Putting the Pretty In Preschool

Finding Beauty In Everyday Early Childhood Experiences

autumn

Frozen 2 Inspired Sensory Bin

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Frozen 2 inspired sensory bin with pumpkins, apples, leaves, rocks, and craft supplies. A reindeer, snowman, and people characters complete the bin.

When I came across the Frozen II based storybook “We’ll Always Have Each Other” earlier this year, I immediately fell in love with the fall color scheme. The rich red and orange forest colors, peppered with gold, green, and purple got me super excited about putting together a Frozen 2 inspired sensory bin.

This endearing story written by John Edwards touches on pumpkins, the changing seasons, and the close friendship between Olaf and Anna. The line “life may get harder sometimes, but we’ll stay strong for each other” seems even more relevant today than when it was written more than a year ago.

Sensory Bin Color Guide

These papers were my color guide for choosing craft supplies and loose parts for the vibrant sensory bin. I used leaf punches in two different sizes to turn cardstock into tiny leaves to sprinkle in the bin.

The color guide for a Frozen 2 inspired sensory bin.
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Pumpkin Color Activities

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Pumpkin facts and color activities. Anatomy, color matching, and art activities.

Although orange pumpkins are traditional, and most grocery stores focus on selling them, these dramatic fruits come in many other hues. Diversely colored pumpkins can be scouted out at farmer’s markets and garden centers in autumn. They are intriguing in pumpkin color activities for little learners.

Pumpkin Display

First, set out pumpkins on a shelf for little ones to view. The contrasting colors make a striking display. Discuss pumpkin color, size, shape, and texture.

Pumpkins in mint, cream, black, yellow, and green colors.

Color Matching

Move the pumpkins to a table and invite early learners to add color words.

Color matching with mint, orange, green, cream, and black pumpkins.
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Beet Science And Sensory Activities

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Beet science and sensory activities. Beet washing station, ordering beets by size, and growing new greens and roots. Links to two festive recipes.

This fall at a greenhouse a display of golden beets caught my attention. They weren’t on my list to buy, but I couldn’t stop thinking about them after I got home. So on my next visit to the garden center, I purchased golden beets and a red bunch too. The showy vegetable inspired beet science and sensory activities that can be introduced on the fly.

Beet Washing Station

Set one or both kinds of beets in a tray with water and a vegetable brush. Invite your early learner to scrub the beets to make their color shine.

Beet washing station with red beets.
Red and golden beets in a beet washing station.
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Sunflower Seed Sensory Bin Activities

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Three sunflower seed sensory bins. Dinosaurs, sunflowers, pumpkins, sand toys, and loose parts are highlights of the bins.

A sunflower seed sensory bin is a fantastic way for early learners to explore these edible seeds, and use them in play. The seed base is a natural fit for fall and pumpkin-themed accessories. Here are three sensory bin suggestions brimming with these dramatic seeds.

Sunflower And Sand Toy Bin

Sand toys, sunflowers, and fall-themed gems in a sunflower seed sensory bin.

Add shovels. pails, sieves, watering cans, leaf gems, round fall-themed gems, and craft sunflowers in different sizes and colors to a sunflower seed base. This bin works well as a spring gardening center. Or extend summer into fall by offering the bin to your little learners in September.

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Butterfly Sunflower Papercraft

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A butterfly sunflower papercraft that is sure to wow. The sunflower head has a scrunched tissue center surrounded by paper butterflies.

This butterfly sunflower papercraft is easy to make and is sure to be a parent pleaser. It’s an all-around showy harvest craft. I did it with my preschoolers this fall and sent it home around Canadian Thanksgiving Day. I’ve included a downloadable pattern for the craft in the post.

Supplies To Collect

Paper supplies needed to make a butterfly-themed sunflower craft.

8 ½ x 11-inch cardstock paper in various shades of yellow

9 x 12-inch green and yellow fade-resistant construction paper

12 x 18-inch fade-resistant construction paper in shades of blue

brown construction paper

brown tissue paper

butterfly paper punches

white glue

glue stick

scissors

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Maple Leaf Activities

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Maple leaf paint print activities. Art, math, and display ideas for maple leaves.

