• Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Putting the Pretty In Preschool

Finding Beauty In Everyday Early Childhood Experiences

  • About Me
  • Sensory Play
  • Holidays
  • Places
  • Picture Book Themes
  • Growing Things
  • Ocean
  • Contact Me

Chinese New Year Sensory Play

January 14, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Chinese New Year sensory tub with red and gold accessories in a dyed chickpea base.
Tweet
Share
Share
Pin
Chinese New Year sensory tub with red and gold accessories in a dyed chickpea base.

Have you ever dyed chickpeas? I finally gave it a try, and it is soooo addicting! I made the first batch red to use for Chinese New Year sensory play.

In experimenting, I thought the chickpeas looked nice in a combination of dark red, speckled red, and natural hues. All deep red chickpeas seemed overpowering in the sensory tub.

Chickpeas dyed with varying amounts of red acrylic paint.

How To Dye Chickpeas

A quick and easy way to dye chickpeas is with acrylic craft paint.

Supplies to collect:

large bag of chickpeas

red acrylic craft paint

measuring cup

tablespoon

large sandwich bags

plates or trays

Scoop one cup of chickpeas into a large sandwich bag. Add a tablespoon of red acrylic craft paint. Seal the bag well and knead the chickpeas for a few minutes until they are covered in paint.

Open the bag and set it on a table. After ten minutes, pour the chickpeas onto a tray or plate. They will be completely dry in another ten minutes.

Chickpeas dyed with red acrylic paint for sensory play.

To get a speckled paint look, add half a tablespoon of paint to one cup of bagged chickpeas and knead well. Repeat the drying process.

Then color a cup of chickpeas with one-quarter tablespoon paint.

Leave some chickpeas undyed. This will give you four color varieties to add to a tub or bin for Chinese New Year sensory play.

To have enough chickpeas for a group sensory tub, dye more of them!

Note: Acrylic paint washes off hands, tables, dishware and cutlery easily. If it spatters onto your clothes, wipe the paint off with a wet cloth before washing.


[Read more…] about Chinese New Year Sensory Play

Filed Under: Chinese New Year, preschool, science, sensory Tagged With: chickpeas, Chinese New Year, sensory bin

Winter Sensory Trays

January 10, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Snowflake confetti rules in these three winter sensory trays featuring polar bears, penguins, and shiny accessories.
Tweet
Share
Share
Pin
Snowflake confetti rules in these three winter sensory trays featuring polar bears, penguins, and shiny accessories.

Snowflake confetti makes an eye-catching base for three simple winter sensory trays. Combined with a few accessories, it sets the stage for sparkly sensory play experiences your little learners will delight in.

The find: shiny snowflake and dot confetti in a blue, silver, and white color scheme.

Basic Winter Sensory Tray

Supplies to collect:

Winter sensory tray loose parts.

snowflake confetti

turquoise gems

silver and white bead garland strips

large silver snowflakes

star cups

clear spoons

Set in a tray, these pieces make the perfect hands-on sensory activity for your little ones to celebrate winter with.

Snowflake studded winter sensory tray filled with shiny pieces.

Shiny pieces rule in this snowflake confetti based winter sensory tray.

[Read more…] about Winter Sensory Trays

Filed Under: ocean, preschool, pretend play, sensory, winter Tagged With: loose parts, penguins, polar bears, sensory bin, sensory play, snowflakes

Color Explosion Science Experiment

January 1, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

A simple color explosion science experiment with dramatic results. Just three kitchen supplies are needed to carry out this experiment.
Tweet
Share
Share
Pin
A simple color explosion science experiment with dramatic results. Just three kitchen supplies are needed to carry out this experiment.

This dramatic color explosion science experiment is one of the simplest ones you will find. It uses ingredients you probably have in your home, is easy to set up, and shows stunning, instant results.


Supplies To Collect

serving tray

milk

food coloring (1 – 4 colors)

liquid dish soap

Kitchen supplies to carry out the color explosion milk experiment.

Conducting The Experiment

Pour a thin layer of milk into a serving tray placed on a table. I use an inexpensive 12-inch x 12-inch tree-shaped vegetable tray to add interest to the experiment. About three cups of milk will provide a nice layer in a serving tray this size.

Squeeze drops of food coloring in different parts of the tray. Use one, two, three, or even four colors. Primary colors work well.

