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Putting The Pretty In Preschool

Finding Beauty In Everyday Early Childhood Experiences

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crafts

New Year’s Rice Bin

December 27, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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A sensory bin is one of the easiest ways to usher in a new theme, and this new year’s rice bin does just that. I have this gold and silver-laden bin waiting for my preschoolers to explore when they return from their Christmas break next week.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies In The Bin

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The following supplies are in the glitzy bin:

  • gold and silver wrapped foam mini presents
  • silver star-shaped dessert cups
  • tiny gold trophies
  • gold play coins
  • silver beads
  • gold clip tree decorations
  • gold spoon
  • silver bell ornament

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New Year’s Rice Bin

As with many of my sensory activities on the blog, a white bus tub is the bin of choice. It is large enough for two or three children to explore comfortably and doesn’t require an exorbitant amount of sensory base.

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White glutinous rice is the base for the bin, another one of my favorite sensory supplies.

Scooping and pouring rice using the tiny gold trophies and silver star-shaped dessert cups develops eye-hand coordination.

Little learners can gather and count the gold coins.

Gold clip tree decorations and silver beads (cut from a garland) add glitz to the bin.

Spoons are a basic accessory my preschoolers always want to be included in a sensory bin.

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The silver bell is not just a plain bell. It is shaped like an octopus. To see how it is made, view my blog post Octopus Christmas Craft. There is a free template to download should you decide to make an octopus-themed bell to help ring in the new year.

Happy New Year!

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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 Countdown Activities

New Year’s Crafts

New Year’s Sensory Tray

New Year’s Art and Math Activities

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[Read more…] about New Year’s Rice Bin

Filed Under: crafts, Math, music, New Year's, preschool, sensory Tagged With: Happy New Year, musical instruments, New Year's crafts, New Year's Eve, rice bin, sensory bin

Octopus Christmas Craft

December 22, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Bells and Christmas go hand in hand, and this jingly octopus Christmas craft fits right in. It is easy to make and is guaranteed to be treasured by your little learners.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

Gather the following supplies to make all three colors of this Christmas musical instrument craft:

  • red, green, and silver cardstock paper
  • large red, green, and silver jingle bells
  • small Christmas foam balls
  • wiggly eyes
  • white glue
  • scissors and pencil

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Making the Octopus Christmas Craft

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To make this festive musical craft, start by cutting out a circular design with eight curved legs from red, green, and silver cardstock paper. Feel free to download this octopus template to use for the craft.

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Octopus Craft PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Next, use white glue or a glue gun to adhere a large jingle bell in the same color to the middle of the eight-legged base.

Afterward, glue a similarly colored small glitter foam ball to the tip of each paper leg.

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Finally, add two wiggly eyes to the jingle bell-themed octopus.

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Variations Of This Octopus Christmas Craft

Here are a few ways to vary the octopus craft to make it your own:

Instead of using a large jingle bell for the leggy craft, use a similarly-sized foam ball that has been spray-painted with red, green, or silver paint.

Rather than adhering small foam balls to the tips of the legs, glue on small jingle bells or large round beads cut from garland. Either of these will add a little weight to the octopus legs, allowing the metallic decoration to hang nicely when held.

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Each octopus Christmas craft can be made in two or three complementary colors instead of a monochrome palette.

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Christmas Octopus Craft Play

This jingle jangle Christmas craft is not just meant to look pretty sitting on a decorated mantle. Set the shiny octopuses out in a space your little learners can access. Tell them that this craft is a musical instrument, so should be handled gently. The wiggly-eyed octopuses will be moved around to different spots and your little charges will enjoy listening to their soft and gentle musical sounds.  

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The octopus Christmas craft also makes unique jingle bells for your little learners to use to accompany popular holiday songs such as Jingle Bells and Jingle Bells Rock.

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More Christmas Crafts

Paper Airplane Christmas Craft

Spin Painting Poinsettia Craft

Paper Bag Christmas Ornaments

Monochromatic Christmas Tree Art

CD Case Christmas Craft

Christmas Sheep Craft

Washi Tape Christmas Pots

Handprint Angel Craft

Turtle Christmas Craft

Christmas Tree Art

Christmas Dove Art

Handprint Angel Christmas Keepsake

Woodland Fox Treat Holder

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[Read more…] about Octopus Christmas Craft

Filed Under: Christmas, crafts, music, ocean, preschool, sensory Tagged With: Christmas crafts, musical instruments, octopus

Snowflake Reindeer Craft

December 21, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This snowflake reindeer craft is a fun Christmas one to include in your rotation of festive activities. It gives little learners a chance to use scissors and paint and help create an animal craft. Download the free printable to make this craft super easy to put together.

