Putting The Pretty In Preschool

Finding Beauty In Everyday Early Childhood Experiences

picture books

Grinch Christmas Oobleck Bin

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In this Grinch Christmas Oobleck bin, a well-known Christmas storybook theme and a favorite sensory activity are paired together.

The goopy sensory bin is inspired by the storybook “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss. The popular picture book features a tall, long-fingered grumpy beast called “The Grinch’ who lives by himself up on a hill above the town of Whoville. Old Grinch absolutely hates Christmas. On Christmas Eve he disguises himself as “Santy Claus” by wearing a makeshift red and white costume. He ties one “reindeer” antler to his faithful dog Max’s head and has him pull a sled down to Whoville. The grouchy Grinch steals all the Whos Christmas decorations, presents, and festive food. He even scoops up the log for the fireplace from each home.

While ready to push the sled full of festive items over the tip of Mt. Crumpit early Christmas morning, the Grinch is surprised by the sound he hates the most…the singing of the Whos standing together holding hands. He realizes he hasn’t stopped Christmas at all. After thinking for a few hours, his heart softens and he decides to return all the Christmas items he took. He joins in the Christmas festivities in Whoville and even carves the “the roast beast”, a food he dislikes a lot.

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To get familiar with or revisit this story, view Book In Bed’s delightful, colorful animated read aloud version: How The Grinch Stole Christmas!

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Supplies Collected

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For the super fun, educational holiday sensory bin, the following supplies were gathered:

  • cornstarch
  • water
  • neon green food coloring
  • measuring cup
  • tablespoons
  • Grinch disposable snack cups
  • Christmas tree shape container
  • present shape container
  • ornament-shaped bells
  • candy cane ornaments
  • large tweezers
  • sensory bin

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Making The Grinch Christmas Oobleck

For this tactile sensory activity, first choose a bin. I use a saucer sled. It’s bright color matches the season, and it is large enough to easily hold the Oobleck and the supplies.

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Next, make the grinchy green Oobleck. Use a tablespoon or your hands to mix two cups of cornstarch with one cup of water. Add a little more water if needed. Then blend in a few drops of neon green food coloring. The goopy mixture is the right consistency if it becomes a ball when you close your hand around it but transforms to a liquid that slowly drops off when you open up your hand.

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The Grinch Christmas Oobleck Bin

This festive sensory bin is well-loved by children and adults.

Start of by inviting particpants to help mix the Oobleck and investigate its properties. They will eagerly accept your invitation!

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Once everyone has had a chance to explore the green goop, add picture book-themed items inspired by the book “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” to the bin. I include:

  • a Christmas tree shape container, a clear present shape container, and Grinch disposable snack cups to drop Oobleck into.
  • festive accessories such as candy cane and ornament-shaped bells.
  • tablespoons and children’s play tweezers to help explore the Oobleck and pick up supplies in the bin.

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How Oobleck Got Its Name

Way back when I was training to be an early childhood worker, this sensory recipe was introduced as goop. More recently, I’ve discovered that it has been given the name Oobleck. Interestingly, the name is inspired by another Dr. Seuss children’s book titled “Bartholomew and the Oobleck.” The Oobleck in the story is green too!

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The Science Behind Oobleck

Oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid, so it does not follow Newton’s law of viscosity. This is because depending on the force applied, it changes from a liquid to a solid, or from a solid to a liquid.

In the mixture, cornstarch is suspended in water and does not dissolve. When you apply force such as closing your hand and squeezing a blob of it, it acts like a solid. The cornstarch bits align and interlock under pressure. But when you stop the force by opening your hand, the goop becomes a liquid. The cornstarch bits flow freely off your hand along with the water.

Oobleck is a fascinating sensory material. Making and exploring its properties is a popular science activity, and it’s one of my favorites. Have you tried making Oobleck?

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More Science Activities

Blue Candy Cane Science Experiment

Color Explosion Science Experiment

Reptile Egg Science

Felt Marker Chromatography Experiment

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Neon Finger Paint Tree Art

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Gorgeous neon finger paint tree art inspired by the picture book "The Tree In Me" by Corinna Luyken. An all-ages, easy-to-do art activity. A free tree template is included.

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After reading the poetic book “The Tree In Me” by Corinna Luyken, I especially fell in love with the exquisite, gorgeous illustrations. The beautiful artwork is the inspiration for this neon finger paint tree art activity.

