fall

Fall Tablescape Pretend Play

October 30, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Living in Alberta, Canada, it seems a little late to feature a fall activity post. The leaves have almost completely blown off the trees, by fierce winds that seem determined to knock every last one to the ground. But although fall has nearly left us, we are not ready to leave it behind. So here’s one last colorful autumn post…an inviting fall tablescape pretend play center.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies Collected

Pretend play is super fun and imaginative in this fall tablescape pretend play set up early learners are bound to love.

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Fall colors, leaves, and animals feature prominently in this list of gathered supplies:

leaf-themed paper plates
green, yellow, and orange forks and spoons
fall cupcake liners
orange ice cube tray
bowl with owl, leaf, acorn, and apple game pieces
jar with yellow, orange and red felt balls
container with leaf, acorn, pumpkin, and diamond gems
felt animal decorations
orange artificial flower sprig
artificial sunflower heads
large felt maple leaf
muffin pan
cookie sheet
potholder and spatula

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The Fall Tablescape Pretend Play Setup

The list of supplies seems long, but this play tablescape is quick and easy to set up. I started out by setting out the red maple leaf and vase with flowers. Next, I added the plates and cutlery. Then I added the rest of the supplies.

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Loose parts such as gems, felt balls, and game pieces allow children to use their imagination. Little learners love incorporating them in pretend play. For instance, wouldn’t the felt animal decorations make super fancy cookies?

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Seasonal loose parts add a host of imaginative possibilities to this easy-to-put-together fall tablescape pretend play setup.

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Loose parts such as game pieces and felt balls add imaginative possibilities to this easy-to-put-together fall tablescape pretend play setup.

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Can you think of anything I’ve forgotten to set out on the table? It’s fall-themed cups! I didn’t realize they were missing until after I had taken all the pictures.

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Little learners relish playing with seasonal accessories. And it’s especially fun to see their excited response the first day they notice a new play kitchen theme.

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View this Fall Play Tablescape as a video.

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Fall Leaf Salad Spinner Art

October 27, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Fall is well underway in our area of the world, and the leaves on the trees have turned bright shades of red, orange, and yellow in the past few weeks. The colorful leaves provide wonderful inspiration for art projects, and this fall leaf salad spinner art activity is one of my favorites.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies to Collect

For this fun and easy art project, gather the following supplies:

salad spinner
white cardstock paper
red, yellow, green, and orange tempera paint
paint pots
teaspoons
leaf tracer
pencil
scissors

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A beautiful painted leaf made with a salad spinner painting technique. This process art project is bound to be a hit with your little learners.

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The Fall Leaf Salad Spinner Art Project

To do this art project, pick a leaf to trace and cut from white cardstock. I feature a maple leaf, as it fits nicely in a salad spinner and has an interesting shape. Cut out a few paper leaves for each child participating.

Next, pour red, yellow, orange, and green paint into small containers, and add a teaspoon to each paint pot.

Then have participants take turns placing a paper leaf in the spinner, dripping paint colors on top, and spinning the salad spinner as fast as they can.

How to make beautiful fall leaves with a salad spinner painting technique. An easy and fun all-ages art project.

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The resulting paint patterns are always a delightful surprise, and the arty leaves are display-worthy. And they make a great addition to year-end school memory albums.

A beautiful way to create painted fall leaves using a salad spinner technique. And it's so easy and fun.

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Note: I previously featured maple leaf salad spinner art in a Canada Day post. You can download a leaf template (available in that post) to use for this art activity if you wish.

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Beautiful fall leaves created with a salad spinner painting technique. The arty leaves are display-worthy and would be a great additions to year-end school memory albums.

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The salad spinner cleans up surprisingly well with soap and water at the end of the art session.

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Related: Maple Leaf Theme Activities

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DIY Portable Mud Kitchen

October 7, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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I am a huge fan of mud kitchens but also love a DIY portable mud kitchen option. A “to go” mud kitchen that can be taken on nature outings or set anywhere in the classroom is economical and easy to set up. And it offers a multitude of imaginative play opportunities.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Portable Mud Kitchen Supplies

Supplies for a portable mud kitchen that can quickly and easily be set up indoors or outside, Fall leaves are the highlight.

