pretend play

Winter-Themed Treasure Blocks

January 15, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Winter-themed treasure blocks add interest and beauty to any block play activity. Pick a winter color palette, scrounge around for loose parts in your chosen hues, and add them to the blocks. It’s that easy!

Treasure blocks are a fairly recent addition to my block collection, and I love adding seasonal supplies to them. There are eight see-through blocks in different sizes and shapes in the featured set, allowing various kinds of loose parts to be displayed. I highly recommend getting a set. They are so versatile.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more winter activity ideas.

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Winter-Themed Supplies To Collect

An online search reveals a variety of beautiful winter color combinations. For this post, I use loose parts in silver, white, cream, and shades of blue.

Winter-themed loose parts to use in treasure blocks or art activities.

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Here’s what’s in the blocks:

blue, silver, and white pom poms
turquoise snowflake gems
white and shades of blue round gems
clear and shades of blue ice rock crystals
silver and teal metallic snowflake confetti
white paper punched snowflakes
cream and shades of blue potpourri
snowflake and snowman erasers

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Winter-Themed Treasure Block Activities

These winter-themed treasure blocks pair well with polar animals. Offer the blocks on a table along with animal figurines such as polar bears, seals, arctic foxes, narwhals, and walruses.

Pair these winter-themed treasure blocks with polar animals and additional loose parts.

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Or go extreme south, and set out the blocks with penguin figurines.

These winter-themed treasure blocks make the perfect backdrop for a pair of penguins.

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After using the blocks in setups with polar animals, I look forward to pairing them with “Disney Frozen” sets.

Do you have a favorite way to use treasure blocks? Share below.

Related: Frozen Theme Loose Parts

Scissor Skill Snow Cutting Activities

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New Year’s Eve Sensory Tray

December 31, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This New Year’s Eve sensory tray is full of party vibes. It is an inviting loose parts tray to offer at a New Year’s Eve event, or on the first day of class in January. The dinner-themed play invitation is currently ready for my preschoolers to explore when they are back at school next week. I’m excited to see how they use it!

The featured tray is called a “tuff tray”, or “active world tray.” In our country (Canada) they are available to order online at:

Scholar’s Choice

Education Station

My active world tuff tray is a recent addition to my stock of early learning resources, and I love using it.

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Supplies To Collect

New Year's Eve sensory play tray with a party theme.

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To recreate this tray, pick a set of disposable paper New Year’s party plates. Use the colors in the plates to guide the color scheme for the loose parts in the active world tray. My plates are gold, silver, black and white, with metallic touches. I use gold and silver metallic accessories for the tray.

Loose parts to include:

round placemat
disposable cups and cutlery
gift boxes
serving bowls and spoons
tongs
star-shaped containers
strips of bead garland
buttons
play coins
small bells
large ornament bells
present ornaments
balls cut from garland
tiny trophies

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The New Year’s Eve Sensory Tray

Gather loose parts that you have available. Arrange them as a dinner invitation.

New Year's Eve tuff tray filled with dinner-themed loose parts little learners will love to party with.

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Serving containers in a variety of sizes and shapes add appeal and provide options for manipulating loose parts.

Bells are a welcome addition to any sensory activity. There are large bell ornaments and small jingling bells in the tray, offering a musical component.

The featured gift boxes are clear and contain tiny trophies and ornaments. Little learners can explore them and change up the contents. Gold or silver gift boxes would work wonderfully too.

New Year's Eve sensory tray featuring dinnerware, gift boxes, and metallic loose parts.

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Chocolate Mint Playdough

December 23, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This no-cook chocolate mint playdough smells divine! I usually opt for a variation of my favorite stovetop-cooked playdough for early learning activities, as I always make a huge batch of it. But this soft, pliable recipe turns out perfectly and stores well in the fridge. It’s the perfect addition to any holiday celebration. Since it is December, it’s being featured with Christmas-themed accessories.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more playdough ideas.

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Chocolate Mint Playdough Recipe

Gather the following ingredients for this recipe:

1 ½ cup flour
½ cup cocoa
½ cup salt
2 tbsp. cream of tartar
2 tbsp. mint flavoring
3 tbsp. oil
1 ½ cup boiling water

Combine and mix the flour, cocoa, salt, and cream of tartar in a bowl.

Add boiling water.

Drop in the oil and mint flavoring.

Stir all ingredients together.

Knead the dough on a cutting board when cool.

Store in a plastic bag in the fridge.

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Playdough Activities

Set out the playdough with rolling pins, holiday cookie cutters, and festive loose parts.

Oh so heavenly chocolate mint playdough and holiday-themed accessoies.