Neon colors, especially pink, balanced by soft yellow hues and touches of grey, are used often in the story. Author/illustrator Luyken states that she picked these radiant colors because she has a soft spot for neon, and wanted to give the story a more universal feel. I know that little learners will love using neon colors in tree art too.

A beautiful, picture-book-inspired neon fingerpaint tree art project the whole family can do. A free tree template is available to download.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

For this cheery tree art activity, only a few supplies need to be gathered:

  • neon pink, red, orange, and purple finger paint or tempera paint
  • yellow finger paint or tempera paint
  • paint tray
  • white or cream 8 ½ x 11-inch cardstock
  • tree template

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The Neon Finger Paint Tree Process

Steps to create beautiful neon finger paint tree art. A picture-book-inspired art project that is easy to do. A free template is included.

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This painting activity is easy to set up and do, and early learners will get excited about having the chance to finger paint.

Before starting the art project, read the storybook “The Tree In Me,” or view a video version of the story. Discuss the colors used for the illustrations, along with the many tree-related activities the children in the story participate in.

Next, set out a paint tray with neon finger paints or tempera paints. I feature neon pink, red, and orange tempera paints in this art project. I didn’t have neon yellow paint, but bright yellow paint works fine with neon colors.

Afterward, select a tree template to use for the art. Feel free to download this template for the painting activity.

A free tree template to download for art and craft activities.

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Tree Printable

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Invite early learners to dip a fingertip into the paint colors and finger paint their tree template. While they are working, talk about the colors of paint available and the ones they choose to use.

A beautiful, picture-book-inspired neon fingerpaint tree art project the whole family can do. A free tree template is available to download.

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Finger Paint Tree Art Benefits

Aside from facilitating language development, this finger paint tree art improves eye-hand coordination and develops fine motor skills. And it offers children a chance to create with unique, dynamic paint colors.

The artwork in “The Tree In Me” is joyful and whimsical, and complements the heartwarming text. Neon finger paint tree art is a terrific follow-up activity to reading the story.

Gorgeous neon finger paint tree art inspired by the picture book "The Tree In Me" by Corinna Luyken. An all-ages, easy-to-do art activity. A free template is included.

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Related: Book-inspired Tree Art

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DIY Grey Wolf Softie

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Make this adorable grey wolf softie today! A free pattern and tutorial, wolf facts, and book suggestions are included.

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This charming DIY grey wolf softie is ready to be included in storytime or play. It is an entry for #sewasoftie on Instagram, and part of a tutorial hop organized by Trixie Symonds on her amazing “Sew A Softie” website. The theme for the July 2022 softie sewing projects is “magic.”

It seems like a poor fit for a wolf softie to be part of a magic theme. After all, wolves are depicted as anything but magical in many storybooks. They are usually hungry villains that are devising a plan to eat one or more of the other characters for dinner!  

Although super entertaining, these books give wolves a negative reputation. But there is a trend wherein authors write stories that portray wolves as more sympathetic. The tales “pull out the magic rather than the madness” in their wolf characters. And that’s how wolves, including my softie, fit into the 2022 “magic” theme for the current “Sew A Softie” topic.

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Supplies To Collect

To craft the wolf softie, gather together the following supplies:

  • 9 x 12 inch felt sheet of white glitter felt, and a same-sized sheet of black glitter felt
  • three 9 x 12-inch sheets of grey felt
  • white and black embroidery thread
  • embroidery needle
  • sewing pins
  • polyester fiber fill
  • two small black buttons
  • scissors
  • white glue
  • glue paddle
  • wolf softie pattern

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Making The Grey Wolf Softie

Download this pattern to make the wolf. You may wish to make yours slightly bigger. If so, enlarge the pattern using a photocopier.

Free wolf softie pattern to download for an easy sewing project.

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Wolf Softie PatternDownload

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Cut two heads, two bodies. and a tail out of grey felt. Snip a chest, two ears, and two tail tips from white. Cut a heart nose from the sheet of black.

Note: You’ll have most of the black felt left over, but it will be useful for other projects, such as this lovely star wand by @life.with.moon.and.co.

Steps to make an adorable grey wolf softie. A free pattern and tutorial, wolf facts, and book suggestions are included.

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Using white glue and a glue paddle, adhere the ears and nose to the front piece of the head, and the white chest to the front section of the body. Then glue a white tip to both sides of the tail.

