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Valentine's Day

Strawberry Hot Chocolate Bin

February 19, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

A dreamy, taste-safe strawberry hot chocolate sensory bin to let your little learners explore. This activity is perfect for a party day or any day!
A dreamy, taste-safe strawberry hot chocolate sensory bin to let your little learners explore. This activity is perfect for a party day or any day!

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This taste safe strawberry hot chocolate bin is sure to excite your little learner. It incorporates marshmallows, lollipops, and pouring with a miniature tea set, all mega-hits with young children.

For this activity I originally planned to try a classic hot chocolate sensory bin, using chocolate-flavored candies or lollipops. But I didn’t have any luck finding hard chocolate candy. So, a dreamy strawberry hot chocolate-themed bin it is.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning activities.

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Supplies To Collect

Gather the following supplies for this taste safe sensory bin:

  • red and pink heart-shaped lollipops
  • mini marshmallows
  • miniature toy tea set
  • small white tub
  • cool water

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Introducing The Strawberry Hot Chocolate Bin

First, thoroughly sanitize the tub and toy tea set.

Note: If more than one child is participating in this activity, give them their own bin.

Then set the tea set in the bin, and add an inch of cool water. Invite your little learner to play with the cups and saucers and pot in the bin.

A dreamy, taste-safe strawberry hot chocolate sensory tub to let your little learners explore.

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Next, drop in two lollipops. Suggest that a little tasting is allowed, but that the lollipops should go back in the bin afterward. Draw attention to the gradual color change in the water: the liquid slowly changes to light pink. And observe that the lollipops shrink over time.

A lollipop and tea set sensory bin your little learner will love to explore. This sensory bin is toatally taste-safe.

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Then sprinkle a few mini marshmallows into the bin. Encourage your little learner to include the marshmallows in pouring activities.

Tip: Staggering the addition of marshmallows and lollipops extends the time the children will spend in the sensory activity.

This sensory bin is totally taste safe, and part of the experience is to be able to taste the lollipops, marshmallows, and flavored water. The colored water will likely have a light, fruity taste.

Make sure hands are washed very carefully after playing in the bin, as they will be a little sticky.

A dreamy, taste-safe strawberry hot chocolate sensory bin to let your little learners explore. This activity is perfect for a party day or any day!

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Benefits Of This Sensory Bin

There are many benefits of this tasty sensory bin:

  • exercising eye-hand coordination in pouring “hot chocolate” and sipping from tiny cups.
  • experiencing a color change science experiment when lollipops are added to the bin.
  • encouraging language development by describing the look and feel of the bin and the taste of the lollipops, marshmallows and water.
  • discussing that sweet treats should be eaten in moderation.
  • experiencing joy by participating in an unexpected, new, super fun sensory activity.

This strawberry hot chocolate bin is perfect for a party day such as Valentine’s Day. It would also work wonderfully for a Mother’s Day celebration.

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Strawberry Hot Chocolate Recipes

If you would like to try or serve authentic strawberry hot chocolate, here’s a couple of blogs with delicious recipe posts:

Sprinkle Bakes features an instant strawberry hot cocoa mix.

My Heavenly Recipes showcases a strawberry hot chocolate recipe.

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Related: Candy Cane Science Experiment

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[Read more…] about Strawberry Hot Chocolate Bin

Filed Under: party, preschool, pretend play, science, sensory, Valentine's Day Tagged With: hot chocolate, science experiment, sensory bin, sensory play, sensory tray, taste safe, tea set

Ladybug Wand Craft

February 13, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Cute ladybug wand craft early learners will love to make and play with. A host of ladybug facts are included in the post.
Cute ladybug wand craft early learners will love to make and play with. A host of ladybug facts are included in the post.

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Last month my preschoolers made simple snowflake wands to coordinate with winter and “Frozen” activities. The crafted wands generated lots of enthusiasm, and children were excited to use them in play. Because of their exuberant response, I decided to offer similar projects in the future. This ladybug wand craft is the next one we will do. I’m sure my little learners will enjoy making it, and I think yours will too!

