preschool

Chinese New Year Sensory Tray

February 1, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Year of the Ox Chinese New Year rice-based sensory tray with a bull figurine and red and gold loose parts.

_______

Chinese New Year (also called Lunar New Year) will be celebrated on February 12 in 2021. It is the most important holiday in China and is celebrated by Chinese people and interested others all over the world. The holiday marks the end of the coldest winter days and the beginning of spring. Since it is the year of the ox, why not join in the festivities this February with an ox-themed Chinese New Year sensory tray.

_______

Ox Facts

Domesticated oxen are often castrated adult male cows, as this makes them easier to handle.
Ox horns are very long.
Being very strong animals, they can pull heavy loads.
As dependable work animals, oxen transport people and supplies, help with fieldwork, and power machines.
Oxen used to roam in herds in the wild.

Chinese New Year "Year of The Ox" rice-based tray featuring a bull figurine and red and gold loose parts.

_______

Character Qualities Of The Ox

The ox is a cherished animal in Chinese culture, as it is hardworking and reliable, and was used in agriculture by peasants to plow fields. Positive character qualities are attributed to the ox. And people born in the year of the ox are considered to be logical, disciplined, diligent, trustworthy, and talented. And who wouldn’t want to emulate these qualities!

_______

Related:

Year Of The Pig Sensory Bin (Chinese New Year 2019)

Year Of The Rat Noodle Bin (Chinese New Year 2020)

Year Of The Tiger Chickpea Bin (Chinese New Year 2022)

Year Of The Rabbit Sensory Bin (Chinese New Year 2023)

_______

Chinese New Year Sensory Tray

This Chinese New Year sensory tray gives a glimpse into Chinese culture and acknowledges the importance the ox has played in Chinese agriculture and life.

Chinese New Year loose parts tray featuring a bull figurine and red and gold loose parts.

_______

The base for the tray is super white glutinous rice. Loose parts included are:

bull figurine
gold coins
red beads
red diamond-shaped gems
gold and red buttons
gold bows, bells, and bead garland strips
red bowls
chopsticks
Chinese calligraphy cups

Year of the Ox Chinese New Year rice tray featuring a bull figurine and red and gold loose parts.

_______

People all over the world celebrate Chinese New Year. This traditional holiday is filled with drama and color, especially welcome in northern, winter white countries like mine!

Year of the Ox tray featuring a bull figurine and red and gold loose parts.

_______

Lunar New Year Lantern Craft

Add a festive, cultural touch to your Lunar New Year celebration or Chinese New Year classroom theme in minutes with this beautiful Lunar New Year Lantern craft!

_______

_______

_______

“Year of the Horse” Wall Art

_______

This “Year of the Horse” wall art is perfect for an entryway, classroom, or office. Download it at Skills N Smiles on Etsy for Lunar New Year or Zodiac-themed decor, or a cultural celebration display.

_______

The “Year of the Horse” art print will elevate your Lunar New Year decor, and is available as an instant download on Etsy. It comes in four print sizes, and PDF and PNG formats.

_______

Get this “Year of the Horse” Chinese Zodiac-themed wall art today!

_______

[Read more…]

Recycled Card Mitten Matching

January 31, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Mitten and snowflake matching math activity using recycled cards.

_______

Christmas is one of the best times to collect recycled cards for classroom activities. I ask people to save their cards for me and then file them away for future use. Cards are beautiful and add an arty flair to any project. And winter-themed cards are perfect for this recycled card mitten matching challenge.

For this activity, select cards with a snowy, winter theme. Christmas cards frequently have this. Cut mitten shapes from the cards. Use one of these templates if you wish. I made the mittens in two sizes!

_______

Large Mitten PrintableDownload

This printable is for personal or one classroom use only.

_______

Mitten PrintableDownload

This printable is for personal or one classroom use only.

_______

Punch shapes from the center of the mittens. I used a snowflake paper punch, but any shape could be punched or cut out. Then set the mittens and punched shapes out on a table. Invite early learners to match the cutouts to the mittens.

_______

More Paper Mitten Activities

Aside from this recycled card mitten matching challenge, mittens cut from different colors of cardstock paper could be used for matching. Or use the mitten template for a painting, coloring, or scissor skill activity.

_______

Snowflake and mitten matching challenge.

_______

Mitten and snowflake matching challenge.

________

[Read more…]

Polar Dinosaur Sensory Play

January 30, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Three engaging sensory activities to explore whether dinosaurs could have survived in polar regions of the world.

