Mix-and-Match Felt Monsters

Here's a fabulous, inexpensive activity you can use with a babysitting co-op shift storytime, or you can just let the kids be creative and make funny, silly monsters. I found this idea at Dyan's And Next Comes L blog. She's got all kinds of great ideas; I encourage you to take a look.

All you have to do is gather up your felt scraps, or if you don't have felt scraps, go buy some felt sheets at Hobby Lobby or your nearest craft store. Felt sheets are very cheap. I've seen them as cheap as 6 for $1. Cut out some monster bodies, and then think of Mr. Potato Head pieces. What would be fun to add to monsters? Here are a few things I thought of:

• Eyes
• Ears
• Horns
• Noses
• Mouths
• Hair
• Hats
• Accessories (cell phones, umbrellas, purses, toys, teddy bears, baseball gloves, swords and shields)

If a kid falls in love with a monster but someone else wants to use his pieces, take a snapshot of it with your phone and email it to his mom. Then he can keep it forever.

Don't have a felt board? You can make one by duct taping a large piece of felt to an unused cork board or piece of heavy cardboard. In a pinch, kids can just make their monsters on a carpeted floor.

Thanks for the idea, Dyan!