With wings cut from a heart, this cute craft fits in perfectly with Valentine’s Day but could be offered in spring or any other time of the year.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

For this buggy craft, gather the following:

  • red and black cardstock
  • black adhesive gems
  • red and white thin ribbon
  • wiggly eyes
  • straws
  • glue stick
  • glue gun
  • scissors

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Making The Ladybug Wand Craft

Steps to make a cute ladybug wand craft early learners will love to help create and play with.

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First, cut large circular ladybug bodies from black cardstock, and similar-sized hearts from red. Then cut the red hearts in half to become wings.

Snip a few kinds of ribbon into strands about the length of a straw. Hot glue the ribbon strands to the top of the straws.

Then invite children to add black adhesive gem spots to a pair of red wings, and adhere them to their circle with a glue stick.

Afterward, they can add a pair of wiggly eyes.

Finally, glue the ladybugs to the top of the straws and invite crafters to play with their wands.

Cute ladybug wand craft early learners will love to make and play with. A host of ladybug facts are included in the post.

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Ladybug Facts

Ladybugs are well-loved by children. Even when they don’t especially like other insects, little learners are usually excited to hold a dainty ladybug and study it closely. Here are facts to share with little ones when they spot ladybugs while playing.

  • Ladybugs are a kind of beetle and can be found in a variety of habitats.
  • There are more than 5000 kinds of ladybugs.
  • Although shiny, red and black spotted dome shaped ladybugs are most familiar in North America, these adored creatures come in a variety of bright colors.
  • Ladybugs have from five to twenty spots, which can fade over time.
  • Their colors and spots help warn predators that they are not pleasant to eat.
  • With their six feet and two antennae, ladybugs smell and look for food. They use their front legs to clean their heads and antennae.
  • Their two eyes can distinguish between dark and light, but ladybugs don’t see well.
  • A pair of colorful hard, top wings protect two transparent, veined inner flying wings.
  • Ladybugs help the environment by eating pesky bugs such as aphids and mites, and spreading pollen.
A host of ladybug facts to share with early learners.

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  • Birds are huge predators. Other animals that like to eat ladybugs are frogs, lizards, wasps, spiders, and dragonflies.
  • In addition to flashing their spots and bright colors, ladybugs secrete oily, stinky, bad tasting, yellow drops of fluid from joints in their legs to discourage predators. They can also play dead.
  • Ladybugs are either male or female.
  • Over a period of about seven weeks, ladybugs develop in four stages: eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults.
  • Tiny yellow eggs are laid in batches on the underside of leaves near aphid colonies.
  • Colonies of ladybugs hibernate over the winter in warm spots such as in rotting logs or ground cover, or under rocks and snowdrifts. Thousands of these little bugs may gather together.
  • Ladybugs commonly live for about one year, but some live two to three years.

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It’ll soon be spring, and all kinds of bugs will be crawling around. You’ll want to include this captivating ladybug wand craft in your insect theme activities. You could also offer it for Valentine’s Day along with the love bug headband craft featured below.

Pair a ladybug wand craft with a love bug headband for a session of buggy dramatic play.

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Related: Spider Theme Activities

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[Read more…] about Ladybug Wand Craft

Filed Under: crafts, dramatic play, insects, preschool, pretend play, Valentine's Day Tagged With: crafts, ladybugs, pretend play

Dragon Necklace Craft

February 12, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

A dragon necklace craft your children will love to make. An all-ages dragon-themed jewelry project that is easy to do.
A dragon necklace craft your children will love to make. An all-ages dragon-themed jewelry project that is easy to do.

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The first few weeks of this year have gone by so fast! Between winter, Chinese New Year, and Valentine’s Day, there have been so many activities to choose from. This dragon necklace craft was meant to be completed in early February for Chinese New Year, but time didn’t permit. And so my little learners will be making it next week.

