Putting The Pretty In Preschool

Finding Beauty In Everyday Early Childhood Experiences

preschool

Valentine’s Day Jewelry on the Light Table

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The giving and receiving of jewelry around Valentine’s Day is a common tradition. Who doesn’t feel special receiving a new sparkling, jewel-toned necklace, bracelet, or ring? Trying on Valentine’s Day jewelry on the light table gives little learners a chance to feel that specialness and explore the glittering accessories in a new way.

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Light Table Valentine’s Day Supplies

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The following supplies were gathered for this charming light table play invitation:

  • clear acrylic jewelry chest
  • clear acrylic compartment trays
  • mirror and stand
  • transparent purple, pink, and red necklaces, bracelets, and rings
  • heart-themed play sunglasses
  • transparent tic tac toe game
  • reusable heart-shaped ice cubes
  • acrylic heart gems

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The Valentine’s Day Jewelry Play Invitation

Play jewelry is a welcome addition to any dress-up center, but has a moment to shine extra brightly in a light table play invitation.

The clear acrylic jewelry chest was a recent happy find and is super fun to use. Jewelry displayed in clear compartment trays works just as well.

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A large mirror set on a stand reflects the supplies beautifully and invites children to view themselves all jeweled up. Choosing a non-breakable mirror is recommended.

Play sunglasses add to the possible looks.

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Heart-themed loose parts provide additional items to explore and encourage children to think in creative ways. Early learners can practice labeling, counting, and sorting them.

Having a variety of materials on the light table allows children to play side by side, offering opportunities for socialization. Two to four children can play in the center at one time.

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The color scheme for this Valentine’s Day jewelry on the light table play invitation is purple, pink, and red. Any color combination would work wonderfully for the illuminating, accessory-filled center.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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More Valentine’s Day Activities

Valentine’s Day Heart Art

Valentine’s Day Pretend Play

Woolly Valentine’s Day Crafts

Valentine’s Day Process Art

Valentine’s Day Treasure Blocks

Squeegee Painting Heart Art

Valentine’s Day Water Play

Valentine’s Day Gingerbread Cookies

Valentine’s Day Musical Instruments

Heart Doily Gnome Valentines

Valentine’s Day Playdough Activities

Llama-inspired Valentine’s Day Sensory Bin

Valentine’s Day Sensory Tubes

Eye Dropper Heart Art

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Valentine’s Day Owl Craft

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Here’s a cute Valentine’s Day owl craft that doubles as a fun card to give to someone you love on February 14. It can be made entirely from paper or embellished with a few more supplies. Download the free template to make craft preparation easy.

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Supplies To Collect

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Gather the following supplies for this sweet owl-themed Valentine’s Day craft:

  • various colors cardstock or construction paper
  • 8 ½-inch x 11-inch white cardstock paper
  • wiggly eyes
  • eyelash stickers
  • thin felt pen
  • scissors and pencil
  • glue stick

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The Valentine’s Day Owl Craft

This owl-dorable Valentine’s Day craft is so easy to make. The first thing to do is pick a few different colors of cardstock or construction paper to use.

Then, download this template and use it to cut out the owl’s body, wings, beak, and feet. Pick different colors of paper for the task.

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Get the free printable:

Valentine’s Day Owl Craft PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Next, use a glue stick to affix the body onto a neutral-colored sheet of 8 ½ inch x 11-inch cardstock paper.

Afterward, cut out a paper heart and glue it in the center of the body.

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Then glue a wing on either side, positioning each one to touch the edge of the heart.

Glue on two small hearts on the bottom of the body to serve as feet.

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Then add two eyelash stickers or wiggly eyes to the head, and glue a paper beak. Or draw in the eyes with a thin felt marker or pencil.

Finally, add the words “You Have My Hoot” to the top of the picture using the art medium of your choice.

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The owl-themed saying on this craft can be varied. Below, the Valentine’s message is “You Hoot a Song in My Heart,” and the large heart is cut from musical note-themed scrapbook paper.

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The Valentine’s Day Owl Craft Simplified

For a simple classroom or home-based activity, print the free owl craft template below onto copy paper. Give a template to each child participating in the craft. Invite participants to color each owl body part with crayons or pencil crayons, and cut the parts out. Then have them glue the colored shapes to a cardstock background to create the Valentine’s Day owl craft. Finally, have everyone draw eyelashes or eyes on their bird and add the words “You Have My Hoot” with a felt pen or pencil.

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Get the free printable:

Valentine’s Day Owl Craft Printable 2Download

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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More Valentine’s Day Crafts

Origami Heart Valentines

Woolly Sheep Valentine’s Day Craft

Dinosaur Valentine Craft

Heart Doily Gnome Valentines

Ladybug Wand Craft

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Chinese New Year Sensory Bins

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Here are three Chinese New Year sensory bins to help celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year. The zodiac animal assigned to the new year is a dragon, and the imaginary winged beast is featured in all the bins.

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Dragon and Noodle Sensory Bin

This first Chinese New Year sensory bin has a noodle base. Noodles are a common ingredient in Asian dishes.

