Annette Kaminsky

Valentine’s Day Heart Art

January 21, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This Valentine’s Day heart art project features an oversized valentine with a very personal touch. Lipstick in “notice me” colors adds to the excitement of making the picture.

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For this post, I purchased low-cost lipstick in as many hues as I could find. If you already have lipstick in a variety of colors, you will save in preparation time.

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Supplies To Collect

lipstick colors in a few different shades
large white circle or heart-shaped doily
foam sticker hearts
adhesive gems
glue stick
sharpie felt pen
two sheets of 12-inch by 12-inch cardstock (in colors that complement each other)

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Lipstick shades used for a Valentine's Day paper craft. Lipstick prints are the highlight of the oversized valentine.

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Making The Valentine’s Day Heart Art Picture

Help your child apply lipstick and make lip prints on the doily. You can suggest a different color for the top and bottom lips for added fun.

Invite your child to decorate the doily picture with foam sticker hearts and adhesive gems.

Write some loving words on the doily, or have your child do so.

Assist your child in gluing the doily heart onto the cardstock square of choice.

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As an alternative, you can use a heart-shaped doily. Have your child make lipstick prints on it and follow the rest of the instructions above.

Or the cardstock with the decorated doily could be cut into a heart shape and then glued onto a complimentary piece of sturdy paper.

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Purple, reds, and pinks are prominent in these arty valentines. Choose materials that go with the lipstick hues you have available. Colors like turquoise and/or gold for lips and complimentary art supplies can be showcased wonderfully in this craft.

To view lipsticks that come in unexpected colors, browse through a post from allure.com. Experimenting with unusual shades or making rainbow lipstick prints will add dramatic flair to this valentine’s keepsake.

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[Read more…]

Winter Wreath Paper Plate Craft

January 20, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Winter wreath craft made from a paper plate and recycled cards. A low-cost art project suitable for all ages to do.

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This winter wreath craft made from recycled cards and a paper plate is easy to assemble and displays well. It is gentle on the wallet too.

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Supplies To Collect

winter themed Christmas cards
paper plate
white wired ribbon
glue stick
scissors
glue gun
circle paper punches

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Paper plate winter wreath craft supplies. Circles cut from winter themed Christmas cards are the highlight of the art project.

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Save winter-themed cards from Christmas, and ask family and friends to pass on cards too. Keep an eye out for white ribbon on discount racks after the holidays. Purchase paper plates at a dollar store. If you manage all of the above, you will collect supplies for an economical fee and have leftover cards, plates, and ribbon for other crafts.

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Making The Winter Wreath

Cut or punch various sized circles from cards.

Cut a big circle out of the center of the paper plate.

Snip off a 24-inch piece of ribbon.

Invite your child to glue circles around the edge of the paper plate using a glue stick. An open spot should be left at the bottom or top of the plate for a bow.

Fold the ribbon into a bow. Use a glue gun to attach the bow to the wreath.

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Paper plate winter wreath craft using recycled cards. A low-cost art project suitable for all ages to do.

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The theme for this paper plate winter wreath can be snowmen, snowflakes, or polar animals. The ribbon you select may be patterned, or a different color altogether. The choices are yours!

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Winter Playdough Recipe

Spray Paint Snowflake Silhouette

Blue Candy Cane Science Experiment

Igloo Camping Pretend Play

Winter-themed Treasure Blocks

Polar Bear Small World

Winter Sensory Trays

Painting Ice and Snow

Ice Drum Musical Instruments

Frozen-Inspired Shadow Box

Scissor Skill Snow Cutting Activities

Kid’s Winter Wonderland Play Tablescape

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[Read more…]

Valentine’s Day Process Art

January 18, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky 2 Comments

Early learners love process art. They delight in exploring art materials and are not usually concerned about the finished product. Often the messier the project, the better! Here is a simple ice cube and powder paint activity your child will love to investigate.

Valentine's Day process art with an ice cube and powder paint technique. Llama shaped ice cubes give the project a South American flair. An art project suitable for all ages.

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This Valentine’s Day process art activity employs red and purple colors. Adding llama and heart ice cubes gives the project a South American flair. The painting activity transitions from a Winter to a Valentine’s Day theme.

