science

Polar Scene Snow Painting

February 6, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This polar scene snow painting activity was a last minute set up after a group discussion about igloos and the possibility of making one. We just happened to have a lot of snow in our city that week, so it was a good fit. Save this idea for the next time you have snow…the art and sensory activity is sure to be a hit.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

Supplies to Collect

Just the following few supplies are needed for this polar scene snow painting activity:

sensory tray
bus tub
large bowl
polar animal figurines
ice cubes or acrylic ice cubes
snow
paint pots and paintbrushes
neon food coloring or liquid food colors
stage light (optional)

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Polar Scene Snow Painting

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To set up this snowy sensory set up, the first thing to do is to select a sensory tray. For this activity, I picked a large active world tray. It is gernously-sized, and has room for six to eight children to paint at a time. For three to four children, a smaller tray or bin would work just fine.

Next, fill a bus tub or similar-sized utility box with snow and pour it into the bin.

Afterward, pack a salad bowl-sized metal bowl full of snow and let it sit for a few minutes.

Then tip the bowl over in the center of the snow-filled tray to create an igloo. Pack more snow around the dome if necessary to ensure a rounded shape.

Dig a little hole in one part of the igloo to become an entrance.

Then add ice cubes or acrylic ice cubes around the snow house.

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Next, generously squirt neon food colors such as green, pink, and purple into paint pots half-filled with water. Add a paintbrush to each pot.

Note: The food color choices are inspired by hues displayed in northern lights, which frequently flood the arctic skies and illuminate the land.

Finally, invite your little charges to paint the igloo and snow.

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To extend this transient art invitation and add ambiance, set up a stage light and position it to shine on the igloo and animal figurines while the children are participating in the polar scene snow painting activity.

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Children may wish to paint the animal figurines during the art and sensory experience. The paint washes off easily with a little soap and water.

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More Northern Lights-inspired Activities

Igloo “Glamping” Pretend Play

Polar Bear Small World

Northern Lights Squish Painting

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[Read more…]

Paint Pour Ice Cake Sensory Play

January 31, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Drip cakes are a popular trend at the moment. After seeing a fascinating drip cake-decorating video online, I thought it would be fun to try a similar technique with tempera paint and a three-tier ice cake. It turned out to be a paint pour ice cake sensory play invitation, and the icy activity was a huge success. I highly recommend giving it a try.

It is winter in my part of the world right now, and this paint pour sensory activity fits the season. But it would work any time of the year indoors or outdoors using of-the-moment seasonal colors.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

To set up a paint pour ice cake sensory activity, gather the following supplies:

sensory tub
small square coffee table
waterproof tablecloth
tarp
round food storage containers in various sizes
a variety of ice cube trays
tempera paints in turquoise, pink, light purple, and white hues
small soda or water bottles
shovels
toy dinosaurs

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Setting Up The Paint Pour Ice Cake Activity

This sensory invitation is easy from start to finish. The first thing to do is collect round food storage containers and gather all the ice cube trays you can find. Freeze water in them outdoors on a cold day or in a freezer to make ice. This will take about 24 to 48 hours.

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Next, pour tempera paint in turquoise, pink, light purple, and white hues into clear bottles with narrow spouts. Small milk or soda bottles are perfect for this activity. Mix a little water into the paint colors to make them easy to pour.

Then cover an area of the floor with a tarp or large round waterproof tablecloth and set down a small coffee table.

Cover the table with a waterproof tablecloth and place a sensory tub on it. For the featured activity, I used an inexpensive saucer sled. It is just the right size to fit four to six little learners around it. An active world tray would be a fine alternative.

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When the ice shapes are frozen, stack the large cylindrical ones into a three-tier cake in the middle of the tub. Spread ice cubes in various sizes and shapes around the ice cake.

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Paint Pour Ice Cake Sensory Play

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When the ice cake sensory play invitation is all set up, invite little learners to gather around.

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Have your little charges take turns pouring paint from a bottle on top of the cake. The children will be enthralled by the dripping hues.

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After all the paint has been poured, include shovels and dinosaurs in the tub for added sensory play opportunities.

