Blog about Easy and Fun Kid Art and Crafts Activities
Photo Source: whimsicalways.blogspot.com Melanie at Whimsical Ways shared this awesome winter graphing activity that we think would be a hit with your preschoolers. Supplies You'll Need Large poster board Plastic animal figurines Divide your poster board into two sections - "Animals that like snow" and "Animals that do not like snow". As a group, sort the animal figurines into the proper category discussing what you know about each animal's natural habitat, special characteristics, etc. that make them a good candidate for that particular group. Other considerations... This could be a fun magnet activity. Instead of using poster board, label a large cookie sheet or inexpensive oil pan and print photos of the animals {attaching a magnet strip to the back of each} for your students to sort. We think this is a fun science and math activity for your kiddos to tackle this winter. Be sure to visit Whimsical Ways for this and other great early childhood activities!
Before teaching your kid how to write, it is important that he learns to trace lines. The worksheets in this post help him achieve that end. They contain dotted linear and curved lines in various patterns. While some of the printable pages only have different kinds of dotted lines that need to be connected, there […]
Learning about Shadows and Reflections We talked a lot about how shadows move with the sun and how the location of the sun determines which way your shadow falls. This was a fun craft to help the kids to visually understand how the sun casts shadows. We used the projector to see the 'shadows' different objects make. We played a game too, I sent each kid to hunt for something in the classroom that was small enough to fit in their hand. I called them up one by one and they placed their object on the projector, the other kids had to guess what the object was! It was fun and some of the items were tricky!!! We have these cool bugs in our classroom, we brought them over to the projector to see what kinds of 'shadows' they would make, because they are clear the kids observed how you could see color....more like a reflection then a shadow! Exploring with different objects. Shadow puppets!! Each kid had a chance to make a shadow puppet on the wall. This is actually my hubby and my son at LACMA in Los Angeles but it was fitting since we were talking about shadows! I made these shadow games by taking objects and photocopying them onto a sheet of paper, then I glued the paper onto a file folder and laminated it. I taped a envelope on the inside to store the pieces. The kids take out the objects and match them to the correct 'shadow'! These are my favorite! Have you ever tried to trace the silhouette of 24... 3 and 4 year olds?!?! It's NOT easy!!! But this is!!! I simply set up the projector and put a chair in front of a white sheet of paper on the wall. I took my CAMERA and turned the flash off, then simply snapped the picture....TA-DA instant silhouettes minus the tracing and cutting!!!! We spent lots of time looking into mirrors and seeing our reflections! Talking about the differences between our shadows and our reflections! Questions to ask when talking about shadows and reflections! Can we see our shadow at night or in the shade? Why not? Do our shadows have colors? Do our reflections have colors? Why do our shadows get bigger and smaller? Why do our shadows move? We also took the kid outside and traced their shadows with chalk then we went out later and had them stand in the same spot.....their shadows moved!!!! We of course also played shadow tag! We also read the book Moon Bears Shadow. It was a GREAT week learning about Shadows and Reflections!!!
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It's good to know there is more than just one learning style available. Read more about how the right technique can help your child with their learning.
Want to see if a layer of blubber can really help you stay warm in icy water? Try this arctic animals science experiment to experience it.
This salt and ice experiment encourages kids to do some critical thinking. A fun penguin themed STEM activity for kids using salt and water to melt ice. Playing with ice is such a fun way to engage in science fun with kids. Ice forms when a water freezes
Looking for a great Stonehenge lesson to teach your kids? You'll find ideas for all ages to teach about Stonehenge right here.
Teach preschool prepositions with this easy literacy indoor game! Use counting bears and a simple design for over, under, above, and below.