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Valentine’s Day Process Art Supplies

llama and heart ice cube tray
shaker of red powder paint
shaker of purple powder paint
red glitter shaker
purple glitter shaker
12-inch x 16-inch multipurpose art paper
plate
spoon

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Valentine's Day process art supplies for an ice cube and powder paint technique. Llama shaped ice cubes give the project a South American flair. An art project suitable for all ages.

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Ice Cube and Powder Paint Process Art

Freeze water in the llama and heart ice cube tray.

Take the ice cubes out of the tray and place them on a plate.

Set out the paper, powder paint shakers, glitter shakers, ice cubes, and spoon.

Optional: Shapes or a word can be drawn on the paper with a crayon. Then the project will have a crayon resist element.

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Invite your child to shake powder paint on the paper, and spread it around with ice cubes. Your child can use a spoon to move the ice cubes or use hands for an added sensory experience.

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Valentine's Day process art invitation to paint using powdered colors. Llama shaped ice cubes give the project a South American flair. An art project suitable for all ages.

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If the paper is very wet, some watery color can be dabbed off with a scrunched-up napkin. This technique adds texture and depth to the project.

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Ice cube and powder paint technique. If the paper is very wet, some watery color can be dabbed off with a scrunched-up napkin. This adds texture and depth to the project.

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Invite your child to sprinkle on red and purple glitter for a finishing touch.

The picture can be left as is, or cut into a large heart shape when dry.

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A heart shape cut from a completed ice cube and powder paint process art picture. This Valentine's Day activity is suitable for all ages.

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This completed art piece looks like an exploding volcano on a mountain. It would sizzle as a backdrop for a few painted or drawn dinosaurs.

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This completed ice cube and powder paint process art picture looks like an exploding volcano on a mountain. It would sizzle as a backdrop for a few painted dinosaurs.

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A Valentine’s theme word or saying can be added.

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The word "Love" added to a heart shape cut from a completed ice cube and powder painted picture. This Valentine's Day process art activity is suitable for all ages.

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The words "Be KInd" added to a heart shape cut from a completed ice cube and powder painted picture. This Valentine's Day process art activity is suitable for all ages.

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All ice cube shapes would work wonderfully with this activity. Themed ice cubes add interest to an “of the moment” topic.

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[Read more…]

Snowman Sensory Play

January 17, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

These snowman sensory play ideas can be explored any time of year – winter or summer. When it’s super cold out and there is real snow on the ground, I’d rather play with these activities indoors!

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Snowman themed sensory play. Rice bins, sensory tube, and ten frame activities for early learners. Free printable included.

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Snowman Sensory Play Supplies

Collect these supplies for the activities that follow:

clear chunky gems
silver snowflake confetti, bead garland strips, and balls
white pom poms
orange beads, pom poms, and pipe cleaner pieces
black buttons and beads
snowmen buttons, ice cubes, and bottles
silver spoons

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Loose parts and snowman themed supplies to use in a sensory tray or tube.

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Snowman Sensory Tray

The materials are sprinkled on a white rice base in a square metal tray. The snowmen bottles are the find I was most excited about.

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Snowman sensory tray with a rice base and loose parts. Snowman bottles, ice cubes, and buttons are the highlights of the tray.

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An easy alternative to themed bottles is to draw snowmen’s faces on clear cups with black and orange permanent markers. Design some extra faces for snack cups…a dandy idea featured on a post from passionforsavings.com.

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Snowman sensory tray with a rice base. Clear cup snowmen, themed buttons, and snowmen ice cubes are included along with clear, orange, and black bits and baubles.

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Funnels, dessert cups, large white pom poms, and snowmen erasers would also make great additions.

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Ten Frame Activities

Ten frame activities are perfect for this snowman sensory tray. The frame makes it easy to introduce counting and adding challenges.

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Include this ten-frame printable (downloadable below) in the center and have your child find …

seven snowmen buttons
five ice cube snowmen
six orange beads and four black beads
five black parts and five orange parts
ten objects of any kind

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Snowman themed ten frame activity using rice bin supplies. Snowmen buttons and ice cubes with loose parts sprinkled in are ready to count in this math prompt.

