Kids will love this colorful back-to-school craft. Make a bright red apple with a friendly worm that pokes through to say hello!

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What you'll need:

How to make it:

1. Paint the paper plate red and let dry. Add a second coat if desired. Make sure the paper plate has dried completely (see image). 
2. On green construction paper, draw a simple worm shape similar to the shape of a boomerang. Cut worm out (see image).
3. Choose which end will be the worm's head and glue the wiggle eyes and nose (miniature pom-pom) to create its face (see image). 
4. Draw on the worm's smile with the black marker.
5. Optional: Cut a small bowtie out of a scrap of yellow construction paper. Glue under the worm's mouth.
6. To create the top of the apple, start at the top of the plate and draw a concave line going down to the center circle of the plate. Starting where you ended the first line, draw another concave line in the opposite direction going upward (see image). Cut out this curved triangular section from the plate.
7. Using a craft knife or scissors, cut a slit, about 1 ½" long, into the apple at the location you want the worm to poke through.
8. Insert the tail end of the worm into the slit so the top half of his body is poking out.
9. Cut the first "bump" off of the bumpy chenille, or about 3" of regular chenille stem (see image).
10.  Turn the plate over and glue the chenille just below the "V" point at the top. Let dry.

Tips:

• To keep the worm still when not in use, secure with a paper clip (see image).

• Play with the worm by having your child move it back and forth through the slot by grasping the tail end of the worm at the back of the plate and wiggling it up and down.

• Instead of painting the plate, you can have the child color it with red markers or crayons.