crafts Archives

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Earth Craft

April 6, 2017 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

I have to admit: I am NOT the craftiest person on the planet. I like to knit, sew, and write, but it’s hard for me to come up with crafts to make with my kids. The biggest issue is that I hate making a mess. So if the project involves glitter, lots of glue, or tiny pieces of paper, I’m probably going to run screaming in the other direction.

That’s not to say I won’t ever make those kinds of projects with the kids, but it’s a struggle. Have you ever tried to get glitter glue off of a four-year-old’s face? It’s not fun.

So whenever I do a craft with the kids, I prefer to make one that doesn’t take a lot of time, doesn’t need a lot of supplies, and doesn’t make a big mess. And that’s why I love coffee filter crafts for kids! There are plenty that we can make in no time flat.

This coffee filter earth craft is no exception! It’s an easy craft that only needs a few supplies and makes almost no mess at all. I promise. 🙂 Plus, it’s a great activity for kids who are learning about conservation, the universe, or geography!

If you like this craft, don’t miss our easy bouncing basketball coffee filter craft or our simple coffee filter sun craft!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Earth Craft

To make this craft, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are provided here for convenience. For more, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Start off by coloring the coffee filter blue. You can use either crayons or colored pencils for this. I went with a blue color that looks aqua – just to give the appearance of water.

After you color the filter, glue it onto a piece of construction paper.

Use a green colored pencil to do a rough outline of the continents. I didn’t really try to draw the actual coastlines, because I…ahem…am not the best artist on the planet either. But I did enough to resemble the continents.

See? You can kind of see Florida hanging down in the top left. Kind of.

Afterward, just color in the “continents” with the green pencil. I colored these shapes in pretty heavily to make sure they showed up over the blue color.

Really, you could stop here and be finished with the coffee filter earth craft.

Or you can stretch out a cotton ball or two and glue the pieces in random spots to make “clouds”. Either way, you’re basically done. Wasn’t that easy?

Try these other fun crafts for kids!

And see more easy craft ideas on my Simple Crafts for Kids Pinterest board!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Sun Craft

March 30, 2017 by Selena Robinson 12 Comments

We’re feeling sunny with the latest one of our coffee filter crafts for kids! This time, we made a coffee filter sun craft and – like all the others – it’s super easy!

Now when I say that this craft is super easy, I mean it is literally SUPER EASY. This whole thing took about five minutes, so it’s a perfect activity for young kids when you’re studying spring, summer, the sun, the solar system, day and night, and plenty of other topics!

Since this project is so easy, your little ones might be looking for more! Be sure to try our coffee filter basketball craft, our coffee filter flowers, and our coffee filter ladybug craft for kids to make!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Sun Craft

To make this craft, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are provided for convenience. For more, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Start by simply coloring the coffee filter bright yellow. The actual color we used is called “Dandelion” and it was a nice bright color that seemed better than ordinary yellow.

Use your glue stick to glue the filter down onto the center of a piece of construction paper. Light blue works well because it resembles the sky.

Now, just use a yellow colored pencil to draw “rays” around the sun’s edge. Simple triangles work just fine. We decided to use an orange colored pencil to add a little more color to our sun and rays. To do so, we just sketched a few lines over the whole filter lightly.

And we’re done! Just easy peasy from start to finish!

If you’re working with a group of kids such as at a daycare, an afterschool program, or a group party, this coffee filter sun craft is a perfect activity since you don’t need a lot of supplies, you don’t need a lot of time, and the kids don’t need a lot of help!

Try some other easy crafts below!

See more crafting fun on my Simple Crafts for Kids Pinterest board!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Easy Coffee Filter Turtle Craft

March 16, 2017 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

We’re still using our coffee filters to make coffee filter crafts for kids!

This week, we’re making a really easy (and cute) coffee filter turtle craft!

This easy craft is part of a science and ELA lesson we’ve been working on about animal collective nouns.

In our lesson, we’ve been learning about groups of turtles. It turns out that a group of turtles has some pretty nifty names.

Read on to see how we learned about turtles and made this fun turtle craft. Plus, grab a free collective animal nouns matching activity for use with your students.

Learn even more about turtles with our list of fun turtle books for kids to read!

This simple coffee filter turtle craft is a fun spring or summer craft for kids to make!

What Do You Call a Group of Turtles?

