gardening

Pumpkin Sensory Activities

October 29, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Pumpkin carving is a fun annual activity, and children love to get it on it. After the large fruits are carved or sliced, there are a few effortless, super-engaging pumpkin sensory activities children can do before saying goodbye to the showy gourds.

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Pumpkin Cross-Section Exploration

If you happen to have a very lop-sided pumpkin that wasn’t chosen for carving, use a sharp knife to carefully cut it from top to bottom into two cross-sections for everyone to view. This provides your little charges a novel way to investigate the inside of a pumpkin, and it is much easier for them to scoop out and feel the fibrous strands and pumpkin seeds this way.

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When the fruity exploration is over, store the pumpkin parts and slimy pumpkin seed mixture in the fridge for more sensory play at another time.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Pumpkin Sensory Bin

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To set up a tantalizing pumpkin sensory bin activity, first place two pumpkin halves into a generous-sized container. A large green active world tray is up to the task and color coordinates with the pumpkin parts perfectly.

Next, set tablespoons, serving bowls, and food storage containers in the bin.

Then add non-breakable or disposable plates with a slimy pumpkin seed and fibrous strand mixture to the sensory play center.

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Afterward, make a goopy, cornstarch and hair conditioner mixture for the bin. Green apple playdough thinned with a bit of water works well for the slimy mixture, and you can use older playdough which has been stored in the fridge for it.

An alternative is to mix a cup or two of cornstarch with half the amount of water to get a thick but flowing consistency, and then squirt and blend in about half a bottle of apple-scented hair conditioner to make it slippery and aromatic. Add more cornstarch or water if needed. Squirt in a generous amount of green food coloring to give the mixture a deeper green hue.

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Finally, scoop the cornstarch and green apple conditioner mixture into the pumpkin halves and invite your little learners to explore the bin.

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Note: Apples and pumpkins are commonly used together in pies, as their scents and tastes are complementary. The two scents also work nicely together in sensory play.

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Washing up afterward is part of the fun, as your little charges will love seeing the water turn green.

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Green Apple Goop Pumpkin Play

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In this tactile autumn activity, green apple playdough, often called cloud dough, is turned into a goopy mixture with the addition of a little water. Just scoop the thinned dough into a serving bowl and set it in a sensory table next to a carved and hollowed-out pumpkin for your little learners to use in hands-on play.

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Golf Tee Pumpkin Play

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This last pumpkin sensory activity is less messy than the above slimy, goopy versions. Simply set a carved or uncarved pumpkin out on a table along with small, child-sized hammers and a container of golf tees. Invite little learners to use a hammer to gently pound the golf tees into the pumpkin. This is a great activity for practicing eye-hand coordination. Two children can share in this activity at a time, providing an opportunity for cooperative, synergetic play.

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Thanksgiving Printables

Shop Thanksgiving printables in my Etsy shop “Skills N Smiles“:

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More Pumpkin Activities

Edible Playdough Pumpkins

Eye Dropper Pumpkin Art

Pumpkin Painting Process Art

Pumpkin Tablescape Pretend Play

Glow In The Dark Pumpkin Art

Pumpkin Color Activities

Pumpkin Playdough Activities

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[Read more…]

Eye Dropper Pumpkin Art

October 26, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This eye dropper pumpkin art project is super easy to set up and loads of fun to do. Participants will want to make a few watercolor-painted pumpkins, so you will end up with a bunch of pumpkin art to display at home or in the classroom.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning activities.

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Supplies To Collect

Gather the following supplies for this no-fuss pumpkin art project:

liquid watercolors
eye droppers or pipettes
paint pots
non-permanent black marker
permanent black marker
paper towel roll
pumpkin template
scissors and pencil
newspaper or waterproof tablecloth

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Eye Dropper Pumpkin Art Preparation

Preparation for this eye dropper pumpkin art project is super quick. Start by tracing pumpkins onto one or two sheets of paper towel. Choosing a thick paper towel brand is recommended.

Next, mix liquid food colors and water into paint pots, and add an eye dropper or pipette to each one. In this project, my colors of choice are orange, yellow, and magenta, as they go nicely together.

Afterward, cover an art table with newspaper or a waterproof tablecloth.

Then set up art stations with liquid watercolor pots, eye droppers or pipettes, and paper towel pumpkins.

