preschool

Scented Playdough Activities

October 18, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

This two-ingredient playdough is super aromatic and has a unique consistency. It is easy and quick to make and inspires endless scented playdough activities.

Scented playdough activities with an easy to make, two-ingredient recipe. Three dough variations and six sensory play invitations are featured.

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Playdough Ingredients

The only ingredients needed are cornstarch and scented hair conditioner. Low-cost perfumed conditioners can be picked up at Dollar stores and local grocery stores. Food coloring is an optional third ingredient.

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Below are the supplies to collect for three scented playdough variations.

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Green Apple Playdough

One cup of green apple scented conditioner
Two cups cornstarch
Green food coloring (optional)

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Strawberry Playdough

One cup of strawberry-scented conditioner
Two cups cornstarch
Red food coloring (optional)

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Coconut Playdough

One cup of coconut-scented conditioner
Two cups cornstarch
Yellow food coloring (optional)

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Making The Scented Playdough

Mix one kind of scented conditioner and cornstarch together in a bowl, and knead them for further blending. Add a squeeze more conditioner if the dough is dry, or a tad more cornstarch if the dough is mushy. The soft playdough responds superbly to human touch.

Green apple playdough batch using two ingredients and optional food coloring. A dreamy, soft playdough that responds well to human touch.

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The dough will be a light pastel color. To produce a deeper hue, add a generous amount of food coloring to the batch.

Two-ingredient scented playdough with food coloring ready to knead in.

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Dreamy, two-ingredient scented playdough in three varieties.

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If using this playdough recipe more than once, add a little more conditioner and cornstarch and knead till you get a workable dough again.

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Scented Playdough Activities

Apple Themed Playdough Invitations

Offer the scented playdoughs, toothpicks, and apple tree leaves for your little learner to create apples.

Invitation to create apples with scented, two-ingredient playdough, toothpicks, and apple leaves.

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Apples created with scented, two-ingredient playdough, toothpicks, and apple leaves.

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Set out green apple playdough for your little one to explore along with apple cookie cutters, gems, leaves, a cutting board, and an ice cube tray.

Apple themed playdough invitation with apple cutting board, ice cube tray, cookie cutters, leaves, and gems.

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Related: Apple Theme Activities

Coconut Playdough Sun

Offer coconut playdough on a tray with golf tees, buttons, and gems. Invite your early learner to create a sun.

Invitation to play with coconut-scented, two-ingredient playdough and buttons, gems, and golf tees.

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A playdough sun created with coconut-scented, two-ingredient playdough and buttons, gems, and golf tees.

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Coconut Playdough Beach Scene

Put together a tray with coconut playdough and beach-themed loose parts. Let your little one freely manipulate the playdough and add accessories.

Invitation to explore scented, two-ingredient playdough with tropical-themed accessories.

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Surprise accessory: You may notice the snowmen cookie cutters on this tray. They have a special purpose which will be revealed in a future post.

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Bonus: The tropical fruit toothpicks add color to the playdough.

Tropical fruit toothpicks leave color on the scented, two-ingredient playdough.

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Playdough Ice Cream Cones

Set out all three kinds of playdough along with a scoop and real or plastic ice cream cones. Invite your little learner to add “ice cream” to the cones.

Invitation to create ice cream cones with scented, two-ingredient playdough and accessories.

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Ice cream cones created with scented, two-ingredient playdough and accessories.

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Green Apple Slime

Add additional green apple conditioner to the apple perfumed playdough to transform it into slime. Scoop the sludge into a bowl and set it out with a pumpkin and buttons. Allow your little one to explore the new consistency, and embellish the pumpkin with slime and buttons.

Invitation to explore scented conditioner slime and use it with buttons to decorate a pumpkin.

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These dreamy scented playdough activities are sure to be a hit with your little learner. Which activity is your favorite? Share below in the comments section.

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Horse Chestnut Leaf Art Activities

October 12, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

A horse chestnut leaf featured in five easy to do art projects that are suitable for all ages.