We’ve been learning about animal collective nouns for the past few weeks. Many animals have their own unique collective nouns for groups, so we might refer to a “pride” of lions or a “murder” of crows.

Did you know that a group of turtles can actually be referred to four different ways?

While a “bale” of turtles is the most commonly used term, a group of turtles can also be called a “nest” of turtles, a “dole” of turtles, or (my personal favorite) a “turn” of turtles.

Try saying a “turn of turtles” three times fast.

So – we decided to make our own turn of turtles using coffee filters!

How to Make a Coffee Filter Turtle Craft

To make this easy coffee filter turtle craft, you’ll need a few items. (This post contains affiliate links. For more, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Two white basket coffee filters (One for each turtle)
Washable markers
Crayons
Construction paper
Glue stick
Scissors

Easy Coffee Filter Turtle Craft Supplies

If you’re only making one turtle, you’ll only need one coffee filter. To make a family, grab a few more.

Making a Simple Coffee Filter Turtle Craft

Start by coloring the filter light green. I used green apple here.

Then use a glue stick to glue the green coffee filter onto the center of a piece of green construction paper.

Use a brown marker to outline several turtle shell spots.

Coffee Filter Turtle Craft to Make with Kids

Then go back and fill in the outlines to make your shell markings solid.

Use a pencil to outline the head and four feet.

To keep the turtle body even, I drew the feet at opposite ends of the shell.

Cut the turtle out around the shell. Be careful not to cut the feet or head off!

Because I used green construction paper, I didn’t have to color the head or feet in.

Making a Turtle Craft with Coffee Filters

Add a happy face with a black marker and you’re done!

Working with very young children? Try this even easier version that doesn’t require scissors!

With this one, color in the turtle “shell” as before. But use a green marker to color in the feet and head directly onto the construction paper.

Add a few polka dots or swirls to complete the picture.

Making an Easy Coffee Filter Turtle Craft with Kids

Aw….they love each other!

And that’s it! Our “turn” of coffee filter turtles is complete!

Get the printable instructions below!

Easy Coffee Filter Turtle Craft for Kids

This simple coffee filter turtle craft is a perfect simple animal craft to make with kids!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Active Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Materials

White basket style coffee filter
Construction paper
Markers
Crayons
Glue stick
Scissors

Instructions

Color the entire coffee filter light green.
Glue the filter onto the center of a piece of green construction paper.
Use a brown marker to outline the turtle shell markings. Then color them in.
Lightly sketch the turtle's head and feet using a pencil.
Use scissors to carefully cut the turtle shell out, making sure not to cut off the head and feet.
Draw a face on the turtle's head with a black marker.

Animal Collective Nouns Sorting Activity

Want to learn more about how animal groups are named?

Pick up this printable collective animal nouns matching activity by clicking the image or link below!

You’ll also get our weekly newsletter – this Sunday!

>>> Animal Collective Noun Matching Activity <<<

Don’t miss these other simple crafts for kids!

This simple paper bee craft is a fun way to make an easy spring or summer craft with kids!

Share an easy summer craft with the kids and make this easy paper ladybug craft! So fun for little hands!

Make this easy toilet paper roll lion craft with the kids for a fun art activity!

Check out more fun creative collective animal noun ideas below!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Basketball Craft

March 1, 2017 by Selena Robinson 4 Comments

Last summer, we went out of town and stayed at a cottage for a weekend. It was amazing.

(If you’re wondering what on earth this has to do with coffee filter crafts, stay with me. It’s related.)

The cottage was filled with all kinds of comforts and appliances, just like you’d have at home. At home, though, we use a French press for our coffee, so I haven’t used a drip coffeemaker in years. Naturally, I assumed I’d need to bring coffee filters.

I got to the cottage and they already had coffee filters there. Awesome! But then I had 150 coffee filters and no drip coffeemaker at home to use them.

Fast forward to this past winter. We went to spend the weekend at a different cottage, which also had a coffeemaker. Naturally, I assumed that there would be coffee filters provided….there were not.

I had to run down to the local Dollar General and buy yet ANOTHER 150 pack of coffee filters. Which means that when I got home, I had nearly 300 coffee filters and no coffeemaker to use them with.

So a new crafting project series was born: Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids! Since it’s March and college basketball is a huge deal in our family, I thought we’d kick off the series with this simple coffee filter basketball craft. It even “bounces”!

Read on to see how to make this easy craft with your kids!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Basketball Craft

To make this easy coffee filter basketball craft, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

To start, simply flatten out the coffee filter with your hands.

