Putting The Pretty In Preschool – Page 62 – Finding Beauty In Everyday Early Childhood Experiences

Toilet Paper Roll Monsters

October 21, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky 1 Comment

Toilet paper roll monster craft and activities. Easy to make watercolor painted monsters to use with stacking blocks or a red split lentil-based sensory bin.

_______

For most of the year, there has been a plethora of recycled crafts and activities posted on blogs and social media, and toilet paper rolls have been a “hot” material for craft and sensory projects. Debuting in this post are spunky toilet paper roll monsters. They are so simple to make and can be used with toys or in sensory bins for imaginative play.

_______

Supplies To Collect

toilet paper rolls
black permanent felt pen
liquid watercolors or food coloring
paintbrush
napkin or paper towel
googly eyes in various sizes
scissors
glue stick
hot glue gun

_______

Making The Toilet Paper Roll Monsters

Invite your early learner to add a mouth and teeth to toilet paper rolls with a black permanent felt pen.

_______

Mouths and teeth drawing on paper roll monsters.

_______

Set out watercolor paints along with a paintbrush and napkin.

Liquid watercolors for painting toilet paper roll monsters.

_______

Encourage your little one to paint the cardboard rolls, dabbing the paintbrush on the napkin in between hues to remove excess water. The inside of the paper roll tops could be painted as well.

If a paper roll starts to come apart because of wetness, attach large paper clips to the loose parts. After the paint dries, use a glue gun to reassemble the tube.

Paper clips attached to a toilet paper roll that has come apart after being painted.

_______

When the toilet paper rolls are dry, ask your little learner to add googly eyes. Adhesive wiggle eyes are the easiest to attach. A glue stick or glue gun can be used to add non-adhesive eyes.

Toilet paper roll monsters ready to get their hair snipped and fashioned.

_______

Eyes can be drawn on the monsters with the permanent felt pen if craft eyes aren’t available to use.

Offer your early learner scissors to snip and style the top part of the paper rolls into “monster hair.”

_______

Toilet Paper Roll Monster Imaginative Play

These peppy monsters can be set out with a construction toy such as stacking blocks for your little learner to use in imaginative play.

Toilet paper roll monsters with stacking blocks ready for imaginative play.

_______

The monsters are the highlight of this red split lentil-based sensory bin your early learner will love sifting through. Included are loose parts and stacking blocks that double up as scoops.

Toilet paper roll monsters in a red split lentil-based sensory bin perfect for imaginary play.

_______

Which of these toilet paper roll monsters is your favorite? Share in the comments section below.

Toilet paper roll monsters on display on stacking blocks.

_______

Related: Monster-Themed Snacks

_______

[Read more…]

Scented Playdough Activities

October 18, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

This two-ingredient playdough is super aromatic and has a unique consistency. It is easy and quick to make and inspires endless scented playdough activities.

Scented playdough activities with an easy to make, two-ingredient recipe. Three dough variations and six sensory play invitations are featured.

_____

Playdough Ingredients

The only ingredients needed are cornstarch and scented hair conditioner. Low-cost perfumed conditioners can be picked up at Dollar stores and local grocery stores. Food coloring is an optional third ingredient.

_______

Below are the supplies to collect for three scented playdough variations.

_______

Green Apple Playdough

One cup of green apple scented conditioner
Two cups cornstarch
Green food coloring (optional)

_______

Strawberry Playdough

One cup of strawberry-scented conditioner
Two cups cornstarch
Red food coloring (optional)

_______

Coconut Playdough

One cup of coconut-scented conditioner
Two cups cornstarch
Yellow food coloring (optional)

_______

Making The Scented Playdough

Mix one kind of scented conditioner and cornstarch together in a bowl, and knead them for further blending. Add a squeeze more conditioner if the dough is dry, or a tad more cornstarch if the dough is mushy. The soft playdough responds superbly to human touch.

Green apple playdough batch using two ingredients and optional food coloring. A dreamy, soft playdough that responds well to human touch.

_______

The dough will be a light pastel color. To produce a deeper hue, add a generous amount of food coloring to the batch.

Two-ingredient scented playdough with food coloring ready to knead in.

_______

Dreamy, two-ingredient scented playdough in three varieties.

_______

If using this playdough recipe more than once, add a little more conditioner and cornstarch and knead till you get a workable dough again.

_______

Scented Playdough Activities

Apple Themed Playdough Invitations

Offer the scented playdoughs, toothpicks, and apple tree leaves for your little learner to create apples.

Invitation to create apples with scented, two-ingredient playdough, toothpicks, and apple leaves.

_______

Apples created with scented, two-ingredient playdough, toothpicks, and apple leaves.

_______

Set out green apple playdough for your little one to explore along with apple cookie cutters, gems, leaves, a cutting board, and an ice cube tray.

