loose parts

Scissor Skill Heart Collage

February 10, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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A simple but effective activity to plan is a scissor skill heart collage invitation. Early learners will be able to explore luxurious craft supplies with unique properties and textures and complete a display-worthy project.

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Craft Supplies To Collect

Gather craft supplies that can be cut and glued in the color scheme of your choice. I feature traditional Valentine’s Day hues, but any color scheme would work beautifully. Cut the materials a little smaller if desired, but keep them large enough for little ones to trim some more.

Luxurious craft supply tray for heart collage crafts.

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Included in this first compartment tray are:

pipe cleaners
crepe paper
tin foil
metallic purple paper
foam strips
heart patterned ribbon strips
thin and thick ribbon strips
lace
paper doily pieces
white and red bead garland
heart garland
scissors

Red, pink, and white craft supply tray for heart collage projects.

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This second craft supply tray holds:

pink and white crepe paper
rose petals
foam pieces
Valentine’s envelopes
white yarn
cream lace
paper strips
red, gold, and white ribbon
white bead garland

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Making The Heart Collage Projects

Cut large hearts from fadeless construction paper.

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Divide up the craft supplies into small trays.

Set up stations with a craft supply tray, pair of scissors, paper heart, white glue, and glue paddle.

Invitation to cut and glue luxurious craft supplies to make a heart collage.

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Invite early learners to cut the supplies and glue them onto their hearts.

After the embellished hearts dry, hot glue a bow onto each one. Add loops of thin ribbon for hanging the crafts.

Scissor skill heart collage made by cutting and glueing luxurious craft supplies.

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This scissor skill heart collage project gives little ones a chance to strengthen their finger muscles while learning how to cut and glue a variety of craft supplies. And the collaged hearts are sure to be treasured by loved ones.

Scissor skill heart collage projects made by cutting and glueing luxurious craft supplies.

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Valentine’s Day Playdough Activities

February 7, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Valentine's Day playdough recipes and loose parts trays. A basic recipe with color variations and a jello playdough recipe is featured.

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Playdough is a shoo-in for any Valentine’s Day theme. There are so many heart loose parts available to use, and who doesn’t like the chance to include red and pink colors in their play? In this post, I’ve included a basic playdough recipe and a jello recipe. The basic recipe includes color variations made with neon food colors. All the recipes are easy to use for introducing Valentine’s Day playdough activities to your little learners.

But first, the loose parts!

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Valentine’s Day Loose Parts Trays

Here are two playdough trays brimming with loose parts. The tray below includes:

Valentine's Day playdough tray with loose parts and pink and white dough recipes.

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rubber heart game pieces
X and O game pieces
toothpick cupcake toppers
wooden, gem, and foam hearts
buttons
heart erasers
natural colored gems
cookie cutters and rolling pin

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This second tray includes:

Valentine's Day playdough tray with loose parts and blueberry, white, and lilac dough recipes.

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heart bead garland
red and white bead garland
white and red gems
wooden, gem, and eraser hearts
large red beads
buttons
X and O game pieces
lollipop sticks

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Basic Playdough Recipe

Valentine's Day playdough tray with loose parts and red, pink and white dough recipes.

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My go-to basic playdough recipe has the following ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
4 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 cups water
3 tablespoons oil

Add the first three ingredients to a sturdy pot and mix together.

Stir two tablespoons oil into two cups of water.

Add the water and oil to the dry ingredients and combine.

Heat on the stove on medium heat.

Stirring frequently, cook until the mixture is no longer glossy and the dough forms a ball.

Scoop the dough on to a cutting board.

Knead when cool, adding in one tablespoon more oil.

Store the playdough in a sealed plastic bag.

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Jello Playdough

To make deep, pinkish-red strawberry playdough, boil the water and stir in two 85 gram packages of strawberry jello powder. Next, mix in two tablespoons of oil. Add the hot colored water mixture to the dry ingredients in a pot as above, and finish making the recipe the same way.

To make the pastel blue playdough, use one 85 gram package of blueberry jello.

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Food Coloring Playdough

To make the lilac playdough, stir a few generous squirts of neon purple food coloring into the pot of mixed wet and dry ingredients. Then heat the mixture and finish making the recipe as above.

To make the pastel pink-colored playdough, add a few squirts of neon pink food coloring to the pot. The more food coloring you add, the darker the playdough will get.

Note: These recipes make a batch of playdough for up to five children to use.