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The paint colors will eventually tone down and blend, allowing little learners to experience a color-changing science experiment.

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More Winter Sensory Play Activities

Polar Animal Sensory Play

Winter-themed Treasure Blocks

Winter Playdough Recipe

Kid’s Winter Wonderland Tablescape

LLama-Inspired Winter Sensory Bin

Snowy Owl Sensory Bin

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[Read more…]

Snowy Owl Sensory Bin

January 13, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This snowy owl sensory bin is a fun way to teach about predators and prey and can be set up in minutes. There are plenty of mice in the hide-and-seek bin, but there’s nothing to be afraid of in this winter play invitation.

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Snowy Owls and Mice

Snowy owls live in polar regions, but some make their way further south. The majestic birds have excellent vision and exceptional hearing ability and can detect mice and other rodents traveling through tunnels beneath snow in winter. Hunting by day or night, they can dive through the snow, grab a mouse with their talons, and then swallow it whole.

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Snowy Owl Sensory Bin Supplies

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Just a few supplies are in this cheeky snowy owl sensory bin:

cotton balls
paper towel rolls
toy mice
owl figurine
rocks
small logs

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The Snowy Owl Sensory Bin

A round saucer sled works well as a bin for this winter white sensory activity. It is big enough to hold a variety of supplies, but small enough to be easy to fill.

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A large snowy owl figurine is the main character in the bin. A stuffed animal owl would be an awesome alternative.

Cotton balls spread out in the bin represent snow.

Paper towel rolls cut to shorter lengths or left whole serve as tunnels. The paper rolls signify how mice dig tunnels in the snow and travel through them to find food on the ground to eat during the snowy months. The scurrying mice also use them to get to their underground burrows.

Mice come in a variety of colors, such as white, brown, or grey. In this sensory setup, steel grey rubber mice are the snowy owl prey.

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Many snowy owls live far north above the tree line and never see a tree during their lifetime. Some snowy owls venture further south, still choosing open areas to live in. Perched on a high vantage post such as a tree or fencepost, they scan the surrounding area for prey such as mice to eat. Thus a few rocks and logs are added to this second sensory bin.

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Snowy Owl Sensory Bin Learning Opportunities

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This snowy owl sensory bin play invitation is perfect for learning facts about snowy owls and mice, and learning about predators and prey. Discussing hard and soft, long and short, and heavy and light items facilitates language. Practice in counting mice and developing eye-hand coordination when taking mice in and out of their tunnels are other educational benefits.

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More Polar Animal Activities

Winter-themed Treasure Blocks

Igloo Camping Pretend Play

Polar Bear Small World

Winter Sensory Trays

Winter Wreath Paper Plate Craft

Scissor Skill Snow Cutting Activities

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[Read more…]

Candy Cane Wreath Experiment

December 20, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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It’s tradition for me to do a candy cane science experiment every December, and each year I arrange the candy canes in a new way or change up the sizes and colors of the sweet treat. In this post, I debut my latest design, a candy cane wreath experiment.

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Supplies to Collect

Gathering supplies for this simple science experiment couldn’t be any easier. Just select an edged waterproof tray, and purchase a package of candy canes. You may have some on hand already. Then fill a pitcher or large glass with water and you are good to go.

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The Candy Cane Wreath Experiment

To perform this inexpensive color science experiment, arrange candy canes around the edge of a waterproof tray in a wreath-like shape.

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If you look closely, you’ll notice one or two broken candy canes in the tray and a few oddly shaped ones. This science experiment is the perfect use for them, as I wouldn’t have wanted to hand those out as treats.

Next, slowly pour water into the tray until the candy canes are just covered in liquid.

Then watch what happens. You’ll see the candy cane colors slowly spread through the water.

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Note: The color changes happen quickly. Stay by the science experiment and have your camera ready to snap a few pictures.

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After a little while, you can carry on with other activities and periodically check in on the experiment to see even more color changes and view the candy canes melting away.