If you have learners who struggle to isolate beginning sounds, these free phonemic awareness games are the perfect fit! Use them in preschool or kindergarten. Use them in literacy centers or small groups. #phonemicawareness #preschool #kindergarten
Free Kindergarten Rhyming Worksheets for January Build literacy skills with rhyming for beginning readers. Use this worksheet as a rhyming assessment page
As we prepare to take down our 2018 calendars, we’re looking ahead to January and gearing up to model and teach some more core words to our AAC learners. If you have some prep time this week,…
This free opposites game is great for teaching opposites to kids in preschool or kindergarten. It's a great tool for teaching opposites to ESL learners too! #kindergarten #esl
So this is called, "Five Favorite Pins of January" and I am so happy to participate. Thank you, Aileen Miracle from the amazing "Mrs. Miracle's Music Room" for the invite! If you haven't seen her blog, oh my...put that on your "things I need to take time to read and get inspired to do list." This is my very first "Linky Party," too - so if you simply click on this picture at the end of my blog post, it will take you to Aileen's 5 Favorite Pins of January post! Here are my 5 Favorite Pins this month: #1 Before You Tell the Teacher... Man, oh man! Since we have gotten back from winter break I felt as if I needed a tape recorder since I kept saying over and over, did you try to solve the problem? I saw this on pinterest and was SO happy to add it as a quick and easy reminder for my little guys. Now I simply point if there is a little wide-eyed friend tugging at me (as I'm in the middle of a song...ahem!) LOL. This pin is from "The Littlest Scholars" Blog - just click the picture and it takes you to the blog where you can download and print this great poster for your classroom! #2 Recorder Clip Art Talk about perfect timing! It's almost time for "Recorder Karate! at my school!" I was psyched to see that Denise at Dancing Crayon created this very kid-friendly set! I love them and can use them for soooo many activities. Click the pic to grab these goodies! #3 Unlock the Door - Syncopa Version So I am a big fan of Aileen Miracle's TpT products and let me tell you, last year, when I found her first version of "Unlock the Door" I was hooked! My kids worked SO hard to figure out which key had the correct rhythm. Such a fun way for your students to practice syncopated rhythms. Each page has a key with a notated rhythm pattern - the students listen to a sound clip and have to choose which "key" will unlock the door! It's adorable and engaging, and perfect to assess your student's skills. #4 Monster Invastion Composing What a find! I pinned immediately and did not regret it. David at Make Moments Matter, has a great blog with tons of ideas for your music room. After reading this post about his "Monster Invasion" game, I went bananas and ran out to the Dollar Tree to grab some "monsters" of my own. You see, well the only way to get rid of the monsters invading the music room is to compose your own 4 measure pattern! Check out the directions for this game and I guarantee you'll be inspired to make your own set and your students will have a great time COMPOSING (we all know we need more composing in our lessons!) and having time to be creative! I'm thinking about extending the activity to have the students add the solfege and turn them into "Melody Monsters" and sing and play their compositions on instruments. Exciting!!! Thank you for the GREAT post, David!!! #5 The Dum-Dum Song! So I stumbled upon this pin one night and after watching it, my first thought, "I am TOTALLY teaching this to my 4th grade chorus!!! ha!!!" I think I will teach them just a little bit at a time during warm-ups, and add onto it each time we meet. What a fun and engaging challenge. Just click the picture or the link below and get ready to giggle. http://www.pinterest.com/pin/315181673893691570/ And I just have to add.... an Extra Special Pin (and a freebie from a lovely and talented friend in Canada) This is something that is very close to my heart. I hope you can take a moment to check it out and maybe pass it on to your other fellow teachers in your schools. What a beautiful way to help our students demonstrate the power of kindness. Random Acts of Kindness Book http://whimsyworkshop.blogspot.ca/2013/12/random-acts-of-kindness-class-project.html Click this picture below to go to Aileen Miracle's blog and check out her five favorite pins of January Do you have 5 favorites, too? Comment below and then, link up! Directions are on her page below her post. Thank you and "sing"-ya later! Tina
This Jonah and the whale craft teaches a lesson on obedience. I believe in teaching our kids about the importance of obedience. Here is why! Obedience is one of the 52 words in my character development series. Although I want my kids to fully understand God’s grace and mercy first and foremost, I want them...Read More
We learned that all motion is either caused by two kinds of force. Pushing or pulling. I set out clay and let them explore by using the forces of pushing and pulling using their hands and clay tools. We then used these forces on the clay to create pinch pots! They pushed and pulled with their fingers and then pushed using clay tools to add a personal touch. They wanted to add some color so they painted them with liquid watercolor. We also explored by using force and motion to create a collaborative piece of art. First they pushed and pulled large brushes to mix the colors for the base. Ramps are an amazing way to create motion! This brought up the question of what force pulls things down the ramp when they are not pushing them? We learned about how the force of gravity will pull things down. The kids rolled a truck down a ramp through paint onto our canvas. The tracks showed the motion. I think this was my favorite stage of this painting! We continued exploring the way inclined planes used gravity as a force to create motion. They slashed some paint on the canvas and had to adjust the incline to change the direction of the marble’s motion and get it through the paint! We created a pendulum for the kids to explore motion with. We filled it with watered down paint and the kids pushed or pulled it certain ways to create a circular motion. Instead of running, the paint dripped, so it was a different effect than we expected but everyone loved the result! They sprinkled paint onto the canvas, letting gravity pull it down, then pushed and pulled the paint with a piece of cardboard. We were using pastel colors, but when I wasn’t looking, they added some bright pink and orange. We all loved their choice! Lastly, they flicked paint onto the canvas to give it the finishing touch! This method was introduced by a little friend in our class! I love our finished collaborative force and motion art! It truly is a beautiful art piece! Here is the progression of our canvas! They also created individual art using force and motion also! Here is our documentation of the process and what we learned about physics through art in the hallway. Stay tuned to see how force and motion, especially through inclined planes, sparked an interest in simple machines! Here are a few pics to show some of the literacy and math experiences that thy hav been visiting...
