Beginners
Pretend play is a great way to teach and learn about all sorts of things. This started out as an activity to keep him busy while I answered emails and needed a few minutes , water always keeps him busy and happy. I was so pleased when he started asking questions about what the animals ate. I got a few emails answered but I ended up googling all the specifics about what each of the animals ate and on the floor playing in no time. It was more fun than answering emails anyway!
- Gather your materials. You will need a large shallow plastic container, some sea animals, some decorative pebbles, a few towels for your floor, a pitcher and some water.
- Start by laying out our towels and putting your container on top.
- Put some water in your pitcher and pour it in.
- Add some pebbles, you can use sand too but if you want easy clean up stick to glass pebbles.
- Add your animals.
- Let the learning happen! Have some scoops on hand if they just want to scoop and pour the water.
Books
“Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea” by Jan Peck is about a little boy swimming in the “deep” looking for treasure. Along the way he encounters different sea animals and greets and says good bye to each before swimming away on his treasure hunt. The cute kicker is that all along the little boy is really in his bath tub and the animals are just toys. I liked the twist and so did my son who then requested a laundry basket to play bath, funny how he didn’t actually want a bath… a mom can dream!
” Baby Beluga” by Raffi is a classic children’s song cleverly illustrated into a beautiful book. I grew up on Raffi and am still shocked when moms don’t know who he is, if he is new to you go to your library and check out one of his cds! My son loves this book, there are so many sea creatures to point out, it’s great for toddlers!
“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!
Pasta “Worm” Painting
Worms are fun. We dig for real ones in the backyard, make them for lunch ( pasta ones) and even paint with them ( pasta ones again! ). I love this activity because it’s easy, different and with older children you can challenge them to paint specific shapes, or letters using only the pasta. It can also be used as an example of before and after, talk about the process of cooking and what happens to the pasta when it’s cooked.
- Gather your materials. You will need some spaghetti, a pot, some paint , a plate and some paper.
- Cook your spaghetti. Let cool but don’t wait too long it will get too stiff to paint with.
- Add some paint to your plate .
- Dip your wiggly worm in
- Print onto your paper.
- Add more colors if you wish
- Let dry.
Song !
Posted in Age 2-3 years, Age Under 2 years, Babies and Toddlers, Beginners, Bugs, Crafts, Herman The Worm, Preschoolers, Worms | 
12 Comments »
12 Comments »
Star
Cookie Cutter Prints
Cookie Cutter Prints
I love cookie cutter printing and my son loved it months ago but today I made the dire mistake of doing it outside. He poured the paint on the plates, but the rest was all me. I get asked often what I do when he doesn’t want to do a craft. Usually I just let it slide, I will leave the craft half done and he often comes back to it. I have been known to beg but really when it comes down to it if I force him he won’t enjoy it and he loves art projects , I don’t want to ruin all the fun for one project. So he happily played with bubbles while I painted.
- Gather your materials. You will need some white paper, construction paper if you want, red and blue paint, star cookie cutters, a plate or 2 and glue.
- Start by pouring your paint on to the plate.
- If you are my son exert your Independence and slip through the arm rest of the chair
and go play bubbles.
- Dip your cookie cutters into the paint and print.
- Let dry
- Add glue to your construction paper
- Add your painting.
While I was taking a picture of the dried painting my son decided he wanted in on the fun ( 5.5 hours later) he had conditions though, only the big star and only the red paint. Aren’t 2 year olds fun? I’m glad he did it and did it on his terms though!
Fantastic Book!
“Wow America!” by Robert Neubecker has already been memorized by my son since I found it at the library on Sunday. I can’t blame him and in the 50 times I have read it in the past few days I have found something new and interesting each time. The story is simple, a baby runs away and her older sister goes after her and they see some of the wonderful things in the United States that make us all go “Wow!” Each page has a short title like “Wow Statue” for The Statue of Liberty , then a little more text to explain what the reader is looking at. The illustrations are detailed and we’ve played eye spy with this book more than a few times. This is a wonderful book and the map on the inside cover has been fun to play with as well, we like to find where various far off friends and family live. Go check this book out for sure.
Posted in Age 2-3 years, Age Under 2 years, Basics For Beginners, Beginners, Crafts, Fourth of July | 11 Comments »
11 Comments »
Potato Masher
Prints!
I have done kitchen utensil painting before but never have they turned out so cute! I think what made the difference is that my son helps me mash foods and knows to go straight up and down which is very important for this project! This would make awesome home made wrapping paper too… possibly for Father’s Day.
- Gather your materials. You will need some construction paper, a dish, a potato masher, and paint.
- Pour your paint in your dish
- Dip your masher in
- Print!
- Keep going with different colors- we made 3 sheets of prints.
* If you are going to make wrapping paper you can use old holiday wrapping paper, just print on the underside.
Animal Tracks!
I can’t even remember what inspired this, I know my son thought of it but I can’t remember now what preceded me saying ” How about making animal tracks?”. All I remember is that he bounded to the table, which is not always the case . This is a fast project, to stretch it out introduce new paint colors and more paper one at a time.
- Gather your materials. You will need some fun toy animals, a plate, paper,markers and paint.
- If you want you or your child can draw some scenery.
- Spread some paint on your plate and dip your animal in.
- Start making some tracks.
- Add the next paint color and more paper if you want and keep going.
* After we painted we went for a walk outside and pretended to look for and follow animal tracks. We tippy toed for mouse tracks , hopped for bunny tracks and stomped around the patio when we “found” elephant ones. *
Books !
” Animalia” by Graeme Base is iconic in teaching circles, you can loose yourself for hours in the detailed illustrations. The book is an alphabet book on steroids! Each page had a wonderful paragraph in each letter such as for the letter L ” Lazy Lions lounging in the local library.” The pages are filled to the gills with pictures of things that start with that letter as well. Parents and kids a like will fall in love!
“Peek-a-Zoo!” by Marie Torres Cimarusti is a vibrant lift the flap book that goes through sounds different animals make while playing peek a boo with the reader. What I like about this book is that the flaps offer a chance for your baby or toddler to anticipate what animal it hiding as well as the sound , so it grows with them. Also the flaps are large enough that little hands can grab them and won’t get frustrated.
“Is Your Mama a Llama? “ by Deborah Guarino is a classroom favorite, I don’t know many preschool teachers who can’t recite most of this book . Readers follow Lloyd the llama as he riddles his way through a bunch of animals until he find the one he calls mom. I like the mix of animals in this book, a little different than your average zoo or farm collection.
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