Super Simple Valentine’s Day Cards Any Kid Can Make

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Click here to read Super Simple Valentine’s Day Cards Any Kid Can Make on Hands On As We Grow

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This Valentine’s Day activity for kids from Hands On As We Grow contributor Rachel is so easy and fun, kids of any age can do it!

Even the youngest or least crafty kids will be smiling making these simple Valentine’s Day cards. They make sweet keepsakes for family and friends.

Making Valentine’s Day cards is also a great way to teach your kids about thoughtfulness.

What makes these cards unique – and so simple! – is that instead of making individual cards, they decorated full sheets of paper that I cut into cards.

My older two girls can get very hung up on making the perfect card, but this was so much easier!

This method of card-making is easily adaptable to any holiday or occasion.

My kids LOVE making cards. It makes them so happy to create something beautiful to share with the people they love.

Mama likes it because it saves a ton of money on greeting cards!

I love the flexibility of this activity. You can use practically any supplies you’ve got on hand, or grab one or two special items to pump up the love theme.

We made our simple Valentine’s Day cards with:

• red and pink construction paper
• markers
• colored pencils
• dot markers (affiliate link)
• stamp markers (affiliate link)
• Valentine’s stickers
• adhesive gems
• heart stamps (affiliate link)

They decorated their papers however they wanted. I did tell them not to write anything or draw pictures because I would be cutting the paper.

It was so interesting to see the different ways they approached these simple Valentine’s Day cards!

When they finished, I cut each paper into two or three pieces (if you have an older child, this is a great opportunity for cutting practice). Then it was time to sign their cards!

Izzie was excited to practice writing on her cards, then she helped her sister with spelling.

I traced my youngest’s hand on one side, then drew a heart and wrote her name on the other side.

I know some grandparents that are going to be very excited to get these cards in the mail!

Here are some other fun ways for little ones to learn their names!

Do your kids like to share their art with family too?

Super Simple Valentine’s Day Cards Any Kid Can Make

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2DQL6Vs

Click here to read Super Simple Valentine’s Day Cards Any Kid Can Make on Hands On As We Grow

---

This Valentine’s Day activity for kids from Hands On As We Grow contributor Rachel is so easy and fun, kids of any age can do it!

Even the youngest or least crafty kids will be smiling making these simple Valentine’s Day cards. They make sweet keepsakes for family and friends.

Making Valentine’s Day cards is also a great way to teach your kids about thoughtfulness.

What makes these cards unique – and so simple! – is that instead of making individual cards, they decorated full sheets of paper that I cut into cards.

My older two girls can get very hung up on making the perfect card, but this was so much easier!

This method of card-making is easily adaptable to any holiday or occasion.

My kids LOVE making cards. It makes them so happy to create something beautiful to share with the people they love.

Mama likes it because it saves a ton of money on greeting cards!

I love the flexibility of this activity. You can use practically any supplies you’ve got on hand, or grab one or two special items to pump up the love theme.

We made our simple Valentine’s Day cards with:

• red and pink construction paper
• markers
• colored pencils
• dot markers (affiliate link)
• stamp markers (affiliate link)
• Valentine’s stickers
• adhesive gems
• heart stamps (affiliate link)

They decorated their papers however they wanted. I did tell them not to write anything or draw pictures because I would be cutting the paper.

It was so interesting to see the different ways they approached these simple Valentine’s Day cards!

When they finished, I cut each paper into two or three pieces (if you have an older child, this is a great opportunity for cutting practice). Then it was time to sign their cards!

Izzie was excited to practice writing on her cards, then she helped her sister with spelling.

I traced my youngest’s hand on one side, then drew a heart and wrote her name on the other side.

I know some grandparents that are going to be very excited to get these cards in the mail!

Here are some other fun ways for little ones to learn their names!

Do your kids like to share their art with family too?