Dragons are seen as positive creatures in Chinese culture. They symbolize wisdom, power, and prosperity, as well as fertility, long life, and good luck. Dragon dances are a big part of Chinese New Year celebrations. And since the new year festivities happen around the same time as Valentine’s Day, hearts are the perfect embellishment to be included in the dragon jewelry craft.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

Craft supplies to make a dragon necklace craft your children will love to do.

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For these colorful dragon necklaces, gather the following supplies:

  • thick craft foam in colors of choice
  • wiggly eyes
  • adhesive round and heart-shaped gems
  • lacing string
  • small paper clips
  • scissors
  • hot glue gun

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Making The Dragon Necklace Craft

To start the project off, cut small dragons from craft foam colors of choice.

Steps to make a dragon necklace craft your children will love. An all-ages dragon-themed jewelry craft project.

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If desired, you can download this free template.

Free template to make a dragon necklace craft your children will love to do.

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Dragon Necklace Craft PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Invite little learners to decorate a dragon with sticker gem hearts and circles.

Next, use a hot glue gun to add a wiggly eye and tongue to each dragon, and a paper clip to the back.

Then cut lacing string into 26-inch lengths. Loop the cut string through the paperclips, and tie the ends together. Make sure to adjust the length of the strings so the necklaces fit properly.

Allow your little charges to wear their creations. Have a camera ready to snap some pictures.

Note: You can choose red or gold craft foam for the dragons in this craft, as they are traditional Chinese New Year colors. Or you could offer foam dragons in a variety of colors.

Easy and fun dragon necklace children's jewelry craft suitable for all ages.

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Color Meanings In Chinese Culture

The dragon necklace craft in this post is featured in red, yellow, green, blue, and orange colors. Here’s what these colors mean in Chinese culture.

  • Red symbolizes excitement, good fortune, and happiness.
  • Yellow stands for royalty and prosperity.
  • Green represents harmony, health, and spring.
  • Blue symbolizes growth, optimism, and peace.
  • Orange represents harvest, happiness, and celebrations.

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Whether children perceive dragons to be scaly, scary, and fire-breathing, or friendly and helpful, they’ll be super excited to make and wear this craft.

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Related: Bat Necklace Craft

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[Read more…] about Dragon Necklace Craft

Filed Under: Chinese New Year, crafts, dramatic play, preschool, Valentine's Day Tagged With: Chinese New Year, dragons, jewelry, Valentine's Day craft

Valentine’s Day Water Play

February 7, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

A friendly, bubbly Valentine's Day water play activity your early learners will love to participate in. A quick and easy sensory bin to set up.
A friendly, bubbly Valentine's Day water play activity your early learners will love to participate in. A quick and easy sensory bin to set up.

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A Valentine’s Day water play activity is quick and easy to set up, and supplies are low cost. The activity helps create a festive ambiance on a party day or any day!

The weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day are a good time to visit stores to collect Valentine-themed supplies for all kinds of learning opportunities, including water play. No store is off-limits for gathering hands-on materials.

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Supplies To Collect

Here’s a list of supplies that work well in a Valentine-themed water table or tub. Pick the ones you have handy, or can easily and economically find in a store.

  • alphabet letters that spell the word “LOVE”
  • heart ice cube trays
  • red and pink buttons
  • heart-shaped gems
  • bendy heart people
  • red and pink ducklings
  • valentine erasers
  • pink and red rainbow erasers
  • styrofoam hearts
  • cut striped red and white straws
  • red coins
  • wiggly eye rings
  • heart-shaped measuring cups
  • treat baskets and boxes

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The Valentine’s Day Water Play Activity

Add warm water to a large water table for group sharing, or set out a small white washtub with water for each child. Throw in Valentine’s Day loose parts that you have available.

The tub below has clear water, and the colors and shapes of the supplies can be easily seen and admired in the white bin.

