pretend play

Flower Theme Activities

November 8, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Flower theme art, sensory, and pretend play activities. Early learners will love the winged creatures (dragons, unicorns, and an angel) featured in the theme.

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Last spring I picked up two voluminous begonia plants that had large wing-shaped leaves. One plant was called “dragon wing begonia,” and the other was a double pink-flowered variety with similar wing-like leaves. The vigorous plants inspired dragon and flower theme activities for early learners, and angel and unicorn play.

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Nonstop Pink Begonia Flower Activities

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Nonstop pink begonia still blooming after Canadian Thanksgiving Day. — Nonstop Pink Begonia

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Begonia “Through The Seasons” Sensory Tray

Around Canadian Thanksgiving Day, the nonstop pink begonia was still blooming profusely. At the same time collecting pine cones was on my list of tasks to do. By the end of the week, snow was in the forecast. Our area didn’t get snow, but many places in our province did. The mingling of elements of summer, fall, and winter in that week was the inspiration for this sensory tray for little learners. Included are flower leaves and blooms, pine cones, and cotton ball snow. Rocks, stone eggs, and a show-stopping dragon round out the tray.

Three seasons sensory tub with pine cones, begonia leaves and flowers, and cotton ball snow. A dragon and stone eggs complete the tub

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Flower Angel

Puffy begonia flowers and leaves arranged in an angel craft are a pretty way to highlight the blooms of the plant. The angel can be a table decoration and conversation piece during snack or lunchtime.

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Flower angel made with nonstop pink begonia blooms.

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Mud Kitchen Sensory Table

A piece of cardboard with stove elements drawn on with a black permanent felt pen and crayon works magnificently for flower-themed “indoor mud kitchen” play. Set it out on a table with flowers, leaves, spoons, and a mortar and pestle. Or offer the blooms and accessories outdoors for kitchen play.

Flower-themed indoor mud kitchen. Nonstop pink begonia leaves and flowers, mortar and pestle, pots and pans, and a cardboard stove top complete the play invitation. — Cardboard Stove Top

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Flower Petals And Playdough

Offer the leaves and flower petals with scented playdough for your little ones to use.

Coconut and strawberry playdough with nonstop pink begonia leaves and flower petals.

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Unicorn Water Play

Float begonia leaves and flowers in turquoise colored water in a tub filled with rubber unicorns and pink and white loose parts. The items in this inviting sensory tub are:

begonia leaves and flowers
ice cube flowers and fish
shells
pearl gems
buttons
rubber unicorns

Unicorn and nonstop pink begonia sensory tub. Gem pearls, fish and flower ice cubes, shells, and buttons are part of the water tub.

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Related: Sunflower Unicorn

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Dragon Wing Begonia Flower Activities

Dragon wing begonia plant. — Dragon Wing Begonia

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When I saw the plant named “dragon wing begonia,” I knew it was destined for early childhood play. Here are two inviting activities this plant can shine in.

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Castle-Themed Sensory Tray

Begonia leaves and flowers, rocks, and stone eggs are included in this flower-inspired tray for little ones. A dragon, king, and princess figurine offer serious play potential in the tray.

Castle-themed sensory bin with a dragon, king, princess, and dragon wing begonia leaves and flowers.

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Cardboard Dragon Craft

Dragon wing begonia leaves are the wings in this painted cardboard dragon craft. Flowers accent the mythical creature.

Cardboard dragon with dragon wing begonia wings and flower accents.

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Note:

Begonia plants are not poisonous to people. But the plants are toxic to dogs and cats and should be kept in pots out of their reach.

Children require supervision while participating in the activities shown in this post. When play is finished, they should wash their hands with soap and water.

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These flower theme activities work well when frost threatens and the growing season is over. They allow early learners to explore the low-maintenance, show-stopping plants with loose parts in art and sensory play.

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Toilet Paper Roll Monsters

October 21, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky 1 Comment

Toilet paper roll monster craft and activities. Easy to make watercolor painted monsters to use with stacking blocks or a red split lentil-based sensory bin.