Then use an orange crayon to color the entire filter.

Next, use a black crayon to draw the basketball lines on the filter.

I kept it simple with just four lines: two intersecting mid-section lines and half-curves at the top and bottom. (If you need to see a picture of a basketball to get an idea, pick up our free basketball skip counting flashcards for inspiration.)

Add one center black line running horizontally across the lines you just made. Now, glue the “basketball” onto a piece of colored construction paper. Place it on the right to have bouncing in from the left or on the left to have it bouncing it from the right.

A word of caution here: Do NOT use liquid glue. It will bleed through the coffee filter and discolor it. In fact, in the picture above, I’ve actually placed a second coffee filter “basketball” over the first after finding this out for myself. Always, always, always use a glue stick with coffee filter crafts. Lesson learned.

Finally, add your bouncing “lines” with a black crayon and you’re done!

This is a perfect craft for preschoolers, because it only needs a few supplies, it’s simple, and it’s done in just a few minutes!

By the way, if you’re having a party to watch the NCAA Tournament this year, this is a fantastic way for kids to get involved!

Did you enjoy this easy coffee filter basketball craft? Check out these ideas while you’re here!

And grab some easy craft ideas for children on my Simple Crafts for Kids Pinterest board!

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25 Fun Penguin Crafts and Activities for Kids

November 18, 2016 by Selena Robinson 5 Comments

It’s mid-November down here in the Southern U.S. and we’ve (finally) started to get some cold weather. So there’s no doubt that winter’s around the corner.

I have to be honest: Winter is probably my least favorite season. Me and cold weather just do not get along. (I’m from Florida. What can I say?)

But I do love making winter-themed crafts with the family, so I thought I’d find some super cute penguin crafts for kids to share today! And I’m not just saying that. These are really, really adorable.

These penguin crafts for kids would be a great way to add art to a winter or Arctic unit!

If your kids like these, don’t forget to check out some snowman crafts for kids you can make too!

25 Fun Penguin Crafts and Activities for Kids

1. Coffee Filter Penguin Craft – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Tacky the Penguin Craft – I Heart Crafty Things

3. Penguin Sensory Bottle – Teaching Mama

4. Penguin Feathers Science Experiment – Raising Little Superheroes

5. Sledding Penguins Frozen Banana Snack – Reading Confetti

6. Easy Penguin Bookmark Corner – Red Ted Art

7. Paper Heart Penguin Craft – Crafty Morning

8. Penguin Coloring Page Craft – Kids Activities Blog

9. Round Penguin Craft – Easy Peasy and Fun

10. Girl Penguin Craft for Kids – Housing a Forest

11. Penguin Footprint Art – Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

12. Paper Cup Penguin Craft – The Imagination Tree

13. Easy Origami Penguin Cards – Red Ted Art

14. Penguin Ice Cube Counting Game – Preschool Powol Packets

15. Skating Penguin Small World – Adventures of Adam

16. Macaroni Penguin – Parenting Chaos

17. Penguin Snowball I Spy Game – Simple Fun for Kids

18. Penguin Lacing Cards – Living Life and Learning

19. Penguin Water Bead Sensory Bin – 3 Dinosaurs

20. Circle Penguin Craft – Reading Confetti

21. Clay Penguin Photo Holder – Artsy Craftsy Mom

22. Penguin Puppets – I Can Teach My Child

23. Royal Penguin Kids’ Craft – I Heart Crafty Things

24. DIY Penguin Math Counters – The Educators’ Spin On It

25. Popsicle Stick Bow Tie Penguin Craft – Crafty Morning

If you loved these penguin crafts for kids, check out more of our winter learning ideas!

And you can get more fun winter teaching tips on my Winter Activities for Kids Pinterest board!

This post is part of the Penguin free unit study roundup! Stop by to read more penguin learning ideas from my fellow bloggers!

