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Finding Beauty In Everyday Early Childhood Experiences

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Celebrate Diversity Paper Craft

April 5, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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April is Celebrate Diversity Month, and people are encouraged to participate in activities that celebrate people from different ethnic backgrounds. This easy Celebrate Diversity paper craft draws attention to the diversity in people by representing different skin colors.

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Supplies to Collect

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To create this eye-catching diversity craft, gather the following:

  • skin-colored construction paper
  • green, blue, and red construction paper
  • 18-inch x 18-inch sheet of white art paper
  • glue stick
  • scissors and pencil

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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The Celebrate Diversity Paper Craft

To make this celebrate diversity paper craft, start by tracing each child’s hand and arm on a skin-toned piece of construction paper.

Next, cut out the traced arms and hands.

Then cut a circle from blue construction paper, a half circle from green construction paper, and a heart from red construction paper.

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Use a glue stick to affix the blue circle onto a large sheet of art paper that is a minimum of 18 inches x 18 inches in size. Glue the green half circle on top of the blue circle, and add on the red heart.

Afterward, arrange the skin-toned arms and hands around the paper earth and glue them on.

Finally, trim off pieces of paper arms that extend beyond the sides of the white art paper background. If desired, write the words “Celebrate Diversity” on the top section of the craft.

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Your diversity craft project is ready for display.

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Earth Day Paper Craft

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Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970 and is now scheduled every year on April 22. Including an earth with a heart on it depicts the importance of caring for our earth, and allows this Celebrate Diversity paper craft to double up as an Earth Day activity.

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More Celebrate Diversity Arts and Crafts

Celebrate Diversity Heart Art

Three Black History Month Crafts

Five Black History Month Crafts

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More Earth Day Arts and Crafts

Earth Day Bead Craft

Earth Day Heart Art

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[Read more…] about Celebrate Diversity Paper Craft

Filed Under: art, Black History Month, crafts, Earth Day, friends, preschool Tagged With: Earth Day, multicultural, paper crafts

Alphabet and Number Matching Games

February 12, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Children love a little creativity thrown into daily tasks, and wholeheartedly embrace these alphabet and number-matching games with clothespins and a heart. Along with offering fine motor practice, the activities promote literacy and math skills.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies to Collect

These alphabet and number-matching games are perfect for a Valentine’s Day theme and can be used any time of the year. Just the following few supplies are needed for the heart-themed clothespin activities:

  • spring-loaded clothespins
  • large foam heart
  • small foam or paper hearts
  • heart doilies and sticker hearts
  • white glue and glue paddle
  • hot glue gun
  • black permanent marker

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Preparing and Offering the Clothespin Activities

To prepare these heart-filled alphabet and number matching activities, select a large foam heart. Or cut one out from a generously sized piece of foam. I feature a pink heart for the activity, but any color heart would work fine.

Then choose spring-loaded clothespins to use. Old-fashioned wooden clothespins are up to the task. They are readily available for purchase at dollar stores, along with other kinds.

Invite little learners to clip clothespins onto the heart for valuable practice in developing finger strength and eye-hand coordination. Pass the heart around a circle during group time to give your little charges practice in turn-taking and sharing. As the children are passing around the heart, you could sing the following song to the tune of “Skip To My Lou My Darling.”

We’re passing the heart and adding a clothespin.  

We’re passing the heart and adding a clothespin.

We’re passing the heart and adding a clothespin.

We’re turn-taking with our friends.

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Alphabet Matching Heart Game

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To give this valuable fine motor activity more mileage, write capital alphabet letters around the edge of the large foam heart using a black permanent marker. Then write capital or lowercase letters on small foam or paper hearts, and affix them to clothespins with white glue or a hot glue gun. Add a heart doily and/or heart-shaped stickers for decoration if desired. Invite little learners to match letters as they clip clothespins to the heart.

