themes

Cozy Gingerbread Sensory Bin

December 18, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

One of the most popular themes to offer at Christmas is a Gingerbread theme. Delightfully entertaining variations of the gingerbread boy story set the stage for endless hands-on gingerbread thematic activities for early learners. This cozy gingerbread sensory bin is a festive and fun tactile play invitation to include.

_______

Cozy Gingerbread Sensory Bin Supplies

_______

The following simple supplies are in this sweet cookie-themed sensory bin:

white rice or pinto beans
gingerbread storage container
fillable gingerbread man ornament
gingerbread cookie cutters
gingerbread baker ornaments
pony beads
pom poms
feathers
buttons
gingerbread-themed erasers
gingerbread man measuring scoop
paper snack sups
measuring spoon

_______

_______

Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

_______

The Cozy Gingerbread Sensory Bin

This gingerbread sensory bin is inspired by a soft and fluffy winter sock spotted in a cozy clothing store.

As with many of my sensory invitations, the bin to hold all the supplies is a white bus tub. It is economical to buy, transportable, and large enough for two to three little learners to explore together.

Spotted, light brown dried pinto beans are the base. The neutral-toned beans provide all the color needed for the bin’s gingerbread cookie theme.

_______

A gingerbread treat tin and clear, fillable gingerbread ornament with the top removed are accessories to fill using the themed measuring scoop and spoon.

A trio of gingerbread baker ornaments with hooks for hanging removed serve as cookies, and gingerbread man erasers are reimagined as additional treats.

Pink, green, red, and white beads and buttons allow cookie cutters to be decorated.

_______

Similarly colored pom poms, feathers, and twisted pipe cleaner bits contribute a soft feel to the bin and are additional supplies for decorating.

_______

Benefits of the Cozy Gingerbread Sensory Bin

Sensory bin exploration offers early learners many benefits. They include

Practice using the senses of sight, hearing, and touch to explore the contents in the bin.
Developing hand-eye coordination and strengthening hand muscles by scooping, pouring, picking up, and arranging the supplies.
Expanding vocabulary by discussing colors, textures, and actions used to investigate the supplies.
Enhancing math skills by counting and sorting supplies.
Practicing social skills such as sharing and turn-taking.
Exercising creativity and engaging in imaginative play.

_______

Soft-Hued Gingerbread Sensory Bins

The cozy winter sock I mentioned serving as inspiration for the sensory play was designed in a white and soft pink color scheme. I added more colors in the bin above to match the gingerbread-themed accessories. But I couldn’t resist trying a few bins with a paired down pink and white color scheme. Below is a dried bean-based bin and two rice-based bins featuring accessories with these two colors. Gingerbread man lights add ambiance to the third bin.

_______

_______

_______

Aren’t the soft pink, white, and brown gingerbread-themed sensory bins oh-so-pretty?

_______

Related: Gingerbread Theme Pretend Play

_______

December Kindness Activities Printable Set

A December Kindness Calendar and Kindness Jar are two activities to teach empathy and kindness at home or in the classroom. Download this gorgeous pastel holiday printable set of kindness activities in my Skills N Smiles Etsy Shop for a low-low price. You’ll have the December kindness activities ready in minutes!

_______

More Gingerbread Theme Activities

Click on the pictures below to access more gingerbread activities.

_______

[Read more…]

Gingerbread Theme Pretend Play

December 7, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

Including a gingerbread theme in holiday festivities is super popular this time of year, and a large array of gingerbread-themed tableware and party supplies are available. That makes a gingerbread theme pretend play tablescape a perfect activity to introduce to early learners to help celebrate the season.

_______

Gingerbread Pretend Play Supplies

_______

Collecting supplies for gingerbread theme pretend play is easy and so much fun. Dollar stores are one of the best places to find them. The following items, many of which are gingerbread-themed were gathered for the festive baking-themed dramatic play setup.

ice cube tray
counters and erasers
flat ornaments
tins and spatula
cookie jar
cookie cutters
serving plate and cups
oven mitt and pot holder
disposable plates
artificial poinsettia sprig
metallic bead necklaces
jingle bells
large red and white pom poms
cookie pan
white tablecloth

_______

The Gingerbread Theme Pretend Play Tablescape

_______

This whimsical gingerbread theme pretend play setup inspires meaningful social interaction and loads of hands-on fun.