Toilet Paper Roll Penguin – Playdough and Popsicles

Children’s Books about Penguins – The Jenny Evolution

Fun Penguin Life Cycle App – iGameMom

Penguin Sight Words – Adventures of Adam

Do You Want to Dress a Penguin? – Sight Sound and Reading

Penguin Dress Up Activity – Schooling a Monkey

Penguin Videos for Kids – Tales of Education at Home

Slippery Ice Science Experiment – Craft Create Calm

Penguin Notebooking Pages – The Natural Homeschool

Fun Snowman Crafts for Kids

October 21, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

I have to be honest. Winter is not my favorite season. There’s just something about cold weather that makes me want to curl up in bed and never get up. What I’m saying is that I’m basically a bear. 🙂

But I do love sharing winter crafts with my kids! Since we live in the South, we almost never see actual snow during winter, so we have to make our own. And these fun snowman crafts for kids are a simple way to do it! Check out these easy crafts you can share with your children this winter!

If you love these, don’t miss our All About Snowflakes Unit – a learning pack for kids in grades K-3! And if you have younger children, our Winter Sight Word Flashcards are an easy way to reinforce reading skills!

Fun Snowman Crafts for Kids

1. Borax Crystal Snowman – Science Kiddo

2. Cupcake Liner Snowman – I Heart Crafty Things

3. Snowman Factory – Buggy and Buddy

4. Melting Snowman Baking Soda Science Activity – Little Bins for Little Hands

5. Magic Foaming Snowman – Fun at Home with Kids

6. Build a Snowman Activity Tray – Happy Hooligans

7. Shredded Paper Snowman – Housing a Forest

8. Snowman Suncatcher – Craftulate

9. Squishy Snowman Sensory Bag – Mama Papa Bubba

10. Easy Snowman Footprint Craft – Teach Mama

11. Paper Snowman Craft – Easy Peasy and Fun

12. Tin Can Snowman – Hands On as We Grow

13. Snowman Stick Puppets – I Heart Crafty Things

14. LEGO Snowman – Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

15. Name Snowmen – Fun-A-Day

16. Build a Snowman Bottle – Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

17. Melting Snowman Slime – Little Bins for Little Hands

18. Egg Carton Snowman – Sugar Aunts

19. Paper Plate Snowman – I Heart Crafty Things

20. Cotton Ball Snowman – Easy Peasy and Fun

Make winter even more fun for your kids with these activities!

Plus, get more winter activity ideas on my Winter Activities for Kids Pinterest board!

Stop by and get more winter craft and activity inspiration from these posts!

Snowflake Printable Math Activity from Playdough and Popsicles

Exciting Children’s Reading List about Snow from Crafty Mama in ME

Board Books Celebrating Winter from The Jenny Evolution

Snow Science from iGameMom

Snowman Ornament from CraftCreateCalm

Melting Ice Science Experiment from Tales of Education at Home

Want to Build a Snowman? from Mrs. Karle’s Sight and Sound Reading

Literacy Games for Kids: Outdoor Ice Scrabble from Schooling a Monkey

Snow Games for Kids Outside from FrogMom

25 Airplane Crafts for Kids

October 7, 2016 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

My three-year-old is constantly on the lookout for airplanes in the sky. If one of the other kids spots one, she has a fit until we show her where to look. Sometimes she doesn’t see it in time and then, well, let’s say she doesn’t handle that well. 🙂

Children of all ages love airplanes. There’s just something about the idea of flying through the sky that sends their imaginations soaring! So I rounded up 25 airplane crafts for kids that are fun, easy to make, and let kids “fly” just as high as they want!

If you love these, don’t miss our list of 25 leaf crafts or our list of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory crafts for kids!

25 Airplane Crafts for Kids:

1. How to Make a Paper Airplane – Tinkerlab

2. Paper Airplane Launcher – Frugal Fun 4 Boys

3. STEM Paper Airplane Challenge – Kids Activities Blog

4. Airplane Clothespin Kids’ Craft – DIY Inspired

5. Airplane Play Dough – My Nearest and Dearest

6. Airplane Coloring Pages – Itsy Bitsy Fun

7. Airplane Sensory Bin – My Mundane and Miraculous Life

8. Footprint Airplane Canvas – Glued to My Crafts

9. DIY Airplane Crayons – Nothing If Not Intentional

10. Star Wars Paper Airplane Comparison – Royal Baloo

11. Craft Stick Airplane – Pleasantest Thing

12. Make an Airplane Runway for Kids – Dirt and Boogers

13. Paper Airplane Races – Creative Family Fun

14. A is for Airplane Craft – Kidz Activities

15. Giant Paper Airplanes – Fireflies and Mud Pies

16. Wooden Toy Airplane Craft – Moms and Crafters

17. Stunt Paper Airplane – Craftulate

18. Design a Propeller Plane – Planet Smarty

19. Paper Airplane Hangers

20. Egg Crate Airplane – Schooling a Monkey

21. Easy Toilet Paper Airplane – Spaceships and Laser Beams

22. Make a Straw and Paper Airplane – Tinkerlab

23. Paper Airplane Canvas Art – Mom Endeavors

24. Toilet Roll Airplane – Your Modern Family

25. LEGO Paper Airplane Launcher – Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

Don’t miss these other crafts for children!

