Putting The Pretty In Preschool – Page 2 – Finding Beauty In Everyday Early Childhood Experiences

Reptile Pet Store Center

February 7, 2025 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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A reptile pet store is an engaging dramatic play center young children heartedly embrace. It gently introduces children to scaly, cold-blooded wild animals like snakes, lizards, and turtles. The animal-themed center offers many educational benefits.

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Reptile Pet Store Center Supplies

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The following supplies are included in this simple reptile dramatic play center:

snake figurines
turtle figurines
lizard figurines
crocodile figurines
animal carrying cases
storage trays
cash register
gold coin play money
grocery stand play set
storage shelf

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The Reptile Pet Store Center

This super fun reptile pet store dramatic play center is quick and easy to set up.

A grocery stand play set is the feature piece of furniture. It holds the cash register, a tray of gold coins, and bins with snakes and lizards.

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A see-through shelf holds storage trays with snakes, turtles, lizards, and crocodiles.

Animal carrying cases and a tray with frogs and insects (reptile pet food) are also on the shelf.

Signs on the wall show animals featured in the pet store and a price list.

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Benefits of the Reptile Pet Store Play Center

This reptile pet store center gives young children opportunities to:

sort reptiles by type, size, or color
count animals and play coins
name colors of the reptiles
learn about foods snakes, turtles, and lizards eat
take turns being a shop worker and a customer

Books with information about reptile characteristics, habitats, and life cycles would complement this exotic pet-filled dramatic play center nicely.

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Paper Chain Snake Craft

January 29, 2025 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This paper chain snake craft is a perfect hands-on creative activity. It helps young children develop fine motor skills, recognize colors, practice measurement, and make patterns. The activity suits a reptile, jungle, or Chinese New Year “Year of the Snake” theme.

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Supplies To Collect

Gather the following basic supplies you probably already have on hand to make this slithery chain-link friend:

light cardstock paper
ruler and pencil
wiggly eyes
scissors
tape
glue stick
glue gun

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Steps to Make a Paper Chain Snake Craft

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To start making a paper chain snake select a sturdy paper in two or more colors. Construction paper or light cardstock is a good choice because it isn’t too heavy to curve into a loop and holds up well for display.

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Next, cut the paper into strips. To make the strips the same-sized width and length, use a pencil and ruler to draw light lines on the paper first. My strips are about 1 ¼ inch wide and 8 ½ inches long. You can make yours shorter and thinner or longer and wider depending on how big you would like the snake to be.

Afterward, form a loop with one paper strip and tape or glue the ends together.

Then add the next link by threading a paper strip through the first loop. Form it into a loop and tape or glue the ends together.

Keep adding paper strips in the same way to make the chain the desired snake body length.

Then draw and cut out a snake head and tail from cardstock. Fold both pieces in half leaving a little section in the middle.

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Afterward, draw a forked tongue on a contrasting color of cardstock and glue it to the bottom of the snake head.

Then glue two wiggly eyes to the head.

Finally, use a glue gun to affix the head to one end of the paper chain snake body and tail to the other.

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Inspired By Chinese Culture

The paper chain snakes in this blog post are inspired by colors spotted in Chinese festivals and artwork. Turquoise, orange, and yellow are hues seen in lion dance performances.

Blue and white color schemes are popular in Chinese ceramics, with flower motifs being common. So as a finishing touch, this next snake is embellished with paper-punched flowers.

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Red and white decorations are feature colors in Chinese New Year celebrations. Red symbolizes celebration and white provides a nice contrast. White paper flowers enhance the snake below too.

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This Chinese New Year signifies “The Year of the Snake“, and the snake craft fits in well with the theme.

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Benefits of The Paper Chain Snake Craft

This slithery snake craft has many benefits for young children. It helps them

develop fine motor control and finger muscle strength as they tape or glue paper strips into loops.
recognize colors and make patterns.
observe and/or help use a glue gun.

The snakes can be measured with a string or a long ruler. They make great pretend pets for little learners.

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More Activities With Snakes

Chinese New Year Chickpea-based Bin

Black Playdough Snakes

Reptile Theme Activities

Reptile Egg Science

String Painting Snake Art

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You may also like:

Unicorn Playdough Tray

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Teacup and Peony Sensory Tray

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Don’t forget to share this post on Pinterest or your favorite social media channel. Sharing is caring!

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Lucky Cat Sensory Bin

January 26, 2025 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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A smiling cat is popular in Lunar New Year décor. This cheerful cat decoration originated in Japan and is an ornament displayed all year round there. In Japanese it is called “maneki-neko”, meaning “beckoning cat”. The joy-filled cat has become popular in Chinese New Year celebrations, often called “Lucky Cat.” This Lucky Cat sensory bin incorporates the festive feline in a super fun early learning tactile activity.

