Cut out each individual cup from the paper egg carton before the children arrive with scissors. Most safety scissors would not be able to cut the cardboard. Grown-ups scissors need to be used, and it is safer for adults to accomplish this task.
Hand each cup to a child and turn it over so it is upside down. Squeeze green tempura paint into a plastic cup and have the preschoolers paint the upside-down cups green with a paintbrush. These are the shells of the turtles.
Instruct the preschoolers to trace a dime four times onto green construction paper using a pencil. These are the feet for the turtle. Cut them out with safety scissors. Do this part of the activity while you wait for the paint to dry on the cups.
Instruct the children to draw an oval for the head a little larger than the feet. Draw a thin tail smaller than the head for the turtle. Cut those shapes out and have the children draw two black eyes on the head shape.
Squeeze a drop of glue onto each green circle and place one circle beneath each foot of the egg-carton cup. Glue the head piece at one end of the turtle and glue the tail at the opposite end. Allow it to dry.
Instruct the preschoolers to decorate the painted shell with black marker.