_______

Could dinosaurs have survived in polar areas of the world? Since fossils of many kinds of dinosaurs have been discovered in cold, icy regions, this question has been carefully pondered. Early learners can explore this idea through polar dinosaur sensory play.

_______

Polar Dinosaur Discoveries

Northern Alaska is the best polar location to find dinosaur fossils, as fossils of many uniquely different dinosaurs have been unearthed there.

Fossils from at least eight types of dinosaurs have been discovered in Antarctica.

Dinosaur fossils have also been found in Siberia, Canada, southern Australia, New Zealand, and the southern tip of South America.

There have been discoveries of dinosaur trackways, footprints, teeth, skin impressions, and bones.

Collecting dinosaur fossils in polar regions is challenging because of the extreme weather conditions, rugged, hard to access places and difficulty in removing fossils.

_______

Polar Dinosaur Sensory Tray

A simple way to incorporate the idea of polar animals living in cold parts of the world is to set up a polar dinosaur sensory tray.

Polar dinosaur sensory play with dinosaurs and winter-themed loose parts.

_______

Items in the tray:

dinosaur figurines and skulls
acrylic ice cubes
turquoise acrylic gems
white, cream, and blue gems
stones
cotton balls
snowflake confetti
dinosaur confetti

Loose parts tray featuring dinosaurs and winter-themed loose parts, perfect for exploring a polar dinosaur theme.

_______

This is an eye-pleasing tray that is bound to draw children in. It works well for individual sensory play.

Sensory tray with dinosaurs and winter-themed loose parts, perfect for exploring a polar dinosaur theme.

_______

Polar Dinosaur Playdough Tray

You can use most of the above items for a polar dinosaur playdough tray. I exchanged the dinosaurs for miniature ones and took out the cotton balls.

For the oh, so soft playdough recipe, click here.

Playdough tray featuring dinosaurs and winter-themed loose parts, perfect for exploring a polar dinosaur theme.

_______

Dinosaur cookie cutters add to the play possibilities.

Oh, so soft playdough used with dinosaur and winter-themed accessories.

Polar Dinosaur Sensory Tube

After using snowflake and dinosaur confetti in sensory trays, sprinkle some in a large clear plastic water bottle. Then add mini dinosaur figurines and water. Set the bottle out as a sensory tube for little learners to explore.

Polar dinosaur exploration sensory tube with snowflake confetti and miniature dinosaurs. An easy to prepare sensory experience for early learners.

_______

What Scientists Think About Dinosaurs and Polar Regions

Some dinosaurs could have lived in dark, chilly places, and may have hibernated in winter. Others could have adapted to the colder weather.

Still others may have migrated to polar regions in spring/summer because food was plentiful like many animals do today.

When dinosaurs roamed the earth the climate around the world was much warmer than today. Although polar lands had freezing temperatures and some snow, the weather was milder.

Fossils of leaves, pine needles, and trees show evidence that many polar areas were covered with forests when dinosaurs lived.

Polar dinosaur sensory tray with dinosaurs and winter-themed loose parts.

_______

Sensory tube for polar dinosaur exploration with snowflake confetti and miniature dinosaurs. An easy to prepare sensory experience for early learners.

_______

[Read more…]

Chinese New Year Sensory Play

January 14, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Chinese New Year sensory tub with red and gold accessories in a dyed chickpea base.

_______

Have you ever dyed chickpeas? I finally gave it a try, and it is soooo addicting! I made the first batch red to use for Chinese New Year sensory play.

In experimenting, I thought the chickpeas looked nice in a combination of dark red, speckled red, and natural hues. All deep red chickpeas seemed overpowering in the sensory tub.

Chickpeas dyed with varying amounts of red acrylic paint.

_______

How To Dye Chickpeas

A quick and easy way to dye chickpeas is with acrylic craft paint.

Supplies to collect:

large bag of chickpeas
red acrylic craft paint
measuring cup
tablespoon
large sandwich bags
plates or trays

Scoop one cup of chickpeas into a large sandwich bag. Add a tablespoon of red acrylic craft paint. Seal the bag well and knead the chickpeas for a few minutes until they are covered in paint.

Open the bag and set it on a table. After ten minutes, pour the chickpeas onto a tray or plate. They will be completely dry in another ten minutes.

Chickpeas dyed with red acrylic paint for sensory play.

_______

To get a speckled paint look, add half a tablespoon of paint to one cup of bagged chickpeas and knead well. Repeat the drying process.

Then color a cup of chickpeas with one-quarter tablespoon paint.

