Fish Bowl

Ages:: Preschoolers (3 to 5), School age (6+)
Play time:: 20 to 30 minutes
Setup:: 5 minutes
Where:: Table

Why it helps

Cutting around a big round bowl teaches your child to turn the paper while the scissors move forward. The small fish add more turns in a small space, and sprinkling sand adds a fun texture to explore.

Steps

Before play, use a dark crayon to draw a big round fish bowl on light blue construction paper and three small fish on orange paper.
Ask your child to color the fish with crayons.
Ask your child to cut out the fish bowl, turning the paper slowly to follow the curve.
Then ask your child to cut out each fish.
Glue the bowl onto a larger sheet of construction paper.
Ask your child to spread glue along the bottom of the bowl and sprinkle sand on it.
Glue the fish inside the bowl and add strips of green tissue paper or yarn for plants.

Safety tip: Stay close while your child uses scissors. Sand is for the craft, so keep it away from eyes and mouths, and shake the extra into the trash.

Make it easier

Draw the fish as simple ovals.
Use thick lines and stiff paper.
Cut out only the bowl and draw the fish inside with crayons.

Make it harder

Draw fish with pointy tails and fins to cut around.
Ask your child to draw their own fish to cut out.
Cut wavy plants from green paper instead of using yarn.

What to watch for

Notice whether your child turns the paper with the helper hand or turns the scissors around the curve.
Watch whether your child cuts in long, smooth cuts or many short snips.
If the feel of sand or glue bothers your child, let them shake the sand from a cup or skip it.

Where this helps in daily life

Cutting around curves helps with cutting out circles and pictures for school projects. Sprinkling sand builds the hand control used for sprinkling toppings when cooking.