Stuffed felt turtles are easy to make and encourage the use of fine motor skills. Fine motor skills are used in tasks that involve using the muscle groups in the fingers and hands, in conjunction with eye coordination. Drawing, tracing, cutting, gluing and sewing involve the use of fine motor skills. Use seven-inch diameter paper dessert plates as patterns and have students trace around the plates onto green or brown felt to create two circles. Have them cut the circles from the felt. They will then cut five three-inch long ovals--for a head and feet--and one three-inch triangle--for a tail--from the felt. Have the students put a dot of rubber cement between the top and side edges of the two circles to temporarily hold them together. Give the students plastic, large-eyed needles and have them sew around the circles, about two inches from the outside edges, leaving a three-inch opening somewhere along the circle. Have the students stuff the circles with batting and sew the opening closed. The students can then glue the ovals for the head and feet and the triangle for a tail between the "shell" or circle edges with fabric glue. Provide craft eyes and other embellishments to decorate the stuffed turtle.
Provide each student with one nine-inch diameter paper plate, five paper ovals and one paper triangle. Have them glue the ovals for the head and feet and the triangle for the tail beneath the plate in the appropriate positions. Allow the students to decorate the shell and turtle face in paint or marker colors of their choice. Alternatively, provide construction paper shapes for gluing to the turtle shell in various colors.
Craft foam is lightweight and easy to cut for small fingers. Students can trace around a disposable cup to form a circle on green, brown or any other color of craft foam. Have them cut out the foam circle. Provide five precut foam ovals and one precut foam triangle in varying colors. Precut foam shapes are available at craft, discount and teaching supply stores. Allow the students to glue the ovals and triangle beneath the foam circle in the appropriate places for the head, feet and tail with craft foam glue. Cut and press a piece of adhesive magnet strip to the back of each foam circle. Provide faux gems, precut foam shapes, glitter glue and other embellishments to decorate the turtle shell if desired.
Make a three-dimensional turtle toy from a Styrofoam bowl or from one section of a cardboard or foam egg carton. Have your students cut out five paper or craft foam ovals and one triangle. They can decorate the bowl or egg section with tempera paint or markers. Students then glue or staple the feet and head ovals beneath the rim of the bowl or egg section in the appropriate positions and glue or staple the tail triangle at the end of the "shell." Have them attach yarn to the rim of the bowl or egg cup to make a pull toy. Other embellishments, such as craft eyes, glitter glue, stickers or adhesive foam shapes, can be provided for students to decorate the turtle shells.