preschool

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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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…]

Easter Clothespin Fine Motor Activities

March 24, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Clothespins are traditionally used for hanging clothes, towels, and sheets on a line, and little learners love a chance to do this in the classroom. Clothespins also have creative uses and are easy to incorporate into seasonal activities. These DIY Easter clothespin fine motor activities work well in a spring theme.

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Clothespin Egg Fine Motor Activity

Supplies to Collect

For this cute clothespin egg activity, gather the following:

wooden egg craft shape
white or cream acrylic paint
paintbrush
bunny and chick stickers
felt craft bunny head
wooden clothespins
glue gun

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Preparing the Clothespin Egg Activity

To prepare this easy DIY clothespin egg fine motor activity, start by painting a large wooden egg craft shape with white or cream-colored acrylic paint.

After the paint has dried, affix Easter or spring stickers around the edge of the egg using a glue gun. These iridescent puffy bunny and chick stickers are an attractive choice.

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Then use the glue gun to affix matching stickers to the tips of wooden clothespins.

If desired, add a felt bunny head for a finishing touch to the egg.

Set the sticker-decorated clothespins and egg on a table. Invite little learners to clip the bunny and chick clothespins to their match on the egg.

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Clothespins, Eggs, and Color Words

To extend play and add a language arts component to the activity, write the color of each bunny and chick on a 4 ½ inch x 11-inch piece of cardstock paper.

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Next, add bunny or egg stickers underneath. Set the cardstock strip on the table along with the clothespins for children to use.

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In addition, set out a strip with the color words and no stickers. Invite participants to clip bunny and chick-decorated clothespins to their matching color word.

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More Easter Clothespin Fine Motor Play

For even more practice using clothespins, set the decorated clothespins on a table with an Easter treat bucket. Invite little learners to clip clothespins around the rim of the pail. This activity is sure to be a hit.

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Benefits of Clothespin Activities

Clothespin activities are loved by young children. in addition to being fun, clipping clothespins to objects is great for finger and hand strengthening and hand-eye coordination. These Easter clothespin fine motor activities add a seasonal touch to the exercises.

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Related:

Alphabet and Number Matching Game

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[Read more…]

Easter Bunny Light Table Activity

March 23, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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There are a lot of great educational toys for the light table, and I regularly collect them. Routine shopping trips can lead to beautiful, unexpected finds for the center. This Easter bunny light table activity was assembled after a prize find on one of my run-of-the-mill trips.

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Easter Bunny Light Table Supplies

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The following supplies are in this effortless Easter bunny light table activity:

transparent tabletop bunnies
bunny candy holders
transparent plastic egg garland
large clear bowl
clear reusable egg tray
clear plastic egg carton

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The Easter Bunny Light Table Activity

Transparent acrylic and polyester tabletop bunnies were the unique find and are the inspiration for this Easter light table activity.

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Bunny candy holders, easily picked up at dollar stores, add variety to the bunny collection.

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Plastic eggs in transparent spring colors cut from an Easter garland are set in a clear bowl for sorting.

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A clear reusable egg tray and a clear plastic egg carton are the sorting containers.

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More Easter Light Table Ideas

To keep things simpler, skip the transparent bunnies and go with bunny candy holders, transparent fillable Easter eggs, egg trays, and round acrylic gems.

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For more light play fun, set out Easter bunny, chick, and carrot candy holders along with light-up Easter chicks and acrylic gems for little learners to explore.

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More Light Table Play Ideas

Rainbow Light Table Sensory Tray

Gorgeous Eye Dropper Art

Canada Day Light Table

Transparent Page Divider Activities

Light Table Leaf Exploration

Christmas Light Table Small World

Valentine’s Day Light Table Play

Valentine’s Day Jewelry Light Table

St. Patrick’s Day Light Table Tray

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[Read more…]

Squish Painting Shamrock Art

March 15, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This March I needed to get new art up quickly, and decided to have my little learners participate in a squish painting shamrock art project. Squish painting is a quick and satisfying art activity that little children love to do. Using folded hearts for the art project, the shamrock art is effortless to create.