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For most of the year, there has been a plethora of recycled crafts and activities posted on blogs and social media, and toilet paper rolls have been a “hot” material for craft and sensory projects. Debuting in this post are spunky toilet paper roll monsters. They are so simple to make and can be used with toys or in sensory bins for imaginative play.

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Supplies To Collect

toilet paper rolls
black permanent felt pen
liquid watercolors or food coloring
paintbrush
napkin or paper towel
googly eyes in various sizes
scissors
glue stick
hot glue gun

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Making The Toilet Paper Roll Monsters

Invite your early learner to add a mouth and teeth to toilet paper rolls with a black permanent felt pen.

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Mouths and teeth drawing on paper roll monsters.

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Set out watercolor paints along with a paintbrush and napkin.

Liquid watercolors for painting toilet paper roll monsters.

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Encourage your little one to paint the cardboard rolls, dabbing the paintbrush on the napkin in between hues to remove excess water. The inside of the paper roll tops could be painted as well.

If a paper roll starts to come apart because of wetness, attach large paper clips to the loose parts. After the paint dries, use a glue gun to reassemble the tube.

Paper clips attached to a toilet paper roll that has come apart after being painted.

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When the toilet paper rolls are dry, ask your little learner to add googly eyes. Adhesive wiggle eyes are the easiest to attach. A glue stick or glue gun can be used to add non-adhesive eyes.

Toilet paper roll monsters ready to get their hair snipped and fashioned.

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Eyes can be drawn on the monsters with the permanent felt pen if craft eyes aren’t available to use.

Offer your early learner scissors to snip and style the top part of the paper rolls into “monster hair.”

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Toilet Paper Roll Monster Imaginative Play

These peppy monsters can be set out with a construction toy such as stacking blocks for your little learner to use in imaginative play.

Toilet paper roll monsters with stacking blocks ready for imaginative play.

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The monsters are the highlight of this red split lentil-based sensory bin your early learner will love sifting through. Included are loose parts and stacking blocks that double up as scoops.

Toilet paper roll monsters in a red split lentil-based sensory bin perfect for imaginary play.

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Which of these toilet paper roll monsters is your favorite? Share in the comments section below.

Toilet paper roll monsters on display on stacking blocks.

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Related: Monster-Themed Snacks

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Reptile Theme Activities

May 4, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky 7 Comments

Reptile-themed art. science, small world, and pretend play activities for early learners. Topics include snakes, turtles, and lizards.

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A Reptile Theme is THE WAY to encourage early learners to get more comfortable with animals such as snakes, lizards, and turtles. Little ones often have a fear of these animals, partly because of how they get depicted on television. Hands-on activities alleviate fear and encourage an interest in learning more about these creatures.

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Reptile Pet Store

An effective way to introduce a reptile theme is to set up a pet store pretend play center. Collect the following and display them on shelves and tables gathered for the store:

snake. lizard, turtle, frog, and insect figurines
baskets and cages
cash register and play money

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Reptile Store pretend play center. Snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs, and insects for sale.

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At first, your early learners may say they are afraid of animals such as snakes, lizards, and turtles. But after playing in the store and organizing, buying, and selling the animal figurines, they will warm up to them.

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Geometric Shape Snake Craft

Geometric shapes snake craft suitable for all ages.

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Cut out large, winding snakes from 12-inch x 18-inch pieces of construction paper.

Paper punch circles, squares, triangles, ovals, stars, and hexagons from bright colored cardstock.

Ask your little learners to use glue sticks to attach shapes to the snakes. Offer tiny sticker eyes for a finishing touch.

Purchased sticker foam shapes would also work well for this craft.

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Mounted together, these snakes make a dynamic display.

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Beaded Snakes

Early learners love using craft supplies like pony beads.

Offer pipe cleaners and a variety of pony bead colors.

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Invite your early learners to string bead colors of choice on the pipe cleaners. Wrap the ends around the first beads so the rest will stay in place. Ask your little ones to stop stringing beads about 4 cm from the other end of the pipe cleaners.

Set the snakes aside and add beads to make the snake heads. Glue on tiny craft eyes.

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Pony bead snake replica of a sedge viper.