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The Eye Dropper Pumpkin Art

To create the gorgeous eye dropper art, invite your little learners to draw a mouth, nose, and eyes on a paper towel pumpkin using a black permanent marker.

Then direct your little charges to use the eye droppers or pipettes to squirt all three colors on their pumpkins. In no time the large fruits will be covered in brilliant hues.

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Let the arty pumpkins dry in the spot they were created or move them to a new place to do so. The painted pumpkins will likely be very wet, but by the end of the day, they will be totally dry.

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Eye Dropper Scary Pumpkin

If children use a non-permanent black marker to draw a face on their pumpkin before wetting it with liquid watercolors, the marker color will bleed during the art process. The pumpkins will have an ominous, scary look.

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Rainbow Pumpkin Art

You can choose to skip having your little artists draw a face on the paper towel pumpkin and get them right to work squirting liquid food colors on it. Adding a few more watercolor hues makes creating a rainbow pumpkin possible.

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Paper Towel Rainbow Art

If you run out of paper towel pumpkins for your eager art session participants, allow them to spread watercolors directly on rectangular or square sections of a disposable towel roll. They’ll be happy to use these as a canvas to continue exploring this watercolor painting technique.

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Thanksgiving Printables

Shop Thanksgiving printables in my Etsy shop “Skills N Smiles“:

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More Pumpkin Activities

Pumpkin Painting Process Art

Glow In The Dark Pumpkin Art

Pumpkin Tablescape Pretend Play

Edible Playdough Pumpkins

Pumpkin Color Activities

Pumpkin Playdough Activities

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[Read more…]

Painting With Corn

October 21, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This painting with corn process art activity is quick and easy to do and offers young children an unexpected way to paint. It can be completed in a few different ways, adding variety and sensory options to the art experience.

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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 painting with corn:

corn ear and husk
box or serving tray
large sheets of sturdy art paper
8 ½ x 11-inch cardstock paper
tempera paint
paint pots
paint tray
teaspoons
sharp knife

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Painting With Corn Techniques

Corn Painting In a Tray

The first way to paint with corn is to set a piece of sturdy paper into a low-edged box or serving tray.

Next, spoon globs of paint in the colors of your choice onto the paper.

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Then shuck an ear of corn and drop it in the box or tray. Or use an ear of corn that is already shucked for the art activity.

Tip the box or tray carefully from side to side to move the corn ear around, and you’ll soon have a completed piece of art.

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For a little more control, paint the ear of corn instead of spooning paint onto the art paper. When the corn cob is covered in paint, drop it into the box or tray. Then tip the box from side to side as in the process above.

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Painting By Hand Rolling Corn

A second way to paint with corn is to forgo using a box or tray for the art process. Simply set a large piece of sturdy paper on a table covered with newsprint or a washable tablecloth.

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Then drop globs of paint onto the paper and roll the corn over them with your hands as if you were using a rolling pin.

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Or paint the corn ear first and then roll it in different directions over the paper.

This rolling corn technique just might go over best with little learners, as they love to mingle with the paint.

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Corn Half Paint Prints

The third method of painting is to start by cutting an ear of corn in half with a sharp knife, aiming to get a smooth sliced end on each half.

Next, spoon tempera paint colors into pie tins, disposable plates, or paint trays.

Dip the sliced end of one corn ear half into a paint color and press it onto the paper.

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When switching colors, wipe the paint-filled edge of the corn with a paper towel sheet before dipping it in a new hue.

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Corn Cob Paint Print

In the last method of painting with corn, the goal is to make a realistic corn cob by using a printmaking technique. In this art activity, a corn cob and a husk are used to make paint prints.

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For the art project, set out an ear of shucked corn. Save one of the green husks to use.

With a paintbrush, first thoroughly paint a corn ear with yellow tempera paint.

Next, press the corn cob on a piece of 8 ½ x 11-inch cardstock paper, slightly rolling it back and forth with your fingers.

Remove the corn cob from the paper.

Then paint one side of a husk and press it down on the paper next to the corn print. Make a second husk print on the other side of the cob. Afterward, add a couple more husk prints around the corn.

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You may wish to try all of the above painting with corn methods as each adds an interesting twist to the art activity. Which corn process art painting technique is your favorite? Share in a comment below.

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Related: Corn Theme Activities

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[Read more…]

Starry Sky Sensory Bin

September 22, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Just as vegetables that come in a variety of colors are always a happy find, so are interestingly colored flowers. These award-winning, starry sky petunias are a new discovery for me, and they caught my attention at a hardware store! Their varying color patterns and space-themed name make them perfect for a starry sky sensory bin.

