Tissue Paper Pumpkin

It's been a while since Little Man and I have done any crafts.  It's not because I've meant to be a slacker... we are just busy.  I work less hours now than I use to, and between preschool, The Little Gym (TLG), soccer, visits to the library, and other classes and events we attend, time is just not on our side.

He has really been into Halloween decorations lately.  He loved the ones he saw at TLG, and begged his mom for weeks to put up their decorations at home.  I thought it was time to throw together a quick craft.

I took to small paper plates and turned it into this.

I cut the stem free hand and then just taped it on the back.

Then I cut green and orange squares from tissue paper.

Little Man put glue all over the plate (spread out with a paint brush to make it even), and then we crinkled up the squares and he glued them on.

I gave him the choice of leaving it a plain pumpkin, or adding a face to it.  He chose a face.  Please don't laugh at my hideous smile! :)  I cut it free hand and it didn't turn out as well as I had hoped.  Luckily, Little Man didn't care. :)

NOTE: I chose the small plate on purpose.  We have done other crafts with crumpled up paper and while Little Man says things like "This is cool" at first--he gets bored with it fast.  You may want to keep this in mind as well.  If your child is not old enough to crumple paper, you could just cut squares from construction paper and have them glue those squares on.  All forms are good for fine motor skills!