Putting The Pretty In Preschool

Finding Beauty In Everyday Early Childhood Experiences

Dinosaur And Sweet Potato Vine Activities

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Preschool dinosaur and sweet potato vine sensory, art and nature activities.

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One Spring I was greenhouse shopping, and a ledge of sweet potato vines caught my attention. The sales clerk suggested that the leaves looked like dinosaur footprints.

That thought stuck with me, and soon after I picked two uniquely colored sweet potato vines to add contrast to the flowering plants on my deck. I was also eager to use some leaves in dinosaur-themed nature play.

When the sweet potato vines had grown and poured over their pots, I snipped a few leaves off the plants to feature the activities below.

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Dinosaur Themed Small World

Sweet potato vine leaves in a dinosaur-themed sensory tub. Rocks, twigs, plastic and marble eggs, and blue water complete the scene.

Small world scene with dinosaurs, rocks, twig, plastic eggs, marbles, blue water, and sweet potato vine leaves.

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Painted Leaf T-Rex Footprints

An invitation to make leaf prints shaped like dinosaur footprints with silver and bronze paints and sweet potato vine leaves.

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One side of cut leaves are painted with tempera paints. Next the leaves are carefully pressed on paper to make T-Rex dinosaur footprints. Bronze and silver paints make the art project extra special!

Printmaking project. Sweet potato vine leaves are painted with bronze and gold metallic paints. The leaves are pressed on paper to look like dinosaur footprints.

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Printmaking project. Sweet potato vine leaves are painted with bronze and gold metallic paints. The leaves are pressed on paper to look like dinosaur footprints.

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Sorting T-Rex Footprint Shaped Leaves

An invitation to sort different sizes and colors of “dinosaur footprint” shaped leaves into “alike and different”. Large passionflower leaves add variety to this activity.

An iInvitation to sort sweet potato vine and passionflower leaves. A Math activity using nature materials.

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Activities with leaves are a welcome opportunity to include nature in art and play centers. Do you have a favorite activity to do with leaves or leafy plant you treasure? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.

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Superhero Activities

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Superhero activities for young children. Art, sensory, math, photo opportunities. and party ideas are included.

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As everyone can attest, Superhero activities are hugely engaging for children. Superheroes are also a topic I was hesitant to plan a full theme around for many years. I was afraid that the children’s excitement level would go up, and never return to a manageable rate.

One year I decided a generic Superhero theme could be feasible as the last one of the school term. I thought the children might get riled up, but I would be sending them home for the summer afterward!

The Superhero activities were a hit and turned out to be perfectly manageable. Dress up props were available in the gymnasium, where loud noises and running were the norms. A number of books read in the classroom highlighted good character traits of Superheroes. Puzzles, manipulative toys, and sensory trays rounded out the play choices.

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Edmonton Comic And Entertainment Expo

Last Fall I attended the Edmonton Comic & Entertainment Expo because it looked so fun! I also hoped to get some more ideas for my Superhero theme. The multitude of booths showcasing art, toys, outfits, and much more offered loads of inspiration. And I visualized a Superhero theme working for our next Father/Preschooler evening (held this past March.)

Pictures of booths and merchandise set up at a Comic And Entertainment Expo.

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Father/Preschooler Night Superhero Activities

The Father/Preschooler evening started out with a potluck supper. Open-ended toys were available for guests to explore, with Superhero figures added in.

Superhero sensory tray with loose parts.
Superhero Sensory Tray

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Superhero coloring sheets were available to decorate. DIY board games, game chips, and dice were set out around the eating area.
Flags, eucalyptus sprigs, and themed table scatter adorned the tables.

Superhero party accessories.

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After dinner adults and children were invited to visit feature centers. Everyone was encouraged to take a strip of tickets out of a bowl to “pay” for each center activity.

Party tickets.

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These were the options:

1)  Photo Op: Take A Picture With Your Favorite Superhero

Justice League props and backdrop purchased from Party City were used for this activity. Individual, adult/child, and group photos were taken. The snapshots turned out amazing!

