Putting The Pretty In Preschool – Page 41 – Finding Beauty In Everyday Early Childhood Experiences

St. Patrick’s Day Tablescape

March 16, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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My preschoolers love loose parts. One of the places they especially enjoy using them is in the play kitchen. Lately, unless loose parts are added to the center, they aren’t too impressed. And so for the first few weeks of March. I set up this St. Patrick’s Day tablescape.

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Supplies To Collect

Set up this inviting St. Patrick's Day tablescape that is filled with green and gold loose parts to spark creative, imaginative play.

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Here are table décor and loose parts to gather for an eye-popping St. Pat’s tablescape. You can go all out in adding accessories or just choose a few items.

shamrock-themed plates, cups, napkins, and serving tray
green bowls, serving utensils, and ice cube tray
orange, green, and yellow cutlery
plastic shamrock “coasters”
yellow, green, and orange fruit and vegetable play food
felt “cookies and pretzels”
green buttons, bottlecaps, eggs, and marbles
leprechaun hat, rainbow, and shamrock erasers
green beads and bead strips cut from garland
yellow and green pom poms
gold and green coins
light up green teddy bear
St. Patrick’s Day necklaces and bracelets
metallic shamrock table scatter
white and green carnations in a plastic jar vase
green or orange plastic tablecloth

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The St. Patrick’s Day Tablescape

Arrange the table décor and loose parts on toy shelves and in play kitchen appliances. There will be many inviting pieces for early learners to explore and use.

Set up this cheery St. Patrick's Day tablescape that is filled with green and gold loose parts and plenty of shamrocks.

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The tablescape above is mostly done in shades of green with a little bit of gold. In the set-up below, an orange tablecloth and green, yellow, and orange produce add color to the play center.

Set up this inviting St. Patrick's Day tablescape that is filled with green, yellow, and orange loose parts to spark creative, imaginative play.

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Including a variety of loose parts allows children to use their imagination in dramatic play. Garland strips become green noodles, marbles transform into pickles, and pot of gold erasers are served as popcorn. Other pieces are used to make cake batter for a triple-layer cake. This serves up a whole lotta fun!

As said earlier, it is okay to set out just a few of the above supplies. They will add interest to dramatic play activities, and help your early learners join in on celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.

Set up this cheery St. Patrick's Day tablescape that is filled with green, yellow, and orange loose parts and plenty of shamrocks.

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Related: St. Patrick’s Day Store

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St. Patrick’s Light Table Tray

March 15, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

A cheeky leprechaun is the highlight of this low-maintenance, easy-to put together St. Patrick's Day light table tray.

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St. Patrick’s Day accessories lend themselves so well to sensory activities and can be used in many different ways. Keeping an eye out for transparent supplies is the key to making this easy, mess-free St. Patrick’s light table tray.

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Supplies To Collect

Transparent gems, gems, and more gems work well for this tray. Select them in different sizes in the colors green, yellow, and brownish gold.

Other supplies to gather are shamrock reusable ice cubes, shamrocks cut from wall decorations, a black pot, a leprechaun figurine, and mini green tongs and drinking cups.

Dot markers and a piece of transparency copy paper come in handy for creating a rainbow.

A clear compartment tray works wonderfully for the bin.

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The St. Patrick’s Light Table Tray

How to put together a St. Patrick's Day sensory tray for the light table.

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First, select a clear compartment tray for the sensory activity.

Next, use dot markers to create a large rainbow on a piece of transparency copy paper. The ink dries rapidly and doesn’t smudge at all. Or draw a rainbow with felt pens on regular copy paper. Afterward, cut the rainbow out and tape it to one end of the tray.

Then add a variety of acrylic gems to the tray.

Set in the shamrock ice cubes and wall decoration pieces.

Lastly, add the drinking cups, salad tongs, pot, and leprechaun. Then set the sensory tray on a light table or light box for early learners to discover.

Children will be excited to sort and rearrange the loose parts in the tray and may spread them all over the lighted surface.

Note: This St. Patrick’s light table tray is low maintenance. It is mess-free and doesn’t require a base ingredient. It works well as an activity on or off the light table.

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Related:

Leprechaun Sensory Jar

Leprechaun Sensory Play

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Shamrock Paper Plate Lion

March 14, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Today while completing a St. Patrick’s Day wreath craft a child held the circular frame to his face and said “lion mask.” Right then and there the idea for this adorable shamrock paper plate lion was formed. After all, shamrocks are perfect lion mane material!

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Supplies To Collect

There are just a few supplies to gather for this roarsome craft:

white paper plate
wiggly eyes
black felt pen
white glue
glue paddle
large sticker shamrocks

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Making The Shamrock Paper Plate Lion

Steps to create a roarsome shamrock paper plate lion perfect for St. Patrick's Day. The craft can also be turned into a mask.

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First, draw a lion’s mouth on a paper plate with a black felt pen.

Next, add a small shamrock sticker nose.

Then glue on two wiggly eyes.

Afterward, draw on whiskers.

Lastly, add a mane using shamrock stickers.

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Note: Paper cut shamrocks can be used if it is difficult to find the sticker variety. And yellow and orange shamrocks would make good substitutes for green ones.

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Lion Craft Variation

Instead of using wiggly eyes, cut out oval eyes to turn this craft into a St. Patrick’s Day lion puppet. Add a chopstick or drinking straw handle for the finishing touch.