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Horse chestnut tree leaves are sizable and showy and have that “wow” factor. They are deep green compound leaves with five to seven leaflets that live on a tree that is beautiful throughout the seasons. The palmate leaves are showcased along with large, spiked flowers in spring. They turn golden yellow in autumn and are accompanied by dramatic, prickly lime green fruits that are coverings for ultra-smooth nut-like seeds called conkers. The leaves are a spectacular subject for art. Featured in this post are five horse chestnut leaf art activities that are easy to do with your early learners.

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Horse chestnut tree flowers in spring. — Flowers in spring.

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Horse chestnut tree with fruit in autumn. — Leaves and fruit in autumn.

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Horse chestnut tree conkers on the left, and broken fruit casings on the right. — Conkers and empty fruit casings.

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Horse Chestnut Leaf Art Activities

Leaf Print

Set a horse chestnut leaf face down on a table with a paintbrush and tempera paint. Invite your child to paint the leaf, turn it over, and press it down on a sturdy piece of art paper.

Horse chestnut leaf paint print invitation.

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Have your little one rub all over the painted leaf carefully, and remove it from the paper.

Horse chestnut leaf paint print in a black and white color scheme.

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A blackish paint produces an unexpected, striking black and white color scheme.

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Leaf Dot Art

Invite your little learner to place a large horse chestnut leaf on a piece of paper, and decorate the area around it with dot markers.

Dot marker art with a horse chestnut leaf.

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Horse chestnut leaves are perfect for dot marker art.

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Removing the leaf reveals a white silhouette.

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Watercolor Resist Leaf

On a large, sturdy piece of paper, help your child trace around a horse chestnut leaf with a black pastel crayon. Carefully remove the leaf, and encourage your little one to add a midrib and veins to the leaflets. Offer a paintbrush and containers of liquid watercolors for painting the drawing. Food coloring hues mixed with small amounts of water can also be used.

Horse chestnut leaf watercolor resist art project set up.

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Horse chestnut leaf watercolor resist art project.

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View a video tutorial of this watercolor resist leaf art project.

Watercolor resist leaf art video tutorial.

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Crayon Relief Leaf

Ask your early learner to place the compound leaf under a piece of thin paper. Offer a selection of peeled crayons. Have your little one rub over the leaf with crayons held upright or laid flat.

A pastel rainbow color scheme adds softness to this art project.

Horse chestnut leaf rubbing with crayons.

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Foil Leaf Rubbing

Place a horse chestnut leaf face down on a table. Lay a slightly larger piece of aluminum foil over it. Help your child gently press the foil over and around the midribs, veins, petiole, and edges of the leaf.

Horse chestnut leaf aluminum foil rubbing set up.

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Horse chestnut leaf aluminum foil rubbing.

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If you are lucky enough to have a horse chestnut tree close to where you live, it can be fabulous to study and photograph throughout the seasons. And horse chestnut leaf art activities add ambiance to home or classroom decor from spring to autumn.

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Do you have a favorite horse chestnut leaf art activity or a preferred leaf for art? I’d love to hear about it in the comment section below.

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Related: Fall Leaf Crown Paper Crafts

Make a gorgeous leaf crown craft with one of these leaf crown printables.

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[Read more…]

Turkey Sensory Tubes

October 3, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Here are three quick and inviting turkey sensory tubes to put together for a Thanksgiving, fall, or farm theme. I used large water bottles with wide mouths purchased at a dollar store for these activities. Offer the tubes to little learners and have them “spot the turkeys.”

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Three "Spot The Turkey" sensory tubes. Split pea and lentil base, glitter water base, and craft material base sensory tube ideas.

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Split Pea And Lentil Based Sensory Tube

Split pea and lentil-based turkey sensory tube with turkey counters, and leaf, pumpkin, and apple gems.

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This calming turkey sensory tube features a red split lentil and yellow split pea base. Also included are:

red, orange, and yellow rubber turkey counters
pumpkin and apple gems
fall round and leaf gems

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Glitter Water Sensory Tube

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Water sprinkled with a little orange glitter is the base for this glitzy sensory tube. Red, orange, and yellow turkey counters and apple, pumpkin, leaf, and round gems complete the tube.

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Craft Supply And Gem Sensory Tube

Cardstock paper in an array of fall hues is the color guide for this cheery turkey sensory tube.

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The color guide for a Frozen 2 inspired sensory bin.

