Octopus Pattern Craft

We started our co-op home school preschool this past week with an ocean and beach theme.  Megan and her two kiddos come to our house on Tuesday mornings and we go to their house on Thursdays.  One week in and we're all having so much fun!

We made an octopus craft after counting the tentacles in the book Commotion in the Ocean.  We started by "hot dog" folding a piece of construction paper.  (Teacher terms: A hot dog fold is long and thin like a hot dog bun and a hamburger fold is thicker and shorter in the other direction!)

I cut the paper four times, including on the fold, to make eight tentacles.  Next, we stapled the seam together.  The kids drew a face on their octopus.  

They selected two colors of cereal and sorted a pile of each to start their first pattern.  

We lined up the patterns first, then removed one at a time to glue it on.    

Using the glue independently was a huge perk for them (and good work for those hand muscles)!

So much concentration and collaboration while sharing supplies!

I think they turned out pretty cute!