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2)  Purchase Superhero Art

Guests could purchase a picture of a Superhero Father made by a preschooler. Family members bought their own child’s work of course!

Superhero figure drawing with a handprint cape.

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3)  Photo Op: Take A Picture Dressed Up As A Superhero

Dress-up clothes were available for children and adults to wear. There was a telephone picture and calendar Superhero action word backdrop. Individual, adult/child, and group photos were taken.

The reflective aviator sunglasses pictured with the table decor above were my favorite look!

Superhero dress-up clothing, telephone print and action word backdrop for a photo opportunity.

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4)  Purchase Superhero Self Portraits

Guests could purchase a preschooler’s Superhero self-portrait.

Superhero self-portrait.

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These Superhero activities were easy to set up and set the tone for many positive interactions between fathers and preschoolers. And the children did art, math, sensory exploration, and pretend play in the process.

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Mother’s Day Crafts And Gifts

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Mother's Day paper crafts with jewelry and decorative key chain accents. Art ideas all children can do.

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Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and every mom deserves to be treated special.  Here is an easy Mother’s Day craft that is bound to hit the mark. A key chain or brooch makes a lovely addition as a gift.

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Supplies used:

  • flower and butterfly paper punches
  • craft paper with cream, gold, and silver tones
  • gold and silver metallic bead stickers
  • white pearl and silver jewel stickers
  • butterfly adhesive shapes
  • template with the word MOM
  • decorative silver key chains
  • glue stick

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Follow me on Pinterest for more ideas.

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Making The Mother’s Day Craft

Create a template with the word MOM on it or download one of my templates. 

Decorate the word "mom" with gorgeous paper butterflies and flowers. This craft is suitable for all ages and works great for Mother's Day or word review.

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Mothers-Day-TemplateDownload

This template is for personal or one classroom use only.

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Paper punch small flowers and butterflies from patterned paper with complementary tones.

Add on sticker beads.

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Have children use a glue stick to attach butterflies and flowers, or just butterflies to the lines of the letters that spell the word “mom.”

Add a brooch or key chain gift to the finished picture.

Mother's Day collage craft with flowers and butterflies glued on to the word 'Mom.' A starfish keychain is fastened on as a gift. This craft is suitable for all ages.

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Metallic sticker beads are the inspiration for this color scheme.  I was thrilled to find a scrapbook pad called “Bless Our Home” with paper sheets in patterns of gold, silver, grey, and cream.  The paper theme is perfect for a Mother’s Day craft, and the colors and patterns complement the shiny gold and silver beads.

Mother's Day paper collage craft with butterflies glued on to the word "mom." A silver flower brooch is added on as a gift. This craft is suitable for all ages.

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Leftover paper flowers and butterflies can be used as table scatter for a Mother’s Day Tea.

Tan denim cloth flowers and butterfly and flower table scatter.
Table Scatter And Tan Denim Cloth Flowers

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Other Decorating Ideas

Invite children to decorate the word “mom” with sticker pearls and jewels.  This craft is simpler but just as beautiful.  A sea turtle key chain is added to the picture below.

Mother's Day craft with sticker pearls and silver jewels added on the word 'mom.' A sea turtle key chain is added on as a gift. This craft is suitable for all ages.

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Or have children decorate the word “mom” with jewel and butterfly stickers.  A fish key chain is a finishing touch.

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A sparkly flower brooch compliments the picture below.

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A glitzy shoe key chain enhances this craft.

A pretty key chain gift fastened to the word "mom" in a Mother's Day paper collage craft. This art activity is suitable for all ages.

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Download a template that is easy for little learners to read and decorate here.

"Beautiful mom" printable for little learners to decorate with sticker beads and gems. The easy-to-read letters promote word recognition skills. A craft perfect for Mother's Day.
Beautiful Mom TemplateDownload

This template is for personal or one classroom use only.

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A Handmade Key Chain Option

Michelle (craftymorning.com) features Handprint Shrinky Dink Keychains that would go along well with a rainbow-colored version of this craft.

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Which of the above designs is your favorite?

What color schemes are inspiring you right now? Leave a comment below.