Black History Month

A to Z Kids Stuff-Educational ideas and activities for young children http://ift.tt/2Gz80mg

Ideas and printables for Black History Month.

Baby Gross Motor Play: Colorful Scarf Circle

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Click here to read Baby Gross Motor Play: Colorful Scarf Circle on Hands On As We Grow

---

Change up your baby gross motor play with this colorful scarf circle from Julie.

Babies love exploring different colors and textures!

This no-prep colorful scarf circle will help your baby develop gross motor skills and stimulate her senses as well.

Read here for more simple baby activities to do this week.

Set Up the Scarf Circle

Short on time? You can prep for this baby play activity in less than two minutes.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• a flat surface on the floor or your bed (Never leave your baby unsupervised on a bed or raised surface! Keep your eyes and hands ready in case she decides to roll.)
• a handful of colorful scarves, neckties, or other fabrics

Just arrange the scarves in a circle and you’re all set!

Baby Gross Motor Play

For this baby play activity, I started my daughter out on her back in the middle of the circle.

She’s rolling both directions now, so I like to give her every opportunity to practice those gross motor skills.

If you love this baby play idea, you’ll enjoy making this edible paint for babies!

As soon as the colorful scarves caught her eye, she flipped right over to her tummy!

She loved exploring the scarves with her fingers (and mouth, of course).

Try these 48 activities to explore sight, sound, taste, and smell.

I pointed out different colors and talked to my baby while she played.

As she explored, I encouraged her to turn from side to side to view each scarf in the circle. I pointed to every scarf and called her with my voice to show her where to look next.

This is a simple baby play idea you can easily set up over and over again.

You baby will love it every time!

To switch things up, you could even hide toys in the scarves for your baby to find. It’s a great way to teach object permanence!

So simple, but so much fun!

For more fun with your baby, try this quick make and play edible sensory rattle!

How do you encourage your baby’s gross motor development?

Baby Gross Motor Play: Colorful Scarf Circle

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2noalaN

Click here to read Baby Gross Motor Play: Colorful Scarf Circle on Hands On As We Grow

---

Change up your baby gross motor play with this colorful scarf circle from Julie.

Babies love exploring different colors and textures!

This no-prep colorful scarf circle will help your baby develop gross motor skills and stimulate her senses as well.

Read here for more simple baby activities to do this week.

Set Up the Scarf Circle

Short on time? You can prep for this baby play activity in less than two minutes.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• a flat surface on the floor or your bed (Never leave your baby unsupervised on a bed or raised surface! Keep your eyes and hands ready in case she decides to roll.)
• a handful of colorful scarves, neckties, or other fabrics

Just arrange the scarves in a circle and you’re all set!

Baby Gross Motor Play

For this baby play activity, I started my daughter out on her back in the middle of the circle.

She’s rolling both directions now, so I like to give her every opportunity to practice those gross motor skills.

If you love this baby play idea, you’ll enjoy making this edible paint for babies!

As soon as the colorful scarves caught her eye, she flipped right over to her tummy!

She loved exploring the scarves with her fingers (and mouth, of course).

Try these 48 activities to explore sight, sound, taste, and smell.

I pointed out different colors and talked to my baby while she played.

As she explored, I encouraged her to turn from side to side to view each scarf in the circle. I pointed to every scarf and called her with my voice to show her where to look next.

This is a simple baby play idea you can easily set up over and over again.

You baby will love it every time!

To switch things up, you could even hide toys in the scarves for your baby to find. It’s a great way to teach object permanence!

So simple, but so much fun!

For more fun with your baby, try this quick make and play edible sensory rattle!

How do you encourage your baby’s gross motor development?

Dental Health

A to Z Kids Stuff-Educational ideas and activities for young children http://ift.tt/2DBcvdT

Dental Health week in February ideas and activities for young children to brush up on good oral health habits.

