Putting The Pretty In Preschool – Page 3 – Finding Beauty In Everyday Early Childhood Experiences

Gingerbread Theme Pretend Play

December 7, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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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.

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Gingerbread Pretend Play Supplies

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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

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The Gingerbread Theme Pretend Play Tablescape

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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.

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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.

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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.

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More Gingerbread Theme Activities

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

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[Read more…]

Fall Drip Ice Cake

November 9, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This fall drip ice cake sensory bin combines fall colors with ice and dinosaurs. It is suitable for a winter theme about ice or could be incorporated into a fall or dinosaur theme. It would be an inviting activity outside on a hot summer day.

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Supplies To Collect

Gather the following easy-to-find, inexpensive supplies for this super fun sensory bin:

ice cube molds
empty round food storage containers
small bottles
tempera paints
stir sticks
sensory tray
dinosaur figurines

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Preparing the Fall Drip Ice Cake Sensory Bin

To prepare this autumn drip ice cake sensory play experience first freeze water into ice shapes. Use molds such as Ice cube trays, margarine and yogurt containers, and an ice cream pail. Allow one or two days for the freezing to be complete.

Next, pick a sensory bin to use. A large active world tray is up to the task and provides ample room to explore accessories. A round saucer sled is smaller but also works well as a sensory bin.

Then add tempera paints in fall colors to small bottles. Leave a little room in the bottles to stir in water. This slightly thins the paints and makes them easier to pour.

When the ice shapes are thoroughly frozen stack the large ones on top of each other to create a three or four-tier cake.

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Afterward, spread ice cubes in various sizes around the cake in the bin. Then set dinosaur figurines among the cubes.

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The Fall Drip Ice Cake Sensory Invitation

To offer the fall drip ice cake sensory invitation gather participants around the bin.

Invite them to take turns pouring paint over the ice cake.

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When the bottles are empty, allow everyone to explore the paint-covered ice cake, frozen cubes, and dinosaurs in the bin.

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This icy sensory invitation incorporating fall colors and dinosaur figurines is bound to be a favorite.

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More Fall Activities

Fall Tablescape Pretend Play

Fall Leaf Salad Spinner Art

Fall Scissor Skills Activities

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[Read more…]

Remembrance Day Butterfly Art

November 6, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Remembrance Day is celebrated each year on November 11 in many countries. It is a day to remember the end of World War I and the many soldiers who died in battle. In Canada, it is also a day to recognize and appreciate the people who serve in the army today.

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The Red Poppy and Remembrance Day

Wearing a red poppy has become a tradition on Remembrance Day, and the days leading up to it. After noticing the abundance of red poppies that sprouted up among the graves of fallen soldiers when World War I ended, a Canadian doctor wrote the now-famous poem “In Flanders Field”. Not long afterward, a United States teacher named Moina Michael wrote a poem called “We Shall Keep the Faith” in response and decided to wear a red poppy to remember the soldiers who served in the war. Noting that returning disabled soldiers had trouble caring for themselves, she started selling red poppies to raise money for their needs. The poppy flower soon became a symbol of the service of past and present soldiers.

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Since butterflies are seen as a symbol for inspiring good deeds, they go together well with poppies in a Remembrance Day butterfly art project.

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Remembrance Day Butterfly Art Supplies

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Gather the following supplies for this meaningful art activity:

8 ½ x 11-inch cardstock paper
dot markers
pencil and scissors
pipe cleaners
pony beads
pom poms
artificial red poppies
white glue or glue gun

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Remembrance Day Butterfly Art Project

This creative project is a simpler version of squish-painted poppy-enhanced Remembrance Day butterflies featured a few years ago.

For the remembrance art project, start by tracing and cutting out large butterflies from 8 ½ x 11-inch white or cream-colored cardstock paper. Manila tag cardstock works well for this activity and is economical to buy.

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Set the paper butterflies on a table with red, orange, and black dot markers and invite participants to decorate their winged creatures. Using a black dot marker for finishing touches is recommended so that the red and orange colors remain dominant in the designs.

Tip: Dot marker designs dry quickly, which is one thing I love about them. If the decorated butterflies curl a little after drying, allow time to flatten them under a stack of books or a heavy object.

Afterward, invite everyone to string black pony beads onto same-colored pipe cleaners. When the pipe cleaners are folded in half, there should be enough strung beads to cover the abdomen and head of the dot-marked butterflies.

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After participants finish beading their pipe cleaner, have them fold it in half and twist the unbeaded ends together to create two antennae.