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The Science Behind This Candy Cane Color Experiment

Candy canes are made of sugar. The water breaks the sugar molecules apart. Then the food colors move through the water away from areas of higher sugar concentration (near the candy) to areas with less sugar. When the sugar concentration is the same in all areas, the colors stop moving.

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More Candy Cane Activities

Candy Cane Playdough Tray

Mini Candy Cane Tree Experiment

Christmas Peppermint Sensory Bin

Blue Candy Cane Science Experiment

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[Read more…]

Melted Candy Gingerbread Ornaments

December 12, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Making melted candy gingerbread ornaments was something I’ve wanted to try ever since viewing a beautiful four-sided, sweet-tasting red and white gingerbread house on Twitter a few years ago. It’s an eye-pleasing baking activity and a festive science experiment so I highly recommend giving the activity a go.

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Melted Candy Ornament Supplies

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Gather the following supplies for this simple candy science activity:

red and/or green striped round peppermint candies
metal gingerbread cookie cutters
no-stick cooking spray
parchment or wax paper
cookie pans
cutting board
knife
vegetable oil
wooden skewer

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Melted Candy Gingerbread Ornament Tips

Before trying this minty STEAM activity, I read a few blog posts about making melted peppermint candy designs. This detailed Melted Peppermint Candy Ornaments post by onelittleproject.com was particularly helpful and had great tips.

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Making The Melted Candy Christmas Ornaments

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To make the melted gingerbread candy ornaments, start by picking out metal cookie cutters for the task. Generously sized gingerbread people and a house were my cookie cutters of choice.

Spray the cookie cutters with no-stick cooking spray.

Next, add parchment paper to one or more cookie pans and set the greased cookie cutters on the pans.

Then insert unwrapped red or green striped peppermint candies inside the cookie cutter shapes. For larger spaces, cut candies into halves or quarters on a cutting board and use the smaller pieces to fill in the gaps.

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Baking The Melted Candy Gingerbread Ornaments

To bake the candy gingerbread ornaments, set the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Next, put the peppermint candy-filled cookie cutters in the oven and heat them for around six minutes.

Stay by the oven and make sure to turn the oven light on to view the candies melting. It’s okay to take a peek…the sweet creations won’t jump out of the oven. But they will melt down if they are in the oven too long.

When the candies are joined together and a little of the melted candy starts seeping around the cookie cutter edges, take the baking pans out of the oven.

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After around two minutes, dip a wooden skewer in vegetable oil and carefully make a little hole near the top of each decoration so a string can be drawn through. Then let the eye-catching creations cool for around fifteen minutes.

Before the ornaments cool completely, carefully pull away the sides of the cookie cutters from the candy shapes and gently push them out. Oh-so-carefully break off melted bits around the peppermint ornaments if there are any.

Let the beautiful striped ornaments cool completely.

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How The Melted Gingerbread Ornaments Turned Out

This is where I need to come clean. My candy gingerbread ornaments didn’t turn out perfectly. Each one had one broken bit. The red and white gingerbread person had two broken bits.

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But as a first try at making melted candy ornaments, I considered it a success. I determined afterward that I had left the candied shapes in the oven just a little too long (probably eight minutes) and needed to be even more careful in removing them from the cookie cutters after baking. So a second attempt would likely be more successful.

The activity did turn out well enough that I would confidently be able to introduce it to family members or a group of preschool students. The patterned ornaments were fun to put back together as mini puzzles, and they would be tasty treats broken down into small bits and shared. Broken ornaments could be crushed and infused with playdough or baked in a peppermint cookie recipe when the science experiment was over. And there could be a conversation about stripes, patterns, halves, quarters, and the smell and taste of peppermint.

Striped peppermint candies are economical to buy, and I’ll surely give this stunning melted candy gingerbread ornaments STEAM activity another go. How about you? Will you give it a try?