Easy Customizable Cotton Ball Craft

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Click here to read Easy Customizable Cotton Ball Craft on Hands On As We Grow

---

Make a simple and endlessly customizable cotton ball craft from Megan!

When you’re a single mom, or live most of your week as a ‘single mom’ with your husband traveling or deployed, or just away for the majority of the day, it can be very tiring and lonesome not having that adult connection.

Our member of the month in The Activity Room has a husband that travels most of the week and she’s home with her kids plus daycare kids she looks after.

By the end of the day, you’d just feel at your wit’s end.

The daily activities and bonus weeks for extra ideas are just perfect to get the stimulation in a positive way!

Megan joined a 7 Day Activity Challenge and knew by day three that the hands-on approach of our activities was exactly what she needed.

Megan found inspiration and support!

“The Activity Room has given me so much more than I imagined. I thought I would just scroll through on occasion to see some activities. However not the case. Not only does the layout help me get prepared weekly but also helps when I need something quick.

“Mostly for me as the mom I have gotten so much support and encouragement from the other moms/ caretakers! The mom support I have received is more than I could have asked for when joining a kids activity group!

“Jamie’s plans can be used for a 10-month-old all the way up to adults (yes, I enjoy them too!).”

Let’s Meet Megan

How many kids do you have and how old are they?

Girl almost 4, girl almost 3, boy 1 month

How long have you been in The Activity Room?

Few months and loving it more and more!

What is your favorite activity you’ve done in The Activity Room?

Anything to do with tape my girls love the possibilities are endless!

What’s your favorite thing to do with your kids when you get a few moments?

Color, we love to color on paper or coloring books!

What’s your best tip for doing activities with your kids?

Be prepared with your supplies, but also equally open-minded for them to change it their own way!

Share your favorite quote:

If it is meant to be, it’ll be.

Easy Cotton Ball Craft:

We made a ghost with cotton balls, but this would be super cute as any design. A tree, a heart, a ghost, a pumpkin, anything!

Select a colored piece of paper and cut the shape as big as you want. Next, the kids can glue cotton balls all over their whole shape.

Or not, if they prefer to leave some space. It’s totally up to them!

Then, pull out the paints and have them paint the cotton balls as well! An activity that kept going!

For a twist, you could even have the big kids draw and or cut the shape. You can keep the paint matching a theme- or not!

This easy cotton ball activity is totally customizable to your child’s interests, abilities, and attention span.

This is a craft for children of all ages. It’s easy to modify it for kids with different needs or abilities, too.

 

Easy Customizable Cotton Ball Craft

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2ndgwiD

Click here to read Easy Customizable Cotton Ball Craft on Hands On As We Grow

---

Make a simple and endlessly customizable cotton ball craft from Megan!

When you’re a single mom, or live most of your week as a ‘single mom’ with your husband traveling or deployed, or just away for the majority of the day, it can be very tiring and lonesome not having that adult connection.

Our member of the month in The Activity Room has a husband that travels most of the week and she’s home with her kids plus daycare kids she looks after.

By the end of the day, you’d just feel at your wit’s end.

The daily activities and bonus weeks for extra ideas are just perfect to get the stimulation in a positive way!

Megan joined a 7 Day Activity Challenge and knew by day three that the hands-on approach of our activities was exactly what she needed.

Megan found inspiration and support!

“The Activity Room has given me so much more than I imagined. I thought I would just scroll through on occasion to see some activities. However not the case. Not only does the layout help me get prepared weekly but also helps when I need something quick.

“Mostly for me as the mom I have gotten so much support and encouragement from the other moms/ caretakers! The mom support I have received is more than I could have asked for when joining a kids activity group!

“Jamie’s plans can be used for a 10-month-old all the way up to adults (yes, I enjoy them too!).”

Let’s Meet Megan

How many kids do you have and how old are they?

Girl almost 4, girl almost 3, boy 1 month

How long have you been in The Activity Room?

Few months and loving it more and more!