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Showing photos of real snakes and discussing their colors and patterns encourages little learners to bead a patterned snake of their own.

Pony bead replicas of a sedge viper, butter corn snake, and Arizona mountain kingsnake.

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Painted Turtle And Lizard

Set out this two-ingredient taste-safe paint in red, green, yellow, and blue colors.

You will need: white corn syrup and food coloring.

Pour corn syrup into paint containers. Stir in a little food coloring. Add a paintbrush to each color.

Cut out cardstock lizards and turtles. Feel free to download the turtle printable below.

Allow your little learners to paint them.

Lizard decorated with taste-safe paint. An all-ages craft.

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Turtle decorated with taste safe paint. An all-ages art activity.

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Turtle template for art and craft activities.

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Turtle PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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This craft needs generous time to dry. It also looks stunning displayed.

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Reptile Sensory Tub

Reptile small world with snakes and lizards, and animals they feed on.

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This sensory tub is sure to delight your little ones. It includes:

leaves and a play grass base
rocks and wooden pieces
snake, lizard, frog, and insect figurines

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Wildlife Worker Photo Op

Hang up a treed party backdrop and set up a table with hats, snakes, and lizards nearby. Ask your little learners to pick a few props and stand against the backdrop. Take lots of photos.

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Wildlife Worker Prop Box

Use the photo op props shown above, and add eggs, gloves, binoculars, and pails. Set all items in a prop box for your early learners to use during play.

Reptile-themed prop box toys for pretend play.

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Family Night

An epic way to end the Reptile theme is to plan a potluck supper family night:

Display art projects on the walls.
Create a spot for a Wildlife Worker Photo Op.
Set out Snakes And Ladders-themed paper placemats, dice, and game chips on the dinner tables.
Assemble plants and beaded snakes in vases for table decor.

Pony bead replica of a burrowing asp snake used in table decor.

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Enjoy a potluck meal together.
Hire a guest to give a live animal presentation (that includes a snake and lizard) afterward. Having explored the topic of reptiles in a variety of ways, early learners are more receptive to being near live ones.

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Locally, Butterfly Wings n’ Wishes gives wonderful animal presentations.

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This reptile theme allows children to participate in engaging, non-threatening activities that help them gain knowledge about snakes, lizards, and turtles. As a result, they value these animals more.

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Frozen Inspired Shadow Box

February 5, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This Frozen-inspired shadow box scene features neutral and cool colors and textures. The color palette is gorgeous and is relatable to my experience of winter. Your child will enjoy using similar hued loose parts to create unique shadow box scenes.

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Although I live in an area with a long snowy season, it hasn’t always been easy to find winter-themed play accessories. I learned that if you haven’t bought your snowmen crafts and toys before Christmas, you’ve missed your chance. And it’s hard to find snowmen décor that isn’t adorned in green and red and draped in holly.

The same goes for fake snow or any winter-themed crafts. They often go hand in hand with Christmas. And that’s in a city with a winter season that lasts through March.

So, I especially embrace the winter setting and turquoises, pinks, and purples in Frozen I. These are colors I can relate to when my city is covered in ice and snow. And the hues take center stage in this invitation to create a Frozen-inspired shadow box scene.

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Supplies To Collect

Frozen inspired loose parts tray. Invitation for children to create a scene and engage in pretend play.

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cotton balls
pom poms in white and shades of turquoise
gold, turquoise, pink and purple necklaces
purple, pink, and turquoise beads
strips of white ribbon, lace, and bead garland
clear gems and ice blocks
foam bath sticker Frozen characters
tray with compartments
shadow box or wooden canvas paint board
12-inch x 18-inch piece of blue fade-resistant construction paper

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Frozen Inspired Shadow Box Set Up

Sort craft supplies in a tray with compartments. Add necklaces that are whole, and others cut into strips. Include Frozen bath stickers.

Cut a 12-inch x 18-inch piece of construction paper to fit snugly in the back of the wooden canvas paint board. If you are using a shadow box, cut paper to fit its size.

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A wooden canvas paint board to be used as a shadow box.

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A wooden canvas paint board with a blue piece of fade-resistant paper tucked inside.