Apple themed playdough invitation with apple cutting board, ice cube tray, cookie cutters, leaves, and gems.

_______

Related: Apple Theme Activities

Coconut Playdough Sun

Offer coconut playdough on a tray with golf tees, buttons, and gems. Invite your early learner to create a sun.

Invitation to play with coconut-scented, two-ingredient playdough and buttons, gems, and golf tees.

_______

A playdough sun created with coconut-scented, two-ingredient playdough and buttons, gems, and golf tees.

_______

Coconut Playdough Beach Scene

Put together a tray with coconut playdough and beach-themed loose parts. Let your little one freely manipulate the playdough and add accessories.

Invitation to explore scented, two-ingredient playdough with tropical-themed accessories.

_______

Surprise accessory: You may notice the snowmen cookie cutters on this tray. They have a special purpose which will be revealed in a future post.

_______

Bonus: The tropical fruit toothpicks add color to the playdough.

Tropical fruit toothpicks leave color on the scented, two-ingredient playdough.

_______

Playdough Ice Cream Cones

Set out all three kinds of playdough along with a scoop and real or plastic ice cream cones. Invite your little learner to add “ice cream” to the cones.

Invitation to create ice cream cones with scented, two-ingredient playdough and accessories.

_______

Ice cream cones created with scented, two-ingredient playdough and accessories.

_______

Green Apple Slime

Add additional green apple conditioner to the apple perfumed playdough to transform it into slime. Scoop the sludge into a bowl and set it out with a pumpkin and buttons. Allow your little one to explore the new consistency, and embellish the pumpkin with slime and buttons.

Invitation to explore scented conditioner slime and use it with buttons to decorate a pumpkin.

_______

These dreamy scented playdough activities are sure to be a hit with your little learner. Which activity is your favorite? Share below in the comments section.

_______

[Read more…]

Celery Science Experiment

October 14, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky 2 Comments

Celery and food coloring science experiment.

_______

This classic and colorful celery science experiment is easy to do and has quick results. It works well as a “color-changing celery tree” activity in autumn but is awesome to perform at any time of the year. Your early learner will be thrilled with the speedy and dramatic results of the experiment.

_______

Supplies To Collect

leafy celery stalks
glasses or jars
food coloring hues
pitcher with water
knife
cutting board

Celery and food coloring experiment supplies.

_______

Procedure

Cut the bottoms from celery stalks.

Invite your early learner to generously squirt food coloring hues into glasses or jars, and add about 4 centimeters of water to each one.

Have your child place a celery stalk in each container, and use it to stir the liquids.

Set the jars or glasses with celery on a table or windowsill.

Celery xylem are clearly visible in this closeup photo.

_______

Invite your little learner to look at the celery after a couple of hours. There will be a noticeable change in celery stalk and leaf colors.

Observe the celery with your child the following day. The leaves will be a darker shade of the water hue their stalk was set in than the day before. Colored lines running from the bottom of the stalks to the leaf tips will be clearly visible.

Add a little more water to each container if needed. Study the celery together a day or two later. The leaves and lines on the stalks will be a deeper color still.

Try the experiment with other food coloring hues. The leafy inner stalks below are dipped in turquoise, purple, and green-colored water.

Celery and food coloring experiment using turquoise, fuschia, and green colored water.

_______

Admire the transformed celery.

Color change in celery as a result of adding food coloring to the water.

_______

Variation Of The Celery Science Experiment

Cut off the ends of celery stalks, and split the bottom half of the stalks into two parts.

_______

Invite your child to squirt blue, yellow, and red food coloring into glasses or jars, and mix each hue with a bit of water.

Carefully place a section of one split celery stalk in red water, and the other in yellow. Put the bottom halves of another split celery stalk into yellow and blue water.

Celery stalks placed in two different jars of colored water.

_______

Observe the celery with your little one after a couple of hours, the next day, and two days later.

You will see colored lines that extend from the bottoms of the celery stalks to the leaves. Each stalk will have lines and leaves in two different colors.

_______

The Science Behind The Celery Color Change Experiment

Celery stalks lose water through their leaves. More water gets pulled up from their roots to thirsty leaf tips through a network of hollow tubes called xylem.

The normally invisible process of water transport becomes visible when water accessible to celery stalks is colored.

_______

The little dots on these celery slices are xylem tubes.

The colored dots on these celery slices are xylem tubes that transport water.

_______

[Read more…]

Horse Chestnut Leaf Art Activities

October 12, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

A horse chestnut leaf featured in five easy to do art projects that are suitable for all ages.

_______

Horse chestnut tree leaves are sizable and showy and have that “wow” factor. They are deep green compound leaves with five to seven leaflets that live on a tree that is beautiful throughout the seasons. The palmate leaves are showcased along with large, spiked flowers in spring. They turn golden yellow in autumn and are accompanied by dramatic, prickly lime green fruits that are coverings for ultra-smooth nut-like seeds called conkers. The leaves are a spectacular subject for art. Featured in this post are five horse chestnut leaf art activities that are easy to do with your early learners.