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Number Matching Heart Game

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For even more learning potential, flip the heart over and write numbers around the edge. You can go with numbers 1 to 10, or add numbers up to 25 if the foam heart is large enough. Then write the same numbers on small foam or paper hearts and affix them to spring-loaded clothespins. This time ask your early learners to match numbers when clipping clothespins on the heart.

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Benefits of Fine Motor Activities

As mentioned above, fine motor activities such as these alphabet and number matching games promote eye-hand coordination and finger strength. Practice using clothespins strengthens the pincer grasp. This is important for self-help skills such as buttoning, tying, and zipping, and for coloring, cutting, and using tools. They are great prewriting exercises.

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More Pinch Grasp Activities

View a blog post by The OT Toolbox for detailed information on the pinch grasp and more clothespin pinch grasp exercises.

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More Heart-themed Activities

Squeegee Painting Heart Art

Salad Spinner Heart Art

Eye Dropper Painting Heart Art

Jewelry Heart Loose Parts Play

Celebrate Diversity Heart Art

Earth Day Heart Art

Heart-Shaped Dissolving Candy Science Experiment

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[Read more…] about Alphabet and Number Matching Games

Filed Under: friends, literacy, Math, preschool, sensory, Valentine's Day Tagged With: alphabet, fine motor activity, hearts, numbers, Valentine's Day

Glow Art Words Of Affirmation

September 20, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

This black light "Words Of Affirmation" Glow Art activity is a must-try. It is a science, art, and language self-esteem-building project.

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Words are powerful, and they can be super uplifting to early learners. At the beginning of the school year, supportive, self-esteem-building words help students get off to a good start. A creative and oh-so-easy way to introduce them is by inviting little learners to use highlighters to color around positive ones printed in heart shapes. Afterward, the fancied-up words can be viewed and discussed in a “Glow Art Words Of Affirmation” language and science activity.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

For this confidence-boosting glow art activity, gather the following supplies:

  • chisel-tipped highlighters in a variety of colors
  • white cardstock paper
  • black felt marker
  • scissors
  • tape
  • portable black light fluorescent tube and holder
  • small coffee table

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Glow Word Art

First, draw heart shapes on white cardstock paper with a black felt marker, and add a word of affirmation to each one. Or design the project digitally. The words chosen for my art project are:

  • creative
  • friendly
  • kind
  • brave
  • helpful
  • teachable
  • awesome
  • unique
  • cherished
Steps to perform a black light "words of affirmation" glow art activity. The art project is perfect for the beginning of the year, the end of the year, or anytime in between.

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Next, invite little learners to decorate a word heart with highlighter markers, and then cut their hearts out. Leaving some parts of the designs uncolored is fine, as white will glow too.

Note: Highlighter ink is a tiny bit toxic, but using it is not considered a health risk. If your little charges are prone to sticking things in their mouths and/or coloring on themselves, it is advisable to choose another art medium for this activity.

When decorated, tape the embellished hearts to a wall in a room that can be made totally dark.

Afterward, place a fluorescent tube black light on a small table next to the art wall, and turn it on.

Then invite everyone to the room to view the art with all lights on. Discuss how the words apply to your little learners.

This "positive words" glow art activity incorporates language and science. It is a confidence-boosting art project perfect for any time of the year.

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Lastly, make the room dark and leave just the black light on. Students will be wowed by the glowing, worded hearts.

This "positive words" glow art activity incorporates language and science. It is a confidence-boosting art project perfect for any time of the year.

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Safety Tip: Tell children that they should only be near a black light for a short period of time. Prolonged exposure may lead to eye and skin damage.

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Discussing The Glow Art Words Of Affirmation

Here are some ideas for discussing decorated word hearts with the children:

  • Assure early learners that they are brave in coming to school and meeting new friends.
  • Affirm the specialness of each child by saying they are “unique, awesome, and cherished.”
  • Compliment students for being creative and teachable.
  • Highlight that being “friendly, helpful, and kind” are ways to work as a team and get along with each other.
This black light "Words Of Affirmation" Glow Art activity is a must-try. It is a science, art, and language self-esteem-building project.