Winter center ideas and free choice activities for preschool. These free choice activities make January lesson planning for preschool a cinch.
Free printable snowman tracing shape worksheets! Students work on shape identification, fine motor skills, handwriting and more with this free set of shape tracing worksheets. Great for winter learning centers.
Enjoy the cold with my snowman activities & centers for preschool, pre-k, & kindergarten students! Explore letters, numbers, & so much more!
Hands-on snowman math for winter has preschoolers add buttons to practice counting in January! Inlcudes FREE template!
Start the year off with some engaging preschool themes for January. They are sure to make planning a bit easier this month.
From winter and hibernation to snowmen and polar animals, this list of January preschool themes is the perfect way to kick off the new year!
Man, it seems like this week has been LONG!!! Here in California we’ve just had rainy day after rainy day and this sunshine gal is over it! Next week the...
Learn about symmetry while making gorgeous "fridge-worthy" mittens with this simple craft for preschoolers.
Free printable New Year writing activities for preschool and kindergarten students. These writing prompts are engaging and simple for your young students to share their New Year's resolutions for the coming year. We've created multiple versions with party hats, boys, and girls so your students will have fun creating their unique year-end goals.
Free Weather worksheets, tracing pages, weather charts, and more! Everything you need to plan a preschool theme for learning about the weather.
17 fun hands-on Winter Preschool Activities and no prep worksheets with a focus on math, literacy, and art.
Snowball Letter Unwrap is a fun way to practice letter recognition! This easy early literacy activity is great for toddlers and preschoolers.
After Christmas Break, we’re deep into winter, so we begin our Winter Wonderland Unit. My six Work Centers are the same for every unit: dramatic play, art, science, math, writing, and listeni…
These Winter Literacy Activities are a fun, hands-on way for preschoolers and kindergarteners to practice the reading and writing skills.
These free, editable winter name worksheets give your preschoolers practice recognizing and writing their names.
Gather natural materials for this winter tree art project for kids. Use it to teach preschoolers about the four seasons, trees, or the signs of winter.
My preschool theme packs are hands on, playful, and FUN for little learners. These packs work great for center time, independent practice, or teaching your child at home. You can find these packs in my TPT shop. Shapes Preschool Pack Pets Preschool Theme Birds Preschool Theme Spider Preschool Theme All About Me Preschool Theme Back to School Theme Fall Preschool Theme Ocean Preschool Theme Transportation Preschool Theme Pirate Preschool Theme Zoo Preschool Theme Space Preschool Theme Summer Preschool Theme Colors Preschool Pack Ice Cream Theme Community Helpers Theme Nursery Rhymes Pack Farm Preschool Pack Birthday Party Preschool Pack Easter Preschool Pack Pond Preschool Pack Bugs & Insects Pack St. Patrick's Day Preschool Pack Valentine's Day Preschool Pack Winter Preschool Pack Gingerbread Theme Thanksgiving Theme Hibernation Theme Polar Animals Theme Dental Health
Madelynn loves penguins and winter is the perfect time for some polar animal fun. This week we had all kinds of fun with these adorable waddling animals. Here were our plans for our penguin theme: And here are the details for each activity: Penguin Comprehension: Our first book this week was If You Were a […]
Wintertime is here, which means you need new ideas for your butcher paper activities! I have created 21 winter butcher paper activities that are perfect for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten students. There are ideas for winter, snowmen, polar animals, Christmas, hibernation, Valentine's Day, and snow.