_______

Horse chestnut tree flowers in spring. — Flowers in spring.

_______

Horse chestnut tree with fruit in autumn. — Leaves and fruit in autumn.

_______

Horse chestnut tree conkers on the left, and broken fruit casings on the right. — Conkers and empty fruit casings.

_______

Horse Chestnut Leaf Art Activities

Leaf Print

Set a horse chestnut leaf face down on a table with a paintbrush and tempera paint. Invite your child to paint the leaf, turn it over, and press it down on a sturdy piece of art paper.

Horse chestnut leaf paint print invitation.

_______

Have your little one rub all over the painted leaf carefully, and remove it from the paper.

Horse chestnut leaf paint print in a black and white color scheme.

_______

A blackish paint produces an unexpected, striking black and white color scheme.

_______

Leaf Dot Art

Invite your little learner to place a large horse chestnut leaf on a piece of paper, and decorate the area around it with dot markers.

Dot marker art with a horse chestnut leaf.

_______

Horse chestnut leaves are perfect for dot marker art.

_______

Removing the leaf reveals a white silhouette.

_______

Watercolor Resist Leaf

On a large, sturdy piece of paper, help your child trace around a horse chestnut leaf with a black pastel crayon. Carefully remove the leaf, and encourage your little one to add a midrib and veins to the leaflets. Offer a paintbrush and containers of liquid watercolors for painting the drawing. Food coloring hues mixed with small amounts of water can also be used.

Horse chestnut leaf watercolor resist art project set up.

_______

Horse chestnut leaf watercolor resist art project.

_______

View a video tutorial of this watercolor resist leaf art project.

Watercolor resist leaf art video tutorial.

_______

Crayon Relief Leaf

Ask your early learner to place the compound leaf under a piece of thin paper. Offer a selection of peeled crayons. Have your little one rub over the leaf with crayons held upright or laid flat.

A pastel rainbow color scheme adds softness to this art project.

Horse chestnut leaf rubbing with crayons.

_______

Foil Leaf Rubbing

Place a horse chestnut leaf face down on a table. Lay a slightly larger piece of aluminum foil over it. Help your child gently press the foil over and around the midribs, veins, petiole, and edges of the leaf.

Horse chestnut leaf aluminum foil rubbing set up.

_______

Horse chestnut leaf aluminum foil rubbing.

_______

If you are lucky enough to have a horse chestnut tree close to where you live, it can be fabulous to study and photograph throughout the seasons. And horse chestnut leaf art activities add ambiance to home or classroom decor from spring to autumn.

_______

Do you have a favorite horse chestnut leaf art activity or a preferred leaf for art? I’d love to hear about it in the comment section below.

_______

[Read more…]

Turkey Sensory Tubes

October 3, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

Here are three quick and inviting turkey sensory tubes to put together for a Thanksgiving, fall, or farm theme. I used large water bottles with wide mouths purchased at a dollar store for these activities. Offer the tubes to little learners and have them “spot the turkeys.”

_______

Three "Spot The Turkey" sensory tubes. Split pea and lentil base, glitter water base, and craft material base sensory tube ideas.

_______

Split Pea And Lentil Based Sensory Tube

Split pea and lentil-based turkey sensory tube with turkey counters, and leaf, pumpkin, and apple gems.

_______

This calming turkey sensory tube features a red split lentil and yellow split pea base. Also included are:

red, orange, and yellow rubber turkey counters
pumpkin and apple gems
fall round and leaf gems

_______

Glitter Water Sensory Tube

_______

Water sprinkled with a little orange glitter is the base for this glitzy sensory tube. Red, orange, and yellow turkey counters and apple, pumpkin, leaf, and round gems complete the tube.

_______

Craft Supply And Gem Sensory Tube

Cardstock paper in an array of fall hues is the color guide for this cheery turkey sensory tube.

_______

The color guide for a Frozen 2 inspired sensory bin.

_______

Added to the tube are:

purple turkey counters
red, orange, and purple feathers and pompoms
gold, red, and orange foil leaves
pumpkin, apple, leaf, and round gems
green apple counters

Glitter water sensory tube with turkey counters, and leaf, pumpkin, diamond, and apple gems.

_______

The turkeys can be exchanged for Frozen II figurines to go along with the heartwarming storybook “We’ll Always Have Each Other” by John Edwards. Read about a Frozen II inspired sensory bin here:

Frozen II Inspired Sensory Bin

_______

Fall-colored loose parts are featured in these three turkey sensory tubes. But the color theme can be changed to fit any season the tubes are offered in.

Turkey math counters and fall-themed loose parts. — **Turkey Counters And Fall-Themed Loose Parts**

_______

[Read more…]