literacy

Happy New Year Art And Math Activities

December 30, 2019 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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In a few days, we will celebrate the beginning of a new year. If you are looking for no-fuss activities for your child to start the year with these simple art and math projects fit the bill. Offer them at home or save them for the first days back at school in January.

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Related: 2025 New Year’s Crafts

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2025 New Year Keepsake Supplies

For this first craft, gather the following supplies:

golden glitter cardstock
tan cardstock
8 ½ x 11-inch cream cardstock
gold sequins, stars, balls, and confetti
gold glitter
gold glitter glue
glue paddle
collage containers
pencil
scissors
metallic gold felt pen
glue stick
glue gun

The 2025 New Year Keepsake Craft

Trace your child’s hand on a piece of tan cardstock, or let your child do the tracing.

Help your child cut out the hand.

Add gold glitter glue and collage items to small containers.

Set the collage items, glue, glue paddle, and paper hand on a table.

Decorate handprints with glitter glue and gold stars, sequins, confetti, and glitter. A collage activity for all ages.

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Invite your child to glam up the hand with gold-colored collage items.

Sprinkle on gold glitter and confetti at the end for an added dose of glitz.

Let the handprint dry.

Cut a pair of number two shapes and one number five shape from golden glitter cardstock.

On cream-colored cardstock, help your child use a glue stick to tack on a number two, the decorated paper hand, another number two, and the number 5. Reinforce the shapes with a glue gun if needed.

Add the words “Here I Come” underneath the number 2025 with a metallic gold felt pen.

Glitter paper and gold collage items are front and center in this 2020 handprint art activity. An easy to make New Year's keepsake suitable for children of all ages.

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To introduce a simple version of this art project, trace and cut out a couple of number twos, a number five, and a hand from white cardstock. Let your child color the paper hand and numbers, and glue them onto a contrasting background.

Feel free to download this template to use for the numbers.

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2025 Here I Come Gold PrintableDownload

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For more 2025 templates, view my blog post “New Year’s Crafts.”

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New Year Countdown Fireworks Picture

This second activity gives practice in number recognition and counting down from 10 to 1. It does double duty as an art activity.

Supplies Needed:

Happy New Year printable (download below)
scissors
three toilet paper rolls
magenta, yellow, and light blue tempera paint
small plates or lids
paintbrushes

New Year's Countdown template to use for art and math activities with young children. Invitation to add paint print fireworks, count down from 10 t0 1 and match numbers.

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Download this “Happy New Year” printable on 11-inch by 17-inch paper, or 8 ½ x 11-inch paper.

Happy New Year PrintableDownload

This printable was created in PicMonkey and is for individual and one classroom use only.

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Paper Roll Firework Paint Project Set-Up

For this second New Year’s activity, cut fringes into one end of three toilet paper rolls.

Bend the fringes on each paper roll outward.

Pour magenta, yellow, and light blue paint into small plates or lids.

Set the paints, paper rolls, and paper on a table covered with a waterproof tablecloth.

Ring in the new year with your early learners by introducing an activity to make toilet roll and paint fireworks. Use the Happy New Year printable to count down from 10 to 1.

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Ask your child to dip the fringed end of each paper roll into a color of paint and make a firework print on the printable.

Encourage your child to add more prints in each paint color to the page.

Tip: Try this on a practice sheet first.

Practice making paint print fireworks on a piece of scrap paper before making prints on the Happy New Year printable.

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For more control, paint the fringed ends with a brush instead of dipping them in paint.

Toilet paper roll firework paint prints. For added control, paint the fringes of the paper roll and press onto the Happy New Year printable to create fireworks.

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A paper roll and paint art activity to ring in the new year with. Introduce this activity with your early learners using this Happy New Year printable. Incorporate math by having children count down from 10 to 1 and match numbers by adding numerical stickers.

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To incorporate number recognition and matching practice, ask your child to cover the numbers 10 to 1 with numerical stickers.

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These two art and math activities are sure to help your child start the new year off on a positive note. I hope 2025 will be fabulous for you and your loved ones!

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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 Crafts

New Year’s Sensory Tray

New Year’s Countdown Activities

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[Read more…]

Llama Christmas Sensory Bin

December 10, 2019 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

This post was edited on December 12, 2022.

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Llama themed sensory bin inspired by the picture book "Llama, Llama Holiday Drama" by Anna Dewdney.

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A llama Christmas sensory bin is sure to captivate your little learners. It’s a superb way to give children access to the rich colors and textures of the Christmas season.