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To make a pop-up mud kitchen, simply use supplies you have on hand. Gather the following:

milk crate
small wire shelves
cardboard box square
play pots and pans
loaf pans and muffin tins
soup spoons
wood slices
pine cones
rocks
leaves
black permanent marker
black crayon
circle tracers

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The DIY Portable Mud Kitchen

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This portable mud kitchen can be set up anywhere. In the classroom, it allows you to bring in natural materials for early learners to explore in an effortless way.

To put it together, start off by using circle tracers (think food container lids) to draw stove burners on a cardboard box square with a black permanent marker. Color in some of the circles with a black crayon.

Place the stove top drawing on an upside-down milk crate. Or draw stove burners on the bottom of a box.

Set the crate and drawing (or box stove) in a sensory table (sand and water table.)

Add small wire shelves (available at dollar stores).

Collect old pots, pans, muffin tins, and serving bowls and place them in the table. Include serving spoons.

Sprinkle in rocks, wood slices, pine cones, and leaves in a variety of colors. Invite little learners to explore the center.

It’s that simple!

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More Mud Kitchen Play

This setup can be taken outside and arranged on the ground or on a bench. Load all the supplies in the crate for easy transport.

A metal bowl “sink”, a pitcher of water, tea cups, whisks, potato mashers, and ladles would add interest and sensory opportunities to this center.

An active world tray positioned on the ground works well as a base instead of a sensory table. Or set up the supplies on a tarp.

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Related: Fall Sensory Play

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Flower Stand Dramatic Play Center

September 12, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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A flower stand dramatic play center can be set up in minutes and will be a colorful, inviting place for your little learners to play. It was this summer’s dramatic play center at my preschool, and absolutely everyone enjoyed it. In addition to making a great spring or summer pretend play area, it’s perfect for Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

Dollar stores are an excellent resource for stocking a flower stand pretend play center, as they often have a good selection of artificial flowers at a low price. Keeping an eye out for flower theme supplies on regular shopping runs will lead to discovering interesting accessories to add to the stand.

Here’s what’s in my flower stand:

a variety of artificial flower branches
small decorative garbage cans
flower-themed plates, bowls, and ice cube trays
pool noodles flower slices
flowery gift bags
bulletin board slabs in a flower shape
flower erasers and reusable ice cubes
flower-themed silicone baking molds
plastic vases
watering cans
gardening gloves
play money
flower stand sign
signs with plant quotes

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The Flower Stand Dramatic Play Center

The flower branches are set out in small decorative garbage cans. They look appealing when organized in individual or analogous colors.

Color sorting artificial flowers in a flower stand dramatic play center is a good way to learn about colors.

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There is no harm in setting out the sprigs randomly. Little learners will eagerly rearrange the blooms in ways that suit them.

These artificial flowers can be arranged by color in a flower stand dramatic play center.

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Other supplies are arranged on a shelf and/or table. This user-friendly shelf on casters houses supplies superbly and is perfect for dramatic play centers.

Flower stand accessories are housed perfectly on a shelf with casters.

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Flower-theme silicone baking cups with different colored inserts are great for developing eye-hand coordination and for discussing colors. In this center, they are repurposed as mini-interchangeable puzzles!

Flower-themed layered baking cups make great mini-puzzles for a flower stand dramatic play center

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Flower-shaped pool noodles cut into thin slices make pretend play “cookies.”

Sliced flower-themed pool noodles make great "cookies" for a flower stand dramatic play center.

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Tip: Slice a pool noodle section into one to two-inch wide flower-shaped treats on a cutting board with a sharp kitchen knife.

Succulents, a last-minute find, add variety and texture to the flower choices. Their smaller size makes them easy for little learners to handle and move around. My preschoolers loved them, so I will definitely be adding more over time.