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Try this beautiful Mother's Day papercraft with a choice of jewelry or decorative key chain accents. A keepsake that all children can make.

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Spring Bunny Canvas Art

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Spring bunny canvas art with paint dabber technique. An easy-to-do all-ages art activity.

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The birds are chirping, and there is excitement in the air. Everyone seems to have a skip in their step. I think it is because spring has come early to our city and… it’s the Easter long weekend!


Here’s an easy spring bunny art activity that will add some hop to the skip, and be sure to keep everyone’s good mood up.

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Spring Bunny Canvas Art

A few simple supplies are all that is needed for this activity:

  • white canvas panel (12-inch x 18-inch)
  • non-toxic paint dot markers
  • colored cardstock
  • bunny template
  • scissors

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The Bunny Canvas Art Process

Trace a bunny on colored cardstock in a size that leaves room to paint dab around it on the canvas board. I sized the bunny to fit just inside the edges of an 8 x 11 ½ piece of paper.

Cut out the cardstock bunny and place it in the middle of the canvas board.

Choose your favorite dot marker colors.

Dab paint dots around the bunny template.

Let the canvas dry.

Dot markers used to paint around a bunny template on canvas. An easy art activity suitable for all ages.

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For this project, I used an inexpensive canvas board from a Dollar Store.

The dot paint markers were a great find at Michaels. I was excited to see so many colors in the package! I chose blue and teal, inspired by a bunny art project I had seen painted in similar tones. Your favorite color scheme would work just as well.

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This spring bunny paint project dries quickly…a real plus. It can be displayed on a small easel along with matching decor.

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Easy dot marker Spring bunny canvas art suitable for all ages. This is an attractive art activity to display.

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Sea Turtle Theme Activities

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Sea turtle theme with facts and hands-on activities to share with early learners. Art, math, dramatic play, and sensory activities are included.

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Sea turtles are large, fascinating ocean creatures. After viewing beautiful sea turtle paintings by an artist passionate about conservation and reading a few super interesting storybooks, this sea turtle theme was born. Interesting facts followed by engaging, hands-on activities are included. Green sea turtles are the focus of the theme

Green Sea Turtle Life Stages

One in a thousand baby green sea turtles lives to become an adult. Sea turtles face many challenges in trying to survive. Here’s how they get their start in life.

At night, baby green sea turtles scurry to the ocean from the deep hole they dig out of. They hatch from eggs deposited by their mother (also at night) on a sandy beach above the high tide line. The small, white eggs are buried in a blanket of sand to keep them warm and hide them from predators. The eggs are left alone to incubate for 50 -70 days.

The temperature of the nest determines the sex of the turtles. Warmer eggs become males; cooler eggs become females. Both males and females can dig out of the same nest because the temperature can vary in different parts of it.

The hatchlings hurry to the ocean in the dark when it is less likely that they will be eaten by crabs or shorebirds like gulls or herons. Most babies do not make it to the ocean. Even if they safely make it to the water, they could be eaten by birds hovering above the waves or predatory fish lingering close to shore.

Sea turtle hatchlings scurry to the ocean at night.

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Young green sea turtles spend the first three to five years of their lives in deeper waters. They are carnivores, eating fish eggs, mollusks, jellyfish, worms, sponges, algae, crustaceans, and small invertebrates.

Adults green sea turtles spend most of their time in shallow coastal waters with lush seagrass beds. They are herbivores, relying on food such as seagrasses and algae. Adults are at home in coral reefs, salt marshes, and nearshore grass beds. In these habitats, they have lots of food and protection from predators and rough ocean waves.

Green sea turtle activities for early learners. Sensory bin, small world, art and dramatic play for preschool and kindergarten children.

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Conservation of Green Sea Turtles

Green sea turtles are endangered. They face a high risk of extinction in the wild. The turtles are protected by law in most countries. Many countries also protect their nesting areas.

