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“Go Fishing” Sensory Tray

July 27, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Use toy fishing rods and accessories for a super fun "Go Fishing" active world tray. Add ocean-themed loose parts to extend play.

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This easy-to-set-up “Go Fishing” sensory tray allows your little learners to have a blast catching and transferring fish, and exploring related ocean-themed loose parts. And there are plenty of opportunities for learning in this hands-on, play-based activity.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

An ocean-themed loose part collection for a super fun "Go Fishing" active world tray. your early learners will love.

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To give your little charges a super fun, ocean-themed sensory experience, gather the following:

water table or active world tray
toy fishing sets
sea jelly dive toys
miniature ocean creatures
fish-themed fillable eggs
bowl with marbles
four hot dog baskets
strainer
shells
punch bowl

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The “Go Fishing” Sensory Tray

Fishing sets and ocean-themed loose parts are featured in this super fun "Go Fishing" active world tray your early learners will love.

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To set up this inviting, sea creature-filled sensory tray, start out by setting a non-breakable punch bowl in the center of an active world tray. Fill the bowl with water.

Then set fish from a few inexpensive toy fishing sets in a basket, and spread a few others around the punch bowl.

Tip: Dollar stores are a great place to find many of the supplies in this post.

Next, fill the other baskets with sea jelly dive toys, miniature ocean creatures, and sea creature-themed fillable eggs.

Note: Hot dog baskets are a perfect size for the activity.

Lastly, add toy fishing rods along with a bowl with marbles and a strainer with shells.

Setting up a sensory tray couldn’t be any easier. And I’m sure your little learners will dive right in.

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Variations Of This Sensory Activity

If you have access to a water table, fill it with water and drop in all the supplies. Your little charges can transfer fish to baskets and explore the fillable eggs, sea jelly dive toys, miniature ocean creatures, marbles, and shells.

And adding mini fishing nets would be great for scooping up toy sea jellies. Including more strainers would be nice too.

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Benefits Of The “Go Fishing” Sensory Tray

Aside from being just plain fun, this fishing game sensory tray allows young children to:

develop eye-hand coordination
practice transferring objects from one place to another
sort fish and sea jelly dive toys by color
count all the fish they catch
label and discuss many different ocean creatures
learn that fish hatch from eggs

Can you think of anything to add to this sensory activity? Share in a comment below.

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Related:

Ocean Playdough Tray

Octopus Theme Activities

Sea Star Activities

Saving Green Sea Turtles

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[Read more…]

Tree Art Bulletin Board

July 13, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This bright tree art bulletin board is inspired by the stunning storybook called “The Wind and the Trees” by Todd Stewart. I discovered the book at a local library and instantly fell in love with the tender story and vibrant illustrations. The picture book provided just the inspiration I was looking for to redo a bulletin board begging for a change.

In the storybook, an old pine tree teaches a young sapling about the benefits and dangers of wind. Over the course of the story, the old pine weakens and deteriorates and the young sapling slowly grows bigger. By the end of the story, a storm wind has knocked the old tree down, and a seedling soon takes its place.

The vivid silkscreen illustrations in this heartwarming children’s book show the same scene on each page in different weather, seasons, and times of the day. Tree trunks, needles, and skies are designed in beautiful, varying color schemes. Woodland animals are included subtly in silhouette form on many of the pages.

A pink and red-leafed woodland tree design that fits in with a spring blossom theme.

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As I am accustomed to doing an art-themed bulletin board using the same tree in different seasons or times of day, I soon realized that drawing inspiration from the color combinations in the book would work nicely for a new tree art bulletin board. The tree art design is easy to replicate in a space you have available.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

Colored tree trunks prepared for a picture book-inspired tree art bulletin board project. An easy-to do, all ages art activity.

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A selection of quality sturdy paper and a few other supplies are needed for this woodland papercraft project. Gather the following:

tree template
9-inch x 12-inch fade-resistant construction paper in a variety of colors
cardstock in an array of colors
glitter cardstock
glue stick
paper punches
woodland animal stickers
pencil and scissors

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Preparing The Tree Art Craft

To plan out this tree art bulletin board, decide on a few different color schemes. I chose eight, but you can easily go with four. View the picture book “The Wind and the Trees” by Todd Stewart for color palette ideas.

Select a background color, tree trunk hue, and leaf colors for each tree art design. Use the paper choices you have available to pick color combinations.

Tip: Acid-free or fade-resistant paper is worth investing in for papercraft projects. The colors stay bright much longer.

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Then use a template to cut out paper tree trunks. Feel free to download the template below to make your craft preparation easier.

Download this free, user-friendly tree template for art and craft activities. The template is perfect for bulletin board art.

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Tree Craft PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Use two different-sized heart paper punches to create leaves. A few metallic paper leaves add a little glitz and are often children’s favorite collage pieces to use.

Note: The tree in the picture book is a pine. I chose a deciduous tree for my designs because its leaves work well for collage projects.

Next, glue a tree trunk to each background piece of paper.

Afterward, invite children to affix heart leaves to their trees using a glue stick.

Sunset-themed woodland tree art inspired by a picture book.