Glue a pom pom to each pipe cleaner antenna with white glue or a glue gun, and then affix the beaded pieces to the middles of the butterflies.

Finally, glue an artificial red poppy with the pin removed onto each dotted insect.

Note: Older participants can independently glue on the beaded pipe cleaners, pom poms, and poppies.

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This Remembrance Day butterfly art project is simple but striking and is bound to be appreciated. Having the opportunity to include beads is a highlight of the activity.

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[Read more…]

Eye Dropper Bat Art

October 26, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Eye dropper art is a super satisfying painting technique, and it’s so quick and easy to do. This eye dropper bat art project is a good choice for October, as the winged creatures are commonly spotted in fall creative activities and décor.

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Supplies to Collect

Gather the following supplies for this flying mammal art activity:

paper towel sheets
liquid watercolors
paint pots or jars
eye droppers or pipettes
pencil and scissors
bat template
wiggly eyes
white glue or a glue gun
waterproof tablecover

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Eye Dropper Bat Art

To begin this vibrant bat art activity, cover a table with a waterproof tablecover.

Next, trace and cut out large bats from paper towel sheets. Thick paper towels work best. You are welcome to use the free template available to download below.

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Bat Art PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Afterward, pour liquid watercolors in a variety of colors into small jars or paint pots. Liquid food coloring hues with water stirred in are a suitable substitute for liquid watercolor paints.

Then place the paint jars on the table and add eye droppers or pipettes.

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Set out a paper towel bat for each participant and invite them to drop paint all over their fruit-pollinating winged animal.

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Then let the paint-soaked bats dry. Leaving them in place to dry is recommended if there is room. Otherwise, carefully remove each color-infused bat to another spot.

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When dry, use white glue or a glue gun to add two wiggly eyes to each bat for a cute finishing touch.

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Bat Necklace Craft

Fall Pom Pom Tree Craft

Felt Marker Chromatography Experiment

Try this easy-to-do felt marker chromatography "scary house" experiment. It has possibilities for art and imaginative play.

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[Read more…]

Painted Skeleton Sensory Bin

October 25, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Skeletons can appear more than a little scary, but bold or subtle artsy touches soften them up and make them fun for little learners to explore. I recently found a gorgeous little folk art wooden skeleton and decided to repurpose it in a painted skeleton sensory bin.

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Skeleton Sensory Bin Supplies

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The following simple supplies were used for the sensory bin:

wooden skeleton parts
skeleton figurine
acrylic paint
paint palette and brushes
pom poms
beads
wooden flowers
spider figurines
white rice
sensory bin

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The Painted Skeleton Sensory Bin

The sky is the limit regarding accessories suitable for sensory bins, so it is super easy to collect supplies. A beautifully painted folk art skeleton featuring bones attached with jute twine was a find one fall day. Although meant to be a wall hanging, I saw possibilities for sensory play.

The skeleton parts were daintily painted in folk art designs on one side and were white everywhere else. After snipping off the jute connectors, I decided to paint the white sides in matching colors to add interest to the pieces and help them stand out.

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Out came acrylic paints in blue and pink colors along with an artist’s palette and paintbrushes. I mixed the paints into pink and light blue hues and carefully painted the skeleton pieces other than the skull with a few coats of color.

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When the painted wooden bones were dry, I placed them in a rice-filled bin. Then I dropped in pom poms, beads, wooden flowers, and spider figurines in similar colors to add design possibilities.

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Finally, I included a toy skeleton figurine in the bin to model how a complete skeleton looks. A diagram of a skeleton would be a great addition too.

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More Skeleton Activities

Skeleton Sunflower Seed Bin

Skeleton Treasure Blocks

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Glam Skeleton Playdough Tray

Skeleton and Eyeball Water Play

Q-Tip Skeleton Craft

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Glam Skeleton Sensory Bin

Skeleton Preschool Theme

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[Read more…]

Spider Web Doily Art

October 16, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Arty spider webs are everywhere during this time of year, and doilies are an exquisite supply for creating web décor. These spider web doily art projects are color-infused with gorgeous seasonal hues using a crayon-resist painting technique.

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Spider Web Doily Art Supplies

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Gather the following supplies for this anything-but-creepy spider-themed art project:

paper doilies in a variety of sizes and shapes
watercolor tempera paint cakes
white crayon
pencil
ruler
paint brush
paint pot
scissors
spider figurine
glue gun
waterproof table cover

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Creating Spider Web Doily Art

To create beautiful watercolor doily art first cover an art table with a waterproof tablecloth.