Some threats green sea turtles face:

  • Loss of nesting areas due to real estate development in coastal areas.
  • Poaching: There is the illegal trade of eggs, meat, and shells.  The skin is used for shoes, belts, and bags.  The meat is used to make exotic dishes like turtle soup.  Turtle oil is used for cosmetics.
  • Plastic and other marine debris

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Help Keep Green Sea Turtles Alive

We can help green sea turtles stay alive!  We can:

  • read books about green sea turtles and how to help them survive.
  • limit the use of plastic and recycle the plastic we use.
  • buy sustainably harvested, ocean-friendly seafood.
  • support organizations that help protect green sea turtles and their habitats.
  • share social media posts about sea turtles and efforts to protect them.

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People who live close to a sea turtle nesting area can:

  • join a beach clean-up.
  • volunteer for a turtle watch night shift.
  • turn off porch lights at night.
  • refrain from using flashlights or making bonfires during nesting season.     

Porch lights, flashlights, and bonfires disorient hatchlings. They can head away from the ocean instead of toward it. 

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Green Sea Turtle Activities

Green Sea Turtle Small World

Sea turtle seashore small world.

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This small world includes a green sea turtle in a beach scene.

Materials used:

  • play sand
  • water
  • blue liquid watercolor (to color the water)
  • rocks (different sizes and colors)
  • sea turtle
  • sea glass
  • small shells
  • fish

Another way to feature the items in this sensory bin is to add them to different compartments of a clear plastic drawer tray. The drawer tray option includes green sea turtles at different life stages.

Sea turtle life stages small world in a clear drawer tray.

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These small worlds are inspired by the art of Carleen Ross. Carleen has authored a gorgeous book featuring her art and sea turtle facts called “Journey To The Sea Turtle”.  (CarleenRossArt.com)

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Painted Sea Turtle Hatchlings

White corn syrup paint colors and turtle hatchling tagboard shapes. An all-ages painting activity.

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Create gorgeous sea turtle hatchlings with this shiny paint in a few different hues.

Supplies needed:

  • white corn syrup
  • green food coloring
  • neon green food coloring
  • yellow food coloring
  • small jars
  • spoons for stirring paints
  • paintbrushes
  • manila paper turtle shapes

Add green and neon green food coloring in different amounts to a few small jars filled with white corn syrup. Add a little yellow food coloring to one jar with green. Mix the paints to make lighter and darker shades of green and yellow-green. Add yellow food coloring to one jar of corn syrup and stir.

Paint the sea turtle hatchlings.
Note: This paint is sticky, and will take at least a week to dry completely. It dries with a beautiful, smooth finish.

Shiny corn syrup painting on green sea turtle hatchlings.

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This art activity is inspired by the art piece “Baby Honus” by Cas Plester. (chillpineappleart.ca)

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Egg And Hatchling Sensory Bin

Sometimes scientists move sea turtle eggs to a safer, drier place and bury them there. This conservation activity is replicated in this egg and hatchling rice bin.

Sea turtle egg and hatchling rice sensory bin.

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Add the following items to a sensory bin:

  • brown rice
  • cloth Bag
  • white styrofoam balls (sea turtle eggs)
  • sea turtle hatchling
  • juvenile sea turtle
  • scoop

A red light can be shined on this sensory bin. Scientists and volunteers use a red turtle-friendly light to carry out their night watch sea turtle activities.

Sea turtle egg rescue rice sensory bin with a red light.

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Sea Turtle Dramatic Play Kit

Sea turtle scientist night watch dramatic play props.

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Add supplies used by sea turtle scientists and turtle watch volunteers to a dramatic play center:

  • toolbox
  • clipboard, paper, and pencils (to take down data)
  • measuring tape to measure nest locations or sea turtle lengths
  • stakes (to mark nest locations)
  • cloth bag (to relocate turtle eggs if needed)
  • ice (to chill “tissue or blood samples”)
  • needle
  • dry gauze
  • plastic specimen jars
  • tag applicator
  • rubber gloves

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Feature Conservation Organization

The organization WIDECAST

  • studies sea turtles.
  • educates children and adults about sea turtle conservation.
  • organizes beach cleanups.
  • recruits volunteers for nightly patrol of sea turtle nesting grounds.
  • promotes alternative sources of income to poaching, i.e. making jewelry with sea glass.
  • lobbies governments for stronger regulations to protect sea turtles and their nesting sites.