The original plan for this activity was to create a neutral snowflake reindeer paper craft. The neutral paper proved to be a little hard to cut into snowflakes, so my little charges moved on to cutting shapes from coffee filters instead. This led to painting them in pink, purple, and turquoise hues, not anywhere near actual reindeer colors. So we ended up making brown red-nosed reindeer, and others in turquoise, pink, and purple hues.

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Snowflake Reindeer Craft Supplies

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Gather the following supplies to make this cute snowflake reindeer craft:

  • round coffee filters
  • brown, pink, purple, and turquoise liquid watercolors or tempera paint blocks
  • paint pots
  • paintbrushes
  • brown, turquoise, purple, white, cream, and grey cardstock paper
  • red, pink, and teal pompoms
  • wiggly eyes
  • glue stick
  • white glue
  • scissors

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The Snowflake Reindeer Craft

To make the reindeer craft, start by having participants fold and cut coffee filters into snowflake designs. A lovely blog post by supermakeit.com shows how to create them.

Next, invite participants to paint a snowflake light brown, using liquid watercolor paint or tempera blocks made wet with water.

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While the painted coffee filter snowflakes are drying, cut reindeer heads and legs from brown cardstock, and antlers from cream-colored cardstock. Older children can do this themselves. Feel free to download this pattern to make craft preparation easier.

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Reindeer Craft PatternDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Afterward, have participants use a glue stick to adhere their decorated snowflake to the center of 8 ½ x 11-inch or 12-inch x 12-inch cardstock paper.

Then guide them in using their glue stick to tack on the reindeer’s head, antlers, and legs.

Finally, have them use white glue to adhere two wiggly eyes and a red pompom nose to their reindeer.

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In addition to having children paint snowflakes in a neutral hue, set out a few other paint colors. Purple, pink, and turquoise are good color choices for painting them. Offer complementary-colored cardstock for the reindeer heads, antlers, noses, and legs.

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More Christmas Crafts

Paper Airplane Christmas Craft

Spin Painting Poinsettia Craft

Paper Bag Christmas Ornaments

Monochromatic Christmas Tree Art

CD Case Christmas Craft

Christmas Sheep Craft

Washi Tape Christmas Pots

Handprint Angel Craft

Turtle Christmas Craft

Christmas Tree Art

Christmas Dove Art

Handprint Angel Christmas Keepsake

Woodland Fox Treat Holder

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[Read more…] about Snowflake Reindeer Craft

Filed Under: art, Christmas, crafts, preschool, winter Tagged With: coffee filters, painting, paper crafts, reindeer, scissor skills, snowflakes

Paper Airplane Christmas Craft

December 18, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Children tend to get more and more energetic during the countdown to Christmas, and this paper airplane Christmas craft is bound to put some of that boundless energy to productive use. With the holiday airplane, children can transport paper passengers to the North Pole and back…so fun!

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

Gather the following supplies for this Christmas air transportation craft:

  • red and green copy paper
  • recycled Christmas or gift cards
  • number stickers
  • scissors
  • glue stick or glue gun
  • black marker

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The Paper Airplane Christmas Craft

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To make the craft, fold 8 ½ x 11- inch pieces of red and green copy paper into airplanes. I picked a basic model for the craft. HGTV has a great blog post titled “How To Make A Paper Airplane” detailing how to design it and craft a few other unique airplane styles.

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Then, select recycled Christmas or gift cards with animal or snowman characters and cut around them. A cardstock Santa would be fun to include too.

Next, use a glue stick or glue gun to affix the cutouts in the middle of Christmas planes. Then add more glue in spots that keep the airplanes folded together. As an alternative, use tape to secure the folded paper into airplane shapes.

Afterward, using a black marker, write the name of a North Pole airline on one side of the airplanes, and add number stickers to the other side. Or use the marker for the numbers too.

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Now the Christmas airplanes are ready to be tested in a flight. Little aviators can see how high, far, and fast their airplane can fly.

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Variations of the Paper Airplane Christmas Craft

Here are two variations of this festive airliner craft:

  • Use thin Christmas-themed double-sided scrapbook paper for the airplanes. This is an easy way to add color and pattern to the craft.
  • Use photo cutouts of your child and his friends to insert into the plane instead of animals, snowmen, and Santas.               