What is your favorite activity you’ve done in The Activity Room?

Anything to do with tape my girls love the possibilities are endless!

What’s your favorite thing to do with your kids when you get a few moments?

Color, we love to color on paper or coloring books!

What’s your best tip for doing activities with your kids?

Be prepared with your supplies, but also equally open-minded for them to change it their own way!

Share your favorite quote:

If it is meant to be, it’ll be.

Easy Cotton Ball Craft:

We made a ghost with cotton balls, but this would be super cute as any design. A tree, a heart, a ghost, a pumpkin, anything!

Select a colored piece of paper and cut the shape as big as you want. Next, the kids can glue cotton balls all over their whole shape.

Or not, if they prefer to leave some space. It’s totally up to them!

Then, pull out the paints and have them paint the cotton balls as well! An activity that kept going!

For a twist, you could even have the big kids draw and or cut the shape. You can keep the paint matching a theme- or not!

This easy cotton ball activity is totally customizable to your child’s interests, abilities, and attention span.

This is a craft for children of all ages. It’s easy to modify it for kids with different needs or abilities, too.

 

Valentine's Day.

A to Z Kids Stuff-Educational ideas and activities for young children http://ift.tt/2F8sO2s

Ideas for Valentine's Day.

Harriet Tubman

A to Z Kids Stuff-Educational ideas and activities for young children http://ift.tt/2DFnczE

Ideas to support your students study on Harriet Tubman.

Valentine Art for Toddlers: Scratch, Roll, Resist

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Click here to read Valentine Art for Toddlers: Scratch, Roll, Resist on Hands On As We Grow

---

This Valentine art for toddlers includes three methods of painting! Pick one, or do all three with your toddler!

Since George keeps wanting to paint hearts, I’ve been trying to come up with different ways to make some Valentine art for toddlers that’s not the same ol’ finger painting over and over again.

I think I’ve been doing good so far. Most have been classic ways to paint, such as the sponge and cookie cutter heart paintings.

Even though they’re classic, this was our first time painting that way. I’m so excited to have found new art projects that a toddler can do and they still look awesome in the end.

And here’s yet another heart art project for toddlers. (Yes, George is asking to paint hearts still!)

This one is a combination of a few art projects that toddlers can do.

1. Tape resist art: Its been on my mind since I collected a few ideas…
2. Roller painting: We’ve done this before, but in a baggy. This time the mess came out.
3. Comb painting: I just saw an awesome art project by Learn with Play at Home so I thought we’d give this a whirl too.

First, I taped a heart out onto a piece of paper. George wanted to get in on the taping too, so he put tape dots around the heart.

With a wooden dowel (a rolling pin would work well too!), George rolled paint over the paper.

He’s definitely seen this motion done several times at the bakery. He knew just how to roll!

And then with a comb, we scratched over the paint to make marks and lines, giving it texture and some character.

There’s absolutely no right or wrong way to do any of these techniques. All that’s important is to cover the paper with paint, any way you can!

Think about it, what other objects do you have in your cupboard that you could drag through the paint?

Toddlers love to use an object that they know is supposed to be used for something else.

He loved using the comb. Something that’s supposed to be run through their hair, and I’m letting him put it in paint? He thinks he’s getting away with something and loves doing it!

This is a fun way for toddlers to explore different mediums, plus there’s pretty artwork that comes from it to hang up for Valentine’s Day! (You could also make cards, too!)

And with the tape off, the texture shows so nicely!

There’s lots of Valentine Art for toddlers found in my Valentine’s For Kids collaborative Pinterest board!

Valentine Art for Toddlers: Scratch, Roll, Resist

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2E46E1Q

Click here to read Valentine Art for Toddlers: Scratch, Roll, Resist on Hands On As We Grow

---

This Valentine art for toddlers includes three methods of painting! Pick one, or do all three with your toddler!

