Fork Painted Hedgehog Craft

Ever wondered how to combine everyday items, a dash of creativity, and a sprinkle of fun to create something utterly adorable? Today, we’re diving into a painting technique that’s quirky, innovative, and all sorts of delightful! And guess what? Our muse is the cute, spiky, and ever-curious hedgehog. That’s right! We’re embarking on a journey to craft a fork-painted hedgehog that promises giggles, artistry, and a final masterpiece you’ll be proud to display.

Before we delve into the nitty-gritty, let’s set the stage. Imagine a hedgehog with its quills shimmering under the sun, each quill telling a story of the adventures it’s been on. Our mission? To capture that essence, that spirit, and that spiky charm using – wait for it – a fork! Let’s gather our materials and start this quill-tastic journey.

WILL YOU SET UP THIS FORK PAINTED HEDGEHOG WITH YOUR CHILD? PIN IT FOR LATER!

Materials

• White card stock
• Light brown and black construction paper
• Brown paint
• Plastic fork
• Paper plate (our trusty paint palette)
• Googly eyes (because, who can resist?)
• Black marker

Creating Your Spiky Masterpiece

1. Hedgehog Body: From the light brown construction paper, cut out a hedgehog body. Glue it to the white card stock.

2. Prep Work: Pour some brown paint onto the paper plate. This is going to be our hedgehog’s quills.
3. Fork Time!: Dip the back of the fork into the paint, making sure it’s nicely coated but not dripping.

4. Paint Away: Press the fork onto the hedgehog body, making overlapping rows. This will create the effect of the hedgehog’s spiky quills. Keep going until you have a shape you’re happy with!

5. Face It: From the light brown construction paper, cut out a cute little face for your hedgehog. From the black paper, cut out a tiny nose. Glue them onto one end of your fork-painted shape.
6. The Final Touch: Stick those googly eyes onto the face and draw on a smile with a black marker, and voila! You’ve got a hedgehog staring back at you!

Crafty Tips for a Hedge-tastic Creation

• Variety is Key: Don’t be afraid to mix different shades of brown paint for a multi-toned hedgehog. After all, nature loves variety!
• Personalize: Feel free to add any additional decorations or backgrounds. Maybe your hedgehog is frolicking in a field of flowers?

Skills Honed During This Craft

1. Fine Motor Skills: The act of pressing and ensuring the fork touches the cardstock just right refines those motor movements.
2. Creativity: From choosing paint shades to deciding the hedgehog’s expression, it’s all about personal creative choices!
3. Understanding Tools: Realizing that non-traditional tools, like a fork, can be used in art broadens horizons and nurtures innovative thinking.

And there we have it! An endearing, fork-painted hedgehog that’s a testament to creativity, fun, and the magic of art. Don’t forget to share your creations with us, and if your hedgehog goes on any adventures (or meets any other fork-painted critters), we want to hear all about it! Until next time, keep those creative juices flowing and always remember: the world is your canvas, and there are no rules in art!

Age Suitability

This activity is good for toddlers aged children 3 years old and up with adult assistance.

Mess Level

The mess level for this activity is medium.

Difficulty to Create 

Easy.

Toddler and Preschooler Curriculums, Books & TV Show!

Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers

There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!

But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.

Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.

Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again! 

These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!

Click here for more information: Play2Learn

Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.

Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids

Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon. 

Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.

Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.

Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids

Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more. 

Find out more and grab your copy here.

Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.

Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids

Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.

• 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
• Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
• Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.

Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!

Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.

TV Show: Curious Crafting

I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.

Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!

Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.

In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create. 

Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.

This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up. 

The Best Sensory Play Kits for Kids

Play is at the core of learning during the early years and it can take many forms. One of the most important of these is sensory play because it engages all of a child’s senses (taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing) and has a enoumous positive impact on brain development.

Our Sensory Play Kits are some fun and easy ways to keep your child engaged while at the same time using sensory play to nurture their mind!

Shop our ready made play kits here.

Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.

WILL YOU SET UP THIS FORK PAINTED HEDGEHOG WITH YOUR CHILD? PIN IT FOR LATER!