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Valentine’s Day Playdough Invitation

Set out loose parts on a tray with playdough colors of choice. Add rolling pins and cookie cutters if desired, and watch your little charges create.

Valentine's Day-themed playdough and loose parts tray.

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Any questions about the playdough recipes? Leave a comment below!

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More Playdough Recipes and Activities

Apple Playdough Tray

Edible Playdough Turkey Crafty

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Scented Playdough Activities

Pumpkin Playdough Activities

Gingerbread Playdough

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Orange-scented Playdough Invitation

Chocolate Mint Playdough

Christmas Playdough

Santa Claus Playdough Tray

Valentine’s Day Playdough Activities

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St. Patrick’s Day Playdough Tray

Easter Playdough Tray

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Valentine’s Day Sensory Tubes

February 6, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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With so many Valentine’s Day bits and baubles available to purchase or collect, it is easy to gather little pieces for sensory tubes. And Valentine’s Day sensory tubes are fun to put together.

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Sensory Tube Loose Parts

Valentine's day loose parts tray with pieces for sensory tubes.

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Here’s a few supplies that would work well in the sensory tubes:

X and O game pieces
rainbow and heart erasers
heart and jewel-shaped gems
small buttons
heart garland strips
bead garland strips
rubber hearts
foam hearts

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Assembling The Valentine’s Day Sensory Tubes

Pick a few things from the loose parts list to drop in wide-mouthed water bottles with lids that secure on tightly. Then add water to each one. Set the tubes out on a table for little learners to investigate.

Valentine's Day sensory tubes with red, pink, and purple loose parts.

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Float and sink experimenting works well with these sensory tubes. In the one on the left, X and O game pieces float to the top. Foam hearts float and erasers and gems sink in the middle tube. And in the one on the right, heart-shaped gems sink to the bottom.

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Sensory tubes with Valentine's Day themed loose parts.

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Chinese Money Tree Activities

February 2, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Chinese money trees have been part of Chinese New Year celebrations since the 1980s and are a symbol of luck and wealth. People buy money trees for their homes and place them in strategic places. They also purchase and display shiny, metallic tree ornaments laden with gold coins. Here are art and sensory Chinese money tree activities your early learners will enjoy.

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Chinese Money Tree Tray

Set a tree-drawing inside a wooden tray. Add containers with Chinese coins and green and gold gems.

Invitation to decorate a Chinese money tree with gold coins and acrylic gems.

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Feel free to download this template for the project.

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Tree PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Invite your little learners to decorate the tree.

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Winter Sensory Trays

January 10, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Snowflake confetti makes an eye-catching base for three simple winter sensory trays. Combined with a few accessories, it sets the stage for sparkly sensory play experiences your little learners will delight in.

The find: shiny snowflake and dot confetti in a blue, silver, and white color scheme.

Basic Winter Sensory Tray

Supplies to collect:

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snowflake confetti
turquoise gems
silver and white bead garland strips
large silver snowflakes
star cups
clear spoons

Set in a tray, these pieces make the perfect hands-on sensory activity for your little ones to celebrate winter with.

Snowflake studded winter sensory tray filled with shiny pieces.

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Shiny pieces rule in this snowflake confetti based winter sensory tray.

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Polar Bear Sensory Tray

In this tray, the star cups and spoons are replaced with cube-shaped “ice cube” acrylic gems and an ice floe cut from styrofoam. Polar bear figurines are set on and around the ice floe.

Polar bear winter sensory tray with a snowflake confetti base and shiny loose parts.

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Polar sensory tray with a snowflake confetti base and shiny loose parts.

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Polar animal-themed loose parts tray. — **Polar Sensory Tray Loose Parts**

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Penguin Sensory Tray

The bears are out and a variety of penguins are in! Styrofoam packing chips are added to the mix. The penguins are propped on the ice floe and ice chunks, or swimming in the water. Cotton balls would also be a good fit for this tray.

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Penguin sensory tray with a winter-themed loose parts in a snowflake confetti base.

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White rice or paper snowflake confetti can be substituted as the base in these glitzy, easy-to-set-up winter sensory trays your little learners will love.

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Winter Playdough Recipe

Blue Candy Cane Science Experiment

Igloo Camping Pretend Play

Polar Bear Small World

Painting Ice and Snow

Winter Wreath Paper Plate Craft

Ice Drum Musical Instruments

Frozen-Inspired Shadow Box

Scissor Skill Snow Cutting Activities

Spray Paint Snowflake Silhouette

Kid’s Winter Wonderland Play Tablescape

Snowman Sensory Play

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Scissor Skill Gingerbread Man Craft

December 19, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Gingerbread man craft with scissor skill opportunities. Christmas-themed craft supplies are used to decorate the kraft paper gingerbread man.

