Sweet Window Decorations

It took me a while to decide what to make to decorate the windows in my classroom. I wanted to use the kids' names and I wanted to have them help make them. But I was back and forth about that for a while because it has been a few weeks and I'm taking way too long to finish my decorations so I was thinking I would just do something myself but I thought of something simple to get the kids involved. I made pieces of candy and lollipops that the kids finger painted.

What you'll need:

• Finger paint
• Construction paper
• Straws
• Tissue paper
• A marker
• Glue
• Something to trace a circle with
• A smock (optional but I always recommend a smock of some sort when painting with small children)

What to do:

1. Place a smock over the child and a piece of construction paper in front of them. 
2. I gave each child a choice of 4 colors, let them choose one color, finger paint smear it on the paper, then choose one more color and mix it on the paper.
3. After the paint dries, turn the page over to the back and trace a circle. Cut the circle out.
4. There are two options to do from this point, make a candy or a lollipop.

To make a candy:

1. Cut out two long rectangles with the tissue paper
2. Fold the tissue paper accordion style, then twist one side of it.
3. Glue the twisted sides to the back of the circle and fan it out to make it look like the ends of a candy wrapper.
4. I wrote the children's names on their creations.

To make a lollipop:

1. Write the child's name on the front and surround it with a large swirl to imitate one of those old school huge lollipops.
2. Glue a straw to the back of the circle.*

*Note the glue that I used didn't hold so well after a while and the straws were falling off so I re-glued and also put some clear tape over the straws.