Putting The Pretty In Preschool – Page 38 – Finding Beauty In Everyday Early Childhood Experiences

Dessert Bar Play Center

May 8, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Hands down this dessert bar play center is one of my preschooler’s favorites. It was available for a month this past March/April and played in every single school day.

Your little learners will love playing in this tasty dessert bar dramatic play center with a coffee brewing station.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

No store is off-limits when gathering supplies for this tasty dramatic play center. Since it’s easy to find play food and kitchenware sets, the center is pretty effortless to put together.

Items in this dessert bar are:

a variety of cupcakes and cookies
brownie set
muffins
pie
cake slice
disposable plates
cutlery
cups and saucers
food trays
coffee brewing set
cash register
play money
vase with flowers

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The Dessert Bar Play Center

A shelving unit showcases the desserts beautifully.

Delectable dessert bar play food displayed on a shelf with see-through cubicles.

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A table and chair set make a cozy area to “eat” dessert. A mammoth mom and baby joined in this setup!

A dessert bar tablescape ready to be enjoyed by little learners.

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A play coffee brewing set is nice to have. Mine came from a discount store, and the children loved making and serving coffee with it.

A coffee brewing station is a fun addition to a dessert bar dramatic play center.

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This elegant little tray was a happy find at a dollar store, and I snapped up a few. They weren’t available long, so I’m sure other people realized how special they were too. The shiny trays showcase the desserts well.

A shiny play tray to add elegance to a dessert bar play center.

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A sign and menu posted on a wall indicate the type of restaurant and what is served. Pictures of desserts accompanied by captions help create an ambiance.

Add ambiance to a dessert bar play center with a sign, menu, and pictorial quotes.

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The menu is helpful to check prices and see how much to pay for orders. When the food is laid out like a chart, it makes it easy for preschoolers to add up how much an order costs.

Make a graph with play food to show how much a dessert bar order costs.

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Benefits Of The Dessert Bar Center

Aside from counting and addition opportunities, this center allows children to make choices by selecting desserts. And they can practice turn-taking and role-playing by being the server and the customer.

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Enhancing The Dessert Bar

After a few days, setting out a new dessert such as a play cake set would help keep children’s interest in the center going. And pictorial signs attached to shelving cubicles would enhance the literacy component and give opportunities for sorting and matching desserts. Can you think of anything else to add?

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Your little learners will love playing in this tasty dessert bar pretend play center with a coffee brewing station.

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This dessert bar play center is bound to be a hit with your little learners. Just a few supplies provide many opportunities for vibrant learning through play. Start out with economical play food, such as dollar store cupcake and cake sets. The selection of desserts need not be elaborate…children will love the center no matter how big or small it is.

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Related: Winter Wonderland Tablescape

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Rainbow Sensory Tray

May 5, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

There are so many rainbow images and activities posted online in March, and most are associated with leprechauns and St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. But I’m introducing this rainbow sensory tray (with a container for “gold)” in May since the colorful arcs will be a common sight in the sky in the coming months.

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This rainbow sensory tray makes a perfect spring activity. It is designed for a light table but works on a regular one too.

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Rainbows and a stash of gold have other meanings than those suggested in the leprechaun legends we are familiar with. For instance, a rainbow represents an effort-filled journey towards a goal. The journey itself is meaningful and beautiful, just like a rainbow. The resulting accomplishment is the “pot of gold.” Completing post-secondary education, learning to drive a car, or buying a home are examples of worthy goals.

The colors in a rainbow can represent character qualities helpful in achieving goals in life:

Vibrant red represents strength and energy.
Luscious orange signifies optimism and spontaneity.
Bright yellow oozes creativity.
Green stands for peacefulness and balance.
Tranquil blue suggests honesty and reliability.

And other than coins or a difficult goal achieved, a ”pot of gold” may signify a great friend, a home with a loving family, or valuable skills and insights learned.

And so…a rainbow and pot of gold sensory activity is appropriate any time of the year!

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Supplies To Collect

Colorful transparent reusable ice cubes are the "stars" of this cheery rainbow sensory tray designed for a light table.

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For this cheery sensory tray, gather the following supplies:

a clear rectangular serving tray
transparent reusable ice cubes in a variety of colors
gold acrylic pebble gems
large clear, flat acrylic gems
a small, clear container and a large spoon

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Setting Up The Rainbow Sensory Tray

Transparent gems and star-shaped reusable ice cubes are the highlights of this rainbow sensory tray.

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This sensory tray can be set up in minutes:

First, arrange the ice cubes in a rainbow design on a clear rectangular tray.
Next, add clear rock-shaped gems to be clouds at the rainbow ends.
Then sprinkle in gold gems to represent coins.
Lastly, add the clear container and a large spoon for scooping.

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The tray is designed to be offered on a light table or lightbox. But it would work fine as a play invitation on a regular table too.

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Do you want to learn how rainbows form in the sky? Click here for a simple explanation:

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Felt Marker Color Exploration

May 1, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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So – many – beautiful – hues! That‘s what your little learners will create while engaging in this felt marker color exploration invitation. The activity is easy and economical to set up and the science experiment is as interesting to children as any other project out there.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies to Collect

Gather the following supplies. Most can be found in the kitchen, so you probably already have them!

plastic tablecloth
water-based felt markers
office paper
craft foam
paper towels
clear plastic or white styrofoam egg cartons
compartment trays
scissors
jug of water

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Create beautiful hues with this felt marker color exploration invitation. The activity is easy and economical to set up!