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More Peppermint Candy Activities

Christmas Peppermint Sensory Bin

Candy Cane Tree Experiment

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[Read more…]

Skeleton Sunflower Seed Bin

October 30, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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If you need an easy sensory bin idea for a skeleton theme, this skeleton sunflower seed bin is for you. Set it up in minutes, and you’ll have a super engaging sensory invitation your little learners will be happy to explore.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

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The following supplies are in the sunflower seed sensory bin:

sunflower seeds
skeleton figurines
skeleton arm scoops
toy bones
skull reusable ice cubes
toy eyeballs in different colors
skull treat holders
skull cups
clear non-breakable jars
silver bowls and serving spoons

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The Skeleton Sunflower Seed Bin

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Striped sunflower seeds are the base for this seedy skeleton bin. They are economical to buy and provide a unique sensory experience. In my active world tray, two large bags of seeds work nicely. For a smaller bin such as a bus tub or saucer sled, one large bag would be enough.

The sunflower seeds bring plenty of color, so there is no need to dye anything. This saves a lot of preparation time.

The toy skeletons, skulls, and bones are supplies easily scooped up at dollar and party stores, or the seasonal section of a big box store.

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It’s always nice to see the excited look of children when they discover a new sensory bin invitation, and their reaction to this bin did not disappoint. There was lots of imaginative and creative play.

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Skeleton Lentil Bin Sensory Play

To keep the interest in skeleton sensory play going, offer the same supplies in a lentil-based bin. The red lentils are another base ingredient that brings its own color to the sensory invitation.

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More Sunflower Seed Sensory Play

After children have had plenty of time to explore the skeleton-themed accessories, swap them out for a pumpkin or sunflower and dinosaur-themed bin using the same striped sunflower seeds as a base.

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More Skeleton Activities

Skeleton Preschool Theme

Glam Skeleton Sensory Bin

Skeleton and Eyeball Waterplay

Glam Skeleton Playdough Tray

Floral Decorated Skeleton

Skeleton Treasure Blocks

Spaghetti and Eyeball Sensory Bin

Q-tip Skeleton Craft

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[Read more…]

Pumpkin Sensory Activities

October 29, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Pumpkin carving is a fun annual activity, and children love to get it on it. After the large fruits are carved or sliced, there are a few effortless, super-engaging pumpkin sensory activities children can do before saying goodbye to the showy gourds.

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Pumpkin Cross-Section Exploration

If you happen to have a very lop-sided pumpkin that wasn’t chosen for carving, use a sharp knife to carefully cut it from top to bottom into two cross-sections for everyone to view. This provides your little charges a novel way to investigate the inside of a pumpkin, and it is much easier for them to scoop out and feel the fibrous strands and pumpkin seeds this way.

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When the fruity exploration is over, store the pumpkin parts and slimy pumpkin seed mixture in the fridge for more sensory play at another time.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Pumpkin Sensory Bin

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To set up a tantalizing pumpkin sensory bin activity, first place two pumpkin halves into a generous-sized container. A large green active world tray is up to the task and color coordinates with the pumpkin parts perfectly.

Next, set tablespoons, serving bowls, and food storage containers in the bin.

Then add non-breakable or disposable plates with a slimy pumpkin seed and fibrous strand mixture to the sensory play center.

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Afterward, make a goopy, cornstarch and hair conditioner mixture for the bin. Green apple playdough thinned with a bit of water works well for the slimy mixture, and you can use older playdough which has been stored in the fridge for it.

An alternative is to mix a cup or two of cornstarch with half the amount of water to get a thick but flowing consistency, and then squirt and blend in about half a bottle of apple-scented hair conditioner to make it slippery and aromatic. Add more cornstarch or water if needed. Squirt in a generous amount of green food coloring to give the mixture a deeper green hue.

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Finally, scoop the cornstarch and green apple conditioner mixture into the pumpkin halves and invite your little learners to explore the bin.

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Note: Apples and pumpkins are commonly used together in pies, as their scents and tastes are complementary. The two scents also work nicely together in sensory play.

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Washing up afterward is part of the fun, as your little charges will love seeing the water turn green.

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Green Apple Goop Pumpkin Play

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In this tactile autumn activity, green apple playdough, often called cloud dough, is turned into a goopy mixture with the addition of a little water. Just scoop the thinned dough into a serving bowl and set it in a sensory table next to a carved and hollowed-out pumpkin for your little learners to use in hands-on play.