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The Science Behind Black Light

Black lights are designed to block out visible light and emit invisible, ultraviolet (UV-A) light. They illuminate natural and man-made materials that contain phosphors. Phosphors convert the energy in UV radiation to visible light by re-emitting it at a different wavelength, one that our eyes can see.

The dyes from highlighter pens contain phosphors. When highlighter art is positioned in a dark room near a black light, it glows.

This black light character trait art activity incorporates language and science. It is a confidence-boosting art project perfect for any time of the year.

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Glowing Names

Instead of focussing on words of affirmation, invite your little learners to color around their names with highlighters. This is also a terrific beginning of the year activity. And it works well at the end of the school term to remind children that they have been valued members of the class.

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Related: Scented Moon Playdough

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[Read more…] about Glow Art Words Of Affirmation

Filed Under: art, display, fall, friends, literacy, preschool, science Tagged With: art, black light, light, science experiment, self-esteem

Woolly Valentine’s Day Crafts

February 6, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky 3 Comments

Soft and dreamy woolly sheep Valentine's Day crafts decked with hearts and pompoms. The crafts make heart-tugging keepsakes.

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Here are two, oh-so-cute woolly Valentine’s Day crafts your little learners will be excited to make, and loved ones will be elated to receive.

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Supplies To Collect

Woolly sheep valentine craft supplies.

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  • purple, pink, red, and white pompoms
  • white glue and glue paddle
  • paper, foam, or sticker hearts
  • 8 ½ x 11-inch white or cream cardstock paper
  • 12-inch x 12-inch cardstock paper
  • sheep template
  • glue stick
  • scissors
  • hot glue gun

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Making The Woolly Valentine’s Day Crafts

Print the sheep template onto 8 ½ x 11-inch cardstock.

Cute sheep template for farm or holiday crafts.

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Sheep PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Set the template on a table and invite your early learners to add sticker, paper, or foam hearts to the sheep’s body.  Then invite them to glue pompoms to the head. Your little charges will love the chance to use soft and showy pompoms in art.

Cute woolly sheep craft for Valentine's Day. Free printable included.

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Print this version to include the header “I Woolly Think You’re Special.”

Cute woolly sheep template for a Valentine's Day craft.

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Woolly Sheep PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Or cut the sheep out and have your little learners decorate one. Afterward, mount the sheep onto complementary pieces of 12-inch x 12-inch cardstock paper using a glue gun. Add a “woolly” Valentine’s Day saying of choice.

Soft and dreamy woolly sheep Valentine's Day craft.

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[Read more…] about Woolly Valentine’s Day Crafts

Filed Under: art, friends, party, preschool, Valentine's Day Tagged With: printables, sheep, Valentine's Day craft, valentines

Frozen 2 Inspired Sensory Bin

November 26, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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

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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 II-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.

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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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Loose Parts Tray

This tray shows the supplies collected.

Frozen 2 inspired loose parts tray.

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Included are:

  • paper leaves
  • foil leaves
  • leaf gems
  • round gems
  • feathers
  • pom poms
  • red apple gems
  • green rubber apples
  • craft pumpkins
  • rocks
  • a flower

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Here’s a close up of the base:

Close up photo of the Frozen 2 inspired sensory base.

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Frozen II-Inspired Sensory Bin

Olaf, Anna, Kristoff, and Sven would feel perfectly at home in this Frozen II-inspired sensory bin.

Fall sensory bin inspired by the Frozen 2 based storybook "We'll Always Have Each Other."

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Or add your little learner’s favorite characters for fall-themed sensory play.

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[Read more…] about Frozen 2 Inspired Sensory Bin

Filed Under: apples, autumn, fall, friends, literacy, preschool, pretend play, sensory Tagged With: apples, Frozen inspired, looseparts, pumpkins

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