Tiny Boat 💨⛵️

This simple boat was so much fun and a great lesson in the power of wind. I grew up sailing with my dad on our own tiny sailboat and I’ve always loved it – there’s just something about the moment when the wind hits the sail and you zoom across the water – it really shows the beauty of Mother Nature ✨

What you need:

Mason jar lid
Small piece of clay or play-doh
2 sticks (one shorter than the other)
Coffee filter
Scissors
Glue

What to do:

Place a small dab of clay in the middle of the mason jar lid.
Put the longer stick in the clay and secure with glue.
When the stick is sturdy, glue the other stick perpendicular to the other one.
Cut the coffee filter in a triangle shape with the sides the same length as the sticks.
Glue the coffee filter triangle to the sticks.
Let dry completely.
Test it out in a puddle or a sink!

Preschool Activities, Uncategorized

April Showers

April in the Midwest means one thing – rain. But you know what they say… April showers bring May flowers! Trying to stay positive during these dreary days – it’s only a matter of weeks until the sun will be shining, our garden will be growing, and we will be exploring the summer wilderness ✨🌿

This was our first time melting crayons with a hair dryer and honestly it was a lot messier than anticipated! However I will say the best part was making predictions about what would happen to the crayons and then watching the boys giggle with delight as they first started to melt.

What you need:

Crayons
Hot glue gun
Canvas
Hair Dryer
Table cover/Drop cloth
Small sticks or picture of umbrella
Photo

What to do:

Glue the crayons along the top of the canvas.
If you are making an umbrella find some small sticks and glue them into place on the canvas. If using a picture, glue the photo onto the canvas.
Tape a small piece of plastic over the photo to protect it from the dripping wax.
Lay drop cloth under canvas where you plan melting. Take it from me – the wax may fly in unanticipated directions so unless you want to scrape wax off of your table (like I did) cover it!
Turn the hair dryer on high heat and hold a few inches away from the crayons. You will need to keep it in the same spot for a minute or so until the crayon begins to melt.
Continue across the canvas with all of the crayons until you are satisfied with the amount of “rain.”
Remove plastic and let dry.

Preschool Activities, Uncategorized

Rain Painting ☔️

It was a rainy day and we decided to use it to our advantage… I found a stack of old watercolor paints so we crushed up what remained with a hammer, sprinkled it on watercolor paper, and set it outside in the rain.

After the paper dried we made three unique art pieces… first we traced and cut umbrellas, next we drew a city underneath fireworks, and finally created a large tree. It was amazing how we each saw something different while looking at the watercolor paintings… I guess it’s all about perspective ✨

This was the perfect STEAM spring activity and once again a lesson in sustainable play – remember to try and think about other ways to use things before you throw them out ♻️😊

What you need:

Old watercolor paints
Watercolor paper
Toy hammer
Baggies
Baking sheet

What to do:

Scoop out hardened water color paints and place inside of a baggie.
Use toy hammer to crush into small pieces.
Scatter water color pieces onto watercolor paper.
Place paper on a baking sheet and set out in the rain.
Watch and be amazed! *Don’t leave the paper outside for too long or you will end up with a soggy mess!
After the paper dries turn your painting into a masterpiece! Trace and cut, follow the lines, add drawings – it’s up to you and your imagination!

Preschool Activities, Uncategorized

Rain Stick

I’ve always loved the sound of a good rain and although this DIY rain stick doesn’t quite measure up to the real thing it’s still super fun to make and even more fun to play with! This activity covers all sorts of learning domains as well: STEM, sensory play, hand-eye coordination, and following directions just to name a few!

What you need: