preschool

Space Restaurant Dramatic Play

July 18, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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A space restaurant dramatic play center is one of the most fun pretend play activities you can offer your little learners. Loose parts shine in this center, offering a plethora of opportunities for creativity and imagining.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

Break out all the metallic silver and gold loose parts you have for this shiny, inviting dramatic play center. The following are ideas for supplies to gather:

Gather a variety of metallic silver and gold loose parts to set up a space restaurant dramatic play center.

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aluminum foil pie pans, tart pans, and storage containers
silver muffin pans
metal pitcher, tongs, bowls, and trays
disposable clear stemware, forks, and spoons
reusable star-shaped ice cubes
gold and silver bead necklaces and garland
clear discs
gold star-shaped stickers
round silver and gold gem stickers
metallic silver pipe cleaners
juice lids
styrofoam balls
large silver or gold bells
foil alphabet letters and spray centerpiece
silver tablecloth
glue gun, scissors, and painter’s tape

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The Space Restaurant Dramatic Play Center

In this out-of-this-world pretend play center, the words “Space Restaurant” are tacked on a wall with painter’s tape, and aluminum foil pans and storage containers are displayed beneath it for decoration and ambiance.

SIlver foil letters and aluminum foil containers and pans taped on a wall add ambiance to a space restaurant dramatic play center.

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A space-themed dining table is set up by adding a metallic silver tablecloth and a foil spray centerpiece.

Table settings include aluminum pie pan plates and transparent cutlery. Clear, disposable stemware glasses are decorated with gold star stickers to fancy them up.

Gold star stickers positioned on clear stemware add flare to a space restaurant dramatic play center.

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Dainty teacups are created by gluing metallic silver pipe cleaner handles to aluminum foil tart pans, and then affixing them to metal juice lids.

DIY aluminum foil teacups for a space restaurant dramatic play center.

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Shiny, metal serving trays and star-shaped dessert cups add elegance.

Large silver or gold bells make great pretend muffins and add a musical element.

Large silver ingle bells are repurposed as muffins in a space restaurant dramatic play center.

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Clear discs are repurposed as space pancakes.

Clear discs are repurposed as pancakes in a space restaurant dramatic play center.

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Pretend play chocolate chip cookies are created by adding round silver and gold gem stickers to juice lids.

Round adhesive gem stickers added to juice lids make great chocolate chip cookies in a space restaurant pretend play center.

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Styrofoam balls are muffins or snowball-themed desserts. They can be painted with silver or gold acrylic paint to add glitz.

Gold and silver bead necklaces cut into strips are spaghetti noodles, and larger bead balls cut from bead garland are the meatballs. The play spaghetti can be stored in a big silver bowl and served with metal tongs.

Metallic silver and gold loose parts make great play food for a space restaurtant dramatic play center.

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More Space-Themed Play

For additional space-themed ambiance, a colored light can be positioned to illuminate the restaurant table.

A professional stage light adds flare in outer space pretend play tablescape set up.

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Early learners may be inspired to add loose parts from other activity centers to the space restaurant. Below, participants included crater-filled yellow “moons” and large diamond crystal gems to the spaghetti play food.

Bead necklace and garland spaghetti with added loose parts make great space restaurant play food.

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The supplies in this post can also be included in a space-themed play kitchen setup.

What would you add to this space restaurant dramatic play center? Share your ideas in a comment below.

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Space Father’s Day Craft

Scented Moon Playdough

Salt and Glue Moon Art

White Lilacs and Black Playdough

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[Read more…]

Pump Bottle Watercolor Art

July 15, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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A little extra watercolor paint and some repurposed and never been used pump bottles were the inspiration for this pump bottle watercolor art project. It’s a process art activity your early learners will love to do, and everyone in the family could give it a try.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

Just a few supplies will get your little learners off and painting in this pump bottle process art activity. A fun, watercolor art project.

