A to Z Kids Stuff-Educational ideas and activities for young children https://ift.tt/2H3oRON
Rain theme for preschool and kindergarten children.
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Friday, March 30, 2018
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Matching Upper and Lowercase Letters on ABC Road
Hands On As We Grow https://ift.tt/2A3rA6z
Click here to read Matching Upper and Lowercase Letters on ABC Road on Hands On As We Grow
Help your child learn their ABCs by matching upper and lowercase letters.
I’ve found that matching upper and lowercase letters is a great way to reinforce learning letters for preschoolers. Of course, making it fun is really what works!
We did just that using our ABC mat (affiliate link if you’re interested). A toy I completely forgot about.
Do you ever forget you have certain toys? You put them away, thinking you’ll rotate them in or something, but then never do?
Our ABC mat is one of those toys. It’s one I don’t want out all the time because the boys just get all the pieces out and they’re strewn about the house for days and days.
So I put it away, back in the closet, so they wouldn’t see it and drag it out.
I forgot what a great learning tool it could be though! I forgot about it altogether.
When the boys were outside sledding with Dad, I snuck it out and set up an ABC road to work on matching upper and lowercase letters.
Find more Move & Learn Activities like this!
George came in first, which was perfect! This letter learning activity was perfect for him to practice lowercase letters.
As I wrote lowercase letters of the alphabet on sticky notes, George found his vehicle of choice, a dump truck.
I “loaded” his dump truck with 3 or 4 lowercase letters at a time.
As I loaded it, I asked George what the letters were. We’re still working on many of the lowercase letters. If he needed help, this is when I’d tell him what they were.
Then he was off to find the matching uppercase letter on the ABC road and stick the lowercase letter to it.
The goal was to fill all the ABC road with its matching lowercase counterparts.
I purposefully didn’t make the road go around our loop in the house. I didn’t want it to get out of control as my kids often do.
It was time for me to start preparing dinner, so I set the road up so it didn’t go through the kitchen or by the dining room table.
After George found the three matching letters, he’d come back to me to give him another load of letters.
There was some confusion at times. For instance, when matching the upper and lowercase letters like L – the lowercase is ‘l’ which looks like the uppercase ‘I’, so I had to clarify. Same with the M and W. No biggie.
Then Henry joined us and immediately wanted to do the activity too!
Well, Henry’s in first grade and matching upper and lowercase letters is a little behind him.
I kicked it up a notch and used words.
I wrote a word on the sticky note that began with each letter.
Still not the toughest of tasks for him. But he did have to read the word to me before finding what letter it goes on.
I wish I could have come up with harder words for him.
I just didn’t take a lot of time to plan that part out.
The boys were done with their learning after they got through their letters.
They then raced their trucks around the road until it was time for dinner.
If they had wanted to continue, I had numbers ready for George as well.
And Henry would have had subtraction problems to equal each number 0-9.
We’ve been working on matching upper and lowercase letters a lot (and for quite a while!):
Matching Upper and Lowercase Letters on ABC Road
Hands On As We Grow https://ift.tt/2A3rA6z
Click here to read Matching Upper and Lowercase Letters on ABC Road on Hands On As We Grow
Help your child learn their ABCs by matching upper and lowercase letters.
I’ve found that matching upper and lowercase letters is a great way to reinforce learning letters for preschoolers. Of course, making it fun is really what works!
We did just that using our ABC mat (affiliate link if you’re interested). A toy I completely forgot about.
Do you ever forget you have certain toys? You put them away, thinking you’ll rotate them in or something, but then never do?
Our ABC mat is one of those toys. It’s one I don’t want out all the time because the boys just get all the pieces out and they’re strewn about the house for days and days.
So I put it away, back in the closet, so they wouldn’t see it and drag it out.
I forgot what a great learning tool it could be though! I forgot about it altogether.
When the boys were outside sledding with Dad, I snuck it out and set up an ABC road to work on matching upper and lowercase letters.
Find more Move & Learn Activities like this!
George came in first, which was perfect! This letter learning activity was perfect for him to practice lowercase letters.
