Oftentimes, medical items can seem scary and unfamiliar to children. The goal of this activity is to provide a fun and creative outlet for children to safely explore a common medical item (Pill Bottle). Designed for our preschool and school age friends, this craft is similar to that of The Potato Head Toys. By using decorative art supplies to customize our own pill bottle friends, we hope to provide children with an appropriate level of control, creative expression, and medical play! (*Adult supervision and assistance suggested*)
Supplies:
1 empty Pill Bottle (preferably one that would come from the pharmacy)
Soap & Warm Water
Small Bowl/Sink
Small/ Medium Googly Eyes
Small/ Medium Pom-Poms
Pipe cleaners
Glue
Scissors
Sharpies
*optional- Glitter, paper, stickers
Step 1: To begin our medical play craft, start by getting an adult’s permission and help. We want to make sure we are being safe by using a pill bottle that is empty and one that an adult has given us permission to use! Once you find an adult for help, then gather all of the supplies listed above onto a clean workplace.
Step 2: Before we dive into our activity, we need to make sure the pill bottle is empty and clean. Ask an adult to remove the cap from your pill bottle and place your pill bottle in a mixture of warm water and soap and leave it to soak for about 5 minutes. An easy way to do this is to fill your sink or a bowl about half way with warm water and squeeze a small amount of dish soap into it, then give it a good mix with your hand.
*Soaking the pill bottle in warm water and soap will also help the label on the pill bottle to peel off easier. If the label won’t come off, or you would like to leave the label on, that is completely fine! You can cover it up with decorations!
Step 3: After your pill bottle is all clean, take it out of the sink/bowl and dry it off. You want to make sure it is dry so that the decorations and glue will stick to it. Go ahead and twist the cap back onto the pill bottle.
Step 4: Now we can begin to turn the pill bottle into a silly friend! Start by gluing 2 googly eyes about a pinky finger’s width below the cap.
Step 5: Then, pick up a sharpie and give your pill bottle friend eyebrows right above where you glued their eyes. You can make them curved, straight, one up and one down, or whatever expression you want to give it!
Step 6: Your pill bottle friend now has eyes and eyebrows, but they also need a nose! Grab a small pom-pom (whatever color you would like) and glue it right under the eyes.
Step 7: Next, take one of your pipe cleaners (again, whatever color you like) and cut it to the length of a finger. For our younger friends, please ask an adult for help for this step; it can be very hard to cut a pipe cleaner.
Step 8: Once your pipe cleaner is cut to the length of your finger, take each end and curl it upwards! To do this, pinch the end of the pipe cleaner with one hand (be careful, it may be pointy) and grab the middle of the pipe cleaner with your other hand. Now twist your hand that is pinching the end of the pipe cleaner inwards towards the center of the pipe cleaner. Do this on both ends! Then go ahead and glue it right under the nose, so that your curls are pointed upwards.
*Fun Tip: You can always choose to do a different looking mustache for your pill bottle friend, or to leave out the mustache. It is up to you how you want your pill bottle friend to look!
Step 9: Now, we need to make a mouth. Grab a sharpie and give your pill bottle a mouth under it’s mustache. You can draw a smile if you want your friend to be happy, a smirk if they are sneaky, or maybe an O shaped for surprise! Your pill bottle friend’s mouth can look however you like!
Step 10: Finally, take your time and add some finishing touches onto your pill bottle. Try giving it a hat by gluing a pom-pom to the cap of the pill bottle! Or use a sharpie and draw some rosy cheeks and crazy hair! For this step, you can grab any other craft supplies you have (glitter, stickers) to decorate your pill bottle friend.
*Fun Tip: You can add objects inside of your pill bottle friend for safe keeping!
Step 11: Once you are finished decorating, I recommend leaving your pill bottle friend to dry for at least 10 minutes. After it is dry, enjoy the goofy silliness of your new friend!
~Made by Mollie L.