Putting The Pretty In Preschool

Finding Beauty In Everyday Early Childhood Experiences

preschool

Paper Plate Sun Craft

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A few weeks ago, I was looking for tableware for a space kitchen dramatic play center and found speckled and silver supplies that fit the bill. These metallic rainbow plates gleamed next to the iridescent silver ones I chose, and caught my attention. It was a no-brainer to use them in an easy and cute paper plate sun craft.

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Supplies To Collect

Just the following few supplies are needed for this simple sun craft:

  • 9-inch metallic rainbow party plates
  • bright yellow cardstock paper
  • marker
  • glue stick
  • scissors and pencil

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Preparing The Paper Plate Sun Craft

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Craft preparation is easy for this paper plate sun craft. First, use a marker to draw lines along the ribs on the edge of 9-inch rainbow plate backs. The lines will be about two inches long.

Next, cut circles from bright yellow cardstock, about 6 inches in diameter.

Then choose a marker in a matching color to use for creating sun faces.

Set out a paper plate front side down and a pair of scissors for each child participating.

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The Paper Plate Sun Craft

For this craft, invite children to cut along the lines on the back side of their plate. This is great scissor skill practice.

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Next, have each participant draw a face on their yellow circle using a color that matches one of the metallic plate hues.

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After turning their paper plate right side up, give each child a glue stick to affix their yellow paper face to the center of their sun.

Finally, encourage participants to bend up every other fringed section on the edge of their plate to enhance the sun’s rays and create a 3D effect.

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The shiny, adorable paper pate suns beg to be displayed and will look cute together tacked to a bulletin board or wall.

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Variation of the Paper Plate Sun Craft

As an alternative to using metallic plates for this craft, offer plain white paper plates. Invite children to paint or color their plate yellow or orange, snip sun rays around the edge, and then glue on a round yellow paper face.

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Related:

Scented Moon Playdough

Outer Space Pretend Play

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Moon Colors Art Project

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This “moon colors” art project is inspired by a gorgeous spiral montage of 48 moon hues photographed over the years by Marcella Pace. The stunning image was selected by NASA as the Astronomy Photo of the Day and is available as an art print.

The surface of the moon is a dull grey color due to the combination of minerals present. The moon appears lighted because it reflects light from the sun. It sometimes appears to change colors due to its position in the sky and the atmospheric conditions present. At times it can appear red, pink, yellow, orange, or even blue. The impending arrival of these uniquely hued full moons is regularly announced on social media platforms such as Facebook or X, giving everyone a heads-up about when to search for them in the night sky.

Since I love to feature objects in unexpected colors in creative activities, this art activity features moons in a variety of colors using a simple salt and glue technique. I previously debuted this popular art activity on a grey paper moon base in a post titled Salt and Glue Moon Art.

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Colors of the Moon Art Supplies

Gather the following supplies for this striking moon art project:

  • 8 ½ inch x 11-inch cardstock paper in red, pink, yellow, orange, blue, turquoise, purple, and green hues
  • 9-inch x 12-inch black cardstock
  • white glue
  • glue paddle
  • disposable plate
  • table salt
  • small bowls or paint cups
  • spray adhesive
  • hot glue gun
  • table cover

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Colors of the Moon Art Process

To prepare this easy-to-do art activity, cut circles about 7 ½ inches in diameter from gray cardstock.

Next, set up a station for each child participating with a

  • cardstock paper circle
  • small bowl of salt and a teaspoon
  • container of white glue and glue paddle
  • disposable plate

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Invite little learners to drizzle white glue on their circle-shaped paper in a random manner.

Then have them sprinkle salt from a teaspoon over the glue, and shake excess salt onto their disposable plate.

Let the colorful art projects dry overnight.

To help preserve the moon art, spray each salted circle with adhesive spray. Hairspray works fine for this task too.

When thoroughly dry, adhere each salt and glue moon to a 9-inch x 12-inch sheet of black cardstock or construction paper background using a hot glue gun.

Display the striking moons on a bulletin board or wall. They will look amazing together!

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Different Moon Colors Explained

Red Moon

When the sun illuminates the whole moon in a lunar eclipse, it can appear red.

This moon is commonly called a “blood moon.”

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Yellow or Orange Moon

A yellow or orange moon is called a Harvest Moon since it is usually seen in late summer or early fall during harvest time. The moon can appear orange or yellow when it is close to the horizon.

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Pink Moon

The pink moon is the first full moon in April, and it only occasionally looks pink.

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Purple Moon

Although it doesn’t look purple the second full moon in April is called a purple moon. It has been photographed as purple in Marcella Pace.

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Blue Moon

The moon rarely appears blue. When it does look blue, the hue is the result of a huge amount of dust or smoke in the air due to a volcanic eruption or forest fire.

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Green Moon

There have been no sightings of a green moon. But it is fun to reimagine the moon in a green hue using the salt and glue art technique.

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Turquoise Moon

Like a green moon, a turquoise moon won’t be spotted in the night sky. It is also fun to create in art.

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Moon Colors In Art

Depicting different colors of the moon is popular in digital art and photos, and there are many beautiful moon artworks available. Why not join in the fun and create colorful moon art using the salt and glue technique?

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Related:

Scented Moon Playdough

Starry Sky Sensory Bin

Space Father’s Day Craft

Space Restaurant Dramatic Play

Watercolor Planets With Markers

Outer Space Pretend Play

Earth Day Heart Art

Earth Day Craft

Space Loose Parts Play

Space Theme Light Table

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Baby Chick Theme Activities

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These baby chick theme activities are inspired by Mo Willem’s picture book titled “That Is Not A Good Idea.” The activities include two storybooks about chicks, a chick headband craft, chick songs and chants, a hen and chick coloring page, discussing the life stages of a chicken, and performing “The Chicken Dance.” A free downloadable chick headband template is included in the post.