Since George keeps wanting to paint hearts, I’ve been trying to come up with different ways to make some Valentine art for toddlers that’s not the same ol’ finger painting over and over again.

I think I’ve been doing good so far. Most have been classic ways to paint, such as the sponge and cookie cutter heart paintings.

Even though they’re classic, this was our first time painting that way. I’m so excited to have found new art projects that a toddler can do and they still look awesome in the end.

And here’s yet another heart art project for toddlers. (Yes, George is asking to paint hearts still!)

This one is a combination of a few art projects that toddlers can do.

1. Tape resist art: Its been on my mind since I collected a few ideas…
2. Roller painting: We’ve done this before, but in a baggy. This time the mess came out.
3. Comb painting: I just saw an awesome art project by Learn with Play at Home so I thought we’d give this a whirl too.

First, I taped a heart out onto a piece of paper. George wanted to get in on the taping too, so he put tape dots around the heart.

With a wooden dowel (a rolling pin would work well too!), George rolled paint over the paper.

He’s definitely seen this motion done several times at the bakery. He knew just how to roll!

And then with a comb, we scratched over the paint to make marks and lines, giving it texture and some character.

There’s absolutely no right or wrong way to do any of these techniques. All that’s important is to cover the paper with paint, any way you can!

Think about it, what other objects do you have in your cupboard that you could drag through the paint?

Toddlers love to use an object that they know is supposed to be used for something else.

He loved using the comb. Something that’s supposed to be run through their hair, and I’m letting him put it in paint? He thinks he’s getting away with something and loves doing it!

This is a fun way for toddlers to explore different mediums, plus there’s pretty artwork that comes from it to hang up for Valentine’s Day! (You could also make cards, too!)

And with the tape off, the texture shows so nicely!

There’s lots of Valentine Art for toddlers found in my Valentine’s For Kids collaborative Pinterest board!

Snowman Craft from Tin Cans! Great Winter Craft!

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2Dt5FXU

Click here to read Snowman Craft from Tin Cans! Great Winter Craft! on Hands On As We Grow

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Recycle tin cans with this snowman craft that is perfect for winter.

This snowman craft (that’s also a wind chime) was so fun. I’ve had this idea in my head the entire fall and couldn’t wait to find the time to do it with the boys!

Things started rocky, for sure, but I do love the end result.

It started out that I didn’t have any white paint. Well, honestly, I did. Just not very much. I had a small jar of it from the washable paints that the boys used.

But we needed enough to cover 3 giant tin cans (coffee can size!).

Find more snowman crafts for kids here.

I asked my fellow craft friends for ideas to use for white paint. I’ve made homemade paint before. But honestly, white threw me for a loop.

Our solution was the good ol’ shaving cream and glue mixture. It’s puffy paint and it gave the tin cans the perfect effect for a snowman!

George covered a tin can with the paint mixture using a sponge. I painted the others myself. Henry was just too busy at the time to help, or so he said…

With the paint still wet, George sprinkled on a lot of Frosty Snow flakes (affiliate link). I had a lot of this on hand, so that’s what I chose to use. White glitter would look awesome too.

While everything was still wet, we put on the snowman parts.

I pulled together 2 eyes, a nose, a mouth, and three buttons from the idea from our interactive snowman fridge. I made them all magnetic by hot gluing it onto magnetic buttons (affiliate link).

The eyes are made from black pom poms.

The nose is 2 orange pom poms and a small piece of a pipe cleaner (though I now think it should just be 3 pom poms, with the last one being a smaller one).

The mouth is a red pipe cleaner (magnets on each end).

The 3 buttons are black foam pieces cut into circles.

Red ribbon was also used as a scarf.

I tied the three tin cans together with yarn and washers.

This was actually trickier than I thought. Its easier to start at the bottom of the snowman and work your way to the top.

Tie a washer one, thread through a hole at the top of the tin can [made using a nail, be careful of sharp edges]. Figure out the distance to the top of the next can with some spacing in between and tie another washer. And so on.