Squirt a little dish soap in a few color pools.


Pools of food coloring in the color explosion milk experiment.

The food coloring immediately explodes to the tray edges, blending and making new colors.

Try adding a bit more food coloring, and one more squirt of dish soap. I add a little more blue, red, and yellow to the bottom right section because most of the color has moved to other areas of the tray. I squirt a tad more soap on top. There isn’t a noticeable change right away. In fact, after the initial color burst, nothing much seems to happen.

A second dose of food coloring and dish detergent are added in this color explosion milk experiment.

But wait! The experiment doesn’t end here. Leave the tray on the table undisturbed, and check back a few times over the next half-hour. The food coloring slowly moves through the milk and fills the tray.

Each time you look, new color designs are visible on the surface of the milk.

A monster appears in this color explosion milk experiment.

[Read more…] about Color Explosion Science Experiment

Filed Under: Christmas, preschool, science, sensory, trees Tagged With: colors, experiment, trees

New Year’s Countdown Activities

December 30, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Art and math New Year's countdown activities. Printmaking with fringed toilet rolls, collage art, and number matching opportunities.
Tweet
Share
Share
Pin
Art and math New Year's countdown activities. Printmaking with fringed toilet rolls, collage art, and number matching opportunities.

This post is an updated version of one of last year’s posts.

These New Year’s countdown activities give practice in number recognition and counting down from 10 to 1. And how fun is it for early learners to print fireworks with fringed toilet paper rolls!


Printmaking Fireworks

Supplies needed:

Happy New Year printable (downloadable below)

scissors

toilet paper rolls

magenta, yellow and light blue tempera paint

small plates or container lids

paint brushes


Happy New Year Printable

New Year's Countdown template to use for art and math activities with young children. Invitation to add paint print fireworks, count down from 10 t0 1 and match numbers.

The “Happy New Year” printable can be printed on 8 1/2 inch x 11-inch paper, or 11-inch by 17-inch paper.


Happy New Year PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.


[Read more…] about New Year’s Countdown Activities

Filed Under: art, Math, preschool Tagged With: Happy New Year, painting, printables, printmaking

New Year’s Crafts

December 29, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Glitzy, easy to make 2021 New Year's keepsake crafts that enhance eye-hand coordination, fine motor control, patterning, and number recognition.
Tweet
Share
Share
Pin
Glitzy, easy to make 2021 New Year's keepsake crafts that enhance eye-hand coordination, fine motor control, patterning, and number recognition.

2021 is just around the corner, and who doesn’t mind having some easy to do New Year’s crafts at their fingertips. These activities double up as 2021 keepsakes. You can choose from several versions.


2021 Collage Craft

Supplies Needed:

glitter gold cardstock

tan cardstock

8 ½ x 11-inch cream cardstock

gold sequins, stars, balls and confetti

gold glitter glue

glue paddle

collage containers

adhesive gems

black or gold metallic felt pen

pencil

scissors

glue stick or glue gun


Making The 2021 Collage Craft

Trace your little learner’s hand on a piece of tan cardstock, or let your child do the tracing.

Help your child cut out the hand.

Add gold glitter glue and the craft bits to small containers. Just collect any gold colored craft items you have around for the collaging.

Set out the gold bits, glue, glue paddle, and paper hand on a table.

Gold craft supplies to decorate traced hands.

Invite your little one to glam up the hand with the collage items, using the glitter glue as an adhesive.

Let the collaged hand dry.

Cut a number one and a pair of number two shapes from gold glitter cardstock or a gold gift bag. Download the printable further on in this post to use as a template if desired.

On cream-colored cardstock, help your little learner use a glue stick to tack on a number two, the decorated hand, another number two, and a number 1. Reinforce the shapes with a glue gun if needed. Add a greeting with a black or gold metallic felt pen.

Gold-themed traced hand 2021 keepsake craft.

The glitzy hand takes center stage in this craft.


[Read more…] about New Year’s Crafts

Filed Under: art, Math, preschool Tagged With: Happy New Year, keepsakes, printables

Christmas Tree Decorating Center

December 23, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

This festive Christmas tree decorating center for early learners features mini trees and child-friendly, nonbreakable decorations.
Tweet
Share
Share
Pin
This festive Christmas tree decorating center for early learners features mini trees and child-friendly, nonbreakable decorations.