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Starry Sky Petunias were introduced about eight years ago, and their spectacular speckled white and purple flowers are a reminder of the cosmos. Each individual flower varies in shade of color and placement of white dots and splotches. The super pretty petunia plant is also named Night Sky Petunia and Galaxy Petunia.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

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This flower-inspired starry sky sensory bin contains the following loose part supplies:

starry sky petunia flowers
astronaut figurines
toy planets
glow in the dark moon and stars
toy spaceships in varying designs
pink and purple buttons
large and small marbles
purple and pink tumbled stones
turquoise, pink, and purple acrylic gems
silver spray painted rocks
agate slices

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The Starry Sky Sensory Bin

The supplies in the starry sky sensory bin are offered in two different containers.

This first bin for the sensory play loose parts is a food bus tub. It is super user-friendly and can be set up anywhere. Two or three little learners can play in the tub at the same time.

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Water with a little fluorescent purple food coloring added is the base for the bin. Breathtaking, other-worldly Starry Sky Petunias are the “stars” of the sensory play invitation.

Space-themed toys such as astronaut figurines, spaceships in varying sizes, glow-in-the-dark moon and stars, and toy planets complement the petunias.

Marbles in varying sizes are space rocks or pretend planets.

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Loose parts such as silver spray-painted rocks, agate slices, pink and purple tumbled stones, and acrylic gems add beauty to the bin.

Complementary-colored buttons are a welcome addition to any sensory bin.

This next water-based bin is a round, edged serving tray. It can also be offered anywhere and is suitable for one or two little ones to use at a time. The water level is a little lower, allowing for a large toy spaceship to stand upright in the bin.

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Petunia flowers in any color provide beautiful, cascading blooms all growing season long. Solid pink, purple, or white petunia flowers would also work wonderfully in this starry sky sensory bin.

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[Read more…]

Green Bean Theme Activities

September 20, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Visiting a farmer’s market or garden center is the best way to find varieties of fruits and vegetables we may not see in our local food stores. On a street market stroll last week, I was thrilled to discover a vegetable stall with beans that were not just green. They also came in dark purple, yellow, and streaked varieties. Here are some easy bean theme activities to introduce these novel bean colors to little learners.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Color Recognition With Beans

Showcase a few different types of beans in order to introduce color words to young children. For instance, label them green, light yellow, dark purple, or yellow streaked with purple.

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Sorting Beans

Beans in different colors are perfect for math sorting activities. After collecting a few varieties, invite little learners to sort them by color, size, or shape. A suggestion is to leave things open-ended by asking “Which beans are alike?”

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Making Patterns With Beans

For more garden math, invite children to make patterns with beans in different colors.

An invitation to make a pattern with beans. A hands-on math and language arts activity perfect for a nutrition or vegetable theme.

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Beans and The Letter C

Some beans are shaped like the letter C. If your supply of beans includes them, ask little learners to find the beans that look like a C. If the beans are different sizes, invite children to sort them from smaller to bigger, or vice versa.

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Drawing Beans

Beans have a simple shape, so are perfect for a beginner directed drawing activity. Young children may start off by tracing beans, and then coloring them in. Select crayons or pencil crayons as the medium for the art project.

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During the drawing process, discuss words to describe beans. For instance, the whole bean is called a bean pod. It is long and thin and has skin on the outside. There is a seam running down one side of the bean. There is a stem on top and a bean tip at the bottom.

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A second activity is to open beans to view the inside of the pods. Check if the inside of a pod is the same color as the outside. Count the seeds in a pod, and have the children draw a split bean with bean seeds.

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Snacking On Beans

Beans are a super healthy food to eat, as they are low calorie and have lots of fiber. They are a good source of vitamin C, K, folate, and potassium. Invite your little learners to eat them raw or offer them in a cooked side dish for little ones to try.

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Bean Science

The dark purple beans actually lose their color after cooking. View purple beans before and after they are cooked for an interesting and easy color-changing science experiment.

The example below shows a handful of steamed deep purple beans. Some have transitioned to all green, while others are purple and green and will turn all green with more cooking.

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Uniquely-colored bean varieties are a fun find at a market stall or greenhouse. These hands-on bean theme activities help bring the garden to the table for little learners.

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