Wonderful woolly monsters
Ages: 5-11
Wonderful woolly monsters Bringing Skills to Life aims to inspire children to explore, imagine and innovate, while equipping them with life skills and the mindset for creativity. Use the activity instructions below to help develop pupils’ hand-eye coordination and create their very own monster friend out of wool.
Introduction
Where time allows encourage children to plan their design, using the available materials to consider colour, shapes and features before they start – they may have already designed their imaginary monster friend as part of our prize draw (see page 2). The instructions support the creation of human-shaped monsters (head, arms, legs). It is a good idea to make a sample yourself before the workshop so you’re familiar with the steps and can use it as a demonstration model, or you can show the images within the activity steps.
Aims and objectives
• To develop hand-eye coordination. • To share wool craft techniques that can be used to create imaginative monsters.
Resources Essential: Wool, scissors, cardboard Optional: Ribbon, googly eyes, buttons, pipe cleaners, felt.
Activity steps Action
Time needed
1. Introduce the design and make activity, ensuring that children are aware of the materials available to them.
2 minutes
2. Model the technique for wrapping and tying wool and suggest variations children could try.
3 minutes
3. Making woolly monsters: a) Ask children to wind their chosen wool lengthways around a piece of strong cardboard measuring 12cm by 6cm until they have a thick bundle of wool (there should be enough wool in one ball for three children).
25 minutes
a
b) Slip it off the card and tie a yarn of wool around the bunch of wool near the top to form bushy hair and another further down to create a head. c) Snip the ends of the wool to form spiky hair. d) Separate some strands each side for arms (as many as they like) and knot near the ends for hands. e) Snip into fingers. Tie a knot at the waist of your woolly monster and repeat the instructions above to form legs. f ) Support children to add features using the available materials. You could use buttons, stick on googly eyes with glue or dab on eyes and a mouth in permanent marker. Add felt feet or even pipe cleaner arms and antennae. Ribbon makes great belts.
b-c
d
e
Extension ideas
• The woollen characters are perfect for storytelling and imaginative play. Use the woolly monster to tell a story or form part of a class puppet/shadow show. You can get your class familiar with storytelling by downloading the ‘Monster storyboard’ template in our My monster adventure activity. • Challenge your pupils to recreate their woolly monsters digitally using our Monster Maker.
Charity partner We’re partnering with Barnardo’s this Christmas. As our advert celebrates the imagination of Joe and his imaginary friend Moz the Monster, we’ll be helping Barnardo’s help young carers across the UK to be children again. There are over 195,000 young carers in the UK. Their average age is just 12 years old, with children as young as five caring for their ill or disabled loved ones. Shouldering responsibilities far beyond their years, Barnardo’s supports young carers and their families with a range of practical and emotional support through projects across the country. Last year Barnardo’s worked with over 4,077 children and parents and with your support this quarter could reach even more. Help us, help young carers to be a child again through play, support, education and respite care.
Enter our prize draw Unleash your (little monster’s) monster imaginations Using the template in the Prize draw pack, encourage pupils aged 5-11 to get creative and visualise an imaginary monster companion. With the aid of pencils, paint, collage or digital tools, we want to see pupils imaginary monster friends, including a short sentence explaining why their monster is fun. Post your pupil’s entries to your nearest shop. Entries must be received by 11.59pm on Friday 1st December 2017 for your chance to win. For full prize draw details, download the Prize draw pack here. One entry will be selected at random from each shop to win. Prizes include: • A Moz The Monster toy for each shop’s winning pupil • A Microsoft Surface Pro 4 i5 for the pupil’s school. Good luck.
Wonderful woolly monsters Bringing Skills to Life aims to inspire children to explore, imagine and innovate, while equipping them with life skills and the mindset for creativity. Use the activity instructions below to help develop pupils’ hand-eye coordination and create their very own monster friend out of wool.
Introduction
Where time allows encourage children to plan their design, using the available materials to consider colour, shapes and features before they start – they may have already designed their imaginary monster friend as part of our prize draw (see page 2). The instructions support the creation of human-shaped monsters (head, arms, legs). It is a good idea to make a sample yourself before the workshop so you’re familiar with the steps and can use it as a demonstration model, or you can show the images within the activity steps.
Aims and objectives
• To develop hand-eye coordination. • To share wool craft techniques that can be used to create imaginative monsters.
Resources Essential: Wool, scissors, cardboard Optional: Ribbon, googly eyes, buttons, pipe cleaners, felt.
Activity steps Action
Time needed
1. Introduce the design and make activity, ensuring that children are aware of the materials available to them.
2 minutes
2. Model the technique for wrapping and tying wool and suggest variations children could try.
3 minutes
3. Making woolly monsters: a) Ask children to wind their chosen wool lengthways around a piece of strong cardboard measuring 12cm by 6cm until they have a thick bundle of wool (there should be enough wool in one ball for three children).
25 minutes
a
b) Slip it off the card and tie a yarn of wool around the bunch of wool near the top to form bushy hair and another further down to create a head. c) Snip the ends of the wool to form spiky hair. d) Separate some strands each side for arms (as many as they like) and knot near the ends for hands. e) Snip into fingers. Tie a knot at the waist of your woolly monster and repeat the instructions above to form legs. f ) Support children to add features using the available materials. You could use buttons, stick on googly eyes with glue or dab on eyes and a mouth in permanent marker. Add felt feet or even pipe cleaner arms and antennae. Ribbon makes great belts.
b-c
d
e
Extension ideas
• The woollen characters are perfect for storytelling and imaginative play. Use the woolly monster to tell a story or form part of a class puppet/shadow show. You can get your class familiar with storytelling by downloading the ‘Monster storyboard’ template in our My monster adventure activity. • Challenge your pupils to recreate their woolly monsters digitally using our Monster Maker.
Charity partner We’re partnering with Barnardo’s this Christmas. As our advert celebrates the imagination of Joe and his imaginary friend Moz the Monster, we’ll be helping Barnardo’s help young carers across the UK to be children again. There are over 195,000 young carers in the UK. Their average age is just 12 years old, with children as young as five caring for their ill or disabled loved ones. Shouldering responsibilities far beyond their years, Barnardo’s supports young carers and their families with a range of practical and emotional support through projects across the country. Last year Barnardo’s worked with over 4,077 children and parents and with your support this quarter could reach even more. Help us, help young carers to be a child again through play, support, education and respite care.
Enter our prize draw Unleash your (little monster’s) monster imaginations Using the template in the Prize draw pack, encourage pupils aged 5-11 to get creative and visualise an imaginary monster companion. With the aid of pencils, paint, collage or digital tools, we want to see pupils imaginary monster friends, including a short sentence explaining why their monster is fun. Post your pupil’s entries to your nearest shop. Entries must be received by 11.59pm on Friday 1st December 2017 for your chance to win. For full prize draw details, download the Prize draw pack here. One entry will be selected at random from each shop to win. Prizes include: • A Moz The Monster toy for each shop’s winning pupil • A Microsoft Surface Pro 4 i5 for the pupil’s school. Good luck.
