The story behind it
By TurkeyMom · October 2014
Ages2–5 yrs
Prep15 min
Activity20 min
Leveleasy
MessMedium
Works for1:1 · Small group · Class
Toddlers paint the rim of a paper plate, then glue on googly eyes of all sizes to make a spooky Halloween wreath. An adult cuts out the center and adds a ribbon for hanging.
⚠️ Safety first
- Googly eyes are small parts and a choking hazard. Supervise toddlers closely and keep the bowl of eyes within adult reach.
- Adult does the cutting and hole punching.
- Use washable paint on paper plates. Acrylic paint, needed for Styrofoam plates, can stain clothes and skin, so use smocks.
Before the kids arrive
- Ideally, cut the center out of each plate before any painting or gluing, leaving just the rim.
- Cover the table with paper or a plastic cloth for painting.
Steps
Paint the edge of the white plate in any color you like.
Let the paint dry.
Set out a bowl of googly eyes in different sizes.
Squeeze a dot of glue on the painted rim and press a googly eye onto it.
Keep gluing eyes all the way around. Try a pattern or count them if you like.
Let the wreath dry for a bit.
Adult: if the center is still there, cut it out so only the rim is left.
Adult: punch a hole at the top and thread a Halloween ribbon through it.
Hang your spooky wreath and enjoy!
Tips
- Cutting out the rim before any gluing would be ideal.from the author
- If you use a paper plate, washable paints are better. A Styrofoam plate needs acrylic paints.from the author
- Gluing the googly eyes to the paper plate is a wonderful fine motor exercise.from the author
- Encourage kids to follow a pattern, or leave it as it is. Anything goes! Keep it as open-ended as possible. For reluctant learners, it's a good chance to explore patterns and counting.from the author
Make it your own
- Use any paint color, Halloween-themed or not.
- Make a Christmas version: we did a holiday wreath like this the year before (Easy Toddler Christmas Wreath).
- Turn it into a pattern activity by alternating big and small eyes.
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