Looking for an quick activity to do with the kids on a rainy day?

This paper octopus is perfect for getting your children involved and making something fun and colourful.

Step 1: Assemble Your Bits

You will need:

1. A sharpie marker (other markers are available and useable)

2. A pen (colour doesn't matter)

3. Googly eyes

4. A ruler

5. A4 sized coloured card (mine is pale blue but it looks white on my pictures)

6. Sticky tape

Step 2: The Body

Take your piece of A4 paper and fold in half.

Mark 8 strips of 3.5cm width on the paper. You'll notice you have a small piece left at the end. A "skinny" 9th leg.

Don't worry that will be addressed in the next step.

Carefully cut the lines to separate the legs and fully cut off the ninth leg.

You can get your children to do this but remember that scissors are sharp (unless using child scissors).

Get your child to draw a nice big smile half way on the top side and three circles on each of the legs.

Alternatively you could use coloured stick on dots if you have them or want to make them.

Fold the octopus round until the tab on the top half is hidden behind the overlapping part and stick with cellotape.

Curl the ends of the legs by wrapping them loosely around the pen.

Stick on the googly eyes and enjoy.

Again alternatively you could draw the eyes on if you prefered.

Your octopus is complete.