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Soft, pliable, chocolate mint playdough recipe and holiday-themed accessories.

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When using a second time, offer cupcake liners, festive erasers, and white glitter for children to make chocolate confections with. Gingerbread and candy cane erasers are the “stars of the show” below.

Christmas accessories and glitter add a festive touch to this chocolate mint playdough activitiy.

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Tip: Little fingers will get stained with chocolate during these playdough activities. Make sure there is a handwashing station nearby.

Holiday erasers and white glitter add a festive touch to this chocolate mint playdough activity.

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Your little charges may be tempted to taste the playdough since it smells so heavenly. It might be nice to have a small chocolate treat for them to eat after wrapping up this play invitation. A chocolate mint flavored treat would be ideal.

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Christmas Village Tuff Tray

December 22, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This Christmas Village tuff tray is filled with people figurines participating in outdoor activities. It’s the perfect winter play invitation to include in holiday celebrations.

A tuff tray is a sturdy, portable tray that can be used on a table, on the floor, or outside on the ground. Although it stores easily, it can also be set on a stand. I recently purchased a tuff tray online at Education Station, and love using it for this snowy activity.

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Supplies To Collect

A winter-themed pioneer village tuff tray filled with people participating in outdoor winter activities during the Christmas season.

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For the holiday tuff tray set up, gather the following:

wooden train tracks and train
wooden vehicles
silver and white placemats
tin foil disposable lid
snowflake window cling sheet
gem snowflakes
Christmas village-themed gift boxes
winter-themed people and animal figurines
miniature village signpost, mailbox, light post, fence, bench, and tree props

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Setting Up The Christmas Village Tuff Tray

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Place a large, round silver placemat in the center of the tray to represent a skating rink. Or add a circle cut from tin foil.

Lay wooden train tracks around the circular placemat.

Set in another snowy or icy area by trimming a white or silver rectangular placemat into a curved shape.

Add a round tin foil or white cardstock disposable container lid to suggest a third outdoor play space.

Then arrange the gift box buildings around the edge of the tray. These can easily be found at a dollar store.

Cut out large window cling snowflakes, leaving the backs on. Set them in open areas in the tray.

Next, put winter-themed people figurines and miniature village props on and around the “snow” and “ice.”

Generously sprinkle in gem snowflakes.

Finally, set a wooden train on the track. Or add community helper vehicles.

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Your little learners will be excited to investigate this Christmas Village tuff tray. If some of the figurines and props you choose to use are breakable, they need to be used carefully by little ones. The holiday play invitation must be supervised by an adult at all times!

This tuff tray setup is non-messy, so can easily be added to a session where there are ample other activity choices.

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Christmas Treasure Blocks

December 21, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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These Christmas treasure blocks are a festive addition to any play space. They are filled with seasonal loose parts and are fun to use in play by themselves or in addition to other toys.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

The following supplies work well in these see-through treasure blocks:

buttons
jingle bells
Christmas tree garland
pom poms
pony beads
craft stars
gem snowflakes
metallic snowflakes
rubber candy pieces

Seasonal loose parts are perfect to use with these see-through Christmas treasure blocks.

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Assembling The Christmas Treasure Blocks

One wood panel on each of these treasure blocks is easily removed by loosening the screws. After the blocks are filled, the panels can be screwed back on so no festive pieces fall out.

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My Christmas treasure blocks feature a red, green, white, and gold color scheme, but feel free to choose another one.

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Other Christmas-themed loose parts that would work well in these blocks are:

sequins
cut straws
gem Christmas lights
foam pieces
erasers
paper shred
bows

Christmas erasers, figurines and vehicles, other blocks, and seasonal décor can be included in a Christmas treasure block play invitation for added interest.

Christmas erasers and foil trees add interest to a Christmas treasure block play invitation.

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Treasure blocks are a recent addition to my educational toy supply, and I am definitely in love with them. I look forward to using them in more themes for little learners.

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Pet-Themed Playdough Tray

November 20, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This fun-filled pet-themed playdough tray is bound to engage your little learners for a nice chunk of time. It will inspire meaningful conversations and imaginative play, and strengthen little fingers.

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Pet-Themed Playdough Tray Supplies

An inviting supply of cat and dog-themed playdough accessories. Links to three easy-to-make playdough recipes are included.

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Supplies in this playdough added, pet-themed loose parts tray:

cat and dog cookie cutters
cookie cutter bones
dog erasers
eraser bones
dog-themed buttons
miniature pet dish
lattice with bell cat toys

The supplies were gathered from a variety of places. The exquisite cookie cutters were purchased from a store with a generous baking supply section, and the jingly lattice balls and teeny tiny dog-themed buttons from dollar stores. The round dog erasers were salvaged from a book club promotion, and the miniature eraser bones came with a set of Valentine cards.