Next, select a doily to use as a canvas for painting.

Then, use a pencil and ruler to draw faint straight lines that radiate from a focal point in the center of the doily. Draw over the white lines with a white crayon or any color. Add silky curved connecting lines with the crayon to complete the web.

Note: When offering this activity to early learners, you may wish to draw the webs on the doilies and have them paint over them.

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Afterward, set watercolor tempera cakes in the colors of your choice in a paint tray. I love the pink, purple, orange, and gold hues spotted on web décor on recent shopping trips and use these colors.

Fill a paint pot with water, wet the tempera cakes, and paint over the drawn spider web. Spread the color over the whole doily or up to the lacy edging.

Note: Liquid watercolors are a luminous alternative for this painting activity.

When the arty web is dry use a glue gun to add a spider figurine in a matching or contrasting color. Adhere the paper spider web to a contrasting cardstock paper hue if desired.

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If using a large round doily, it’s a nice look to cut out a section of the web to become your finished design.

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Variations of the Spider Web Doily Art

Round or rectangular craft doilies are easy to find, but heart doilies also work wonderfully as a canvas for a spider web art activity. In addition to being super lacy, they remind us to give spiders some much-needed love.

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Crochet doilies make perfect ready-made spider webs. Left unpainted, white or cream-colored ones look like natural webs. It is superbly satisfying to add color to them, as watercolor paints soak in very well. For a stunning look display a color-infused web and spider figurine on a mirror.

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More Spectacular Doily Art

In addition to providing the canvas for spider web doily art, use the exquisite paper shapes in a novel way for more painting fun. In the projects below, doilies are placed on paper, and the lacy cutouts are carefully filled with watercolor tempera paints. A beautiful design appears after the doily is lifted off.

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In this second project, the area above the doily is painted too. When the doily is removed, the design is so realistic it looks exactly like the paper doily.

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More Spider Activities

Spider Theme Activities

Green Huntsman Spider Activities

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[Read more…]

Ribbon and Cord Pumpkin Craft

October 1, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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At this time of year, there are many beautiful, vibrant fall décor and craft supplies to view. A stroll through any craft or home décor store is a pure delight. A splendid bundle of sewing supplies spotted on one excursion inspired this easy-to-make ribbon and cord pumpkin craft. Download the free pumpkin pattern in this post to make craft preparation easier.

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Ribbon and Cord Pumpkin Craft Supplies

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The following supplies are used for this colorful autumn craft:

cardstock in green, gold, tan, and cream hues
fabric ribbon
rickrack trim
braided cord
pom pom fringe
craft ribbon
double-sided tape
white glue and glue gun
scissors and pencil

Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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The Ribbon and Cord Pumpkin Craft

To make this textured fall pumpkin craft, start by selecting yarn, thin braided cord, sewing and craft ribbons, rickrack trim, and dainty pom pom fringe in the colors and patterns of your choice. Orange, tan, green, and brown hues are featured in mine.

Once your ribbon and cord hues are picked out, choose complementary cardstock and construction paper colors. Green, gold, cream, and tan are natural choices.

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Using white glue or a glue gun, affix varying colors and widths of the ribbon and cord in rows to a piece of sturdy paper. Make sure to leave a little bit of space around the edge of the cardstock. My design is made with craft supplies placed horizontally, but a vertical or diagonal placement would work wonderfully too.

Next, cut strips of double-sided tape and add one near each corner of the ribbon and cord-embellished paper. Add additional tape strips if needed.

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Then trace and cut out a pumpkin from the same-sized paper in another hue, leaving the border around the pumpkin shape uncut. Feel free to download this pumpkin pattern for the task.

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Pumpkin Craft PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Finally, gently position the paper with the pumpkin cut out on top.

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The ribbon and cord pumpkin craft is ready for display.

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Variations of the Pumpkin Craft

Little learners may find it easier to glue the ribbon and cord sewing supplies in a random design. The results would be equally interesting.

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This craft uses a variety of colors and textures of sewing and crafting ribbons and cords. Feel free to use the supplies you have available for the craft. It would look equally stunning with only yarn colors or craft ribbon hues.

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[Read more…]

Fall Pom Pom Tree Craft

September 29, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Fall is such a pretty time of year, and for many people, it is their favorite season. Aside from the leaves changing into gorgeous, radiant colors, the home décor is also stunning, and is super fun! The colors and décor of this fall season inspired the bat-topped fall pom pom tree craft.

