sensory

Shamrock Rolling Pin Art

March 16, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

A fun rolling pin art project with three different looks. A process art painting activity on shamrocks the whole family can enjoy.

_______

This shamrock rolling pin art project is bound to get a little messy, and that means your little learner is sure to looove it! Shamrocks make an eye-pleasing subject for this process art activity.

_______

Check out these two St. Patrick’s Day printable products in my Skills N Smiles Etsy shop:

_______

Supplies to Collect

green, yellow, and white tempera paint
rolling pins or paper towel rolls
large sheets of sturdy paper
paint containers and spoons
shamrock template

_______

Click here to download a shamrock template.

_______

Shamrock Rolling Pin Art Fun

Set out tempera paints in yellow, white, and shades of green. Invite your little learner to spoon dabs of paint over a paper shamrock.

Invitation to use a rolling pin as a painting tool.

_______

Then ask your little one to roll a rolling pin over the paint.

_______

A paper towel roll works well to move paint around too. On the shamrock below, a pattern of paint was spread vertically. Then a paper towel roll was rolled up and down to give the striped effect. There are diagonal lines left from the paper roll on the shamrock…I kind of like them!

Paper towel roll painting on a shamrock.

_______

The paint can also be splattered on diagonally, with the rolling pin to squish the paint around positioned the same way.

_______

_______

Which shamrock art project do you like best? Leave a comment below.

_______

_______

_______

Rolling pin art with a diagonal stripe design.

_______

Related:

Shamrock Paper Plate Lion

St. Patrick’s Day Sheep Craft

St. Patrick’s Day Painted Shamrock

Crayon Resist Watercolor Shamrock

Scissor Skill Shamrock Collage

St. Patrick’s Day Tablescape

St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Tub

Leprechaun Sensory Jar

St. Patrick’s Day Woodland Sensory Bin

St. Patrick’s Day Jewelry Bin

Leprechaun Sensory Play

St. Patrick’s Day Treasure Blocks

St. Patrick’s Day Light Table Tray

Shamrock Dissolving Candy Experiment

St. Patrick’s Day Activities

_______

[Read more…]

Leprechaun Sensory Play

March 14, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

Leprechauns, shamrocks, pots of gold, and the color green are all associated with St. Patrick’s Day. And they make for super fun sensory play…especially the leprechauns! Here are two inexpensive, easy-to-put-together leprechaun sensory play activities.

_______

Follow me on Pinterest for more ideas.

_______

Leprechaun Facts

Leprechauns are tiny, mischievous, gold-loving characters in Irish folklore.
Shoemaking is how leprechauns spend most of their time.
These entertaining, energetic, miniature men love to participate in dance parties and expertly play the tin whistle, fiddle, Bodhran, and Irish harp.
Underground caves or hollow tree trunks in rural Ireland are where these solitary characters are said to live.
Leprechauns love to collect gold and store it in pots in the remote countryside (or at the end of the rainbow.)
The speedy tricksters can vanish quickly, so are difficult to capture.
But if a leprechaun is caught, he must grant three wishes.
Leprechauns are known all over the world.

_______

Leprechaun Sensory Play

Here are two easy to set up leprechaun sensory trays:

Leprechaun Rice Tray

Gold coins, shamrocks, a money pot, and an oh-so tricky leprechaun are the highlights of this rice-based tray.

_______

Glutinous rice is the base for this tray. I love it because it is super white, and showcases the loose parts. Included are:

leprechaun figurine
money pot
tiny gold coins
white, green, and gold beads (because leprechauns like all kinds of treasure)
glittery, green hats (to collect any coins or gems that don’t fit into the pot)
shamrocks
St. Patrick’s Day greeting

The leprechaun is a repurposed plant poke topper. The other loose parts are snipped from inexpensive St. Patrick’s Day necklaces.

Shamrocks, gold coins, a money pot, and an oh-so tricky leprechaun are the highlights of this rice-based tray.

_______

Shamrock Confetti Tray

Instead of rice, generously sprinkled shamrock confetti with metallic gold pots added in is the base. The tray also includes a leprechaun, money pot, gold coins, beads, hats, and shamrocks.

The leprechaun has plenty of gold to collect in this shamrock confetti-based St. Patrick's Day sensory tray.

_______

For more facts about leprechauns, view these blogposts:

The Legend Of The Leprechaun (CBC Kids)

Legend Of The Irish Leprechauns (Your Irish Culture)

_______

There is plenty of gold for the leprechaun to collect in this shamrock confetti-based St. Patrick's Day sensory tray.

_______

Follow up a leprechaun sensory play session with a scavenger hunt for pots of gold, a leprechaun race, or a game of Hide And Seek.

_______

[Read more…]

Arctic Animal Facts And Sensory Trays

February 25, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Arctic animal sensory trays featuring seals, narwhals, and a polar bear and igloo. Luxurious loose parts accent the trays.

_______

These Arctic animal sensory trays are inspired by a set of polar decorations spotted at a local hardware store. I saw them before Christmas and restrained myself from buying them. It was tough! I didn’t think of them again until just into the New Year, but then I just had to have them. Thankfully, one hardware store in the chain still had a full selection and I was able to buy the decorations for winter displays and sensory play.

_______

Polar Animal Sensory Tray Loose Parts

A large round tray, silver plastic table mat for water or ice, and the following loose parts work well with arctic animal figurines:

Polar loose part tray inspired by an igloo, seal, and narwhal figurine.