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More Christmas Crafts:

Spin Painting Poinsettia Craft

Paper Bag Christmas Ornaments

Monochromatic Christmas Tree Art

CD Case Christmas Craft

Christmas Sheep Craft

Washi Tape Christmas Pots

Handprint Angel Craft

Turtle Christmas Craft

Christmas Tree Art

Christmas Dove Art

Handprint Angel Christmas Keepsake

Woodland Fox Treat Holder

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[Read more…] about Paper Airplane Christmas Craft

Filed Under: Christmas, crafts, preschool, pretend play Tagged With: airplanes, paper crafts, recycled cards

Spin Painting Poinsettia Craft

December 17, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Gorgeous new poinsettia varieties have been developed in recent years, and this spin painting poinsettia craft is based on a spotted poinsettia newcomer. Native to Mexico, poinsettias are prevalent during the Christmas season, and this craft is a beautiful way to include them. The craft gives children an opportunity to participate in two well-loved process art activities: spin painting and spatter painting.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

Just a few supplies are needed for this simple speckled poinsettia craft:

  • pale green or creamy white cardstock paper
  • decorative cardstock paper
  • red and pink tempera paint
  • paint pots and spoons
  • old toothbrushes
  • salad spinner
  • scissors and pencil
  • glue stick or glue gun
  • adhesive gem stickers
  • art tablecloth

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Starting The Spin Painting Poinsettia Craft

To make this beautiful spin painting poinsettia craft, start by cutting a circle from pale green or creamy white cardstock. It should fit just inside the bottom of your salad spinner basket.

Next, place the circle at the bottom of the salad spinner. On a table covered with an art tablecloth, use spoons to drop in red and pink tempera paint.

Tip: If you do not have pink tempera paint, mix a little white tempera into a pot of red and you’ll have a nice pink color to use.

Give the salad spinner a good spin and take a peek. You can choose to add more spoonfuls of paint if you wish and give it another spin.

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Afterward, take the paint-filled circle out of the spinner and spatter pink and red paint on it using toothbrushes. Then let the process art project thoroughly dry.

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Carefully cut poinsettia leaves from the decorated circle. Feel free to download this poinsettia pattern to make your crafting easier.

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Poinsettia Craft Pattern PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Note: A little paint may chip off during the cutting. But you’ll have plenty left to give your poinsettia leaves a spotted look.

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Assembling The Poinsettia

To assemble the poinsettia, choose a decorative piece of cardstock paper to use as a background.

Then choose four painted and cut leaves and glue them on. Affix them in the shape of an X, leaving a little space in the center.

Afterward, glue the other four leaves in between.

Finally, add three to five medium-sized adhesive gems to the center.

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Variations of the Spin Painting Poinsettia Craft

In addition to making a great wall art project, this poinsettia craft would look superb on a holiday greeting card.

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Novelty poinsettias come in a wide range of colors, and the carstock leaves could be brush-painted in hues such as vibrant red or orange, salmon pink, or peach. The color possibilities for this poinsettia holiday craft project are endless.

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More Christmas Crafts

Paper Bag Christmas Ornaments

Monochromatic Christmas Tree Art

CD Case Christmas Craft

Christmas Sheep Craft

Washi Tape Christmas Pots

Handprint Angel Craft

Turtle Christmas Craft

Christmas Tree Art

Christmas Dove Art

Handprint Angel Christmas Keepsake

Woodland Fox Treat Holder

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[Read more…] about Spin Painting Poinsettia Craft

Filed Under: art, Christmas, crafts, flowers, preschool Tagged With: painting, poinsettias, spin art

Woodland Fox Treat Holder

December 16, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This woodland fox treat holder is inspired by gingerbread man stories, which I often read to my preschoolers in December.

The interaction between the fox and the gingerbread cookie is always a highlight of each story. One of the first years we read a series of gingerbread stories, we happened to start by reading tales wherein the gingerbread cookie outsmarted the fox. When we finally read a version in which the spicy cookie did get eaten by a sly fox, one little preschooler couldn’t believe it. After a round of gingerbread man stories this year, a little learner asked “Do you think the gingerbread cookie will ever really get away?”

