Light Catchers

Here's a fun art project that the kids will love while they also get some great fine motor practice. All you need are some plastic beads and an ovenproof pan (we used pie pans). We dumped the beads into a big pan so there would be less digging around looking for a particular color. Preheat the oven to 400. Have the kids line the bottom of the pan with beads making sure to only have one layer. My 5 year old very carefully picked out one bead at a time and had a special spot for each bead, which is great for fine motor skills, while my 3 year old just scooped out handfuls of beads and threw them in the pan! When planning this activity I definitely thought that the 5 year old would be just doing handfuls and the 3 year old taking more time, but that's how kids are, you just never know what to expect! Once the beads are set, you want the bottom completely covered, set the pan in the oven for 15-20 minutes or so until the beads have melted together.

 Yes, your house is going to get that burning plastic smell, but it honestly wasn't too bad. Once completely cooled it should pop out of the pan relatively easy. The kids hung their light catchers on their bedroom windows and love them!