Super popular with my preschoolers, the dog and cat figurines were gathered from pet sets and a pet adoption game.

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Playdough Recipes

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Warm, earth-toned playdough colors work well with this pet-themed playdough tray.

My preschoolers used the loose parts with a red-orange pumpkin spice playdough, as it was still pretty fresh after our October pumpkin activities. Just to make sure the color was fit for this second topic, I did a quick online search for “orange cats,” and “orange dogs.” Lengthy lists of orange tabby felines and ginger canines came up, so I knew the spicy playdough could have a second life.

View my post “Pumpkin Playdough Activities“ for this aromatic recipe.

You could also offer a batch of my all-time favorite basic playdough or a tangy orange jello dough. And setting out all three hues would provide opportunities for creating patchwork pets, or patterned tabby cats.

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Pet-themed Playdough Play

Invite your early learners to make cookies, bury bones, and create textures and imprints with playdough and pet-themed loose parts.

Cat and dog playdough supplies that encourage creativity and imaginitive play.

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You could swap out or add additional supplies for pet-themed creation. Buttons for animal spots, cut pipe cleaners for whiskers, rope for collars, and wiggle eyes are some suggestions.

Can you think of other accessories to include in this tray? Leave a comment below.

This pet-themed playdough tray is filled with cat and dog supplies little learners will love to imagine and create with.

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Turtle Pond Sensory Bin

November 4, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Easy to sert up nature-based tutle pond sensory bin.

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Why debut a turtle pond sensory bin, eggs included, in fall? Because although we generally associate spring as the time for baby animals to be born, many turtle hatchlings peck out of their shells in autumn.

And…because I have a light-up “toss and dive” turtle set that I’ve longed to use for over two years! I never stored it in a permanent spot because I was always planning to do a pond activity “very soon.” But with so many fantastic curriculum ideas to choose from every week, “soon” never came.

So this September as I was reorganizing storage areas, I noticed the colorful turtles once again. I googled “turtles in fall” to see how I could use them alongside typical fall themes such as leaves, pumpkins, bats, and spiders. Finding that turtle eggs and hatchlings are part of the fall season motivated me to include the diving turtles in a sensory activity at this time.

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Ten Turtle Reproduction Facts

Although turtles spend a lot of time in water, nearly all lay their eggs on land.
Many turtles lay a clutch of eggs in about 3 – 6 weeks after mating.
Mother turtles dig a nest in sandy or wet dirt with their hind legs. They cover the eggs laid in the nest with soil and plants.
Depending on turtle size and species, there can be from 5 to 100 eggs in a clutch.
Most turtles don’t guard their nests, leaving right afterwards.
It takes the baby turtles two to three months to hatch.
Most hatch in autumn, pecking their way out with an egg tooth.
These fall babies often stay in the nest through winter and emerge the following spring.
They survive their first winter by not eating and living on their own fat reserves. Some can handle cold temperatures and may even produce a sort of antifreeze.
Only a few turtles survive to adulthood. Turtle eggs and hatchlings have many predators.

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Turtle Pond Supplies To Collect

Loose parts for a turtle-themed sensory bin.

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A turtle-themed sensory bin can be set up very quickly with the following supplies:

kitchen supply bus bin
turtle figurines
rocks of varying sizes
small logs or twigs
gemstone slices
real or artificial leaves
marbles
small disposable food container with a ridge
a large piece of brown craft foam

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Making The Turtle Pond Sensory Bin

Nature[ based, easy to set up turtle pond sensory bin.

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Pour a layer of water into the bin. I used a kitchen bus bin for this activity.

Add rocks, logs, and gemstone slices.

Cut a few curves around the edge of the foam, and a hole in the middle just big enough to fit the disposable container. Float the foam in the water.

Set the disposable container in the hole to represent a turtle nest.

Add marble “eggs” to it. I used blue marbles because they were handy, but real turtle eggs are white or cream-colored.

This turtle pond sensory bin includes a sunken nest with "eggs."

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Surround the “nest” with a few craft or real leaves for covering the eggs up.

Add turtle figurines. Three light-up “toss and dive” turtles are the stars of this sensory bin, but any turtle figurines would be heartily welcomed by early learners.

Three "toss and dive" turtles are the stars of this pond sensory bin.

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Spider Theme Activities

October 31, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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For years I have been collecting supplies for spider theme activities. And fall is the best time to add to the theme, as spider décor and toys are everywhere in stores.