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At the end of our current gingerbread storybook theme, I thought it would be fun to craft a fox treat holder for each preschooler. And to have a little gingerbread cookie in it. Below are instructions to make the treat holder, and a template to download for the craft.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Woodland Fox Treat Holder Supplies

Gather the following supplies to make the whimsical fox treat holder:

  • rust-colored cardstock paper
  • cream-colored cardstock paper
  • light brown pipe cleaner
  • black pom pom
  • wiggly eyes
  • black felt pen
  • glue stick
  • glue gun
  • crafted gingerbread person or a gingerbread cookie
  • candy cane

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Making The Woodland Fox Treat Holder

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To make the woodland animal treat holder, start by cutting two fox faces from rust-colored cardstock paper. Feel free to download this fox template for the craft.

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Fox Treat Holder PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Then bend the cream-colored pipe cleaner into a half circle and use a glue gun to affix it to the ears of one fox head to create a handle.

Next, glue the edges of the fox together starting just below the ears.

Afterward, cut a heart shape from the cream-colored cardstock and glue it to the second rust-colored fox head. Then draw a mouth with a black marker.

Finally, glue on a black pom pom nose just above the mouth, and add two wiggly eyes.

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Gingerbread Person and Candy Cane Favors

When the woodland fox treat holder is finished, have your little learner craft a gingerbread person to put inside. Then add a candy cane. The treat holder holds a small crafted gingerbread person and a large candy cane nicely.

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Or you could add an edible gingerbread cookie and candy cane to the treat holder.

This crafted duo also makes a cute decoration to add to a Christmas tree.

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More Gingerbread Man Activities

Melted Candy Gingerbread Ornaments

Gingerbread Sensory Bin

Gingerbread Playdough

Scissor Skill Gingerbread Man

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[Read more…] about Woodland Fox Treat Holder

Filed Under: art, book theme, Christmas, crafts, preschool Tagged With: forest, gingerbread cookies, gingerbread man, paper crafts

Edible Playdough Turkey Craft

November 22, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Here’s a sweet, edible playdough turkey craft just in time for Thanksgiving Day. It is suitable any time of the year for a farm animal theme. It is simple to make and uses five easy-to-find ingredients.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

Gather the following supplies for this color-infused playdough turkey:

  • chocolate frosting
  • vanilla frosting
  • powdered sugar
  • candy corn
  • white candy eyes
  • small serving plate
  • large mixing bowl
  • large spoon for stirring
  • knife

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Making The Edible Playdough

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To make this edible playdough, first select a large bowl for the ingredients.

Next, empty half a container of vanilla frosting into the bowl.

Then scoop in an equal amount of powdered sugar.

With a large spoon, stir the powdered sugar and frosting together.

Afterward, knead the ingredients thoroughly, adding more powdered sugar or frosting if necessary, until the dough is a non-sticky playdough consistency.

Make a similar batch of playdough using chocolate frosting, incorporating powdered sugar with the brown icing.

Then form a ball of vanilla playdough and a smaller one of chocolate. Knead the two balls together to get a light brown shade.

Finally, add a little vanilla playdough to a ball of chocolate. Knead them together to get the medium brown shade.

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Little learners will love to help make this tasty edible playdough, and will especially enjoy the kneading part. Discussions about color mixing, spheres, and small and large sizes can be introduced during the playdough and turkey-making process.

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The Edible Playdough Turkey

Fashioning the playdough turkey is almost as easy as making the two colors of dough.

First, form a ball of medium brown playdough and flatten it into a circle on a dessert plate.

Next, make a light bulb shape from the light brown playdough and press it on top of the circle, designing a turkey head and neck.

Then add two candy eyes and a candy corn beak.

Tip: Slice off the wide end of a piece of candy corn with a knife to make a shorter beak if desired.

Finally, position candy corn pieces all around the edge of the large playdough circle.

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You may have noticed that this playdough is super sweet. It’s a good idea to encourage participants to design their turkey first and then snack on some of the extra supplies.

After the turkeys are made and participants have had the chance to do a little snacking, wrap leftover frosting playdough in saran wrap and place it in a jar or plastic bag. Store the playdough and part containers of frosting in the fridge to use another time.

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Festive Graham Cracker Turkeys

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The leftover frosting and candy eyes will come in handy for desserts, so nothing will go to waste. One idea is to spread a thin layer of chocolate or vanilla frosting on graham crackers. Add two candy eyes to each one, and five candy corn pieces around the upper edges. Slice off the wider end of some of the candy corn pieces and place them under the eyes for beaks. You’ll end up with festive turkey treats that will quickly be gobbled up by your little charges.