WIDECAST is showcased in an excellent non-fiction picture book called Sea Turtle Scientist by Stephen R. Swinburne.

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St. Patrick’s Day Activities

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St. Patrick's Day activities for the early childhood classroom. Sensory tray, writing center, and dramatic play center ideas included.

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It’s March, but there is still lots of snow outside in Edmonton.  St. Patrick’s Day activities and the green color they surround us with are so welcome.  Here are three centers my class is currently playing in.

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St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Tray

Items included in this sensory tray:

  • spinach rice vermicelli noodles (broken up)
  • green bowls, sieves, and scoops
  • green buttons, beads, and bead garland
  • shamrock and leprechaun shaped erasers
  • green coins
  • leprechaun mini hats
  • shamrock ice cubes
St. Patrick's Day rice noodle tray with leprechaun hats, green sieves, utensils and loose parts.

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The green vermicelli noodles are a great find, as they are “ready-made” for this activity.

Green rice vermicelli noodles for sensory play.

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St. Patrick’s Day Play Kitchen

Pretend play is hands down one of children’s favorite activities to do.  When effort is put into adding details to a play kitchen, children respond with delight.

St. Patrick's Day house center dramatic play accessories. Tableware, play food, jewelry, coins, and decorations are included.

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St. Patrick’s Day pretend play items:

  • St. Patrick’s Day themed plates and napkins
  • shamrock felt decorations (to use as cookies)
  • shamrock felt garland (taken apart to be “pretzels”)
  • green and yellow pom-poms (play food)
  • green and white flowers
  • shamrock-shaped tray
  • green serving utensils and ice cube tray
  • shamrock table scatter
  • bead necklace
  • gold coins

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St. Patrick’s Day Creating And Writing Center

St. Patrick's Day writing center with office supplies. Themed tracers, stickers rulers, rubber stamps, erasers, hole punches, and writing papers are included.

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The items in this creating and writing center are:

  • felt pens in varying shades of green
  • shamrock ink stampers
  • shamrock paper punch
  • leprechaun hat and shamrock tracers
  • St. Patrick’s Day erasers
  • St. Patrick’s Day stickers
  • sticky note pad
  • green stencil rulers
  • paper and pencil
  • gold coins
  • St. Patrick’s Day glasses
  • flowers and Irish blessing for decoration

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All these activities are stocked with accessories easily found at Dollar stores or party stores. They are versatile pieces and can be used in the same or different ways in upcoming years.

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Igloo “Glamping” Pretend Play

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Igloo camping center with fur, sequins, fishing gear, and polar animals.

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It’s been said that you should buy beautiful things you are drawn to, even if you are not sure how they will fit into your decorating color scheme or wardrobe collection.

When I purchased a narwhal-themed sequin pillow, I wasn’t sure how I would use it in preschool play. I loved seeing color and shape change sequins in children’s clothing and thought a sensory item like this would be nice to explore in the classroom.

Then I saw some “Glamping” pretend play posts on social media and knew this pillow would be perfect for an igloo “glamping” pretend play center.

Arctic dramatic play center with polar animals and glam accessories.

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Igloo “Glamping” Center Accessories

To set up a glammed-up igloo pretend play center, collect the following:

  • Pop up igloo
  • Fur rabbit skin
  • Narwhal-themed sequin pillow
  • Bird puppet
  • Toy flashlight
  • Water bottle
  • Drinking glasses
  • Food bowl and spoon
  • Fishing box and reel
  • Paper fish
  • Camping chair
  • Stuffed snowy owl
  • Polar bear puppet
  • Toque, hat, and mittens

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Glam igloo dramatic play center with polar themed accessories.

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A fishing activity center for an arctic or camping theme

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A rope with clothespins strung behind the igloo to hang up fish to dry facilitates fine motor skills.

A color-changing light gives the igloo a green or blue glow.

Igloo pretend play center with polar animals and glam accessories.

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An arctic pretend play center with lighted igloo, polar animals, and glam accessories.

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For information about igloos, click here.

