I keep mentioning this project we did. It was so successful I really want to actually write about. This kept her attention the entire time and she did most of it completely on her own. Meredith had told me she wanted to watch Three Little Pigs. I originally thought of making her a felt story board or needle felting some pigs and a wolf for her, but I decided I wanted to include her in the crafting. I scrambled around to see what materials we had on hand, and came up with this. I asked her if she wanted to make puppets and we could act it out ourselves.
The only part she didn’t at least help with was the cutting. I cut out a body that was as tall as a toilet paper tube and would wrap around it for each pig. Then three round circles (I used the tube as a guide) for the head, three smaller circles for noses, and two ears for each pig.
As is often the case, Meredith did this in the buff. So most of the pictures of her doing the gluing aren’t safe for the internet. Here she’s showing me a tube she’s in the process of gluing. I squirted some glue on a little dish and let her spread the glue with a paint brush. Then together we wrapped the large piece of felt around. She wanted to place the head and face features on herself. Unfortunately, the craft glue didn’t hold the pieces together well. If we had been a bit more patient about letting it dry it may have worked, but as it was I got out the glue gun. I could see where the craft glue was though, so I tried to keep the pieces where she had placed them. And of course she wanted to help with the glue gun too.
She loved them!
I suggested we add faces, and again she wanted to do it all herself. She’s in a very independent phase right now. To the point that if she wants to do something by herself and can’t, she will get very frustrated and still refuse all help.
I have to be honest, I was pretty impressed with the faces when she was done. I did suggest she give each pig two eyes, two dots on the nose, and a mouth, but she wouldn’t let me even touch the pen while she added the faces. I sort of expected them to end up a lot more scribbly.
Here she is huffing and puffing the finished pigs.
And putting on a puppet show. We have another toilet paper roll now, so we’re going to make a wolf if I can figure out how. And I need to figure out something for the houses. This morning’s puppet show featured a big bad Tyrannosaurus Rex huffing and puffing the houses down though, so she can certainly make do without all the correct characters. I really need to find the fabric that got packed away for making her a real puppet theatre. She is loving the puppets right now!
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These are so sweet, Lindsay. Isaac loves the 3 Little Pigs and we always have TONS of toilet paper roles lying about. We’ll have to make these. I guaruntee you our pig faces will be more scribbly. Isaac could care less about the accuracy of details.
Thanks Debbie! I was really amazed when she was done at how carefully she had done the faces. I didn’t expect it at all. I just asked her if she wanted to draw the faces, and suggested two eyes, two dots on the nose, and a mouth for each of them, but then I left her to it and didn’t hover or point out placement or anything. We still haven’t made a wolf, though we did make a puppet theatre today that was also a huge hit.
Those piggies turned out so well! I always think of those times where my kids experience frustration but perseverance in wanting to do it themselves as a major time for growth! It’s amazing to see them grow and change so quickly.