Putting The Pretty In Preschool – Page 15 – Finding Beauty In Everyday Early Childhood Experiences

Candy Cane Playdough Tray

December 19, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

If you need a quick activity to do with the children in your life, this candy cane playdough tray has got you covered. A lovely peppermint smell wafting through the air is a highlight of this playdough invitation.

_______

Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

_______

Making The Candy Cane Playdough

A simple no-cook homemade playdough recipe is the base for this activity. I love the recipe featured on The Artful Parent website and use it regularly. It is easy and quick to make and keeps about as well as the cooked version.

_______

Next, knead in crushed candy cane bits. The playdough is ready to use. So easy!

_______

Or, give participants the creamy white playdough and sprinkle candy cane bits on the table. Invite everyone to blend crushed candy cane bits into their playdough. They will love seeing the playdough change colors as the candy cane pieces are kneaded in.

_______

Note: Some of the crushed candy cane bits appear a little sharp. They didn’t poke or irritate my skin while testing out the festive dough. When I offered this playdough invitation to staff and students, they thoroughly enjoyed it.

The more candy cane pieces that are added, the more colorful the playdough will become. And it may be a little mushy when used again on another day. If you would like the playdough to have a second or third use, be a little sparing in adding crushed candy cane bits to the white dough.

_______

_______

Crushing Candy Canes for the Playdough

You can crush candy canes for this play invitation if you do not have ready-to-use crushed ones on hand.

Just stick candy canes in the freezer for about twenty minutes. Then place them in a sealed Ziplock bag and smash them on a cutting board with a mallet, rolling pin, or meat pounder. Another method is to break candy canes into small pieces after taking them out of the freezer and then grind them to the desired coarseness in a coffee grinder. Children would love to get in on the candy cane crushing.

_______

The Candy Cane Playdough Tray

_______

Offer a rolling pin, disposable knife, and a few Christmas cookie cutters to participants exploring candy cane playdough. Here are some accessories to consider adding:

non-breakable candy cane and gingerbread decorations
candy cane cookie cutters
green, red, and white buttons and pony beads
peppermint candy and gingerbread man erasers

_______

_______

More Christmas Playdough Activities

Christmas Playdough

Santa Claus Playdough Tray

Orange-Scented Playdough Invitation

Gingerbread Playdough

_______

[Read more…]

Paper Airplane Christmas Craft

December 18, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

Children tend to get more and more energetic during the countdown to Christmas, and this paper airplane Christmas craft is bound to put some of that boundless energy to productive use. With the holiday airplane, children can transport paper passengers to the North Pole and back…so fun!

_______

Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

_______

Supplies To Collect

Gather the following supplies for this Christmas air transportation craft:

red and green copy paper
recycled Christmas or gift cards
number stickers
scissors
glue stick or glue gun
black marker

_______

The Paper Airplane Christmas Craft

_______

To make the craft, fold 8 ½ x 11- inch pieces of red and green copy paper into airplanes. I picked a basic model for the craft. HGTV has a great blog post titled “How To Make A Paper Airplane” detailing how to design it and craft a few other unique airplane styles.

_______

Then, select recycled Christmas or gift cards with animal or snowman characters and cut around them. A cardstock Santa would be fun to include too.

Next, use a glue stick or glue gun to affix the cutouts in the middle of Christmas planes. Then add more glue in spots that keep the airplanes folded together. As an alternative, use tape to secure the folded paper into airplane shapes.

Afterward, using a black marker, write the name of a North Pole airline on one side of the airplanes, and add number stickers to the other side. Or use the marker for the numbers too.

_______

Now the Christmas airplanes are ready to be tested in a flight. Little aviators can see how high, far, and fast their airplane can fly.

_______

Variations of the Paper Airplane Christmas Craft

Here are two variations of this festive airliner craft:

Use thin Christmas-themed double-sided scrapbook paper for the airplanes. This is an easy way to add color and pattern to the craft.
Use photo cutouts of your child and his friends to insert into the plane instead of animals, snowmen, and Santas.

_______

More Christmas Crafts:

Spin Painting Poinsettia Craft

Paper Bag Christmas Ornaments

Monochromatic Christmas Tree Art

CD Case Christmas Craft

Christmas Sheep Craft

Washi Tape Christmas Pots

Handprint Angel Craft

Turtle Christmas Craft

Christmas Tree Art

Christmas Dove Art

Handprint Angel Christmas Keepsake

Woodland Fox Treat Holder

_______

[Read more…]

Spin Painting Poinsettia Craft

December 17, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

Gorgeous new poinsettia varieties have been developed in recent years, and this spin painting poinsettia craft is based on a spotted poinsettia newcomer. Native to Mexico, poinsettias are prevalent during the Christmas season, and this craft is a beautiful way to include them. The craft gives children an opportunity to participate in two well-loved process art activities: spin painting and spatter painting.

_______

Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

_______

Supplies To Collect

Just a few supplies are needed for this simple speckled poinsettia craft:

pale green or creamy white cardstock paper
decorative cardstock paper
red and pink tempera paint
paint pots and spoons
old toothbrushes
salad spinner
scissors and pencil
glue stick or glue gun
adhesive gem stickers
art tablecloth

_______

_______

Starting The Spin Painting Poinsettia Craft

To make this beautiful spin painting poinsettia craft, start by cutting a circle from pale green or creamy white cardstock. It should fit just inside the bottom of your salad spinner basket.

Next, place the circle at the bottom of the salad spinner. On a table covered with an art tablecloth, use spoons to drop in red and pink tempera paint.

Tip: If you do not have pink tempera paint, mix a little white tempera into a pot of red and you’ll have a nice pink color to use.