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Lucky Cat Sensory Bin Supplies

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This playful Lunar New Year sensory bin contains the following supplies:

dyed chickpeas
Lucky Cat stuffed animal
miniature cat figurines
toy cat balls with bells
star-shaped snack cup and spoon
gold coins
gold bells
serving tray

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The Lucky Cat Sensory Bin

Many of my Lunar New Year sensory bins have a rice base. Rice fits the theme perfectly as it is a staple ingredient in Chinese cuisine, often eaten at all three meals.

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Chickpea-based sensory bins are also a favorite. Chickpea dishes and snacks have become more popular in China in recent years. Most importantly, chickpeas are easy to dye red, a common Lunar New Year color. This Lucky Cat sensory bin features rows of chickpeas dyed in a few gorgeous colors for added beauty.

Note: To find out how to dye chickpeas view the blog post Unicorn Theme Sensory Play.

The joyful jingly Lucky Cat stuffie is the highlight of the bin. The cute character is the motivation for putting the sensory invitation together.

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Miniature cat figurines give more opportunities for more feline exploration.

Toy cat balls with bells are an unexpected sensory and musical addition.

Gold coins and bells fit the Lunar New Year theme, and are a standard go-to.

A star-shaped snack cup and spoon give opportunities for scooping and pouring.

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All the supplies are showcased in a round serving tray for one or two children to explore.

This Lucky Cat sensory bin is bound to be a hit with your little charges.

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More Lunar New Year Activities

Chinese New Year Dragon Craft

Chinese New Year DIY Decorating

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Dragon Necklace Craft

Chinese New Year Sensory Play

Chinese Money Tree Activities

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Chinese New Year Pretend Play

Orange-scented Playdough Invitation

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Chinese New Year Dragon Craft

Chinese Zodiac Sensory Bins

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[Read more…]

Easy DIY Black Playdough

January 25, 2025 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This easy DIY black playdough is sleek, shiny, and oh-so-easy to make. The no-cook recipe pairs perfectly with a snake theme as it is super stretchy. Using it this month also works well with Lunar New Year “Year of the Snake“ activities.

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Easy DIY Black Playdough Ingredients

Gather the following supplies for this black playdough recipe:

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 cup water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp black gel icing color
½ tsp glycerin
large bowl
measuring cup
mixing spoon

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Making the No-Cook Black Playdough

This black playdough recipe can be made quickly. Here are the instructions:

Add two cups of flour to a serving bowl.
Pour in 1 cup of salt.
Add 1 cup of water.
Measure in 2 tbsp vegetable oil.
Drop in 1 tsp black gel icing color.
Add ½ tsp glycerin.
Stir all the ingredients together with a mixing spoon until it becomes thick. Then take the playdough out of the bowl and knead it thoroughly.

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The nice thing about this playdough is that you can play around with the ingredients and it will turn out just fine. If the dough is a little dry, add in a tiny bit more water, glycerin, or oil. If it is a little moist, add a small amount of flour. Kneading the ingredients thoroughly makes it moldable.

If the playdough looks more grey than black measure in more black gel icing color. Note: The playdough will get a little darker over time so it doesn’t need to look all-black immediately.

For additional shine, add a teaspoon more glycerin.

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Little hands will look greenish after making and using the playdough because of the intense black gel color. The gel color is edible, and hands should be their normal hue again after a few washes.

This easy DIY black playdough recipe is super shiny and has a lot of stretch. It becomes a little like slime when reused…how fun!

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Year of the Snake Playdough Invitation

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The homemade black playdough recipe makes a great 2025 Lunar New Year (Year of the Snake) or a reptile-themed activity. Add white beads, small wiggly eyes, and cardstock paper forked tongues. Then invite participants to create beautiful black and white snakes.

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Reusing the Black Playdough

This show-stopping black playdough can be used a few times. When finished playing with it, store it in saran wrap and put it in a sealed container. Place the dough in the fridge if you wish. Keep a little oil and flour on hand to mix in when you pull the shiny black playdough out a second and third time. The dough may be a little moist but will soon be pliable when the two ingredients are kneaded in.

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No Cook Versus Cooked Playdough Recipes

Cooked playdough is long-lasting if stored properly. It is delightful to use, and I love its properties.

When making cooked playdough, take note of the following:

You need a stove to heat up the recipe, or a kettle to heat water.
Most cooked recipes use cream of tartar, a rather expensive ingredient.
The recipe must be made carefully according to the instructions, or it will be too sticky or dry.
It is hard to fix the dough when it is too sticky…I haven’t had much luck with that!