This Christmas tree decorating center has been a staple in my preschool classroom for many years. I introduce it every year in place of setting up a large Christmas tree. The center is effortless to put up, and the supplies store in one tub. During the festive holiday season, decorations on the tree get put up and taken down by little learners on a regular basis.

In preparation for this tactile center I purchased a variety of small Christmas trees one year just after Christmas Day. They were deeply discounted…around $5.00 Canadian per tree. Now every December I place them on a table covered with a soft white tablecloth and add child-friendly decorations.


Setting Up The Christmas Tree Decorating Center

After arranging the branches on the Christmas trees, I gather small baskets and fill them with non-breakable Christmas decorations.

Baskets of child-friendly decorations for a Christmas tree decorating center.

[Read more…] about Christmas Tree Decorating Center

Filed Under: Christmas, display, preschool, sensory, trees Tagged With: Christmas, Christmas tree, sensory play, trees

Christmas Tree Art

December 21, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Dazzling, easy to do Christmas tree art painting activity. An all-ages art project.
Tweet
Share
Share
Pin
Dazzling, easy to do Christmas tree art painting activity. An all-ages art project.

This Christmas tree art is quick to set up and simple to do. And it gives early learners a chance to explore color shades and brightness.


Supplies to Collect

green, yellow and white tempera paint

12-inch x 18-inch sturdy paper

paint palettes

paintbrushes

paper towel squares

metallic green star confetti

gold and green Christmas gift bows


Making The Christmas Tree Art

Cut long, narrow triangles from large sheets of sturdy paper. Shown below is manila paper.

Pour dark green, medium green, yellow, and white tempera paint into artist palettes. This color scheme works well when children keep the colors separate or do a lot of blending.

Invite your early learners to paint a triangle. They will embrace painting a unique shape.

Christmas tree art set up with white, yellow, and green paint hues.

A paper towel works well to dab excess paint from the brush before switching to a new color. This is a helpful tip from Patty Palmer’s book “Draw, Paint, Sparkle.”

Painting technique to use when switching paint colors.

Next, have your little charges sprinkle on metallic stars while the paint is still wet. They will loooove doing this too!

Painted triangular tree ready to be topped with a Christmas gift bow.

[Read more…] about Christmas Tree Art

Filed Under: art, Christmas, preschool, trees, winter Tagged With: Christmas tree, painting, trees

Scissor Skill Gingerbread Man Craft

December 19, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Gingerbread man craft with scissor skill opportunities. Christmas-themed craft supplies are used to decorate the kraft paper gingerbread man.
Tweet
Share
Share
Pin
Gingerbread man craft with scissor skill opportunities. Christmas-themed craft supplies are used to decorate the kraft paper gingerbread man.
.

Gingerbread man stories and activities are definitely one of the most fun parts of Christmas. Including them in my preschool plans is an annual routine.

After reading a few fun-filled gingerbread man picture books to my preschoolers this month, I was eager to set out a scissor skill gingerbread man craft so they could explore beautiful bits and baubles and practice cutting and gluing. This activity would be easy to set up for the little learners in your life.


Craft Materials To Collect

Gather Christmas-themed craft materials that can be cut and glued, or simply glued.

Compartment sorting tray with Christmas-themed craft supplies.

Included in this compartment sorting tray are:

gingerbread man themed cupcake liners

striped straws

cream lace

Christmas bows

pompoms

feathers

pipe cleaners

tissue paper squares

bead garland

thick ribbon pieces

The color scheme for this scissor skill craft is red, yellow, green, gold, and cream.


[Read more…] about Scissor Skill Gingerbread Man Craft

Filed Under: art, Christmas, preschool, sensory Tagged With: Christmas craft, gingerbread man, loose parts

Handprint Christmas Crafts

December 18, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Heart-tugging handprint Christmas crafts using paper bags as a base. Featured are heart, Christmas tree, reindeer, and fish ornament crafts.
Tweet
Share
Share
Pin
Heart-tugging handprint Christmas crafts using paper bags as a base. Featured are heart, Christmas tree, reindeer, and fish ornament crafts.

There has been a return in popularity of paper grocery bags, so why not use a few for handprint Christmas crafts? The bags are sturdy and give craft projects a vintage feel.

Here are a few festive, heart-tugging crafts that employ brown paper bags as a base.