As I wrote lowercase letters of the alphabet on sticky notes, George found his vehicle of choice, a dump truck.
I “loaded” his dump truck with 3 or 4 lowercase letters at a time.
As I loaded it, I asked George what the letters were. We’re still working on many of the lowercase letters. If he needed help, this is when I’d tell him what they were.
Then he was off to find the matching uppercase letter on the ABC road and stick the lowercase letter to it.
The goal was to fill all the ABC road with its matching lowercase counterparts.
I purposefully didn’t make the road go around our loop in the house. I didn’t want it to get out of control as my kids often do.
It was time for me to start preparing dinner, so I set the road up so it didn’t go through the kitchen or by the dining room table.
After George found the three matching letters, he’d come back to me to give him another load of letters.
There was some confusion at times. For instance, when matching the upper and lowercase letters like L – the lowercase is ‘l’ which looks like the uppercase ‘I’, so I had to clarify. Same with the M and W. No biggie.
Then Henry joined us and immediately wanted to do the activity too!
Well, Henry’s in first grade and matching upper and lowercase letters is a little behind him.
I kicked it up a notch and used words.
I wrote a word on the sticky note that began with each letter.
Still not the toughest of tasks for him. But he did have to read the word to me before finding what letter it goes on.
I wish I could have come up with harder words for him.
I just didn’t take a lot of time to plan that part out.
The boys were done with their learning after they got through their letters.
They then raced their trucks around the road until it was time for dinner.
If they had wanted to continue, I had numbers ready for George as well.
And Henry would have had subtraction problems to equal each number 0-9.
We’ve been working on matching upper and lowercase letters a lot (and for quite a while!):
Monday, March 26, 2018
Spring Flower Pretend Play
Hands On As We Grow https://ift.tt/2G9d9oB
Click here to read Spring Flower Pretend Play on Hands On As We Grow
Bring a pop of spring color into your home with a fun spring flower pretend play activity from Rachel!
I don’t know where you live, but here on the East Coast, we really need a dose of spring right about now.
Even a dose of fake spring will do!
So I brought out our stash of fake flowers for some bright and colorful pretend play.
Welcome Spring with fun seasonal activity ideas!
I picked these flowers up from a craft store at the end of the season several years ago when they were on clearance.
Most of them came in bunches, so I used wire cutters to clip them into individual flowers.
If you go this route, make sure to double-check the cut ends for any pointy or sharp spots. Mine didn’t have any, but I’m sure it could happen.
Imaginative Spring Flower Pretend Play
I put out a few containers of the flowers for Hannah. We found the different colored buckets came from the dollar store.
I also gave her a colander and a tall plastic pitcher.
I thought about putting out a few real glass vases but decided against it. If you have older kids or are playing on a carpeted surface, using real vases will definitely add to the pretend play element.
My intention with this activity was just to play.
I added the colander for some bonus fine motor work because some of the stems are small enough for the colander holes.
Mostly though, the idea was pretend play. Pretend to arrange the flowers in the different containers, pretend to pick the flowers and smell them, that sort of thing.
This is why I generally don’t say much when I put out an activity. I want to see where their minds go.
Hannah turned it into a color and size sorting activity. The small flowers with stems that fit in the colander holes went there. She put the others into the red, yellow and blue buckets.
The leftovers went into the plastic pitcher, along with a few extras because she decided it looked too empty.
The flowers and colors definitely brightened our day!
Hannah played for a long time when we first did it, then asked to do more spring flower pretend play after her nap! Interestingly, the second time she played totally differently than the first.
The second time around, she turned the colander right side up, stood a few steps away and tried to throw all the flowers into the colander.
Once she got them all in, she either dumped them on her head or spread them around the room. Then she collected them and started tossing again!
Both ways were fun and any activity they want to go back to is a win in my book!
How do you encourage pretend play with your children?
Spring Flower Pretend Play
Hands On As We Grow https://ift.tt/2G9d9oB
Click here to read Spring Flower Pretend Play on Hands On As We Grow
Bring a pop of spring color into your home with a fun spring flower pretend play activity from Rachel!