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Gingerbread man stories and activities are definitely one of the most fun parts of Christmas. Including them in my preschool plans is an annual routine.

After reading a few fun-filled gingerbread man picture books to my preschoolers this month, I was eager to set out a scissor skill gingerbread man craft so they could explore beautiful bits and baubles and practice cutting and gluing. This activity would be easy to set up for the little learners in your life.

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Craft Materials To Collect

Gather Christmas-themed craft materials that can be cut and glued, or simply glued.

Compartment sorting tray with Christmas-themed craft supplies.

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Included in this compartment sorting tray are:

gingerbread man themed cupcake liners
striped straws
cream lace
Christmas bows
pompoms
feathers
pipe cleaners
tissue paper squares
bead garland
thick ribbon pieces

The color scheme for this scissor skill craft is red, yellow, green, gold, and cream.

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Making The Gingerbread Man Craft

Cut gingerbread people from kraft cardstock.

Gingerbread man template traced onto kraft cardstock paper, ready to be cut out.

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Or cut them from brown paper grocery bags.

Paper bag ready to be cut into gingerbread men for a collage craft.

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Use your own pattern or download this gingerbread man printable.

Gingerbread man printable for art and craft activities.

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Gingerbread Man TemplateDownload

This printable is for personal or one classroom use only.

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Ask your early learners to stick two adhesive wiggly eyes to their gingerbread person.

Adhesive wiggly eyes added to a kraft paper gingerbread man.

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Then invite them to cut shapes from the craft materials, and adhere the bits with white glue. Pompoms and bows can be glued on as is.

Invitation to cut and glue Christmas-themed craft supplies to decorate a kraft paper gingerbread man.

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Images on a gingerbread-themed tablecloth set out for the craft offer decorating inspiration.

After the gingerbread people dry, display and admire them!

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Paper gingerbread man craft. Children practice scissor skills while decorating the gingerbread man with Christmas-themed craft supplies.

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Click here for Scissor Skill Tips

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This scissor skill gingerbread man craft gives early learners a chance to create a unique gingerbread person. And the craft is sure to be treasured by children’s loved ones.

Gingerbread man decorated with Christmas-themed craft supplies.

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Christmas Sensory Play

December 15, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Christmas-themed sensory play with festive loose parts in a rice based tray and a water tub.

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With a host of seasonal loose parts available to purchase in the fall, Christmas sensory play experiences are easy and economical to put together. These two festive tubs are sure to delight your little learners.

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Christmas Rice Sensory Tray

Glutinous rice is the base for this tray. The word glutinous means glue-like; the rice does not contain gluten. The grains are super white, showcasing the loose parts in the tray. But any kind of rice would work well.

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Pour a layer of rice into a tray or plastic tub. Add loose parts from the list below, or substitute accessories you have available. Invite your early learners to explore the tray.

Loose parts:

red, green, and white buttons
ice cube stars, snowmen, and trees
acrylic gem snowflakes and lights
metallic snowflakes
foam Christmas shapes and alphabet letters
candy-striped straws
red bowl and spoon

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Christmas-themed loose parts tray for sensory play.

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Additional containers for pouring and filling could be included.

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Christmas-themed containers for sensory play.

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Christmas Water Sensory Tub

Pour a few liters of lukewarm water into a plastic tub. Drop in accessories from the list above or pick from your own stash of loose parts. Adding just a few Christmas-themed loose parts will set the stage for enjoyable learning through play.

A clear plastic present is a highlight of the sensory tub below.

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Christmas erasers are bound to be a hit!

Christmas erasers are a stand out in this festive water sensory tub.

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Learning Through Play Possibilities

Rich learning takes place when children participate in these Christmas sensory play invitations. Some learning possibilities are:

sorting green and red shapes (math – set making; language – color recognition)
counting shapes (math – counting)
comparing shapes to those of others (language development; paying attention to detail)
filling and emptying the plastic present (math/language – empty/full)
noticing how the foam shapes stick to the sides of the present (science)
recognizing letters of the alphabet (language -letter recognition)

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Skeleton And Eyeball Waterplay

November 10, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Your early learners will be oh, so excited to explore skeleton and eyeball waterplay activities with skulls, eyeballs, and bones. The supplies to collect are low cost: skeleton parts can be found at dollar stores and local party stores, especially in autumn.