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Fall Pom Pom Tree Craft Supplies

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Gather just the following few supplies for this soft and simple autumn tree craft:

pom poms in pink, melon, white, and purple hues
9-inch x 12-inch cardstock or construction paper
8 1/2 x 11-inch cream colored cardstock
white glue
glue gun
bat sticker
bat ring party favors
scissors and pencil

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The Fall Pom Pom Tree Craft

The design of this tree is a triangular Christmas tree shape. So it’s a little like creating a Christmas craft early. The tree base is cut from cream-colored cardstock.

Young children enjoy using special craft supplies such as pom poms and will love gluing them to the paper triangle base. The pom poms can be squished together or spread apart in a random design. White glue works well for this task. 34 pom poms are affixed to this crafted tree.

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A metallic gold sticker bat is the unexpected but delightful tree topper, tying into the fall theme wonderfully. A bat cut from paper adhered with glue would work fine too.

An optional addition is to glue bat ring party favors between the pom poms for even more flare.

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Finally, a tree trunk cut from gold foil tissue paper and the pom pom-decorated tree display nicely when glued on a 9-inch x 12-inch piece of colored construction paper.

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An alternate way to showcase the crafted tree is to cut a thin cylinder from a toilet paper roll and cut two slits opposite from each other. Gently slide the bottom of the fall pom pom tree in the slits. The tree stands up sturdily on a table or shelf.

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Pom poms in pink, purple, ochre, and white provide the color scheme for this seasonal tree craft. But the craft would look spectacular in any color scheme.

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Bat Theme Pretend Play

Bat Necklace Craft

Neon Finger Paint Tree Art

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More Fall Activities

Fall Tablescape Pretend Play

Fall Leaf Salad Spinner Art

Fall Scissor Skills Activities

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[Read more…]

Reptile Theme Playdough Tray

September 22, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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More Reptile Activities

Reptile Active World Tray

Reptile Theme Activities

Reptile Egg Science

Sea Turtle Theme Activities

Turtle Pond Sensory Bin

Turtle Christmas Craft

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More Themed Playdough Trays

White Lilacs and Black Playdough

Watermelon Playdough Tray

Circus Playdough Tray

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Glam Skeleton Playdough Tray

Gingerbread Playdough Tray

Candy Cane Playdough Tray

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Santa Claus Playdough Tray

Unicorn Playdough Tray

Scented Moon Playdough Tray

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[Read more…]

Bat Theme Pretend Play

August 29, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This bat theme pretend play setup is fun for little learners to explore, and it is bound to ignite their interest in these nocturnal flying animals.

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Bat Theme Pretend Play Center Supplies

A well-known saying is “There is a season for everything” and it’s as true for collecting educational supplies for little learners as in anything else. Late summer/early fall is the best time to gather supplies for a bat theme, and that’s when I picked up the ones featured in this post.

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In the batty pretend play setup are the following:

orange, green, purple, and black bead necklaces and rings
purple, orange, green, and black pom poms
bat-shaped silicone mold
bat-shaped cookie cutters
bat-themed glasses
reusable bat-shaped ice cubes
transparent bat decorations
miniature bat figurines
buffalo plaid decorative balls
bat-themed bowl
cookie pan
paper plates and bowls
cutlery
clear play cups

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The Bat Theme Pretend Play Center

Although this bat theme pretend play center is simpler than many of my play tablescapes, little learners will be eager to explore it. They will happily use the loose parts in creative, imaginative ways.

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The orange, green, purple, and black bead necklaces are cut into strips to make colorful “loose part” spaghetti. A preschooler suggested this idea while exploring a New Year’s pretend play setup. I loved it and have since used “bead necklace spaghetti” to enhance and color-coordinate with many of my pretend play centers.

Similar colored pom poms stored in a bat-shaped silicone mold make great meatballs.

Bat-shaped cookie cutters on a cookie pan suggest home-baked cookies.

Miniature bat-themed toys make small tasty pretend treats.

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Black and white buffalo-plaid decorative balls cut from garland display nicely in a bat-shaped bowl. Along with transparent bat decorations, they offer additional play food choices.

Bat-shaped reusable ice cubes keep pretend drinks cold in clear play cups or can be used as additional play food.

Bat-themed play glasses and toy rings add dress-up opportunities to the center.

White plates, bowls, and cutlery coordinate nicely with the bat-themed loose parts.