Pretty cute activity for the Tods to practice their sorting, counting and fine motor skills!
I had a container at school that I really wanted to use because it was metal. In theory, it would take longer for those kids to break it vs a cardboard tube of the same size...right? But, metal containers bring with them added challenges....do I attempt to cut right into the side? With what kind of tool? Will I most likely cut myself in the process? Is it worth the risk?
After consulting many wise teacher friends as to how this could be accomplished, I finally settled on a plan to cut from the base of the tube. Instead of a vertical caterpillar (like in the original picture), he would lay horizontally....giving me a solid surface to cut a mouth hole and save me from inevitable injury. I used the 'nail and hammer' method to puncture holes along a rectangle line I drew to weaken the area- then finished it off with a big exaxto to remove the unwanted metal piece. I pressed any rough edges down and covered the whole shabang with paper to make Mr. Caterpillar spring to life. And then stabilized the base with hot glued pompoms for legs so he wouldn't roll away:
Laminated food pieces for the hungry little guy to eat and group time for that afternoon was ready to roll:
And an added bonus to the metal tube was the storage space inside for all the pieces...secured by the removable metal lid on the back side:
The kids LOVED feeding him all the foods (which we counted together as he 'ate') and wanted to have a turn again and again. Thanks, Internets, for the inspiration!
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