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Skeleton And Eyeball Soup

Collect:

plastic eyeballs
squishy eyeballs
plastic skulls
ice cube skulls
bones
extra large wiggly eyes
skeleton models
clear plastic cups
red and blue food coloring
water pitcher
spray shaving foam
ladles
clear cups
tulip shaped punch bowl

Skeleton and eyeball loose parts ready for sensory play.

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A tulip-shaped punch bowl makes a handy container to fit 3-4 children around. But use whatever you have available…a container of any size or shape will have play possibilities.

Use a pitcher to pour water into the punch bowl. Mix in red and blue food coloring to turn the liquid purple. Drop-in clear plastic cups, ladles, eyeballs, wiggly eyes, skulls, bones, and skeleton models.

Skeleton and eyeball water play in a tulip-shaped punch bowl with eyeballs, wiggly eyes, skulls, bones, and skeletons.

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To extend play possibilities, spray shaving foam on top of the water first, and then lay on the loose parts.

Eyeballs, wiggly eyes, skulls, bones, and skeletons float on shaving foam topped purple water in a tulip-shaped punch bowl.

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After a short while, the shaving foam shrinks, and the water becomes a milky purple.

Shaving foam-topped water play in a tulip-shaped punch bowl with eyeballs, wiggly eyes, skulls, bones, and skeletons.

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Eyeball Soup

You don’t need all of the above items for your little learners to enjoy skeleton and eyeball waterplay. Just add eyeballs and a ladle to a large bowl of colored water set in a tub. Spray in a little shaving foam if you have it available. Your early learners will love scooping the “soup” into bowls.

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Sprinkle purple glitter on the liquid mixture, and offer eyedroppers, a baster, and pouring containers for more play.

Eyeball soup water play with eyedroppers, a ladle, a baster, and pouring containers.

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Eyeball Sensory Tube

Load eyeballs into a clear, narrow plastic bottle with a lid. Add neon yellow water. Set the sensory tube on a table for your little ones to view and touch.

Plastic eyeballs and neon yellow water in a sensory tube.

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Which activity do you like best? Share in a comment below.

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Spooky Hands Craft

October 29, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This shiny spooky hands craft is effortless to do and uses easy-to-gather materials. The supplies for this project can be found at your local grocery and dollar stores.

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Supplies To Collect

white corn syrup
orange, green, and purple food coloring
paint containers and brushes
spoons
spider-themed fake nails
skull-themed fake nails
polka dot fake nails
Q-Tips
spider gems
sturdy white paper
black permanent felt pen
scissors

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Taste safe corn syrup paint ingredients.

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Traced hands and supplies needed to make spider, skull, and skeleton hand-themed crafts.

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Making The Spooky Hands Craft

Using a permanent felt pen, help your early learners trace their hands on a sturdy piece of white paper. Stitches can be drawn on one of the hands. Assist with cutting the shapes out.

Together, mix a few drops of food coloring into containers of white corn syrup with spoons. A bit of yellow food coloring added to green makes it lighter and brighter. A few drops of yellow and red can be stirred to make orange. Combining red and blue makes purple.

Set out the paper hands, corn syrup paint, and paintbrushes. Invite your little learners to decorate each hand in one shiny color.

Add fake nails, Q-tips, and spiders. Let your little learners stick the loose parts into their tacky, painted hands.

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Supplies needed to create a green skeleton-themed painted hand.

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Supplies needed to create an orange, spider-themed hand.

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Supplies needed to create a purple spooky hand with stitches.

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Allow the sticky projects generous time to dry.

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Green painted hand, decorated with Q-tip bones and orange skull-themed nails.

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Orange painted hand, decorated with spiders and spider-themed nails.

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Purple painted hand with stitches drawn on and polka dot nails.

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Other paint colors and nail art can be used to take advantage of seasonal supplies and make the craft project your own.

This spooky hands craft is easy and fun…the perfect combination! Which hand theme is your favorite? Share in the comments section below.

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Spooky hand art using shiny, taste-safe paint and spider and skeleton-themed loose parts.

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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.

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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.

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

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Green Apple Playdough

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

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Strawberry Playdough

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

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Coconut Playdough

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

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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.

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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.

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Dreamy, two-ingredient scented playdough in three varieties.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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

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

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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