Picture Books About Hens and Chicks

Two picture books perfect for a baby chick theme day are:

  1. “The Cow That Laid An Egg” by Andy Cutbill. In the humorous story, chickens hatch a plan to help a cow that thinks she is ordinary feel extraordinary. A little chick hatched from an egg is part of the plan.
  2. “That Is Not A Good Idea” by Mo Willems. The characters in the picture book are a wolf, a hen, and a brood of chickens. The story is suspenseful and fun and has a delightful surprise ending.

Chick Headband Crafts

These simple chick headband crafts look super cute and help get little learners in the mood to act out baby chicks in rhymes, chants, and action songs. Pick one design to create with your little learners. Then invite them to wear it for music time and dramatic play.

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Children welcome the opportunity to use specialized art supplies in a craft. Wiggly eyes and a feather tuft accent this first chick headband.

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To keep the craft simpler, use construction paper for the entire headband. The colorful paper headband looks equally sweet.

To make craft preparation super easy, download this free chick headband template to use for the craft.

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Chick Headband PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Don’t have construction paper in the colors needed? No problem. Download the template and invite participants to use crayons to color the pieces before assembling them into a chick headband.

Songs And Chants About Baby Chicks

Wearing a chick headband sets the mood for language arts and musical activities. The fun baby chick songs and chants featured in a blog post by Teaching Mama are perfect for the theme.

Chick Coloring Page

A simple hen and chick coloring page is a good calming activity. There are many options to choose from online.

Life Cycle of a Chicken Figurines

Hen and chick life cycle figurines by Safari Ltd. are great accessories to use to explain the life cycle of a chicken.

The Chicken Dance Song

A fitting ending for the baby chick theme day is dancing to a version of The Chicken Dance song. It’s bound to send everyone off in good spirits.

These baby chick theme activities are perfect for an Easter, spring, or farm animal theme.

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Space Loose Parts Play

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Loose parts are a highlight in any play center, and they certainly shine in a space theme. Sorted in a tray, they are ready for all kinds of outer space loose parts play. The outer space-themed supplies can be added to a rice bin, water play bin, or playdough invitation. The out-of-this-world loose parts have other great uses as well.

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Space Loose Parts Supplies

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The following economical and easy-to-find supplies are in the space loose parts tray:

  • space-ship shaped bubble blowing containers
  • star-shaped buttons
  • thin bracelets
  • orange and white ping pong balls
  • glow in the dark stars, stones, and pebbles
  • space-themed erasers
  • marbles
  • rubber balls
  • sun and star-shaped acrylic gems
  • yellow pickleball balls
  • astronaut and spaceship toys

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The Space Loose Parts Tray

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Repurposed spaceship-shaped bubble blowing containers with screw-top lids work well in sensory bin activities and are super fun to use.

Glow-in-the-dark stars and star-shaped buttons help create vivid night skies. The stones and pebbles serve as space rocks.

Yellow pickleball balls represent a lighted, crater-filled moon.

Various kinds and colors of small balls and marbles can be reimagined as planets or moons, and the bracelets make great planetary rings.

Iridescent sun and star-shaped acrylic gems add beauty to outer space play activities.

Mini astronaut and spaceship toys and erasers extend imaginative play.

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Space Loose Parts Play

The colorful rubber balls in the space loose parts play tray can be used in large motor activities.

The space-themed buttons, glow-in-the-dark stars, rocks, bracelets, erasers, and acrylic gems make great loose parts in outer space pretend play.

The supplies in the tray are perfect for a space-themed transient art invitation.

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The outer space supplies shine in a rice sensory bin or water play setup.

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And the supplies are tantalizing in a playdough invitation.

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Watercolor Rainbows With Markers

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Making watercolor rainbows with markers is one of the easiest and most fun art activities for early learners to do.  Preparation time is minimal, and the art project is stunning every time.

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Supplies To Collect

Only the following few supplies are needed for this gorgeous watercolor art project:

  • eye droppers or pipettes
  • paper towel roll
  • set of 10 water-based markers
  • paint pot with water
  • ice cream pail lid
  • reusable tablecover

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The Watercolor Rainbows With Markers Art Project

To offer this fun watercolor art project, set out a sample rainbow drawing, a paper towel roll sheet, and a set of water-based markers.

Discuss the colors of the rainbow, and the acronym ROYGBIV. Explain that this acronym stands for the order of colors in a rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

Invite participants to draw a rainbow, starting with a red curved line near the edges of their paper towel sheet.

Tip: To make it easier for young children, draw a large red half circle on each paper towel sheet using an ice cream pail lid as a guide. Then ask participants to draw in the rest of the curved lines of the rainbow.

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After each child has finished their rainbow drawing, direct them to a table with eye droppers or pipettes and paint pots filled with water. Ask participants to drop water on their rainbow with the droppers. They will absolutely love this part of the art activity.

Let the beautiful rainbow art dry overnight and display it.

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Note: Children may draw their rainbows in a unique color pattern. That is just fine…the rainbows will look beautiful in any color order.

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More Eye Dropper Art

Eye Dropper Leaf Art

Gorgeous Eye Dropper Art

Eye Dropper Pumpkin Art

Eye Dropper Heart Art

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More Watercolor Art

Watercolor Apples With Markers

Pump Bottle Watercolor Art

Unicorn Watercolor Art

Watercolor Planets With Markers

Crayon Resist Watercolor Shamrock

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