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Gather the following supplies for this super fun art activity:

large sheets of copy paper, cardstock, or art paper
food coloring or liquid watercolors in a variety of hues
pump bottles
newsprint or water-resistant tablecloth

Super pretty pump bottle process art project your little learners will absolutely love to try. An all-ages watercolor art activity.

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The Pump Bottle Watercolor Art Project

This process art activity is so easy to set up and do. First, cover your work area with newspaper or a water-resistant tablecloth. You can also do the activity in an active world tray.

Next, fill pump bottles at least half full of liquid watercolors or food coloring mixed with water. Two of my pump bottles are repurposed teddy bear tempera paint bottles…so fun to use.

Just a few supplies will get your little learners off and painting in this pump bottle watercolor art activity. A fun, process art project.

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Then invite each participant to pump paint colors onto a large piece of copy paper, cardstock, or art paper.

Finally, let the pump bottle painted pictures dry and display.

Note: As this art activity is a little messy, it’s a great one to do outside.

Super pretty pump bottle watercolor art project your little learners will absolutely love to try. An all-ages process art activity.

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Super fun pump bottle process art project. An easy-to-do watercolor art activity early learners will love to do inside or outdoors.

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Related:

Spin Painting Butterflies

Bubble Wand Painting

Watercolor Planets With Markers

Northern Lights Squish Painting

Apple Print Activities

Monochromatic Christmas Tree Art

Shamrock Rolling Pin Art

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[Read more…]

Tree Art Bulletin Board

July 13, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This bright tree art bulletin board is inspired by the stunning storybook called “The Wind and the Trees” by Todd Stewart. I discovered the book at a local library and instantly fell in love with the tender story and vibrant illustrations. The picture book provided just the inspiration I was looking for to redo a bulletin board begging for a change.

In the storybook, an old pine tree teaches a young sapling about the benefits and dangers of wind. Over the course of the story, the old pine weakens and deteriorates and the young sapling slowly grows bigger. By the end of the story, a storm wind has knocked the old tree down, and a seedling soon takes its place.

The vivid silkscreen illustrations in this heartwarming children’s book show the same scene on each page in different weather, seasons, and times of the day. Tree trunks, needles, and skies are designed in beautiful, varying color schemes. Woodland animals are included subtly in silhouette form on many of the pages.

A pink and red-leafed woodland tree design that fits in with a spring blossom theme.

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As I am accustomed to doing an art-themed bulletin board using the same tree in different seasons or times of day, I soon realized that drawing inspiration from the color combinations in the book would work nicely for a new tree art bulletin board. The tree art design is easy to replicate in a space you have available.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

Colored tree trunks prepared for a picture book-inspired tree art bulletin board project. An easy-to do, all ages art activity.

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A selection of quality sturdy paper and a few other supplies are needed for this woodland papercraft project. Gather the following:

tree template
9-inch x 12-inch fade-resistant construction paper in a variety of colors
cardstock in an array of colors
glitter cardstock
glue stick
paper punches
woodland animal stickers
pencil and scissors

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Preparing The Tree Art Craft

To plan out this tree art bulletin board, decide on a few different color schemes. I chose eight, but you can easily go with four. View the picture book “The Wind and the Trees” by Todd Stewart for color palette ideas.

Select a background color, tree trunk hue, and leaf colors for each tree art design. Use the paper choices you have available to pick color combinations.

Tip: Acid-free or fade-resistant paper is worth investing in for papercraft projects. The colors stay bright much longer.

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Then use a template to cut out paper tree trunks. Feel free to download the template below to make your craft preparation easier.

Download this free, user-friendly tree template for art and craft activities. The template is perfect for bulletin board art.

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Tree Craft PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Use two different-sized heart paper punches to create leaves. A few metallic paper leaves add a little glitz and are often children’s favorite collage pieces to use.

Note: The tree in the picture book is a pine. I chose a deciduous tree for my designs because its leaves work well for collage projects.

Next, glue a tree trunk to each background piece of paper.

Afterward, invite children to affix heart leaves to their trees using a glue stick.