Non-breakable, themed ornaments such as gingerbread people, a gingerbread house, and candy canes make tasty play cookies.

Safety Tip: It is important to remove any hooks to hang the ornaments before using them as play cookies. Only ornaments with smooth surfaces and edges should be included as play food.

_______

Gingerbread counters and erasers make spicy candies or tiny cookies.

Cut metallic bead necklaces in gold, silver, and red are festive spaghetti noodles.

Green jingle bells are the juicy meatballs, offering a fun musical component to the dramatic play invitation.

Large red and white pom poms in colors that match the decor are additional creative loose parts to imagine with.

Gingerbread cookie cutters suggest more spicy snacks.

Festive cups and disposable plates complement the accessories.

_______

A gingerbread-themed ice cube tray, spatula, cookie jar, oven mitt, pot holder, serving plate, and dessert tin round out the center.

Exuding holiday charm, the gingerbread-themed supplies spice up dramatic play activities.

Would you include more supplies in the gingerbread pretend play tablescape? Share in a comment below.

_______

Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

_______

More Gingerbread Theme Activities

Click on the photos below to access the blog posts featuring more gingerbread theme activities.

_______

[Read more…]

Reptile Theme Playdough Tray

September 22, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

Living in central Alberta, Canada, reptiles such as snakes and lizards are uncommon for us to see. Unless we visit the local zoo or have access to an animal presentation, we will likely never see one. So it is natural for little learners to be afraid of these creatures. Hands-on activities with reptile figurines help alleviate young children’s fears about snakes and lizards. In addition to offering these exotic animals in a sensory tray, they are interesting accessories to include in a reptile theme playdough tray.

_______

Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

_______

Reptile Theme Playdough Tray Supplies

The following supplies are included in this colorful, unique playdough invitation:

snake and lizard figurines
frog and insect figurines
snake, lizard, and frog playdough molds
rocks and stones
wood slices
refillable eggs
divided compartment serving tray

_______

The Reptile Theme Playdough Tray

To keep supplies neat, organized, and attractive, one of my go-to methods is to add them to a divided compartment serving tray.

_______

Although I include many homemade playdough recipes on this blog, I feature store-bought playdough in this modeling dough play invitation. Someone had donated a bunch of different colors to me, and since lizards and snakes come in all kinds of patterns and hues, this activity seemed like the perfect way to start using them.

Miniature snake and lizard figurines and playdough molds allow little learners to create creatures of their own from playdough, and make animal prints. Manipulating the little figurines exposes them to animals they may have a natural fear of.

_______

Thin wood slices and small rocks and stones in the tray are natural materials found in the habitats snakes and lizards live in.

Frog, insect, and spider figurines represent prey snakes and lizards eat.

Finally, the small refillable eggs are reminders that lizards and most snakes hatch from eggs.

_______

This reptile theme playdough tray is a perfect beginning activity for learning about snakes and lizards and is superb for working on color recognition, counting, eye-hand coordination, and hand and finger strength.

Adding pictures of real snakes and lizards for little learners to view would provide opportunities to discuss and make patterns and allow for more discussions about the colors these reptiles display.

_______

More Reptile Activities

Reptile Active World Tray

Reptile Theme Activities

Reptile Egg Science

Sea Turtle Theme Activities

Turtle Pond Sensory Bin

Turtle Christmas Craft

_______

More Themed Playdough Trays

White Lilacs and Black Playdough

Watermelon Playdough Tray

Circus Playdough Tray

_______

Glam Skeleton Playdough Tray

Gingerbread Playdough Tray

Candy Cane Playdough Tray

_______

Santa Claus Playdough Tray

Unicorn Playdough Tray

Scented Moon Playdough Tray

_______

[Read more…]

String Painting Snake Art

August 5, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

This string painting snake art is perfect for a reptile theme. In addition to enhancing the topic of snakes, it offers children a novel way to paint.