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Set the canvas board or shadow box and tray with compartments on a table.

Encourage your child to create scenes and engage in pretend play.

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Offer this activity as a reusable center. Or craft supplies can be glued down and the Frozen-inspired shadow box displayed.

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Chinese Valentine’s Day Activities

February 2, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Chinese Valentine's Day celebration activities. Art, reading, math, light table and block play. These activities are perfect for a Chinese multicultural theme.

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On the weekend of August 25 and 26, 2017, Chinese Valentine’s Day was celebrated at the Edmonton Chinatown Multicultural Center, located in downtown Edmonton. This traditional Valentine’s Day celebration dates back to the 1800s in China and is celebrated on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, in late August.

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The Legend Of Zhi Nu And Niu Lang

The celebration is based on a story of a Chinese heavenly being named Zhi Nu, the seventh daughter of The Queen of Heaven, and a mortal cow herder named Niu Lang. Zhi Nu comes down to earth and admires how hardworking Niu Lang is. They marry and have two children, a boy and a girl. Zhi Nu is a skilled weaver and Niu Lang continues to work in the fields.

The Queen of Heaven soon notices that Zhi Nu is missing, and commands the army to bring her back up to heaven. Niu Lang and the children try to follow, but the Queen of Heaven creates a silver river (called the Milky Way) to keep them apart. Afterward, Niu Lang and his children live on the star Altair, and Zhi Nu lives on the star Vega. They are extremely sad to be parted from one another. A flock of magpies notices and decide to help by creating a bridge over the Milky Way with their bodies. This allows Zhi Nu and Nui Lang to spend time together. The Queen of Heaven sees how happy they are to be reunited, and decides that Zhi Nu and Nui Lang can meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.

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A display featuring characters inspired by The Legend Of Zhi Nu and Niu Lang. Chinese Valentine's Day celebrations are based on this story. — A display featuring Zhi Nu and Niu Lang.

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Chinese Festival Resources

This story is based on a selection found in the book Celebrating Chinese Festivals, a Collection of Holiday Tales, Poems, and Activities by Sanmu Tang. There are a few different versions of the story and they vary slightly.

For more history, facts, and ideas about Chinese Valentine’s Day view the post by chinahighlights.com: “How To Celebrate Chinese Valentine’s Day.“

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My Visit To The Chinese Valentine’s Day Weekend Celebration

Elaborate Chinese Valentine's Day display at a Chinese Valentine's Day celebration.

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My visit to the cultural center was on Sunday afternoon, August 27. I saw an elaborate display showing figures and objects that had meaning to the story of Zhi Nu and Niu Lang. When the tale was shared with me, I was impressed with values such as being hardworking (in fieldwork), being skilled and creative (in weaving), and showing loyalty (to family). The inclusion of astronomy, art, and great character traits made this a rich story.

The afternoon event saw a mingling of seniors, parents, and children. Children were invited to decorate an umbrella and a fan. Intricate beadwork completed by seniors was on display. Everyone was served refreshments.

Bead work projects on display at a Chinese Valentine's Day celebration.

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Lanterns and decorated umbrellas at a Chinese Valentine's Day celebration.

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Activities Inspired By Chinese Valentine’s Day

Umbrella Decorating

Purchase an economical umbrella and sticker gems and jewel rhinestones. Invite early learners to decorate the umbrella. The stickers may need to be secured with hot glue later so they stay on longer.

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Umbrella decorating. Sticker gems and rhinestones adorn the umbrella. This project is inspired by an activity at a Chinese Valentine's Day celebration.

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Oriental Block Play

Offer preschoolers Oriental blocks and game pieces. The play center can include a Great Wall of China picture backdrop.

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Fruit Matching And Sorting

Set out transparent ice cube fruit shapes and sorting trays on a light table for children to organize. Clear egg cartons are the trays used here.

Fruit sorting at a light table. Math and sensory activity inspired by a Chinese Valentine's Day celebration.

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In addition to being part of a Chinese Valentine’s Day Celebration, the Legend Of Zhi Nu and Niu Lang and these activities can be included in a Chinese multicultural theme.

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