I don’t know where you live, but here on the East Coast, we really need a dose of spring right about now.
Even a dose of fake spring will do!
So I brought out our stash of fake flowers for some bright and colorful pretend play.
Welcome Spring with fun seasonal activity ideas!
I picked these flowers up from a craft store at the end of the season several years ago when they were on clearance.
Most of them came in bunches, so I used wire cutters to clip them into individual flowers.
If you go this route, make sure to double-check the cut ends for any pointy or sharp spots. Mine didn’t have any, but I’m sure it could happen.
Imaginative Spring Flower Pretend Play
I put out a few containers of the flowers for Hannah. We found the different colored buckets came from the dollar store.
I also gave her a colander and a tall plastic pitcher.
I thought about putting out a few real glass vases but decided against it. If you have older kids or are playing on a carpeted surface, using real vases will definitely add to the pretend play element.
My intention with this activity was just to play.
I added the colander for some bonus fine motor work because some of the stems are small enough for the colander holes.
Mostly though, the idea was pretend play. Pretend to arrange the flowers in the different containers, pretend to pick the flowers and smell them, that sort of thing.
This is why I generally don’t say much when I put out an activity. I want to see where their minds go.
Hannah turned it into a color and size sorting activity. The small flowers with stems that fit in the colander holes went there. She put the others into the red, yellow and blue buckets.
The leftovers went into the plastic pitcher, along with a few extras because she decided it looked too empty.
The flowers and colors definitely brightened our day!
Hannah played for a long time when we first did it, then asked to do more spring flower pretend play after her nap! Interestingly, the second time she played totally differently than the first.
The second time around, she turned the colander right side up, stood a few steps away and tried to throw all the flowers into the colander.
Once she got them all in, she either dumped them on her head or spread them around the room. Then she collected them and started tossing again!
Both ways were fun and any activity they want to go back to is a win in my book!
How do you encourage pretend play with your children?
Sunday, March 25, 2018
Easy Pipe Cleaner Ring Stacking Activity with a Twist
Hands On As We Grow https://ift.tt/2HZwxkf
Click here to read Easy Pipe Cleaner Ring Stacking Activity with a Twist on Hands On As We Grow
Switch up a popular ring stacking activity with pipe cleaners so that it’s fun for littler ones, too.
There are so many fun activities out there for children, especially on Hands on As We Grow. Preschoolers and toddlers can have a blast!
For littler children, especially babies and early walkers, finding easy-to-do activities can be harder.
Our Member of the Month, Andrea, loves The Activity Room because it has helped her to find fun crafts and activities for her baby.
She’s also found a supportive community of other parents here.
“The Activity Room is great because not only can you share what you are doing, you can see what others are doing and get even more great ideas,” said Andrea. “Plus everyone is really friendly and supportive.”
Filling your time with activities helps your young child to build skills and make each day interesting.
Let’s Meet Andrea
How many kids do you have and how old are they?
One child who is 17 months
How long have you been in The Activity Room?
3 months
What is your favorite activity you’ve done in The Activity Room?
Stacking solo cups and knocking them down
What’s your favorite thing to do with your kids when you get a few moments?
Play outside
What’s your best tip for doing activities with your kids?
Just let it happen however it happens and don’t worry about how it is supposed to go or how something is supposed to look
If you were to tell a friend about The Activity Room, what would you say to them?
The Activity Room has given me so many ideas for activities to do with my son that are simple and I never would have thought of on my own. They help break up the day and add something interesting into the day.
Share your favorite quote
I may not have it together every day, but everyday we are together and that’s all that matters.
Pipe Cleaner Ring Stacking Activity:
Having a child on the younger side requires modification.
Instead of putting pasta or cereal on sticks, I used pipe cleaners to make easier rings to place on pipe cleaner sticks.
Younger toddlers will love this easy ring stacking activity!
How has The Activity Room helped you to switch up activities for your baby?
Easy Pipe Cleaner Ring Stacking Activity with a Twist
Hands On As We Grow https://ift.tt/2HZwxkf
Click here to read Easy Pipe Cleaner Ring Stacking Activity with a Twist on Hands On As We Grow
Switch up a popular ring stacking activity with pipe cleaners so that it’s fun for littler ones, too.