Using black embroidery thread, stitch on the button eyes. With a back stitch, add on a mouth. Then stitch on eyebrows to give the wolf a little more character. You can lightly pencil in dots and lines on the felt first to mark where the facial features should go.

Note: You can change the formation of the mouth and eyebrows to give your wolf a unique expression.

Then, attach the tail to the back of the body with a running stitch. Stitch the white chest on the front.

Afterward, pin the front and back head pieces together and stitch around the sides and top. Leave an opening at the neck.

Next, pin the heads to the bodies, and the front to the back. Make sure all pieces match and are ready for sewing.

With a running stitch, fasten the head and body parts together.

Using the same stitch, go around the body of the wolf, leaving an opening for the fiber fill.

Note: The thread color for most of this wolf is white. Black or grey thread works well too.

Stuff the wolf with polyester fiber fill.

Finally, sew closed the opening in the wolf.

Make this adorable grey wolf softie today! A free pattern and tutorial, wolf facts, and book suggestions are included.

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Good Books Featuring Wolves

This wolf softie could make its first appearance just before or after reading a few storybooks to children featuring wolves. It would be a handy accessory for retelling stories. Below is a list of delightful storybooks to share. In each one, the supporting characters succeed in “pulling out the magic rather than the madness” out of the wolf.

  • The Wolf, The Duck, And The Mouse by Mac Barnett
  • Brenda Is A Sheep by Morag Hood
  • Sheepish by Helen Yoon
  • When A Wolf Is Hungry by Christine Naumann-Villemin
  • The Wolf’s Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza
  • Little Wise Wolf by Gijs van der Hammen
  • The Girl And The Wolf by Katherena Vermette

Two notable books about little wolves are:

  • The Way Home For Wolf by Rachel Bright
  • Little Wolf’s First Howling by Laura McGee Kvasnosky and Kate Harvey McGee

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An adorable grey wolf softie sewing project that is easy to do. A free pattern and tutorial, wolf facts, and book suggestions are included.

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Ten Wolf Facts

Sharing positive characteristics about wolves helps in understanding their magic. Here are ten fascinating wolf facts:

  • Wolves are the largest member of the dog family.
  • Grey is the most common wolf color.
  • Living in packs, wolves are social creatures who mate for life.
  • Female wolves have four to six pups at a time.
  • Recognized as a “keystone species,” wolves play an instrumental role in keeping nature in balance.
  • Wolves help control deer and elk populations, and this benefits many plant and animal species.
  • They are good at working as a team when hunting.
  • Their leftovers are prime food for many scavengers such as birds, bears, and beetles.
  • When the animal carcasses decompose, they add valuable nutrients to the soil.
  • Wolves are afraid of people and are not known to attack them. Killing livestock isn’t common.

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Sewing a softie is a rewarding experience. Learning new skills, using unique materials, creating a design or following a pattern, practicing eye-hand coordination, and having a cuddly finished project to cherish are all benefits. Include this grey wolf softie on your list of crafts to try!

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An adorable grey wolf softie sewing project that is easy to do. A free pattern and tutorial, wolf facts, and book suggestions are included.

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To learn more about sewing softies, check out the book Sewing Simple Softies by Trixi Symonds and Deborah Fisher.

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Turtle Christmas Craft

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Adorable turtle Christmas paper craft inspired by the delightful picture book "Mossy" by author Jan Brett.

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This cheeky turtle Christmas craft is inspired by Jan Brett’s beautiful picture book titled “Mossy.” The colorful papercraft is easy to make, especially if you download the free printables below.

In the story, an eastern box turtle named Mossy is scooped up from a pond area and taken to a museum by biologist Dr. Carolina. Mossy is unique…she has a lush garden of moss and flowers growing on her shell due to the moist home she grew up in. At the museum, Mossy is given an impressive glass-encased place to live, and her carapace garden continues to grow. Many visitors come to view Mossy, and she makes the museum famous. But over time, Mossy grows very sad. She misses her pond home, and especially her new friend Scoot, who she had just met before being captured. Dr. Carolina’s niece Tory notices how sad Mossy gets. Eventually, a portrait of Mossy in her pond environment is made for the museum, and the garden-decorated turtle is released back to the same place where she was found.

Jan Brett’s artwork in the picture book is as exquisite as usual. And the illustrated borders on pages feature creatures and artifacts commonly found in museums, such as flowers, insects, butterflies, fossils, tree parts, algae, geodes, and feathers.