(Note: I didn’t add additional nuts and washers this time to make this a true wind chime. If you’d like to, just add more washers along the yarn when you’re stringing it through. It’ll clang against the side of the tin cans.)

Then hang it somewhere low enough that the kids can decorate it!

A snowman made using marshmallows is an easy beginner hands on activity!

I just simply tied the ribbon around the yarn loosely for the scarf. The rest Henry did!

I took our snowman craft outside and hung it on the porch.

(The Frosty Snow flakes (affiliate link) fall off every time you bump it, so if you’d like to keep it inside, maybe don’t use them).

The boys wanted to be able to see their snowman from the windows, so I had to make sure it was strategically placed!

What’s your favorite way to make a snowman?

Snowman Craft from Tin Cans! Great Winter Craft!

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2Dt5FXU

Click here to read Snowman Craft from Tin Cans! Great Winter Craft! on Hands On As We Grow

---

Recycle tin cans with this snowman craft that is perfect for winter.

This snowman craft (that’s also a wind chime) was so fun. I’ve had this idea in my head the entire fall and couldn’t wait to find the time to do it with the boys!

Things started rocky, for sure, but I do love the end result.

It started out that I didn’t have any white paint. Well, honestly, I did. Just not very much. I had a small jar of it from the washable paints that the boys used.

But we needed enough to cover 3 giant tin cans (coffee can size!).

Find more snowman crafts for kids here.

I asked my fellow craft friends for ideas to use for white paint. I’ve made homemade paint before. But honestly, white threw me for a loop.

Our solution was the good ol’ shaving cream and glue mixture. It’s puffy paint and it gave the tin cans the perfect effect for a snowman!

George covered a tin can with the paint mixture using a sponge. I painted the others myself. Henry was just too busy at the time to help, or so he said…

With the paint still wet, George sprinkled on a lot of Frosty Snow flakes (affiliate link). I had a lot of this on hand, so that’s what I chose to use. White glitter would look awesome too.

While everything was still wet, we put on the snowman parts.

I pulled together 2 eyes, a nose, a mouth, and three buttons from the idea from our interactive snowman fridge. I made them all magnetic by hot gluing it onto magnetic buttons (affiliate link).

The eyes are made from black pom poms.

The nose is 2 orange pom poms and a small piece of a pipe cleaner (though I now think it should just be 3 pom poms, with the last one being a smaller one).

The mouth is a red pipe cleaner (magnets on each end).

The 3 buttons are black foam pieces cut into circles.

Red ribbon was also used as a scarf.

I tied the three tin cans together with yarn and washers.

This was actually trickier than I thought. Its easier to start at the bottom of the snowman and work your way to the top.

Tie a washer one, thread through a hole at the top of the tin can [made using a nail, be careful of sharp edges]. Figure out the distance to the top of the next can with some spacing in between and tie another washer. And so on.

(Note: I didn’t add additional nuts and washers this time to make this a true wind chime. If you’d like to, just add more washers along the yarn when you’re stringing it through. It’ll clang against the side of the tin cans.)

Then hang it somewhere low enough that the kids can decorate it!

A snowman made using marshmallows is an easy beginner hands on activity!

I just simply tied the ribbon around the yarn loosely for the scarf. The rest Henry did!

I took our snowman craft outside and hung it on the porch.

(The Frosty Snow flakes (affiliate link) fall off every time you bump it, so if you’d like to keep it inside, maybe don’t use them).

The boys wanted to be able to see their snowman from the windows, so I had to make sure it was strategically placed!

What’s your favorite way to make a snowman?

Simple and Fun Card Sorting Slot Activity

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Click here to read Simple and Fun Card Sorting Slot Activity on Hands On As We Grow

---

This super simple card sorting activity from Alisha is the perfect quick-prep activity for your toddlers and preschoolers to practice fine motor, sorting, and memory skills.

