Crayola® Giant Sidewalk Chalk

Congratulations Dina Caballero!

You are the winner of a Crayola® Giant Sidewalk Chalk set!
I hope this brings your girls hours of fun.

Keep an eye out for next Month's giveaway!

Spring Flower Pots

Mother's Day projects are always such fun. As a Mother, I love to do a little something that will bring back those special "when they were itty bitty" memories. You can never fail with prints.

Description

We painted this flower pot with a spring theme and only using prints.

Example by Jasmine, age 6 months.

Materials

• Terracotta Flower Pot
  
• Acrylic Paint
  
• Paint Brushes
• Paper Plate or Plastic Lid
  
• Clear Coat

Step by Step

1. Paint flower pot your base color, we used blue.
2. For younger children, spread the paint on a plastic lid or paper plate. This will make coating their hand much easier, think of an ink pad. Older children, 2 and up, I use a paint brush.
3. You are limited only by your imagination.
4. Remember, imperfections can bring back the best memories.
5. When complete, cover with a non-toxic clear coat.
6. Enjoy!
   

Our Pot includes:
Hand clouds and flowers. Foot grass and flowers. Big toe ladybugs.

And we have our first winner!

Congratulations Jesica Buccilli!

You are the winner of a Crayola® Giant Sidewalk Chalk set!
I hope this brings hours of fun to you and your family.

Don't forget we have one more to give away next Saturday!

Freebies - Crayola® Giant Sidewalk Chalk

Help us reach 100 Facebook fans by May 21 for your chance to win a Crayola® Giant Sidewalk Chalk set!

We will have two drawings:

May 15, 2010 @ 1pm CST
&
May 22, 2010 @ 1pm CST

Join today!

Run, Jump and Dance!

Description

Run, jump and dance sums it up pretty well. We just added a bit of paint and paper to the mix.







Materials

• Large Paper or Canvas
  
• Tub
  
• Paint
• Water
• Flour - optional
• Tape
  

Step by Step

1. Mix paint, water and flour in the tub. The idea is to water down the paint and use the flour to give it some thickness. You can use straight paint but this is a cheaper alternative. I used Tempera Paint but any paint will do.
2. I recommend securing the paper or canvas using the tape.
3. Attach the poem below to your finished painting. I used the poem in the center of our wall display.
4. Enjoy and remember, clean up can be just as fun!

Don't Blink!

Two tiny footprints these may be
But soon a much bigger pair you'll see
Walk, run, jump, hop or even ski
Leaving prints that will make you smile with glee.

This face will change to a certain degree
These feet will also grow and it's a guarantee
So please don't blink I hereby decree
Or else you won't be able to recognize me!

Science Wednesday - The Transparent Egg Experiment

Description

What happens when you cover an egg with vinegar? Can you make an egg bounce without cracking the shell? Three small scientists set out to find the answer to these questions and more.



Materials

• Egg
• Vinegar
• Glass Bowl or Drinking Glass

Step by Step

1. Place egg into your glass bowl and cover with vinegar. You will notice bubbles forming around your egg. Your egg will float to the top, this is fine.
2. After the first 24 hours, change the vinegar.
3. Keep egg in the 2nd batch of vinegar for continued testing. We left ours for 96 hours.
   
4. Check out Super Teacher Worksheets for worksheets.
   

After 1 hour

2 hours


24 hours


48 - 72 hours

Castle Von Cardboard and Court

I love, love, love cardboard boxes!

This week our theme is Fairy Tales (Medieval Times) and we have been working on Castle Von Cardboard. My age group is 2 1/2 year old so we kept our castle on the simple side. If you are looking for a challenge, check out Ann Wood's Cardboard Castle #2.

Description
Turn a plain cardboard box into a medieval adventure. The cutting in this project should be done by an adult. Hours of fun!

Materials

• Large cardboard box - additional may be needed
• Heavy-duty scissors or craft knife
• Tape
• Glue
• Foil
• Construction Paper
  
• Paint, glitter, crayons and/or markers

Step by Step

1. Draw your basic shape onto your cardboard box. Include curtain wall, towers, drawbridge and windows.
2. Secure bottom flaps with box tape.
3. Carefully remove top flaps and cut out your design.
4. Paint your castle walls.
5. Using your scrap cardboard; draw your Royal Court and Dragon.
6. After cutting out your figures, add a slot support and decorate. (See image on the right)
   
7. You can use any remaining cardboard to add walkways and more.
8. Just let your imagination go wild when decorating your castle!