Artificial succulents are just the right size for little hands and add texture and interest to a flower stand dramatic play center.

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A flower stand sign and quotes about blooms add opportunities to engage with print.

A fower-themed sign and quotes add a literacy component to a flower stand dramatic play center,

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Click here to view the Flower Stand Dramatic Play Center as a video.

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Learning Through Play Possibilities

There is a lot of learning through play potential in this flower stand dramatic play center. The center has opportunities for:

discussing job titles such as florist, cashier, and delivery truck driver.
taking turns to be a customer.
recognizing colors of flowers and accessories.
counting supplies and coins, sorting flowers by color, and discussing large and small bouquets.
experiencing and handling beautiful, aesthetically pleasing things.

A flower-themed cardmaking station would be an awesome center to go along with this flower stand. Little learners would be thrilled to make cards for the store.

A card-making center compliments a flower stand dramatic play center.

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And wouldn’t a flower stand be wonderful in bright, warm fall colors? My flower stand is transitioning to an autumn-themed one next week!

Setting up a flower stand in fall colors is a good way to celebrate the autumn season.

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Apple Theme Activities

August 8, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Apple themed art, sensory and baking ideas for early learners.

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Apples are a handy educational resource. Whether these fruits are picked from a tree, given by a neighbor, or purchased from a store, they shine in early learning projects. Read on for engaging apple theme activities, and projects inspired by them.

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Apple Toothpick Sculptures

Slice up green, red, and yellow apples into small pieces. Dip the chunks in lemon juice to prevent browning, and pile them on a tray. Add toothpicks.

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Invitation to build an apple chunk and toothpick sculpture. Green, red, and yellow apples are used in this construction challenge.

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Early learners enjoy the challenge of creating a structure with toothpicks and apple pieces. They can work by themselves or collaborate with an adult or child.

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Apple chunk and toothpick sculpture. Yello, green, and red apples are used to make a colorful structure.

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Paint Chip Apple Art

Cut apples, stems, and leaves from green, yellow, and red-themed paint chips. Invite your little learners to glue the shapes to a neutral background using a glue stick. The ombre color schemes in paint chips are so attractive in art.

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Rodin Inspired Painted Apples

Early learners love the opportunity to paint fruits or vegetables. The primary colors used for these crab apples are inspired by an Auguste Rodin painting. Gold glitter sprinkled on top adds glam.

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Apples painted in primary colors and sprinkled with glitter. This art activity is inspired by an apple painting by Auguste Rodin.

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Apple Prints

Slice apples in half in two different ways:

vertically from the stem down
horizontally in the middle of the apple

Children enjoy seeing the star-shaped center of the horizontally cut apples.

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Apple print set up with apple halves, black and metallic tempera paints, and gold glitter.

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Offer tempera paints on trays in traditional or unexpected colors. Ask your little learners to dip apple halves in each paint color and press them on a large piece of sturdy art paper. Featured below are black and metallic gold apple prints, with gold glitter sprinkled on for a finishing touch.

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Black and metallic gold apple prints with gold glitter for the finishing touch.

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Apple Fruit Stand

Keep a lookout for apple-themed play props at Dollar stores and art supply stores. Before long you will have a nice supply of accessories for an apple fruit stand.

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Apple Pie

Use ready-made pie crust dough and apple pie filling to make it easy for your little learners to help bake an apple pie.

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An early learner can easily help make this apple pie. It is made with a premade pie crust and apple pie filling.

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Bird And Apple Small World

Apples aren’t only tasty food for people. Many animals, including birds, love them too. This small world is an invitation for early learners to play with rocks, logs, leaves, apples, and bird figurines.

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Small world with apples, bird figurines, tree blocks, rocks, and leaves.

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There are so many apple theme activities available to choose from. And because they are plentiful in fall, they are a popular topic to introduce at the beginning of a new school term. For more apple exploration ideas, check my Pinterest board “Apple Activities For Kids.”

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What is your favorite apple activity? Share in a comment below.

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