There are so many fun activities out there for children, especially on Hands on As We Grow. Preschoolers and toddlers can have a blast!
For littler children, especially babies and early walkers, finding easy-to-do activities can be harder.
Our Member of the Month, Andrea, loves The Activity Room because it has helped her to find fun crafts and activities for her baby.
She’s also found a supportive community of other parents here.
“The Activity Room is great because not only can you share what you are doing, you can see what others are doing and get even more great ideas,” said Andrea. “Plus everyone is really friendly and supportive.”
Filling your time with activities helps your young child to build skills and make each day interesting.
Let’s Meet Andrea
How many kids do you have and how old are they?
One child who is 17 months
How long have you been in The Activity Room?
3 months
What is your favorite activity you’ve done in The Activity Room?
Stacking solo cups and knocking them down
What’s your favorite thing to do with your kids when you get a few moments?
Play outside
What’s your best tip for doing activities with your kids?
Just let it happen however it happens and don’t worry about how it is supposed to go or how something is supposed to look
If you were to tell a friend about The Activity Room, what would you say to them?
The Activity Room has given me so many ideas for activities to do with my son that are simple and I never would have thought of on my own. They help break up the day and add something interesting into the day.
Share your favorite quote
I may not have it together every day, but everyday we are together and that’s all that matters.
Pipe Cleaner Ring Stacking Activity:
Having a child on the younger side requires modification.
Instead of putting pasta or cereal on sticks, I used pipe cleaners to make easier rings to place on pipe cleaner sticks.
Younger toddlers will love this easy ring stacking activity!
How has The Activity Room helped you to switch up activities for your baby?
Thursday, March 22, 2018
Easter
A to Z Kids Stuff-Educational ideas and activities for young children http://ift.tt/2DKdc41
Resources for educators and others to use in a classroom to celebrate Easter.
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
Marbled Easter Eggs Sensory Activity
Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2FXXGTW
Click here to read Marbled Easter Eggs Sensory Activity on Hands On As We Grow
Making these marbled Easter eggs definitely doubles as a fun sensory activity!
Finding ways for young kids (under 4-ish) to decorate Easter eggs can be tricky sometimes. They don’t have the patience to sit and hold an egg in a cup to make it two colors.
Or the ability to really do the fancy decorative eggs either.
Make marbled Easter eggs that little kids as young as 2 can do!
It’s a super fun process!
All you’ll need to decorate these eggs is a tray of shaving cream and some food coloring! That’s it!
Fill a tray or a pie plate with shaving cream.
Drop in several drops of two different colors of food coloring. Gel coloring works great.
Gently drop hard-boiled eggs, one at a time, into the shaving cream mix and roll it around.
One way to roll the egg around is by tipping the plate back and forth. This can be a bit tricky for little hands to do.
Or use a spoon or your hands to physically move it, which leads to amazing sensory fun for the kids that they’ll love!
Be sure to cover the eggs completely with food coloring. Let them play and decorate each Easter egg as long as they like!
Take them out, covered in shaving cream and let them sit for a bit.
Then wipe the shaving cream off the egg to leave a really cool marble effect.
Want more ways to decorate your Easter eggs this year? Try one of these 26!
What’s your favorite way to decorate Easter eggs?
Marbled Easter Eggs Sensory Activity
Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2FXXGTW
Click here to read Marbled Easter Eggs Sensory Activity on Hands On As We Grow
Making these marbled Easter eggs definitely doubles as a fun sensory activity!
Finding ways for young kids (under 4-ish) to decorate Easter eggs can be tricky sometimes. They don’t have the patience to sit and hold an egg in a cup to make it two colors.
Or the ability to really do the fancy decorative eggs either.
Make marbled Easter eggs that little kids as young as 2 can do!
It’s a super fun process!
All you’ll need to decorate these eggs is a tray of shaving cream and some food coloring! That’s it!
Fill a tray or a pie plate with shaving cream.
