This fun pony bead sun catcher activity will get kids designing a work of art. Get kids developing fine motor development with this simple craft project.

Supplies

• Large amount of various colors of pony beads (the same size)
• Wooden skewer or toothpick
• Tin foil pan (1 per child, but can be reused)
• An Oven
• String or yarn

How to make a Pony Bead Sun Catcher

Give each child a tin foil pie pan.  I used a 7″ but you can use whatever size you like. For younger kids you may want to use a smaller pan so they do not lose interest.

Have the kiddos start to build a design in the tin pan.  Have them start in the middle and work outwards. Provide toothpicks in case a bead gets flipped over and the kids need to carefully flip it back without disturbing the other beads in their sun catcher design. 

When the children have finished their pan designs preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place the pans in the oven.  Leave the pans in the oven for 30 minutes. If possible open some windows for ventilation (the smell can get pretty bad).  

After 30 minutes check the pan to see if all of the bead have melted together and there are no holes.  If the sun catcher is ready, take out the pan using a potholder and put it on the stove top to cool. If the sun catcher is not ready give it 10 more minutes.

After the pony bead sun catcher is removed from the oven wait a few minutes then take a toothpick or wooden skewer and poke a small hole in the top (this will be where the string goes through).

Then let the sun catcher harden for at least 30 minutes.

After the plastic has hardened and cooled cut a 2 ft piece of string or yarn and put it through the hole.  Then tie the string and hang your sun catcher in a window or outside!