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Added to the tube are:

purple turkey counters
red, orange, and purple feathers and pompoms
gold, red, and orange foil leaves
pumpkin, apple, leaf, and round gems
green apple counters

Glitter water sensory tube with turkey counters, and leaf, pumpkin, diamond, and apple gems.

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The turkeys can be exchanged for Frozen II figurines to go along with the heartwarming storybook “We’ll Always Have Each Other” by John Edwards. Read about a Frozen II inspired sensory bin here:

Frozen II Inspired Sensory Bin

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Fall-colored loose parts are featured in these three turkey sensory tubes. But the color theme can be changed to fit any season the tubes are offered in.

Turkey math counters and fall-themed loose parts. — **Turkey Counters And Fall-Themed Loose Parts**

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What do you think?

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Thanksgiving Printables

Shop Thanksgiving printables in my Etsy shop “Skills N Smiles“:

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Carrot Theme Activities

August 18, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

One of the easiest vegetables to grow in an indoor or outdoor garden is carrots. This makes carrot activities ideal for hands-on nature experiences with young children.

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Carrot theme sensory, art, and baking activities.

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We usually think of carrots as orange, but did you know that they come in a variety of colors? You can purchase a rainbow bunch, which has purple, red, orange, yellow, and white carrots. Being a lover of all things colorful, I chose rainbow carrots for some of the carrot theme activities.

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Carrot Washing Station

A carrot washing station, set up outdoors or in a sensory tub indoors, offers early learners a farm day experience.

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Save the tops of the carrots for your little ones to use with a mortar and pestle. View the post by Fairy Dust Teaching called “SMASH, CRUSH, DESTROY! How To Use A Mortar And Pestle In Your Sensory Play” for more information about introducing these implements in early learning activities.

Carrot tops with mortar and pestle for early learners to explore.

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Curled Carrot Hair Portraits

Curled carrots make statement hairdos! On a sturdy piece of paper using felt pens, draw a face. Or have your little learners draw one. Invite them to add carrot hair to the face. Since natural human hair is made up of an array of colors, rainbow carrots work fabulously in this challenge.

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If the carrot curls straighten, they still make striking hair.

Rainbow carrot hair portrait. An all-ages art activity.

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Carrot Contour Drawings

Contour carrot drawings are the perfect follow-up activity to reading a storybook such as “The Carrot Seed” by Ruth Krauss. And carrots make a superb subject for guided drawing.

Start by showing early learners a large carrot (with a green carrot top.) Hold up the carrot in one hand. Ask them to follow along with their eyes as you air trace around the outside with your other hand. Discuss the long, thin, triangular shape of the carrot, and the delicate lines in the carrot top. Afterward, offer green and orange felt pens and large pieces of paper for little learners to create one.

Below are drawings preschoolers have made.

Carrot drawings completed by preschoolers.

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Carrot And Bunny Sensory Trays

Little learners love sensory trays with scooping, pouring, sifting, and counting opportunities. Below are two garden-themed trays. They prominently feature carrots and bunnies…a natural pairing!

The first tray has a green split pea base and is simple to put together. It includes:

plastic carrot cup with lid
rubber bunny woolies
ladle
wooden numbers

Split pea-based sensory tub with bunny woolies, numbers, ladle, and carrot cup with a lid.

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This second sensory tray is brimming with bunnies, carrots, numbers, and gems. Green split peas and black beans are the base ingredients.

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Carrot Measurement

A rectangular piece of sturdy cardboard, measuring tape, and washed carrots are all that is needed to give early learners practice in measuring the length of these crunchy vegetables.

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Along with offering carrots in early learning activities, include them in snacks too. And this Roasted Rainbow Carrot recipe from the Food Network Kitchen makes a colorful and appetizing addition to any meal.

Do you have a favorite carrot activity? Share in a comment below.

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Related: Jumbo Carrot Paint Prints Video

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Printmaking with jumbo carrots. The paint colors used are inspired by rainbow carrots. This is an all-ages art activity.

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Sea Star Activities And Facts

August 3, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Sea star theme activities for early learners. Art, sensory, and math activities featured. Sea star facts and links to resources included.

