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Art · The activity desk

Paper octopus arm collage

Arrange broad paper arms around an octopus picture.

Let's play →

A little plan for play

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What you need

A background sheet, colored paper, large child-appropriate crayons, and a non-toxic glue stick.

Age: 3–5 years; choose for the individual child.

Stay with the child throughout. Check the space and supplies, including anything within reach of younger siblings. Skip any activity that is unsuitable. Stop if a child puts non-food material in their mouth or becomes distressed. Use intact books, full sheets of paper, a large child-appropriate crayon and a clean, dry towel. Follow product labels; remove torn paper and keep broken crayons and caps away from children. Adult handles and stores supplies.

Set up: An adult prepares eight broad, short paper strips and draws a large octopus body on the background.

Adult's role: Stay beside the child, handle the glue, and remove small paper scraps.

Let's make it happen

  1. Arrange the paper strips around the drawn octopus body, counting them together.
  2. Ask an adult to add glue, then press each strip onto the background.
  3. Draw eyes and decorate the arms with colorful marks.

Make it simpler: Place two strips and draw the remaining arms together.

Clean up: Close the glue stick and recycle loose paper scraps.

Keep paper and glue out of mouths and supervise younger siblings.

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