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Putting the Pretty In Preschool

Finding Beauty In Everyday Early Childhood Experiences

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Spooky Hands Craft

October 29, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Easy to make spooky hands craft using shiny white corn syrup paint, Q-tips, and nail art. A seasonal, all-ages activity that is sure to stun.

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.


Supplies Needed

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


Taste safe corn syrup paint ingredients.

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

[Read more…] about Spooky Hands Craft

Filed Under: art, autumn, party, preschool, sensory Tagged With: #spooky hands, loose parts, painting, skeletons, skulls, spiders

Charlotte’s Web Book Theme

April 9, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Charlotte's Web storybook activities. Sensory tubs, crafts, and games for children. Art, math, and language arts opportunities to learn.
Charlotte's Web storybook activities. Sensory tubs, crafts, and games for children. Art, math, and language arts opportunities to learn.

This Charlotte’s Web Book Theme is based on the best-selling children’s chapter book by E. B. White. The story centers around a pig named Wilbur, a spider named Charlotte, two farm families, and other colorful barnyard animals. The latter part of the story celebrates the sights, sounds, and excitement of a country fair.

For a summary of the book, click here:

E. B. White is quoted as saying that he wrote Charlotte’s Web for children, and for his own enjoyment. But I thoroughly relished rereading the tale through an adult lens.


[Read more…] about Charlotte’s Web Book Theme

Filed Under: art, book theme, literacy, Math, sensory Tagged With: farm animals, spiders

World Book Day Story Book Feature: Just Itzy

March 6, 2019 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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

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.


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.”


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.


“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.

[Read more…] about World Book Day Story Book Feature: Just Itzy

Filed Under: book theme, literacy, preschool, sensory Tagged With: construction, picture books, spiders

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Hi, I'm Annette Kaminsky. Thanks for visiting my blog. I hope you find inspiration and leave some for me! Feel free to stay awhile!

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puttingtheprettyin.preschool

The bright sun streaming through my office window The bright sun streaming through my office window belies the fact that it is -16  degrees C /  3.2 degrees F outside. So an icy ice drum post it is!  This activity can be done indoors or outside any time of the year. ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️ 🌞🌞🌞 🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈

How is the weather in your part of the world?

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This post is inspired by the storybook “The Snow This post is inspired by the storybook “The Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats. The book was published in 1962 and features an African-American boy as the main character. I read the story every winter to my preschoolers and they are spellbound each time. ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

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A heart jewelry sensory tray that goes beyond Vale A heart jewelry sensory tray that goes beyond Valentine’s Day with its spring colors. The jewelry theme is inspired by a post by @littlelilacpreschool .

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Happy Valentine’s Day! Here’s a last minute cr Happy Valentine’s Day! Here’s a last minute craft for dinosaur lovers. Link in profile to a free printable. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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Make a last minute purchase at this Valentine’s Make a last minute purchase at this Valentine’s Day store! 😍

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Invitation to decorate a Chinese money tree. This Invitation to decorate a Chinese money tree. This activity is inspired by an invitation to decorate a cherry tree by @rubberbootsandelfshoes .  Money tree facts and a free tree printable are #ontheblog .
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A woolly Valentine’s Day craft. The pattern for A woolly Valentine’s Day craft. The pattern for this craft is now on the blog...link in profile.

This craft was first featured last year and is inspired by a post from Agnes @hellowonderful_co . I’ve shared her adorable version in my stories.

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Valentine’s Day playdough invitation. The dough Valentine’s Day playdough invitation. The dough in the middle is jello playdough. The dough on the right is my all time favourite basic playdough recipe.  The recipes for these three varieties are on the blog. Link in profile.

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Sometimes you just want to use designer erasers fo Sometimes you just want to use designer erasers for their original purpose. 😅😅😅

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Dinosaur fossils have been found all over the worl Dinosaur fossils have been found all over the world, even in cold, icy places like Alaska and Antarctica. But could dinosaurs have survived in polar regions? Link in profile to a blogpost that explores this topic with scientific views and sensory activities.
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Sensory tray inspired by polar ornaments.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

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Chickpea based Chinese New Year sensory tub. The c Chickpea based Chinese New Year sensory tub. The chickpeas are dyed with varying amounts of red acrylic paint, and some are left undyed. Read my latest blogpost  to find out more about the chickpea dying process. Link in profile.

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