Sunset-themed woodland tree art inspired by a picture book.

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Finally, participants can add paper punched and/or sticker woodland animals to their tree scenes. I used paper-punched birds and butterflies, and sticker deer, foxes, rabbits, raccoons, bears, squirrels, and porcupines.

Night-time woodland tree art inspired by a picture book.

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The Tree Art Bulleting Board Display

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Displaying the tree art is easy when using a rectangular bulletin board. Arrange the art in a sequence of color designs, and repeat the pattern for the whole display. An alternative is to display the art randomly or in another pattern of your choice.

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More About “The Wind and the Trees” Picture Book

In addition to being an inspiration for art projects, this gorgeous picture book by Todd Stewart is perfect for a tree or nature theme. Through colorful pictures and wisdom-filled print, it communicates the life cycle of trees. It also shares the following details about how wind benefits and hurts trees:

How The Wind Benefits Trees

tree roots grow deeper
tree bark becomes stronger
messages and signals are carried from one tree to another
seeds are scattered so new trees can grow

The Dangers Of Wind To Trees

roots are stretched
tree trunks and branches dry
older trees get knocked down

Lastly, the pictures also depict a variety of woodland animals for children to spot and name, such as bats, owls, squirrels, bees, eagles, a raccoon, and a porcupine.

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A blue and green-leafed woodland tree art design with the colors of a cloudy everning.

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Related:

Spin Painting Maple Leaf Art

Book-Inspired Tree Art

Horse Chestnut Leaf Art Activities

Neon Fingerpaint Tree Art

Maple Leaf Activities

Fall Leaf Salad Spinner Art

Eye Dropper Leaf Art

Christmas Tree Art

Christmas Tree Decorating Center

Monochromatic Christmas Tree Art

Candy Cane Tree Experiment

Chinese Money Tree Activities

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[Read more…]

Unicorn Watercolor Art

July 11, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Tempera paint pucks are a great medium for decorating a unicorn template, as they have a whimsical watercolor look. They come in a variety of bright, vibrant hues, and an added bonus is that the paint dries quickly. In this unicorn watercolor art project, painted unicorns are included in a pretty paper craft scene.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

Supplies to create a stinning unicorn scene with tempera paint pucks and fadeless construction paper. A free unicorn template is available to download.

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Gather the following supplies to complete the beautiful unicorn scene:

non-toxic tempera paint pucks in a variety of colors
paint cake trays or muffin tins
paintbrushes and pots
8 ½ inch x 11 inch white cardstock paper
8 ½ x 11 inch green and light blue cardstock paper
metallic cardstock
circle paper punch
pencil and scissors
glue stick or glue gun
waterproof tablecloth or newsprint

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The Unicorn Watercolor Art Project

To start this stunning mythical-themed art project, first trace and cut out unicorns from white cardstock paper. Download the free template below for the activity, or choose your own design.

Download this free unicorn template for art and craft projects.

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Unicorn PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Next, cover a table with a waterproof tablecloth or newsprint.

Then set up stations with a paper unicorn, paintbrush, paint pot filled with water, and tray with tempera paint pucks in bright hues.

Invite each participant to dip their paintbrush in water and generously wet a paint puck, and then begin painting their unicorn. Between colors, paintbrushes should be rinsed in a pot of water.

Tip: Prewetting tempera pucks with a paintbrush and water makes this activity easier for little learners and helps them get off to a good start.

When completed, set aside the decorated unicorns to dry. This will take under an hour.

If there is time, participants may enjoy more watercolor painting on a rectangular or square piece of cardstock or copy paper.

After everyone has finished, rinse off the paint trays, pat them with a paper towel to remove excess water, and let them dry.

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Creating A Unicorn Scene

To create a beautiful unicorn scene for each painted creature, cut a narrow, green strip from fadeless construction paper to represent grass.

Using a glue gun or glue stick. adhere the green strip to the bottom of a piece of light blue construction paper.

Then punch or cut a circular sun from metallic cardstock in a hue that complements the painted unicorn.