This festive bin is inspired by the storybook “Llama Llama Holiday Drama,” written and illustrated by Anna Dewdney. In the picture book, little Llama becomes overwhelmed helping his mama with holiday preparations. There are so many things to do, and the wait for Christmas seems much too long. Amid the busy, bustling season, Mama Llama takes time to stop and snuggle with Llama Llama, saying that “having each other is the true gift” at Christmas.

Llama Llama’s pre-Christmas experience is one that children can relate to. And parents and caregivers get a gentle reminder to slow down and spend some snuggle time with the “littles” in their lives.

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Llama Christmas Sensory Bin Supplies

With adorable llama-themed Christmas decorations readily available, a llama-inspired bin is easy to put together. Purchase a few nonbreakable llama ornaments, and add Christmas-themed sensory items in colors that complement them.

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This sensory tub includes

brown rice
llama Christmas decorations (cut from a garland)
small gift boxes
felt Christmas tree decoration
gingerbread decoration
mini Christmas cookie cutters
sparkle pom poms
bows
bells
metallic snowflakes
metallic trees

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A llama-themed sensory bin offers young children a chance to play with festive contemporary decorations along with well-loved staples.

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What’s your current theme for Christmas decorating? Is a color scheme or favorite type of ornament taking center stage? Drop a comment below.

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To view a read-aloud version of the picture book “Llama, Llama Holiday Drama”, click here.

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[Read more…]

St. Patrick’s Day Activities

March 12, 2019 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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It’s March, but there is still lots of snow outside in Edmonton. St. Patrick’s Day activities and the green color they surround us with are so welcome. Here are three centers my class is currently playing in.

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Check out these two St. Patrick’s Day printable products in my Skills N Smiles Etsy shop:

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St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Tray

Items included in this sensory tray:

spinach rice vermicelli noodles (broken up)
green bowls, sieves, and scoops
green buttons, beads, and bead garland
shamrock and leprechaun shaped erasers
green coins
leprechaun mini hats
shamrock ice cubes

St. Patrick's Day rice noodle tray with leprechaun hats, green sieves, utensils and loose parts.

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The green vermicelli noodles are a great find, as they are “ready-made” for this activity.

Green rice vermicelli noodles for sensory play.

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St. Patrick’s Day Play Kitchen

Pretend play is hands down one of children’s favorite activities to do. When effort is put into adding details to a play kitchen, children respond with delight.

St. Patrick's Day house center dramatic play accessories. Tableware, play food, jewelry, coins, and decorations are included.

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St. Patrick’s Day pretend play items:

St. Patrick’s Day themed plates and napkins
shamrock felt decorations (to use as cookies)
shamrock felt garland (taken apart to be “pretzels”)
green and yellow pom-poms (play food)
green and white flowers
shamrock-shaped tray
green serving utensils and ice cube tray
shamrock table scatter
bead necklace
gold coins

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St. Patrick’s Day Creating And Writing Center

St. Patrick's Day writing center with office supplies. Themed tracers, stickers rulers, rubber stamps, erasers, hole punches, and writing papers are included.

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The items in this creating and writing center are:

felt pens in varying shades of green
shamrock ink stampers
shamrock paper punch
leprechaun hat and shamrock tracers
St. Patrick’s Day erasers
St. Patrick’s Day stickers
sticky note pad
green stencil rulers
paper and pencil
gold coins
St. Patrick’s Day glasses
flowers and Irish blessing for decoration

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All these activities are stocked with accessories easily found at Dollar stores or party stores. They are versatile pieces and can be used in the same or different ways in upcoming years.

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[Read more…]

World Book Day Story Book Feature: Just Itzy

March 6, 2019 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

World Book Day Just Itzy storybook theme. Spider sensory and small world activities for young children.

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World Book Day is held every year on the first Thursday in March. It is a celebration of authors, illustrators, and books. And it is most of all a celebration of reading.

The impact of the picture book “Just Itzy” spanning my preschool storytime, a teacher aide’s home, and three children and their classrooms makes the story worthy of a shout out for World Book Day.

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The “Just Itzy” Story

“Just Itzy” is written by Lana Krumwiede and illustrated by Greg Pizzoli. This story was one of the many books about spiders I chose last Fall in gathering resources for a Spider theme. It is an entertaining read about a spider named Itzy Bitzy and his first day of school. In the story, Itzy wants to catch his lunch instead of taking a lunch box that had been packed for him. In learning to make a spider web to trap food he becomes part of the nursery rhymes “Little Miss Muffet”, “There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly”, and “The Itsy Bitsy Spider.” By the end of the tale, Itzy builds a successful spider web AND rescues his big brother Gutzy who had been teasing him about his “smallness.”

