Oatmeal Canister Robot - Craft & Sorting Activity

This post was sponsored by The Quaker Oats Company and created by me. All opinions are my own.

As a mom, I appreciate fast healthy breakfasts, and as a teacher I appreciate finding new ways to help my students learn that won’t take me hours to make. This robot was the answer. Kids love robots and sorting is a fundamental activity that helps toddlers and preschoolers make sense of things around them, so a robot used for sorting is a sure fire win!
Here is how I did it.

Gather your materials. You will need one Quaker Oats canister, some double stick tape, sparkly pipe cleaner, foil, some sticky back sparkly foam, masking tape, shape cut outs (check a craft store for these or you could totally use milk caps or bread tags) and a very sharp knife (for use by parents only, of course!)

Start by cutting openings in your canister. I did this step later and I shouldn’t have!

After you place 3-4 slits in the canister roll it in the foil at least 2x. Use the double stick tape to secure it. Make sure there is extra on the covered end and that the foil lines up with the bottom on the other.

Fold the top down.

Cut a circle of sticky back sparkly foam out ( use the lid of the cannister as a guide), peel the backing off and attach to the top. This will make it look finished as well as keep the foil in place. Pop the pipe cleaners on making the wires above the robot’s head. Tuck the bottom under the sticky back foam. Press and hold a minute to make sure they are good and stuck.

Carefully find where you cut the slits. Cover with tape carefully. Color the tape to match the colors of your cut outs.

Carefully cut the tape and foil where the cut out is. Tuck the tape and foil around the opening. If you need to use tape on the inside to hold down any foil, cardboard or tape that obstructs the opening. I only had one opening that was really messy and that was because I had to cut through the canister as well. A little more tape and it was perfect!