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Supplies To Collect

Gather the following supplies for this seasonal squish art activity:

magenta, green, and white tempera paint
magenta and green cardstock paper
manila tag paper
ruler, pencil, and scissors
paint pots and spoons

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The Squish Painting Art Project

To prepare this activity, start by tracing and cutting out hearts from sturdy paper. Manila tag paper works well for the project. It comes in 9 x 12-inch, 12 x 18-inch, or even 18 x 24-inch paper sizes. The larger-sized paper allows for cutting bigger hearts.

When finished with the cutting part, fold the hearts in half.

Next, mix a little yellow into the green tempera paint to create a lighter brighter color.

Then set out green and white paint pots, and add a spoon to each one.

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Invite participants to spoon each paint color onto their hearts, then fold one side over the other.

Have children rub their hands over their heart halves to smooth out the paint.

Finally, ask them to open their hearts to see the new design created.

Shamrock Art Display

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To make a shamrock using the squish-painted hearts, group the hearts into three leaflets. Glue them to a large cardstock background or tape them to a wall. Then cut a long, thin petiole from green cardstock paper. Affix the petiole to the shamrock design.

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Variation of the Squish Painting Shamrock Art Project

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Introduce a new tempera paint color for an interesting way to vary this squish painting shamrock art project. Since shamrock plants also come in a purple variety called purple oxalis, using magenta paint instead of green is a natural fit for changing up the activity.

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Shamrock Leaf Print Art

St. Patrick’s Day Sheep Craft

Shamrock Paper Plate Lion

Leprechaun Gnome Craft

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[Read more…]

Leprechaun Goop Sensory Bin

March 13, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Have you ever heard of goop? It is made with cornstarch and water and can act both as a liquid and a solid. It is the perfect sensory base to trap or untrap leprechauns in this leprechaun goop sensory bin.

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Leprechaun Goop Supplies

Gather the following supplies for this super slimy goop-based bin:

cornstarch
water
green food coloring
bus tub or saucer sled
spoon for stirring
leprechaun figurines
craft foam shamrocks
reusable ice cube shamrocks
green ping pong balls
green and gold play coins
shamrock necklace pieces
washable tablecloth

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Making the Leprechaun Goop Sensory Bin

Goop is made from two taste-safe ingredients: water and cornstarch. It can be thicker or thinner, depending on how much water you add.

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To prepare the goop, select a bin for the activity. I feature a round saucer sled, but a regular bus tub would work fine. Set the bin on a table covered with a washable tablecloth.

Next, pour two large containers of cornstarch into the bin.

Then fill one of the containers with water and add green food coloring.

Pour the colored water over the goop and carefully stir the mixture with a spoon. You may wish to add a little more water until you get the consistency of a thick slime.

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When the mixture is stirred, set in leprechaun figurines.

Add foam shamrocks, reusable ice cube shamrocks, green ping pong balls, green and gold play coins, and strings cut from shamrock-themed garland to the bin.

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The Leprechaun Sensory Bin

Children of all ages love exploring a goop sensory bin. The goop is sticky so participants can have fun trapping and untrapping leprechauns in it along with using the other supplies.

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Keep a tub of water and a hand towel close by so it is easy to wash up after participants use the sensory bin.

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For variety, add a gel window cling leprechaun or a leprechaun hat and legs to the bin instead of the figurines.

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This activity looks pretty messy, but splotches of goop on the table and floor are easy to sweep up or wipe away with soapy water and a cloth.

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Properties of Goop

With a thicker batch of goop, it is fun to explore its ability to turn from a liquid to a solid and vice versa. Left at room temperature the mixture is a liquid. When the goop is squeezed in a hand it becomes a solid. And when fingers are unfurled, the goop becomes a liquid again. How cool!

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More St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Bins

St. Patrick’s Day Woodland Bin

St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Tub

Leprechaun Sensory Play

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