pretend play

Unicorn Puppet Craft

April 8, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

An easy-to-make neutral-toned paper unicorn craft. Free pattern to download. A craft project the whole family can do.

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Unicorns are very popular in children’s clothing. As time goes on, I see this theme popping up more and more. After swooning over many a piece of clothing my preschoolers have worn, I decided to introduce a full-fledged unicorn theme. This unicorn puppet craft is one of the activities we will do.

The color scheme is neutral with a dose of gold. Over the past year, I collected a little treasure trove of unicorn toys and craft supplies. Most of them are in pink and pastel colors. The natural hues in this project will add variety.

You can have a go at making the craft too! There is a downloadable unicorn pattern further in the post to make it easy.

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Supplies To Collect

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craft, beige, and winter white 8 ½ x 11-inch cardstock paper
gold cardstock paper
twine string
paint mixing stick
wiggly eyes
gold star-shaped confetti
scissors
white glue, glues stick, and glue gun
single-hole punch
pencil
black felt pen
unicorn pattern (downloadable below)

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Making The Unicorn Puppet Craft

Trace and cut out a unicorn head and ears from cardstock. Feel free to download this pattern:

Pattern to download for making a paper unicorn puppet,

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Unicorn Puppet PatternDownload

This printable is for personal or one classroom use only.

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Punch holes along the neck.

Cut a horn and teardrop shape from gold cardstock.

Cut the twine string into 9-inch/23 cm strips.

Steps to assemble an adorable unicorn puppet craft.

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Loop twine pieces through the holes to create a unicorn mane.

Glue on a wiggly eye, golden horn, and ear shapes.

Draw a mouth.

Glue a paint stick handle on the back of the unicorn.

Add a few star confetti shapes for extra pizzazz.

An easy-to-make, neutral-hued unicorn puppet with gold accents.

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Craft more unicorn puppets in other neutral hues!

These gold-accented unicorn puppets in neutral tones balance crafts completed in dainty color hues.

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Tip: Check a Dollar Store for the paint sticks. I got my sticks at one, and they are much smoother than any I could have gotten from a hardware store. They didn’t require any sanding and came ready to use.

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Unicorn Puppet Craft Video Tutorial

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Winter Sensory Trays

January 10, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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

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

Basic Winter Sensory Tray

Supplies to collect:

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

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

Snowflake studded winter sensory tray filled with shiny pieces.

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

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Polar Bear Sensory Tray

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

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

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

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

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Penguin Sensory Tray

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

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

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

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Snowflake Cafe Dramatic Play Center Printable Set

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

This engaging, winter-themed pretend play resource

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

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What’s Included in This Printable Set

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

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

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More Winter Activities

Winter Playdough Recipe

Blue Candy Cane Science Experiment

Igloo Camping Pretend Play

Polar Bear Small World

Painting Ice and Snow

Winter Wreath Paper Plate Craft

Ice Drum Musical Instruments

Frozen-Inspired Shadow Box

Scissor Skill Snow Cutting Activities

Spray Paint Snowflake Silhouette

Kid’s Winter Wonderland Play Tablescape

Snowman Sensory Play

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Frozen 2 Inspired Sensory Bin

November 26, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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When I came across the Frozen II-based storybook “We’ll Always Have Each Other” earlier this year, I immediately fell in love with the fall color scheme. The rich red and orange forest colors, peppered with gold, green, and purple got me super excited about putting together a Frozen II-inspired sensory bin.

This endearing story written by John Edwards touches on pumpkins, the changing seasons, and the close friendship between Olaf and Anna. The line “life may get harder sometimes, but we’ll stay strong for each other” seems even more relevant today than when it was written more than a year ago.

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Sensory Bin Color Guide

These papers were my color guide for choosing craft supplies and loose parts for the vibrant sensory bin. I used leaf punches in two different sizes to turn cardstock into tiny leaves to sprinkle in the bin.

The color guide for a Frozen 2 inspired sensory bin.

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Loose Parts Tray

This tray shows the supplies collected.

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Included are:

paper leaves
foil leaves
leaf gems
round gems
feathers
pom poms
red apple gems
green rubber apples
craft pumpkins
rocks
a flower

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Here’s a close up of the base:

Close up photo of the Frozen 2 inspired sensory base.

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Frozen II-Inspired Sensory Bin

Olaf, Anna, Kristoff, and Sven would feel perfectly at home in this Frozen II-inspired sensory bin.

Fall sensory bin inspired by the Frozen 2 based storybook "We'll Always Have Each Other."

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Or add your little learner’s favorite characters for fall-themed sensory play.

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Skeleton And Eyeball Waterplay

November 10, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Your early learners will be oh, so excited to explore skeleton and eyeball waterplay activities with skulls, eyeballs, and bones. The supplies to collect are low cost: skeleton parts can be found at dollar stores and local party stores, especially in autumn.

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Skeleton And Eyeball Soup

Collect:

plastic eyeballs
squishy eyeballs
plastic skulls
ice cube skulls
bones
extra large wiggly eyes
skeleton models
clear plastic cups
red and blue food coloring
water pitcher
spray shaving foam
ladles
clear cups
tulip shaped punch bowl

Skeleton and eyeball loose parts ready for sensory play.

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A tulip-shaped punch bowl makes a handy container to fit 3-4 children around. But use whatever you have available…a container of any size or shape will have play possibilities.

Use a pitcher to pour water into the punch bowl. Mix in red and blue food coloring to turn the liquid purple. Drop-in clear plastic cups, ladles, eyeballs, wiggly eyes, skulls, bones, and skeleton models.

Skeleton and eyeball water play in a tulip-shaped punch bowl with eyeballs, wiggly eyes, skulls, bones, and skeletons.

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To extend play possibilities, spray shaving foam on top of the water first, and then lay on the loose parts.

Eyeballs, wiggly eyes, skulls, bones, and skeletons float on shaving foam topped purple water in a tulip-shaped punch bowl.

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After a short while, the shaving foam shrinks, and the water becomes a milky purple.

Shaving foam-topped water play in a tulip-shaped punch bowl with eyeballs, wiggly eyes, skulls, bones, and skeletons.

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Eyeball Soup

You don’t need all of the above items for your little learners to enjoy skeleton and eyeball waterplay. Just add eyeballs and a ladle to a large bowl of colored water set in a tub. Spray in a little shaving foam if you have it available. Your early learners will love scooping the “soup” into bowls.

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Sprinkle purple glitter on the liquid mixture, and offer eyedroppers, a baster, and pouring containers for more play.

Eyeball soup water play with eyedroppers, a ladle, a baster, and pouring containers.

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Eyeball Sensory Tube

Load eyeballs into a clear, narrow plastic bottle with a lid. Add neon yellow water. Set the sensory tube on a table for your little ones to view and touch.

Plastic eyeballs and neon yellow water in a sensory tube.

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Which activity do you like best? Share in a comment below.

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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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