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The Story’s Reach

My class enjoyed the story. The teacher aide liked “Just Itzy” so much she borrowed the book from a library for her three children. After numerous readings at home, the story was further enjoyed at her children’s school:

Both grade school children took the book to school to show it to their teachers and classmates.
One teacher had the teacher aide’s child read the book to the class.
The teacher in the kindergarten class ordered the book, and it fit in perfectly with the Fantasy Theme the students were working on.

The teacher aide said that for weeks afterward, their family would add humor to their day by chanting “Keep your eye on the fly,” a saying Itzy’s “spindergarten” teacher taught the class about never giving up.

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“Just Itzy” Story Centers

Spider Small World

Spider themed small world with translucent pipe builders, spiders, a fly, flowers, and a spider web on a patch of grass.

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This small world has

a play grass base
Safari Toob flowers
different-sized toy spiders
a toy fly
a cupcake liner spider web
translucent pipe builders

It is winter in our city at the moment. This activity would be great in the summer using a patch of grass and some real flowers!

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Spider Light Table Activity

Spiders, a fly, a spider web and translucent pipe builders on the light table.

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An opportunity to reenact the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” nursery rhyme on the light table or regular table with

a large plastic spider web
small toy spiders
a toy fly
translucent pipe builders

Most spiders at this center are very tiny so they fit in the pipe builders.

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Spider Web Sensory Bin

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Items in the bin:

black rice
black rotini noodles
black beans
plastic spiders
loose parts such as buttons, beads and hair ties
spider web made from rope

Toy tweezers would work well with this activity.

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The storybook “Just Itzy” is an engaging read that works wonderfully for the beginning of school, anytime in Fall, and on World Book Day.

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[Read more…]

Book Inspired Tree Art

August 14, 2018 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Tree Art inspired by the storybook "Wow! Said The Owl" by Tim Hopgood. Papercraft art using a variety of colors and textures.

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Inspiration For The Tree Art

Trees are a popular art theme, and I love using tree art in a mosaic pattern on a bulletin board display.

Over the years I’ve done a few tree displays celebrating our four Alberta seasons. This year I chose an art project based on the storybook “Wow! Said The Owl” by Tim Hopgood. In the story, an owl stays up past his bedtime one summer night and notices the beautiful colors of early morning, midday, and dusk. The owl loves all the color schemes but decides the night colors are still the best. As I read the story, I was saying “Wow” right along with the owl, because the illustrations featuring the owl and tree throughout the day are gorgeous!

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Art Set-Up

Paper supplies to make the tree art pictures. An all-ages book inspired art activity.

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Based on the colors in the book, I used heart-themed paper punches to cut a variety of leaves. I used circle paper punches for the sun and moon. Butterfly paper punches came in handy for the midday pictures. A sticker owl was available to complete each picture.

For the art project, I used four different blue shades of 9 x 12 fade-resistant paper. This size displays perfectly as a mosaic pattern on a feature bulletin board I have access to. I cut tree trunks in different shades of brown and glued one on each piece of blue paper.

Then children got a little bag with shapes to create a tree scene. Paper pieces were attached with a glue stick. Some children questioned why we were using heart shapes for the leaves, so I showed them heart-shaped leaves from real plants.

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Tree Art Themes

Children completed at least two of the following projects.

Sunrise paper craft tree inspired by the storybook "Wow! Said The Owl" by Tim Hopgood.

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Mid day paper craft tree inspired by the storybook 'Wow! said The Owl' by Tim Hopgood.

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Sunset paper craft tree inspired by the storybook "Wow! Said The Owl" by Tim Hopgood.

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Nighttime paper craft tree inspired by the storybook 'Wow! Said The Owl' by Tim Hopgood.

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Some of the completed pictures were saved for each child’s memory album; others were saved for the bulletin board display.

Tree art projects arranged in a mosaic pattern on a bulletin board.

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A second bulletin board idea…

Tree art bulletin board idea inspired by the storybook "Wow! said The Owl" by Tim Hopgood.

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Tree art depicting the seasons of winter, spring, summer, and fall is always a stunner. And it is easy to display on a bulletin board for parents and children to admire.

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[Read more…]