science

Watercolor Rainbows With Markers

April 6, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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

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Supplies To Collect

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

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

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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The Watercolor Rainbows With Markers Art Project

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

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

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

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

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

Let the beautiful rainbow art dry overnight and display it.

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

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More Eye Dropper Art

Eye Dropper Leaf Art

Gorgeous Eye Dropper Art

Eye Dropper Pumpkin Art

Eye Dropper Heart Art

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More Watercolor Art

Watercolor Apples With Markers

Pump Bottle Watercolor Art

Unicorn Watercolor Art

Watercolor Planets With Markers

Crayon Resist Watercolor Shamrock

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[Read more…]

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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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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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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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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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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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…]