Valentine's Day loose parts that work well in a water play activity, or a tub with a rice or chickpea base.

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After a little while, you could add red food coloring to the water to extend interest.

A fun and friendly Valentine's Day water play activity your early learners will love to participate in. A quick and easy sensory bin to set up.

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Or you could add dish detergent to create bubbles, so fitting for Valentine’s Day activity.

A friendly, bubbly Valentine's Day water play activity your early learners will love to participate in. A quick and easy sensory bin to set up.

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Benefits Of Water Play

Here are some benefits of this water play activity:

  • sorting shapes (math – set making; language development – color recognition)
  • counting shapes (math – counting)
  • comparing shapes to those of other children (language development; paying attention to detail)
  • filling and emptying treat boxes (eye-hand coordination; math/language development – empty/full)
  • noticing how some shapes stick to others (science)
  • recognizing letters of the alphabet (language development – letter recognition)
  • discovering beautiful themed items (creativity)

Water play is an embraced activity any day. For another time, the Valentine-themed supplies could be included in a rice or chickpea sensory tub.

Can you think of supplies to add to my list? Share in a comment below.

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Related: St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Tub

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[Read more…] about Valentine’s Day Water Play

Filed Under: party, preschool, sensory, Thanksgiving Day, Valentine's Day Tagged With: hearts, loose parts, sensory bin, sensory play, water play

Heart Doily Gnome Valentines

February 5, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Super fun heart doily gnome valentines the whole family can make. Free printable included for easy crafting.
Super fun heart doily gnome valentines the whole family can make. Free printable included for easy crafting.

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These adorable heart doily gnome valentines will add a major dose of cuteness to your holiday décor. Little learners can review shapes while you work on the project. And wouldn’t the valentine crafts look great displayed together on a classroom wall? To make the papercraft super easy, I’ve included a free printable for downloading below.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

For the gnome valentines, gather the following supplies:

  • 4-inch red paper heart doilies
  • 6-inch white paper heart doilies
  • red, white, and grey cardstock
  • cardstock in different flesh tones
  • valentine scrapbook paper
  • 8 ½ x 11-inch cardstock or construction paper
  • heart paper punch
  • black felt pen
  • glue stick

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Making The Heart Doily Gnome Valentines

Steps to create an adorable heart doily gnome valentine.

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There’s a bit of cutting to do in order to set up this valentine gnome craft. The good news is that it can be completely made of paper, keeping the project low cost. If desired, download this free template for the shapes.

Heart gnome template to use to make adorable gnome valentines.

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Heart Gnome Valentine PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Tip: Construction paper or cardstock works best for the papercraft.

Cut an oval nose and two circle hands from flesh-colored paper, and punch or cut a small heart “pom pom” from white. Snip a heart valentine (the smallest one on the template) from red paper, and two oval shoes from grey. Finally, cut a curved, pointy hat from the scrapbook paper of choice.

Using a glue stick, adhere the red heart doily upside down near the bottom of an 8 ½ x 11-inch sheet of sturdy paper. This heart will be the lower body of the gnome.

Glue the large white heart right side up halfway over the red lacy one to serve as a beard.

Note: The heart doilies help make for an exquisite craft, but they can easily be substituted with paper ones. Included on the template are two heart shapes that can be used instead.

Center the flesh-colored oval in the middle of the top of the white heart for the nose.

Creating this huggable valentine gnome will be fun for the whole family. Free printable included for easy crafting.

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Paste on the scrapbook paper hat.

Write a message on the smaller red heart with a black felt pen. Then glue it to the white one.

Adhere the circles to serve as hands holding the valentine heart, and the white heart to the tip of the curved hat for a pom pom.

Glue the grey ovals on the bottom of the red doily heart to become shoes.

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Multicultural Heart Doily Gnome Valentines

Multicultural heart doily valentine gnomes that are fun for the whole family to make. Free printable included for easy crafting.

