Archive for June 2010
There are so many opportunities for playing with textures with every day art supplies but rough is one that doesn’t come as easy, but it’s not impossible. Sandpaper is really fun to use for all sorts of things. Just remember that when you do a sensory art project that you need to be prepared for mess since the whole point is to touch and feel! My son had so much fun ( by fun I mean made a huge mess)with this that we ended up in the bath immediately after.
- Gather your materials. You will need 2 sheets of sandpaper, some yellow and/or orange paint, a marker, a paint brush , scissors and glue.
- Draw a circle on one of the sheets.
- Cut the circle out, leave the other sheet whole, you will cut the rays into triangles later.
- Start by letting your child feel the sand paper, some kids will recoil from it, some will love the texture and explore it with their finger tips and nails for a long time.
- Next get the paint ready we wanted to use both colors since we were looking at pictures of the sun and I quote ” It’s not all yellow like I thought mommy!” so both colors were poured into a container for this project.
- Start painting the circle. We started with a brush and the sound the bristles made were really interesting. However I didn’t even have time to get a photo of him using a brush on the circle, he went straight for finger painting.
- Next he compared the rough paper to his smooth hands.
- Pass them the full sheet when they are ready.
- Remember that when you encourage finger painting, often a mess will follow, this is why you always use washable paint. These were not the only two hand prints on my table or his body, just the prettiest.
- Set the circle and other sheet up to dry and get in the bath.
- When dry ( ours took forever cause we had globs). Cut out the rays. If your child is willing have them cut, my son wanted NO part of cutting the sandpaper and I admit , I don’t enjoy cutting it either. I had shivers the whole time.
- Add glue to the back of the circle.
- Add your rays and let dry.
Other Activities About Texture:
After you read about this awesome outdoor activity from contributing writer Kim you will be saying just want I did when I first read it, “Why didn’t I think of that?” and “I am so going to do this like tomorrow!”
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Now that the weather is great, we are outside all of the time. I am always looking for fun ways to learn and explore outdoors. But when we just play in the driveway, it can get a little boring after a while. So I tried this with the kids and it was a HUGE hit.
You need a bowl, corn starch, water, food coloring, a stick or spoon to stir, and a tennis ball.
Pour some cornstarch in the bowl and add water until it reaches the consistency you would like. I wanted it to about the same as milk. Add lots and lots of food coloring. When the “paint” dries it lightens up a lot.
Now roll your ball in the paint.
Then bounce the ball around. The kids got a kick out of the bounce marks the balls left behind.
I just stood back and watched them explore and experiment with the paint and the ball. My son rolled the ball across the driveway. They bounced the balls with varying forces and noticed a difference in the spots left behind.
Now this is a messy activity. The paint got on their clothes, but it washed out. I would strongly recommend wearing play clothes, just in case. The kid’s hands did turn bright blue. After a few washings the color came off.
It was a great time and great for all ages (even big kids). My toddler got to learn and experiment with cause and effect. My preschooler learned about the reaction that different levels of forces put on the ball. We talked about the cornstarch dissolving in the water. We talked about the food coloring changing the paint. This activity was a wealth of scientific knowledge. The kids had so much fun with it, too.
The project soon evolved into dipping our hands in the paint and making handprints on the driveway and porch. My son poured out some paint into a puddle on the driveway and then rode his bike through it. He got a huge kick out of the different tracks that his bike vs. his big wheel made.
It was fun to watch my children explore possibilities and try out different ideas. I just sat back and let them learn. And they thought they were just playing.
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Kim is a contributing writer for No Time For Flash Cards, a mom to a toddler, a preschooler, and a foster parent, too. She juggles her day by trying out fun activities and crafts with the kids. After all, she is just a big kid herself. See what she has been up to over at Mom Tried It.
When I buy something specifically for an activity and spend more than I want to for only one experience, I try to brainstorm other things to use the item for. That is where this idea came from . I bought these shells for the Beach Sensory Tub we made last week, but wanted to use them for something else as well. Sorting is more than just a time filler in preschools , it’s a math lesson about matching, shapes and counting. Using tongs adds in fine motor and hand eye coordination too. I knew my son would like this but he sorted every single one , dumped them back in and did it again! I got my money’s worth out of these shells!
- Gather your materials. You will need some sea shells, a divided platter ( ours is a chip and dip plate from the dollar store) , and some tongs or kiddie chopsticks !
- Start by placing one of each shell in the divided sections of your platter as a guide for your child.
- Invite them to the table and have them use the tongs to pick up and sort the shells. If this is too frustrating, ditch the tongs and just use their hands.
- Keep going!
- Talk about the shells as you play, we googled sea shells after we finished to look at even more variety of shells .
- Celebrate their efforts- if they sorted 4 shells or all !
Beach Books
One White Wishing Stone
by Doris K. Gayzagian is a beautiful book. Visually it reminds me of an impressionist painting, the soft beach colors used by illustrator Kristina Swarner are calming and pretty. This is more than just a counting book, there is a story of a little girl at the beach,what she finds and how she plans to use them when she takes them home. It’s so beautifully done that it almost makes me forget how much I hate finding sand in my car after a trip to the beach.
Beach Party!
by Harriet Ziefert and Simms Taback reminds me of “Head to Toe” by Eric Carle , and that comparison is a compliment. This large board book is a fun and cute way to introduce toddlers to movement as well as animals you find or want to avoid at the beach. The reader is asked how they want to walk today then they see how each animal moves. This would be a fun read for a circle time where kids could get up and move!
The Seashore Book 
Fishing Alphabet Game
I stole then adapted this idea from this awesome silhouette my son made for me at preschool. Wanting to make it a little different I decided to add some letter recognition into it and make a canvas with the word Dad on it instead. What’s great is that it works for all ages, babies can finger paint, older children can add more than just “Dad” .
- Gather your materials. You will need a canvas, some vinyl letters, paint brush ( if you want little guys to cover a lot give them a big brush), paint and if you want a frame to display it.
- Start by placing the vinyl letters on the blank canvas.
- I placed the colors my son chose in a ice cube tray to make it easy for him to paint.
- Next start painting!
- Right after I took that picture above my son’s brush lifted off a letter – luckily we were able to move the letters and save the project, learn from my mistake use a sponge brush ( which we switched to) to avoid disaster.
- Let dry.
- Remove the letters carefully after the paint is fully dry.
- Give your child’s dad a true masterpiece!
Daddy Song
I love my daddy
He’s really smart
He’s got big muscles and a bigger heart
When I get all cranky and I pout
He gives me hugs and never shouts!
Books About Dad
Daddy Hugs 1 2 3
The Ten Best Things About My Dad
by Christine Loomis didn’t leave much of an impression with me until I hit #8, which says ” When I am sad he hugs me close . He never says “Don’t cry”. That page won me over, and made this book stand out for me. I love that it’s promoting sensitivity in both the dad and little boy! I think anything that shows such care is worth a look.
by Paul Many made all of us laugh when I read it during a family lunch last weekend. My husband shaves his head so , so much of this book was familiar to all of us.The story is about a dad who decides to shave his head and his son who isn’t so sure about this new development. It’s sweet, funny and realistic about how kids do and don’t transition to our changes. My favorite part was the passionate kiss the mom plants on her husband after he shaves his head. Not just because I thought it was sweet, it is nice to see parents having romantic though appropriate moments in children’s books. I want my son to see I love my husband and I show it in all different ways.