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Polar-themed dramatic play fishing center.

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“Glamping” is a form of luxurious camping. Are you a camper or more of a glamper? Share below.

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Related:

Winter Playdough Recipe

Spray Paint Snowflake Silhouette

Blue Candy Cane Science Experiment

Winter-themed Treasure Blocks

Kid’s Winter Wonderland Tablescape

Polar Bear Small World

Winter Sensory Trays

Painting Ice and Snow

Winter Wreath Paper Plate Craft

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World Book Day Story Book Feature: Just Itzy

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World Book Day Just Itzy storybook theme. Spider sensory and small world activities for young children.

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World Book Day is held every year on the first Thursday in March. It is a celebration of authors, illustrators, and books.  And it is most of all a celebration of reading.

The impact of the picture book “Just Itzy” spanning my preschool storytime, a teacher aide’s home, and three children and their classrooms makes the story worthy of a shout out for World Book Day.

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The “Just Itzy” Story

“Just Itzy” is written by Lana Krumwiede and illustrated by Greg Pizzoli. This story was one of the many books about spiders I chose last Fall in gathering resources for a Spider theme. It is an entertaining read about a spider named Itzy Bitzy and his first day of school. In the story, Itzy wants to catch his lunch instead of taking a lunch box that had been packed for him. In learning to make a spider web to trap food he becomes part of the nursery rhymes “Little Miss Muffet”, “There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly”, and “The Itsy Bitsy Spider.” By the end of the tale, Itzy builds a successful spider web AND rescues his big brother Gutzy who had been teasing him about his “smallness.”

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The Story’s Reach

My class enjoyed the story. The teacher aide liked “Just Itzy” so much she borrowed the book from a library for her three children. After numerous readings at home, the story was further enjoyed at her children’s school:

  • Both grade school children took the book to school to show it to their teachers and classmates.
  • One teacher had the teacher aide’s child read the book to the class.
  • The teacher in the kindergarten class ordered the book, and it fit in perfectly with the Fantasy Theme the students were working on.

The teacher aide said that for weeks afterward, their family would add humor to their day by chanting “Keep your eye on the fly,” a saying Itzy’s “spindergarten” teacher taught the class about never giving up.

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“Just Itzy” Story Centers

Spider Small World

Spider themed small world with translucent pipe builders, spiders, a fly, flowers, and a spider web on a patch of grass.

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This small world has

  • a play grass base
  • Safari Toob flowers
  • different-sized toy spiders
  • a toy fly
  • a cupcake liner spider web
  • translucent pipe builders

It is winter in our city at the moment. This activity would be great in the summer using a patch of grass and some real flowers!

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Spider Light Table Activity

Spiders, a fly, a spider web and translucent pipe builders on the light table.

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An opportunity to reenact the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” nursery rhyme on the light table or regular table with

  • a large plastic spider web
  • small toy spiders
  • a toy fly
  • translucent pipe builders

Most spiders at this center are very tiny so they fit in the pipe builders.

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Spider Web Sensory Bin

An all-black spider web sensory bin with noodles, rice, beans, spiders, and loose parts.

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Items in the bin:

  • black rice
  • black rotini noodles
  • black beans
  • plastic spiders
  • loose parts such as buttons, beads and hair ties
  • spider web made from rope

Toy tweezers would work well with this activity.

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The storybook “Just Itzy” is an engaging read that works wonderfully for the beginning of school, anytime in Fall, and on World Book Day.

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Hawaiian Party

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Hawaiian party ideas for an all-ages get together. Food, crafts, songs, and music for an easy to manage get together.

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Here’s a Hawaiian Party that works for all ages. We did it with a group of seniors, preschool children, and their parents. It was dreamed up because this school year our preschool classes were invited to visit a senior’s home to socialize with the residents. February was a great month to show some kindness, so we planned our visit then.

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Hawaiian Holiday Theme

Hawaiian Holiday was the theme of choice. Our city was in the middle of a cold-weather spell, so the thinking was “If we can’t be in Hawaii, (where we would ALL rather be), then let’s bring Hawaii to us.”

Our preschool brought food and activities for the visit.