See more fun crafts for kids to make on my Simple Crafts for Kids Pinterest board!

This post is part of the Free Unit Studies blog hop! Stop by to read more fun airplane posts from these bloggers!

Styrofoam Cup Airplane Craft from Playdough and Popsicles

Exciting Reading List of Airplane Children’s Books from Crafty Mama in ME

Airplane Crafts for Kids from Look! We’re Learning!

Airplane Board Books for Toddlers from The Jenny Evolution

Airplane Travel from iGameMom

Learning Numbers with Airplanes from My Storytime Corner

Airplane Preschool Printables from Living Life and Learning

Airplane Color by letter Sight Words from Mrs. Karle’s Sight and Sound Reading

Airplane High Frequency Words from Adventures of Adam

Clothespin Airplane Engineering Challenge from Schooling a Monkey

25 Beach Crafts for Kids

July 10, 2016 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Have you made it to the beach yet this year? We’re planning a quick trip to a local one in August, so I thought I’d look for some fun and adorable beach crafts for kids that we can make together before we leave!

What I love about studying the beach with kids is that the topic is so broad! You can learn about the sun, the ocean, ocean animals, beach sand, animals that live on the beach, seashells, ice cream, and so much more! So there are crafts for all these things below!

Read on to find some fun beach crafts you can try too!

25 Beach Crafts for Kids

1. Beach Diorama for Kids from Look! We’re Learning!

2. Puffy Paint Ocean Collage from ArtsyMomma

3. Seashell Keepsake Craft from Moms and Crafters

4. Beach-Themed Sand and Shell Art from Happiness is Homemade

5. Sand Footprint Craft from Paging Fun Mums

6. Newspaper Shark Craft from I Heart Crafty Things

7. Paper Plate Sun Craft from Buggy and Buddy

8. Starfish Ocean Button Craft from A Little Pinch of Perfect

9. Shell Sunflower Craft from Rhythms of Play

10. Sand Handprint Keepsakes from The Imagination Tree

11. DIY Beach Sand from Look! We’re Learning!

12. Cupcake Liner Sun Craft from I Heart Crafty Things

13. 3-Ingredient Ocean in a Bottle from Happy Hooligans

14. Paper Plate Seashell Craft from Artsy Crafty Mom

15. Sand in a Bottle Craft from Gift of Curiosity

16. Coffee Filter Beach Ball Craft from Look! We’re Learning!

17. Popsicle Stick Mosaic Sun Craft from Kids Activities Blog

18. Cupcake Liner Lighthouse Craft from Sugar Aunts

19. DIY Seashell Mobile from Nurture Store

20. Egg Carton Ocean Craft from The Imagination Tree

21. Bubbling Shell Painting from Mess for Less

22. DIY Moon Sand from Look! We’re Learning!

23. Paper Plate Beach Ball Craft from Glued to My Crafts

24. Sun Craft Scissor Skills Activity from A Little Pinch of Perfect

25. Beach Keepsake Craft from Fireflies and Mudpies

Need more summer learning ideas? Try these with your kids!

Plus, get even more ideas on my Summer Activities for Kids Pinterest Board!

And don’t miss my All About Beaches Printable Pack – perfect for keeping kids learning over the summer!

This post is part of the Summer Activities for Kids Blog Hop! Check out more summer fun for kids below!

Flower Suncatcher Nature Craft – Messy Little Monster

Make a Bee Bath – Kitchen Counter Chronicles

Water Play Car Wash – Play and Learn Everyday

Tic Tac Toe Races – Royal Baloo

Finding Dory Wind Sock Craft – The Gingerbread House

Farm Shoebox Diorama Craft

March 17, 2016 by Selena Robinson 7 Comments

A while back, we made a Beach Shoebox Diorama and the kids had so much with it that I thought we should make another one. So for this linkup with the Early Elementary Blogging Team, we decided to make a simple and fun Farm Shoebox Diorama Craft!