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Non-Edible Playdough Turkey

The tasty turkey can be made with a basic playdough recipe instead of the sweet, edible dough. You can leave the playdough uncolored to create a white farm turkey or add varying amounts of brown gel icing color to small batches of playdough to get similar turkey colors as with the edible playdough turkey.

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More Turkey Activities

Paper Plate Turkey Craft

Turkey Sensory Tubes

Coffee Playdough Turkey

Turkey Playdough Tray

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More Playdough Recipes and Activities

Apple Playdough Tray

Scented Playdough Activities

Pumpkin Playdough Activities

Orange-scented Playdough Invitation

Chocolate Mint Playdough

Santa Claus Playdough Tray

Valentine’s Day Playdough Activities

St. Patrick’s Day Playdough Tray

Easter Playdough Tray

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[Read more…] about Edible Playdough Turkey Craft

Filed Under: art, autumn, crafts, desserts, farm animals, Food Art, playdough, preschool, Thanksgiving Day Tagged With: playdough, snacks, turkeys

Q-tip Skeleton Craft

October 28, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Out shopping this fall, I couldn’t help but notice the beautiful skull art in craft and home décor stores. Pastel skull heads were one of my favorite finds, and this colorful dyed Q-Tip skeleton craft is inspired by them. It is super fun to do, so why not give it a try.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

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For this cute skeleton craft, gather the following supplies:

  • Q-tips
  • liquid food coloring
  • paint pots or small jars
  • paint brushes
  • black fadeless construction paper
  • white paper
  • paper in pastel shades
  • thin marker
  • scissors
  • paper towel roll
  • white glue
  • glue stick
  • glue paddle

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How To Dye Q-Tips

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Before setting out supplies for this craft, dye a package of Q-tips in various pastel shades.

To dye Q-tips, pour liquid food colors of choice into small paint pots or jars, and mix in a little water. My chosen colors were turquoise, orange, violet, and neon green.

Next, quickly dip each soft Q-tip end into a jar of liquid color and lay the Q-tips out to dry onto paper towel strips.

When dry, gather the Q-tips and sort them by color into a compartment tray.

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The Q-tip Skeleton Craft

The first thing to do when making a Q-tip skeleton is to select or craft a skull to use. Here are three options:

  • Draw a skull on white or pastel paper using a marker, and fill in the eye socket and teeth details. Then cut it out.
  • Select a sticker or crafted skull.
  • Use a skull rubber stamp/ink pad to print the skull.

On a last-minute shopping trip, I was happy to find a package of skull-themed paper doilies, from which I cut a few skull heads. They work perfectly for the craft as they can be painted.

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After picking out a skull design and painting it with a pastel shade if desired, use white glue or a glue stick to tack it near the top of a black piece of fadeless construction paper.

Next, lay out Q-tips in the shape of a skeleton below the skull. Whole Q-tips work fine for the rib cage and backbone, and Q-tips cut into various lengths with a pair of scissors are best for the arms and legs. Q-tip ends are perfect for the little fingers.

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When you have a design that you are happy with, use a glue paddle to add white glue to the Q-tip ends, and carefully affix them one by one to your skeleton design.

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A group of crafted Q-Tip skeletons would be eye-catching if displayed together, as each pose is bound to look different.

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Q-tip Skeleton Arm

Instead of making a whole skeleton out of Q-tips, trace an arm from black construction paper, cut it out, and glue Q-tip pieces to it. This Q-tip craft version draws attention to the many bones in the hands, and the two bones in the lower arm.

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Q-tip Skeleton Transient Craft

If you are short on time but would still like to offer a Q-tip skeleton-building experience, this craft project could be set up as a transient craft invitation.

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More Skeleton Activities

Skeleton Preschool Theme

Glam Skeleton Sensory Bin

Skeleton and Eyeball Waterplay

Glam Skeleton Playdough Tray

Floral Decorated Skeleton

Skeleton Treasure Blocks

Spaghetti and Eyeball Sensory Bin

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[Read more…] about Q-tip Skeleton Craft

Filed Under: art, crafts, fall, preschool, science, sensory Tagged With: color experiment, skeletons

Paper Plate Turkey Craft

October 8, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Paper plate crafts are always a hit, and this paper plate turkey craft is a super cute one. Fit it during a farm animal theme or letter T mini-theme, or save it for a Thanksgiving Day celebration. Download the free turkey template to prepare this craft with ease.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

For this adorable farm animal craft, gather the following supplies:

  • large paper plate
  • red, yellow, orange, and brown construction paper or cardstock
  • red pipe cleaner
  • wiggly eyes
  • white glue and glue paddle
  • glue stick
  • glue gun

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Paper Plate Turkey Prep

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To prepare this animal craft, first cut a paper plate in half.

