Here are the supplies we used to make our New Year’s Eve craft:
- one bag of mixed beans
- muffin tin
- chopsticks (optional)
- empty water bottles
- sparkly pom-poms
- sparkly pipe cleaners
- sparkly ribbon or rickrack
How did we make our New Year’s Eve craft?
Before the boy next door came over I had JDaniel sort the mixed beans into groups in a muffin tin. While he sorted them, I talked to him about how the size of the beans he would add to his shaker would determine the sounds the shaker made and the space that they took up in the water bottle.
I had JDaniel use a pair of his chopsticks to move the beans from the bowl to the muffin tin. He needs to work on his fine motor skills related to holding a pencil and holding chopsticks works on those same skills.
JDaniel was very interested in what each bean was called and what we would use to make. I told him that the the chickpeas were used to make hummus and the kidney beans were used when we made chili. We decided to try using all the beans that we didn’t use in the New Year’s Eve noise maker shakers to make the soup recipe on the back of the bag of beans.
When the little boy next door arrived, they both dug into the beans and the pom-poms and started adding them to their bottles.
JDaniel’s bottle didn’t have a flat bottom. It kept wiggling around. I gave him a silicone cupcake liner to put his bottle in. It seems to help him keep the bottle vertical and less frustrated.
As both boys added beans and pom- poms to their bottles, I reviewed the need to not fill the bottle with too many beans if they wanted their noise maker shakers to make loud noises. We also reviewed what each type of beans was.
When it was time to add the pipe cleaners, the boy next door went with the curve the pipe cleaner before adding it to your bottle. JDaniel went with the jam the pipe cleaner into the bottle approach. The pipe cleaners were supposed to represent streaking fireworks. I guess that there isn’t a wrong way to display fireworks.
After placing caps on their shakers, the boys selected the ribbons they wanted on their bottles. Neither boys has mastered tying bows so, I helped them out. JDaniel wanted his ribbons at the top and the boy next door wanted one at the top and one at the bottle’s middle.
I think they did a great job on their New Year’s noise maker shakers. It was fun to tie learning into creating them.
More New Year’s Eve Craft Ideas:
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Beautiful craft. I love that you also added some practical life into it including what each bean is called and how it is used.
Very cute and colorful and fun!!!!
Hi! Thanks for stopping by my blog today. I love all the crafty ideas on your blog – I am going to have to try some of these out with my 2 year old!
These would be such a fun way to ring in (shake in?) the new year! Happy 2013!!
How cute!! What a fun thing to do on a playdate! (I also love how you had JDaniel use the chopsticks for sorting the beans. Genius!)
Oh that looks awesome!! I am amazed at the creative and fun things you do with your boy. SO cool. Perhaps I will try this one and live on the edge of craftiness!! 😉
what a great activity… seems my boys can make anything a noise maker… so this would be better once the big brothers are gone…
question… where did you get those chopsticks? this would be great to work with Broxton
thanks again
Great minds think similar, lol. We did rice and sequins today. Love what you all did to make yous.
I love this! Simple is always key for us
Found your blog via Montessori Monday. This looks like a fun activity!
I love how you combined fine motor skills into this activity. Such a great idea!
Oh, what fun!! I love them. Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!