Finally, glue a sun and unicorn to the blue and green construction paper background, and pencil in a unicorn eye.

Note: Older children can complete these unicorn scene steps on their own.

A stunning unicorn art project with tempera paint pucks and fadeless construction paper. Download a free unicorn template for the activity.

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Watercolor-painted cardstock or copy paper would also work nicely as a backdrop for a painted unicorn.

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Non-Toxic Paint Pucks

Non-toxic tempera paint pucks are a nice resource to have in your collection of art supplies. Here is a little more information about them:

Tempera paint pucks are watercolor paints in a puck or cake form.
These easy-to-use paints come in many beautiful hues.
Color possibilities are limitless, as the paints can be mixed to make new hues.
The paint cakes sit nicely in art trays or standard muffin tins that stack easily and take very little room when stored.
The non-permanent paints can be used on paper, cardboard, fabric, and wood.
Adding differing amounts of water to the cakes results in different effects and lighter and darker shades.
Crayons and oil pastels work beautifully with the tempera paint pucks.
This art medium requires minimal preparation and clean-up time and is easy to use with a large group or classroom of students.
The tempera pucks and trays are inexpensive to buy and last a long time.

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Related:

Unicorn Playdough Tray

Unicorn Puppet Craft

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[Read more…]

Dyed Peony Science Experiment

July 2, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Peony plants have large, bold flowers that grow profusely during the blossoming season. It’s always sad to see them go so I try to snap a few pictures before they drop off.

Don’t get scared off by the ants in this picture I took! Ants eat peony nectar and help keep peonies safe by attacking bud-eating insects.

Pretty light pink peony flowers and buds. Peony blooms are showstoppers during the summer season.

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After taking a peony and thrifted vintage teacup photo, I realized that a saved flower in a jar of water would provide the perfect opportunity for a dyed peony science experiment. Peony flowers have a dense cluster of petals, similar to carnations, so I wondered if the experiment would turn out as well. It worked wonderfully, so I highly recommend giving it a try.

A pretty in pink peony bloom complements a thrifted vintage teacup.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

All you need is a few supplies to perform this oh-so-easy, nature science experiment. Gather the following:

peony flower stem with leaves
clear jar or vase with water
neon blue food coloring
spoon

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Warning: All parts of the peony plant contain a toxin and should not be ingested. Please supervise this activity closely. If your participants tend to put things other than food in their mouths, you may wish to choose another flower for this science experiment. This activity is commonly done with carnation flowers.

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The Dyed Peony Science Experiment

To perform this simple science experiment, fill a small, clear jar at least half full of water.

Add 10 or more drops of neon blue food coloring and stir it in. I use a blue hue, but any color of food coloring would work nicely.

Try this easy-to-do dyed peony science experiment today. This activity shows how water travels up peony stems and flows through leaves and petals.

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Set the sprig in the colored water overnight and observe it the next day. You’ll notice that the edges of the peony flower petals have turned blue.

Check the plant once a day after that to spot more color changes.

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Tell your little charges that coloring the water blue helps us see how water travels up the stem of a plant into the flower leaves and petals.

Note: The leaves and stems of my peony plant are dark, so it is difficult to see water travel up them. Choosing a plant with lighter leaves would show water travel through these plant parts better.

Large, light pink peony blooms are showstoppers during the summer season.

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The Importance of Water For Plants

Along with light, air, and good soil, water is super important to a plant’s growth and survival:

Plants are made of mostly water, and it helps them stay firm.
Plants cool down by releasing water from their stems and leaves. This helps them regulate their temperature.
Water carries important nutrients that help plants grow.
Sunlight, carbon dioxide from the air, and water are necessary for photosynthesis, which is how the leaves of plants create energy to survive.

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If you have an abundance of peonies, why not try this dyed peony science experiment with a variety of food coloring hues? Or you could perform it with carnations, which are easy to find and economical to buy.

Related:

Celery Science Experiment

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[Read more…]