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The heart gnomes can be crafted in different flesh tones, making the project multicultural. And while putting together this craft with little learners, heart, circle, and oval shapes can be discussed.

Adorable multicultural gnome valentine with exquisite heart doilies taking center stage.

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Tip: Paint samples work well for the nose and hands, as they come in so many flesh tones.

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Sweet multicultural gnome valentine with exquisite heart doilies taking center stage.

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Six Gnome Facts

Gnome ornaments and crafts have been extremely popular in the last few years. If you are interested in finding out a little more about these mythical beings, here are a few facts:

  • Gnomes are legendary creatures originating in European stories.
  • They are small men with pointy hats and long, white beards.
  • These imaginative creatures live in dark, rural places such as forests or underground burrows.
  • Gnomes are considered to be industrious, kind, and wise.
  • Guarding the earth and wildlife is important to gnomes.
  • Garden gnomes originated in Germany in the mid-1800s and are prevalent today.

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You are going to love creating these huggable gnomes! Tag me on Instagram with your creations and I’ll share them in my stories!

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Multicultural heart doily gnome valentines that are fun for the whole family to make. Free printable included for easy crafting.

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More Valentine’s Day Activities:

Valentine’s Day Light Table

Valentine’s Day Treasure Blocks

Valentine’s Day Water Play

Valentine’s Day Gingerbread Cookies

Valentine’s Day Musical Instruments

Valentine’s Day Playdough Activities

Valentine’s Day Sensory Tubes

Woolly Valentine’s Day Crafts

Valentine’s Day Process Art

Ladybug Wand Craft

Scissor Skill Heart Collage

Painting With Chocolate

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[Read more…] about Heart Doily Gnome Valentines

Filed Under: art, display, preschool, Valentine's Day Tagged With: gnomes, hearts, paper crafts, valentines

Candy Cane Science Experiment

January 1, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

This easy-peasy candy cane science experiment shows immediate results and brings the WOW factor, perfect for little learners!
This easy-peasy candy cane science experiment shows immediate results and brings the WOW factor, perfect for little learners!

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This Christmas I went on a candy cane hunt, primarily to add a few of these festive treats to my preschoolers’ party bags. Although easy to find in the past, I visited three different stores before I spotted some.

Candy canes had been brought up in class discussions, so I thought the children would be excited to discover them in their party bags. As I tried to give one child extra candy canes for his siblings, I noticed that he was furiously trying to give his original ones away. It turned out that he immensely dislikes them! So needless to say, there were a few candy canes leftover at school after the holiday celebrations.

So then came Plan B…the decision to use some for this easy-peasy candy cane science experiment.

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Supplies To Collect

Gather just three supplies for an easy-to-perform candy cane or candy experiment with a WOW factor.

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The supplies for this science experiment couldn’t be any simpler. Gather the following three things:

  • white or cream-colored dinner plate with a rim
  • cup of warm water
  • two large candy canes

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Conducting The Candy Cane Science Experiment

Try this candy cane Science experiment today! It is easy to do and has immediate results.

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Place two candy canes in the center of the plate in a heart shape.

Slowly pour in warm water to a level just beneath the plate rim.

The food coloring will immediately diffuse from the candy canes, and the color patterns will change right before your eyes!

This experiment can be tried with other colors of these treats. The red, pink, and white color scheme below would work perfectly for Valentine’s Day.

This easy to perform heart-themed candy cane science experiment is perfect for Valentine's Day. Give it a try!

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Variation Of The Candy Cane Experiment

There was a second candy escapade this holiday season, as a type of striped, spherical, Christmas candies I purchased turned out to be much too hard. I tasted one, and it just wouldn’t dissolve in my mouth. I imagined students choking on the candy on the drive home from preschool, and didn’t want to risk that. As you might have guessed, the super hard candies didn’t make the treat bag cut.