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The supplies in the bin are:

  • red envelope
  • gold play coins
  • red bowl and chopsticks
  • red and gold dragon figurines
  • stuffed fish
  • gold and red buttons
  • red tassels
  • red beads and bead garland

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Dyed Chickpea and Dragon Sensory Bin

This second Lunar New Year sensory bin has a dyed chickpea base.

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The chickpeas are dyed in various amounts of red acrylic paint. Some have been left uncolored. To learn how to dye chickpeas, view my blog post “Chinese New Year Sensory Play.”

Just a few supplies complement this simple sensory bin:

  • gold Asian play coins
  • round game pieces
  • gold stars cut from garland
  • red and gold bead garland cut into strips
  • large diamond-shaped acrylic gems
  • gold buttons
  • plush dragon
  • star-shaped bowl
  • training chopsticks

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Chinese New Year Wood Dragon Bin

This third sensory bin hones in on the fact that it is not just the year of the dragon, but more specifically, a wood dragon. The white glutinous rice-based bin is calming compared to the two previous bright and bold bins. Green and white supplies and woodland elements are prevalent in the sensory play invitation.

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The Chinese New Year Wood Dragon bin contents are:

  • orange tree sprig
  • green and gold ornament
  • artificial green leaves
  • small logs
  • tree branch slices
  • tiny tin
  • gold play coins
  • ornamental rock
  • training chopsticks
  • green dragon figurine

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Enjoy celebrating the Chinese New Year with one or more of these dragon-themed sensory bins.

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Related:

Year Of The Rat Sensory Bin

Year Of The Ox Sensory Bin

Year Of The Tiger Sensory Bin

Year Of The Pig Sensory Bin

Year Of The Rabbit Sensory Bin

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Chinese New Year Dragon Craft

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The Chinese New Year celebration is just around the corner, and this year the feature animal is a dragon. The imaginary animal is fifth in the Chinese Zodiac and is linked with the element wood in the year 2024. So naturally, wood products are incorporated in this Chinese New Year dragon craft.

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Dragon Craft Supplies

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The supplies in this spectacular dragon craft are:

  • sandpaper
  • wood sample chips
  • wiggly eye
  • 11-inch x 14-inch sturdy paper
  • Asian coin play money
  • white glue and glue paddle
  • pencil and scissors

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The Chinese New Year Dragon Craft

For this woodsy dragon, I enlarged a dragon necklace pattern, a free printable on the blog. I used it to cut out the head, legs, and tail from a sheet of course sandpaper.

Small rectangular wood sample chips, donated from a hardware store, make up the curvy body.

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Gold Asian play coins add glitz to the design.

The creative invitation makes a unique transient art activity. Or the supplies can be glued onto a large piece of sturdy paper using white glue and a glue paddle.

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Variations Of The Dragon Craft

Instead of using wood sample chips, rectangles cut from wood-themed scrapbook paper would work beautifully.

Circles cut or punched from metallic or glitter gold cardstock could serve as the play money.

The entire project would look equally stunning made from one or more colors of construction paper.

The Chinese New Year dragon craft is a great fit for Lunar New Year 2024. Since dragons are part of the celebrations every year, it could become an annual project.

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More Chinese New Year Activities

Chinese New Year Pretend Play

Chinese New Year Sensory Tub

Orange-scented Playdough Invitation

Chinese Money Tree Art and Sensory Activities

Chinese New Year DIY Decorating

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Polar Scene Snow Painting

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This polar scene snow painting activity was a last minute set up after a group discussion about igloos and the possibility of making one. We just happened to have a lot of snow in our city that week, so it was a good fit. Save this idea for the next time you have snow…the art and sensory activity is sure to be a hit.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

Supplies to Collect

Just the following few supplies are needed for this polar scene snow painting activity:

  • sensory tray
  • bus tub
  • large bowl
  • polar animal figurines
  • ice cubes or acrylic ice cubes
  • snow
  • paint pots and paintbrushes
  • neon food coloring or liquid food colors
  • stage light (optional)

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Polar Scene Snow Painting

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To set up this snowy sensory set up, the first thing to do is to select a sensory tray. For this activity, I picked a large active world tray. It is gernously-sized, and has room for six to eight children to paint at a time. For three to four children, a smaller tray or bin would work just fine.

Next, fill a bus tub or similar-sized utility box with snow and pour it into the bin.

Afterward, pack a salad bowl-sized metal bowl full of snow and let it sit for a few minutes.

Then tip the bowl over in the center of the snow-filled tray to create an igloo. Pack more snow around the dome if necessary to ensure a rounded shape.

Dig a little hole in one part of the igloo to become an entrance.

Then add ice cubes or acrylic ice cubes around the snow house.

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Next, generously squirt neon food colors such as green, pink, and purple into paint pots half-filled with water. Add a paintbrush to each pot.

Note: The food color choices are inspired by hues displayed in northern lights, which frequently flood the arctic skies and illuminate the land.

Finally, invite your little charges to paint the igloo and snow.

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To extend this transient art invitation and add ambiance, set up a stage light and position it to shine on the igloo and animal figurines while the children are participating in the polar scene snow painting activity.

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Children may wish to paint the animal figurines during the art and sensory experience. The paint washes off easily with a little soap and water.

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More Northern Lights-inspired Activities

Igloo “Glamping” Pretend Play

Polar Bear Small World

Northern Lights Squish Painting

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