Quick, fun and easy! Parent/s take a box cutter type of knife and cut into the cork tops or bottoms to make the shape you want. I used a pen to draw a few of the shapes and then just cut along those lines. Work slowly and preferably with out distraction (aka when the kids are not around.) Want to keep those fingers injury free! Make sure you put that sharp knife out of the kids' reach once your done.
Once your shapes are cut out your children can do all sorts of activities with them. I wrote out a simple pattern and had my 5 year old stamp the appropriate shape in the columns. She worked on reading, math and fine motor skills. On separate cards I wrote a number and had them stamp that many shapes on the card. You could incorporate addition, subtraction, sorting, and of course, just plain old art fun!
Share other ideas you have. I'm always looking for new ones!