Leave some chickpeas undyed. This will give you four color varieties to add to a tub or bin for Chinese New Year sensory play.

To have enough chickpeas for a group sensory tub, dye more of them!

Note: Acrylic paint washes off hands, tables, dishware, and cutlery easily. If it spatters onto your clothes, wipe the paint off with a wet cloth before washing.

_______

Chinese New Year Sensory Tub

The tub for this sensory activity is a tulip-shaped punch bowl! Up to four children can gather around it to explore the contents. But a bin in any shape will work fine.

You can add undyed chickpeas, all red chickpeas, or chickpeas dyed with different amounts of red paint to the tub. Then look for gold and red items to include.

Red and gold accessories complement this chickpea-based Chinese New Year sensory tub.

_______

This tulip-shaped, chickpea-based tub holds:

chickpeas infused with varying amounts of red paint
red and gold buttons
gold stars
metallic gold pompoms
gold and red bead garland strips
red diamond acrylic gems
wooden ladle
red bowl
chopsticks
small cups with Chinese calligraphy

A chickpea-based Chinese New Year sensory bin.

_______

Your early learners will love scooping, pouring, and manipulating the red and gold pieces in this Chinese New Year sensory play invitation.

Dyed chickpeas in a tulip-shaped punch bowl with red and gold accessories.

_______

Lunar New Year Lantern Craft

Add a festive, cultural touch to your Lunar New Year celebration or Chinese New Year classroom theme in minutes with this beautiful Lunar New Year Lantern craft!

_______

_______

_______

Related:

Chinese New Year Rice Bin

Chinese New Year Money Tree Activity

Chinese New Year (Year Of The Rabbit) Rice Bin

_______

[Read more…]

Winter Sensory Trays

January 10, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

Snowflake confetti makes an eye-catching base for three simple winter sensory trays. Combined with a few accessories, it sets the stage for sparkly sensory play experiences your little learners will delight in.

The find: shiny snowflake and dot confetti in a blue, silver, and white color scheme.

Basic Winter Sensory Tray

Supplies to collect:

_______

snowflake confetti
turquoise gems
silver and white bead garland strips
large silver snowflakes
star cups
clear spoons

Set in a tray, these pieces make the perfect hands-on sensory activity for your little ones to celebrate winter with.

Snowflake studded winter sensory tray filled with shiny pieces.

_______

Shiny pieces rule in this snowflake confetti based winter sensory tray.

_______

Polar Bear Sensory Tray

In this tray, the star cups and spoons are replaced with cube-shaped “ice cube” acrylic gems and an ice floe cut from styrofoam. Polar bear figurines are set on and around the ice floe.

Polar bear winter sensory tray with a snowflake confetti base and shiny loose parts.

_______

Polar sensory tray with a snowflake confetti base and shiny loose parts.

_______

Polar animal-themed loose parts tray. — **Polar Sensory Tray Loose Parts**

_______

Penguin Sensory Tray

The bears are out and a variety of penguins are in! Styrofoam packing chips are added to the mix. The penguins are propped on the ice floe and ice chunks, or swimming in the water. Cotton balls would also be a good fit for this tray.

_______

Penguin sensory tray with a winter-themed loose parts in a snowflake confetti base.

_______

White rice or paper snowflake confetti can be substituted as the base in these glitzy, easy-to-set-up winter sensory trays your little learners will love.

_______

Snowflake Cafe Dramatic Play Center Printable Set

Bring wintertime fun into your classroom or playroom with this Snowflake Café Dramatic Play Center Printable Set! Perfect for cold-weather learning, this cozy café invites children to step into imaginative play as bakers, servers, and customers—offering winter-themed cookies and warm cups of hot chocolate.

This engaging, winter-themed pretend play resource

is ideal for preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary classrooms
supports dramatic play, counting, writing, and social skills
is great for winter units, indoor recess, or learning centers
is perfect for a play date
is excellent activity to pack on trips
is easy to prep—just print, cut, and play
is easy to store

_______

_______

What’s Included in This Printable Set

9 winter-themed cookie choices
Cookies in cookie pans
3 hot chocolate choices
Snowflake Café signs
Open & Closed signs
Price list/menu
Daily Special sign
Two styles of order forms (perfect for different ages and skill levels)
Store labels for organizing your café setup
Play money
Recipe suggestion form
40 printables in all

Whether you’re creating a seasonal dramatic play center, adding fresh excitement to your winter curriculum, or introducing a fun winter activity at home, the Snowflake Café printable set is a delightful way to keep children learning and playing throughout the season.

_______