Maple trees flourish in eastern Canada and turn vibrant colors in autumn. But I happily settled for these deep green maple leaves from a tree that can survive our harsh Alberta winters. When painted, they produce striking leaf prints. The prints look stunning displayed but can also be used for other maple leaf activities.

Green maple leaves.

Maple Leaf Activities

Leaf Prints

Early learners can join in making maple leaf prints. Set out orange, yellow, and red tempera paints, paintbrushes, and large pieces of sturdy paper. Invite your little learners to paint the leaves, turn them over, and press them onto the paper. Encourage them to gently rub all over each leaf before removing them.

Invitation to paint maple leaves to make leaf prints.
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Spooky Hands Craft

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Easy to make spooky hands craft using shiny white corn syrup paint, Q-tips, and nail art. A seasonal, all-ages activity that is sure to stun.

This shiny spooky hands craft is effortless to do and uses easy to gather materials. The supplies for this project can be found at your local grocery and dollar stores.

Supplies Needed

white corn syrup

orange, green, and purple food coloring

paint containers and brushes

spoons

spider-themed fake nails

skull-themed fake nails

polka dot fake nails

Q-Tips

spider gems

sturdy white paper

black permanent felt pen

scissors

Taste safe corn syrup paint ingredients.
Traced hands and supplies needed to make spider, skull, and skeleton hand-themed crafts.
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Celery Science Experiment

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Celery and food coloring science experiment.

This classic and colorful celery science experiment is easy to do and has quick results. It works well as a “color-changing celery tree” activity in autumn but is awesome to perform at any time of the year. Your early learner will be thrilled with the speedy and dramatic results of the experiment.

Supplies Needed

leafy celery stalks

glasses or jars

food coloring hues

pitcher with water

knife

cutting board

Celery and food coloring experiment supplies.

Procedure

Cut the bottoms from celery stalks.

Invite your early learner to generously squirt food coloring hues into glasses or jars, and add about 4 centimeters of water to each one.

Have your child place a celery stalk in each container, and use it to stir the liquids.  

Set the jars or glasses with celery on a table or windowsill.

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Horse Chestnut Leaf Art Activities

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A horse chestnut leaf featured in five easy to do art projects that are suitable for all ages.

Horse chestnut tree leaves are sizable and showy and have that “wow” factor.  They are deep green compound leaves with five to seven leaflets that live on a tree that is beautiful throughout the seasons. The palmate leaves are showcased along with large, spiked flowers in spring. They turn golden yellow in autumn and are accompanied by dramatic, prickly lime green fruits that are coverings for ultra-smooth nut-like seeds called conkers. The leaves are a spectacular subject for art. Featured in this post are five horse chestnut leaf art activities that are easy to do with your early learners.

Horse chestnut tree flowers in spring.
Flowers in spring.
Horse chestnut tree with fruit in autumn.
Leaves and fruit in autumn.
Horse chestnut tree conkers on the left, and broken fruit casings on the right.
Conkers and empty fruit casings.
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Turkey Sensory Tubes

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"Spot The Turkey" sensory tubes. Split pea and lentil base, glitter water base, and craft material base sensory tube ideas.

Here are three quick and inviting turkey sensory tubes to put together for a Thanksgiving, fall, or farm theme.  I used large water bottles with wide mouths purchased at a dollar store for these activities. Offer the tubes to little learners and have them “spot the turkeys.”

Three "Spot The Turkey" sensory tubes. Split pea and lentil base, glitter water base, and craft material base sensory tube ideas.

Split Pea And Lentil Based Sensory Tube

Split pea and lentil-based turkey sensory tube with turkey counters, and leaf, pumpkin, and apple gems.

This calming turkey sensory tube features a red split lentil and yellow split pea base. Also included are:

red, orange, and yellow rubber turkey counters

pumpkin and apple gems

fall round and leaf gems

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