Next, cut a large circle from brown construction paper or cardstock, and two sizes of smaller circles from red, orange, and yellow sturdy paper.

Then cut a narrow diamond and two small hearts from orange paper.

The last thing to do is snip a three-inch strip from a red pipe cleaner.

To make things easier, download this free turkey craft template to use for cutting out the shapes.

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Paper Plate Turkey PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Tip: Paper punches are very helpful in preparing this craft.

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Making The Paper Plate Turkey Craft

To make this cute turkey craft, start by using white glue and a glue paddle to adhere red, orange, and yellow circles to the semi-circular plate.

Next, glue the brown circle to the bottom middle of the straight edge of the plate, allowing a little bit of the circle to fall below the edge. This will be the turkey head.

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Then glue two wiggly eyes to the large circle.

Afterward, fold the narrow diamond shape in half to make a beak. Glue the folded bottom half of the beak underneath the eyes.

Then fashion the red pipe cleaner strip into a narrow loop. Glue the loop to the beak so that it hangs down as a snood.

Finally, glue two heart-shaped feet to the bottom of the turkey head.

Let the crafted turkey dry overnight and it will be ready for display.

Note: A glue stick or glue gun will also work to adhere the shapes in this craft.

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This paper plate turkey is made entirely of geometric shapes, so the craft presents a great opportunity to discuss and review them.

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Paper Plate Turkey Headband

For a fun twist to this craft, turn the paper plate turkey into a headband.

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First, make sure to adhere the bottom edge of the turkey head to the straight edge of the semi circle.

Next, glue on the eyes, beak, and snood as in the first craft.

Then cut two 1 ½ x 11 inch strips from a piece of cardstock. Glue the two strips together on one side, and then adhere the paper plate turkey on top, lining it up with the bottom edge.

Measure the headband to fit the wearer, and glue the remaining two ends together.

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More Turkey Activities

Coffee Playdough Turkey

Thanksgiving Tablescape Pretend Play

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[Read more…] about Paper Plate Turkey Craft

Filed Under: autumn, crafts, dramatic play, fall, preschool, pretend play, Thanksgiving Day Tagged With: dramatic play, paper crafts, turkeys

Cauliflower Theme Activities

September 17, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Easy and fun cauliflower theme activities. Art, craft, science and snack ideas are included in this hands-on vegetable theme. A free printable is included.
Easy and fun cauliflower theme activities. Art, craft, science and snack ideas are included in this hands-on vegetable theme.

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Beans in a variety of colors weren’t the only thing I discovered on a recent street market stroll. I also stumbled upon a delightful vegetable stall with three different colors of cauliflower. The uniquely hued vegetables are the inspiration for cauliflower theme activities to try, including super easy raw and cooked cauliflower snacks, cauliflower science, and arts and crafts activities.

The easiest cauliflower to find is white, but did you know that this popular vegetable also comes in green, orange, and purple colors? These additional hues have recently popped up at vegetable stands. They add variety to food offerings and would certainly be a conversation piece at any gathering.

Three cauliflower colors spotted at a farmer's market to use in a vegetable tray or a roasted dish.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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The cauliflower colors I feature in the snacks below are cream, light green, and medium green.

Note: On another street market stroll I came across an orange variety, shown in a photo below. I am still on the hunt for purple and look forward to being able to find it.

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Cauliflower Snacks

Cauliflower is a versatile vegetable and can be used in many different dishes. Two easy ways to introduce cauliflower are in a vegetable tray or as a roasted dish.

Cauliflower Vegetable Tray

An eye-appealing vegetable tray with cream and green cauliflower and orange cherry tomatoes.

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To give them a moment to shine, include different-hued cauliflower florets in a vegetable tray. Add a favorite dip in the middle of the eye-appealing snack. A little shredded cheese sprinkled on top of the dip and a few cherry tomatoes placed around the cauliflower add pops of color to the tray.