Winter is a great time to make some delicious overnight oats or create a fun edible indoor sandbox. But now you’re stuck with all those empty oatmeal containers!

Put those empty boxes to good use with a simple and fun card sorting activity.

This is one of my go-to activities for endless fun and easy cleanup. I love that it’s also a great upcycle activity, too.

Before you sort, you need:

• 2-4 oatmeal containers or small boxes
• A deck of 52 playing cards
• Post-it Notes or small pieces of paper with tape
• A pen or marker
• A pair of scissors

Setting up your simple and fun card sorting

Start by taking the tops off of your oatmeal containers. In the middle of each lid, cut an opening big enough for a playing card to slide through.

The slots don’t have to be beautiful, just as long as the card can slip thru.

Another option, perfect for rectangular boxes, would be to cut right into the side of the box instead of the lid.

Practice math skills with other great playing card activities.

Next, grab some post-it notes to label the sorting options.

Your labels will be stuck onto the front of the containers during the activity.

Card sorting activity variations

There are three sorting options to choose from and you could just focus on one skill per activity time or all three.

• color (black and red)
• number (2-10) or face card (A, J, Q,K)
• suit shape (heart, diamond, spade, clover)

What you choose to write on the Post-it notes may vary depending on the age of your kids.

I chose to draw the symbols of the shapes since I knew it would be easier for my children to recognize.

I also decided to use a number symbol instead of the word “numbers” to introduce them to the symbol.

Do what works for your child’s age and skill level.

After your card slots are made and your containers are labeled, you’re ready to sort your cards.

Let your children direct the sort.

Your kids will sort the cards based on that criteria and slide the cards into the correct sorting slots. The type of sort you choose will change how many oatmeal containers you need.

For sorting by color, red or black, and number vs. face card, you will need two containers. To sort by suit shape, you will need four containers.

Each container should be labeled with one category.

Now, grab a deck of cards and let the sorting begin.

For all of the sorts, flip one card at a time and place it in the correct container. Repeat these steps until all the cards have been sorted.

This is a great activity to practice number recognition!

Let your children really take the lead.

Your children might have different sorting ideas. They might have other ideas for how to play, too.

This is a great chance to see their minds really explore, engage, and learn.

Roll with it and enjoy the special time. The next time you play this simple card sorting activity, ask your children to help you decide on the sort categories.

Need ideas to better engage with your child?

How did your children choose to sort their cards?

Simple and Fun Card Sorting Slot Activity

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2EZXfYr

Click here to read Simple and Fun Card Sorting Slot Activity on Hands On As We Grow

---

This super simple card sorting activity from Alisha is the perfect quick-prep activity for your toddlers and preschoolers to practice fine motor, sorting, and memory skills.

Winter is a great time to make some delicious overnight oats or create a fun edible indoor sandbox. But now you’re stuck with all those empty oatmeal containers!

Put those empty boxes to good use with a simple and fun card sorting activity.

This is one of my go-to activities for endless fun and easy cleanup. I love that it’s also a great upcycle activity, too.

Before you sort, you need:

• 2-4 oatmeal containers or small boxes
• A deck of 52 playing cards
• Post-it Notes or small pieces of paper with tape
• A pen or marker
• A pair of scissors

Setting up your simple and fun card sorting

Start by taking the tops off of your oatmeal containers. In the middle of each lid, cut an opening big enough for a playing card to slide through.

The slots don’t have to be beautiful, just as long as the card can slip thru.

Another option, perfect for rectangular boxes, would be to cut right into the side of the box instead of the lid.

Practice math skills with other great playing card activities.

Next, grab some post-it notes to label the sorting options.

Your labels will be stuck onto the front of the containers during the activity.

Card sorting activity variations

There are three sorting options to choose from and you could just focus on one skill per activity time or all three.

