diy fluffy beaded clouds

I have to admit that this was one of my favorite projects from our cloud study. They came out so cool and the children really focused on the shape of their clouds calling out the name of the cloud they were making.....stratus! thunder! daddy! It was fantastic! Here's what you need:

*cotton or poly fiberfill
*pipecleaners
*pony beads and/or cut pieces of straws
*glue

Step 1: Have kiddo pull off a fluff of the fiberfill. They will shape their cloud by gently pulling and tugging at the fibers. The children in my class are three so there was a lot of not-so-gentle pulling and a lot more of squashing but it all works out, it does!

Step 2: Depending on the age of your kiddos they can make their pipe cleaner hanger or you can. I made the hangers for my class by bending the top of a pipe cleaner into a hook shape then twisting it back onto itself to create a circle. Add a blob of glue to the straight end of the pipe cleaner and insert it into the fluffy cloud mass.

Step 3: It's beading time! I demonstrated how to wrap the pipe cleaner around your finger to create a twisty bit that could then be beaded. I really wanted the children to bead their beads slowly and with more fine motor work and function than usual so I added the twisty bit. Doing so made for more thought out selection of beads (believe it or not) and the children took more time to work. Sure, some of the pipe cleaners got straightened during the process but it was all good. Older kiddos could think of a pattern for their beads even.**

Step 4: Add a blob of glue to the top of each beaded pipe cleaner and have your kiddo insert it into their cloud. Hang to dry or set aside to dry then hang in a happy place and enjoy!

**I set out beads for the children to string onto their pipe cleaners. At another center we had been cutting paper straws to add to our St. Patrick's Day sensory bin and a few of the children wanted to use the straw pieces as beads so another method was born. Don't ya love that?