But I’ve been hesitant to do a whole theme about these little crawlers. That might involve just too many spiders for some children’s comfort!

This fall I decided to introduce just a few spidery things in the classroom, and touch on the theme a little more than usual. I added spider activities sequentially over a two-week period. It didn’t hurt that a family on the route to preschool positioned a humungous spider on top of their home, with a web that extended from rooftop to ground. I’m sure this helped break the topic in!

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Here are some spider theme activities we completed. They would work well for the children in your life too.

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Spider Mask

Easily transform into a spider with this easy papercraft mask.

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First, we decorated a spider mask. I used a wooden puppet as a template and traced it on pieces of black cardstock. I cut out enough spider masks for each child to have one and then glued on little orange hats. Each preschooler glammed up a mask with sticker gems. Afterward, I punched holes on each side of the masks and attached 18-inch pieces of thin elastic cord. The activity went over well, and children were happy to pose for pictures wearing their masks.

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Spidery Dramatic Play

Oh so fun spider-themed accessories for the play kitchen.

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Next, I added a few spider décor pieces to a pumpkin store and play kitchen. The items were a hit with everyone, and both centers were popular play areas for the children.

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Spiders and Spouts Sensory Tray

An Itsy Bitsy Spider inspired construction and sensory tray little learners will love.

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The following week I added a “Spiders And Spouts” sensory tray, inspired by the Itsy Bitsy Spider sensory tub blog post by Rubber Boots And Elf Shoes.

For the tray, I selected tubes from a sports net, a musical instrument set, a marble run toy, and a construction set. I added paper webs, spiders in many sizes, and bug viewers.

We followed up the sensory play with Itsy Bitsy Spider nursery rhyme picture books. Some favorites were:

The Itsy Bitsy Spider by Joe Rhatigan

Pete The Cat And The Itsy Bitsy Spider by James Dean

The Eency Weensy Spider by Mary Ann Hoberman

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Other Good Spider Books

We also squeezed in the storybooks “Aranea: A Story About A Spider” by Jenny Wagner, and “The Very Busy Spider” by Eric Carle.

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Spider Math Tray

Once the children thoroughly explored the spiders and spouts tray, it was turned into a Math center where students could roll a dice and put the correct number of spiders on a paper web. They could also add in tiny ants as prey.

Bring on the math with spiders and dice counting game.

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Spider Web Printable

Feel free to download this printable for use in a sensory or math center.

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Spider Web PrintableDownload

This printable is for personal or one classroom use only.

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Gross Motor Activities

Finally, we had spoon races with spiders, and used bouncy spider balls in our gymnasium. Playing with the bouncy balls was definitely the favorite activity of the children.

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Spider balls to get little learners moving.

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Felt Pen Chromatography Experiment

October 30, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This felt pen chromatography experiment uses supplies from the kitchen, has quick results, and can be tailored to a variety of topics. Creativity and center play is easily incorporated. And the experiment is super family-friendly.

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Basic Felt Pen Chromatography Experiment

See what colors felt pens are really made up of with this felt pen chromatography experiment.

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The simplest version of this experiment is to draw three filled-in circles with nonpermanent felt pens near the bottom of a section of paper towel.

Add a thin layer of water with 2.5 ml salt stirred in to a measuring cup or jar. Place the towel with the colored side down into the container. The water level should sit just below the felt pen colors.

Simply watch what happens!

After the color movement stops, remove the paper towel from the container and let it dry flat. Discuss the color changes/new color results.

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Felt Pen Chromatography Experiment Scary House

Scary house imaginative play with a felt pen experiment chromatogram.

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Although I am not into scary things and don’t do much frightening stuff with my preschool students, this version of the experiment produces a house that bats and spiders might like to inhabit. And here’s where the creative element kicks into high gear.

Draw the outline of a house on a paper towel section with a black nonpermanent felt pen. Trim the edges with scissors. Then add a thin line of black to the bottom of the house with the felt pen. Pour a little water with a bit of salt added into an ice cream pail. Position the paper towel so it reaches the bottom of the pail but does not slide in. Watch the immediate results. Then check back periodically to note more color changes.

This easy-to-do felt pen chromatography experiment has stunning results.

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When the colors have finished spreading, take the paper towel out of the pail, and dry it flat.

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Tip: Choose nonwashable felt pens for this experiment, as washable felt pens do not work well.

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The color on my paper towel chromatogram stopped just short of the top of the house. I decided to wet the top a bit so the color filled in completely. That made the design ready to be a placemat for pumpkins, bats, and spiders.

Try this easy-to-do felt pen chromatography "scary house" experiment. It has possibilities for art and imaginaive play.