_______

pearl bead garland
large pearl beads
clear gems in various sizes
ice cube gems
silver bells
silver beads and bead garland
blue gems

_______

Seal and narwhal-inspired loose parts tray.

_______

Arctic Animal Sensory Trays

The polar decorations featured in these trays are breakable, so should be handled carefully. After discussing and exploring figurines such as these with your early learners, replace them with unbreakable Arctic animal and igloo toys for further learning and play.

_______

The first two sensory trays showcase seals and narwhals. Here are some facts about these aquatic polar creatures:

Narwhals are small whales nicknamed sea unicorns. Males have a tooth that grows through their lip to form a spiraling ivory tusk. The tusks grow throughout the whales’ lives. Narwhals live in groups in the cold icy waters of the Arctic. They have been overhunted for their sought-after tusks so are hard to spot.

A glittery seal and embellished narwhals are the highlights of this luxurious sensory tray.

_______

Six kinds of seals live in the Arctic. The seals spend much of their time in the frigid waters on or under the ice. When the ocean freezes each year, they chew breathing holes through the ice with their teeth. They come up for air every few minutes, trying to avoid predators in the process.

Glittery seals take center stage in this aquatic polar animal sensory tray.

_______

This next tray features a polar bear, seal, and narwhal.

Polar bears are large, creamy white bears that weigh up to 1100 pounds. They have black noses and eyes and can walk and swim long distances. Polar bears live on ice floes, rocky shores, and islands in the Arctic. Their tiny bear cubs are born in December in dens on land or ice. The cubs live with their mothers for about two years.

Polar bear and seal sensory tray with luxurious loose parts.

_______

Below is a narwhal, seal, and igloo sensory tray.

Igloos are dome-shaped snow houses that can be large or small. They are made with slanted rectangular blocks of packed snow cut by skilled carvers. In times past, igloos were used as a winter home or temporary hunting shelter. The igloos were super strong and able to withstand fierce winds and polar bear attacks. The snow homes were heated with oil lamps and could get pretty toasty. Furs lined sleeping areas and covered doorways.

Arctic sensory tray featuring a seal and narwhal, and an igloo.

_______

The penguin below adds a cuteness factor. Penguins live in the Antarctic on the opposite side of the world but are also polar animals.

Polar sensory tray with a penguin, seal, narwhal, and igloo. Luxurious loose parts accent the tray.

_______

[Read more…]

Jewelry Sensory Tray

February 15, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

If you have washable heart-themed children’s jewelry pieces lying around or found some in a post-Valentine’s Day sale, they can have a go in a jewelry sensory tray. Add a few complimentary colored loose parts, and your early learners will be eager to explore the tray.

_______

Loose Parts For The Tray

_______

heart bracelets
color block silicone bracelets
rainbow heart rings
wiggly eye rings
rainbow heart erasers
foam flowers and hearts
gem hearts
flower eraser
buttons

This tray has loose parts in a variety of cheery colors, taking it beyond Valentine’s Day.

_______

Making The Jewelry Sensory Tray

Heart-themed jewelry sensory tray that takes tactile exploration beyond Valentine's Day.

_______

Pick a tray large enough for a few children to play in.

Add a layer of rice. I feature glutinous rice. I love it because it is super white.

Spread the heart jewelry and complimentary colored loose parts in the tray. Invite your early learners to explore the tactile center.

This sensory tray idea also works for individual play. Just divide the supplies into a portion for each child and add them to smaller trays.

Heart jewelry sensory tray with cheery colors that take tactile exploration beyond Valentine's Day.

_______

[Read more…]

Valentine’s Day Musical Instruments

February 14, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Valentine's Day containers with loose parts added make drum and shaker musical instruments perfect for sound exploration.

_______

Save those little containers that valentine treats and crafts come in! Empty chocolate boxes, plastic jars, heart-shaped bowls, and small containers make excellent sensory and art supplies. And when used with drumsticks and filled with loose parts, they can also be Valentine’s Day musical instruments.

_______

Valentine’s Day Loose Parts To Collect

Here’s a supply of loose parts that early learners could choose from for music-making:

Loose parts to add to Valentine's Day containers to make shaker and drum musical instruments.

_______

mini rubber balls
coins
erasers
heart necklaces
heart-shaped cookie cutters
red heart gems
pompoms
buttons
X and O game pieces

_______

This compartment tray holds the above items and the ones below:

Loose parts to add to Valentine's Day containers to make shaker and drum musical instruments, and a variety of drumsticks.

_______

pony beads
red and white round gems
large red beads
striped straws
wooden hearts

_______

Making Valentine’s Day Musical Instruments

Collect Valentine’s Day-themed containers and set them out on a table with a tray of loose parts. Encourage little learners to fill containers with one kind of loose part and add lids. Have them use the filled containers as shakers.

A collection of Valentine's Day-themed containers with loose parts and drumsticks for music-making.

_______

A heart-shaped bowl and small tin make excellent drums. Just add drumsticks!

An overturned plastic heart-shaped bowl and small tin make excellent drums.

_______

When covered with a lid and tipped from side to side, this pony bead-filled tin becomes an ocean drum.

A heart-shaped tin with pony beads added makes an ocean drum.

_______

Why not go big? This large chocolate box heart works wonderfully as an ocean drum too. A few beaded necklaces add the sound.

A heart-shaped empty chocolate box with necklaces or loose parts added makes an ocean drum.

_______

Your early learners will love making sounds and tapping beats with these recycled containers. To extend the investigative play, add the containers to a large tub filled with rice. Invite your little learners to add rice to them to create more Valentine’s Day musical instruments.

_______

[Read more…]