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The Felt Marker Color Exploration Set Up

First, cover a table with a plastic tablecloth.

Next cut paper, paper towels, and craft foam into 2-inch x 3-inch strips.

For each participant, fill sections of an egg carton with water. Or add water to empty tempera block trays.

Then set up stations with strips of paper and foam, and a water-filled egg carton or compartment tray.

Add a set of water-based felt markers to each spot.

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Exploring Color With Felt Pens And Markers

An easy and economical felt marker color exploration activity your children will love to do!

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Invite participants to decorate foam and paper strips with felt markers, and then dip the strips into egg carton sections. The water will turn a variety of colors, resulting in exquisite transient art. Such a fun science experiment with an artistic flair!

The colored water in the clear egg cartons below is the work of several students. I was so impressed with the many colors they created. The plastic egg cartons are set on a light table so the hues display clearly. Aren’t they gorgeous?

So many beautiful hues can be created with this felt marker color exploration activity.

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Related:

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Ladybug Sensory Tray

April 24, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

This ladybug sensory tray is filled with flowers. It is a great example of how an easy-to-set-up activity can provide so much enjoyment to children, and also have educational outcomes.

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Ladybugs And Flowers

Did you know that ladybugs (also known as lady beetles or ladybird beetles) and flowers go hand in hand? This is because the spotted, well-loved bugs are attracted to the nectar (a source of protein,) and pollen (a carbohydrate energy source) in flowers.

And as they travel from flower to flower, ladybugs transport pollen, fertilizing blooms as they go.

Some flower varieties ladybugs especially love are:

marigolds
nasturtium
cosmos
yarrow
sunflowers
zinnias
sweet alyssum
scented geraniums

Ladybugs are also helpful in a flower patch because their main food source is tiny, green, pesky aphids. These pests suck nutrient-rich juices from plant parts and multiply quickly.

An adult ladybug can munch on up to fifty aphids a day. They eat other bugs as well as flower pollen and nectar to supplement their diet.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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The Ladybug Sensory Tray

A color-filled ladybug and flower sensory tray. Facts about ladybugs and blooms included.

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This tray is effortless to set up, and your little learners will be eager to explore it.

For the base, I feature a large, square serving tray. It’s easy for little ones to reach in and reorganize the pieces.

Craft punched paper flowers are arranged in the tray, along with artificial plant leaves and a few smooth rocks.

As my ladybug figurines are buried in a large bin, I use craft foam ladybugs in two different sizes. The light, oversized bugs add interest to the tray.

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If flowers are plentiful in your area, you can add real ones to your bin. The tray below features a few kinds of sunflowers.

For an alternative to ladybug figurines, painted rock bugs are an inexpensive choice.

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Do you love ladybugs or need some around to combat aphids? Why not plant flowers that they are attracted to in your flower patch or container garden.

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Related: Ladybug Wand Craft

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Easter Transient Art

April 17, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Here are three easy Easter transient art activities using egg, chick, and bunny designs as a base. They’ll add color and style to any Easter or spring theme.

Set out these adorable, party-ready Easter transient art activities using easy-to-find supplies. The activities also work for a spring theme.

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What Is Transient Art?

Transient art is non-permanent art using craft materials and/or loose parts. It is open-ended and process-oriented. The art can be designed and redesigned by the same child, or by different children. It allows children to be creative in a non-threatening environment.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

Gather the following for these Easter transient art activities:

wood canvas boards
wall art frames
undecorated wood bunny, chick, and egg plaques
circle, flower, and butterfly paper punches
turquoise, green, yellow, orange, pink, and purple cardstock paper
12-inch x 18-inch yellow, pink, and blue construction paper
glue stick
scissors
pencil

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The Easter Transient Art Process

Adorable, party-ready bunny and egg transient art activities using easy-to-find supplies. The activities also work for a spring theme.

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First, select inexpensive unfinished wood plaques with an Easter or spring theme. The bunny, egg, and chick plaques featured here were purchased at a Dollar store. I was originally looking for just a bunny, but was excited to happen upon all three designs!

Next, pick wooden canvas boards and/or wall art frames that are slightly bigger than the plaques.

Then cut 12-inch x 18-inch construction paper in colors of choice to fit inside the frames or canvas board backs.

Punch out flowers and butterflies from spring-colored cardstock. Punch circles and glue contrasting colored ones to the flower centers.

Lastly, set the plaques on a table in frames or canvases, and add the paper punched shapes.

Set up this Easter egg transient art invitation for your child today! An easy, non-threatening spring activity.

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Invite children to pick an egg, chick, or bunny design to decorate with paper shapes.

Oh, so pretty spring chick transient art activity using easy-to-find supplies. A permanent artwork can also be created.

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Oh, so pretty Easter bunny transient art activity using easy-to-find supplies. A permanent artwork can also be created.

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Oh, so pretty Easter egg transient art activity using easy-to-find supplies. A permanent artwork can also be created.

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Tips:

For an economical alternative, a homemade cardstock frame can be used instead of the canvas board or art frames.
And die cut, foam, and felt craft supply butterflies and flowers can be substituted for paper punched ones.

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Permanent Art Projects

After children have had a chance to create transient art projects, they may wish to complete a finished work. White glue could be used to adhere the flowers and butterflies to the plaques. Or you could offer cardstock bunnies, chicks, and eggs as templates.

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Oh, so pretty Easter chick transient art activity using easy-to-find supplies. A permanent artwork can also be created.

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Oh, so pretty spring bunny transient art activity using easy-to-find supplies. A permanent artwork can also be created.

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