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Finally, participants can add paper punched and/or sticker woodland animals to their tree scenes. I used paper-punched birds and butterflies, and sticker deer, foxes, rabbits, raccoons, bears, squirrels, and porcupines.

Night-time woodland tree art inspired by a picture book.

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The Tree Art Bulleting Board Display

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Displaying the tree art is easy when using a rectangular bulletin board. Arrange the art in a sequence of color designs, and repeat the pattern for the whole display. An alternative is to display the art randomly or in another pattern of your choice.

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More About “The Wind and the Trees” Picture Book

In addition to being an inspiration for art projects, this gorgeous picture book by Todd Stewart is perfect for a tree or nature theme. Through colorful pictures and wisdom-filled print, it communicates the life cycle of trees. It also shares the following details about how wind benefits and hurts trees:

How The Wind Benefits Trees

tree roots grow deeper
tree bark becomes stronger
messages and signals are carried from one tree to another
seeds are scattered so new trees can grow

The Dangers Of Wind To Trees

roots are stretched
tree trunks and branches dry
older trees get knocked down

Lastly, the pictures also depict a variety of woodland animals for children to spot and name, such as bats, owls, squirrels, bees, eagles, a raccoon, and a porcupine.

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A blue and green-leafed woodland tree art design with the colors of a cloudy everning.

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Related:

Spin Painting Maple Leaf Art

Book-Inspired Tree Art

Horse Chestnut Leaf Art Activities

Neon Fingerpaint Tree Art

Maple Leaf Activities

Fall Leaf Salad Spinner Art

Eye Dropper Leaf Art

Christmas Tree Art

Christmas Tree Decorating Center

Monochromatic Christmas Tree Art

Candy Cane Tree Experiment

Chinese Money Tree Activities

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[Read more…]

Dyed Peony Science Experiment

July 2, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Peony plants have large, bold flowers that grow profusely during the blossoming season. It’s always sad to see them go so I try to snap a few pictures before they drop off.

Don’t get scared off by the ants in this picture I took! Ants eat peony nectar and help keep peonies safe by attacking bud-eating insects.

Pretty light pink peony flowers and buds. Peony blooms are showstoppers during the summer season.

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After taking a peony and thrifted vintage teacup photo, I realized that a saved flower in a jar of water would provide the perfect opportunity for a dyed peony science experiment. Peony flowers have a dense cluster of petals, similar to carnations, so I wondered if the experiment would turn out as well. It worked wonderfully, so I highly recommend giving it a try.

A pretty in pink peony bloom complements a thrifted vintage teacup.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

All you need is a few supplies to perform this oh-so-easy, nature science experiment. Gather the following:

peony flower stem with leaves
clear jar or vase with water
neon blue food coloring
spoon

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The Dyed Peony Science Experiment

To perform this simple science experiment, fill a small, clear jar at least half full of water.

Add 10 or more drops of neon blue food coloring and stir it in. I use a blue hue, but any color of food coloring would work nicely.

Try this easy-to-do dyed peony science experiment today. This activity shows how water travels up peony stems and flows through leaves and petals.

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Set the sprig in the colored water overnight and observe it the next day. You’ll notice that the edges of the peony flower petals have turned blue.

Check the plant once a day after that to spot more color changes.

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Tell your little charges that coloring the water blue helps us see how water travels up the stem of a plant into the flower leaves and petals.

Note: The leaves and stems of my peony plant are dark, so it is difficult to see water travel up them. Choosing a plant with lighter leaves would show water travel through these plant parts better.

Large, light pink peony blooms are showstoppers during the summer season.

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The Importance of Water For Plants

Along with light, air, and good soil, water is super important to a plant’s growth and survival:

Plants are made of mostly water, and it helps them stay firm.
Plants cool down by releasing water from their stems and leaves. This helps them regulate their temperature.
Water carries important nutrients that help plants grow.
Sunlight, carbon dioxide from the air, and water are necessary for photosynthesis, which is how the leaves of plants create energy to survive.

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If you have an abundance of peonies, why not try this dyed peony science experiment with a variety of food coloring hues? Or you could perform it with carnations, which are easy to find and economical to buy.

Related:

Celery Science Experiment

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[Read more…]

Petunia Flower Sensory Tray

July 1, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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A few weeks ago, a coworker brought me a beautiful bouquet of irises, which I thought would be perfect for a flowery sensory tray. After getting out supplies to coordinate with the purple and white color scheme, I realized I’d forgotten one really important thing… to check if irises are toxic. It was super disappointing to discover that every part of them is, so the irises couldn’t be used for sensory play.

Since all my accompanying supplies were ready to go, I decided to hunt for a child-friendly flowering plant. Luckily, on a shopping trip soon after I discovered a totally non-toxic, bountiful pot of purple-hued petunias. The pot was overflowing with leggy petunia shoots begging for a trim. The cuttings are featured in this petunia flower sensory tray.

This showy starry sky petunia plant is the perfect addition to your patio. Trimmed sprigs are repurposed in a petunia flower sensory tray.

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Petunia Flower Sensory Tray Supplies

A nature-based sensory tray with petunia flower sprigs and pretty purple and white loose parts for tactile exploration.

