How to Make No-Sew Sock Stuffed Animals
Learn how to make sock animals without sewing. This easy craft activity helps children explore 3D shapes while making fun plushies.
Learning Goals
This activity will help your child:
- Learn about 3D shapes, such as spheres
- Talk about the attributes of shapes
- Combine and separate shapes to make new shapes
Materials
- Socks
- Stuffing, cotton balls or rice
- Scissors
- Rubber bands
- Glue
- Buttons or googly eyes
Vocabulary
- Geometry is the type of mathematics that deals with shapes and their properties. Geometry is foundational to an understanding of mathematics and essential for young children.
- Shapes are geometric figures. They are two-dimensional when they lack depth (flat shapes). For example, a circle is a two-dimensional shape. Shapes are three-dimensional when they have length, width and depth (solid shapes). For example, a sphere is a three-dimensional shape. In this activity, your child will explore spheres.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Pick out a sock. Find an old sock to make your stuffed animal with. It could be a plush sock or a fun, colorful sock, or you can use a pair of socks and make two plushies.
2. Pick your favorite animal to create! Here are a few options for making bunnies, caterpillars or octopuses.
Make a bunny: Fill your sock with stuffing until it's halfway full. Tie a rubber band near the sock's opening to secure the stuffing inside. Then, use rubber bands to separate the stuffing into two spheres — one sphere shape for the body and a second sphere shape for the head. Pour some glue inside the remaining empty part of the sock and stick it together. With scissors, cut the empty part of the sock in half. Make the edges pointy. Now you have long and skinny bunny ears!
Make an octopus: Fill your sock with stuffing until it's halfway full. Shape the stuffing into a sphere and use a rubber band to tighten it. This will be the octopus head. To make the tentacles, cut the empty part of the sock into many long stripes. Ask your child, "How many legs does an octopus have?"
Do you like bugs better? Make a caterpillar! Fill the whole sock with stuffing and use a rubber band to tighten the end. Then, use rubber bands to divide the stuffed sock into four or five spheres. Add a pipe cleaner around the head to create its antennae.
3. Decorate your plushies. Use buttons or googly eyes for the eyes. Use a marker to draw mouths and noses. Maybe tie a ribbon around the necks. Be as creative and detailed as you want.
4. Talk about shape attributes. Ask your child, "What shape is the body of your plushie? What shape is its head? A sphere!" Explain that shapes can be flat like a circle or solid like a ball. Spheres are 3D shapes. They are round all around, with no pointy edges. What other shapes do you notice? Continue talking about the different shapes that make up your plushies and describe their characteristics.
Keep the Conversation Going
- What other things are shaped like spheres? Go on a shape hunt around your house and discover other real-world objects shaped like spheres. For example, a globe, an orange, marbles, cotton balls — so many things!
- Repeat this with cubes, cylinders and cones. Here are examples of items around your house that match these three-dimensional shapes:
- Cube: die, blocks, Rubik's cube
- Cylinder: shaving cream, soda can, crayon, toilet paper roll
- Cone: ice cream cone, party hat, piece of paper rolled into a cone shape
Book Suggestion
"Mice on Ice"/"Ratones en el hielo" (ages 4-6) written by Eleanor May and illustrated by Deborah Melmon
In this fun story, your child will explore geometrical shapes.
Corresponding Standards
Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework
- Geometry and Spatial Sense
- Goal P-MATH 9. Child identifies, describes, compares, and composes shapes.
California Preschool Learning Foundations
- Algebra and Functions
Common Core Math Kindergarten
- Geometry
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.B.5 Analyze, compare, create, and compose shapes.