Conveniently, these holiday candies work in the same science experiment. In the picture below, the candies are arranged next to the rim of a plate. When warm water is added, green and red food colors slowly move through the liquid away from the candies. The process is so slow, the colors blend to make a rich brown hue soon after they spread. Since little learners love mixing colors to make brown, they would be excited to see this!

An oh-so-easy Christmas candy science experiment. Can't you smell the candy already?

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The candies can be placed a little farther apart around the plate rim, so the colors don’t mix as quickly when water is added.  Or they can be spread apart as in the picture below. Then moving red and green colors are visible a little while after warm water is added.

Try this Christmas candy Science experiment today! It is easy to do and has immediate results.

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Tip: If the colors in the candies dissolve at a snail’s pace, as in one of my experiments, you can choose to use hot water. This will speed up the scientific process. Make sure little learners observe what happens only with their eyes, keeping their hands and bodies away from the plate.

After the science experiment is finished and the liquid is cool, you may wish to let your little charges taste a teaspoon of colored water. It will have a strong mint taste.

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A simple Christmas candy science experiment with quick results. Can't you smell the candy already?

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Explanation Of This Candy Cane/Candy Experiment

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

Water temperature is a variant in this experiment. Sugar dissolves quicker in warm water, and food coloring moves at a faster pace.

This science experiment is so easy to set up and has immediate results, perfect for little learners. And participants get to use their senses of sight, smell, taste, and touch. Try it today with candies or candy canes!

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This easy-peasy candy cane heart science experiment shows immediate results and brings the WOW factor, perfect for little learners!

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[Read more…] about Candy Cane Science Experiment

Filed Under: Christmas, party, preschool, science, sensory, Valentine's Day Tagged With: candy canes, Christmas, colors, hearts, science experiment

Valentine’s Day Gingerbread Cookies

February 18, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Candy hearts and red, pink, and white sprinkles adorn these Valentine's Day gingerbread cookies. An all-ages activity to do.
Candy hearts and red, pink, and white sprinkles adorn these Valentine's Day gingerbread cookies. An all-ages activity to do.

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After Christmas, there was enough undecorated gingerbread cookies leftover for another activity, so I thought my preschoolers could decorate Valentine’s Day gingerbread cookies.

But I wondered if it would be appropriate. I thought to myself: “Anything gingerbread is so popular at Christmas, but is doing activities with these spicy cookies a thing at other times of the year?”

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Follow me on Pinterest for more ideas.

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An online search revealed the following:

  • Each year there is a National Gingerbread Day on June 5 and a National Gingerbread Cookie Day on November 21.
  • A website called Favorite Family Recipes has a lovely post about making a Valentine’s Day Gingerbread House.
  • Recipes By Diane showcases gingerbread Cupid Cookies.
  • And The Savvy Age features quick and easy heart-accented gingerbread cookies.

Armed with all this inspiring information, I decided that yes, decorating our saved cookies with a Valentine’s Day theme would be just fine. I headed out to shop for heart-themed decorations and prepared the activity for my class.

Decorated gingerbread Valentine's Day cookies.

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The preschoolers relished decorating a Valentine’s Day gingerbread cookie. And your early learners would love it too.

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Supplies To Collect

  • gingerbread cookies (store-bought or homemade)
  • cookie or cake frosting (store-bought or homemade)
  • Valentine’s Day sprinkles
  • heart candies
  • cinnamon hearts
  • candy eyes
  • disposable plates
  • dull butter knives or tiny spatulas

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Decorating The Gingerbread Cookies

For each child participating in the activity, set an undecorated gingerbread cookie on a plate. Add a dollop of icing and candy decorations to another plate.

Heart and sprinkle decorations to decorate a Valentine's Day cookie.

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Set up a cookie decorating station for each child with candy decorations, a cookie, and a knife or tiny spatula.

Gingerbread cookie decorating station with Valentine's Day-themed decorations.

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Invite your early learners to decorate their cookies by spreading on icing and adding candy eyes and a nose, mouth, eyebrows, jewelry, buttons, etc.