But I love cooked playdough and have made it many times. It is a great choice if you are making a batch ahead of time.

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In the last while I’ve tried more no-cook playdough recipes, selecting ones that do not use boiling water. This is because:

It is easy to include children in making the playdough as there is no need to worry about burns from a hot mixture or stove. And children love helping!
If the ingredients in a recipe are tweaked the playdough will still usually turn out fine. Thorough kneading is key for this.
The recipes do not usually need cream of tartar, which is an additional cost and may not be an ingredient you have on hand.

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Chinese New Year Chickpea-based Bin

January 19, 2025 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Every January since I started this blog, making a sensory bin with the zodiac animal of the year’s Chinese New Year celebration has been a tradition. The 2025 zodiac animal is a snake, and it was super fun including snakes in a Chinese New Year chickpea-based bin.

This year’s Chinese New Year celebration starts on January 29, and the date marks the beginning of a Year of the Snake. The slithering reptile is the sixth of 12 animals in the Chinese Zodiac, coming after the dragon and before the horse. People born in a Year of the Snake are thought to be intelligent, passionate, intuitive, diligent, creative, competent, and wise.

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Chinese New Year 2025 Sensory Bin Supplies

Early learners absolutely love sensory activities and get a sampling of the 2025 Chinese New Year celebration by exploring this red and gold chickpea bin with a few color-coordinating snakes set in.

The following supplies are in the festive bin:

dried chickpeas
gold play coins
ingot bowl
gold garland bits
red dessert cups and spoons
gold bells
gold buttons
snake figurines

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning activities.

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The Chinese New Year Chickpea-based Bin

Dried chickpeas dyed in various amounts of red acrylic paint are the base for this simple Lunar New Year bin. For easy instructions detailing how to dye chickpeas, view my blogpost “Chinese New Year Sensory Play. “

A food service bus tub holds the chickpeas and other supplies nicely and allows two or three children to investigate the bin together.

A pair of nesting ingot bowls with oval lids was a new find, and I chose the smaller one for the bin. Its unique boat shape and shiny gold finish add interest.

Fun facts: In ancient Chinese culture, ingot bowls were made of gold or silver, and were used as currency. Today they symbolize wealth and hope for prosperity. The glamourous bowls are displayed in festival décor and are sometimes filled with candy, chocolate, or fruit.

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Gold play coins, buttons, bells, and garland bits are loose parts that complement the New Year’s theme.

Red snack cups and spoons give opportunities to scoop and pour, always a favorite activity of young children.

Various-sized red and yellow snake figurines are highlights of the Chinese New Year chickpea-based bin. Children love to use them in hands-on investigative activities.

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More Chinese Zodiac Sensory Bins

Year Of The Rat Sensory Bin

Year Of The Ox Sensory Bin

Year Of The Tiger Sensory Bin

Year Of The Rabbit Sensory Bin

Year Of The Dragon Sensory Bins

Year Of The Pig Sensory Bin

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[Read more…]

Gnome Christmas Stocking Craft

December 23, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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It’s all about the beard in this cozy gnome Christmas stocking craft. It is so easy to make and super cute to display. Make one (or two or three) to include in your holiday decorating scheme.

Gnomes are lovable, little mythical creatures with large noses and pointed hats. They are super popular in home décor. I love seeing them displayed in stores when I’m out and about around town. Tailored for every holiday season, they come in all sorts of colors and designs. The cheeky, whimsical characters provide endless inspiration for simple crafts to make.

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Supplies To Collect

Gather the following supplies for this charming gnome craft:

construction or cardstock paper
thick yarn
thin ribbon
large pom pom
craft punches
double-sided tape
scissors and pencil
glue stick and glue gun

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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The Gnome Christmas Stocking Craft

To make this gnome Christmas stocking craft, start by picking out two complementary colors of cardstock or construction paper.

Next, draw on and cut out a Christmas stocking from an 8 ½ inch x 11-inch sheet of construction paper.
Then draw and cut out a cuff from paper in a coordinating color.

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Afterward, line the top of the paper stocking with double-sided tape, adding more small pieces to the center.

Next, select white or cream-colored yarn and loop it on the stocking, pressing the yarn onto the double-sided tape. Thick, fluffy yarn works well for this craft.

Then stick on a large light brown pom pom nose.

Secure the cuff to the top of the stocking with hot glue, and add a small loop to one of the upper edges for hanging.

Finally, glue on one or more foam or paper-punched holiday shapes to give the stocking extra flair.