Drop in several drops of two different colors of food coloring. Gel coloring works great.
Gently drop hard-boiled eggs, one at a time, into the shaving cream mix and roll it around.
One way to roll the egg around is by tipping the plate back and forth. This can be a bit tricky for little hands to do.
Or use a spoon or your hands to physically move it, which leads to amazing sensory fun for the kids that they’ll love!
Be sure to cover the eggs completely with food coloring. Let them play and decorate each Easter egg as long as they like!
Take them out, covered in shaving cream and let them sit for a bit.
Then wipe the shaving cream off the egg to leave a really cool marble effect.
Want more ways to decorate your Easter eggs this year? Try one of these 26!
What’s your favorite way to decorate Easter eggs?
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Vertical Sticker Easter Eggs: A Counting Activity
Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2u6ntI4
Click here to read Vertical Sticker Easter Eggs: A Counting Activity on Hands On As We Grow
Practice counting and number recognition with a fun vertical sticker counting activity for Easter from Lisa!
Creating vertical surface activities for your child allows them to explore and learn while developing many basic skills.
A vertical sticker activity can help build hand-eye coordination, improve posture, increase core muscle strength, and boost bilateral coordination.
This fun and minimal prep activity is a great way for your child to practice their counting and number recognition while working on a vertical surface and creating some fun Easter art at the same time!
Make your own vertical sticker Easter Egg counting activity.
You’ll need:
- a long piece of paper (or several papers taped together)
- stickers
-
tape
-
a marker
I drew ten eggs on a long roll of paper. Then I taped it to our wall at my child’s eye level and numbered the eggs one through ten.
I challenged him to put the correct number of stickers in each egg while counting out loud. I gave him the stickers, then I stood back and watched!
Peeling stickers is one of my favorite fine motor activities for toddlers and preschoolers. It is also great finger work for them.
I used stickers that were raised and had a harder texture. The texture made it more difficult for him to peel the stickers off. He did really well!
He picked out each sticker independently, which let him show his creativity as he designed his eggs. You could invite your child to make or copy a pattern or match their stickers to a specific color.
After he had completed each egg, he was so excited to increase the number of stickers he could peel for the next egg!
There were times when he peeled off more than one sticker at a time.
He used some of his kindergarten math skills to figure out how many more stickers he needed to finish his egg!
This was a fun, simple counting activity to do that can be set up with minimal prep – which is the best kind of activity!
It can be adaptable any time of year. You could use festive trees, pumpkins or hearts if you wanted a more seasonal theme. You could also draw your child’s current interest to get them excited about learning and number recognition.
What are your favorite vertical activities to set up for your child?
Vertical Sticker Easter Eggs: A Counting Activity
Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2u6ntI4
Click here to read Vertical Sticker Easter Eggs: A Counting Activity on Hands On As We Grow
Practice counting and number recognition with a fun vertical sticker counting activity for Easter from Lisa!
Creating vertical surface activities for your child allows them to explore and learn while developing many basic skills.
A vertical sticker activity can help build hand-eye coordination, improve posture, increase core muscle strength, and boost bilateral coordination.
This fun and minimal prep activity is a great way for your child to practice their counting and number recognition while working on a vertical surface and creating some fun Easter art at the same time!
Make your own vertical sticker Easter Egg counting activity.
You’ll need:
- a long piece of paper (or several papers taped together)
- stickers
-
tape
-
a marker
I drew ten eggs on a long roll of paper. Then I taped it to our wall at my child’s eye level and numbered the eggs one through ten.
I challenged him to put the correct number of stickers in each egg while counting out loud. I gave him the stickers, then I stood back and watched!
Peeling stickers is one of my favorite fine motor activities for toddlers and preschoolers. It is also great finger work for them.
I used stickers that were raised and had a harder texture. The texture made it more difficult for him to peel the stickers off. He did really well!
He picked out each sticker independently, which let him show his creativity as he designed his eggs. You could invite your child to make or copy a pattern or match their stickers to a specific color.
After he had completed each egg, he was so excited to increase the number of stickers he could peel for the next egg!
There were times when he peeled off more than one sticker at a time.