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Golf Tee Pumpkin Play

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This last pumpkin sensory activity is less messy than the above slimy, goopy versions. Simply set a carved or uncarved pumpkin out on a table along with small, child-sized hammers and a container of golf tees. Invite little learners to use a hammer to gently pound the golf tees into the pumpkin. This is a great activity for practicing eye-hand coordination. Two children can share in this activity at a time, providing an opportunity for cooperative, synergetic play.

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More Pumpkin Activities

Edible Playdough Pumpkins

Eye Dropper Pumpkin Art

Pumpkin Painting Process Art

Pumpkin Tablescape Pretend Play

Glow In The Dark Pumpkin Art

Pumpkin Color Activities

Pumpkin Playdough Activities

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[Read more…]

Q-tip Skeleton Craft

October 28, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Out shopping this fall, I couldn’t help but notice the beautiful skull art in craft and home décor stores. Pastel skull heads were one of my favorite finds, and this colorful dyed Q-Tip skeleton craft is inspired by them. It is super fun to do, so why not give it a try.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

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For this cute skeleton craft, gather the following supplies:

Q-tips
liquid food coloring
paint pots or small jars
paint brushes
black fadeless construction paper
white paper
paper in pastel shades
thin marker
scissors
paper towel roll
white glue
glue stick
glue paddle

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How To Dye Q-Tips

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Before setting out supplies for this craft, dye a package of Q-tips in various pastel shades.

To dye Q-tips, pour liquid food colors of choice into small paint pots or jars, and mix in a little water. My chosen colors were turquoise, orange, violet, and neon green.

Next, quickly dip each soft Q-tip end into a jar of liquid color and lay the Q-tips out to dry onto paper towel strips.

When dry, gather the Q-tips and sort them by color into a compartment tray.

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The Q-tip Skeleton Craft

The first thing to do when making a Q-tip skeleton is to select or craft a skull to use. Here are three options:

Draw a skull on white or pastel paper using a marker, and fill in the eye socket and teeth details. Then cut it out.
Select a sticker or crafted skull.
Use a skull rubber stamp/ink pad to print the skull.

On a last-minute shopping trip, I was happy to find a package of skull-themed paper doilies, from which I cut a few skull heads. They work perfectly for the craft as they can be painted.

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After picking out a skull design and painting it with a pastel shade if desired, use white glue or a glue stick to tack it near the top of a black piece of fadeless construction paper.

Next, lay out Q-tips in the shape of a skeleton below the skull. Whole Q-tips work fine for the rib cage and backbone, and Q-tips cut into various lengths with a pair of scissors are best for the arms and legs. Q-tip ends are perfect for the little fingers.

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When you have a design that you are happy with, use a glue paddle to add white glue to the Q-tip ends, and carefully affix them one by one to your skeleton design.

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A group of crafted Q-Tip skeletons would be eye-catching if displayed together, as each pose is bound to look different.

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Q-tip Skeleton Arm

Instead of making a whole skeleton out of Q-tips, trace an arm from black construction paper, cut it out, and glue Q-tip pieces to it. This Q-tip craft version draws attention to the many bones in the hands, and the two bones in the lower arm.

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Q-tip Skeleton Transient Craft

If you are short on time but would still like to offer a Q-tip skeleton-building experience, this craft project could be set up as a transient craft invitation.

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More Skeleton Activities

Skeleton Preschool Theme

Glam Skeleton Sensory Bin

Skeleton and Eyeball Waterplay

Glam Skeleton Playdough Tray

Floral Decorated Skeleton

Skeleton Treasure Blocks

Spaghetti and Eyeball Sensory Bin

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[Read more…]

Watercolor Apples With Markers

October 7, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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If you are looking for an easy art activity with a WOW factor, this watercolor apples with markers art project is for you. Just a few supplies are needed for this gorgeous art activity.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

Gather the following supplies for this super simple art activity:

paper towel sheets
watercolor markers
spray bottles with water
trays or small utility tubs
waterproof tablecloth
apple template

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Creating Watercolor Apples With Markers

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To offer this effortless art activity, first cut out apple shapes from sheets of paper towel. Choosing a thick paper towel brand is recommended, but any kind will do. Feel free to download this apple template for the art project.