_______

Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

_______

Supplies To Collect

_______

Gather the following supplies for this simple string painting activity:

sturdy paper
tempera paint
small disposable plates
yarn
scissors
clothespins
spoons
waterproof table cover

_______

Preparing The String Painting Snake Art Activity

To set up this novel string art activity, cover a table with a waterproof table cover.

Then spoon tempera paint into small disposable plates.

Next, cut the yarn into lengths about 6 to 8 inches long.

Afterward, attach a clothespin to the end of each strip of yarn.

Set the paint dishes, prepared string, and sturdy pieces of paper onto the art table and the activity is ready to go.

_______

The String Painting Snake Art Project

_______

To create snake-like painted shapes, lay a string on a paint-filled plate, draping the clothespin attached end over the edge.

Use a spoon to press down on the string to ensure it is covered in paint.

Next, carefully lift off the string and lay it on the paper in a snake-like, serpentine pattern.

Then gently put the string back in the same color of paint.

Repeat the process with more paint colors to create snakes in additional hues.

_______

Variations of the String Art Project

After participants have completed a snake art project, invite them to explore more string painting techniques:

Dragging the string across the paper covers it more quickly, and allows for paint mixing.
Using fingers to manipulate the string instead of clothespins adds a tactile experience.
Experimenting with thick and thin string, and longer and shorter pieces creates different effects.
Spooning paint on the paper first, and dragging the string through it is another way to paint.

_______

_______

Northern Lights Squish Painting

Balloon Painting Flower Art

_______

Apple Print Activities

Corn Syrup Paint Sunflowers

Eye Dropper Pumpkin Art

_______

Painting with Corn

Cauliflower Paint Prints

_______

More Reptile-themed Activities

Reptile Theme Activities

Black Playdough Snakes

Reptile Egg Science

Paper Chain Snake Craft

Reptile Active World Tray

Reptile Pet Store Center

_______

[Read more…]

Baby Chick Theme Activities

April 18, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

These baby chick theme activities are inspired by Mo Willem’s picture book titled “That Is Not A Good Idea.” The activities include two storybooks about chicks, a chick headband craft, chick songs and chants, a hen and chick coloring page, discussing the life stages of a chicken, and performing “The Chicken Dance.” A free downloadable chick headband template is included in the post.

Picture Books About Hens and Chicks

Two picture books perfect for a baby chick theme day are:

“The Cow That Laid An Egg” by Andy Cutbill. In the humorous story, chickens hatch a plan to help a cow that thinks she is ordinary feel extraordinary. A little chick hatched from an egg is part of the plan.
“That Is Not A Good Idea” by Mo Willems. The characters in the picture book are a wolf, a hen, and a brood of chickens. The story is suspenseful and fun and has a delightful surprise ending.

Chick Headband Crafts

These simple chick headband crafts look super cute and help get little learners in the mood to act out baby chicks in rhymes, chants, and action songs. Pick one design to create with your little learners. Then invite them to wear it for music time and dramatic play.

_______

Children welcome the opportunity to use specialized art supplies in a craft. Wiggly eyes and a feather tuft accent this first chick headband.

_______

To keep the craft simpler, use construction paper for the entire headband. The colorful paper headband looks equally sweet.

To make craft preparation super easy, download this free chick headband template to use for the craft.

_______

Chick Headband PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

_______

Don’t have construction paper in the colors needed? No problem. Download the template and invite participants to use crayons to color the pieces before assembling them into a chick headband.

Songs And Chants About Baby Chicks

Wearing a chick headband sets the mood for language arts and musical activities. The fun baby chick songs and chants featured in a blog post by Teaching Mama are perfect for the theme.

Chick Coloring Page

A simple hen and chick coloring page is a good calming activity. There are many options to choose from online.

Life Cycle of a Chicken Figurines

Hen and chick life cycle figurines by Safari Ltd. are great accessories to use to explain the life cycle of a chicken.

The Chicken Dance Song

A fitting ending for the baby chick theme day is dancing to a version of The Chicken Dance song. It’s bound to send everyone off in good spirits.

These baby chick theme activities are perfect for an Easter, spring, or farm animal theme.

_______

_______

[Read more…]