• color (black and red)
• number (2-10) or face card (A, J, Q,K)
• suit shape (heart, diamond, spade, clover)

What you choose to write on the Post-it notes may vary depending on the age of your kids.

I chose to draw the symbols of the shapes since I knew it would be easier for my children to recognize.

I also decided to use a number symbol instead of the word “numbers” to introduce them to the symbol.

Do what works for your child’s age and skill level.

After your card slots are made and your containers are labeled, you’re ready to sort your cards.

Let your children direct the sort.

Your kids will sort the cards based on that criteria and slide the cards into the correct sorting slots. The type of sort you choose will change how many oatmeal containers you need.

For sorting by color, red or black, and number vs. face card, you will need two containers. To sort by suit shape, you will need four containers.

Each container should be labeled with one category.

Now, grab a deck of cards and let the sorting begin.

For all of the sorts, flip one card at a time and place it in the correct container. Repeat these steps until all the cards have been sorted.

This is a great activity to practice number recognition!

Let your children really take the lead.

Your children might have different sorting ideas. They might have other ideas for how to play, too.

This is a great chance to see their minds really explore, engage, and learn.

Roll with it and enjoy the special time. The next time you play this simple card sorting activity, ask your children to help you decide on the sort categories.

Need ideas to better engage with your child?

How did your children choose to sort their cards?

Valentine’s Activity for Kids: Hunt for Love

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Show your preschooler you care with a fun scavenger hunt Valentine’s activity!

I decided that we needed some kind of Valentine’s Day activity to do, instead of just crafty and artsy ideas.

We did a heart hunt last year, with great success.

But this year, I wanted to make Henry think about love a little.

So I came up with the Hunt For Love Valentine’s activity.

To start, we needed to make plain white paper bags pretty so its ready for some love, right?

George was around and awake, so we wanted to include him and have him decorate a bag too.

I quickly came up with something that’s colorful, edible and can be painted with.

Yogurt.

I split it up into four dishes (two for each of the boys) and added purple and pink food coloring to each of them.

Ta-da. Done. Edible fingerpaint. Super fast. Super easy.

(Or you can make this awesome Homemade Edible Finger Paint that has a gel consistency.)

The boys loved this paint! George might have loved it too much and ate quite a bit…

But it was a lot of fun.

After decorating our bags with paint. Henry and I embellished ours with glitter.

I cut out a heart stencil from a scrap piece of paper.

Henry shook the glitter on over it, and the glitter stuck nicely to the wet yogurt paint!

So we had made our plain white paper bags… pretty!

After a couple days of letting the paint dry, we got around to our Hunt For Love.

(FYI: the bags ripped a little when I opened them up. I should have opened them right away when they were done painting and stuffed them with newspapers.)

Within seconds of my handing the boys their paper Valentine’s bags… George ripped his to shreds. This kept George busy though!

Meanwhile, Henry and I worked on filling our bags with things we love. I tried to focus on Who we love, instead of material objects.

This was a little abstract for Henry since we couldn’t physically put a person that we loved into these small little paper bags.

I wasn’t too worried about it, and let Henry fill his up as he pleased.

Instead of telling him how to do this the way I had intended… As I filled mine up, I made suggestions by saying what I was putting in my bag and who it reminded me of.

Such as, “I love Dad, so I’m going to put this cookie in my bag. The cookie reminds me of Dad because he works at the bakery.”

or…

“This letter G reminds me of George because George starts with G.”

After a couple of these examples, Henry caught on a little bit. He grabbed the letter M and put it in for Mom!

Along with… His red combine, the grain truck and other favorite toys of his…

It was a fun little Valentine’s activity to talk to Henry about people we love. It was also neat to see him think in an abstract way, and glad he caught onto it, at least a little.

Other Paper Bag Activities we’ve done:

• Tissue Paper Bag Toddler Activity
• Stuffed Heart
  (This last one isn’t technically made from a paper bag, but I had initially made a test one from a brown paper bag!)