Octopus Craft {Activity Tuesday}

Last week I shared that we have been doing activities and reading books that revolve around the beach and the ocean. While reading The Rainbow Fish we started talking about octopus’ and my dauhter wanted to make her own.

Well…I couldn’t let her down, right?

So we perused pinterest together (yes…my daughter and I perused together…pinterest bonds, ok?) and we found a couple octopus’ (or is it octopi?) that inspired us and we got to work.

What you will need

• Construction paper in various colors
• Scissors
• Scissors that cut in fun patterns (I can’t member what they are really called, so I call them fun scissors)
• Glue
• Markers
• Stapler
• Optional: string/yarn

What it targets

• Number ID
• Counting
• Following directions
• Creativity

How to make your own awesome octopi

• Take a piece of construction paper and cut off the bottom 1/3 (when holding the paper horizontally) with the fun scissors
• Loop the paper around and staple together, forming a tube (this will be the body of the octopus)
• Using different colored construction paper, cut out 8 legs approx 8 inches long and 1 inch wide with the fun scissors
• Glue the 8 legs around the tube, fastening on the inside
• Using regular scissors, cut out circles for eyes out of whatever colors you desire
• Using the cool scissors, cut out 8 circles approx 1 inch in diameter. Using your marker, write the numbers 1-8 on them and then glue to the bottom of each of the octopus’ legs.
• Optional: Decorate/draw all over the octopus with markers (which my daughter did)
• Optional: Attach yarn or string to the top and hang for decoration (or so your kid can drag it all over the house….whatever)

SIMPLE! We worked on counting and number ID as we made our octopi. Had I thought ahead we could have done more research on them and talked about their lives in the ocean but…that is for another time

Enjoy!