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Two Felt Pen Chromatography Experiment

Try this easy felt pen chromatography experiment using a permanent and nonpermanent felt pen.

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Using both permanent and nonpermanent black felt pens produces nice results too. For this second version, draw the house on the paper towel with a black permanent felt pen. Then fill in the thin line of color at the bottom with a nonpermanent felt pen. Finish the experiment with the same process as above.

As with the first project, the resulting colors did not spread to the very top of the paper towel house. So I wet the top of this chromatogram too. The color record looks like a house on fire to me, so adding people, pets, firefighters, and orange, black, and clear gems creates another imaginative play invitation.

Sensory and imaginative play with a felt pen experiment chromatogram.

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Firefighter diorama created with a felt pen experiment chromatogram.

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Interpreting The Felt Pen Chromatography Experiment

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines chromatography as “a process in which a chemical mixture carried by a liquid or gas is separated into components as a result of differential distribution of the solutes as they flow around or over a stationary liquid or solid phase.”

Although each felt pen appears to be just one color, the hues are actually made up of different chemicals called pigments. As saltwater seeps up stationary paper towels, the pigments move up with it. New colors appear because some pigments travel faster than others, and certain colors are less soluble and/or adhere to the paper towel more.

Each color-infused paper towel is called a chromatogram, a graphic record of the separation of colors into different pigments by chromatography.

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Green Huntsman Spider Activities

October 23, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Get to know the webless green huntsman spider through crafts and sensory play activities. Free printable included.

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Do all spiders spin webs? And are they all black and brown? Well, the Green Huntsman Spider doesn’t fit this typical mold at all. But its unique look and habits are fascinating and can be readily explored by early learners in spider activities involving sensory and art.

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10 Green Huntsman Spider Facts

Indigenous to northern and central parts of Europe, green huntsman spiders live in forest edges and damp woodlands.
A clutch of green huntsman spider eggs is protected in a few leaves stitched together.
40 – 50 spiderlings hatch in about four weeks after the eggs are laid.
The tiny spiderlings are yellowish brown, and turn green in 18 months.
Eight eyes arranged in an oval shape help green huntsman spiders see.
These showy spiders eat small insects and other invertebrates.
To catch their food, they wait for their prey to come by, and then pounce on it!
Predators of this unique spider are geckoes, birds, wasps, flies, and nematode worms.
The green spiders are camouflaged against leaves, so predators and prey cannot see them.
Green huntsman spiders can live up to two years in age.

An oh-so-green spider sensory tray featuring green huntsman spiders.

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Spider Activities

Green Huntsman Spider Sensory Tray

Gather the following supplies for a spidery sensory tray with no web required.

-green spider

-green spider cupcake toppers

-tiny black spiders

-green leaves

-small logs

-wood slices

-rocks

-green marbles

-spinach noodles

-metal tray or plastic tub

-gold acrylic paint

Loose parts to collect for a green huntsman spider sensory tray.

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Break up spinach noodles into small pieces and spread out on the bottom of the tray or tub. Add leaves, logs, wood slices, and rocks. Pick a spot to set the marble “eggs.” Put in the green spider and/or green spider cupcake toppers. If using cupcake toppers, snap off the toothpicks and make sure there are no sharp edges.

Paint the tiny black spiders with gold acrylic craft paint to represent the spiderlings. The acrylic paint will adhere quickly. When dry, add them to the sensory tray.

Green huntsman spider-inspired sensory tray using spinach noodles as a base.

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Tip: Split peas or shredded green paper can be used instead of spinach noodles for the base.

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Follow me on Pinterest.

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Playdough Green Huntsman Spider

Sculpt a green huntsman spider with the best playdough recipe.

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Make a batch of your favorite playdough and color it green. A basic playdough recipe with green food coloring added works well for this activity.

Invite your early learner to mold some dough into a squished circle or oval. Then your little one can add eight googly eyes to the dough.

Cut three green pipe cleaners into thirds. Invite your little learner to add eight pipe cleaner legs to the plump spider.

Sculpt a green huntsman spider including it's eight eyes!

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Green Huntsman Spider Craft

Craft a paper green huntsman spider. The spider won't need a web to be displayed!

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Download this template to make a green paper spider. Printing onto cardstock paper works best, but you can also use regular copy paper.

Spider template to cut out and assemble into a green huntsman spider, or to use as a pattern to craft spiders in colors of choice.

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Spider Template PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Invite your early learner to cut out all the circles. Then have your little one glue the smaller circles to the large green circle to make a cute face. Help your child glue or tape on pipe cleaner legs.

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Tip: Cutting pipe cleaners into thirds works well for this spider craft.

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