Give the salad spinner a good spin and take a peek. You can choose to add more spoonfuls of paint if you wish and give it another spin.

_______

Afterward, take the paint-filled circle out of the spinner and spatter pink and red paint on it using toothbrushes. Then let the process art project thoroughly dry.

_______

Carefully cut poinsettia leaves from the decorated circle. Feel free to download this poinsettia pattern to make your crafting easier.

_______

Poinsettia Craft Pattern PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

_______

Note: A little paint may chip off during the cutting. But you’ll have plenty left to give your poinsettia leaves a spotted look.

_______

Assembling The Poinsettia

To assemble the poinsettia, choose a decorative piece of cardstock paper to use as a background.

Then choose four painted and cut leaves and glue them on. Affix them in the shape of an X, leaving a little space in the center.

Afterward, glue the other four leaves in between.

Finally, add three to five medium-sized adhesive gems to the center.

_______

Variations of the Spin Painting Poinsettia Craft

In addition to making a great wall art project, this poinsettia craft would look superb on a holiday greeting card.

_______

_______

Novelty poinsettias come in a wide range of colors, and the carstock leaves could be brush-painted in hues such as vibrant red or orange, salmon pink, or peach. The color possibilities for this poinsettia holiday craft project are endless.

_______

More Christmas Crafts

Paper Bag Christmas Ornaments

Monochromatic Christmas Tree Art

CD Case Christmas Craft

Christmas Sheep Craft

Washi Tape Christmas Pots

Handprint Angel Craft

Turtle Christmas Craft

Christmas Tree Art

Christmas Dove Art

Handprint Angel Christmas Keepsake

Woodland Fox Treat Holder

_______

[Read more…]

Woodland Fox Treat Holder

December 16, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

This woodland fox treat holder is inspired by gingerbread man stories, which I often read to my preschoolers in December.

The interaction between the fox and the gingerbread cookie is always a highlight of each story. One of the first years we read a series of gingerbread stories, we happened to start by reading tales wherein the gingerbread cookie outsmarted the fox. When we finally read a version in which the spicy cookie did get eaten by a sly fox, one little preschooler couldn’t believe it. After a round of gingerbread man stories this year, a little learner asked “Do you think the gingerbread cookie will ever really get away?”

_______

At the end of our current gingerbread storybook theme, I thought it would be fun to craft a fox treat holder for each preschooler. And to have a little gingerbread cookie in it. Below are instructions to make the treat holder, and a template to download for the craft.

_______

Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

_______

Woodland Fox Treat Holder Supplies

Gather the following supplies to make the whimsical fox treat holder:

rust-colored cardstock paper
cream-colored cardstock paper
light brown pipe cleaner
black pom pom
wiggly eyes
black felt pen
glue stick
glue gun
crafted gingerbread person or a gingerbread cookie
candy cane

_______

Making The Woodland Fox Treat Holder

_______

To make the woodland animal treat holder, start by cutting two fox faces from rust-colored cardstock paper. Feel free to download this fox template for the craft.

_______

Fox Treat Holder PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

_______

Then bend the cream-colored pipe cleaner into a half circle and use a glue gun to affix it to the ears of one fox head to create a handle.

Next, glue the edges of the fox together starting just below the ears.

Afterward, cut a heart shape from the cream-colored cardstock and glue it to the second rust-colored fox head. Then draw a mouth with a black marker.

Finally, glue on a black pom pom nose just above the mouth, and add two wiggly eyes.

_______

Gingerbread Person and Candy Cane Favors

When the woodland fox treat holder is finished, have your little learner craft a gingerbread person to put inside. Then add a candy cane. The treat holder holds a small crafted gingerbread person and a large candy cane nicely.

_______

Or you could add an edible gingerbread cookie and candy cane to the treat holder.

This crafted duo also makes a cute decoration to add to a Christmas tree.

_______

More Gingerbread Man Activities

Melted Candy Gingerbread Ornaments

Gingerbread Sensory Bin

Gingerbread Playdough

Scissor Skill Gingerbread Man

_______

[Read more…]

Christmas Small World on the Light Table

December 14, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

Transparent Christmas trees are the inspiration for this whimsical Christmas small world on the light table. They illuminate beautifully and pair with a variety of loose parts for creative and imaginative seasonal play.

_______

Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning activities.

_______

Light Table Small World Supplies

The following supplies are included in the Christmas small world setup:

transparent Christmas trees in green, red, pink, and clear colors
clear acrylic deer figurines
clear acrylic snowman figurine
acrylic clear nativity decoration
pink transparent pebbles
small wooden shelters
wooden peg dolls painted red, green, pink, and white

_______

The Christmas Small World

In this Christmas small world, transparent trees in red, green, pink, and clear hues set the color scheme.

_______

Wooden peg dolls painted with acrylic paints in red, pink, green, and white colors complement the trees.

_______

Clear acrylic deer and a snowman are beautiful ornaments to explore.

_______

Transparent pink pebbles are a soft touch.

A simple nativity decoration enhances the Christmas small world theme.

_______

Making Your Own Transparent Trees

An alternative to purchasing transparent trees is to create your own.

_______

The trees above are made from transparent page dividers and paper rolls. To make them, cut paper rolls into two-inch cylinders. Next, cut a one-inch slit into opposite sides of each paper roll section. Then cut triangular trees from transparent page dividers.

Feel free to download this template to create the trees.

_______

Paper Roll Tree PatternDownload

_______

Slide the bottom of the trees into the paper roll trunks and set them on your light table or another tabletop. These DIY trees also illuminate nicely.

_______