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A few simple supplies bring this sensory tray to life. In addition to petunia sprigs, there are:

metal bowls and tablespoons
non-breakable measuring cups, jars, and dessert cups
violet craft foam insects
metallic purple pom poms
purple necklace strips
pearl beads
large white buttons
pebble-shaped acrylic gems
scissors

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Pretty purple and white loose parts are the perfect addition to a petunia flower sensory tray your little learners will love to explore.

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Preparing The Petunia Flower Sensory Tray

The bin for this tray is a green active world tray. It is large enough for four or more children to play in at a time.

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To set up this flower-themed sensory activity, cover a large, round table with a water-resistant tablecloth and place the tray on it.

Then set up four stations, each with a metal bowl, serving spoon, dessert cup, pair of scissors, and petunia sprig.

Next, fill the measuring cups with water and drop a little neon purple food coloring into each one.

Afterward, set a few jars with water in the tray.

Place a bouquet of petunias in a container in the middle.

Purple and white loose parts and similar colored petunias are the highlights of this petunia flower active world tray sensory play invitation.

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To complete the activity center, arrange bowls with loose parts such as craft foam insects, sparkly pom poms, necklace strips, buttons, pebble-shaped acrylic gems, and pearl beads around the vase.

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The Petunia Flower Sensory Tray

Your little learners will love to explore this petunia flower sensory tray. They’ll be excited to make flower and loose part soup, and to layer a jar with flowers and treasures. Scissor skill practice is a bonus in this play invitation.

Oh-so-fun sensory play with petunia flowers and pretty purple and white loose parts. A nature-based sensory activity.

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Petunias are plentiful in garden centers in spring and summer and come in many different colors and patterns. It is easy to snag a pot for a good price at this time of year. Picking a pot overflowing with petunias ensures that you can cut off sprigs for sensory play and still have the pot of flowers to enjoy afterward. And it is a relief to know that all parts of petunia flowers are safe for children to touch.

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Related:

White Lilacs And Black Playdough

Flower Theme Activities

Floral Decorated Skeleton

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[Read more…]

Spin Painting Butterflies

May 19, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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There are few art projects that are more exciting and fun than spin painting. And using a salad spinner is an easy and low mess way to create spin art. I’ve featured this painting technique in a few projects on my blog. In this post, I feature spin painting butterflies.

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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 art x science painting activity:

salad spinner
butterfly template
cardstock paper
pipe cleaners
tempera paint
paint pots
spoons
tape
white glue or glue gun

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Creating Spin Painting Butterflies

To create the spin art butterflies, design a butterfly template and trace it onto cardstock paper in the color of your choice. It is optimal for the butterflies to be the size of the bottom of the salad spinner. To help figure out the correct size, trace the bottom of the salad spinner basket onto a piece of paper. Lay the butterfly template on the circle and adjust its size if needed.

Then add a little piece of rolled-up tape to the bottom of one paper butterfly, and position it securely in the salad spinner basket.

Next, pour tempera paint colors of choice into paint pots. Add a little white or yellow paint to brighten up the colors if desired.

Afterward, spoon blobs of paint in a variety of colors onto the butterfly.

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Then spin the salad spinner at a moderate rate. It is ideal for the butterfly to remain on the bottom of the spinner. Spinning it super fast may loosen the butterfly resulting in it sticking to the side of the basket. This will smudge up the paint.

Next, open the spinner and carefully lift out the butterfly. Remove the tape and let it dry.

Finally, cut out a one-piece butterfly head, thorax, and abdomen from a complementary piece of sturdy paper, and bend a pipe cleaner length into antennae. Glue both to the center of the butterfly using white glue or a glue gun.

Oh-so-fun salad spinner butterfly art activity. An easy-to-do, all-ages art activity.

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Invite each person participating in this activity to create one or two spin art butterflies.

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Spin Painting Butterfly Variations

After spinning the salad spinner the first time, you can choose to drop in more paint and spin again.

Create this spin painting butterfly in a few easy steps. This is a process art activity everyone in the family will love.

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After the first spin cycle, the butterfly in the above picture turned out mostly yellow. With a little more paint added and another round or two of spinning, the butterfly is more colorful.

If the butterfly does stick to the side and the paint is smudged, make a print with it on a new piece of paper. Cut the butterfly out and use doubled sided tape to secure it onto a new piece of paper for a 3D effect. Add a cardstock frame for a finishing touch.

Butterfly paint prints look stunning when displayed on a cardstock background.

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And gluing a painted butterfly, ribbon, and bead garland to a dowel makes an awesome butterfly wand.

Beautiful spin painitng butterfly wand craft your little learners will love. An all-ages process art project.

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The Science Behind Salad Spinner Art

Centrifugal force is used in creating salad spinner art. When the salad spinner is spun around, centrifugal force pushes the paint away from the center to the edges of the butterfly.

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How to create beautiful spin painting butterflies with a salad spinner. This is a super fun process art activity everyone will enjoy.

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Related:

Spin Painting Maple Leaf Art

Salad Spinner Heart Art

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[Read more…]