Splash Octopus

Materials

• Dollar store shower scrubbies, 1 for every 3 children
• Old T-shirts, amount varies*
• Small (1-in.) rubber bands, 1 per child
• Plastic safety eyes, 1 set per child
• White mini (4-in.) zip ties, 1 per child

*The number of T-shirts you need depends upon the size of the T-shirts; however, you can generally figure 4–6 children per T-shirt.

Tools and Basic Supplies   

• Scissors
• Pens or pencils

Pre-Prep

1. Cut the strings that bind each shower scrubbie and spread out the mesh strands. Then cut them into thirds.
2. Gather and bind each cut strand with a small rubber band to make mini scrubbies, 1 per child.
3. Cut 9-in. diameter (approximately) circles from the T-shirts, 1 per child. (The diameter of the circles should be about 3 times the diameter of the scrubbies.) Be sure to cut from areas without graphics.

Class Time Directions

1. Take your fabric circle and fold the top half down over the bottom half so the top is straight and the bottom is a half circle.
2. Position 2 safety eye washers (the back part of the safety eyes) side-by-side near the top center of the folded fabric. Then take a pen or pencil and make a dot in the center of both washers.
3. Use the pen or pencil to make very small holes in the fabric where the 2 dots are. Then press a safety eye through each hole and snap on the washers to hold them in place.
4. Cover the scrubbie with the fabric circle and cinch tight with a mini zip tie.

Tip Corner

• As an alternative to using safety eyes, simply draw eyes with black fabric markers or permanent markers like Sharpies^®.
• Tulle fabric or splash balls can be used instead of scrubbies.
• These are waterproof and can be a fun bath or pool toy.