Putting The Pretty In Preschool

Finding Beauty In Everyday Early Childhood Experiences

autumn

Fall Drip Ice Cake

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This fall drip ice cake sensory bin combines fall colors with ice and dinosaurs. It is suitable for a winter theme about ice or could be incorporated into a fall or dinosaur theme. It would be an inviting activity outside on a hot summer day.

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Supplies To Collect

Gather the following easy-to-find, inexpensive supplies for this super fun sensory bin:

  • ice cube molds
  • empty round food storage containers
  • small bottles
  • tempera paints
  • stir sticks
  • sensory tray
  • dinosaur figurines

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Preparing the Fall Drip Ice Cake Sensory Bin

To prepare this autumn drip ice cake sensory play experience first freeze water into ice shapes. Use molds such as Ice cube trays, margarine and yogurt containers, and an ice cream pail. Allow one or two days for the freezing to be complete.

Next, pick a sensory bin to use. A large active world tray is up to the task and provides ample room to explore accessories. A round saucer sled is smaller but also works well as a sensory bin.

Then add tempera paints in fall colors to small bottles. Leave a little room in the bottles to stir in water. This slightly thins the paints and makes them easier to pour.

When the ice shapes are thoroughly frozen stack the large ones on top of each other to create a three or four-tier cake.

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Afterward, spread ice cubes in various sizes around the cake in the bin. Then set dinosaur figurines among the cubes.

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Related: Paint Pour Ice Cake Winter Sensory Play

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The Fall Drip Ice Cake Sensory Invitation

To offer the fall drip ice cake sensory invitation gather participants around the bin.

Invite them to take turns pouring paint over the ice cake.

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When the bottles are empty, allow everyone to explore the paint-covered ice cake, frozen cubes, and dinosaurs in the bin.

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This icy sensory invitation incorporating fall colors and dinosaur figurines is bound to be a favorite.

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More Fall Activities

Fall Tablescape Pretend Play

Fall Leaf Salad Spinner Art

Fall Scissor Skills Activities

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Eye Dropper Bat Art

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Eye dropper art is a super satisfying painting technique, and it’s so quick and easy to do. This eye dropper bat art project is a good choice for October, as the winged creatures are commonly spotted in fall creative activities and décor.

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Supplies to Collect

Gather the following supplies for this flying mammal art activity:

  • paper towel sheets
  • liquid watercolors
  • paint pots or jars
  • eye droppers or pipettes
  • pencil and scissors
  • bat template
  • wiggly eyes
  • white glue or a glue gun
  • waterproof tablecover

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Eye Dropper Bat Art

To begin this vibrant bat art activity, cover a table with a waterproof tablecover.

Next, trace and cut out large bats from paper towel sheets. Thick paper towels work best. You are welcome to use the free template available to download below.

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Bat Art PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Afterward, pour liquid watercolors in a variety of colors into small jars or paint pots. Liquid food coloring hues with water stirred in are a suitable substitute for liquid watercolor paints.

Then place the paint jars on the table and add eye droppers or pipettes.

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Set out a paper towel bat for each participant and invite them to drop paint all over their fruit-pollinating winged animal.

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Then let the paint-soaked bats dry. Leaving them in place to dry is recommended if there is room. Otherwise, carefully remove each color-infused bat to another spot.

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When dry, use white glue or a glue gun to add two wiggly eyes to each bat for a cute finishing touch.

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Related:

Bat Necklace Craft

Fall Pom Pom Tree Craft

Felt Marker Chromatography Experiment

Try this easy-to-do felt marker chromatography "scary house" experiment. It has possibilities for art and imaginative play.

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Painted Skeleton Sensory Bin

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Skeletons can appear more than a little scary, but bold or subtle artsy touches soften them up and make them fun for little learners to explore. I recently found a gorgeous little folk art wooden skeleton and decided to repurpose it in a painted skeleton sensory bin.

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Skeleton Sensory Bin Supplies

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The following simple supplies were used for the sensory bin:

  • wooden skeleton parts
  • skeleton figurine
  • acrylic paint
  • paint palette and brushes
  • pom poms
  • beads
  • wooden flowers
  • spider figurines
  • white rice
  • sensory bin

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The Painted Skeleton Sensory Bin

The sky is the limit regarding accessories suitable for sensory bins, so it is super easy to collect supplies. A beautifully painted folk art skeleton featuring bones attached with jute twine was a find one fall day. Although meant to be a wall hanging, I saw possibilities for sensory play.

The skeleton parts were daintily painted in folk art designs on one side and were white everywhere else. After snipping off the jute connectors, I decided to paint the white sides in matching colors to add interest to the pieces and help them stand out.

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Out came acrylic paints in blue and pink colors along with an artist’s palette and paintbrushes. I mixed the paints into pink and light blue hues and carefully painted the skeleton pieces other than the skull with a few coats of color.

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When the painted wooden bones were dry, I placed them in a rice-filled bin. Then I dropped in pom poms, beads, wooden flowers, and spider figurines in similar colors to add design possibilities.

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Finally, I included a toy skeleton figurine in the bin to model how a complete skeleton looks. A diagram of a skeleton would be a great addition too.