Wrap the cookies up for the children to take home.

Gingerbread cookies decorated with hearts and candy sprinkles.

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Our undecorated cookies were store-bought. If you have time to bake the treats, try a tangy gingerbread cookie recipe. The recipe is adapted from George Washington’s mother Mary Ball Washington‘s version.

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A gingerbread cookie decorated with hearts and candy sprinkles.

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A gingerbread cookie decorated with hearts and candy sprinkles.

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[Read more…] about Valentine’s Day Gingerbread Cookies

Filed Under: preschool, Valentine's Day Tagged With: baking, cookies, gingerbread cookies

Jewelry Sensory Tray

February 15, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

This heart-themed jewelry sensory tray goes beyond Valentine's Day with its cheery spring colors.
This heart-themed jewelry sensory tray goes beyond Valentine's Day with its cheery spring colors.

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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.

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Loose Parts For The Tray

Heart-themed jewelry loose parts tray.

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  • 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.

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Making The Jewelry Sensory Tray

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

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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.

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[Read more…] about Jewelry Sensory Tray

Filed Under: preschool, sensory, spring, Valentine's Day Tagged With: hearts, jewelry, loose parts, rice bin

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

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Related: Rubber Band Paint Box Musical Instrument

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

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

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[Read more…] about Valentine’s Day Musical Instruments

Filed Under: music, preschool, sensory, Valentine's Day Tagged With: loose parts, musical instruments, recycled acticity, Valentine's Day

Dinosaur Valentine Craft

February 13, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

A cute and "rawr-y" dinosaur valentine craft with ribbon, hearts, and pompoms. An all-ages activity.
A cute and "rawr-y" dinosaur valentine craft with ribbon, hearts, and pompoms. An all-ages activity.

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It was just a couple of days before Valentine’s Day when one of my preschoolers said “Remember, Mrs. Kaminsky…you promised to make a dinosaur valentine craft for us to do.” And yes, I had!

We were just finishing up a polar dinosaur theme when I had come across super cute dinosaur Valentine’s Day window clings. They served as perfect transition décor from that winter-wrapped dinosaur theme to a Valentine’s Day topic. And they provided lots of craft inspiration, which led me to tell my preschoolers we would do a dinosaur valentine craft.

So this is a very last-minute dinosaur-themed Valentine’s Day craft project!

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Supplies To Collect

  • dinosaur printable
  • 12-inch x 12-inch cardstock
  • 8 ½ x 11-inch cardstock
  • pompoms
  • wiggly eyes
  • thin felt pen
  • paper or foam hearts
  • thin ribbon strip
  • white glue
  • glue paddle
  • glue stick

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Making The Dinosaur Valentine

Download one of these two dinosaur templates and print it on 8 ½ x 11-inch cardstock paper in the color of your choice.

Dinosaur template to use for a dinosaur-themed craft.

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Dinosaur PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Rawr-y dinosaur template to use for a valentine craft.

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Rawr-y Dinosaur PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Fashion a bow from a small strip of thin ribbon.

Cut out the dinosaur, and invite your early learner to use a glue stick to paste it on a 12-inch x 12-inch piece of complementary cardstock.

Then have your little one use white glue to add pompoms to the dinosaur back, wiggly eyes to the head, and a bow to the neck.

Next, have your little learner use the glue stick to add paper or foam hearts to the body, and use a thin felt pen to draw a smile on the head.

Cut out the “I Rawr-y Love You” greeting to add to the craft if desired.

Cute dinosaur valentine craft.

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[Read more…] about Dinosaur Valentine Craft

Filed Under: art, dinosaurs, preschool, Valentine's Day Tagged With: dinosaurs, paper crafts, Valentine's Day

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Hi, I'm Annette Kaminsky. I am a preschool teacher who loves to share easy and fun early learning activities. Thanks for visiting my blog. Feel free to stay awhile!

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