how cute are these little critters.....

I made these little critters thinking they would be a great
teacher tool for preschoolers.

Kids will have fun matching the different patterns together.
They can also use them for sorting, grouping, and forming patterns.

All you need to make these little guys is:
clear garden stones (you can buy them at the dollar store)
several different sheets of scrapbook paper
mod podge
glue
google eyes
scissors

First, trace the stone onto the paper and cut the circle out.

Next, using mod podge glue the paper to the stone.
You want the pattern of the paper to go on the flat side of the stone,
so that when you turn it over you will see the paper.

To make it easier, I actually mod podged the stones to the paper
and then cut them out, skipping the tracing step.

Once the mod podge dries, brush a small amount over the paper
and around the stone to seal the paper to the stone.

If you like, you can leave them plain....like so

Or you could add some fun google eyes to them....like this

A few people even suggested gluing magnet to the backs

to hang on the fridge.

But you could also use the magnet and still sort, match, and make patterns in school as well

by making a magnet board.

Some ideas are to spray paint an old cookie tray a fun color for an instant magnet board

or use a metal lunch box (like the kind they sell at Five Below), then you can store

the magnet and use the metal on the box to play.  This would be a really great idea

for road trips (as long as children are old enough to not need supervised with small objects).

They were so easy to make (although a bit time consuming, waiting for the glue to dry).

I love them and kids will too.

I think I'm going to make some more....very, very soon.