Handprint Heart Decorations

Cut hearts from paper grocery bags. Feel free to download this heart printable to use as a template.

Heart printable for art and craft projects.

Heart TemplateDownload

This printable is for personal or one classroom use only.


Set out bright red tempera paint and a paper heart. Invite your early learner to dip a hand in the paint and make a print on the heart.

Invitation to make a red handprint on a paper bag heart.

Or, invite your little one to paint a hand and then make the print. This takes more time, but the result is often neater.

Invitation to paint a hand to make a print on a paper bag heart.

After the handprint heart dries, hot glue on a red bow. Then add a looped ribbon to hang the craft.

Red handprint heart craft ready for hanging.

[Read more…] about Handprint Christmas Crafts

Filed Under: art, Christmas, preschool Tagged With: Christmas craft, Christmas tree, handprint crafts, ornaments, paper bag crafts

Handprint Angel Craft

December 16, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Handprint angel craft in magenta and turquoise colors.
Tweet
Share
Share
Pin
Handprint angel craft in magenta and turquoise colors.

Last year’s handprint angel craft was a hit with my preschool families. So this year I set out to find a glittery Christmas stem that would inspire a variation of the well-received keepsake craft. I shopped with no preconceived ideas in mind, and at the first store, a gleaming peacock-inspired stem caught my eye. I knew immediately that it was “the one” for this year’s angel craft.

In my instructions, I use the colors magenta, turquoise, and pink, and “peacock-inspired Christmas stem.” But feel free to substitute any glittery stem and complementary colors for the craft.


Supplies To Collect

peacock-inspired Christmas stem

magenta tempera paint

pink glitter

white cardstock paper

skin toned cardstock paper

disposable plate

glue gun

scissors

pencil or thin black felt pen


Making The Handprint Angel

Choose a glittery peacock-inspired Christmas stem. The stem featured in this craft is turquoise and magenta, a wonderful Dollar Store find.

Magenta and blue Christmas stem with a peacock theme.

[Read more…] about Handprint Angel Craft

Filed Under: art, Christmas, preschool Tagged With: angels, Christmas craft

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 8
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Annette Kaminsky. Thanks for visiting my blog. I hope you find inspiration and leave some for me! Feel free to stay awhile!

Instagram

puttingtheprettyin.preschool

Chickpea based Chinese New Year sensory tub. The c Chickpea based Chinese New Year sensory tub. The chickpeas are dyed with varying amounts of red acrylic paint, and some are left undyed. Read my latest blogpost  to find out more about the chickpea dying process. Link in profile.

#ChineseNewYear #yearoftheox #ChineseNewYearsensorybin #sensoryplay #colourful #redandgold #earlylearning #playtolearn #playing #handsonlearning #teachersfollowteachers #teaching #playsetup #iteachprek #tots #multicultural #Chineseholiday
Penguin sensory tray with a snowflake confetti bas Penguin sensory tray with a snowflake confetti base. See the confetti base used for three different winter sensory trays in my latest blogpost. Link in profile.

The confetti base is inspired by @places_spaces_wonder_delight . Check out that beautiful account!

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

#sensorytray #trayfortheday #playtray #confetti #snowflakes #penguins #polaranimals #animalplay #Antarctica #Canadianteacher #Canadianblogger #kindergarten #preschool #homeschool #Reggioinspired #winteractivities #prek #sensoryplay #sensoryplayideas
How I spent my afternoon.

🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈

#chickpeas #coloryourworld #rainbowcolors #teacherlife #funafternoon #thursdayvibes #teachersfollowteachers #canadianteacher #teacherblogger #teacherbloggers #puttingtheprettyinpreschool #sensoryplay #sensoryplayideas #kindergarten #preschool #homeschool
Glitzy, easy to make New Year’s craft. Link in p Glitzy, easy to make New Year’s craft. Link in profile leads to art and math New Year’s activities and resources for home or the classroom. 

🎷🎻🥁🎸🎹

#preschool #homeschool #kindergarten #iteachprek #iteach #teacherofig #NewYearsTheme #NewYearsDay #NewYearsCountdown #earlylearning #artylearning #kidscrafts101 #artandmath #puttingtheprettyinpreschool #2021
Season’s greetings to all. 