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Craft Supplies To Collect

Supplies to make a festive turtle Christmas paper craft inspired by the delightful picture book "Mossy" by author Jan Brett.

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Gather the following supplies for this festive turtle craft:

  • green, red, and pink cardstock paper in different shades
  • cream cardstock
  • mini self-adhesive gold pearls
  • glue stick
  • wiggly eye
  • felt pen
  • scissors

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Making The Turtle Christmas Craft

Festive turtle Christmas paper craft inspired by the delightful picture book "Mossy" by author Jan Brett.

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Cut Christmas-themed flowers and leaves from sturdy paper. Fade-resistant cardstock or construction paper is preferable, but any paper will work fine.

Cut a turtle from cream-colored cardstock.

Invite your little learner to paste flowers and leaves to the shell of the turtle using a glue stick. Mini adhesive gold pearls can be added to some of the flowers.

Download these patterns to use for the craft.

Turtle template for art and craft activities.
Turtle Template

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Turtle Craft PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Use this Christmas flower template for paper crafting.
Christmas Flower Template

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Christmas Flower PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Make this festive turtle Christmas paper craft inspired by the delightful picture book "Mossy" by author Jan Brett.

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Turtle Craft Extensions

Jenn Brett’s website is filled with activities and coloring sheets to go along with her picture books. A turtle pond coloring page goes with the book “Mossy,” and can be downloaded at janbrett.com.

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Related: Painted Turtle Art Activity

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World Book Day Story Book Feature: Just Itzy

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World Book Day Just Itzy storybook theme. Spider sensory and small world activities for young children.

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World Book Day is held every year on the first Thursday in March. It is a celebration of authors, illustrators, and books.  And it is most of all a celebration of reading.

The impact of the picture book “Just Itzy” spanning my preschool storytime, a teacher aide’s home, and three children and their classrooms makes the story worthy of a shout out for World Book Day.

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The “Just Itzy” Story

“Just Itzy” is written by Lana Krumwiede and illustrated by Greg Pizzoli. This story was one of the many books about spiders I chose last Fall in gathering resources for a Spider theme. It is an entertaining read about a spider named Itzy Bitzy and his first day of school. In the story, Itzy wants to catch his lunch instead of taking a lunch box that had been packed for him. In learning to make a spider web to trap food he becomes part of the nursery rhymes “Little Miss Muffet”, “There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly”, and “The Itsy Bitsy Spider.” By the end of the tale, Itzy builds a successful spider web AND rescues his big brother Gutzy who had been teasing him about his “smallness.”

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The Story’s Reach

My class enjoyed the story. The teacher aide liked “Just Itzy” so much she borrowed the book from a library for her three children. After numerous readings at home, the story was further enjoyed at her children’s school:

  • Both grade school children took the book to school to show it to their teachers and classmates.
  • One teacher had the teacher aide’s child read the book to the class.
  • The teacher in the kindergarten class ordered the book, and it fit in perfectly with the Fantasy Theme the students were working on.

The teacher aide said that for weeks afterward, their family would add humor to their day by chanting “Keep your eye on the fly,” a saying Itzy’s “spindergarten” teacher taught the class about never giving up.

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“Just Itzy” Story Centers

Spider Small World

Spider themed small world with translucent pipe builders, spiders, a fly, flowers, and a spider web on a patch of grass.

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This small world has

  • a play grass base
  • Safari Toob flowers
  • different-sized toy spiders
  • a toy fly
  • a cupcake liner spider web
  • translucent pipe builders

It is winter in our city at the moment. This activity would be great in the summer using a patch of grass and some real flowers!

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Spider Light Table Activity

Spiders, a fly, a spider web and translucent pipe builders on the light table.

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An opportunity to reenact the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” nursery rhyme on the light table or regular table with

  • a large plastic spider web
  • small toy spiders
  • a toy fly
  • translucent pipe builders

Most spiders at this center are very tiny so they fit in the pipe builders.

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Spider Web Sensory Bin

An all-black spider web sensory bin with noodles, rice, beans, spiders, and loose parts.

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Items in the bin:

  • black rice
  • black rotini noodles
  • black beans
  • plastic spiders
  • loose parts such as buttons, beads and hair ties
  • spider web made from rope

Toy tweezers would work well with this activity.

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The storybook “Just Itzy” is an engaging read that works wonderfully for the beginning of school, anytime in Fall, and on World Book Day.

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