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With apple season in full swing, we can’t resist bringing a splash of apple-themed fun to your crafting table. We’re talking about the ultra-fun and slightly messy Paint Splat Apple Craft that promises bursts of joy and a basketful of learning opportunities for the little craft masters. Ready to splat away to glory? Let’s get started!

WILL YOU MAKE THIS PAINT SPLAT APPLE CRAFT FOR YOUR CHILD? PIN IT FOR LATER!

Materials You’ll Need

Paper plates
Red, green, or yellow paint
Black construction paper (for that beaming smile!)
Green and brown construction paper (for the stem and leaf)
Googly eyes
Glue

Steps to Create Your Apple Masterpiece

Splat Time: Take your paper plate and fold it in half and light crease the center. Open it up again and put some red paint all over one side of the paper plate.

Fold the plate in half again and invite your little one to use their fingers to move the paint inside the paint all over. Place something on the table just in case some of the paint oozes out of the paper plate.
Open the plate up and check out the cool symmetrical shape that they made. You can talk about symmetry here with you child (no matter their age) and show them that the shape is the same on both sides of the fold.

Cut out a smile for the apple from black construction paper. Glue it on to the pumpkin, along with the googley eyes.
Cut out a stem and a leaf and glue the, to the top of the apple.

Skills Your Little Artists Develop

Symmetry Recognition: By opening the plate and noticing how the design reflects from one side to the other, kids begin to grasp the concept of symmetry.
Creativity and Artistic Expression: This activity lets kids experiment with colors and patterns, nurturing their creativity.
Fine Motor Skills: Folding and pressing the plate helps children hone fine motor skills, crucial for more intricate tasks like writing.

Tips for Success

Use the Right Amount of Paint: Overloading with paint may cause it to spill out the sides when you fold the plate. Using too little can result in a design that’s not as vibrant or noticeable.
Experiment with Colors: Besides the traditional apple red, try out greens, yellows, or even mix colors for unique shades.
Allow for Complete Drying: Before you hang or store away the art “apples,” ensure the paint is completely dry. Setting them in a well-ventilated area can speed up the process.
Let’s Talk About What We See: Engage your child in a discussion about what they observe. Are the splats on both sides of the plate the same? Why do they think that happened? It’s an excellent way to introduce artistic and mathematical concepts in a fun, hands-on manner.

Your paint-splat apples are not just crafts but budding artists in the making, beaming with personalities of their own. Not to mention, they make the cutest art pieces to adorn your child’s creative corner, bringing in the fresh vibe of the apple season right into your home!

Age Suitability

This activity is good for toddlers aged children 2 years old and up with adult assistance.

Mess Level

The mess level for this activity is medium.

Difficulty to Create

Low.

Skills Developed

Language development, shape recognition, color recognition, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, imaginative play, creativity.

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.