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

#SeasonsGreetings #heartdecoration #handprintart #handprint #red #heartart #recyclecraft #recyclecraftsforkids #paperbagcrafts #puttingtheprettyinpreschool #Christmaskeepsake
Christmas tree decorating center with miniature Ch Christmas tree decorating center with miniature Christmas trees.  Keep a lookout for after Christmas sales to purchase little trees for next year. 

🎄❄️🎄❄️🎄❄️🎄❄️🎄❄️🎄❄️🎄❄️🎄❄️🎄❄️

#miniaturetrees #treedecorating #decorations #ohChristmastree #playcenter #earlylearning #prekteacher #funcenter #artyplay #kindergarten #homeschooling #totsschool #kidfriendly
These handprint Christmas crafts are all done usin These handprint Christmas crafts are all done using paper bags as a base. Click the link in my profile for a blogpost featuring the crafts.

🎄❤️🎄❤️🎄❤️🎄❤️🎄❤️🎄❤️🎄❤️🎄❤️🎄❤️

#recycleandplay #handprintcrafts #Christmascrafts #reindeercraft #Christmastreecraft #handprints #handprintart #teachersfollowteachers #kindergarten #prek #earlylearning #artschool #artathome #puttingtheprettyinpreschool #Christmasdecorations #paperbagart
Sending a little angel your way today. #angels # Sending a little angel your way today. 

#angels #angelcraft #Christmascraft #kidscraft #tistheseason #crafting #craftingideas #prek #kindergarten #homeschooling #reggio #montessori #waldorf #teacher #teachersfollowteachers
Squish painted Christmas dove. Click the link in Squish painted Christmas dove.  Click the link in profile for a blogpost on dove Christmas art, and to snag a free dove printable. 

#Christmasart #squishpainting #Christmaspainting #painting #freeprintable #doveprintable #doveart #preschoolart #preschoolartactivity #earlylearning #playtolearn #prek #prekteacher #kindergarten #artidea #artideas #artsy #homeschooling #puttingtheprettyinpreschool
Butterfly Christmas decorations. #Christmasdecora Butterfly Christmas decorations.  #Christmasdecorating #Christmasdecorations #butterflydecorations #iteachprek #prekteacher #teacherofig #teachersfollowteachers #preschool #kindergarten #homeschooling
Happy Thanksgiving weekend to all those celebratin Happy Thanksgiving weekend to all those celebrating. This post is inspired by the Frozen II based storybook “We’ll Always Have Each Other.” The line “life may get harder sometimes but we’ll always have each other” seems even more fitting today than when it was written in 2019.

🍁🍂🌻🦃🌽🍁🍂🌻🦃🌽🍁🍂🌻🦃🌽🍁🍂🌻🦃🌽

#Frozen2 #trayfortheday #playtray #sensorybin #fallsensorybin  #sensoryplay #falltray #ThanksgivingDay #prek #prekfun #Frozen2inspired #fallcolors #pumpkins #leaves #apples #playallday #playtolearn #homeschoolingideas #preschool
“Spot The Turkeys” sensory tubes.

🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃

#sensorytubes #sensoryplay #turkeys #gobble #gobblegobble #playtolearn #Imnotreadyforwinter #fall2020 #handsonlearning #handson #prek #prekteacher #playidea #playideasforkids
Load More… Follow on Instagram

Subscribe Via Email

Recent Posts

  • Chinese New Year Sensory Play January 14, 2021
  • Winter Sensory Trays January 10, 2021
  • Color Explosion Science Experiment January 1, 2021
  • New Year’s Countdown Activities December 30, 2020
  • New Year’s Crafts December 29, 2020
  • Christmas Tree Decorating Center December 23, 2020
  • Christmas Tree Art December 21, 2020
  • Scissor Skill Gingerbread Man Craft December 19, 2020
  • Handprint Christmas Crafts December 18, 2020
  • Handprint Angel Craft December 16, 2020

Categories

Topics

angels apples Arctic block play bunnies Christmas Christmas craft Christmas tree color construction eggs experiment family fine motor activity flowers Frozen inspired gifts Happy New Year holiday keepsake keepsakes leaves loose parts multicultural painting paper crafts playdough printables pumpkins recycled craft rice bin scissor skills sensory bin sensory play skeletons skulls snakes spiders sunflowers tastesafe Thanksgiving Day trees turtles valentines water play

Copyright © 2021 · Lifestyle Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in