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More Skeleton Activities

Skeleton Sunflower Seed Bin

Skeleton Treasure Blocks

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Glam Skeleton Playdough Tray

Skeleton and Eyeball Water Play

Q-Tip Skeleton Craft

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Glam Skeleton Sensory Bin

Skeleton Preschool Theme

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Spider Web Doily Art

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Arty spider webs are everywhere during this time of year, and doilies are an exquisite supply for creating web décor. These spider web doily art projects are color-infused with gorgeous seasonal hues using a crayon-resist painting technique.

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Spider Web Doily Art Supplies

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Gather the following supplies for this anything-but-creepy spider-themed art project:

  • paper doilies in a variety of sizes and shapes
  • watercolor tempera paint cakes
  • white crayon
  • pencil
  • ruler
  • paint brush
  • paint pot
  • scissors
  • spider figurine
  • glue gun
  • waterproof table cover

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Creating Spider Web Doily Art

To create beautiful watercolor doily art first cover an art table with a waterproof tablecloth.

Next, select a doily to use as a canvas for painting.

Then, use a pencil and ruler to draw faint straight lines that radiate from a focal point in the center of the doily. Draw over the white lines with a white crayon or any color. Add silky curved connecting lines with the crayon to complete the web.

Note: When offering this activity to early learners, you may wish to draw the webs on the doilies and have them paint over them.

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Afterward, set watercolor tempera cakes in the colors of your choice in a paint tray. I love the pink, purple, orange, and gold hues spotted on web décor on recent shopping trips and use these colors.

Fill a paint pot with water, wet the tempera cakes, and paint over the drawn spider web. Spread the color over the whole doily or up to the lacy edging.

Note: Liquid watercolors are a luminous alternative for this painting activity.

When the arty web is dry use a glue gun to add a spider figurine in a matching or contrasting color. Adhere the paper spider web to a contrasting cardstock paper hue if desired.

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If using a large round doily, it’s a nice look to cut out a section of the web to become your finished design.

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Variations of the Spider Web Doily Art

Round or rectangular craft doilies are easy to find, but heart doilies also work wonderfully as a canvas for a spider web art activity. In addition to being super lacy, they remind us to give spiders some much-needed love.

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Crochet doilies make perfect ready-made spider webs. Left unpainted, white or cream-colored ones look like natural webs. It is superbly satisfying to add color to them, as watercolor paints soak in very well. For a stunning look display a color-infused web and spider figurine on a mirror.

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More Spectacular Doily Art

In addition to providing the canvas for spider web doily art, use the exquisite paper shapes in a novel way for more painting fun. In the projects below, doilies are placed on paper, and the lacy cutouts are carefully filled with watercolor tempera paints. A beautiful design appears after the doily is lifted off.

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In this second project, the area above the doily is painted too. When the doily is removed, the design is so realistic it looks exactly like the paper doily.

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More Spider Activities

Spider Theme Activities

Green Huntsman Spider Activities

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Ribbon and Cord Pumpkin Craft

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At this time of year, there are many beautiful, vibrant fall décor and craft supplies to view. A stroll through any craft or home décor store is a pure delight. A splendid bundle of sewing supplies spotted on one excursion inspired this easy-to-make ribbon and cord pumpkin craft. Download the free pumpkin pattern in this post to make craft preparation easier.

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Ribbon and Cord Pumpkin Craft Supplies

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The following supplies are used for this colorful autumn craft:

  • cardstock in green, gold, tan, and cream hues
  • fabric ribbon
  • rickrack trim
  • braided cord
  • pom pom fringe
  • craft ribbon
  • double-sided tape
  • white glue and glue gun
  • scissors and pencil

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The Ribbon and Cord Pumpkin Craft

To make this textured fall pumpkin craft, start by selecting yarn, thin braided cord, sewing and craft ribbons, rickrack trim, and dainty pom pom fringe in the colors and patterns of your choice. Orange, tan, green, and brown hues are featured in mine.

Once your ribbon and cord hues are picked out, choose complementary cardstock and construction paper colors. Green, gold, cream, and tan are natural choices.

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Using white glue or a glue gun, affix varying colors and widths of the ribbon and cord in rows to a piece of sturdy paper. Make sure to leave a little bit of space around the edge of the cardstock. My design is made with craft supplies placed horizontally, but a vertical or diagonal placement would work wonderfully too.

Next, cut strips of double-sided tape and add one near each corner of the ribbon and cord-embellished paper. Add additional tape strips if needed.

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Then trace and cut out a pumpkin from the same-sized paper in another hue, leaving the border around the pumpkin shape uncut. Feel free to download this pumpkin pattern for the task.

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Pumpkin Craft PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Finally, gently position the paper with the pumpkin cut out on top.

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The ribbon and cord pumpkin craft is ready for display.

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Variations of the Pumpkin Craft

Little learners may find it easier to glue the ribbon and cord sewing supplies in a random design. The results would be equally interesting.

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This craft uses a variety of colors and textures of sewing and crafting ribbons and cords. Feel free to use the supplies you have available for the craft. It would look equally stunning with only yarn colors or craft ribbon hues.

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