An eye-appealing vegetable tray with cream and green cauliflower and orange cherry tomatoes.

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Roasted Cauliflower

How to make a roasted cauliflower vegetable dish. Three different hues of cauliflower are featured in this easy-to-make recipe.

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Offer different colored cauliflower varieties in an easy-to-make roasted dish. First, pour a little olive oil in a bowl. Then cut the heads of cauliflower into florets and toss them in the oil. Spread the cut pieces in a baking pan lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Finally, sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the florets and bake them in an oven heated to 400 degrees for about 25 minutes.

How to make a roasted cauliflower vegetable dish. Three different hues of cauliflower are featured in this easy-to-make recipe.

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Cauliflower Science

Before cutting a few different colors of cauliflower into florets, set them on a table for participants to view. Discuss cauliflower parts such as the head and stem leaves.

Green and cream cauliflower cut lengthwise into slabs to compare inside and outside colors.

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Next, slice a cauliflower into wedges to see cross sections of the cruciferous vegetable. View the stem and florets. If the cauliflower is green, orange, or purple, note if the insides of the cauliflower slabs are the same color as the outsides.

Discuss that this nutrient-rich vegetable has lots of vitamins and minerals, and is very healthy to eat.

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Cauliflower Arts And Crafts

You may not be able to find purple and orange cauliflower at your local grocery store, but their hues can certainly be included in cauliflower art and craft projects. In addition to green and cream, they are eye-catching colors to introduce in arty activities.

Vegetable Printing With Cauliflower

Create interesting, unexpected designs by using cauliflower florets as printmaking tools.

First, cut cauliflower into different-sized florets.

An invitation to make vegetable prints with cauliflower florets and orange, purple, green, and cream tempera paints.

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Next, paint the flatter sides of the florets with tempera paint. Cauliflower hues are a standout in this painting activity.

Then press down the florets onto a piece of sturdy art paper to make vegetable prints. Black and green fade-resistant construction paper work nicely for this cauliflower printmaking project.

How to make vegetable prints with cauliflower florets and orange, purple, green, and cream tempera paints.

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Paint Mixing Tips:

  • Add a drop of yellow tempera paint in the white to make a lovely cream color.
  • Mix a little yellow paint into green to make a lighter and brighter hue.
  • Drop in a teaspoon or two of white paint into purple and orange to make softer hues.

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How to make vegetable prints with cauliflower florets and orange, purple, green, and cream tempera paints.

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Cauliflower Paper Craft

How to make cauliflower paper crafts in green, orange, purple, and cream hues. These crafts incorporate a cotton ball painting technique.

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This cute cauliflower paper craft also includes printmaking.

To do the craft, first cut cauliflower heads from manilla tag or cream construction paper, and humps and stem leaves from one or two shades of green cardstock or construction paper. Choosing fadeless paper for the project is recommended.

Feel free to download this template for the vegetable craft project.

Download this free cauliflower vegetable template to use for arts and crafts activities. Make purple, orange, green, and cream cauliflower paper crafts.

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Cauliflower PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Next, print color onto the paper cauliflower heads in hues of cream, green, orange, and purple using painted florets. Or simply use cotton balls dipped in tempera paint for the printmaking process.

How to make an orange cauliflower paper craft. This craft incorporate a cotton ball painting technique.

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After the painted cauliflower heads are dry, use a glue stick to affix a hump to the back of each one.

Finally, glue two or three paper stem leaves onto each side of the cauliflower heads.   

How to make an orange cauliflower paper craft. This craft incorporates a cotton ball painting technique.

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How to make a purple cauliflower paper craft. This craft incorporates a cotton ball painting technique.

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How to make a green cauliflower paper craft. This craft incorporates a cotton ball painting technique.

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How to make a cauliflower vegetable paper craft. This craft incorporates a cotton ball painting technique.

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These cauliflower theme activities celebrate the vegetable’s vibrant colors and are perfect for a fall or garden theme.

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Related:

Corn Theme Activities

Beet Science And Sensory Activities

Carrot Theme Activities

Pumpkin Color Activities

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[Read more…] about Cauliflower Theme Activities

Filed Under: art, crafts, gardening, preschool, science, summer Tagged With: cauliflower, gardening, painting, paper crafts, snacks

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Hi, I'm Annette Kaminsky. I am a preschool teacher who loves to share easy and fun early learning activities. Thanks for visiting my blog. Feel free to stay awhile!

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