If you’re looking for a low-prep, easy craft that will keep your kids entertained, this is it! Roo, my most active child by a mile, actually sat in one spot and played quietly with the diorama after we finished. Talk about miracles!

Read on to see how to make this craft with your kids!

If you love this activity, don’t miss our other farm learning ideas, including our list of Kids’ Books about Farms and our printable Farm Animal Flashcards!

Farm Shoebox Diorama Craft

To make this craft, you’ll need the following:

An empty shoebox (a child’s size shoebox is perfect)
A copy of our free Farm Shoebox Diorama Printable Pack
Printer (with ink)
Printer paper
Play sand
Scissors
Glue
Markers

Our Farm Shoebox Diorama Printable Pack has a background and farm props such as a barn, a tractor, and some farm animals. But you can also have your child draw his or her own farm pictures if you want to add a bit more art to the project.

After we cut out all of the pictures, Roo got to work on the background. We just used a blue marker for the sky, then he glued the farm scenery onto the bottom of the shoebox.

Then it was time to add the props! You simply fold each prop on the dashed line, then unfold it slightly to make them stand up!

Roo placed everything where he thought it should go.

Then we poured in about a cup of play sand. (Note: Resting the shoebox in the lid is a HUGE help when it comes to clean up.)

And we’re done!

If you look at Roo’s face, it’s basically saying “Hurry up and take the picture so I can play with it, Mom!” 🙂 And that’s what he did. He sat there for over an hour playing with his farm set.

And it only took 10 minutes to make!

Round out your farm theme with these other farm resources!

Get even more craft ideas from my Simple Crafts for Kids board on Pinterest!

Check out the other fun farm-themed posts by the Early Elementary Blogging Team!

Farm Odd Numbers Skip Counting Puzzles at Life Over C’s

Montessori Farm Activities (Free Printables) at Natural Beach Living

Are You My Mother? 13 Baby Farm Animal Puzzles at 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Make a Farm Diorama (Printable Sets Included) at The Natural Homeschool

Farm Animals Worksheets for Kids at Mrs. Karle’s Sight and Sound Reading

Fun {FREE} Farm Writing Prompts! at Preschool Powol Packets

Animal Nutrition: Why Cows Eat Grass and We Can’t at Schooling a Monkey

Farm Books for Kids (Farm Study Unit) at The Jenny Evolution

Beginning Sounds on the Farm at Parenting Chaos

Farm Skip Counting Math Worksheets at Living Life and Learning

Kindergarten Math with Farm Fingerprint Art at Sugar Aunts

Hands-On Learning about Taste Buds

February 11, 2016 by Selena Robinson 9 Comments

Studying the human body is always a fun unit with kids. And one of the basic concepts is the five senses, right? But it turns out that every time I cover this unit, I learn something new. This time it was about how our taste buds work.

Now I’m probably exposing myself as an ignoramus, but I really never thought much about taste buds. Not what they did, not what specific tastes they detect, and certainly not where they were located. But I know a lot more about them now and so do my kids!

Check out our hands-on learning about taste buds, including a fun paper craft that you can recreate with your little ones!

Learning about Taste Buds

What really got me started on this activity was reading the Sesame Street book My First Book About the Five Senses with the kids.

This is going to be really pathetic, but I didn’t know that there are different taste buds on different parts of our tongues!

See? The taste buds at the back of the tongue are for bitter tastes, while sour and salty taste buds are located on the left and right sides. The tip of the tongue is where the sweet taste buds are located. Neat!

So I created a similar “tongue” on pink construction paper with taste bud “zones”.

Pretty close, right?

After we read the book, I handed Roo the paper tongue and some torn pages from a magazine so he could find pictures of food and glue them in the correct taste bud “zones”.

Any time there’s a chance to use scissors, he’s raring to go.

See that image of coffee on the table? Roo didn’t know where to put that picture on the paper tongue. After all, he’d never tasted coffee.

Time to do a taste test and find out!

He was super excited to taste a grown-up drink. But afterward, he came to the instant conclusion that…

Black coffee definitely belongs in the “bitter” zone.

So, he finished finding pictures and gluing them in the right places.

And while he worked, I read about taste buds with Piglet. As you can see, she had a pretty good time.

And Roo is all done! Coffee and onion are in the “bitter” section, pickles and grapefruit are in the “sour” section, salted nuts and chips are in the “salty” section, and a brownie and a clementine make up the “sweet” zone.