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Ten FrameDownload

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An egg carton with two sections trimmed off transforms into a ten frame. A bonus is that the cups easily contain the supplies.

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An egg carton with one section cut off makes a perfect ten frame for counting snowmen buttons and ice cubes and loose parts.

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Snowman Themed Sensory Tube

Extend play possibilities by adding these snowman-themed materials to a sensory tube. You can get by with less of each supply, and variety is always nice!

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Snowman sensory tube with a rice base and loose parts. Snowman ice cubes and buttons are the highlights of the tube.

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You can never go wrong with a snowman theme, for any age! I hope these snowman sensory play activities enhance your child’s hands-on learning opportunities with this beloved topic.

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Magic Creamer Color Experiment

[Read more…]

New Year’s Sensory Tray

January 14, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

This New Year’s sensory tray shines bright with gold and silver accents. Two watch heads are the highlight of the bin, and children treasure finding them.

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New Year's sensory tray with gold and silver pieces. Two watch heads are the highlights. This tray offers math, language and sensory opportunities for learning.

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The collection of pieces below is all gold with a few silver parts added in. The musical instruments are black, only because the gold finish wore off in previous play! The alphabet letters are cut from “Happy New Year” necklaces.

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Gold and silver supplies to use in a New Year's sensory tray. Opportunity to sort and count pieces and make sets. Invitation to spell the wish "Happy New Year."

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The base ingredient is parboiled rice, as its yellow hue complements the gold tone of the bin. The ingredients are showcased in a silver metal square-shaped tray.

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A square-shaped silver metal tray is perfect for showcasing the gold and silver pieces in this New Year's sensory play center.

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Items In The New Year’s Sensory Tray:

parboiled rice
antique watch heads set to 12:00
tube confetti
confetti party hats and stars
sequins
foil pieces
tiny balls
beads
pom poms
bead garland strips
tinsel
bells
musical instruments
alphabet letters that spell the wish “Happy New Year”
star dessert cups
spoons

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Safari Toob musical instruments would be a stand out in this tray.

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Activities To Extend Exploration

Your early learner will enjoy sifting through the sensory tray and filling the star dessert cups with treasures. A few prompts will extend learning opportunities.

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New Year's sensory tray with gold and silver pieces. Two antique watch heads are the highlights. This tray offers math, language and sensory opportunities for learning.

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Search And Find Challenges

Challenge your child to…

find letter H, Y, etc.
collect five pom poms
shake bells in cupped hands to make music
search for watch heads
find three silver stars and two gold stars
add musical instruments to a star dessert cup

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Spelling “Happy New Year”

Cut necklaces into “HAPPY NEW YEAR” sections. Ask your little one to find the letters that make up the New Year’s greeting.

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New Year's sensory tray with an invitation to spell the wish "Happy New Year". This tray offers sensory, math and language opportunities for learning.

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The gold and silver pieces are not precious metals, but this New Year’s sensory tray has a rich feel that is sure to be inviting.

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To create a similar tray, keep an eye out for baubles to recycle from Christmas events or gift openings. As an alternative, you can put together a bright, colorful bin as seen at rubberbootsandelfshoes.

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More New Year’s Activities

New Year’s Eve Sensory Tray

New Year’s All Gold Sensory Activity

New Year’s Crafts

New Year’s Countdown Activities

New Year’s Art and Math Activities

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[Read more…]

Annette Kaminsky

Valentine’s Day Heart Art

Supplies To Collect

Making The Valentine’s Day Heart Art Picture

Winter Wreath Paper Plate Craft

Supplies To Collect

Making The Winter Wreath

Related:

Valentine’s Day Process Art

Valentine’s Day Process Art Supplies

Ice Cube and Powder Paint Process Art

Snowman Sensory Play

Snowman Sensory Play Supplies

Snowman Sensory Tray

Ten Frame Activities

Snowman Themed Sensory Tube

Related:

New Year’s Sensory Tray

Items In The New Year’s Sensory Tray:

Activities To Extend Exploration

Search And Find Challenges

Spelling “Happy New Year”

More New Year’s Activities