Putting the Pretty In Preschool

Finding Beauty In Everyday Early Childhood Experiences

water play

Valentine’s Day Sensory Tubes

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Valentine's Day sensory tubes with red, purple, and pink loose parts. These tubes are perfect for float and sink experimentation.

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.

Sensory Tube Loose Parts

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

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

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.

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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Skeleton And Eyeball Waterplay

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Oh, so fun skeleton and eyeball water play activities with eyeballs, wiggly eyes, skulls, bones, and skeletons. .

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.

Skeleton And Eyeball Soup

Collect:

plastic eye balls

squishy eye balls

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.

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.

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St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Tub

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St. Patrick's Day sensory table inspired by the city of Chicago, USA. Green and shamrock themed loose parts invite sensory play opportunities.

This St. Patrick’s Day water play sensory table is inspired by the city of Chicago’s tradition of turning the river water green as part of their St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. 

The tradition of coloring the water vibrant green in Chicago became an annual event in 1962, but the origins of this practice started much earlier. A green substance was used to test the river water for pollution in the early 1900s and continued in the following years. People liked seeing the change in color, and in 1962 the practice was implemented for St. Patrick’s Day. In 1966 the powder used became a more environmentally friendly vegetable dye.

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Dinosaur And Sweet Potato Vine Activities

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Preschool dinosaur and sweet potato vine sensory, art and nature activities.

One Spring I was greenhouse shopping, and a ledge of sweet potato vines caught my attention. The sales clerk suggested that the leaves looked like dinosaur footprints.


That thought stuck with me, and soon after I picked two uniquely colored sweet potato vines to add contrast to the flowering plants on my deck. I was also eager to use some leaves in dinosaur-themed nature play.

When the sweet potato vines had grown and poured over their pots, I snipped a few leaves off the plants to feature the activities below.

Dinosaur Themed Small World

Sweet potato vine leaves in a dinosaur-themed sensory tub. Rocks, twigs, plastic and marble eggs, and blue water complete the scene.

Small world scene with dinosaurs, rocks, twig, plastic eggs, marbles, blue water, and sweet potato vine leaves.

Painted Leaf T-Rex Footprints

An invitation to make leaf prints shaped like dinosaur footprints with silver and bronze paints and sweet potato vine leaves.
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