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Once you’ve crafted one cozy character, you just might want to make more! This gnome Christmas stocking craft would make a fun family or classroom activity with everyone designing their own. The festive yarn and paper gnomes would display beautifully on a garland.

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More Christmas Arts and Crafts

Click on the pictures below for more Christmas art and crafts ideas.

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Paper Bag Grinch Craft

December 22, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This cute and colorful paper bag Grinch craft doubles up as an aromatic Christmas present to give to someone special over the holiday season.

It’s tradition for me to visit a nearby greenhouse during the holiday season to view the beautifully decorated Christmas trees. The trees all have gorgeous, coordinated decorations that complement each other in color and theme. The decorations are the inspiration for crafts to make. At the end of my visit, I pick out a lemon cypress plant to take home and often select other items to purchase.
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Lemon cypress plants look like miniature Christmas trees and are often decorated with tiny ornaments as a space-saving holiday sensory activity. They have light green feathery foliage that grows in a cone shape. When the leaves are rubbed or crushed, they smell like lemon. The tip of the lemon grass plant reminds me of the tuft of hair on Dr. Seuss’s storybook character “The Grinch.” That’s why they are paired in this paper bag craft and gift.

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Supplies To Collect

Collect the following supplies for this Grinchy green and yellow craft:

lemon cypress plant
paper lunch bags
green and yellow tempera paint
paint pot and brush
yellow and black construction paper
red and black markers
scissors and pencil
glue stick and tape
yarn and single hole punch
waterproof tablecloth

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The Paper Bag Grinch Craft

To make this paper bag Grinch craft, start by pouring light green or neon green tempera paint into a paint pot.

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Next, set out the paint, paintbrush, and a paper bag on a table covered with a waterproof tablecloth.
Paint one side of the bag and let it dry. Paint the other three sides, allowing the paint to dry on each side before continuing. The drying process may take a few hours.

Note: An alternative is to stand the bag on the art table and place a few sheets of crumpled scrap paper inside. Paint a thin layer of tempera all over the bag and let it dry. Then remove the inserted paper.

When the painted lunch bag is dry, fold it into its original shape.

Then cut two large almond-shaped eyes from yellow construction paper and line the outside edges with a black marker.

Cut small circles from black sturdy paper and glue them to the yellow eyes.

Afterward, thoroughly add glue to the back of the crafted eyes with a glue stick, and affix the peepers to the bag in a slanted position.

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Next, use the black marker to draw a small nose and a deep curved mouth on the bag.

Then draw eyelashes around the eyes and give the paper bag face slanted eyebrows.

Cut a small rectangle from yellow construction paper and write the words “Merry Grinchmas” on it with a red marker.

Next, punch a hole in the edge of the paper greeting and tie on a section of yarn.

Finally, tape the yarn inside the tip of the bag and carefully set in a small potted lemon cypress plant.

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Variation of the Paper Bag Grinch Craft

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To simplify this festive craft, use a bright green crayon to color the bag instead of painting it. The green hue will not be as bright as the painted version but the craft will be just as delightful.

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This lemon cypress plant-filled paper bag Grinch craft would make a cute gift from a child to a parent or grandparent. Who will you give your Grinch craft to?

Merry Grinchmas!!!

More Christmas Art and Crafts

Click on the pictures below for more Christmas art and craft projects.

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Grinch Christmas Oobleck Bin

December 21, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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In this Grinch Christmas Oobleck bin, a well-known Christmas storybook theme and a favorite sensory activity are paired together.

The goopy sensory bin is inspired by the storybook “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss. The popular picture book features a tall, long-fingered grumpy beast called “The Grinch’ who lives by himself up on a hill above the town of Whoville. Old Grinch absolutely hates Christmas. On Christmas Eve he disguises himself as “Santy Claus” by wearing a makeshift red and white costume. He ties one “reindeer” antler to his faithful dog Max’s head and has him pull a sled down to Whoville. The grouchy Grinch steals all the Whos Christmas decorations, presents, and festive food. He even scoops up the log for the fireplace from each home.

While ready to push the sled full of festive items over the tip of Mt. Crumpit early Christmas morning, the Grinch is surprised by the sound he hates the most…the singing of the Whos standing together holding hands. He realizes he hasn’t stopped Christmas at all. After thinking for a few hours, his heart softens and he decides to return all the Christmas items he took. He joins in the Christmas festivities in Whoville and even carves the “the roast beast”, a food he dislikes a lot.

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To get familiar with or revisit this story, view Book In Bed’s delightful, colorful animated read aloud version: How The Grinch Stole Christmas!