Meet our Royal Court

King Lotharon

Queen Bella

Princess Buttercup

Wesley

Sparky the Dragon


ENJOY!

Writing Wizard - Thank you, Jen!

If you are like me, you do not look forward to dotting out tracing letters. In short, it takes forever and never looks very nice.

A dear friend, Jen, told me about Writing Wizard. I am in love with this site! This is a great tool for Preschoolers and School Age Children alike. You can do single letters, single words, a sentence, a paragraph and much more. Features both Zaner-Bloser and D'Nealian, print and cursive styles.

Be sure to also check out Math Wizard. Again, these are two great resources for teachers and parents.

Naptime Sweet Baby

I was passed down this poem years ago by one of the best in the world of childcare. It's a great poem for a smooth naptime transition. With infants I would suggest doing the actions with them verses their special naptime baby. 2+ can act out the poem with their special naptime baby or stuffed animal.

We lay our sweet babies down
And tuck them snug into bed.

We brush the hair from their face
And give their forehead a sweet butterfly kiss.

Lay down your sweet little head
And dream sweet dreams until naptime ends.

Cardboard Box Fire Truck

Let's just admit it, the cardboard box is the #1 toy of all time.

Description
Turn a plain cardboard box into a Fire Truck. The cutting in this project should be done by an adult. My kids love this truck!

Materials

• Large cardboard box - additional may be needed
• 4 Paper plates
• 1 Red plastic cup (or clear painted red)
• Heavy-duty scissors or craft knife
• String or zip ties (I used cable ties)
• Screw or Drill
  
• Box Tape
• Glue
  
• Paint, glitter, crayons and/or markers
  

Step by Step

1. Draw your basic shape onto your cardboard box and begin cutting.
2. Secure all flaps with box tape.
3. Begin to paint your truck's body.
4. Using your scrap cardboard draw your accessories and 4 circles for hubcaps. For example, headlights, grill, ladder, bumpers and pump/equipment panel.
   
5. Paint paper plates black for tires.
6. Paint and decorate your accessories.
7. Using a drill or screwdriver, poke holes in cardboard to secure accessories to the truck.
8. Using string or zip ties, secure accessories to truck.
9. Glue cup to the top of truck for lights. I added a hole to place a pumpkin flashlight inside and then cover with my cup.
10. Enjoy! I fastened mine to a stroller to complete the little ones' costumes. It was then converted into a floor toy they could drive or hide inside.

We're Going On A Color Hunt

Description
This is a fun way to boost your Toddler's confidence while learning their colors.

Materials

• Classroom objects or items in your child's room

Step by Step

1. Show an item and say it's color.
2. Ask a child to find an object that is the same color. Some children may need a helping hand.
3. Applaud the child for finding an item that is the same color.
4. Playing again by asking another child or use a different color.
   

Play Dough - This is one of my favorites

Description
Easily one of my favorite play dough. Not only is it
non-toxic but it's easy to make and has a long life.

Materials

• 1 c. Flour
• 1 c. Warm Water
• 2 tsp. Cream of Tartar
• 1 tsp. Oil
• 1/4 c . Salt

Step by Step

1. Mix all ingredients, add food coloring.
2. In a medium sized pan, stir over medium heat until smooth.
3. Remove from pan and knead until blended.
4. Place in an airtight container or plastic bag when cool. This will last for a long time.

ShapeTastic

Description
Using construction paper, glue and scissors, make a collage of color and shapes. This a wonderful opportunity to work on your Toddler’s colors and shapes identification while improving your Preschooler’s their fine motor skills. This a great project for rainy days when you need a project and you need it fast. Example by Trey, age 2 1/2.

Materials
•1 Sheet of Construction Paper or Cardstock (We chose Black.)

•Several Sheets of Construction Paper (Since my kids are working on color identification, we used a wide variety.)

•Non-Toxic School Glue

•Scissors

•Pencil

Step by Step
1.Trace and cut your chosen colors into different shapes. I recommend children 3+ to trace and cut out their own shapes. (I chose Triangles and Squares).

2.Glue your shapes onto a dark sheet of construction paper. Children can create designs or a collage of shape and color.

3.Let their creativity flow.