January 2009 Craft of the Month-Opposite Day

OPPOSITE DAY is always celebrated on January 24th. This topsy turvy day is when you do the opposite of everything you say, hear or see.  Children have to know what an opposite IS, so why not create a craft that will teach them about opposites! Sponge Bob even did an episode on Opposite Day!
The children will really enjoy making and using this Opposite Day craft! Our opposite poi ball is a take off from New Zealand's Maori Tribe's Poi Balls.  These dangling balls were made and used in their dances and chants.  Once created, the children can use their black and white poi ball to act out opposites like up/down, left/right, top/bottom, in/out, high/low etc.
     

Materials Needed:

Black and white yarns (we use rug yarn for 3-4 year old and regular yarns for 5-8 year old)
Scissors (large adult scissors for cutting pom-pom apart)
Cardboard
Marker
Glass or can to trace around

Directions:

Trace around the glass/can twice on the cardboard.
Cut the circles out.
Draw a smaller circle in each cut out circle and cut those circles out.
Place the two cardboard "donuts" together with the splits on opposite sides.
Take a few strands of white yarn and wrap them in and  around the donut; going half way around the circles.
Repeat with the black yarn so half the circle is white and half black.
Repeat adding yarns until you can get no more through the center hole.
Have an adult cut around the outside of the circle, between the cardboards.
Using long strands of both black and white yarn, tie off the cut yarn tightly between the cardboards.
Remove the cardboards.
Have the child trim any wayward strands to make a nice fluffy poi ball (leaving the two tie strands long for swinging purposes).

This activity is  great for repetitive wrist action.  Gross motor skills are addressed as you move the ball through space.  Cutting the yarn gives a new tactile experience of cutting something other than paper.