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Apple PrintableDownload

This template is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Next, set up stations with a paper towel apple, and washable markers. Select hues such as red, pink, yellow, orange, and green to represent apple colors.

Invite participants to carefully color their apples.

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Then have the little artists place their arty apple in a tray or small utility tub and spray it with water. Afterward, carefully lift off each apple and set it to dry on a table covered with a waterproof tablecloth.

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Your little learners will likely wish to create a few watercolor apples using this technique. In this case, you may decide to offer the activity with apple-hued markers one or two times, and then all the markers (except black) another time.

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Coloring and spraying rectangular, uncut paper towel sheets is fun too.

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When the fruity art has dried, use a glue stick or mini glue gun to mount each project on a cardstock or construction paper background.

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Tip: Paper towel sheets are usually double-layered. If the paper apple layers come apart, use a glue stick to dab a little glue between them. Then gently press the layers together

Watercolor Apple Prints

When a paper towel apple is colored in with markers and thoroughly sprayed with water, it takes a while to dry. To speed up the drying process, lay a rectangular sheet of paper towel over the sprayed apple and press down gently. This will remove excess water and reveal a lovely print of the apple design.

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Interested in another watercolor activity with markers? Check out the blog post “Watercolor Planets With Markers.”

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More Apple Activities

Apple Theme Activities

Apple Print Activities

Apple Playdough Tray

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[Read more…]

Green Bean Theme Activities

September 20, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Visiting a farmer’s market or garden center is the best way to find varieties of fruits and vegetables we may not see in our local food stores. On a street market stroll last week, I was thrilled to discover a vegetable stall with beans that were not just green. They also came in dark purple, yellow, and streaked varieties. Here are some easy bean theme activities to introduce these novel bean colors to little learners.

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Color Recognition With Beans

Showcase a few different types of beans in order to introduce color words to young children. For instance, label them green, light yellow, dark purple, or yellow streaked with purple.

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Sorting Beans

Beans in different colors are perfect for math sorting activities. After collecting a few varieties, invite little learners to sort them by color, size, or shape. A suggestion is to leave things open-ended by asking “Which beans are alike?”

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Making Patterns With Beans

For more garden math, invite children to make patterns with beans in different colors.

An invitation to make a pattern with beans. A hands-on math and language arts activity perfect for a nutrition or vegetable theme.

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Beans and The Letter C

Some beans are shaped like the letter C. If your supply of beans includes them, ask little learners to find the beans that look like a C. If the beans are different sizes, invite children to sort them from smaller to bigger, or vice versa.

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Drawing Beans

Beans have a simple shape, so are perfect for a beginner directed drawing activity. Young children may start off by tracing beans, and then coloring them in. Select crayons or pencil crayons as the medium for the art project.

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During the drawing process, discuss words to describe beans. For instance, the whole bean is called a bean pod. It is long and thin and has skin on the outside. There is a seam running down one side of the bean. There is a stem on top and a bean tip at the bottom.

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A second activity is to open beans to view the inside of the pods. Check if the inside of a pod is the same color as the outside. Count the seeds in a pod, and have the children draw a split bean with bean seeds.

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Snacking On Beans

Beans are a super healthy food to eat, as they are low calorie and have lots of fiber. They are a good source of vitamin C, K, folate, and potassium. Invite your little learners to eat them raw or offer them in a cooked side dish for little ones to try.

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Bean Science

The dark purple beans actually lose their color after cooking. View purple beans before and after they are cooked for an interesting and easy color-changing science experiment.

The example below shows a handful of steamed deep purple beans. Some have transitioned to all green, while others are purple and green and will turn all green with more cooking.

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Uniquely-colored bean varieties are a fun find at a market stall or greenhouse. These hands-on bean theme activities help bring the garden to the table for little learners.

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[Read more…]