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Supplies Collected

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For the super fun, educational holiday sensory bin, the following supplies were gathered:

cornstarch
water
neon green food coloring
measuring cup
tablespoons
Grinch disposable snack cups
Christmas tree shape container
present shape container
ornament-shaped bells
candy cane ornaments
large tweezers
sensory bin

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Making The Grinch Christmas Oobleck

For this tactile sensory activity, first choose a bin. I use a saucer sled. It’s bright color matches the season, and it is large enough to easily hold the Oobleck and the supplies.

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Next, make the grinchy green Oobleck. Use a tablespoon or your hands to mix two cups of cornstarch with one cup of water. Add a little more water if needed. Then blend in a few drops of neon green food coloring. The goopy mixture is the right consistency if it becomes a ball when you close your hand around it but transforms to a liquid that slowly drops off when you open up your hand.

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The Grinch Christmas Oobleck Bin

This festive sensory bin is well-loved by children and adults.

Start of by inviting particpants to help mix the Oobleck and investigate its properties. They will eagerly accept your invitation!

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Once everyone has had a chance to explore the green goop, add picture book-themed items inspired by the book “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” to the bin. I include:

a Christmas tree shape container, a clear present shape container, and Grinch disposable snack cups to drop Oobleck into.
festive accessories such as candy cane and ornament-shaped bells.
tablespoons and children’s play tweezers to help explore the Oobleck and pick up supplies in the bin.

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How Oobleck Got Its Name

Way back when I was training to be an early childhood worker, this sensory recipe was introduced as goop. More recently, I’ve discovered that it has been given the name Oobleck. Interestingly, the name is inspired by another Dr. Seuss children’s book titled “Bartholomew and the Oobleck.” The Oobleck in the story is green too!

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The Science Behind Oobleck

Oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid, so it does not follow Newton’s law of viscosity. This is because depending on the force applied, it changes from a liquid to a solid, or from a solid to a liquid.

In the mixture, cornstarch is suspended in water and does not dissolve. When you apply force such as closing your hand and squeezing a blob of it, it acts like a solid. The cornstarch bits align and interlock under pressure. But when you stop the force by opening your hand, the goop becomes a liquid. The cornstarch bits flow freely off your hand along with the water.

Oobleck is a fascinating sensory material. Making and exploring its properties is a popular science activity, and it’s one of my favorites. Have you tried making Oobleck?

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More Science Activities

Blue Candy Cane Science Experiment

Color Explosion Science Experiment

Reptile Egg Science

Felt Marker Chromatography Experiment

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[Read more…]

Paint Chip Christmas Card

December 20, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Paint chips, available at hardware stores, come in a glorious array of colors and shades with equally splendid names. The rows and rows of paint color samples offer many choices for painting walls and other items. Teachers love to use recycled or donated paint chips for educational purposes such as sorting and matching activities. Creators love them for craft projects. The many-hued paint color samples add beauty to any activity or project and look pretty in this paint chip Christmas card with a tree theme.

Artificial Christmas trees also come in a huge array of colors. In addition to traditional green, you can now purchase a tree in your favorite color. Many come pre-lighted and ready for ornaments to be strung…so easy! This festive homemade card features paint chip swatches in five colors.

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Supplies To Collect

Gather the following supplies for this simple handmade Christmas card:

8 ½ x 11-inch white cardstock
donated or recycled paint chips
adhesive gemstone stickers
pencil and scissors
marker
glue stick

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Making the Paint Chip Christmas Card

To make this tree-themed Christmas card, fold an 8 ½ x 11-inch piece of cardstock in half. I chose a creamy white color for the cardstock as I like it better than pure white.

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Next, draw and cut out a Christmas tree from cardstock to be your tracer. The tree should be slightly smaller than your paint chip samples. A cardstock scrap works fine for this.

Then pick out five donated or recycled paint chips in varied colors for the trees. This is the most fun!

Using the tracer as a guide, trace and cut out small trees from the paint color cards.

Afterward, arrange the tree cutouts on the front of the folded white cardstock sheet, and glue them on using the glue stick. Leave a little space to add a holiday message such as “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays.”

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As a finishing touch pick one tree to add adhesive gemstone stickers to. I had silver gemstone stickers handy, so they were my choice for the dose of glam.

Pen a greeting inside the tree-themed paint chip Christmas card and it is ready to give to someone special during the festive holiday season.

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More Christmas Tree Activities

Color Explosion Science Experiment

Build A Christmas Tree Steam Activity

Christmas Tree Decorating Center

Candy Cane Tree Experiment

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More Christmas Art and Crafts Activities

Click on the pictures below to access more Christmas art and crafts activities.

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Cozy Gingerbread Sensory Bin

December 18, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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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.

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Cozy Gingerbread Sensory Bin Supplies

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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

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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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.