Fruit loops are not only a cereal kids can enjoy from time to time, you can also use them for cute rainbow crafts!
I love using food for various activities with my boys since they get so excited about the fact that they can eat it afterwards (or while they’re doing the activity). So it’s a great way to get them engaged and motivated to do the activity.
In the past, we’ve used Cheerios for counting activities, and my son’s favorite part was snacking on the Cheerios!
We also made these marshmallow structures for an easy STEM activity for my boys. It was so much fun! Lots of the marshmallows ended up in their tummies as well đŸ™‚
How to Make Rainbows Using Fruit Loops
This rainbow craft is super easy to make and so cute! It’s really perfect for St. Patrick’s Day which is just around the corner.
But you can utilize this craft in a color or rainbow unit for preschool as well.
The activity is really simple, but it’s also a great activity to work on developing fine motor skills for toddlers and preschoolers, and practice hand-eye coordination as well.
Materials Needed:
- Fruit Loops
- marshmallows
- pipe cleaners
Step 1
I started out by pouring some Fruit Loops into a bowl, and placing 6 cups around the bowl. 1 cup for each of the colors.
Step 2
I asked my boys to sort the cereal by color.
This was a great way for my 2 year old to practice saying his colors and they both loved sorting them by color!
Another option for sorting (for preschoolers who are familiar with letters and sounds ) could be to write the first letter of each color on the cups.
For example, the cup for the red Fruit Loops would have the letter “R” on it, and the cup for the orange Fruit Loops would have the letter “O” on it.
This would be a great way for preschoolers to practice letter recognition and connect them with the beginning sounds of words.
Step 3
Cut a pipe cleaner into shorter pieces and form them into an arch shape.
Step 4
Here comes the fine motor part of the activity!
Thread the pipe cleaner through the Fruit Loops. We used 2 of each color, but depending on the length of your pipe cleaner, you could do more or less of each other.
While completing this portion of the activity, you can also touch on counting numbers and patterns as well.
For more preschool activities on counting numbers 1-20 check out this post here.
And for more ideas for preschool activities for patterns, read this post here. After completing this unit, my 4 year old really got a good grasp on the concept of patterns.
Step 5
Use 2 mini marshmallows and place them on each of the ends of the rainbow. The mini marshmallows will be the “clouds” but also they will act as stoppers so the Fruit Loops won’t fall off the pipe cleaners.
Optional Step
If you are using mini marshmallows, the rainbow craft will not stand on their own. So after you make them, you could glue them onto a sheet of blue cardstock or construction paper.
Another option could be to use full-sized marshmallows, and this way, the rainbow craft can stand on its own.
Super Cute Rainbow Craft
This is how our Fruit Loop rainbow craft turned out! I think they are super cute and easy to make. And it’s a great way for toddlers and preschoolers to practice their fine motor skills as well.
I hope you liked this activity and get to try it out for St. Patrick’s Day! If you liked this activity idea, I think you’ll also enjoy this rainbow sensory activity.
I have a whole post on silly St. Patrick’s Day books to read with toddlers and preschoolers as well.
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