He used some of his kindergarten math skills to figure out how many more stickers he needed to finish his egg!
This was a fun, simple counting activity to do that can be set up with minimal prep – which is the best kind of activity!
It can be adaptable any time of year. You could use festive trees, pumpkins or hearts if you wanted a more seasonal theme. You could also draw your child’s current interest to get them excited about learning and number recognition.
What are your favorite vertical activities to set up for your child?
Monday, March 19, 2018
One Colorful Twist for your Easter Egg Hunt This Year with Hatchimals CollEGGtibles
Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2prmpZJ
Click here to read One Colorful Twist for your Easter Egg Hunt This Year with Hatchimals CollEGGtibles on Hands On As We Grow
Special thanks to our sponsor, Spin Master.
This year, add even more colorful fun to your Easter egg hunt with a Hatchimals CollEGGtibles color hunt! Kids love CollEGGtibles; adorable collectible Hatchimals that come inside small, speckled eggs.
The best part is that with a Hatchimals CollEGGtibles hunt, the fun doesn’t end once the hunt is over.
Who’s inside? It’s a surprise! What a fun way to add excitement to your egg hunt! Here’s how we added a bit of color and magic to our Easter egg hunt.
Hatchimals CollEGGtibles Easter Egg Color Hunt
We set up a simple Easter egg color hunt with our Hatchimals CollEGGtibles. First, take simple color cards, or paint color sample chips, and punch holes in them to string them together – we clipped ours onto a ring! Have some fun Easter stickers on hand, your Hatchimals CollEGGtibles, and you’re ready to go!
Setting up the Easter egg color hunt is simple. Just hide Hatchimals CollEGGtibles around your yard instead of traditional plastic eggs.
Next, give each child the ring color cards. We loved that we could even hook the ring we used on ours to a belt loop so it wouldn’t get lost in the fun!
On your mark, get set, go! Race to find the Hatchimals CollEGGtibles!
Once your child finds a Hatchimals CollEGGtible, have them look at the colored specks on the outside of the egg.
Help your child match the color of the speckled part of the egg to a color chip on his ring.
Place a sticker on a color card for each Hatchimals CollEggtible they find!
It’s fun to compare colors with friends once all the Hatchimals CollEGGtibles are found.
Which colors did each child find? Every Hatchimals CollEGGtible is different!
Can’t wait for it to hatch?
Pro Tip: The colored of the speckles on the egg shows you which family your Hatchimals CollEGGtible belongs to before they hatch. Be sure to use the collector’s list and map for more clues!
How to Hatch your Hatchimals CollEGGtibles
After the Easter egg color hunt, it’s time to hatch those Hatchimals CollEGGtibles! But they can’t hatch on their own. You have to love them to life!
Here’s how to hatch your Hatchimals CollEGGtibles with love and care:
- Hold the egg in your hands and rub the heart with love.
- When the heart changes from purple to pink, it’s ready to hatch!
- As you play with your CollEGGtible, you’ll see rainbow eyes—that means its time to hatch!
- Press on the egg to crack it open. It’s a surprise!
It’s Playtime!
The magic doesn’t stop after the Easter egg hunt. How can you play with your Hatchimals CollEGGtibles once they are hatched? The possibilities are endless!
With the new Secret Scene Playset, you can hold the beautiful egg up to the light and look through the flower to see 1 of 3 Glittering Garden Secret Scenes. This Secret Scene also comes with its own exclusive Hatchimals CollEGGtible to add to your collection. With 15 places to play and display, give your exclusive CollEGGtible a ride on the slide, a spin on the merry-go- round, or a push on the swing!
And lastly, to give your Hatchimals CollEGGtibles a home, you can create a nest by peeling down the egg shell until you reach the wavy lines.
Our boys made a nature-inspired nest for their Hatchimals. The CollEGGtibles looked adorable nestled in a bed of leaves and twigs. They loved pretending and playing with their Hatchimals!
Will you make this year’s Easter egg hunt one to remember?
Try this Hatchimals CollEGGtibles color hunt twist to add a bit of magic to your celebrations!
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