As seniors, preschool children, and preschool parents entered the social room at the home, music from the CD “Golden Hits Of Hawaii” wafted through the air. (This is a favorite CD of Hawaiian music, and we’ve played it at school on some of our coldest days. The music lifts our spirits every time.)

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As everyone chose a spot to sit, they were invited to make a paper lei.

Paper Hawaiian lei party craft suitable for all ages.

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Next, our school group performed some action songs for seniors and parents. Songs from Dr. Jean Sing Along Read Along books and CDs were our choice. (Dr. Jean has many singing and learning activities available on her website and her YouTube Channel.)

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Hawaiian Party Food

Then refreshments were served. Hawaiian-themed paper plates were passed out.

Little muffins with parasols for decoration were offered.

Muffins decorated with parasols for a Hawaiian party snack.

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Each table got a palm tree scene fruit plate.

Palm tree scene made with fruit and coconut rolls for a Hawaiian party snack.

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Crispy coconut rolls were a last-minute find for the palm tree trunks.

A selection of cookies rounded out the snack options.

A cookie tray with rainbow, oatmeal, and chocolate chip cookies.

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Extra fruit was available to make sure everyone would have some.

Fruit tray with strawberries, blueberries, grapes and honeydew.

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Closing Activity

Our last activity was choosing a Hawaiian-themed picture to color. Scented markers were used for this. The seniors were proud to show us their finished work.

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As we were preparing to leave, many seniors showed appreciation for our visit. They said we brightened their morning, which is what we had hoped for! Preschool parents who helped supervise our activities were complimentary. A good time was had by all.

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Chinese New Year Sensory Bin

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Chinese New Year 2019 Rice Sensory Bin

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The Chinese New Year officially begins on Tuesday, February 5, 2019, and it will be the Year of the Pig. The pig is the 12th and last zodiac animal. Some ancient storied explanations are:

  • The pig was the last to arrive at an important meeting because he slept in.
  • A wolf destroyed the pig’s house so he had to rebuild it before he could get to the meeting.
  • The pig stopped to enjoy a feast while taking part in a race. He resumed the race but not surprisingly came in last.
  • Being pretty pudgy, the pig moved the slowest in the race.

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Fascinating Facts About Pigs

Although pigs often get associated with being smelly and dirty, they keep quite clean if they are in a temperature-controlled environment. They only roll around in dirt when they get hot, and this is because they cannot sweat.
As far as smarts go, pigs are considered to be one of the most intelligent animals in the world.  As pets, they can figure out how to open a cupboard and can be trained to shake a hoof and rollover.

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Predictions For The Year Of The Pig

The Year of the Pig might just be a positive one for everyone!  People born in the Pig Year are attributed with an agreeable personality, balanced lifestyle, hardworking nature, and enjoyment of life. These qualities are thought to have a positive influence on all people.

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Related:

Year Of The Rat Noodle Bin (Chinese New Year 2020)

Year Of The Ox Sensory Tray (Chinese New Year 2021)

Year Of The Tiger Chickpea Bin (Chinese New Year 2022)

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Local Celebrations

In recognition of Chinese New Year, this weekend there will be celebrations all over the city of Edmonton.  Events will include lion and dragon dances, music, dancing, and cultural performances. There will be karaoke singing for seniors and crafts for children.  West Edmonton Mall will host a talent show as part of their itinerary. The University of Alberta will hold a Lunar New Year Gala, so Asian students can celebrate the holiday and make new friendships while staying in Edmonton to further their studies.

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Chinese New Year Sensory Bin

Here’s a sensory bin to celebrate Chinese New Year 2019. The rice base is a neutral color, but colored yellow rice would work well too.

A Chinese New Year 2019 rice sensory bin.

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Items In The Sensory Bin:

  • brown rice
  • red bowls
  • red spoons
  • Asian themed tins
  • small red cups
  • chopsticks
  • gold coins (borrowed from my St. Patrick’s Day stash)
  • gold and red buttons
  • red and gold jewels
  • red garland pieces
  • gold stars
  • toy dragons
  • toy pigs

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