Make a Pinkatastic Popsicle Stick Gnome
A long time ago, people thought gnomes could protect crops, livestock and even buried treasure! Today, gnomes are just a fun way to decorate barns and gardens. Pinkalicous and Peter like to play pretend with the gnome that lives in their garden. Ask your child to use their imagination to act like a lion, a bird and a rabbit, just like Norman does in the video.
Talk about the gnome in the Pinkalicious video. How did he help in the garden? Is that real or pretend? Have you seen other gnomes in books or on TV or in a neighbor’s yard? What did Norman and the other gnomes look like? Together with your child, make one (or more!) popsicle stick gnomes for indoor or outdoor play. Finally, help your child make up a game to play with your new gnome friends.
Materials
Directions
Help your child glue the popsicle sticks together in a triangle. Count the sides of the triangle as you glue the sticks together… 1, 2, 3.
Trace the popsicle stick triangle on a sheet of construction paper and cut out the triangle. Count the sides again… 1, 2, 3. Glue the paper triangle to the popsicle sticks.
Decorate the construction paper triangle using paint or markers to create a face. Ask your child to think about facial features. What kind of eyes do you want to draw on your gnome? What kind of mouth do you want to draw on your gnome? Is the gnome smiling or frowning?
Use stickers or more construction paper to create a gnome hat and use cotton balls to create a beard or hair. You can use a plant leaf to create an outfit for a gnome as well.
Help your child attach the popsicle stick handle to the triangle with glue.
Place your popsicle stick gnomes in your favorite potted plants or take them outside for a fun pretend play activity in your garden.
Help your child make up a game to play with your new gnome friends. Can they go on an imaginary trip or pretend to be soldiers guarding treasure? Can they put on a puppet show or have a relay race? Just remember to bring the gnomes inside when it’s going to rain!
Want more “Pinkalicious” activities? Check out the Make Your Own Galloping Unicorn! craft and the Make Pinkalicious Pink Lemonade recipe to continue the fun!
Author: 
Arts