just like the one above using a clear or opaque disposable cup instead of the dessert bowl. Add wiggly eyes for the finishing touch.

Design this simple jellyfish cup craft using gorgeous, iridescent supplies. Display it is a sunny location for maximum shine.

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More Jellyfish Activities

Scissor Skill Jellyfish

Here’s an easy jellyfish scissor skills project to download for your little learners. Invite participants to cut out along the lines to create sea jelly tentacles, and then cut out the bell-shaped body.

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Free Jellyfish PrintableDownload

(This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.)

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In this next activity, trace and cut out jellyfish bells from colored cardstock paper, and then print and snip apart the numbered tentacles. Invite little learners to glue tentacles to their jellyfish bell in order from one to five. Use this second printable for the project.

Download this free jellyfish math template for little learners to create a paper craft, practice scissor skills, and order numbers form one to five.

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Free Jellyfish Math PrintableDownload

(This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.)

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Invite little learners to practice scissor skills and math concepts by completing a paper craft jellyfish with numbered tentacles.

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Or simply photocopy the jellyfish printable on pastel-colored paper or cardstock to add pops of color to the activity.

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More Jellyfish Math

Use paper jellyfish or jellyfish figurines in counting rhymes and songs.

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Light Table Jellyfish

Invitation to create jellyfish on a light table with transparent stir sticks and page divider cut outs. Wiggly eyes are the finishing touch.

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Invite little learners to create jellyfish on a light table with transparent page divider cutouts and stir sticks.

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Jellyfish Water Play

Include jellyfish dive toys, fishing nets, strainers, and foam numbers in a water table, tuff tray, or bus tub. Little learners can count, sort, and scoop the colored jellyfish in the bin.

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Sea Turtle Theme Activities

Octopus Theme Activities

Sea Star Theme Activities

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[Read more…]

Shiny Paint Cactus Art

August 3, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Four easy to make shiny cactus art projects that look beautifully displayed. Kitchen supplies gleam in this all-ages art activity.

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This all-ages shiny paint cactus art can be made in a few different ways. Try one of the versions or try them all, and share a few cactus facts along the way. Saguaro and prickly pear cactus trees are featured in the activities, and two free cactus templates are available to download to make your art activity preparation easier.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

Make this shiny saguaro cactus tree art project using only a few supplies. An all-ages easy-to-do desert art activity.

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Gather the following basic supplies for the cactus art projects in this post:

white corn syrup
neon purple and green food coloring
green food coloring
paint pots
paintbrushes
glue paddle
small bowls
spoons
white glue
scissors
large circle punch
8 ½ inch x 11-inch white cardstock paper
12 x 12-inch colored cardstock
flower confetti
cactus templates
newsprint or tablecloth

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Cactus Art Paint

Three of the four projects featured employ a shiny paint made by adding a food coloring hue to white corn syrup. Little learners find this paint soooo satisfying to use. It is super sticky and can work as an adhesive. It dries with a glossy, smooth finish.

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Coconut Embellished Saguaro Cactus

Saguaro cactus trees grow naturally in southern Arizona and in the Mexican state of Sonora. The desert dwellers are covered in prickly spines.

Saguaros often bloom in late May to late June, but the blooms can be spotted earlier or later in the year. The stunning white flowers with yellow centers mature into edible ruby red fruits.

Steps to make a shiny saguaro cactus art project using only a few supplies. An all-ages easy-to-do art project.

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For this first saguaro cactus art project, start by squeezing a little white corn syrup into a paint pot. A baby food jar works well as a paint holder.

Next, add a few drops of neon green food coloring into the corn syrup and stir it in.

Then cut a saguaro cactus tree from white cardstock paper. Feel free to download this template for the project.

A free saguaro cactus template to use for art and craft projects. Paint, glue, and create with using unique cactus design.

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Saguaro Cactus PrintableDownload

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Afterward, set the cactus cutout on an art table along with the sticky green paint, a paintbrush, a small bowl with shredded coconut, and a spoon.

Cover the cactus with shiny paint, and then sprinkle on coconut bits to represent pokey spines. Press in confetti flowers to depict a cactus in the blooming season.

To complete the cactus art project, add a strip of golden or yellow ochre sturdy paper to the bottom of a 12-inch x 12-inch piece of cardstock that is a pastel shade. Using white glue or a glue gun, carefully adhere the painted cactus to the cardstock background. Punch or cut out a large cardstock circle and glue it on to represent a sun in the picture.

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Note: This paint takes a generous amount of time to dry. After at least a few days of drying time, the art is ready to be displayed.

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Chive Embellished Saguaro Cactus

This easy to create saguarro cactus tree art uses chives as one of the supplies. An all-ages art project that is rewarding to do.

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This second cactus tree art project uses green glue instead of corn syrup paint. For this art activity:

Mix a little neon green food coloring into white glue to make a light green hue. Use a glue paddle to apply the glue all over a cactus template. A light coat of glue works best, as it helps prevent the paper cactus from curling as it dries.
Sprinkle on freeze-dried chives to look like cactus spines, and add pink confetti blooms.
Finish the project the same way the first one was done.

Note: Corn syrup paint works beautifully for this cactus art design just as well.

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Purple Prickly Pear Cactus Art

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As I am always drawn to unique colors in nature, I was excited to find out that there is such a thing as purple cacti. Some prickly pear cacti are purple, so this next project celebrates this pretty, vibrant hue and highlights the unique prickly pear cactus shape. Feel free to download the template below for the art activity.

A free prickly pear cactus template to use for art and craft projects. Paint, glue, and create using this unique cactus design.

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Prickly Pear Cactus PrintableDownload

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To complete this art project:

Mix a little neon purple food coloring in a pot of white corn syrup.
Paint the prickly pear cactus with the purple sticky paint.
Sprinkle on uncooked rice grains to represent spines.
Press in purple confetti flowers. Or use yellow confetti flowers…the natural color of purple prickly pear blooms.
Finish the project the same way the first two cactus versions were done.

This prickly pear cactus art project requires simple supplies you can find in your kitchen. It's an easy-to-do all-ages art activity.

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Cactus Christmas Tree Art

This last cactus project is elevated by using cake sprinkles for the spines. The balls in the sprinkle mix inspired me to turn the cactus into a decorated Christmas tree.

Use supplies you have in your kitchen to decorate a saguaro cactus as a Christmas tree. An all-ages art activity everyone will love.

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To make this art project:

Mix a hue of green corn syrup paint and brush it onto a saguaro cactus.
Drop on cake sprinkles with your fingers or a spoon, and press them in gently. Space out the sprinkle balls to look like ornaments on the tree.
Glue a cut or punched metallic paper star at the top for a tree topper.
Complete the art project the same way as all the others.

Note: The corn syrup paint and glue paint have adhesive qualities. If any of the embellishments do not adhere, use white glue or a glue gun to affix the shapes.

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These shiny paint cactus art activities are suitable for people of every age. Each project can be a cooperative one for little learners, with an older child or adult helping a little one with the cactus art.

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Related:

Octopus Art

Sea Turtle Art

Sea Star Art

Lizard And Turtle Art

Corn Syrup Paint Sunflowers

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