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10 Lion Facts

After the craft is completed, share a few lion facts with participants:

Lions live together in groups called prides.
Most lions live in grasslands and savannahs in Africa.
These powerful animals can run fast, jump far, and see very well.
Only male lions have manes, which grow darker with age.
Female lions do most of the hunting. They work as a team to catch their prey.
Lions hunt large animals such as zebras, wildebeests, antelopes, and buffaloes. They will also eat smaller prey like mice, birds, hares, lizards and tortoises.
The loud roar of a lion can be heard miles away.
Lion cubs are tiny and weigh about 3 pounds.
Lions are a symbol of strength, courage, fierceness, and power.

For more interesting lion facts, view the blogpost Lion Facts by factanimal.com.

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A roarsome shamrock paper plate lion to create for St. Patrick's Day. The craft can also be turned into a mask.

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If you are on the prowl for a simple, unique St. Patrick’s Day craft for your early learners to make, this shamrock paper plate lion is the one for you. Why not give it a try?

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Unicorn Marble Painting

March 13, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This unicorn marble painting project is so much fun! Using a frisbee in the activity adds an unexpected element to the art experience. The open-ended process art project results in stunning finished pieces every time, especially when a unicorn template is used. Take advantage of the free one available to download in this post.

A stunning unicorn art project with a marble painting technique. A free template is available to download.

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Supplies To Collect

standard size frisbee
bag of marbles
red, yellow, blue, white, and black tempera paints
paint cups
spoons
white cardstock
metallic red and gold cardstock
9 x 12 inch fadeless yellow construction paper
scissors
glue stick

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The Unicorn Marble Painting Project

The steps for a unicorn marble painting art project that has stunning results every single time. Take advantage of the free template to download.

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Cut a unicorn head from white cardstock. Download this unicorn art template if desired.

A free unicorn template available to download for art and craft projects.

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Unicorn Art PrintableDownload

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Cut a circle moon from metallic gold cardstock, and a horn from red.

Place the unicorn head inside a frisbee. To make things less messy, you could line the frisbee with a paper circle first.

Tip: A shallow box or a baking tray could also be used for the art project.

Pour red, yellow, blue, white, and black tempera paint into small paint cups.

With spoons, drip each color onto the unicorn head.

Drop two marbles into the frisbee.

Tip the disc from side to side, and watch the marbles drag the paint around.

Take the paper unicorn out of the frisbee when you are done and let it dry on a flat surface.

Using a glue stick, adhere the unicorn onto a yellow construction paper background. Add a sparkling red horn, and a gold moon.

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The primary paint colors in addition to black and white give the project a Piet Mondrian look. But the colors may blend to make new ones, which is always exciting!

The art project is so satisfying, your participants will want to make a few of them.

Stunning unicorn art projects with a marble painting technique. A free template is available to download.

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Pirate Treasure Sensory Bin

March 11, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This sparkling pirate treasure sensory bin has loose parts your little mateys will be eager to explore. The low-maintenance bin will spark meaningful discussions and inspire endless creativity. Learning opportunities will naturally happen while children sort through the contents of the bin.

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Supplies To Collect

A treasure trove of loose parts for a pirate theme sesnory bin.

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This treasure-filled bin features the following items:

large blue, red, and clear acrylic diamond gems
round gems
ornamental gold buttons
gold medal and coins
metallic silver and gold round bead necklace strips
large egg-shaped storage containers
miniature treasure chests
skull shovels

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The Pirate Treasure Sensory Bin

The chosen bin for this activity is a red saucer sled, which is inexpensive to buy. It accommodates three or four children at a time.

A gold and gem-filled pirate treasure sensory bin your little mateys will be eager to explore.

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The skull shovels are part of sand playsets. And the “treasure eggs” are toy storage containers repurposed for this activity.

Loaded into the bin are glistening buttons, coins, metallic bead garland strips, a medal, mini treasure chests, and round and diamond acrylic gems. The loose parts fill the tub, so no sensory base is required.

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Benefits Of This Sensory Bin

It’s always exciting to introduce loose parts to children, and the ones in this pirate treasure sensory bin offer a host of learning opportunities:

Describing loose parts (language development)
Sorting and counting pieces (math)
Placing treasures in eggs and chests (eye-hand coordination, fine motor control)
Picking favorite treasures (making choices, noticing beauty)
Discussing heavy and light treasure chests and containers (math)
Guessing “What’s inside the egg?” (making predictions, show and tell)

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The Pirate Treasure Bin In My Classroom

This treasure-filled bin is currently in my preschool classroom, and every day the childrens’ interest in it grows. The red diamonds are imagined as “fire gems”, and the blue ones as “water gems.” The container eggs are described as “power balls”, and the skull shovels are occasionally used as walkie-talkies. Bead garland strips are formed into a heart shape, and a domed button is reimagined as a “snow globe.”

Some children collect a variety of loose parts, and others choose just the coins so they can be rich and buy lots of things!

At times pieces get taken to other play centers, offering additional opportunities for creative thinking.

After a few days of exploring the bin, it is now on the light table, offering “enlightened” opportunities for exploring and sorting.

This pirate treasure sensory bin makes a statement on the light table and inspires many learning opportunities.

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“Arrrrrr” you ready to make this pirate treasure sensory bin? I highly recommend it.

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Related: New Year’s Eve Sensory Tray

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