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Sea stars have no trouble taking the spotlight along the sea edge or in an aquarium. They are stunning ocean creatures and come in a huge array of colors. And these sea star activities for early learners? They deliver.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more activities.

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Ten Fast Facts About Sea Stars

Many sea stars live in shallow water; all live on the ocean floor.
Five-armed sea stars are common, but some have 10, 20, or even 40 arms.
Just like octopuses, sea stars can grow back a lost arm.
Sea star eyes are at the end of their arms and look like red spots.
Up to thirty-five years is how long sea stars can live.
Sea water gets pumped through sea star bodies instead of blood.
Hundreds of tube feet on the underside of their bodies help sea stars move, hang on to rocks, and pull away.
Sea stars have soft bellies and tough spiny or leathery skin on their backs.
Clams, oysters, and snails are foods these carnivorous creatures eat.
Their bright colors allow sea stars to blend in with their surroundings, and help scare off attackers.

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Sea Star Activities

Sea Star Sensory Tray

Sea stars purchased at a craft store, and seashells, smooth rocks, and gems arranged in blue-hued water make an inviting sensory tray for early learners to explore.

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Sea star sensory tray with different sized sea stars and rocks, shells, and gems. The base for the sensory tray is blue water.

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Sea Star Counting

Colorful sea star counters and a ten frame give little learners hands-on counting practice. Download the ten frame here.

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Taste Safe Playdough And Sea Stars

This no-cook, easy-to-make playdough recipe is taste safe. Anyone with a sweet tooth will love it.

You will need:

1 cup store-bought vanilla frosting
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup icing sugar
yellow and red food coloring

Mix and knead the frosting, cornstarch, and icing sugar in a bowl. This should make a moldable dough. If the playdough is a little sticky, knead in a bit more cornstarch. If the dough is dry, add a spoon or two of frosting.

Divide the dough into a large and small lump. In the smaller lump, knead in a little yellow and red food coloring. Place the playdough pieces on a tray along with sea stars, sea star molds, shells, stars, and chocolate chips. (Read on to find out why chocolate chips are on the tray.) Any ocean-themed loose parts you have handy will work.

Invite your early learner to explore the playdough and loose parts.

Sea star sensory play invitation using taste safe playdough.

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The recipe makes enough playdough for one or two children to use. Multiply the ingredients if more little learners are participating in the activity.

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Playdough Chocolate Chip Sea Star

Yes, there are starfish named “chocolate chip sea stars!” These sea stars come in a variety of colors but always have dark brown spots on top. They grow up to 15 inches / 38 centimeters in size and make good pets.

Invite your little learner to mold a five-armed chocolate chip sea star with the vanilla playdough. Then encourage adding little dots of orange-red playdough to the top of the starfish, and pressing in chocolate chips. This will complete the sea star.

Chocolate chip sea star made with taste safe playdough.

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This sea star is featured in the engaging picture book “I See Sea Food: Sea Creatures That Look Like Food” by Jenna Grodzicki.

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Sea Star Art

Taste safe painted sea star inspired by the pink short-spined sea star.

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The two-ingredient paint recipe used in this art activity has previously been featured in my Octopus Theme Activities blog post. It works well in sea star art too. This project is inspired by the pink short-spined sea star. Click the link below for a video tutorial.

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View a Sea Star Art video tutorial.

Video tutorial featuring a taste safe painted starfish inspired by the pink short-spined sea star. This is an all-ages art activity.

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Fun Fact: Pink short-spined sea stars don’t mind getting dirty. They can be spotted in sand or mud, or on rocks and coral.

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Sea Star Sorting

A purchased package of sea stars provides an opportunity to order these star-shaped creatures from largest to smallest, or vice versa. The gigantic sea star included below is a garage sale find.

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Invitation to order sea stars from largest to smallest.

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Sea Star Observation

Although it is tempting to pick up sea stars, they should not be touched, poked, moved, or taken out of the water. It is best to observe them in an aquarium or while snorkeling.

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If you live near the ocean, there are likely many opportunities to see sea stars up close. But whether you do or don’t, the blog post “19 Bizarre And Beautiful Starfish Species” is a good read. It is packed with fascinating sea star facts and photos. Viewing the article is a good follow-up to the hands-on sea star activities featured in my post.

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